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Microsoft Dynamics SL vs. SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

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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

    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

    Score7 out of 10
    N/AThe SAP® BusinessObjects™ Business Intelligence Platform provides users with ad hoc queries, reporting, data visualizations, and analysis tools. Its integrated, unified infrastructure aims to offer scalability from one-to-many tools and interfaces on-premise, in the cloud, or as a hybrid approach.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    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 SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    SAP
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    81%
    Would buy again
    13 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    12 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    81%
    Happy with the feature set
    13 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.5
    2 Ratings
    12% above category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation9.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    6 Ratings
    23% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    API for custom integration6.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Plug-ins6.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.7
    10 Ratings
    3% above category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    8.0
    10 Ratings
    6% above category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    7.1
    11 Ratings
    8% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    6 Ratings
    33% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory tracking5.06 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location management6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.2
    4 Ratings
    25% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    5.7
    4 Ratings
    28% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    4.7
    3 Ratings
    47% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    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 SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.3
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    Award Lifecycle Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    22% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    Production Management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    20% below category average
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory Planning6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.8
    56 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings8.550 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings6.752 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings8.251 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.1
    53 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings6.452 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings6.551 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings8.335 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings7.352 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.8
    53 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Publish to Web00 Ratings8.344 Ratings
    Publish to PDF00 Ratings8.251 Ratings
    Report Versioning00 Ratings7.646 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling00 Ratings8.052 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings6.931 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    6.0
    48 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings5.846 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings6.143 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings6.042 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings6.16 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.4
    53 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings7.953 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings7.251 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)00 Ratings7.450 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings7.27 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings7.234 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    6.4
    38 Ratings
    19% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings5.637 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings5.332 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings5.534 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft Dynamics SL and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Dynamics SL
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.9
    28 Ratings
    2% above category average
    REST API00 Ratings8.124 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings7.723 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.221 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings7.526 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings7.624 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings8.622 Ratings
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    Score9.2 out of 10
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    User Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Likelihood to Recommend
    5.0
    (18 ratings)
    7.1
    (78 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    5.4
    (8 ratings)
    8.3
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    3.0
    (7 ratings)
    6.6
    (21 ratings)
    Availability
    9.9
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.5
    (4 ratings)
    8.6
    (16 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    9.0
    (8 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (45 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.3
    (45 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    1.4
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Dynamics SLSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    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
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    SAP
    As mentioned earlier reporting was a big headache for us and the tools we used didn't support large data sets and visualization Performing analytics with such data sets was cumbersome and later post using this SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence we were able to correlate different data sets and prepare the dashboard pretty easier which were helpful and easier to understand.
    Incentivized
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    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
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    SAP
    • This software is easy to initially learn, and very powerful in producing reusable reports.
    • It is much faster than my company's internal manual queries. The ability to build off of a saved query and share queries to other users is a great positive.
    • My favorite part is that you can run queries in the background and it does not interfere with your current work or slow your computer down.
    Incentivized
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    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
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    SAP
    • The installation can be very complex and time-consuming, it requires a lot of planning and foresight as to what role the software will play in the organization.
    • The software has a relatively large learning curve that takes dedicated users months to get comfortable with, the UI is a bit intimidating for new users.
    • SAP could organize their help better, it can be difficult to find dependable solutions to issues via their website and support channels.
    Incentivized
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    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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    SAP
    The institution has decided to move in a different direction, and will be using MSBI for reporting. I have been very happy with the Business Objects suite of tools, and will continue to use them heavily until we make the transition.
    Incentivized
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    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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    SAP
    From a server and client side perspective. the Business Intelligence Platform provides a foundation for all aspects of content development, distribution, analysis, collaboration and self service. Ease of use from targeted content delivery through controlled accessibility. Content exporting in the format of the users choice. Scheduling for internal or external delivery. Public and private folders for secure content access when requied. Web based for viewing on the users device of choice without the need to download additional applications.
    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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    SAP
    When we implemented 3.1, we had a tough time managing the system: It took almost a year to stabilize.

    With 4.0, we want to roll out to more users, and are holding back because of fears about the performance issue
    Read full review
    Performance
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    Overall, the tool (Web Intelligence 4.2) is fast and solid. One issue is a dependability on JAVA for a full feature report creation/edit capabilities (as opposed to limited HTML option). Second, planned end of JAVA support by major browsers (Chrome is already not supporting JAVA applet).
    Read full review
    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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    SAP
    SAP has released various versions of SAP BO BI. starting from 3.1 and going to 4.0,4.1,4.2 and latest being 4.3. SAP provides support to these new versions. As new versions keep on coming, support for the very old software goes out of scope from SAP. it is when the different organization plans to get their BO content migrated from a lower version to a newer version. The newer version had definitely added functionality and features which ease the work of users.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    SAP authorized training is best, Please go ahead with it. Even lot of online training options/videos available for self learning
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    I haven't used it or got feedback from the end user.

    Content looks to be pretty detailed. Focused on SQL but not BW.
    Read full review
    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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    SAP
    Hire specialists and experienced staff. Mix some beginners so that everyone is not a leader but a learner too. Plan well; architect well; break down implementation in small steps and move towards larger steps. Create a centralized and authorized SAP Business Objects implementation team.
    Incentivized
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    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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    SAP
    We selected SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) based on price. It can stack up against others in terms of price and honestly, that's about it. Salesforce Commerce does a hell of a better job at handling it. However, in the space of Business Intelligence, SAP can do more, and that's why at the end we went with it
    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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    SAP
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) Platform supports SOA Service Oriented Architecture. You can start/restart/enable/disable all the servers. You can seamless do load balancing and clustering. It supports all leading application and web server. Supports LDAP SSO integration. People who can work on excel with training they can work on SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence, dashboard, Lumira, Information design tool product suite. Tool is very user friendly and easy to learn and implement
    Incentivized
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    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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    SAP
    • By generating and distributing reports in a timely manner, we were able to save millions of dollars for the company which otherwise would not have been visible.
    • Almost realtime dashboard, saved the company a huge amount by showing the outages and kept the company from buying a tool to do just that.
    • It showed the customers who were not paying the bills and were missing in the system due to some loophole. This was visible by doing reporting on the theft usage of electricity.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots