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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Dynamics SL

    Score5.1 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Dynamics SL is one of the ERP products in the Dynamics family. This product was acquired from Solomon 2000. The product is typically used by SMBs, particularly in project-based businesses (e.g. construction). It has strong accounting and project management capabilities.N/A

    Microsoft Power BI Embedded

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AA solution from Microsoft to provide customer-facing reports, dashboards, and analytics in applications by using and branding Power BI as one's own. Designed to reduce developer resources by automating the monitoring, management, and deployment of analytics, while getting full control of Power BI features and intelligent analytics.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    13 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    92%
    Delivers good value for the price
    11 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    12 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    6 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.5
    2 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation9.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    6 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    API for custom integration6.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Plug-ins6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.7
    10 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Single sign-on capability7.49 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.09 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.0
    10 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards8.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports8.010 Ratings00 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    7.1
    11 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Accounts payable6.011 Ratings00 Ratings
    Accounts receivable6.08 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global Financial Support6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers6.63 Ratings00 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations3.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standardized Processes6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    6 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory tracking5.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location management6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.2
    4 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Pricing6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order entry3.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Credit card processing7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    4 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Billing Management6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting6.32 Ratings00 Ratings
    Period Close6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    4.7
    3 Ratings
    47% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Budgeting and Forecasting7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Costing6.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost Capture2.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Capital Project Management8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition2.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.3
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    22% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Production Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    20% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory Planning6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    7.5
    2 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings6.52 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    7.3
    1 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI Embedded
    7.0
    1 Ratings
    3% below category average
    REST API00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Small Businesses
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    GoodData.AI
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho One
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Reveal
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    GoodData.AI
    Score8.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Likelihood to Recommend
    5.0
    (18 ratings)
    8.0
    (13 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    5.4
    (8 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    3.0
    (7 ratings)
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    9.9
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.5
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    1.4
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Dynamics SLMicrosoft Power BI Embedded
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    For a small to mid-size business, MS Dynamics SL is effective. We are capable of managing our finances with a very low risk of error. We have worked with MS Dynamics for almost 15 years and have more than doubled the size of our business in that time with very few issues from the program. We have exponentially increased our revenue and reporting demands and have found SL to be very dependable and stable. The program does have the occasional glitch and those are sometimes outside of the realm of expertise of our IT department. SL support is excellent, but their timeliness is not as urgent as ours.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    This product is very convenient to use and implement and is considered a "de facto" standard in the Business Intelligence sphere. First of all, it contains numerous features in terms of visualization, data provisioning, data source integration which makes it a perfect tool for the development of BI analytics. Secondly, it provides great capabilities for the development of data markets for the whole development team. Thirdly, the sharing capabilities of dashboards that are updated in a real-time manner provides great incentives for end-users
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Provides flexibility for complex project based cost accounting
    • Strong and flexible allocation processer for cost allocations, markups, and pricing
    • A "Flexible Billing" module under the project controller series that allows for multiple billing formats ranging from fixed price schedule of values, T&M or Cost Plus, and scheduled billing.
    • Flexible reporting with options using Crystal Reports, SSRS, a Quick Query tool, and ability to tie into MS Office tools such as MS Access and MS Excel
    • Tight integration with Financials, but also the ability to integrate with modules such as Sales Order, Inventory, and Field Service
    • Customization abilities ranging from a VBA (visual basic for application) foundation to allow customizing existing forms to the ability to use the SDK (Software Development Kit) to build more complex customizations that integrate with Dynamics SL.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • It is very easy to connect multiple data sources for a single report. You can use CSV, Excel, database integration, etc.
    • Power Bi supports Python as well, which makes it a lot easier for us as it is known by most of our team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Reporting in the Project module is lacking functionality. I understand that most companies have specific needs when it comes to tracking project information but the standard reports are not good.
    • I would recommend a product like Management Reporter that is for Projects only. Project Reporter should allow users to pull in all Project related data into reports.
    • Fixing suspended batches. Obviously all of us users have experienced this mess. SL knows what needs to be corrected and there could be some step by step fixes in a separate repair module to do the steps we do in Query Analyzer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Similar to how Excel has VBA, Microsoft Power BI uses PowerQuery (M/DAX). Though DAX is similar to Excel in terms of how it is written, I just think it's something that would be difficult for new users to figure out.
    • Something I would like to see done differently in Microsoft Power BI is the ability to have presets for sorting/arranging of visualizations. Though it is nice to arrange the dashboard freely, it would also be nice to have preset arrangements based on visualizations (for those of us bad at making dashboards look appealing).
    • With Microsoft Power BI, it is hard to show others your dashboard using the free platform (unless you show them from your computer/account). This can cause issues if your firm is trialing Microsoft Power BI before purchase.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Unfortunately, Dynamics' lack of ability to smoothly integrate with our CRM system is causing us to look at other solutions. The efficiencies that we gain by using Dynamics for our day to day accounting are lost in the constant headaches of getting sales quotes to import properly into the system for invoicing. Another major issue for us has been budgeting and reporting. We currently do all of our budgeting and board reporting in Excel, which is too time consuming and inefficient, especially when a system as robust as Dynamics should easily be able to handle this relatively simple task.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    I rate it a 10 because we have removed the fields we don't need so users can really crank the data into the system. The software was designed for the professional services firm in mind but does a tremendous job for construction firms and "blended" companies that are both distribution firms but project centric as well. Perhaps they drop ship inventory to a project where their employees or subs need to work on a project for example.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    It's easy to use for what is presented in the reports that have been developed and presented. It's not so easy to customize those reports, "make them your own" and save them for later reuse.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    We have had only one unplanned outage for 2 hours in the last 30 months. We shut down for 30 min to 1 hour once a month, but that is for Microsoft OS updates to the servers. Being a 24/7 world wide operation, the reliability is really important. We do get an 8 hour window on the weekend that we can be down for a short period to install Microsoft Dynamics SL updates, but we do not have many of those. On our last version upgrade, we shut the users out at 9:30 am and were fully operational in less than 6 hours. The upgrade was New SQL server, New SL server and 2 new Citrix servers.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    Support is only used when needed, so unfortunately ,they get all the odd issues. It's a difficult business, but Microsoft and our firm do a great job of meeting customer needs. We get routine feedback that our support services are very good.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    Just to let it take its course. The implementation for me once I became a part of my former organization was pretty seamless. Just get to know the basics and call the support team to ask questions if you need help on an issue, should they arise. They are ready, willing, and able to help!
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Of the comparable mid-range ERP systems, Dynamics SL competes at the lower end based on price, but also above the high-end based on flexibility, data, and reporting. Being able to stay with the same core accounting from a $100 million dollar company to a $3 billion dollar company shows the range of capabilities.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    I haven’t used any other software that can be compared to this and that is a good thing as this means that this software is the best one on the market. Tough other apps may exist we only use Microsoft Power BI because it is simply the best app out there.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Microsoft
    Since the backbone of the database is MS SQLServer, the database can be easily scaled.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • More time is spent on manipulating reports which can and should be automated.
    • Lack of electronic invoicing process and other green technology features creates more cost on printing and storage costs.
    • The lack of a user friendly interface requires more training and a bigger learning curve for staff.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • Saved a significant amount of time for reporting current rollout status to project stakeholders
    • Project stakeholders were able to view the live dashboards at any time so felt they had a better understanding of the rollout status
    • Project stakeholders found it beneficial that they were able to set their own filters. For example, to view rollout status for their own departments.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots