Microsoft Dynamics AX vs. SAP

When a company is in the process of evaluating a new business solution or ERP application, two or three solutions typically top the list.  In most cases, two of these applications are Microsoft Dynamics AX and SAP.  Below are several observations to consider when making this extremely important decision that will impact a business for years to come.

Configure the software to meet your needs or change your business to work with the software

When selecting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, executive management should ask, "Do we really want to run our business using the same ERP package that most of our competitors use?" Most businesses have unique processes that help drive success over their competitors. Wouldn't the better choice be to select a product that gives an organization an edge over the competition?

Products like SAP require a business to change the very processes that contribute to its success to match the functionality of the software. For the routine processes within an organization, this technique allows it to get the most out of its ERP investment. Customers and partners can each have separate object ranges for customizations, but they are still on the same layer which can lead to additional testing and expense.

Unlike traditional and legacy products like SAP, Microsoft Dynamics AX is designed to give companies the ability to quickly and cost-effectively configure and customize their business applications to support the unique needs of the business. This also allows companies to change their applications as the business grows and changes in order to maintain their competitive edge.

Dynamics AX has the industry's most advanced architecture and tools to enable companies to make the necessary customizations. These tools provide companies with complete customization capabilities that enable the means to add new functionality and modify existing functionality quickly and with limited coding. Dynamics AX also takes advantage of industry-standard Microsoft tools and technologies with which millions of developers are already familiar.

One of the biggest fears companies have about customizing their ERP applications is the increased cost of upgrading to new versions of the application. Dynamics AX uses a layered technology that gives the technical staff clear visibility to where these customizations reside. Advanced tools are provided to automate integrating the valuable customizations to a new version.

The flexibility and extensibility of Dynamics AX not only offer companies the means to support the current business needs, but they also give management comfort in knowing that as the business changes the ERP solution can change as well. Offering an affordable and adaptable solution provides greater value and enables customers to get a better return on their investment. In fact, Nucleus Research Inc. independently found that Microsoft Dynamics AX achieved a top score of 18 and a composite score of 4.2 higher than other solutions, including SAP.