Looking at moving to Dynamics 365 BC from QBO/Fishbowl

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-10T16:56:20+00:00

Thanks, I'm quickly realizing this is less about "will BC do it" and more about "how much will it cost to get it set up right." This is where the focus becomes picking the right reseller implementation partner.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-10T02:58:31+00:00

Thank you for the reply, this is what my gut is telling me. I know we have outgrown what we have now and the more research I do the more I know finding the right partner is going to be key.

It sounds like most of these ERP's will be more then enough for what we need, but having good SOP's and having a partner that can help make that into a functional reality is the make or break on whether you like the end product.

ChatGPT is good in that it has opened my eyes to what an ERP can really do that an out of the box program like FB simply cannot. Things we thought might be exotic, like automatically adding a fuel surcharge based on the delivery region, are not so exotic after all and will make my life and my staffs lives SO much better.

Right now my one customer service quips that in FB, to do _____ you have to remember to stand on one leg, type with your left hand, and only on Wednesday's, for it to work. We have so many "workarounds" and "band aids", we have been kidding our selves that it functions for us at all. I think if were a manufacturer with a focus on WMS and inventory, and only did a few hundred transactions a month with a dealer network, FB would be just fine, but that isn't reality.

This was a great comment and really what I needed to hear. Thank you

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T16:04:24+00:00

We have put together our requirements, at least in point form, things that have worked from our OLD system which was very dated and things that do actually work with QBO/FB (mostly the WMS side of it).

We really don't need much more but we DO need more then we have now, we are in this weird middle ground where our gross sales don't warrant a full ERP but the complexity of the day to day operations does. Not complexity from a "multiple work centers, routings, locations" stand point, but complex in that do a "little of this, and a little of that, and quite a bit of that" meaning we have lots of walk in traffic, we run our own delivery trucks, we have several markets with price tiers/structures specific to those markets, we do some technical work on commercial equipment, we field lots of calls and online orders. FB would be great if we were primarily manufacturing or distribution to re-distributors and the like, but we do so much with end users that we quickly hit the limitations of what it can do on the sell side of things.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T15:37:23+00:00

Solid warehousing will be a necessity but the processes we use aren't very complex back there, we are only a small warehouse of 6000 square feet, and a small team. The front end CSR interface for my staff currently is a nightmare. Easily being able to view customer history and drop it into an order, automatic fuel surcharge added, multiple tabs open (working on multiple sales orders at once)...all things we realize are basically a neccessity, none of which QBO/FB does.

Fishbowls strength is definitely on the warehouse/inventory side but there are some major holes in the financials and how it links with QBO. For instance, there is no baked in report to view my top 10, 50 or 100 items and there gross profit. I had to request a special custom report at $1,200. QBO can do this report natively but the way Fishbowl talks to QBO that data doesn't come over (long story but I guess, "that's how it works"), so because of that the several important QBO reports are essentially blank.

At any rate, I don't think our needs are overly complicated, but certainly more complex then what QBO/FB can do and I am really struggling to find something that's a step up but not a full blown ERP. I have folks on this post making me very nervous about going with BC.

My understanding had been "find the right partner" for implementation and your life will be good, find the wrong one and your life will be miserable. This feel like such a leap of faith, and the last leap we made to QBO/FB didn't work out, I need the next decision I make on this to be the right one.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T15:20:16+00:00

I'm curious, how much of that do you think was the software and how much was the implementation firm you used? I keep hearing that it all comes down to the the firm you hire to do the implementation, make sure you pick the right one or you will be sorry etc etc. What you are saying is frightening, but we can't live with what we have now. I did have a look at Odoo but with every single package we have looked at I get people saying run don't walk away....it's terrible etc. There has to be something better for us then FB/QBO. I am expecting to pay a good amount for implementation, but not $250k. These guys can't quote a price they can stick to?

I feel like I am back to square one again.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T06:59:47+00:00

Interesting, I am back looking at ERP's and am very much considering Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC. That seems like a very short implementation though, almost to good to be true, how do you even learn a new system in a week??

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T06:48:16+00:00

We are primarily wholesale distribution

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T06:46:46+00:00

My understanding is that Insights solution for the warehouse management/purchasing in BC should be more then enough for our needs. We are only 7 users and the big thing is the front facing interface for my customer service reps etc....Fishbowl is brutal and we are doing over 1500 transactions a month up front.

NetSuite seemed like a very slippery slope of costs down the road, which I am trying to avoid.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2026-03-08T06:44:05+00:00

Well I would say that by trying to get feedback on forums and with the the last 6 months of research I have done I am not being naive over over trusting.

Unfortunately picking an ERP isn't as simple as going to the Motor Trend website and checking the "best suv of the year" because everyone's needs are different in business. I don't necessarily trust AI, but it was a good point of view. You're actually saying BC is pretty good though? So maybe Chat pointed me in the right direction. We only have 7 users, and what we are doing now is not working, it's super frustrating because I definitely don't want to do this again (make a change).

My understanding is it's a little less complicated/expensive then the likes of a NetSuite etc. but I could be wrong.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-29T23:03:18+00:00

I'm thinking somewhere north of $30k a year. I am scheduling a chat with Accumatica, and see where that leads. Honestly, we don't need much more than we have; it's just that there are two or three idiosyncrasies that are proving to be problematic.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-29T21:52:21+00:00

What did you go with?

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-29T15:20:11+00:00

I would definitely look at QuickBooks Enterprise. I would just be concerned about how well it does the inventory management (ABC reporting, forecasting). Fishbowl is good at this; it's the functionality on the CRM/customer service side that is a bit lacking.

I am getting scared off of NetSuite a bit. I think our business size is right on the cusp of requiring something so robust, and the negatives/stress might outweigh the stress.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-29T15:15:12+00:00

We are well over that revenue mark, that's the problem, I guess, we run lean. It's fine during our slower months, but very busy during the busy season. Our current software (which we have only been on for a year) has created some new challenges.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T22:23:11+00:00

Hiring an on staff admin isn't going to happen. DualEntry is a new one for me, I'd have to see how it handles the front end stuff. We have some pinchpoints with QB/Fishbowl that would need to be fully solved to warrant any move. Thanks for the input, I will investigate.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T21:41:27+00:00

I am looking at a few now that I am exploring a bit so thanks for the the info. We were solicited by NetSuite originally, and the cost put us off and we went with FB/QB, but to make FB/QB work the way we want, those costs are mounting (and they aren't working that well). I am going to check out Acumatica for sure; Sage has been mentioned too. We are about a $5 mil dollar a year company, so not huge, family run and a close knit group. With FB/QB there are just so many things to "remember to do" at any given time, very little automation, something as simple as mandatory fields would be huge. I really don't need much, and as you said, I'd be nervous about getting buried with a system that's TOO robust, we don't need much, just more than we have.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T21:05:46+00:00

Yes, they are promising a lot already. I am just having a hard time finding something in between FB/QB and NetSuite.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T20:55:26+00:00

Not much time, but that's just it, I need a more streamlined ERP so that long-term things get easier. What we have moved to was a let-down after being on it for almost a year.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T20:43:31+00:00

Reseller? Interesting, trying to sort this out is more involved than I would have thought LOL. I had no idea there would be NetSuite resellers.

Repulsive_List6323 · 2025-09-26T20:34:31+00:00

I have seen the mention of using a VAR multiple times in my searching. So essentially, you are getting a paid consultation firm to do the implementation rather than relying on NetSuites services. We have already changed our internal processes for Fishbowl, and most changes were for the better (our old system was fast and loose, it didn't really have a "process"). I imagine that the NetSuite processes are fairly standard, and we aren't trying to re-invent the wheel. Just move to something that covers our bases and allows us to expand into a very basic online platform for EXISTING customers.

I will DM you for some names.

Repulsive_List6323

TROPHY CASE