Should manufacturing companies choose Business Central or Finance & Supply Chain Management?

Business Central Premium is ideal for small to mid-sized manufacturers requiring straightforward BOMs, routings, and material planning without heavy IT overhead. Finance & Supply Chain Management (F&SCM) is built for enterprise operations with complex multi-site MRP, advanced WMS, shop floor control, and global multi-entity structures.

How does Dynamics 365 integrate with shopfloor MES and SCADA systems?

Dynamics 365 provides standardized REST APIs, OData endpoints, and Azure Event Hubs integration to connect directly with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and SCADA setups, enabling real-time telemetry, production reporting, and inventory consumption updates.

Does Dynamics 365 support both discrete and process manufacturing?

Yes. Dynamics 365 F&SCM natively supports hybrid manufacturing models, including discrete (assembly, BOMs, routes), process (formulas, co-products, recipes), and lean manufacturing models within a single environment.

How does Dynamics 365 Field Service connect with manufacturing ERP?

Field Service shares common data models with Dynamics 365 ERP, allowing installation assets, maintenance schedules, warranty details, and spare parts inventory to synchronize automatically between field service engineers and central logistics.

What is the typical timeline and cost for implementing Dynamics 365 in manufacturing?

A standard Business Central manufacturing implementation typically ranges from 4 to 9 months. An enterprise Finance & Supply Chain Management deployment usually spans 9 to 18 months, depending on multi-site rollouts, MES integrations, and process customization.

Dynamics 365 for Manufacturing – Guide & Partners

Knowledge Hub | Industry guide

Manufacturing

Workflows, system support and a review of listed partners — written from the buyer's perspective.

Industry reality

Nordic manufacturing is broad — discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, project-based manufacturing, make-to-order, engineer-to-order. What they share is high complexity, and the consequences of an inadequate ERP system are immediately visible: inaccurate costing, production halts, delivery delays and tied-up capital.

The industry is undergoing structural transformation. Industry 4.0 is no longer a future concept but a competitive imperative. Connected shopfloor environments, real-time data, integration with MES and SCADA — these place entirely new demands on the ERP system compared to ten years ago. Meanwhile, margins are squeezed by volatile raw material prices and supply chain disruptions, requiring faster decision-making and better forecasting.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is used by manufacturing companies across the spectrum — from mid-sized engineering firms on Business Central to large international enterprise groups on Finance & Supply Chain Management. The platform covers the entire value chain from procurement and production planning to aftermarket and service, with open APIs for external integrations.

Core workflows and system support

Below is an overview of the key workflows in the industry and the system support offered across Dynamics 365 product areas.

Finance & Supply Chain Management: Production planning, logistics and financial management

F&SCM is the standard choice for medium-to-large manufacturers with complex requirements. The system handles the entire manufacturing flow with high precision and supports all common manufacturing models.

Production planning with MRP/MPS — material requirements planning and capacity planning in a unified flow
Advanced Warehouse Management (WMS) supporting serial and batch traceability across the supply chain
Quality control with mandatory inspection points, non-conformance management and quarantine inventory
Product configuration for complex variants (Configure-to-Order) and accurate pre- and post-calculations
Financial management with Work in Progress (WIP), project accounting and consolidated financial reporting
Integration with MES and SCADA via standardized APIs for real-time shop floor data

Business Central: ERP for small and mid-sized manufacturers

Business Central suits manufacturing SMEs requiring a broad and manageable system without the complexity and cost profile of F&SCM. The system covers the entire flow from purchasing to production and delivery.

Production orders, bills of materials (BOMs) and simple to mid-complex production flows
Inventory management with real-time visibility and core traceability
Procure-to-pay process with vendor management
Finance, invoicing and core project accounting in a single system

Field Service: Aftermarket and service business

For manufacturers looking to expand their service operation — service agreements, preventive maintenance, field technicians, spare parts management — Field Service is the natural choice. The system manages the full service lifecycle from case logging to invoicing.

Scheduling and dispatch optimization for field technicians
Service contracts and preventive maintenance with automated triggers
Spare parts management linked to inventory and procurement
Mobile access for field technicians with real-time customer and asset data

Sales & Customer Insights: Complex B2B sales and customer data

Manufacturers with long sales cycles, configurable products and key accounts require more than basic CRM. Dynamics 365 Sales handles pipelines, quote management (CPQ) and key account management. Customer Insights consolidates customer data for segmentation and marketing communication.

Quote management with product configurators (CPQ — Configure, Price, Quote)
Pipeline management and activity tracking for long sales cycles
Customer data aggregated from multiple sources for segmentation and targeted communication

Listed partners within Manufacturing

Below are the 20 partners listed for the industry on d365 Guide, in the order they appear in the partner directory.

BE-terna
Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce

BE-terna has F&SCM as its core competence and is one of the partners on the list with the clearest focus on heavy manufacturing ERP. Their strength lies in complex production flows, advanced inventory management and financial control for medium to large manufacturing enterprises. Their Commerce competence is relevant for manufacturers also managing direct sales channels.

Fellowmind
Business Central, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Sales, Customer Insights

Fellowmind covers the full spectrum from Business Central to F&SCM, combining ERP expertise with CRM capabilities. For manufacturers seeking a single partner across the entire platform — including sales and customer insights — Fellowmind is a strong candidate, offering a broad portfolio and European delivery capacity.

Goodfellows
Business Central

Goodfellows specializes in reliable and predictable Business Central implementations with deep domain knowledge in manufacturing, production and distribution. A solid choice for mid-sized manufacturers seeking a partner taking clear ownership of practical operational implementation.

NAB Solutions
Business Central, Sales, Customer Insights, Customer Service, Field Service, Contact Center

NAB Solutions combines Business Central with a comprehensive CRM and service footprint. For manufacturers with a growing aftermarket business needing to bridge ERP with customer service and field operations, NAB Solutions is one of few listed partners offering the full suite.

Nexer
BC, Finance, SCM, Sales, Customer Insights, Customer Service, Field Service, Contact Center, Project Operations

Nexer holds one of the broadest solution portfolios in the directory, spanning all relevant Dynamics 365 applications for manufacturing. For organizations planning an ambitious platform transformation where ERP, field service and CRM intersect, Nexer provides the capacity to govern the entire architecture.

Sherpas Group AB
Business Central, Finance, Supply Chain Management

Sherpas Group covers the full ERP range from Business Central to F&SCM, focusing on manufacturing, energy and construction. For manufacturers valuing dedicated ERP expertise and strong vertical orientation, Sherpas offers proven experience in complex logistics and financial management.

Sirocco Group
Sales, Customer Insights, Customer Service, Field Service, Contact Center, Project Operations

Sirocco Group stands out as a dedicated CRM and service specialist. For manufacturing companies managing complex B2B sales cycles, aftermarket field service and project deliveries alongside an existing ERP system, Sirocco is a highly relevant fit for customer-facing applications.

Yellow Solution AB
Business Central

Yellow Solution is a Business Central partner experienced in manufacturing workflows. Suited for small-to-midsize manufacturers seeking a specialized Business Central partner without F&SCM complexity.

Bisqo AB
Business Central

Bisqo is a Business Central partner focused on mid-sized enterprises, delivering hands-on implementations for SMB manufacturers.

InBiz
Business Central

InBiz focuses on Business Central implementations tailored to manufacturing and distribution, offering cost-effective projects grounded in solid process understanding.

Knowit
Finance, Supply Chain Management | AI Enabled

Knowit focuses purely on F&SCM, bringing deep ERP competence to manufacturing and distribution. As an AI-enabled partner, they pair traditional enterprise capability with AI integration across shopfloor and supply chain operations.

Vivicta
Business Central, Finance, SCM, Sales, Customer Insights, Customer Service, Field Service, Contact Center, Project Operations, Human Resources

Vivicta covers the entire Dynamics 365 suite including HR and Project Operations. Operating internationally, they cater to manufacturing groups with multi-entity, cross-functional demands.

Choosing the right partner for your organisation

Manufacturing is the sector with the highest number of listed partners on d365 Guide — 19 in total. This reflects the domain complexity and demanding technical requirements of the industry. However, having more options does not automatically make the selection process simpler.

Crucial questions to address: Which manufacturing model dominates your operations — discrete, process, or project-based? How critical is your aftermarket service business? Is ERP the immediate priority or do sales and CRM need equal focus? How many legal entities and locations are in scope?

Answering these questions clarifies the core product choice — and identifies which partners possess the right expertise. Implementing Business Central for a single workshop involves completely different dynamics than rolling out F&SCM across ten subsidiaries in four countries.

Read more and compare partners: d365guide.com/branscher/tillverkning

Dynamics 365 for the Manufacturing Industry