Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs Salesforce: CRM System Showdown Round 1
Posted on: August 13, 2016 | By: Craig Thompson | Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Having an efficient and productive CRM system can be the difference between a good business and a great one. CRM systems open up a whole new world for customer engagement and internal organization that just can’t be accomplished through manual operations. That being said, choosing to upgrade your current CRM system or implement a brand new project shouldn’t be a decision that is taken lightly. People don’t make these investments every day and this software is going to be with your business for a while so it’s important to do your research. Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Salesforce are two very popular and seemingly similar CRM solutions, however there are a few key differences between the two that should be considered before taking the plunge.
Price
For many organizations, pricing is of the most obvious factors to consider before determining which CRM system to choose. If we are looking solely at price alone in this CRM system showdown, Microsoft CRM is the better choice. Dynamics CRM ranks lower in add on and functionality costs and is nearly half the cost of Salesforce’s storage costs. When looking at cost in general, prices always vary, but by looking at each competitor’s website you can see the following: Salesforce offers their professional CRM for $65 per user/month, enterprise CRM (their most popular) for $125 user/month and their unlimited CRM for $250 user/month. Meanwhile Microsoft offers their CRM professional system for $65 user/month, their sales productivity for $65 user/month and their enterprise 360 system for $150 user/month.
Usability
One of the clear benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s user face is its sheer convenience to use. Most everyone is at least somewhat familiar with Microsoft Applications like Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook, which makes transitioning and training employees on a new Dynamics CRM system a whole lot simpler. That’s not to say thought that Salesforce does not have a simple yet efficient user experience, many users love Salesforce’s CRM application. That being said, it is a foreign template and model for many and could take more time and training to get your project up and running.
Cloud vs. On Premise
We live in a world where cloud computing is no longer an exciting feature that only a select few companies have access to. Today, cloud ERP and CRM software are becoming the norm which speaks wonders for mobility in the work force. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is available both on premise and in the cloud making it a great choice to support mobility and internal growth. It’s easy to switch between the two. Salesforce is deployed solely from the cloud making it great for mobility. Both products have a great range of accessibility features and options, however if your business isn’t quite ready for cloud based CRM software, Microsoft Dynamics versatile options may be more attractive of a choice.
Do you prefer a familiar UX or something new? Is on premise availability a must have for your business or will purely cloud based CRM do the trick? These are all important questions to ask when searching for the right CRM system for your business. Stay tuned for Round 2 of this CRM showdown to uncover more crucial components of any CRM Implementation. For more information on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, contact Logan Consulting your Chicago based Microsoft Dynamics Partners.