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Catalyst, by EBM Software vs. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Catalyst, by EBM Software

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/ACatalyst from EBM Software in Minneapolis is a cloud-based business performance application suite, designed to provide an environment and workflow for understanding business profitability.N/A

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

    Score6.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly Dynamics NAV) is one of the ERP products in the Dynamics family. The technology is based on the Navision product acquired by Microsoft in 2002. This product is the best-selling Microsoft ERP platform, and is often used by companies in the manufacturing and distribution verticals.

    $8

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Members
    $8
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Essentials
    $70
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Dynamics 365 Business Central Premium
    $100
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsFlexible and tiered pricing structures available - monthly, 1-3-5- contracts, and more—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Considered Both Products
    EBM Software
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Would buy again
    8 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Happy with the feature set
    8 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    75%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Features
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.1
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Customizable dashboards7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.7
    2 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Drill-down analysis7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Publish to PDF7.92 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.7
    1 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-User Support (named login)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
    Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Long-term financial planning7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Financial budgeting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Forecasting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scenario modeling8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management reporting8.92 Ratings00 Ratings
    Consolidation and Close
    Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.2
    1 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Financial data consolidation9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Journal entries and reports8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-currency management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Intercompany Eliminations5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Minority Ownership7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Local and consolidated reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Financial Reporting and Compliance
    Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    8.0
    1 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Financial Statement Reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management Reporting9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Excel-based Reporting7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automated board and financial reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Analytics and Reporting
    Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.2
    2 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Personalized dashboards7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Color-coded scorecards6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    KPIs7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost and profitability analysis8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Key Performance Indicator setting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benchmarking with external data7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration
    Comparison of Integration features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    7.4
    2 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    -
    Ratings
    Flat file integration8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Excel data integration7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct links to 3rd-party data sources7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.0
    7 Ratings
    57% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings2.07 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings2.05 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.8
    18 Ratings
    27% below category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings5.817 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings5.815 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.7
    22 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings7.418 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.021 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.2
    23 Ratings
    32% below category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings4.919 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings5.823 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings4.922 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.7
    23 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings7.422 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings6.921 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings5.310 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings5.89 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings6.312 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings5.812 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings5.813 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.9
    18 Ratings
    29% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings5.818 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings5.811 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings2.014 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.7
    21 Ratings
    50% below category average
    Pricing00 Ratings2.018 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings5.818 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings2.012 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings2.016 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings6.37 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.4
    13 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Billing Management00 Ratings6.311 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings6.312 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings5.88 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings5.89 Ratings
    Period Close00 Ratings5.312 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    8.7
    8 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Project Costing00 Ratings10.07 Ratings
    Cost Capture00 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Capital Project Management00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings10.06 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
    Project Execution Management
    Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    6.2
    5 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Project Planning and Scheduling00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Definable Resource Pools00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    9.7
    3 Ratings
    27% above category average
    Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    6.9
    8 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Bids Analyzed and Compared00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Contract Authoring00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Contract Repository00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings5.87 Ratings
    Supplier Management00 Ratings5.85 Ratings
    Risk Management
    Comparison of Risk Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.3
    5 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Risk Repository00 Ratings5.34 Ratings
    Control Management00 Ratings4.95 Ratings
    Control Efficiency Assessments00 Ratings5.84 Ratings
    Issue Detection00 Ratings5.35 Ratings
    Remediation and Certification00 Ratings5.34 Ratings
    Logistics
    Comparison of Logistics features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    5.4
    4 Ratings
    21% below category average
    Transportation Planning and Optimization00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Transportation Execution Management00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Trade and Customs Management00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Fulfillment Management00 Ratings1.04 Ratings
    Warehouse Workforce Management00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing
    Comparison of Manufacturing features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    4.5
    4 Ratings
    49% below category average
    Production Process Design00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Production Management00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Configuration Management00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Work Execution00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing Costs00 Ratings2.04 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    3.5
    6 Ratings
    68% below category average
    Forecasting00 Ratings1.06 Ratings
    Inventory Planning00 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Performance Monitoring00 Ratings2.06 Ratings
    Product Lifecycle Management
    Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Catalyst, by EBM Software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Feature
    Catalyst, by EBM Software
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    7.3
    3 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Proposal Management00 Ratings2.02 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management00 Ratings2.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    Zoho One
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    IBM Planning Analytics
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Zoho One
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score10 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.9
    (2 ratings)
    6.3
    (23 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.8
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.8
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
    Likelihood to Recommend
    EBM Software
    [Catalyst, by EBM Software] is well suited to track invoices from vendors to get them paid on time to avoid late fees. [Catalyst, by EBM Software] is less appropriate when paying vendor because that is not a function they currently have. If the system was an all in one system that could track and pay your invoices it would be an amazing software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is well suited for inventory management in all aspects. Its accessibility, along with my other apps, when out of the office is unparalleled. I find it easy to work with on a desktop or laptop; however, it could use some work on a mobile device.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    EBM Software
    • The GUI is easy to navigate on the iPad mini, which we use for charting.
    • The options are simple so there is very little room for mistakes.
    • Charting is easy and the setup allows for necessary fields that must be completed so charting stays uniform.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • Automate the creation of bills of materials for production. We can now generate a BoM from a sales order.
    • Organization of all data pertaining to thousands of parts, assemblies, and finished goods. Engineering and purchasing have a common portal.
    • We can create sales orders from quotations instead of re-entering them (this did require some bolt-on software). Less redundant work with fewer entry errors.
    • Accounting can provide reports based on specific criteria stored in NAV. We can pull better and more detailed intelligence.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    EBM Software
    • The browser closes unexpectedly at times when refreshing the page and you get logged out
    • The incorrect vendor is chosen by Catalyst a few times
    • The Catalyst file is occasionally not placed on time in the folder
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Some functions could be a bit more user friendly, intuitive.
    • Better migration from previous ERP software (especially other Microsoft products). "Growing pains" associated with change?! Maybe.
    • A few redundancies and procedural missteps on menus and tabs can make the portal a bit crowded.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    EBM Software
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    We've already decided to continue using this software. It is too expensive for us to upgrade so we made a workaround by using the virtual computer with Windows XP installed on it. We did research replacing this software, but it was a better financial decision to keep what we had instead
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    EBM Software
    Well.... when it works... it's good. When it doesn't it is very frustrating for our staff.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Best in terms of reporting or coming up with a great dashboard. Seamlessly collaborated with teams without depending on particular device as its web version is the buddy for people with work flexibility. Licensing price and integrations can be the areas of improvement and can simplify the interface which will be easy for a new user.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    EBM Software
    The support for Catalyst is great and they are usually within the 48 hour response time. There could be a little quicker upload time for invoices that are submitted. They usually show up until the next day on the system and sometimes gives us a stress on time. Overall, the support is quite good
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    It provides one to efficiently be able to manage bookkeeping and inventory without much challenges. One can easily navigate through workflow processes while managing usages and budgets. Being able to produce reports in Word, Excel or PDF means one is able to have a working document to produce trends and graphs or produce pivot tables.
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    Alternatives Considered
    EBM Software
    [Catalyst, by EBM Software] is a very easy system to use and is very user friendly. It gives you different ways of researching an invoice and not just one. Catalyst also helps to allow us to research an invoice within seconds and eliminates a lengthy and confusing process. It is a great software for first time users to learn quickly and efficiently.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    I have personally supported all of the Dynamic family of ERP systems and made the decision to concentrate on NAV as the solution of choice. From a support and development standpoint there are few if any packages that can compare. It is not uncommon for most of the companies that I support to only call me once or twice a month after the first year. This is due to the ease of tracking down problems and errors and the ability for a developer to provide the end-user with routines that automatically correct the most basic kind of error
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    EBM Software
    • Catalyst is better than pencil and paper data analysis. But the app can be very frustrating when it's not working the way it did last week.
    • The GUI is very simple. Sometimes too simple, like there is no way to go back in and edit SOAP note options.
    • New feature roll-outs are mandatory. I understand that no one would opt in to being the guinea pig, but it would be nice if you weren't the first user to try it.
    • The integration with billing software has streamlined the billing notes and saved us money over having two separate systems.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • Automation processing, including EDI functionality, has increased employee efficiency and prevented the need for adding additional employees.
    • Implementation of the warehouse functionality, including cycle counts, has resulted in better inventory control/less shrinkage.
    • Implementation of e-Ship and e-Receive, has resulted in greater efficiency and order accuracy.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots