Shopping around for the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution can be an overwhelming task when it comes to choosing the best option. With so many new platforms entering the CRM market, two of the most recognizable names are Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce.
It’s important for businesses to understand what each CRM can provide in order to decide which one is right for their organisation.
When considering Microsoft Dynamics vs Salesforce, companies should look at both offerings from a feature and budget standpoint. Microsoft Dynamics offers many built-in customer relationship management features with its basic plan while Salesforce offers separate pricing options dependent on volume and functionality.
Additionally, Microsoft Dynamics has a much deeper integration ability with many different other Microsoft products such as Power BI or SharePoint, whereas Salesforce tends to have slightly less seamless integrations with different softwares.
Ultimately, either choice provides companies of different sizes the capability to provide a great customer experience that leads to increased sales. However, only thorough research into each offering will allow organisations to make an informed decision about which CRM solution best suits their needs in 2023.
What are the main differences between Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce?
The amount of choice when it comes to CRM software can be overwhelming. The two biggest contenders are Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce.
Both can handle enterprise businesses, but they have some fundamental differences that need to be taken into consideration. In terms of price, Microsoft Dynamics is the winner for many businesses due to offering a number of different payment options for both SMBs and large enterprises. It is also possible to get services from distributors in addition to the vendor which can help keep costs down.
In regards to ease of use, Salesforce has always been a winner over rival Microsoft Dynamics due to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, friendly customer service team, library of training resources, and simple UI designs making it simpler for end users and administrators alike.
Additionally, Salesforce has many more integrations than Microsoft Dynamics does, including popular applications such as MailChimp, Dropbox and Zendesk. Salesforce also has an advantage when it comes to mobile versions with support for Android phones available from their AppExchange store, while Microsoft currently only offers an iOS version - Dynamic 365 on Apple platforms.
Both are constantly innovating and working on new features as time goes on though so these differences will likely change in the future.
Ease of use
When it comes to ease of use, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 both offer robust CRM solutions for businesses. For those familiar with Microsoft products such as MS Office 365 or Outlook, the Dynamics 365 platform may appear easy to use. However, it is important to note that Dynamics 365 does require a bit of a learning curve when starting your business. It isn’t overly difficult – but also not quite as simple as just using an Excel spreadsheet.
To maximise efficiency, it is recommended to pair the Dynamics to Microsoft's web hosting service, Azure – which can make the process run smoother and allows users to access data from anywhere with their mobile device or PC via secured cloud computing solutions.
Ultimately, going with either will provide a quality CRM experience for any organization looking specifically for a more comprehensive solution than typical spreadsheet platforms can provide.
Customer support
Salesforce Agents provide on-demand chat and phone support and are available 24/7. These agents can help customers solve problems quickly and easily whether they need assistance setting up their system, integrating their data, or troubleshooting an issue—all from the comfort of their own home or office.
With Salesforce you can even contact the company directly from its website via a live chat window. This provides another convenient way to get your questions answered in real-time so that you don't have to wait for an answer from Customer Service via email or over the phone.
Knowledgebase and learning
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an out-of-the-box product for setting up a knowledge base and learning tools. It comes with the customer service hub module, which allows users to write and organize articles into topics that can be added to the overall knowledge base. The artificial intelligence algorithm used within Microsoft Dynamics 365 suggests relevant words or topics while a user is writing an article, making it easier for the user to quickly source information and ensure accuracy every time.
Salesforce is another great platform for establishing a knowledge base and other learning tools. It offers easy drag-and-drop customization capabilities, allowing users to create their personalised knowledge base suited to their specific business needs.
Salesforce also provides unique templates for different industries so that users can find guidance on how they should structure their content in order to get the most out of their knowledge base. Furthermore, Salesforce’s friendly interface makes it easier to interact with customers by providing them with options that help them find answers to their questions quickly and efficiently.
Integrations
Integrations are an important part of any business, whether they are hosted internally or externally. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is no exception, as its suite of products help businesses streamline and automate numerous areas of their operations. Being Microsoft, the idea here is to use as many of their own products instead of being open to integrations and add-ons; this means that a lot is already included within Dynamics 365.
The fact that they offer both CRM and ERP solutions together means little is lacking when it comes to functionality; if you are looking for 3rd party integrations, it's possible, but not every SaaS out there works well with this. For more specialised needs, Microsoft offers PowerApps to build low-code add-ons instead of looking for integrations.
To narrow down your options even further, the Microsoft AppSource database is a nifty collection of powerful apps that can be connected with Dynamics 365 - all in one place, making it easier for customers to pick the best solution for their needs.
Artificial and automated intelligence
AI and automated intelligence are quickly becoming integrated into everyday tools used in businesses. The AI features of Microsoft Dynamics Engagement and Salesforce set them apart from other customer relationship management (CRM) products.
Microsoft’s AI tools have been incorporated into their Dynamics 365 product, allowing for natural language processing and intelligent sales predictions. These developments increase the speed with which business applications can move forward, pushing more technology towards AI contributions.
Salesforce Einstein also uses artificial intelligence learning to help companies better understand their selling habits in order to make more effective suggestions. This kind of AI can guide both marketers to a successful strategy or customers to answering complicated questions in the service department. With these advances, we are seeing a shift towards artificial and automated intelligence across many different facets of business operations.
System limitations
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a comprehensive and powerful business platform, however, it does have some product limitations. For instance, when it comes to Azure cloud storage space, users may need to purchase more for an additional cost in order to get the functionality they need. Also, since Microsoft Dynamics 365 is deployed on an on-premise server, there may be limitations when trying to make code adjustments or functional changes. This makes it more challenging for users who are hoping to highly customize their system environment.
On the other hand, Salesforce offers its own set of limits as well. The main limitations revolve around customisation, scalability and integration capabilities. While Salesforce is known for its advanced customisation options like visual workflows and custom applications, there are still certain restrictions that can hinder development projects from completing faster and with greater depth of customisation.
Additionally, scalability is limited due to performance issues when working with large datasets and groups of contacts or customers within Salesforce. Lastly, when it comes to integration capabilities with third-party applications or services; Salesforce has fewer options than Microsoft Dynamics 365 due to the nature of Salesforce’s open source framework built exclusively on Java technology.
Which is better?
When it comes to CRM software, the debate between Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a long-running one. Each platform offers unique advantages that must be weighed against each other in order to decide which is better.
Salesforce is typically preferred for its ease of use, flexibility and integrations. However, for analytics, customer support, and especially LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration, MS Dynamics 365 comes out on top.
Ultimately, there is no clear winner between the two platforms as both offer great solutions depending on the use case or business need. In terms of innovation, these two CRMs are paving the way for more advanced features and capabilities within the industry, so users should expect only more excellence from both in terms of customisation and data-driven insights.
What’s most important is selecting the solution that best fits your company or organisation’s needs — either Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics 365 could be the right fit it just depends on what you prioritise most!
Looking for talented CRM professionals to execute your digital transformation project?
Looking for qualified candidates who have proven their ability in Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics? Get in touch! We would be happy to connect you with the talent you need.
Lisa Pascoe, Lead Consultant CRM
