CRM: sales
Track leads, opportunities and pipeline.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
ERP vs CRM
What each system does, how they differ, and why many businesses run Business Central and Dynamics 365 CRM together.
The short answer
CRM (customer relationship management) manages everything before and around a sale: leads, contacts, opportunities, marketing and customer service. ERP (enterprise resource planning) manages what happens behind it: finance, purchasing, stock, production and projects.
CRM helps you win and keep customers. ERP helps you deliver to them and get paid. They share customer, product and order data, which is why connecting them matters.
In the Microsoft world, Dynamics 365 CRM covers the customer side and Business Central covers the operational side, and the two connect out of the box.
ERP and CRM side by side
Where each system earns its place.
CRM: service and marketing
Manage cases, campaigns and customer history.
ERP: finance
Ledger, invoicing, VAT and reporting.
ERP: operations
Purchasing, stock, production and projects.
Shared data
Customers, products, quotes and orders.
Better together
Sales see credit and orders; finance sees the pipeline.
Try Business Central in an environment built around your business
Most trials drop you into a generic demo company that looks nothing like the way you actually work. Ours doesn't. We configure your free trial around your business and the use case you care about, so you and your team can test real scenarios with data and processes you recognise.
It starts with a short questionnaire about your industry, your current systems and what you want to prove out. Once that's back with us, your tailored trial can usually be made available within a few working days. Prefer a guided walkthrough first? A standard demo is still on the table - just tell us which you'd like.
Tell us about your business
Complete a short questionnaire covering your industry, processes and the things you most want to test.
We configure your trial
We set up a Business Central environment around your use case, so you're not clicking through a generic demo company.
You're up and running in days
Your tailored trial is typically ready within a few working days of the questionnaire coming back to us.
Enquiry form
Get in touch
Tell us whether you're looking at CRM, ERP or both and we'll help you work out the right starting point.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
CRM manages customer-facing activity such as sales, marketing and service. ERP manages back-office operations such as finance, stock and purchasing.
Many growing businesses do. Some start with one and add the other later. The key is choosing systems that connect well.
Both. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a family of apps: Dynamics 365 CRM apps cover sales, service and marketing, while Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance cover ERP.
It depends where the biggest pain is. If finance and stock are holding you back, start with ERP. If you're losing track of leads and customers, start with CRM.