Services · ERP Advisory with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
An ERP project is the most commercially consequential software decision in the mid-market — and at the same time the most frequent place where external consulting tips into open-ended hourly billing. arades GmbH advises you as a Microsoft Partner and Microsoft Licensing Partner across all modules of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and HR — fixed price per phase, honest module selection, clear NCE strategy. Since 2007 for mid-market companies from the Rhine-Main region and across Germany.
ERP Advisory — definition
ERP stands for "Enterprise Resource Planning" — a term from the 1990s that's almost wrong today. Modern ERP advisory in the mid-market is no longer about resource planning but about: how do we represent order, delivery, invoice, warehouse, accounting, and reporting so management actually understands operations and clerical staff works faster than before?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is particularly suited as an ERP advisory platform for the mid-market because the license logic is transparent, the cloud architecture is mature, Microsoft 365 integration is native, and the AppSource ecosystem breadth for German requirements (e-invoice, GoBD, DATEV integration, industry apps) is now very good. As arades GmbH we deliberately focus on Business Central for mid-market companies with 10 to 500 employees — and we deliberately do not advise on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations because that's a different playing field.
An honest ERP advisory covers five areas:
As a Microsoft Partner based in Offenbach am Main, we serve mid-market companies across the Rhine-Main region and beyond — from Frankfurt through Darmstadt and Wiesbaden to Aschaffenburg.
The four ERP areas
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central covers the ERP universe for the mid-market in four main areas. In most projects we start with Finance and Operations, add Supply Chain in the second step, and HR in the third — typically over a 12 to 24 month timeframe.
General ledger with German chart of accounts (SKR03/SKR04), accounts receivable and payable, fixed asset accounting, cash flow management, VAT handling with OSS reporting, multi-currency logic, consolidation of subsidiary entities. Advisory topics: chart of accounts migration from legacy systems, dimension structure (cost center, cost object, project), workflow configuration for payment and posting approvals, GoBD compliance, e-invoice receipt and dispatch (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD).
Sales (quote, order, delivery, invoice, credit note), purchasing (RFQ, order, goods receipt, vendor invoice), light manufacturing (BOM, routing, production order, feedback). Advisory topics: workflow configuration, pricing and discount logic, EDI and webshop integration, automated order processing via Power Automate, reporting in Power BI with native connector to Business Central.
Warehouse management (stock, planning, inventory, storage zones), multi-warehouse logic, tracking codes (serial, lot, expiry date), demand planning and vendor RFQs, warehouse worker app on handheld terminals. Typical in trade, distribution, wholesale, and in manufacturing mid-market companies with warehouse complexity. Advisory topics: warehouse strategy, picking workflow, safety stock, logistics provider integration, industry apps for heating-oil trade, fuel distribution, or food.
Employees, absences, expense reporting — typically complemented by a German payroll solution (sage Personal, DATEV LODAS, AppSource industry app). Business Central HR is deliberately lightweight and not a replacement for a full HR suite. Advisory topics: expense workflow per §3 EStG, flat-rate taxation, receipt capture via smartphone app, payroll interface, employee self-service portal via Power Pages.
More on Microsoft ERP? Find the full overview of the ERP family (Business Central, the F&O successors, and Modular ERP) in our Insights area — knowledge content, not a sales pitch. To the ERP knowledge area →
Business Central or the Finance & Operations apps?
Microsoft has decomposed the former Dynamics 365 F&O world into four modular apps (Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, Human Resources). Business Central remains as an integrated mid-market solution beside it. Which model fits depends on employee count, functional complexity, and group structure.
Recommended for: Mid-market companies with 10–500 employees, SMB focus, integrated ERP suite (all functions in one system), simple setup, fast time-to-value.
Pro:
Con:
arades focus: Business Central is our recommended ERP for 10–500 employees.
Recommended for: Enterprise scenarios from 500 employees, high functional complexity, international group structures, modular 4-app logic (Finance · Supply Chain Management · Commerce · Human Resources).
Pro:
Con:
arades focus: We deliberately do not advise on the F&O apps — we refer to our strategic F&O complementary partners.
Rule of thumb: Up to 500 employees and a mid-market function set, Business Central is typically the more economical choice. Beyond 500 employees, or for high-end manufacturing, multi-country localization, or retail commerce, the F&O apps come into play. In the Strategy Workshop we clarify the make-or-buy decision per module.
Module selection matrix · function vs. need
Five typical ERP functional areas in the mid-market — and which Business Central modules cover them. Helps with the make-or-buy decision before the first discovery.
| Functional area | Business Central module | License tier | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | General ledger, AR, AP, fixed assets, cash flow, consolidation | Essentials | All mid-market projects — mandatory base. SKR03/SKR04, OSS, e-invoice. |
| Supply Chain Management | Warehouse, planning, tracking codes (serial, lot, expiry), multi-warehouse logic | Essentials | Trade, distribution, wholesale with warehouse complexity. |
| Manufacturing | BOM, routing, production order, capacity planning, service contracts | Premium | Mid-market manufacturers — light to medium production complexity. |
| Sales-order handling | Quote, order, delivery, invoice, credit note, pricing & discount logic | Essentials | All mid-market projects with sales business. EDI and webshop integration optional. |
| Procurement | RFQ, order, goods receipt, vendor invoice, workflow approvals | Essentials | All mid-market projects. Supplier portals optional via Power Pages. |
Note: Essentials is enough for 70–90% of users. Premium only for users who actively use Manufacturing or Service Management. Team Member licenses for approvers and read-only users (management, warehouse, service technicians). In the audit we clarify the optimal license mix — typically a 15–30% lever.
Migration from legacy ERP systems · four typical paths
Four frequent migration paths from classic legacy ERPs. Duration, complexity, and data-mapping profiles help set realistic expectations before the first workshop.
| Migration path | Typical duration | Main risks | Data mapping complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navision / NAV → Business Central | 6–12 months | Translating C/AL code into AL extensions, converting custom reports to RDL/Word, adapting old NAV 2009 data models | Medium — same data-model skeleton, but custom code must be migrated |
| Microsoft Dynamics AX → F&O apps | 18–36 months | X++ code base, variant configurator migration, multi-country localizations, performance tuning at large data volumes | Very high — typical enterprise project with its own sub-phases, run via our F&O partners |
| Sage 100 / 200 → Business Central | 4–9 months | Master-data mapping, chart-of-accounts cleanup, DATEV interface migration | Medium — clear table structure, often historic data-quality topics |
| Others (SAP B1, Oxaion, industry-specific) | 6–15 months | Source-system specifics, interface inventory, data quality, user adoption after UI change | High to very high — individual discovery assessment before fixed-price estimate |
Migration advisory with a fixed price per phase — discovery, data mapping, code migration, interfaces, testing, go-live. More details on our migration page.
NCE strategy · license procurement
Since 2022, Microsoft license procurement runs through the New Commerce Experience (NCE). The model has three terms — Monthly (highest price, 30-day cancellation), Annual (mid price, 7-day cancellation window after order, then 12-month commitment), and Triennial (lowest price, 36-month commitment). For Business Central this creates three strategic levers that an honest ERP advisory should run through before every renewal:
Lever 1 — Mix rather than mono. Core staff on Annual (accounting, sales, purchasing — typically 80–90% of users), seasonal or project users on Monthly (typically interns, working students, interim managers). This mix saves noticeably compared to 100% Annual and avoids the trap of missing the 7-day cancellation window.
Lever 2 — User type differentiation. Anyone who only approves documents or reads reports doesn't need an Essentials license — a Team Member license is enough. In typical mid-market projects we find 15–30% of licenses incorrectly sized. The lever per year is substantial.
Lever 3 — AppSource over custom code. Instead of pouring every requirement into AL code, we check AppSource extensions. A German industry app is often cheaper and safer than extensive custom development that needs maintenance with every update.
Procurement through arades GmbH as Microsoft Licensing Partner — transparently calculated via the License Cost Calculator (licenses.arades.de), monthly consolidated invoice in euros, no Microsoft EA minimums. More details on our License Advisory page.
Three advisory formats
We deliver ERP advisory in three clearly scoped fixed-price formats. You choose the format based on maturity and investment readiness. No hourly billing, no open end.
1-day audit with a subsequent written report. Content: module inventory analysis (which Business Central functions are deployed, which are actually used), license optimization recommendation, performance quick check, three concrete immediate actions with expected impact. Suitable for existing Business Central tenants with friction points or before a renewal.
Fixed price · price on request
2–3 days on-site in Offenbach, Frankfurt, or at your location — or remote via Microsoft Teams. Content: make-or-buy decision per module, 3-year module strategy, architecture review (data model, integration, AppSource apps), migration from legacy systems (Dynamics NAV, SAP Business One, DATEV Mittelstand), written roadmap with effort and cost estimates per phase.
Fixed price · price on request · delivery: 2–3 weeks
Quarterly Business Central architecture reviews as a recurring service. For organizations that want continuous architecture discipline — license mix review, evaluation of new Microsoft and AppSource features, AL code reviews, month-end performance checks, Application Care transition preparation.
Price on request
The most common mistakes · what we regularly see in ERP audits
Business Central Premium only pays off for users who really need Service Management or manufacturing. In many tenants we see Premium licenses for 100% of users, when 70% of them only work in Finance, Sales, and Purchasing — where Essentials would suffice. The license lever across several dozen users is significant. We surface this quickly in the audit.
Management, warehouse staff, service technicians, and approvers mostly don't need a full-function license — Team Member is enough for read access, approvals, and time tracking. Issuing clerical licenses to such users wastes four- to five-figure amounts per year.
An ERP migration is a rare opportunity to clean up the chart of accounts. We see migrations that transfer the 1980s chart of accounts with 700 unused accounts 1:1 into the new system — locking in maintenance burden for the next 20 years. In the Strategy Workshop we trim to the 250–350 accounts actually needed.
Before pouring a requirement into custom AL code, AppSource should be checked. We see projects where extensive custom code was written, even though an AppSource app solves the same problem — with vendor support and automatic maintenance on updates.
Business Central ships with standard Power BI reports for Finance, Sales, and Operations. In most tenants these are unconfigured or unused. Instead, Excel lists flow manually from the accounting system to management — an efficiency and timeliness problem at once.
Companies with subsidiaries or international entities can in Business Central automatically mirror inter-company transactions (a purchase order in entity A automatically becomes a sales order in entity B). We see entity structures where this isn't configured and accounting works manually twice. In the workshop we configure the inter-company logic.
Further
Platform overview, modules, license models, AppSource ecosystem, integration with Microsoft 365.
Sales, service, field operations, marketing — with Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Customer Insights.
Cross-cutting Microsoft advisory — when ERP, CRM, M365, AI, and compliance need to be thought of together.
Fixed-price license audit, EA renewal support, CSP migration. Three audit tiers with a clear delivery promise.
Migration advisory with fixed price per phase — data, code, interfaces, training.
After go-live: operations, releases, enhancements, user support as a monthly flat rate instead of ticket business.
Frequently asked questions on ERP advisory
At arades GmbH, ERP advisory is translated into three fixed-price formats: ERP Quick Audit, Strategy Workshop, and Architecture-as-a-Service as a recurring service. A full Business Central rollout project is calculated modularly — depending on modules, data migration, and integration. Prices on request.
Four main differentiators: deep integration with Microsoft 365 without third-party connectors; monthly cloud subscription via Microsoft Licensing Partner instead of a one-time license; German hyperscale cloud region in Frankfurt with Entra ID and Purview Compliance; multi-company and inter-company out of the box. Business Central covers 10–500 employees — larger scenarios run on Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, which we deliberately do not advise on.
In six phases: Discovery (4–6 weeks), Configuration and customization (8–16 weeks), Data migration (4–10 weeks), Integration (3–8 weeks), UAT and training (3–5 weeks), Hypercare after go-live (8–12 weeks). We work with CMMI-oriented methodology, clear gates, and fixed price per phase.
Four main areas: Finance (general ledger, AR, AP, fixed assets, VAT), Operations (sales, purchasing, light manufacturing), Supply Chain (warehouse, planning, logistics), and HR-Light (employees, absences, expenses). Typical start: Finance and Operations, later Supply Chain and HR.
A good ERP consultant combines Business Central depth (AL code, AppSource, per-tenant extensions), commercial understanding for German accounting (HGB, GoBD, e-invoice), mid-market pragmatism instead of enterprise overengineering, and fixed-price discipline. arades GmbH has been a Microsoft Partner since 2007 with a Microsoft Licensing Partner contract, based in Offenbach am Main.
To take with you · two materials
Two depths for different reading needs. The factsheet is a quick reference (3–5 min) and immediately downloadable. The whitepaper is market education with methodology and comparison data (15–30 min) — you get it by email after a short request.
3–5 min read · direct download · no form
Concise overview: scope, key figures, pricing model, process — ideal to forward to CFO, procurement, or the business line.
15–30 min read · by email on request
Methodology, comparison data, recommendation framework — material for internal argumentation with stakeholders.
Related services
When sales/service are reviewed alongside ERP — Dynamics 365 CRM apps.
When advisory becomes a concrete ERP project.
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Business Central or F&O customization, extensions, AL/X++.
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So the ERP rollout doesn't fail on adoption.
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Request ERP advisory
30 minutes initial conversation — we clarify whether a Quick Audit, Strategy Workshop, or Architecture-as-a-Service is the right format. You get a concrete assessment promptly.
To take with you
Two-page quick reference with package structure, delivery areas, and three reasons for arades — immediately downloadable, no form. Ideal to forward to CFO, procurement, or IT lead.
3–5 min read · direct download · no form
