Small and mid-sized organisations are under increasing pressure to scale efficiently, improve financial visibility, and reduce operational complexity, without the cost and risk of traditional enterprise ERP systems. A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study, commissioned by Microsoft, highlights how Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers measurable financial and operational value to growing businesses.

Proven ROI and Fast Payback

The study found that organisations using Dynamics 365 Business Central achieved a 209% return on investment (ROI) over three years, with a payback period of under six months. By replacing legacy systems and manual processes with a unified, cloud-based ERP, businesses significantly improved efficiency while lowering total cost of ownership.

Key Business Benefits

Businesses adopting Dynamics 365 Business Central experienced tangible improvements across finance and operations:

• Up to 30% faster month-end close

  , driven by automation and consolidated financial data.

• Finance team productivity gains of up to 50%

  , reducing reliance on manual AP, AR, and billing processes.

• 14% lower total cost of ownership

  , achieved by retiring legacy ERP systems and point solutions.

• Up to 3% improvement in profit margins

  , enabled by better cost control and project visibility.

• 30% reduction in audit preparation time

  , thanks to consistent, real-time reporting and built-in compliance capabilities.

These gains translate into a net present value (NPV) of approximately $464,000 over three years for the composite organisation analysed in the study.

Beyond the Numbers: Strategic Value

In addition to quantified financial benefits, organisations also reported improvements in:

• Customer experience through faster, more accurate invoicing.

• Cash flow and reduced days sales outstanding (DSO).

• Data-driven decision-making with native Power BI integration.

• Scalability and future readiness, including a strong foundation for

  Microsoft Copilot and AI-powered workflows.

As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Dynamics 365 Business Central integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, enabling teams to work smarter across finance, sales, and operations.

Why This Matters for South African Businesses

For South African organisations looking to modernise ERP without excessive complexity or cost, this study provides independent validation that Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers real, fast, and sustainable value - especially for businesses outgrowing entry-level accounting systems.

Get the full breakdown of costs, benefits, assumptions, and ROI modelling in the complete Forrester report.

Braintree can help you evaluate, implement, and optimise Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for your business.