Microsoft Dynamics 365 · ERP world
The Dynamics 365 ERP world is multi-track today: Business Central for the mid-market, the former Finance & Operations apps for enterprises, and with the arades Modular ERP an in-house build for special scenarios. We help you identify the right ERP model — openly, without lock-in to a particular variant.
Three ERP models in Microsoft Dynamics 365
Since 2020 Microsoft Dynamics 365 no longer knows a single, unified "ERP suite" — the original Finance & Operations world was decoupled into standalone apps. In parallel, Business Central remains the ERP system for SMBs. Which path fits which size and industry is an up-front decision with a long shelf life.
| ERP model | Size class | Functional depth | arades role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Central | 10–500 employees | Broad, but not configurable to every industry depth | Delivered actively |
| F&O apps (Finance, SCM, Commerce, Project Ops, HR) | 500+ employees, enterprises | Deep in multi-entity, multi-currency, multi-site | Referral to specialists |
| Modular ERP (arades in-house build) | Industry-specific, SMB | Full customizing freedom, no Dataverse constraint | Vendor |
Business Central — the SMB ERP
Business Central covers financial accounting, purchasing, sales, warehouse, manufacturing and service management in a single system. On the Dataverse platform, natively connected to Microsoft 365 and Power Platform. The only ERP world arades delivers actively in-house.
For detailed functions, industry extensions and the implementation methodology, see the Business Central hub page.
Finance & Operations apps — enterprise ERP
In 2020 Microsoft decoupled the former "Finance & Operations Enterprise" suite into five standalone apps. Each app is individually licensable and can be operated together or solo. The platform underneath remains Microsoft Dataverse, complemented by the F&O-specific data models and extension concepts (X++, Lifecycle Services).
Group financial accounting, multi-currency, multi-entity consolidation, Tax Calculation Service, IFRS- and HGB-capable. For large enterprises with complex group structures.
Procurement, inventory, manufacturing, warehouse management, asset management, quality management — the logistics depth for manufacturers with multi-site operations.
Unified commerce platform for retail — POS, e-commerce, call centre, back office in one solution. Predecessor system: Dynamics 365 for Retail / AX Retail.
Project-centric ERP app for services firms: project planning, resource allocation, time and expense entry, project accounting. Cross-link: Project Operations hub.
Employee master data, organisation charts, performance management, benefits, absence management. Deeper than a classic HR module in Business Central or F&O Finance.
Discontinued as a standalone app in 2024 — functions were absorbed into Supply Chain Management. Existing customers received migration paths.
arades position: the F&O world is not our active engineering business. If you are looking for a partner for an F&O implementation, on request we refer you openly to specialists from our Microsoft partner network — that is more transparent than "going along" with a discipline we do not deliver in our own depth.
Business Central vs. F&O
| Criterion | Business Central suffices | F&O required |
|---|---|---|
| Employee count | up to 500 | 500+, typically 1,000+ |
| Legal entities | up to approx. 20 | 50+, group consolidation |
| Manufacturing | discrete + light process | discrete + process + lean + mixed-mode |
| Warehouse sites | 1 to approx. 5 | 10+ with complex WMS logic |
| Currencies / tax logic | standard multi-currency | complex tax logic (US sales tax, IFRS, multi-GAAP) |
| Customization | AL extensions, BC apps | X++ development, Lifecycle Services |
In practice we see many mid-market companies circling the "BC or F&O?" question for too long. We work through it with you in a structured workshop — based on your real requirements, not on generic size classes.
arades Modular ERP — the in-house build
There are scenarios where the standard Microsoft ERP world does not carry — very specific industry workflows, special data-handling requirements outside of Dataverse, or tenants for whom BC/F&O license costs are not workable. For those cases we built the arades Modular ERP on our own platform.
Modular ERP is an arades in-house build. It is modular (accounting, invoicing, light CRM, warehouse, time tracking, project management), customizing-friendly and not tied to Microsoft licensing logic. It is not a replacement for Business Central — it is an alternative answer when the Microsoft standard world does not fit.
Deeper into the ERP building blocks
SMB ERP for 10–500 employees. Functional modules, industry extensions, implementation path.
Read more →
Project ERP for services firms. Resources, time tracking, project accounting — as an F&O app.
Read more →
Prices per app, attach logic, audit traps. Everything that matters before procurement.
Read more →
Frequently asked questions
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the SMB ERP solution for companies with 10 to 500 employees — functionally comprehensive, fast to roll out, with moderate license load. The former Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations apps (Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, Project Operations, Human Resources) target enterprises and groups with complex multi-entity, multi-currency, multi-site requirements. arades delivers Business Central actively. For F&O apps we refer customers to specialists in our partner network on request.
Business Central Essentials is around EUR 67 per full user per month, Business Central Premium around EUR 95 — Premium adds Manufacturing and Service Management. Team Member licenses for read-only or pure time-entry users cost around EUR 8 per month. NCE triennial discounts up to 5 % and non-profit conditions are negotiable.
The arades Modular ERP is an in-house build for very specific industry scenarios in which neither Business Central nor F&O fit cleanly — typically heavily customised workflows in niche industries. It is a candidate when you need a smaller, fully customisable solution without Dataverse constraints. We discuss this openly with you.
Technically yes — but it is not a simple upgrade path, it is a re-implementation with data migration. In practice we rarely see the reverse path: those who start on Business Central and accept its functional breadth usually stay there. Those who outgrow Business Central have a clear, plannable F&O migration path.
Realistically 4–8 months for mid-market companies. A lean rollout with financial accounting, purchasing, sales and warehouse lands at 4–5 months. With manufacturing (Premium license), service management and third-party integrations, 7–8 months is realistic. F&O rollouts typically run between 12 and 24 months.
30-min ERP discovery call
Tell us your size, industry and the two or three most critical ERP requirements — we tell you openly whether Business Central will carry it, F&O apps are appropriate, or the Modular ERP is closer to fit.
