Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued vs. Paychex Flex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (or Dynamics AX) was an ERP product in the Dynamics family. It has been split into separate Dynamics 365 products to provide more flexibility to customers, allowing users to pay only for the functionality they need. Microsoft Dynamics AX will reach end of support in 2021, and end of extended support in 2023. Financial tracking and budgeting features are now found in the newly launchedN/A
Paychex Flex
Score 6.7 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Pricing
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
8 Ratings
20% above category average
Paychex Flex
8.5
288 Ratings
6% above category average
Pay calculation9.07 Ratings9.0271 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.05 Ratings7.3156 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.05 Ratings9.3270 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings9.1136 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings8.5193 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.9105 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.0
13 Ratings
3% below category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
API for custom integration5.013 Ratings00 Ratings
Plug-ins8.912 Ratings00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
6.0
14 Ratings
30% below category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Single sign-on capability5.113 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based user permissions7.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.3
14 Ratings
18% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Dashboards9.012 Ratings00 Ratings
Standard reports7.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Custom reports9.014 Ratings00 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.2
15 Ratings
7% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Accounts payable7.015 Ratings00 Ratings
Accounts receivable7.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Global Financial Support8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers9.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations7.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Configurable Accounting9.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.99 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
13 Ratings
10% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Inventory tracking8.013 Ratings00 Ratings
Automatic reordering9.011 Ratings00 Ratings
Location management9.011 Ratings00 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.6
13 Ratings
2% below category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Pricing8.012 Ratings00 Ratings
Order entry9.011 Ratings00 Ratings
Credit card processing3.09 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Order Orchestration9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
10 Ratings
16% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Billing Management8.99 Ratings00 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management8.97 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.97 Ratings00 Ratings
Period Close8.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.9
7 Ratings
16% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Budgeting and Forecasting9.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Costing8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost Capture8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Capital Project Management9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
5 Ratings
25% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Project Planning and Scheduling8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
4 Ratings
14% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Award Lifecycle Management9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.7
7 Ratings
22% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Bids Analyzed and Compared9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Authoring9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Repository9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Supplier Management8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.8
2 Ratings
30% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Risk Repository9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue Detection9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Remediation and Certification9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
8.5
6 Ratings
21% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Transportation Planning and Optimization8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management8.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Fulfillment Management8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management10.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
7.7
6 Ratings
2% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Production Process Design9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Production Management8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Configuration Management7.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Work Execution8.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
9.2
6 Ratings
24% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Forecasting9.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Planning9.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Monitoring9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
9.0
3 Ratings
21% above category average
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
Proposal Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Master Data Management9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.7
247 Ratings
16% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings8.0197 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.0220 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings6.8155 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.4154 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.9138 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.5132 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.0
144 Ratings
14% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings6.3102 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.5136 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings7.3110 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.5
249 Ratings
5% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.6228 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.0239 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.7111 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.7168 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.8
40 Ratings
1% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings7.840 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.1
164 Ratings
22% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings5.8134 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings6.9154 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings5.883 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.0
158 Ratings
0% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings8.1151 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings7.9100 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinued
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
8.5
59 Ratings
9% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings9.632 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.730 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.923 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings6.830 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings6.928 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings9.633 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings9.753 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Small Businesses
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Infor VISUAL
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.4 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.5 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(19 ratings)
7.7
(298 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(4 ratings)
8.9
(42 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(3 ratings)
8.0
(240 ratings)
Availability
7.0
(1 ratings)
9.3
(10 ratings)
Performance
7.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(10 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
7.8
(245 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
7.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.3
(2 ratings)
9.4
(11 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.6
(8 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(10 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(31 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(32 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft Dynamics AX, discontinuedPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
It integrates fully with the other Microsoft software we use daily, and this coordination speeds up our work and gives us the agility to run easily. For example, in a purchase inquiry, the customer, after submitting a request, identifies the teams that should work on the project, and if they need further review by other people, they are added to the process, and everything is managed seamlessly rather than the sales process. Get the result as fast as possible.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
In my experience, Paychex Flex is well suited for small to medium sized businesses. It has been helpful in streamlining the onboarding process and it is easy to update and maintain employee profiles and records. It has worked will in a non-profit environment where there is clergy pay and housing, which can get quite complicated. I cannot think of a scenario where it would be less appropriate.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Microsoft Dynamics AX's scalability to meet our regional office needs provide flexibility to the team's requirements.
  • Combined with Citrix Xenapp, the application offers seamless access for users on high latency unreliable network connection to the application.
  • Application maintenance and updates are easy which makes it possible for us to manage remotely considering the servers are located in a remote Asia site.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • I like I can enter payroll and if I need to leave the program, I can resume at a later time and my information is saved.
  • I like the analytics & reports features.
  • I like how all my employees have easy access to their portal.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • MRP can be slow to adapt to changes in actual production or supply chain transactions.
  • Setting up number sequences seems a trivial matter, but these numbers ID transactions once they are in the ledger and are key--easy to miss this point in the implementation process.
  • Bank rec being easily automated and able to quickly plug into a bank back end to get data is not the best.
  • Payment processing can be 'clunky' based on checks, ACH, Wires...as some of these items are not triggered out of the box in AX, bur are easily added --talking ACH and Wires specifically.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
  • Reporting writing is difficult to figure out
  • Employee turnover inside Paychex was a problem, until we were assigned to Neil Williams - since that time it has settled down
  • Pressure to convert personal connection with payroll advisor to using automated service
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
Microsoft Dynamics continues to evolve by bringing more functionality to the customer. Also there are several independent software providers that offer a wide range of solutions for vertical markets.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
Overall the product does what we need it to do in order for us to function as a company. While there are some concerns over ongoing costs, the belief is, once we have it fully acclimated to our business the cost should settle into alignment with our original expectations. The new features that are consistently being added do add value to the product as they are usually customer request directed.
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Paychex, Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
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Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
Some integration and high volume ramping challenges, particularly with BizTalk and SQL Server, but getting sorted out. Outages over time appeared to be more dependent on integration complexity than AX MES.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
Performance
Microsoft
Some integration and high volume ramping challenges, particularly with BizTalk and SQL Server, but getting sorted out. Outages over time appeared to be more dependent on integration complexity than AX MES.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
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Support Rating
Microsoft
We use a 3rd-party Microsoft Partner for the system. They are responsive and very knowledgeable. While costs have been mentioned several times in this review they are very aware of costs and have developers who are more economical they use to help offset the level of work required to meet our changes and fix our issues.
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Paychex, Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
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In-Person Training
Microsoft
It took a lot of work, but Microsoft ultimately did a good job with in-person training, including being onsite in multiple global locations for extended periods.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
Microsoft
Our solution deviated from a number of key out-of-the-box standards that were included in Online training. We just used that for introduction to the general functionality.
Read full review
Paychex, Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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Implementation Rating
Microsoft
Some rough spots, but ultimately worked out. The contract didn't appear to be structured to support the level of overlapping facility deployments required to meet timeline commitments. Merging cultures on the program was also challenging. Overall, not an easy implementation by any stretch. Everyone did the best they could.
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Paychex, Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
I was not part of the decision making process to select Microsoft Dynamics AX, however, I do know that an exhaustive search was done and many options were considered alongside Microsoft Dynamics AX and I feel that the right decision was made in choosing this solution.
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Paychex, Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
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Scalability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.
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Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • With the robust built-in reporting we were able to drop an external reporting platform that costed about $40,000.
  • API integrations have saved manual entry and reduced having to hire 2-3 people to manage data.
  • Several administrators and developers are required for this which costs about 200-300 thousand in employee costs.
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Paychex, Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
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ScreenShots

Paychex Flex Screenshots

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