With Microsoft investing heavily in ChatGPT and integrating it with Bing, there was a clear warning shot to the dominance of Google, who's rival product, Bard, had a less well-received introduction to the market. This got me thinking about a question that all companies selecting a CRM platform would consider: is Salesforce better than Microsoft Dynamics?
Here's my top 5 reasons why I reckon Salesforce has the edge:
Customization: Salesforce is known for its robust customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to meet their specific needs. Microsoft Dynamics also offers customization, but it is generally considered to be less flexible than Salesforce.
Integration: Salesforce offers a wide range of integration options with other business applications and services, making it easy to connect and streamline workflows. Mulesoft and the core capabilities within OmniStudio (e.g. DataRaptors and Integration Procedures) immediately come to mind here. While Microsoft Dynamics also offers integration options, it may require more effort to set up and maintain.
User interface: Salesforce has a modern and intuitive user interface, which is generally considered to be more user-friendly than Microsoft Dynamics. That said, the ubiquity of Microsoft Excel, and the Excel-like experience that apps like Power BI offer, provides an interface that is at least familiar, if not "consumer-facing".
Mobile access: Salesforce offers a highly functional mobile app, allowing users to access their CRM data and applications on-the-go. Microsoft Dynamics also offers mobile access, but it may not be as feature-rich as Salesforce's mobile app.
Market share: Salesforce is the market leader in CRM, with a larger market share than Microsoft Dynamics. This can be advantageous for businesses, as it may provide access to a larger user community and a wider range of third-party applications and services.
Having made a conscious decision to leave the SAP world for Salesforce, I try to keep an impartial view and it's important to continually evaluate the landscape and the "best" companies will be those that deliver the greatest pace of high-impact innovation. Ultimately, each company needs to evaluate its own needs to determine the best-fit solutions.
But, do you agree with my picks? What do you think are the key features that give Salesforce the edge? Where do you think Microsoft is the best play? I look forward to reading your comments!