When you’re evaluating enterprise resource planning systems, you will probably end up comparing a few major options such as Microsoft Dynamics GP and NetSuite. Both of these solutions are designed for midsize organizations, a segment of businesses which have rapidly ramped up their investments in ERP.

According to a 2015 report from Allied Market Research, mid-market enterprise adoption of ERP is expected to climb at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9 percent between 2014 and 2020. A big driver of this move is the need to streamline the costs of IT operations and the evolution of ERP from a relatively simple system of record (with roots in 1960s-era tech) into a platform for managing data analytics and integrating with other software.

Indeed, ERP has been one of the last business applications to move toward SaaS and subscription licensing, in response to this emerging trend. Both Dynamics and NetSuite offer such deployment models, so which one is right for you? Let’s explore Dynamics GP’s advantages over NetSuite:

1) Dynamics GP is built to work with synergistic products

NetSuite marketing emphasizes the simplification of implementations and management in the cloud, which is equally achievable with Dynamics GP. Geared toward midsize organizations, GP is designed for agile and flexible deployment methods.

In truth, Dynamics GP is the more synergistic application since it taps into other Microsoft services, including Office, SharePoint, SQL Server and Azure, for value-adding functionality that other solutions can’t achieve. In contrast, NetSuite may rely on a mix of Oracle, Box and Google products.

2) It can be deployed differently depending on your requirements

SaaS is the only option for NetSuite. Meanwhile, Dynamics GP can be deployed in several different ways: on-premises (this still appears to be the most popular option for ERP), in the cloud (on Azure) or hosted (with the help of a Cloud Solution Provider such as Turnkey). So you have options for security and control on-prem, or scalability and flexibility in the cloud, and can pick one based on your unique requirements.

Cloud, hosted or on-prem, you can get the deployment model that works for you with Dynamics GP. To learn about some of the benefits of cloud-hosted ERP, feel free to download our eBook, 7 Game Changing Trends: Why It’s Time to Move to Online Accounting Software.

3) Reporting capabilities are more versatile in Dynamics GP

As mentioned earlier, Dynamics GP’s status as a Microsoft product creates powerful synergies that NetSuite cannot match, and its reporting capabilities are no exception. Dynamics GP can easily integrate with Excel and SQL Server Reporting Services to pull in information from multiple sources and provide real-time reports on your most important data. Integration with SharePoint also allows for many options for collaboration and sharing.

4) Dynamics GP can save you money in the long run

The flexibility of Dynamics GP’s licensing schemes can provide savings over the one-size-fits-all approach of NetSuite. Whereas NetSuite bills based upon named users, Dynamics GP can be set up to account for various types of users and implemented as a Starter Pack or Extended Pack. This saves you money on “light” users who might only need access a few minutes per day. You will also likely save on customizations and integrations down the road, since Dynamics GP is designed to work tightly in tandem with the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem and is less reliant on third-party solutions.

 

Want to learn more about how Dynamics GP can fulfill your organization’s operational and financial needs? Visit our main Dynamics GP page today, and be sure to contact us to get answers to any questions you may have about adopting ERP in your organization.

 

Has your business outgrown its current accounting software? Find out with the free eBook:
15 Red Flags: Is Your Accounting Software Hurting Your Business?

 

 

By Turnkey Technologies, Inc. - Microsoft Gold Certified Dynamics ERP and Dynamics CRM Partner of Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and North Texas.