Comparison Between BC and F&O
Posted on: July 19, 2019 | By: Jim Bertler | Microsoft Dynamics Business Central
As a Microsoft Dynamics Business Central partner based in Chicago, we often get asked “What is the Difference between Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations?” We support both Finance & Operations and Business Central as both solutions are part of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 family. Dynamics 365 includes ERP (enterprise resource planning solutions) as well as CRM (customer relationship management solutions) . Professional Service Automation and Field Service are two additional pieces available through Dynamics 365, so it is a complete business management solution from Microsoft.
Configurability
The difference between Business Central and Finance & Operations revolves around a couple of main factors. The first one would be configurability. Business Central is configurable, and you can set it up to meet your needs, but Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations is far more configurable and customizable. You have a myriad of options and decisions to make as you implement Finance & Operations, much more so than Business Central. In other words, you can make Finance & Operations do whatever it is you need it to do, whereas Business Central is a bit more limited.
Core Functionality
The next major difference between Business Central and Finance & Operations is core functionality. Business Central and Finance & Operations both do the same major functions. However, Finance & Operations is more robust. One simple example is lot and serial number tracing. Business Central offers full lot and serial number tracing, but Finance & Operations will offer pallet tracking and “license plate” functionality.
Company Size
One indicator of which solution is a better fit for your company is typically company size. Business Central is a great solution for businesses from about $10 million to $250 million of annual revenue, whereas Finance & Operations is going to take over and handle larger businesses from about $100 million up to a billion+. Business Central is a small to mid-market tool, whereas Finance & Operations is for the upper mid-market and large enterprises.
Key Requirements
Lastly, as a Microsoft Dynamics Business Central partner based in Chicago, we get questions on making the ultimate decision between Business Central and Finance & Operations. We often tell people that if you’re looking at both Business Central and Finance & Operations you need to do some more homework because they don’t belong in the same selection process. We tell people to develop a requirements document and look at your requirements against the solutions that you are considering. 10 to, at most, 50 requirements are sufficient. You don’t need an exhaustive list, as the best way to approach a system selection is to define the key requirements in each area of your business. We think focusing on these key requirements will make sure that you satisfy the most important areas as opposed to checking off every box on a list.
Hopefully, this provides information as to the differences between Business Central and Finance & Operations. If you’d like to discuss more, feel free to contact Logan Consulting, your Microsoft Dynamics Business Central partner based in Chicago.