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Business Central Essentials vs. Premium

Business Central is available in two versions, Essentials and Premium, but what is the difference between the two versions and which license is the right one for your business? On this page, we take a look at the functionality of each version.


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Business Central - all the functionality you need

Business Central is an all-in-one business management solution, also called an ERP solution, that is both user-friendly and easy to adapt to the changing needs and requirements of the company. The solution's comprehensive functionality helps business leaders and administrators connect the company across departments and enables them to make smarter decisions, based on insight and knowledge, rather than gut feelings and intuition.

Extended functionality and flexibility

Business Central is based on well-known and tested functionality from Dynamics NAV / Navision and also has built-in integration with other Microsoft Cloud Services and apps such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Automate, Power BI, PowerApps and not least the many other applications that make up Dynamics 365, including Dynamics 365 Sales.

In addition, it is easy to add functionality or customize existing functionality in Business Central. This is done with Extensions where adjustments and add-on functionality are placed outside the solution. The advantage of Extensions is that you avoid the big upgrade projects that you know from Dynamics NAV. Extensions can be downloaded in AppSource or you can have them developed and added by your Business Central partner.

Version comparison - D365 BC Essentials and D365 BC Premium

Below you will find an overview of the functionality of the two versions of Business Central, Essentials and Premium.

Business Central Premium is, in short, a more complete version than Essentials. With Premium you get access to everything in Essentials, plus two additional modules, service management and production.

As the name Essentials suggests, Essentials contains all the basic functionalities you need to be able to manage and run your business. If, on the other hand, you need additional functionality, such as production management, then you must choose BC Premium. The price of a Premium license is a bit higher, but in most cases, the extra cost is worth your business running smoothly and more efficiently.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials

Take advantage of the comprehensive and effective functionality of Essentials as well as the benefits of the cloud to create better communication and data exchange across all departments of your business.

Price:

$70 per user/month

Function areas and functions in Essentials

The functionality of Essentials includes, among other things, the following function areas, here listed with examples of functions in each area.

Finance Management    
✓ General Ledger
✓ Dimensions
✓ Multiple currencies
✓ Budgets
✓ Accounts schedules
✓ Consolidation
✓ Intercompany postings		 ✓ Cash flow forecast
✓ Fixed assets
✓ Cost accounting
✓ Deferrals
✓ Bank account management
✓ Electronic payments and direct debits
✓ Customer payment process		 ✓ Reconciliation of bank transactions
✓ Bank account reconciliation
✓Check writing
✓ XBLR

 

Advanced finance    
✓ Intercompany postings ✓ Cost accounting                             

 

Artificial intelligence (AI)*    
✓ Forecast for future payments
✓ Cash flow management		 ✓ Stock forecast
✓ Image recognition		 ✓ Sales forecast

* The Essentials license includes a free subscription to Intelligent Edge or Azure Machine Learning. It is also possible to purchase extended functionality for Intelligent Edge or Machine Learning.

 

Relation management (CRM)    
✓ Contact management
✓ Campaign management
✓ Outlook integration
✓ Task management		 ✓ Contact classification
✓ Campaign pricing
✓ Business Inbox for Outlook
✓ Management of sales opportunities		 ✓ Interaction and document management
✓ Mail logging to Microsoft Exchange
✓ Dynamic 365 Sales integration

 

E-Services    
✓ Attach documents to documents and transactions
✓ Paypal standard payment integration
✓ Online card		 ✓ Document loading and OCR
✓ SE / CVR number validation service (EU)
✓ Exchange rate entry		  

 

Human resource management (HR)    
✓ Staff Basis (Redigeret)    

 

Project management    
✓ Basic resources
✓ Jobs
✓ Capacity management		 ✓ Alternative cost prices
✓ Budgets / estimates		 ✓ Phases / tasks / steps
✓ Time sheets

 

Supply Chain Management    
✓ Sale
✓ Sales invoicing
✓ Sales order management
✓ Invoice discounts
✓ Alternative delivery addresses
✓ Freight forwarders
✓ Returns order management
✓ Sales line discount
✓ Sales line pricing
✓ Sales tax
✓ Calendars
✓ Calculation of delivery time
✓ Requisition management
✓ Standard cost price journal		 ✓ Buy Basis
✓ Purchase invoicing
✓ Purchase order management
✓ Purchase invoice discounts
✓ Purchasing management
✓ Alternative order addresses
✓ Purchase return item order management
✓ Purchase line discount
✓ Purchase line pricing
✓ Direct deliveries
✓ Sellers / buyers
✓ Transfer between locations
✓ Continuous inventory count		 ✓ Stock Base
✓ Assembly orders and BOMs
✓ Alternative locations
✓ Stock items
✓ Alternative suppliers
✓ Item budgets
✓ Goods fees
✓ Replacement items
✓ Product references
✓ Catalog items
✓ Product tracking
✓ Product attributes
✓ Product categories

 

Advanced logistics    
✓ Put in stock
✓ Warehouse receipt
✓ Location		 ✓ Pick
✓ Warehouse deliveries
✓ Location setup		 ✓ Internal picking and storage
✓ Automated Data Capture System             

 

Configuration    
✓ Report designer
✓ XML Port		 ✓ Page designer
✓ Query Designer		 ✓ Table designer
✓ Code units (10 pcs)         

 

Language    
✓ Multiple report languages ✓ Multiple language layers        

 

Others    
✓ Unlimited number of accounts
✓ Subsidiaries
✓ Built-in Power BI
✓ Intrastat
✓ Notifications		 ✓ Extended texts
✓ Change log
✓ Reason codes
✓ User tasks
✓ Rights management		 ✓ Job queue
✓ Analysis reports
✓ Workflow
✓ Word layout editing in Word   

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium

No matter what industry your business belongs to and how big it is, the Premium license provides everything you need to run your business.

Price:

$100 per user/month

Functional areas and functions in Premium

In addition to all the functionality included in the Essentials version of Business Central, the Premium license provides functionality in two additional areas, service management and production.

 

Production management    
✓ Production orders
✓ Production BOMs
✓ Basic capacity planning		 ✓ Limited load
✓ Version control
✓ Agile production		 ✓ Advanced needs planning
✓ Demand forecast
✓ Machine centers

 

Service management    
✓ Service order management
✓ Management of service prices		 ✓ Management of service items
✓ Service contract management		 ✓ Planning and coordination

 

Configuration    
✓ Tables, 10 pcs
✓ Code units, 100 pcs		 ✓ Pages, 100 pcs
✓ Inquiries, 100 pcs		 ✓ Reports, 100 pcs
✓ XML ports, 100 pcs

Additional objects can be purchased.

Business Central - Essentials vs. Premium

Here you get a quick overview of the functions in the two versions of Business Central. Choose the capabilities that meet the business needs of your company.

Features Dynamic 365 Business Central Essentials Dynamic 365 Business Central Premium
Unlimited users ✓ ✓
Unlimited number of companies ✓ ✓
Customization and extensibility ✓ ✓
Multi-environment ✓ ✓
Financial management ✓ ✓
Sales and Marketing ✓ ✓
Sales and delivery ✓ ✓
Purchasing and payables ✓ ✓
Inventory ✓ ✓
Supply planning and availability ✓ ✓
Project management ✓ ✓
Service management   ✓
Warehouse management ✓ ✓
Manufacturing   ✓

 

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