This week, we concluded our 6-part blog series on Dynamics 365 CRM & SAP. As we draw this series to a close, we wanted to provide an overview of the series and highlight some of the key take-aways.
Series Overview
As the name suggests, the purpose of this series was to demonstrate how the various CRM modules in Dynamics 365 (sometimes referred to as Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement) could be mixed and matched with SAP ERP systems (both old and new) to modernize user experiences.
Figure 1: Dynamics 365 Product Portfolio
Why Dynamics 365?
One of the most basic questions we receive from SAP customers whenever we talk about this concept is “Why Dynamics 365?”. Of course, in many cases, this question could really be re-stated as “Why NOT SAP?”. That’s a pretty loaded question, and the answer is complex and the political aspects are beyond the scope of this blog series.
In other instances, it’s more of a case of Dynamics 365 not being on the customer’s radar. Here, it’s interesting to note that the customers asking this question usually have no trouble imagining a best-of-breeds solution with SAP and Salesforce. Given Salesforce’s market dominance in the past 10 years or so, this is understandable.
However, as we sit in 2024, you might be surprised to learn how much Microsoft has closed this gap in recent years. Whatever preconceived notions you may have about early versions of Dynamics 365, rest assured that the current state solution is not your father’s Dynamics 365.
Getting back to the question at hand of “Why Dynamics 365?”, we point to the following differentiators:
Vision/Execution: Whatever you may think of Gartner, Forrester, and so forth, Microsoft is objectively a recognized leader in the CRM space with a proven track record for delivering best-in-class CRM solutions. These days, Microsoft and Salesforce are neck-and-neck in most CRM races.
Innovation: Microsoft’s investments in cloud and AI technology have really created a competitive edge in the CRM marketplace. With Copilot and other recent innovations, Microsoft is way out in front of the pack and fundamentally changing the way that both customers and users engage with CRM systems.
Flexibility: Dynamics 365’s modular and flexible design makes it easy to adapt for use in most any industry/use case. Plus, by building on Azure and the Microsoft Power Platform, developers and makers have all the tools they need to enhance/extend that platform to fill in gaps where needed.
Ease of Integration: Dataverse, the cloud database behind Dynamics 365, is built on OData — the same RESTful API protocol SAP uses for Fiori apps. So, on top of traditional A2A-style interfaces, we can use OData to create deep linkages between SAP and Dynamics 365 to streamline user experiences. This is important as most CRM systems rely heavily on backend ERP systems to calculate pricing conditions, perform ATP checks, and so forth.
Cost: Dynamics 365 is very competitively priced in the marketplace, so you’re not having to double or triple down on licensing costs there.
Series Breakdown
For more information about how all this can come together, please check out the articles outlined below. You can read them in order or jump right into a particular module to do a deep dive.
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Dynamics 365 Overview
Part 3: SAP & Dynamics 365 Sales
Part 5: SAP & Dynamics 365 Field Service
Interested in learning more? Feel free to reach out to us! We would love to get your feedback and are always happy to sit down and explore the art of the possible with customers.
