What are the key differences between ofsERPĀ® for BC and CE Field Service?
The CE Field Service design is focused on servicing customers’ equipment. However, the focus of most oilfield service companies is on servicing their own equipment, tracking the location of their equipment, its status, availability, utilization, etc. since they use their equipment to provide services or to rent at a job or well site.
Dynamics 365 CE Field Service is a separate product from Business Central and thus requires additional license fees.
It creates a separate database that has to be synchronized with the BC database.
As a separate product, it has its own costs to implement, customize, and train.
BC users have to learn a different interface for Field Service, which contrasts with the unified experience in ofsERPĀ®.
ofsERPĀ® in Business Central:
Dynamicās 365 (BC) and ofsERPĀ® coexist within the same application environment. They share the same database, tables, and user interface and use the same Microsoft BC license. ofsERPĀ® leverages existing BC tables and processes, where it makes sense. This approach streamlines learning, reduces implementation and training time, Report creation and data analysis is streamlined. Microsoft tested, reference checked, and certified ofsERPĀ® as an industry wide solution for BC.
Consultant Expertise:
Few consultants specialize in D365 CE Field Service setup, leading to premium rates for their services.
Does ofsERPĀ® use Business Centralās Service Management module?
No.Ā Ā The Service Management module that comes native in Business Central (BC) is designed using separate tables for service orders, service items, and service contracts, and they are only accessible with a Premium BC license.
The Service Management module design and focus is on servicing customers’ equipment, but oilfield service companies typically use their own equipment to provide services at a job site / well, and the focus is on servicing or renting their own equipment, tracking equipment locationĀ and availability,Ā increasing utilization, and safety.
We designed ofsERPĀ® extensions to require only an Essentials BC license, by using BC’s existing Sales Order tables with different order types for Sale, Service, Rental, and Repair orders. We leverage the existing functionality of Business Central for sales processes, invoicing, inventory management, and reporting. We believe this approach provides simplicity and ease-of-use for our clients, while also delivering powerful features and flexibility.
Do the ofsERPĀ® Business Central (BC) extensions require BC Essential or Premium licenses?
All features added by ofsERPĀ® can be accessed with a Business Central Essentials license. A Premium license is not required since ofsERPĀ® does not use BC’s Service Management module. For the field users, you can use Team Member licenses in many cases, depending on the functionality required in the field.
Can ofsERPĀ® be used or integrated with other accounting / ERP software other than Business Central?
Yes.Ā ofsERPĀ® uses web services as an API and can be integrated with most accounting / ERP software, with different levels of detail and complexity.
In a more simplistic integration, ofsERPĀ® handles all the operational processes of Equipment Asset Management (EAM), Field Service, Rental, Repair, and Preventative Maintenance, and creates the resulting G/L, invoice, inventory, and other transactions for consumption by another accounting application.
What size of company is a fit for ofsERPĀ®?
Clients with 5 to 400 users and growing are using ofsERPĀ® to simplify and automate their workflows, boost their performance, and improve their competitive advantage. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with ofsERPĀ® is the preferred software for oilfield service providers of all sizes seeking an all-in-one ERP and business software solution to handle multiple lines of business.
How does ofsERPĀ® integrate with Dynamics 365 Business Central?
ofsERPĀ® is a powerful solution that becomes an indistinguishable part of Business Central; no integration is required. It uses the extension model to enhance the functionality of Business Central without modifying the core code. This way, ofsERPĀ® becomes a natural part of Business Central that works smoothly and efficiently and can receive new features from Microsoft without interruption.
How long does a typical ofsERPĀ® implementation take?
Implementation timelines vary based on the size of your organization and the complexity of your workflows, but most clients are up and running within a few months. Because ofsERPĀ® is built directly inside Business Central ā sharing the same database, tables, and interface ā there’s no separate system to stand up or synchronize. This significantly cuts down the time needed for setup, training, and go-live compared to implementing a separate field service platform alongside an ERP.
Can field technicians use ofsERPĀ® on mobile devices in the field?
Yes. Field users can access ofsERPĀ® functionality through mobile devices, allowing them to manage field tickets, service orders, equipment status, and other operational tasks from job sites or well locations. In many cases, field users only require Team Member licenses rather than full Essentials licenses, which keeps licensing costs manageable as your field team grows.
What happens to our ofsERPĀ® customizations when Microsoft releases Business Central updates?
Because ofsERPĀ® uses Business Central’s extension model ā enhancing functionality without modifying the core application code ā Microsoft updates to Business Central can be applied without disrupting your ofsERPĀ® setup. This is a key advantage over heavily customized ERP systems, where updates often break existing modifications. Your ofsERPĀ® extensions continue to work smoothly alongside each new Business Central release.