Implementation cost
In general, D365BC is about 30% of the cost of the implementation in comparison to D365FSCM. So, if you implement D365BC in a manufacturing organisation and the estimate for BC is say, 250 man-days of Microsoft Partner resource, then D365FSCM is going to be about 750 man-days (rule of thumb).
Internal resources
Like all ERPs, there’s at least 3-5 times more resource needed from the customer’s own resource pool to ensure success. Microsoft ERP is generally regarded, by the analyst companies (Gartner, Forrester etc), to need 3x where, by comparison, SAP is generally at the 5x multiplier end.
So, if BC needs 250 days from a partner, you need to allocate 750 man-days from your own internal resources and backfill some of those key roles. That maths also applies to D365FSCM and to all the other ERP vendors, so check on their ‘multiplier’.
Licensing
Licensing is a different issue. Surprisingly, if you’re operating legal entities in, say, 10 countries requiring 10 localisations packs for financial and tax compliance, D365BC can actually be more expensive in licenses that D365FSCM!
There’s much less to choose between the costs of BC and FSCM SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) charges, as the major cost is sitting in the services and the cost of your internal resources.
So, your short-term budget and ability to resource such a project is a key consideration. But, if you’re essentially trading in one country with some international sales and purchases, BC will be fine and is considerably cheaper than FSCM.
Is D365BC suitable for companies with more than 200 users?
Yes, D365BC is absolutely fine with more than 200 users. Businesses who use D365FSCM are perceived as larger, more complex businesses than those who use BC. But actually, it’s the type of business requirements (functionality) that are more important in making a decision – not the size of the business.
Can D365BC handle large volumes of data?
Yes, D365BC is more than capable of handing large amounts of data. However, if you’re a very high transaction volume organisation, it’s more likely that you’re also of a size that other business requirements will be needed long before D365BC gives up the ghost on volume grounds.
To conclude – your choice will depend on your business requirements
D365BC is generally perceived as more suitable to SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) and D365FSCM is more suited to ‘complex or larger’ organisations. This is because the two solutions have found their natural place evidenced by the profile of their respective installed bases which matches this perception.
In reality, the size of your business or number of users doesn’t really matter (there’s actually a large overlap in size of businesses using each product).
Instead, it’s about your unique business requirements. Take international trading, for example. If you’re trading internationally within a group of companies (no matter how small they are) and you need intercompany trading, stock transfers, eliminations, consolidation etc… then you’re almost certainly heading straight into D365FSCM territory.
Having the right technology is just one part of your transformational journey
Although choosing the right technology for your business is important, your focus shouldn’t just be on technology. A new solution will impact all areas of your organisation, so you’ll need all your stakeholders bought into the reasons for change to achieve success. And that hinges on value creation and management.
