10 Reasons Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Wins Out Over Salesforce

Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics 365 — Which is the better choice of CRM solutions?

When choosing a Customer Engagement solution for your organization, the options are more and more focused on two choices — Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Salesforce. Both are mature solutions and recognized market and feature leaders. Having assist dozens of clients make the migration from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 CRM we have compiled a list of what drove these clients to their decision to switch. For the people at enCloud9 many reasons point to the conclusion that Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is the superior choice over Salesforce in CRM solutions.

In this post, we will explore ten reasons Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is the better option.

1. Overall Costs- Salesforce is the most expensive CRM solution out there. The cost per user for Dynamics 365 CRM is about half of the cost of Salesforce CRM. With Dynamics CRM, you get more features at a more reasonable price- a better value. The features of Dynamics 365 CRM Professional Edition is highly comparable to the Salesforce Enterprise Edition- only Dynamics CRM is about half the cost. Also with Salesforce, Add-ons are more expensive and less inclusive.
2. Integration with other technologies- Although many reasons are supporting Dynamics 365 CRM as the leading choice, this one is significant. More people tend to choose Dynamics 365 CRM because of its easy integration with other familiar Microsoft technologies. Dynamics 365 CRM works well with apps such as Sharepoint, Yammer, Outlook, and Office. For example, you can create a proposal right from Outlook without having to switch apps. Just think how productive your salespeople would be with this ability! According to the American Psychological Association, a worker loses 40% of their productive time when switching tasks. This leads right into the next reason.
3. User Friendliness- The ease of use of Dynamics CRM is due in part to its similarity and compatibility of many well-known and well-used programs. People are more comfortable with what they already know. Getting everyone in your company on board to use CRM can be a challenge, but having something easy to use can be a distinct advantage.
4. Ownership of Data- Salesforce and Microsoft have significantly different policies when it comes to the data that you enter into your CRM system. Salesforce charges extra for api access or backups of your data. Microsoft believes that the data in your CRM system is yours to do with as you please. Backups of your Microsoft CRM data are available upon request and api access to your data is included with your subscription.
5. Development and Flexibility-
   - Development- Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM employs universal programming languages (such as HTML, .net, and Java) while Salesforce uses its own programming language (Apex). Dynamics CRM users have the advantage to develop their own customizations without having to rely on a particular programming language. One of the biggest complaints among Salesforce users is that the customization function is limited.
   - Flexibility- Dynamics CRM users have the ability to move from hosted to in-house. The same options are available at Salesforce- but for an additional cost. The unlimited version must be purchased. This leads to our next reason.
6. Hidden Costs- Salesforce has a reputation for hidden costs. Many of the features that are add-ons with Salesforce are either built in or available at a lower cost with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM. Additional Storage costs can also be very high with Salesforce. (For example, 1 gigabyte of storage costs around $250 with Salesforce, while the same amount of storage with Dynamics CRM would cost around $10.
7. Deployment options- Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is available through Saas (multi-tenant hosting), private hosting, on-premise hosting, and Cloud Platform- while Salesforce only has one method of deployment. The SaaS Model of deployment is the only one available with Salesforce. Some organizations (such as government) can’t risk sending sensitive data over the internet. Organizations such as this need security or control that is only achieved through on-premise. It is important to get a CRM that is right for your requirements.
8. Support- Salesforce doesn’t have as many on-site consulting options. Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s support is much larger- giving customers more options. CRM is a significant investment. Access to proper support is vital.
9. Extendability- As mentioned previously, customization is much easier with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM. As companies grow and evolve, it is crucial that they can customize vies quickly and not have to worry about slow development times or coding issues.
10. Data Visualization- Most CRMs have a sophisticated dashboard, but unfortunately- they are not all the same. Dynamics CRM users have the capacity to effortlessly create their own role-based dashboards in real time data. Salesforce users have to manually refresh their dashboards.

S0, as you see, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is the clear choice in CRM solutions. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Roadmap provides you information about what is being made generally available to the public and what is in development.

This post was originally published on the enCloud9 blog by and with permission of Kristin Caniglia.