Solution · Modular ERP
Classic ERP on a Microsoft foundation — without Business Central, without Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. We combine several arades apps into an ERP environment that fits mid-sized companies with 5 to 200 staff: master data, Project & Service Management, Inter Company, and Customer Engagement on a shared platform.
The gap in the Microsoft stack
Microsoft has two ERP sizes: Dynamics 365 Business Central for SMBs and Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations for enterprises. In between — for mid-sized companies that are out of the Excel chaos but the wrong profile for Business Central — an island landscape of three to five tools often emerges. That's exactly the gap Modular ERP closes.
Pure trading companies with classic warehouse logistics and full financial accounting in the same system belong with Business Central. We redirect such requests honestly.
IT service firms, consultancies, software houses, chambers, associations, education institutions, and project-oriented companies with 5–200 staff that want CRM, project logic, and inventory view in one system.
Excel or two to four cloud tools side by side. Time tracking in tool A, CRM in tool B, accounting in tool C. Data flows manual, reports only weeks later.
Architecture · four modules
Modular ERP isn't a new product — it's the clean combination of apps that already run in productive setups. Each module is usable on its own; together they make an ERP environment.
Clean master-data layer on Dataverse: accounts and contacts with hierarchies, item master data with variants, location and warehouse structures. One source of truth for all other modules.
Project & Service Management — plan projects, capture hours (desktop and mobile), submit travel and expenses, generate invoices, see utilization and profitability in real time. We use this module ourselves.
Inter Company Integration — inventory and orders across company boundaries, with hub architecture and connection to carriers (GLS, DHL, DPD), marketplaces (Amazon, Shopify), and older ERP systems (e.g., Oxaion, SAP).
Sales and service logic that's been Microsoft standard for years: Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service on the same Dataverse environment — no data bridges, no sync logic.
Optionally extensible: Education Institutions module (course management, participants, certificates) or Associations module (members, dues, events) — depending on industry.
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 →
Boundaries
Both are Microsoft, both are ERP, both have their place. We say openly when which fits.
| Aspect | Modular ERP (arades) | Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Microsoft Dataverse · Model-Driven Apps | Its own BC platform (AL language, tenants) |
| Accounting | Not included — hands over to DATEV, lexoffice, BC, or SAP | Full financial accounting integrated |
| Warehouse logistics | Inventory & multi-warehouse — no WMS depth | Full warehouse and production logic |
| CRM integration | Customer Engagement in the same data model | Separation between Sales/Service — own bridge needed |
| Setup duration | 6–12 weeks for a typical setup | 4–9 months standard implementation |
| Target size | 5–200 staff, project-oriented | 10–500 staff, classic trading/manufacturing business |
| Migration path | Move to Business Central or D365 F&O is technically clean, same Microsoft data world | Its own update logic (release waves) |
How we deliver
1–2 days together: module selection, license situation, interfaces, data imports. Output: setup plan and license recommendation.
In week 2, you have a playable environment with your master data and a real example project. Evaluation with end users instead of slides.
Gradual activation of the modules, training power users. Follow-up phase in the Application Care model for ongoing maintenance and release-wave updates.
Cost structure
We give you the license picture honestly. If Business Central or D365 Finance & Operations fits you better, we say so just as clearly — as a Microsoft CSP Partner, we work through both options for you.
Power Apps per-app or per-user, or full Dynamics 365 license — depending on module scope. We calculate both and show the break-even.
Per module, monthly per environment. Includes release-wave adjustments twice a year and minor functional extensions.
One-time, project-dependent — typically between a compact quick-start and a mid-size standard project with interfaces.
FAQ
Modular ERP isn't a single product, but a composition of several arades model-driven apps on Microsoft Dataverse: master data, Project & Service Management, Inter Company, and Customer Engagement apps are modularly combined in a shared environment. The result is a classic ERP on the same platform as Microsoft Dynamics 365 — but without Business Central and without Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.
For mid-sized companies with 5 to 200 staff that don't need full Business Central but want CRM, project handling, and inventory logic in one system — on the same platform they already work with. Concretely: if you use Microsoft 365 anyway, want a lightweight ERP, and don't want to maintain a second data model.
We typically connect DATEV or lexoffice. If you already use Business Central or SAP, Modular ERP hands posting-ready documents over to them. Double-entry bookkeeping we deliberately do not handle — that lives in the accounting system.
Standard combination: master data, P&SM, Inter Company, Customer Engagement (Sales and Service). Optionally extensible with an Education Institutions module or Associations module.
For a typical setup with master data, P&SM, and CRM, we plan for 6 to 12 weeks to productive operation. Inter Company and accounting connection are added depending on complexity. We don't start with a 6-month concept — but with a pilot environment in week 2.
Three cost blocks: Microsoft licenses, arades app license per module, setup project. Indicative: from approximately €1,500 per month software cost for a mid-market setup, plus a one-time setup project. A license audit in the initial conversation clarifies the exact situation.
Yes. Since the data lives on Microsoft Dataverse, a later move to Business Central or Dynamics 365 Finance is technically clean. We deliberately build Modular ERP so that it can be a stepping stone — not a dead end.
Strategy background · arades topic page
Why we consistently build all our apps and recommendations on a single data foundation — and when the island solution is still the better answer. 2,500 words on architecture, migration paths, and honest boundaries.
Read the topic page →