Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations Alternative
What are the best choices for project-based companies using Dynamics 365?
Below find your options to Dynamics 365 Project Operations no matter your situation and how to get started with alternatives.
Simple to start. Safe to grow.
Our goal is to make it easier to run your project-driven business on Microsoft Dynamics 365
Easy to Start
Our approach to D365 implementations for project-centric companies is all about keeping it simple to get started. Our EPM Essentials provides professional costing, scheduling, and resource tools. It is easy to understand and even easier to implement.
Sure-Fit Technology
No matter where you start, we can grow with you. There is no need to compromise and “shoehorn” your processes into a solution. Our industry kits and advanced feature packages can meet most project business needs.
De-Risk Your Implementation
Our D365 expertise and deep project IP handles a wide range of requirements as standard features. This eliminates the need to customize. You get a cleaner, more stable system that is easy to implement and update.
First: Find Your Industry
| Industry | AEC | ETO Manufacturing | ProServ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Design & Engineering
|
|||
| Architecture Firms | |||
| Engineering Consulting (Civil/Structural/MEP) | |||
| Environmental Engineering Services | |||
|
Construction & Delivery
|
|||
| General Contractors | |||
| Specialty Contractors (Trade Subs) | |||
| Electrical Contractors | |||
| Heavy Construction / Heavy Civil | |||
| Infrastructure Construction (Roads/Bridges/Rail) | |||
| EPC Contractors (Engineering-Procure-Construct) | |||
| Modular Building / Prefab Construction | |||
| Construction Project Management / Owner’s Rep | |||
| Real Estate Development (Commercial/Industrial) | |||
| Data Center Build / Fit-out | |||
|
Energy, Utilities & Resources
|
|||
| Renewable Energy EPC (Solar/Wind/BESS) | |||
| Energy & Utilities (Capital Programs) | |||
| Oil & Gas (Midstream/Pipelines/Compression) | |||
| Refining / Petrochemical Turnarounds & Expansions | |||
| Power Generation Projects (Plants/Turbines/BOP) | |||
| Water / Wastewater Treatment Projects | |||
| Mining Project Delivery (Build/Expansion) | |||
| Industrial Plant Construction (Factories/Process Plants) | |||
|
Engineered-to-Order Manufacturing & Complex Systems
|
|||
| Aerospace & Defense (Manufacturers) | |||
| Aircraft Manufacturing | |||
| Space Systems (Launch & Satellites) | |||
| Shipbuilding / Marine Vessels | |||
| Rail Rolling Stock / Transit Vehicles | |||
| Industrial Machinery OEMs (Custom Machines) | |||
| Engines / Turbines / Propulsion Systems | |||
| Process Equipment / Skids / Packaged Systems | |||
| Power & Electrical Equipment (Switchgear/Transformers) | |||
| Industrial Automation (Build + Commission Systems) | |||
| Robotics / Custom Automation Cells | |||
| Semiconductor Capital Equipment | |||
| Medical Devices (Complex/Configurable) | |||
|
Life Sciences (Manufacturing + Capital Projects)
|
|||
| Biotech Products Manufacturing | |||
| Pharma & Biotech CDMOs | |||
| Life Sciences Capital Projects (Labs/Cleanrooms) | |||
|
Professional Services & Project-Based Delivery
|
|||
| IT Consulting | |||
| Systems Integrators (IT/ERP/Cloud) | |||
| Management Consulting | |||
| Software Development (Project Delivery) | |||
| Digital Agencies / Creative Studios | |||
| Engineering Services (Outsourced Product/Plant Engineering) | |||
| Field Service Projects (Large Installs/Commissioning) | |||
|
Telecom, Public Sector & Programs
|
|||
| Telecom Network Buildouts (Fiber/5G Programs) | |||
| Public Sector Capital Programs (Transport/Civic Buildings) | |||
| Defense/Government Services Contractors | |||
| Defense Programs / Systems Integration (Prime/Large SI) | |||
Then see a detailed feature list of features below for your industry to see how we help you.
Choose the right Project Option for Microsoft Dynamics 365
That Meets Your Needs Now and in the Future
This matrix compares solution capabilities (features) across selected options for Dynamics 365 based project delivery.
- Columns show the products/solution bundles you’ve selected to compare (e.g. Microsoft D365 Project Operations, an SI bundle, and PlanAutomate’s EPM base + optional add-ons).
- Rows list individual capabilities (i.e. planning, estimation, costing, change management, resource management, analytics, AI, etc.).
- Symbols indicate the level of support for each capability:
- = capability is supported
- = capability is supported in a limited/partial way
- (blank) = capability is not supported / not available in that option
Use this matrix to quickly see which options cover which capabilities, and differences in full vs partial coverage, especially in the areas that matter most to your project delivery model and finance requirements.
Truth in reporting: This matrix is compiled using publicly and privately available information to provide a fair, baseline comparison of solution capabilities. Solutions evolve over time; if any information is inaccurate or outdated, contact us with corrections.
|
MS D365 ProjOps.
Microsoft
-
|
PlanAutomate EPM Essentials
Base
€135 /mo
|
AEC
Add-on
€60 /mo
|
ETO Manufacturing
Add-on
€60 /mo
|
Professional Services
Add-on
€60 /mo
|
Insight & Analysis
Add-on
€30 /mo
|
Governance
Add-on
€30 /mo
|
Advanced PM
Add-on
€60 /mo
|
Project Modeling
Add-on
€20 /mo
|
Risk Mgmt.
Add-on
€20 /mo
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Insights and analysis
|
|||||||||||||||
| Power BI cubes | |||||||||||||||
| Embedded Power BI reports | |||||||||||||||
| Portfolio analytics | |||||||||||||||
| Portfolio performance | |||||||||||||||
| Performance index | |||||||||||||||
| PlanVector AI | |||||||||||||||
|
AI Project Analysis
|
|||||||||||||||
| Status Reports | |||||||||||||||
| Trend Analysis | |||||||||||||||
| Projections & Forecasts | |||||||||||||||
| Root Cause Analysis | |||||||||||||||
| Risk Assessment | |||||||||||||||
| Post-Mortem Analysis | |||||||||||||||
| Counterfactual (What-if) Analysis | |||||||||||||||
|
Planning
|
|||||||||||||||
| Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | |||||||||||||||
| Gantt & drag and drop | |||||||||||||||
| Critical path and float | |||||||||||||||
| Task network | |||||||||||||||
| Role and resource scheduling | |||||||||||||||
| Capacity management | |||||||||||||||
| Soft/hard commit | |||||||||||||||
| Auto assign resources | |||||||||||||||
| Task and Gantt filtering | |||||||||||||||
| Task workflow | |||||||||||||||
| Custom grid views | |||||||||||||||
| Activity backlog | |||||||||||||||
| WBS sensor points | |||||||||||||||
| Manual tasks | |||||||||||||||
| Material planning | |||||||||||||||
| Material constraints | |||||||||||||||
| What-if simulation | |||||||||||||||
| Capacity leveling | |||||||||||||||
| Task driven serviceline and line property | |||||||||||||||
| Custom project/role/task attributes | |||||||||||||||
| Baselines | |||||||||||||||
| Embedded projects (WBS) | |||||||||||||||
| Constraint types | |||||||||||||||
| Gateway reviews and deadline management | |||||||||||||||
| Task tags | |||||||||||||||
| Project calendar | |||||||||||||||
| Project phases | |||||||||||||||
| Schedule backwards from finish | |||||||||||||||
|
Estimation
|
|||||||||||||||
| Budget versions | |||||||||||||||
| Templates | |||||||||||||||
| Create from quote | |||||||||||||||
| Create from existing project | |||||||||||||||
| Approvals | |||||||||||||||
| Copy from WBS | |||||||||||||||
| Import/Export XML | |||||||||||||||
| Cashflow | |||||||||||||||
| Qty budgets | |||||||||||||||
| Retainers | |||||||||||||||
| Models | |||||||||||||||
|
Cost breakdown structure
|
|||||||||||||||
| Embedded projects (CBS) | |||||||||||||||
| Posting status | |||||||||||||||
| EVA principles | |||||||||||||||
| Cost codes & cost code reporting | |||||||||||||||
| Period close | |||||||||||||||
|
Portfolio organization
|
|||||||||||||||
| Stakeholder workspace | |||||||||||||||
| Auto pilot | |||||||||||||||
| Project sensor points | |||||||||||||||
| Stakeholders | |||||||||||||||
| POS security | |||||||||||||||
| Batch lists | |||||||||||||||
|
Costing sheet
|
|||||||||||||||
| Cost (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Revenue (view) | |||||||||||||||
| By category | |||||||||||||||
| By category group | |||||||||||||||
| Embedded projects | |||||||||||||||
| CTC and EAC | |||||||||||||||
| Variance tracking | |||||||||||||||
| Contract line items (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Dedicated Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) | |||||||||||||||
| Budget periods | |||||||||||||||
| CBS sensor points | |||||||||||||||
| Variance reason codes | |||||||||||||||
| Deliverables (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Change control (view) | |||||||||||||||
| WBS estimate (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Revenue to complete (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Get WBS estimates | |||||||||||||||
| Retainer | |||||||||||||||
| Burn rate (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Earned value (view) | |||||||||||||||
| RAIDO (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Labor quantities (view) | |||||||||||||||
| Cashflow | |||||||||||||||
|
Portfolio management
|
|||||||||||||||
| Project portfolios | |||||||||||||||
| Portfolio status | |||||||||||||||
| Portfolio sensor points | |||||||||||||||
| Project breakdown structure | |||||||||||||||
| Project budget periods | |||||||||||||||
|
Risk management
|
|||||||||||||||
| RAIDO register | |||||||||||||||
|
Change management
|
|||||||||||||||
| Revisions | |||||||||||||||
| Change orders | |||||||||||||||
| Change requests | |||||||||||||||
| Copy Change set | |||||||||||||||
| Copy WBS | |||||||||||||||
| WBS change sets | |||||||||||||||
|
Resource management
|
|||||||||||||||
| Resource attributes | |||||||||||||||
| Calendars and exceptions | |||||||||||||||
| Resource loan management | |||||||||||||||
| Grade, service & location | |||||||||||||||
| Labor rates by grade and service line | |||||||||||||||
| Project resourcing (dispatch) | |||||||||||||||
|
Workspaces
|
|||||||||||||||
| Project management | |||||||||||||||
| Project team member | |||||||||||||||
| Project costing | |||||||||||||||
| Project planning | |||||||||||||||
| Project change management | |||||||||||||||
| Project capacity management | |||||||||||||||
| Project material constraints | |||||||||||||||
| Project subcontract management | |||||||||||||||
| Project stakeholder | |||||||||||||||
| Project period close | |||||||||||||||
| Project RAIDO | |||||||||||||||
|
Subcontract management
|
|||||||||||||||
| Subcontract management | |||||||||||||||
|
Timesheet management
|
|||||||||||||||
| My assignments & widget | |||||||||||||||
| Team member workspace | |||||||||||||||
| My calendar | |||||||||||||||
| Task status update | |||||||||||||||
| My tracked RAIDO | |||||||||||||||
|
AI Agents
|
|||||||||||||||
| Project Analyst | |||||||||||||||
| Time Entry & Expense | |||||||||||||||
| PayFlow | |||||||||||||||
|
Other
|
|||||||||||||||
| Fee Estimator | |||||||||||||||
| Electronic invoicing | |||||||||||||||
| Experience mgt. | |||||||||||||||
| Mobile access | |||||||||||||||
| AI Brief builder | |||||||||||||||
| Whitespace analysis | |||||||||||||||
| Copilot & AI Automation | |||||||||||||||
A Single Source of Truth Across Your Company
We deliver an ERP platform that fits your project-centric business and grows with you
We augment your D365 Finance ERP with essential enterprise project management (EPM) capabilities designed for your business.
Customize with optional advanced EPM packages
Empower your people with advanced enterprise project management features you won’t find anywhere else.
Adv. PM
Insight
Governance
RAIDO
Modeling
Select your optional industry EPM kit
Tailor your system to your industry with additional EPM capabilities that support your specific workloads.
AEC
ETO Manufacturing
Pro Services
Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Essentials
Essential Enterprise Project Management (EPM) capabilities embedded in Dynamics 365 Finance that align projects with finance, supply chain and HR.
EPM Essentials
(Estimation, Scheduling, Costing, Resource Management)
The Foundation: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance ERP
We implement D365 Finance, Supply Chain, and Human Resources ERP for project-centric processes. We can also build from your existing implementation.
Finance
SCM
HR
Why project-driven companies choose PlanAutomate over Project Operations
Reduced Risk
We start from a proven foundation of D365 Finance, SCM, and enterprise project management. That means clearer scope, fewer customizations, and a streamlined implementation.
Project Expertise
Senior project experts who understand your business lead your ERP implementation from blueprint to go-live and beyond.
Room to Grow
You’ve got options with PlanAutomate. If your business needs more project-focused capabilities, we’ve got them when you’re ready.
Project-driven customers trust PlanAutomate to deliver the right solution
Industries: Professional Services, IT Consulting, Software Development
Tessitura Networks is a global software provider whose complex projects were bogging down their expert teams. Their people were spending valuable time battling rigid tools to manage intricate project plans and track revenue. This wasn’t just inefficient; it was a drain on their talent, diverting them from high-value tasks like strategic client engagement.
Industries: Energy, Construction, ETO Manufacturing
ICM, a leader in the biofuels industry, faced a critical challenge: their project-driven production was a complex web of thousands of tasks, disconnected from their procurement and supply chain. Leadership and project managers were trapped in a reactive cycle, unable to gain a real-time, unified view of their operations. Their most skilled people were constantly “firefighting” instead of leading strategically.
Schedule a Demonstration
Discover the best options for your company.
Schedule a demo to learn:
What the details are of the options above and how to evaluate them for your company.
How you can grow and scale your project management capabilities in the future with PlanAutomate.
What implementation with PlanAutomate looks like.
How PlanAutomate features compare to Project Operations and what is best for your company.
Schedule a demonstration with us to learn how to help your organization achieve the best possible outcome with Dynamics 365 Finance.