How can SMEs benefit from an ERP solution?
When it comes to maintaining the complex operations of a modern business, the software platform a company chooses to use is one of the most fundamental factors in the success of the business. With SMEs, this choice is particularly critical as limitations in budget and larger competitors translate into a serious need for efficiency and cost-effective design.
With multiple ERP solutions available on the market today, choosing the right one requires considering many factors. For SMEs, one major factor is the choice between local and cloud hosting. A cloud-hosted ERP offers a number of advantages for SMEs over a traditional ERP on a local server. A cloud-based ERP is often more flexible and able to adapt to a growing and constantly changing business model such as that of a small or medium size enterprise. Startup and maintenance costs are also much lower with a cloud-hosted solution because they are frequently included in the license fee.
Features Comparison
The table below demonstrates some of the most important features an ERP solution can offer, divided into ten categories: Sales, Customer Relationship Management, Accounting & Finance, Marketing, Warehouse Management, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Services & Projects, Human Resources and Usability & Productivity. These categories encompass almost everything an SME might need to manage, develop, and evolve its business operations. The comparison will demonstrate the availability of these features with detailed analysis for Odoo vs. MS Dynamics NAV.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV
“ BUSINESS SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS ”
Microsoft offers Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision) as part of the Microsoft Dynamics family of ERP software. The software can be hosted in the Microsoft Azure Cloud (for an additional fee). Two licenses are available: a perpetual license and a subscription license to an external service provider.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 is split into two versions: the Starter Pack, which offers basic functions in finance, professional services, and distribution; and the Extended Pack, which adds manufacturing and warehouse management features. The purchase of the Started Pack is required in order to get the Extended Pack. We’ve chosen to use the Extended Pack in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 for the purposes of this comparison.
Odoo Online
“ GROW YOUR BUSINESS ”
Odoo is an open source software that is available in three versions, two of which are local while the other is hosted in the cloud. More than 7,300 apps are available thanks to the multiple developments made by Odoo S.A. and its community.
The cloud-based Online Edition of Odoo ERP offers a customized solution specifically designed to solve SME needs.
In this highly modular solution, each business function is carried out by a dedicated app. This allows growing businesses to start with a few apps and to adopt more as their needs change and evolve.
For this comparison we’ve selected the cloud-hosted version, Odoo Online. The unique part of this offer is that it’s completely customizable. There are more than 30 certified apps that cover the vast majority of business cases, all of which connect to the same database on Odoo’s servers.
Features Comparison
Sales |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B Sales | |||
| Quotes to Orders | |||
| Electronic Signature | |||
| Online Payment | |||
| Quotation Templates | |||
| Upselling & Cross Selling | |||
| Subscription Management | |||
| In-Store Sales | |||
| Point of Sale (retail) | |||
| Point of Sale (restaurant) | |||
| Online Sales | |||
| eCommerce | |||
| eBay Integration | |||
| Advanced Products | |||
| Multi-Level Variants / Matrix Items | |||
| Conifgurable Products | |||
| Kits | |||
CRM |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Flow | |||
| Leads Nurturing | |||
| Lead Scoring | |||
| Leads Management | |||
| Opportunities Management | |||
| Pipeline Management | |||
| Third Party Management | |||
| Communication Tools | |||
| Customer Multi-Address | |||
| Calls / Meetings / Mail | |||
| VOIP | |||
| Email Integration | |||
| Live Chat | |||
| Full Customer History | |||
| Email Templates | |||
| Opportunities Analysis | |||
Accounting & Finance |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Process | |||
| Analytic Accounting | |||
| Alerts | |||
| Budgets | |||
| Expenses | |||
| Assets Management | |||
| Real-Time Inventory Valuation | |||
| Analytic Reports | |||
| Daily Operations | |||
| Bank Interface / Automatic Sync | |||
| Quick Reconciliation | |||
| Deferred Revenues | |||
| Checks Management | |||
| Invoice Management | |||
| Invoicing Management | |||
| Batch Send (email, standard mail) | |||
| Third Party Follow-Up | |||
| Payment Automation (SEPA) | |||
| International | |||
| International 1 | |||
| Multi-Company | |||
| Multi-Currency | |||
Marketing |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Actions | |||
| Mass Mailing | |||
| Blog / SEO / Web Pages | |||
| Events | |||
| Marketing Automation | |||
| Drag & Drop Page Editor | |||
| Marketing Campaign | |||
| Contacts Segmentation | |||
| Follow-up | |||
| Survey | |||
| Keyword Marketing | |||
| Visitors Tracking | |||
| Social Media Management | |||
Warehouse Management |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Routing | |||
| Basics Inventory Management | |||
| Multi-Warehouse (for one company) |
|||
| Pick-Pack-Ship | |||
| Products | |||
| Traceability, Lots, & Serial Numbers | |||
| Expiration Dates | |||
| Multiple Unit of Measures | |||
| Reporting | |||
| Stock Assessment (FIFO, CUMPS, etc.) |
|||
| Perpetual Reports (real-time, automatic) |
|||
| Forecast | |||
| Advanced Products | |||
| Logistic Rules (advance routings & push/pull rules) |
|||
| Storage/Picking | |||
| Barcode Support | |||
| Customer Portal | |||
| Shipping Integration (DHL, Fedex, etc.) |
|||
Manufacturing |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Manage | |||
| MRP | |||
| Routings | |||
| Order of Assembly | |||
| Costing | |||
| PLM | 1 | ||
| Work Sheets | 1 | ||
| Traceability | |||
| Quality Management | 1 | ||
| Repairs Management | |||
| Maintenance | |||
| Schedule & Plan | |||
| Scheduling | |||
| Product Variants | |||
| Multi-Level BOM’s | |||
Purchase |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | |||
| Request for Quotation (RFQ) | |||
| Purchase Tender | |||
| Pricing & Discounts | |||
| Fulfillment | |||
| Make-to-Order (MTO) | |||
| Minimum Stock Rule | |||
| MPS | |||
| Manage | |||
| Invoice Control | |||
| Reception Control | |||
Services & Projects |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Project Management | |||
| Lean Approach/Kanban View | |||
| Planning 1 | |||
| Customer Oriented | |||
| Helpdesk / Support | |||
| Timesheets | |||
| Email Integration | |||
Human Resources |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitments | ||
| Appraisals | ||
| Leaves/Holidays | ||
| Fleet Management | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Expenses |
Usability & Productivity |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Usability | |||
| Full Web Interface | |||
| Theme Store | |||
| Fully Responsive | |||
| Mobile (Android/iPhone) | |||
| Real Time Chat & Emails | |||
| Dynamic Reporting/Pivot Table | 1 | ||
| Full Keyboard Support | |||
| Keyboard Shortcuts | |||
| Multi-language | |||
| User Interface | |||
| Kanban | |||
| Gantt | |||
| Calendar | |||
Pricing & Conditions
Pricing & Conditions |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|---|---|---|
| MONTHLY PRICING | $113/MONTH PER USER | $25/MONTH PER USER 1 |
| Billing Term | Annual Only | Monthly or Annually |
| Free Trial | ||
| Free Updates | ||
| Upgrades to Future Versions | 2 | |
| Hosting & Maintenance | Extra Option 3 | |
| Customer Support (Technical + Functional) | Extra Option |
Implementation Service
For Microsoft Dynamics, the implementation service is usually provided by a local partner. For Odoo Online, implementations are usually provided directly by the vendor. Odoo Enterprise implementations (the on-premise offer of Odoo) are typically performed by a local partner.
The implementation cost of Dynamics is usually case by case and prices differ widely from one project to another. Odoo however has packaged implementation offers (between $2,100 and $5,500 for a standard implementation).
Offers
Most of the offers through MS Dynamics cover one year. Odoo’s default offers are monthly, without commitment, and typically includes a 16% discount with a yearly contract (paying for 10 months instead of 12).
Market Trends
Introducing ERP offers available today
The following graph was created with the Explore tool on Google Trends. The color curves show the number of Google searches for the associated keywords. This metric shows the relative consumer interest in each software platform.
Check by Yourself
Customer Satisfaction
Ratings |
Microsoft |
Odoo |
|---|---|---|
| G2crowd rating |
3.8/5 |
4.6/5 |
| GetApp rating |
4.0/5 |
5.0/5 |
| Capterra rating |
4.5/5 |
5.0/5 |
Conclusion
Often SME’s will find they have a software need but are unable to implement one given the high level of overhead and complexity of the task. For growing companies, it is much more optimal to start small in a software solution and add new features little by little as the business expands and evolves. In most practical cases, a flexible and modular approach works best for SME’s as it provides the business with the necessary freedom to adapt to change quickly.
Offers
Business needs will never stop fluctuating, especially in a growing company. Traditional practices for SME’s are now becoming obsolete as more powerful and dynamic solutions become available. Selecting the best option is no longer just about which best suits your business today, but also which is best for your business in the future. Planning for long term success with an easily adaptable software solution can be the key decision in the long-term developement and growth of your business.
This whitepaper was compiled by Odoo SA. We did our best to make it objective and fair. If you find a mistake or a missing feature, please report it to feedback@mail.odoo.com and we will update this document. Our goal is to have a continuously updated comparison of the main competitors to be as accurate as possible.