SAP BusinessOne, NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics are three of the world’s leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. We decided to look at the impact they can make when effectively integrated into your growing business to business (B2B) ecommerce operation.
Ecommerce functionality has grown in response to ever-higher customer expectations and with the benefit of new technology. Now, integrating your company’s ecommerce platform with an ERP solution is the next step towards increasing productivity, building customer loyalty, and boosting revenue.
The benefits of ERP
Because ecommerce often relies on speed, efficiency and volume, the scope to automate processes and minimize data entry can bring substantial benefits. You can streamline your operations, reduce errors and increase productivity and profitability. When correctly implemented, an ERP system improves the flow of information across your organization, integrating different aspects of your operations into a single source of truth for your whole business. Typically, you can use different ERP modules to automate and manage back-office activities including:- distribution and supply chain management
- accounting and finance management
- human resources and payroll management
- business analytics.
Overview – SAP BusinessOne, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics
| SAP Business One | NetSuite | Microsoft Dynamics | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business type | Small and medium-sized enterprises. | Growing mid-sized companies as well as large enterprises. | Business Central for small and medium-sized enterprises and an Enterprise Edition for larger organizations. |
| Functionality | Accounting, inventory and warehouse management, purchasing, reporting, and analytics. | Accounting, inventory management, reporting and analytics across enterprises of all sizes. | Financial planning and reporting, customer relationship management, logistics, and human resource management. |
| Hosting | Cloud-based and on-premise. | Cloud-based. | Cloud-based. |
| Pricing | User licenses for modules from $56 per month, starter packs from $1,680. | Subscription based from $999 for a base licence. | Per module from $50 to $1,500 per month. |
| System updates | Planned and deployed by your business. | Phased releases automatically installed in the Cloud. | Planned release waves installed in the Cloud. |
| Customization | Choose and add relevant fields in the database and amend code. | Choose and add relevant fields in the database and tailor forms, records, and performance indicators. | Tailor fields, forms, views and workflows. Synchronize and integrate with other Microsoft business applications. |
| Analytics | SAP Analytics component for real time reports, automatic calculations and tracking, and an Excel tool for analysis. Advanced analytics require a separate licence. | Suite Analytics for real time reports, automatic calculations and tracking. | Works with Microsoft Power BI and allows embedded dashboards for reporting and tracking. |
| Ease of use | In-depth capabilities might be more than smaller businesses need. | NetSuite dashboard allows users to choose and view key information, based on roles. | Uses built-in tools and integrates with other MS business applications. |
| Integration | Can integrate with SAP certified solutions. | Can integrate with many other third-party solutions. | AppSource provides access to Microsoft and approved third-party solutions. |
| Native Ecommerce Solution | Yes, Commerce Cloud. But it’s more B2C oriented. For a B2B ecommerce alternative to Commerce Cloud, consider Cloudfy | Yes, SuiteCommerce. But it’s more B2C oriented. For a B2B ecommerce alternative to SuiteCommerce, consider Cloudfy | No native solution. |
