What is Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium?

Hesitating between Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials and Premium? Don’t know which one to pick? We hear you.

ERPs are such incredible tools for any business, but they are so comprehensive that sometimes… it is hard to fully comprehend what the companies are trying to offer us. With the numerous functionalities, the modules, the licensing, the pricing, it is a lot of information to digest.

So, if you have found in your research that Business Central could be the right fit for you, but you need a little bit more about the two different licenses: we have what you need right here. They are both amazing offers, but one will undoubtedly suit you better than the other.

So, after all, what is Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an ERP which provides small to midsized businesses (SMB) a comprehensive solution to managing a company’s finances, sales, operations, and customer service. It can be licensed in one of two ways: Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials or Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium.

In my previous article, I explained Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials. In this article, I will explain Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium and compare it to Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials so you can make a decision on which is best for you and your SMB.

Modules in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium includes the following modules:

• Financial Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• Project Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Human Resources Management
• Warehouse Management
• Service Order Management
• Manufacturing

Each licensed user will have access to every module. This ERP will help your company run as efficiently as possible. You will be able to keep track of an analyze the data from your every module and plan for the future accordingly. This is the most comprehensive version of Dynamics 365 Business Central, and it could just be the one you need to help your company grow.

What makes it different from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials is a little bit more limited. It is best for the companies who need a focus on the basics, such as the first six modules listed above:

• Financial Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• Project Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Human Resources Management
• Warehouse Management

These modules are the only ones included with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials. If you want these and the other two modules, Service Order Management and Manufacturing, you must get Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium. It is a more complete package and it could make all the difference depending on your company and your priorities.

I will go into more detail with these towards the end of the article.

What does Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium do?

Basically, it does everything.

From the get-go you’ll have access to the ERP software and be able to manage day-to-day operations such as cash-management, invoicing, quotes, orders, and more. The ERP is cloud-based. This makes it easy to mange and set up.

The interface is user-friendly. Every app is accessible from a single place. You can access your inbox, process orders, submit invoices, and more all from the same place! Not to mention the fact that you can export data right to Word and Excel to create easy-to-share documents with accurate data.

Just another aspect of this ERP is the end-to-end view of your company’s operations. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium provides users with an overview of the all the company data: customer interactions, sales, inventory, purchasing, and more, all in one place. Use this to find trends and prevent issues, as well as improve customer relations.

Using this ERP will ease the stress that comes with decision making. Employees will be able to create self-serve data reports to help improve their decision making. With these reports, employees will easily be able to view and analyze the data and quickly come to the best decisions.

To save time and money, use this ERP to automate your business processes. This is a simple step the ERP can help you take, with great reward. The company’s overall efficiency will increase, and it will ease a lot of the stress on day-to-day operations. It’ll be one less thing for you to think about. Not only will Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central help you automate your business processes, you can also secure them with the included accounting software, which has enterprise-level security. You’ll be more secure and more efficient, what’s to lose?

The last feature I want to discuss is that you can use this ERP to predict the future. Using the data that the ERP complies, you can analyze, access, and model it across multiple dimensions to create custom reports. Use this function to develop likely future scenarios and act accordingly to prevent issues that could arise, such as lack or surplus of inventory.

What types of businesses would benefit from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium?

The ERP will grow with you, so it’s great for companies looking to expand.

As with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium is for SMB looking to have better control over their activities and improve productivity.

Businesses in the manufacturing industry are most likely to benefit from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium due to the additional Manufacturing module. Business that need Service Management are also likely to benefit more from the Premium package than the Essentials package.

Functionalities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium

• Financial Management – Included with this module are budgets, a basic general ledger, bank account reconciliation and management, multiple currencies, account schedules, and much more. You’re sure to find assistance with every aspect of your company’s finances in this module.
• Customer Relationship Management – It’s easy to manage your campaigns, contacts, opportunities, relationships, and all customer communications with this module.
• Project Management – You’ll find everything you need to manage individual projects in this module, including, but not limited to, time sheets, job quotes, and basic resources.
• Supply Chain Management – Inside this module, you’ll be able to manage both sales and purchases invoicing, requisitions, basic inventory, budgets, and even sales tax/VAT.
• Human Resources Management – This module helps with all your basic human resource requirements.
• Warehouse Management – With an automated data capture system, warehouse management systems, internal picks and put aways, it’ll be easy to manage your warehouse.

These next two are only available with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium

• Service Order Management – Manage your service orders, prices, item management, contract agreements, and your planning and dispatch with this module.
• Manufacturing – You’ll be able to manage all aspects of manufacturing with this module, including production orders, basic supply planning, and demand forecasting.

Licensing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium

I covered the licensing process and planning in more detail in another article titled “Simple Guide to Dynamics 365 Business Central Pricing & Licensing.”

For now, I will simply cover the basics to give you an idea of the licensing process and requirements for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium.

1. You must have a partner to purchase a Subscription License (you can find one here: https://partner.microsoft.com/en-US/cloud-solution-provider).
2. You can’t license both, you must choose Essentials or Premium.
3. You must purchase a Subscription License for every internal user.
4. The ERP software can be accessed from multiple devices, but users must sign-in.
5. There are two types of users. Full Users have full access to the software and included apps, while Additional Users have limited rights and access.

I hope this article answered any and all questions about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium and whether or not it is the right choice for you and your company. Maybe it is too comprehensive, and you don’t need the extra modules? Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials might be the right choice for you instead. Either one will help improve the efficiency of your company and reduce stress on you and your employees.

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