6 reasons why to choose D365 Unified Operations

Many companies find themselves stuck with an outdated ERP, limiting the opportunities for the company’s growth and implementation of efficiency improvements in the business.

The companies that already are addressing this problem are moving to scalable, cloud based, easy to integrate, platforms for ERP and add-ons providing management of apps and tools as BI, Analytics etc. Most likely the single largest cost item in a company’s IT budget is the ERP, and since the lifecycle of ERPs about is 10-15 years, it’s important to consider, not only the product itself and its compliance with internal IT standards, but also the vendors roadmap and capabilities for the future development of the product. Choosing the wrong ERP platform can end up in fatal consequences, so you can't afford a failure.

6 reasons to opt for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Unified Operations

Microsoft have invested hugely in Dynamics 365 Unified Operations (and earlier versions) the latest decade which has leveraged the product to an agile challenger in the enterprise and mid-size segment covering both Financials, Supply Chain Management as well as HR and a vertical for Retail in the same package.

Historically the life span for an ERP system has included major upgrades every 3-5 year, sometimes comparable with an implementation from scratch. Major drivers have often been changes in the underlying platform and major upgrades in functionality forcing the customer to reconfigure the system and invest in IT infrastructure, training of employees etc.

Some companies have therefore chosen not to upgrade their systems, which eventually leads to a dead end where even more extensive measures are required to, for example, gain access to new functionality that the business is demanding and instead the company has developed own systems which are being integrated, which means that the total the costs for the company's application portfolio increase as a consequence for not upgrading the ERP.

Like other cloud-based products Microsoft Dynamics 365 Unified Operations will be updated on a regular basis, not only with bug fixes, but also 2 scheduled upgrades a year with new functionality and modules. On top of that Microsoft are on a continuous basis releasing add-ons and enhancements for other Azure based products, like the Platform services with security management and Power Platform with PowerBI.

Choosing an ERP is no longer about implementing a system that meets your functional requirements, you are also investing in a platform for your current and future needs for add-ons that allow you to extract the value of company data and abilities for business development and growth in the short and long term.

I’d say that every company who’s today is to invest in an ERP should evaluate Microsoft Dynamics 365 due to Microsoft’s strong track record so far as well as the roadmap for Unified Operations and the Azure platform. You can expect both new features as well as enhancements of current capabilities necessary for example transforming your company to Industry 4.0 which will be required to ensure future competitiveness. 

ERP systems have been my passion for many years – an ongoing love story. Need help as you evaluate ERP possibilites? Feel free to connect with me.