The Dynamics AX 2009 or 2012 RTM and R2, mainstream support already ended and the customers on old version need to compromise with the latest patches and upgrade. The very recent requirement of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia is a LIVE requirement for Dynamics users to avail the benefits of the patch and upgrade to be compliant.
So if you haven’t already started down the path towards Dynamics 365, now’s the time to start thinking about it. Extended support for both AX 2009 and 2012 are still available until 2021.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 – how it is different from Dynamics AX
Available this fall, Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s new approach to end-to-end intelligent business applications in the cloud. These business applications enable companies to:
Productivity where you need it – Deep integration between Dynamics 365 and Office 365connects the structured workflow of business applications and processes with the unstructured work of collaboration and productivity. So your employees are empowered with productivity tools surfaced in the context of their business processes. For example, a salesperson receives an email, and can respond directly in Office with a quote that is created based on information from both Finance and Sales apps, stored back to the right app, with right pricing, discounting etc. All without the user having to leave Outlook.
Built-in Intelligence - While marketing and sales have different responsibilities, each is critical to the sales process. Misalignment often causes frustration on both sides. For example, the sales team may feel marketing is making unrealistic claims about the company’s solutions, while marketing may feel sales fails to follow through on the leads marketing works so hard to surface. Misalignment leads to wasted efforts and investments. When both teams align, the entire sales process becomes more seamless. The customer is the first to benefit, enjoying a consistent experience throughout the buying process. In addition, when sales and marketing align, they can integrate their knowledge for greater campaign impact, handle leads more fluidly and effectively, and better map and improve the customer journey. By presenting a coordinated effort, sales and marketing can more easily gain support for further initiatives from their executive team.
Ready for Growth – Dynamics 365 enables companies to adapt and innovate in real-time with nimble, adaptable applications so you can compose, modify and extend processes. Business users are empowered to change and adapt without IT. And you can reimagine your business model with a common data model and a flexible, extensible business application platform.
Now what makes Dynamics 365 unique is that it harnesses the power of One Microsoft. Data has become the new currency, and organizations create and have access to more of it, and faster than ever before. The challenge is how to transform it into intelligence that generates action and drive outcomes.
Dynamics 365 will allow organizations to adopt individual business apps such as Marketing, Sales, Service and Operations, but as organizations adopt more of the apps, synergies will be unleashed in the form ‘Intelligent Business Processes’. This will help proactively guide employees & customers to generate optimal outcomes.
Cloud vs On-premise It’s a business decision with reasoning.
The most common question in the upgrade discussion is cloud vs on-premise, especially in the middle east where data hosting outside the country can be a big concern. There’s no easy answer to this question, as every business has its own set of unique operating conditions and internal compliance to follow when it comes to data privacy.
But it’s a big decision, not to be made lightly. Work with us to determine which path to take and why. We have listed some of the bullet points to help you get a feel for which option would better suit your business. Some business-critical factors can be non-negotiable – so those could, in essence, decide for you.
Bring Agility in your business with Dynamics 365
Moving to the cloud is probably the biggest technological reason for upgrading to Dynamics 365.
This one change opens up a host of opportunities:
No infrastructure management- Microsoft provisions and manages everything you need to run Dynamics 365 optimally. This takes a huge amount of stress off your business. You can leverage from the incredible economies of scale within Microsoft datacentres around the world, and there’s no need for second-guessing when it comes to your infrastructure configuration.
Simple integration - Now that Dynamics 365 is in Azure it can leverage off the entire Microsoft stack. Integration may not require the writing of even a single line of code. By utilising the common data model alongside apps such as Power Automate, Logic Apps, Power Apps, connecting data from various software has never been simpler.
Scalability - If your business has natural or predicable peaks and troughs, Azure lets you scale up and down as required with the click of a button. You can view your user numbers and Azure environment accordingly, only paying for increased sizing when you need it.
Anytime/anywhere - There are no barriers to accessing Dynamics 365 in the cloud, unlike your internal network. As long as users have an internet connection, a web browser and the right privileges, they can log into AX from any device, anywhere in the world.
New Modules- Asset Management (maintenance) is the most awaited module added to cover end-to-end operations for manufacturing or any asset intensive organisation. Fully integrated functions with finance, SCM and human resource.
Embedded Power BI- Data is gold and to mine it we need a strong reporting tool like Power BI. Embedded Power BI within Dynamics 365 is a Microsoft’s premier reporting platform and can take data from a variety of data sources. Microsoft has a lot of very useful out-of-the-box analytics different roles like finance manager, warehouse manager, cost control etc. in Dynamics 365.
An agile technologyfor agile business- Predictable 6-monthly application releases mean Dynamics 365 continually evolves, getting better and better, without the need for huge upgrade projects. You do need to factor in the overhead of testing and applying for the new release. But it can still be scheduled for whenever you’re ready within a set period. And because the system is now enhanced via extensions, rather than using over-layering, updates can be applied without the fear of breaking the core system. New functionality is an opt-in approach.
Cloud Subscription V/S On-Premise - TCO
Low entry cost of cloud subscription, save up to 90% of your total investments from day one.
Move to Azure anytime and save 60% on your investment.
Above comparison doesn’t include AX, SQL and SharePoint cost, this may further add up On premise solution cost.
Above illustration is for 25 users and storage capacity of 30GB.
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