Microsoft Dynamics AX and SAP are both ERP titans in their own regard, though the differences between them are extensive enough that they are able to fill different market needs. Companies looking to acquire an ERP often do so because they find themselves poised for growth. Their choice of ERP can help or hinder that growth, so it’s vital to choose the right ERP for the job.
Regardless of whether an organization ends up choosing Dynamics AX or SAP, no ERP is complete without total CRM integration, and data integration specialists such as Rapidi help businesses make the most out of their CRM and ERP investment. First, however, we’ll explore the similarities and differences of these two ERP powerhouses.
Dynamics AX and SAP ERP: Similarities and Differences
Dynamics AX and SAP are two of the most popular ERP solutions available today. While they are both ERPs and therefore maintain a mandatory similarity in terms of overall functionality, design, and purpose—it is the differences in cost, user-friendliness, flexibility, and product development features that optimize each for use by different kinds of businesses.
Dynamics AX is known for its ease of implementation, strong customization factor, overall flexibility, and ability to manage multiple types of languages and currencies.
Meanwhile, SAP is lauded for its in-depth quality control functionality, product development features, strong cash flow management, make-to-order processing support, and overall retail-specific functionality.
SAP Pros and Cons
SAP is a versatile ERP, tuned towards companies operating in retail. Most of its defining features—such as allowing an organization’s team members to monitor the status of in-transit goods—are geared specifically toward retail optimization. SAP is generally used within one organization (as opposed to having multi-organizational support), and those organizations tend to be large enterprises. SAP also tends to experience fewer instances of service disruption or loss. Those who choose SAP also tend to recoup the cost within two years. One of the predominant drawbacks is that SAP tends to involve a higher learning curve, and has less overall customizability than Dynamics AX.
Dynamics AX Pros and Cons
While SAP is excellent for retail organizations, Dynamics AX is largely considered more flexible and easy to use overall. Dynamics also has better overall multi-organizational and inter-organizational support via its partner channel, as well as strong trade capabilities, MRP, and production-oriented features. Because it is a Dynamics product, it can also seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft softwares. Dynamics AX is perfect for smaller businesses, or individual divisions or departments within a larger enterprise.
That said, Dynamics AX can take a while to implement, and recouping investment costs tends to take longer.
In the end, both Dynamics AX and SAP are excellent ERP choices with their own strengths and weaknesses, and businesses should be sure to thoroughly investigate their options before committing to one solution.
Why is CRM-ERP Integration Important?
Regardless of whether your organization ultimately chooses Dynamics AX, SAP, or another popular ERP, it’s important to know that data integration is what will make the most out of your CRM and ERP investments. In short, if your systems aren’t integrated, then your business isn’t utilizing its ERP or CRM to the fullest extent.
What does data integration mean? A successful data integration project allows your individual ERP and CRM to communicate with one another, pooling their data into a single point of truth. This means no more double data entry; information updated in one is then automatically updated into the other. This eliminates horizontal redundancy, and frees up an organization’s team members to work on more important and pressing matters, such as projects or important business decisions—things that require an incisive human touch. Leave the number crunching and data entry to the computers!
How Does Dynamics AX-Salesforce Integration Benefit My Organization?
When an organization successfully integrates their Dynamics AX, SAP, or other ERP with their current CRM, the result is a seamless, 360-degree view of customers’ profiles. ERP-CRM integration also optimizes behind-the-scenes functionality, streamlining everyday operations in small but noticeable and impactful ways. The goal of any high quality data-integration project is to end up with meaningful, trustworthy, up-to-date data from which an organization can base its decisions and plan new projects. Efficacy, standardization, unity, and data integrity are all part of what is necessary to keep any business running smoothly—data integration solutions such as RapidiOnline help your business get and stay ahead of the competition.
Most businesses aren’t suffering from a lack of applicable data–if anything, it’s an excess of redundant data and inefficient management that bogs them down. If your organization finds itself struggling to organize its information and implement it effectively, data integration is often the best solution.
Efficacy and standardization are necessary to keep businesses working smoothly behind the scenes. Today’s enterprises handle incoming data streams from all over the place: CRM, ERP, marketing operations, web traffic and even partner organizations, to name just a few.
When your organization’s applications and software are integrated effectively, team members have more time to focus on aspects of the business that require a human touch—leave the data entry and number crunching to the computers! Hand analysis of data is a thing of the past, and far too slow and error-prone to be effective in today’s hypercompetitive market arena. Eliminating time-consuming (and therefore costly), tedious, and redundant tasks is crucial for any organization looking to get a leg up on their peers.
Rapidi’s Real-Life Success Stories
Allan Iskove is the director of business process for the company NetOp, and is one of Rapidi’s many satisfied customers. Iskov chose Rapidi to help spearhead NetOp’s Dynamics AX-CRM integration project, and found himself more than satisfied with their performance; he notes that Rapidi’s team was thorough, fast, knowledgeable, and professional. Within days, NetOp was back on its feet and running more smoothly than ever, with its team members fully trained by Rapidi’s experts. The resulting 360-degree customer view has proven invaluable for NetOps, allowing it to maintain a superior level of responsiveness to its customers and business partners.
Data integration is notoriously tricky, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Leave it to the experts! With nearly thirty years of experience under its belt, Rapidi is a powerhouse in the field of data integration and replication technology. Thinking of taking the next step? Contact Rapidi today.