Your valuable technology advisor

Acumatica was born in the cloud with options to license, purchase, or pay as you go. It can be deployed in public clouds like Amazon Web Services or Azure, or in a private cloud. Although multi-tenancy is available, the standard environment can be single instance or hybrid, giving total flexibility.

Browser based, Dynamics 365 is a true cloud platform. It is a multi-tenant environment, which means upgrades are rolled out automatically at no cost. No SQL Server access is available, but the tradeoff with security, scalability, and utilization may be convenient.  Private cloud and on-premise deployment options are available, but not commonly deployed.

GP is a solid, proven ERP software that can be hosted in the cloud. But it is not a true cloud application. You will need to remotely connect to a cloud environment. If you need or want to outsource your environment and have someone else manage server availability and access, this can be a good option.  Note:  Remote access via a Citrix server can cost around $1,000 per year and upgrades are not free, they average $6,400.

A CRM module is available in Acumatica, giving you the ability to manage leads, contacts, opportunities, and business accounts.  Initially, CRM was not Acumatica’s most robust module but it has gained functionality in recent releases.

There is “light CRM” built into the system. If you want more robust functionality, you can purchase the Dynamics 365 for Sales piece, a separate CRM component available at an additional cost.  Compared to Dynamics GP, Business Central is better positioned for whatever is next in business and the general move to a more mobile tech society.

Integration with Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) is possible with a prebuilt “connector”, however, you’ll have to purchase the integration tool and then pay to have it mapped to your data.

One of Acumatica’s strengths is its flexibility when it comes to integrations. Unlike other systems, these integration tools are included with Acumatica at no additional cost. You can integrate it in a more traditional batch basis (e.g. nightly) or real-time using the API.

As a newer to the market application, Dynamics 365 is adding features steadily. Integration tools are being added to the marketplace daily and the use of API connectors give you real-time integrations.

GP is written on an older platform, and you typically need third party tools in order to integrate with other systems. These tools are widely used and proven, and they make developing the integrations more visual and graphical. But they do come at an additional cost and you still need to spend a fair amount of time designing the mappings, testing and validating results.

Acumatica has compelling mobility features. It has HTML5 capability designed to be accessed via any browser automatically – be that through a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Acumatica also provides a free mobile app for both iOS and Android. Even better, Acumatica offers a mobility development platform to change or add to their existing mobile apps.

Dynamics 365 has a mobile app that is feature rich. You can work online or offline, and it includes a dashboard for a quick overview, along with a drill down for Accounts, Bookable Resources, Contacts, Products, Agreements, Time Off Requests, Map, Activities and Calendar.

GP is lacking in the mobility arena. However, depending on your specific industry and need, some ISVs have included mobile apps in their portfolio of solutions. These apps are provided by ISV solutions in industries where mobility is most critical – such as Field Service.