Dynamics 365 vs Dynamics CRM: Should you Switch?
When Dynamics 365 came into play two years ago, there was mass speculation as to what it would mean for businesses using the Dynamics CRM.
Now, we are armed with hands-on experience and a better understanding of how Microsoft’s new offering is different from its predecessor.
Here we outline some of the key improvements Dynamics 365 offers over Dynamics CRM for you to find out if the switch is worth it.
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365?
Dynamics 365 is not an entirely new product. Nor is it a single piece of software.
It is a combination of ERP and CRM- at the same time providing you with the best ways to integrate your business parts and store your data in a single place.
In fact, it is a repackaging of the Dynamics suite’s more popular products- which now sit together under the Dynamics 365 umbrella.
It is a cloud-based product, “combining more than one functionality into a single product where you can manage all the applications and tools you need to run your business”.
The products (or apps- as MS now calls them) are still distinct entities though they can be integrated using Microsoft’s Common Data Service for Apps- a data repository helping Dynamics 365 apps standardize and share data between themselves and other MS platforms.
Dynamics CRM’s latest version was renamed Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Plan and it consists of six separate but associated apps –
- Dynamics 365 for Marketing
- Dynamics 365 for Customer Service
- Dynamics 365 for Sales
- Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation
- Dynamics 365 for Microsoft Social engagement and
- Dynamics 365 for Field Service
What does Microsoft Dynamics 365 offer you that Dynamics CRM doesn’t?
Dynamics 365 for Sales, Field Service, Customer Service and Engagement- collectively can be referred to as Dynamics 365 CRM — are based closely on the original Dynamics CRM software.
Though they are based on the original Dynamics CRM software- Microsoft has released several waves of updates and features for the Dynamics 365 since two years of its release.
The newest version released in October 2018, introduced a host of new functionality and even a new app — Dynamics 365 AI for Sales, which is first of its kind Dynamics 365 app that will use machine learning to provide data-driven insights and assist companies to make more informed and proactive decisions.
Here are some features that are exclusive to Dynamics 365 –
AI and Machine Learning
Dynamics 365 is instilled with machine learning capabilities that allow the software to learn without having to explicitly programmed to do so.
Dynamics 365 learns from the data, processes it and then is capable of not only offering more intelligent, contextual analysis and predictions but can also automate certain business processes to free the users who want to spend more time on bigger issues.
