Business Central Essential License £57.50
per user, per month
Business Central Premium License £82.20
per user, per month
Business Central Team License £6.60
per user, per month
Prices correct as of 4th March 2024
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution tailored for small to medium-sized businesses.
It streamlines various business processes, including finance, sales, service, and operations, into a unified platform. To cater to diverse organisational needs, Business Central offers three distinct licensing options: Essentials, Premium, and Team Members.
Each license type provides specific functionalities and comes at different price points.
1. Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials
The Essentials license is designed for businesses seeking a robust foundation to manage core operations. It encompasses a wide range of functionalities essential for daily business activities.
Key Features:
- Financial Management: Manage general ledger, workflows, audit trails, bank transactions, budgets, deferrals, bank reconciliation, dimensions, fixed assets, and multiple currencies.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Handle contacts, campaigns, opportunity management, and benefit from built-in integration with Dynamics 365 for Sales.
- Supply Chain Management: Oversee sales order management, basic receivables, purchase order management, inventory locations, item transfers, and basic warehousing.
- Human Resources: Maintain employee records and manage expense reporting.
- Project Management: Allocate resources, create estimates, manage jobs, and track timesheets.
Limitations:
While the Essentials license covers a broad spectrum of functionalities, it does not include advanced features such as service order management or manufacturing capabilities. Organizations requiring these advanced features would need to consider the Premium license.
Pricing:
As of March 4, 2024, the Essentials license for the UK is priced at £57.50 per user, per month.
2. Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium
The Premium license builds upon the Essentials package, offering additional functionalities tailored for businesses with more complex operational requirements, particularly in service management and manufacturing.
Key Features:
- All Essentials Features: Includes all functionalities provided in the Essentials license.
- Service Order Management: Manage service orders, service pricing, service item tracking, service contract management, planning, and dispatching.
- Manufacturing: Oversee production orders, version management, agile manufacturing, basic supply planning, demand forecasting, capacity planning, machine centers, and finite loading.
Limitations:
The Premium license is comprehensive; however, it comes at a higher price point. Organizations that do not require service management or manufacturing functionalities might find the Essentials license more cost-effective.
Pricing:
As of March 4, 2024, the Premium license is priced at £82.20 per user, per month.
3. Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Members
The Team Members license is designed for users who need limited access to the system. It allows for basic tasks and data viewing, making it suitable for employees who do not require full user capabilities.
Team licences can be purchased alongside Essential or Premium licences.
Key Features:
- Read Access: View all tables and data across the application.
- Workflow Approvals: Approve or reject workflow tasks.
- Basic Edits: Create or edit purchase and sales quotes, fill timesheets, and update personal information.
Limitations:
Team Members have restricted access and cannot perform advanced tasks such as creating sales orders, posting transactions, or accessing detailed financial reports. This license is ideal for users who need to interact with the system on a limited basis.
Pricing:
As of March 4, 2024, the Team Members license is priced at £6.60 per user, per month.
Important Considerations:
- License Uniformity: Organisations must choose between the Essentials and Premium licenses for their full users; mixing these two license types within the same organisation is not permitted.
- Named User Licensing: Business Central operates on a named user licensing model, meaning each license is assigned to a specific individual. This differs from concurrent licensing models and requires businesses to purchase a license for every user accessing the system.
- External Accountant License: Both Essentials and Premium licenses include an External Accountant license, granting external accountants access to Business Central data for auditing and financial management purposes.
- Microsoft 365 Integration: Users with Microsoft 365 licenses can have read-only access to Business Central through Microsoft Teams, allowing occasional data viewing without requiring a full Business Central license.
Conclusion
Choosing the right Dynamics 365 Business Central license depends on your organisation’s specific needs.
The Essentials license offers a comprehensive suite of tools suitable for many businesses, while the Premium license provides advanced functionalities for those with more complex requirements.
The Team Members license is a cost-effective solution for users needing limited access.
Careful assessment of your operational needs and consultation is recommended to ensure you select the most appropriate licensing option for your business.
Contact us if you need help or to evaluate if you are paying too much for your current licenses.