Both small and mid-size business Corporate ERP applications: SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics GP are serving similar ERP, MRP and Accounting Systems market. We assume that your organization is facing either small business Accounting application replacement dilemma (QuickBooks, Peach Tree or similar) with something more scalable for current and future growth, or you are simply trying to recover, redeploy or upgrade old version of SB1 (such as 2005 or 2007 to SAP Business One 8.8) or Great Plains (GPA for DOS, Great Plains Dynamics 6.0, 7.5, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 to new version 11.0). Let’s try to review in brief and compare these two Corporate ERP packages, following tiny article genre format:
1. Technical Information. Both systems are available on Microsoft SQL Server DB platform and Windows Server Operating System. Both platforms are open for customization and integrations via Software Development Kits (SAP Business One SDK and Dynamics GP eConnect respectively). Both are open for initial data conversion through integration tools: SAP Business One Data Transfer Workbench (typically for initial data migration, however it could be deployed in automatic and semi automatic ongoing integration scenarios, see our previous publications). Dynamics GP also has end user (and even VBA developer if some alteration is desired) friendly Integration Manager module, where you can design, and run (or schedule) integrations. In both SB1 and GP cases you can either integrate text (coma or tab delimited) files or connect to your source records Database via ODBC connection. Data repair – in Dynamics GP you can do very precise data corrections via SQL update statements, however in SAP B1 this is not recommended and SB1 has Early Watch Service to report any data layer direct interventions
2. Core Functionality comparison. SAP Business One doesn’t have batch posting (often also referred as batch processing), meaning that when you add, let’s say Sales Invoice – it is automatically posted all the way to General Ledger. We saw opinions that Batch Processing functionality adds flexibility (approval cycles, holds processing) and scalability to Corporate ERP system. On the other hand we didn’t hear serious complains about SB1 automatic posting and even companies with fifty plus SAP BO users are working smoothly. Both GP and SB1 should be a good fit for inventory management, light manufacturing (discrete) or often referred as bill of materials. SB1 has its own CRM module (Opportunity management- fat client application, not web based at this time), where Great Plains should lead you to the way to purchase and implement Microsoft Dynamics CRM (web based). SAP Business One Professional User or Distribution user license should probably give you more functionality and features in warehouse management, picking and packing, shipping and receiving, MRP planning, light manufacturing, Service Contract management. Great Plains has comparable features, however they are typically not included with the purchase of Business Ready Business Essential user license
3. SB1 and GP Add-ons and third party extensions. Both small business Corporate ERP applications have the channels of ISV partners, where you can search for Add-ons. Dynamics GP, as being more matured ERP solution offers richer business logic options, directly supported by Microsoft Business Solutions. SAP Business One is younger, comparing to Great Plains Dynamics. For example SAP Business One doesn’t have in core functionality US Payroll module, where Dynamics GP does. If you have specific unique business requirements to your future Corporate ERP application – those should be probably discussed separate
4. Internationalization. Here SAP Business One has additional advantages, as it supports Unicode (16 bit characters -Chinese, Japanese, Korean), plus it is localized in such mega countries as Brazil, Russia, India, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain. Microsoft Dynamics GP in its turn doesn’t support Unicode (current and probably future Microsoft Dexterity restriction). Dynamics GP is in comparison to SB1 available in Arabic speaking countries (mostly localized: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, OAE). From Corporate ERP internationalization standpoint both systems are competing in English speaking countries and in Latin America. If you are multinational (possibly small) corporation and you are deploying SAP Business One in USA Headquarters – then SB1 should be natural choice for you if you are moving to such countries as Brazil, China, Germany, Russia, Korea, Japan. If you have Dynamics GP in US based Headquarters – SB1 should help you to expand internationally, especially considering version 8.8 merge
