Dynamics 365 components – Part 3

Justyna Kołodziejczyk

It is true that this is a blog about CRM system (and despite the change of product to Dynamics 365, it will be more focused on the CRM functions), we are obliged to mention the ERP components. Why is this important? It is impossible to introduce Dynamics 365 as a complete tool when mentioning only part of its features. The idea Dynamics 365 is to create a global platform to support our business. After all, business processes are not limited to one department. The marketing campaign requires to determine our budget and to order marketing materials, and that exceeds the marketing department responsibilities and CRM functions.

Dynamics 365 for Operations

Dynamics 365 for Operations module supports production, sales, finance and IT. It allows, among others:

  • Organization administration,
  • Budget management,
  • Retail and commerce management,
  • Credit and collection management,
  • General ledger management,
  • Cost accounting,
  • Payable and receivable accounts management,
  • Sales and marketing management,
  • Procurement and sourcing management,
  • Product information management,
  • Project management and accounting.

Dynamics 365 for Financials

Dynamics 365 for Financials serves:

  • Budget management (including general ledger management, and accounts management),
  • Inventory management (including returns and cancellation management),
  • Sales management (including invoicing, pricing and discounting, opportunity management),
  • Purchasing (including order management and vendor management),
  • Project management (including project budgeting and estimations).

What is the difference?

The difference is the company size.

Dynamics 365 for Operations is based on Dynamics AX – an ERP solution designed for business needs of large companies. It is a powerful and robust tool that has a lot more features than Dynamics 365 for Financials which is based on project Madeira – a cloud solutions providing Dynamics NAV functionality. Dynamics NAV is an ERP system focused on SMEs’ needs.

When implementing Dynamics 365 we choose which components are required to meet our business needs. If we run a small business we do not have to choose either Dynamics 365 for Operations, or Dynamics 365 for Financials. Medium-sized enterprise can benefit from investing in a simple ERP system – Dynamics 365 for Financials. If, however, our company employs 250+ employees, a comprehensive ERP system such as Dynamics 365 for Operations can greatly facilitate our lives.