STORIS vs. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Choosing the Right ERP for Furniture Manufacturing & Retail

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Finding the Right ERP System for Your Furniture Company

The furniture industry operates at a unique crossroads of manufacturing, inventory management, and omnichannel retail, making the choice of ERP software especially critical. Whether you run a growing furniture store, a custom furniture manufacturing unit, or a vertically integrated business, your ERP must align with everything from complex supply chains to showroom floor sales. Two of the most talked-about ERP solutions for the industry are STORIS and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Both offer distinct strengths for furniture businesses, but they serve different needs. STORIS furniture software is widely recognized for its retail-first approach, while Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain, Commerce, and Customer Engagement together provide a more holistic solution that supports back-end production, financials, supply chain, and customer engagement, all in one platform.

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Sunrise specializes in helping furniture manufacturers and retailers implement Dynamics 365 business applications. Let’s compare STORIS and Dynamics 365 across core functions like POS (Point of Sale), inventory control, manufacturing, and omnichannel operations, so you can decide which platform supports your business model, now and in the future.

Overview of STORIS and Dynamics 365 

While both STORIS and Dynamics 365 serve the furniture industry, they are fundamentally designed for different users, STORIS with a retail-first mindset, and Dynamics 365 with enterprise-wide digital transformation in mind.

What Is STORIS Furniture Software? 

Built for Home Furnishings Retailers 

STORIS is recognized for its strengths in streamlining point-of-sale and showroom operations, making it a valuable tool for businesses focused primarily on retail sales. It offers centralized customer order tracking, helping retailers manage orders efficiently from the initial sale through fulfillment. The platform also includes integrated financing options and promotional tools, which support enhanced customer buying experiences. While STORIS does provide some supply chain functionality, it is best known for its robust front-end sales features and is widely used by midsized furniture retailers. 

What Is Microsoft Dynamics 365? 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based suite of ERP and CRM applications designed to support manufacturers and multi-channel retailers. For furniture businesses, it provides a modular setup with specialized apps such as Dynamics 365 Commerce for retail point-of-sale, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management for overseeing production, logistics, and warehouse operations, and Dynamics 365 Finance for managing financial processes. Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Service, and Customer Insights cover CRM functions.

One of the key advantages of Dynamics 365 is its ability to deliver end-to-end visibility—from production to the point of sale. The platform supports both made-to-stock and made-to-order manufacturing models, offering flexibility for different business needs. Additionally, its deep integration with Microsoft 365, Power BI, Teams, and Azure enhances collaboration and data insights. With built-in scalability, Dynamics 365 can support companies operating across multiple locations and even global markets. This makes it especially valuable for furniture manufacturers, multi-channel retailers, and businesses that require adaptable solutions across departments.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

When evaluating ERP systems for the furniture manufacturing and retail industries, it’s essential to go beyond the buzzwords. From point-of-sale operations to back-end production and analytics, the following feature breakdown will help you assess whether STORIS or Microsoft Dynamics 365 better supports your business goals.

STORIS versus Dynamics 365: Comparison Table 

Functionality STORIS Furniture Software Microsoft Dynamics 365  
Point of Sale Native, furniture-focused POS with promotions, financing options.Modern cloud POS via Dynamics 365 Commerce, fully integrated across stores.
Showroom Management Strong, designed for furniture retail layouts and sales flows.Available through Commerce module, integrated with CRM & inventory. 
Inventory Management Centralized inventory for store locations.Offers both basic and advanced warehouse management, with features like different pick methods, lot and serial management, replenishment, and more.  
Manufacturing  Limited to order tracking and vendor integration. Full manufacturing capabilities in Supply Chain Management: Production module, BOMs, routings, different modes like make-to-order, configure-to-order, logistics, and transportation. 
Omnichannel Support Basic eCommerce and POS. End-to-end omnichannel (web, mobile, in-store) with real-time data sync. 
Reporting & Analytics Prebuilt dashboards, retail KPIs. Power BI dashboards embedded in Dynamics 365.  
Customization Some via vendor modules.Custom processes can be designed via code extensions and/or Power Platform.  
Scalability Mid-market retail focused. Scales from SMB to enterprise,  
Cloud Readiness Hosted or hybrid models. Built for Microsoft Azure infrastructure.  
Best For Furniture retailers with showroom and POS focus Manufacturers, multi-channel sellers, growing furniture brands 

By comparing STORIS and Dynamics 365, it’s clear that STORIS has furniture retail store functions covered. But for other major aspects of running a furniture business, like manufacturing, supply chain, and advanced inventory management, Dynamics 365 offers a broader set of capabilities. 

Retail and Manufacturing Capabilities in STORIS and Dynamics 365

While both STORIS and Dynamics 365 support furniture businesses, their strengths align differently depending on whether your business is primarily a retail operation or if you also have manufacturing and distribution requirements. Choosing the right ERP means aligning the platform’s strengths with your day-to-day operations and long-term goals. 

STORIS: Retail-Centric Furniture Businesses 

STORIS is built specifically for home furnishings retailers whose businesses center on showroom sales, point-of-sale transactions, and in-store customer order management. It delivers a highly tailored experience with robust showroom and order entry tools, along with features for handling in-store promotions, financing options, and customer loyalty programs. STORIS also offers straightforward inventory control across retail locations and integrates with eCommerce platforms, providing basic webstore capabilities to support online sales. This retail-centric focus makes it a strong fit for furniture stores prioritizing front-end sales and customer engagement.

Dynamics 365: Ideal for Manufacturing and Omnichannel Expansion 

For businesses that manufacture products, manage multiple warehouses, or operate across both online and offline channels, Microsoft Dynamics 365 delivers comprehensive functionality beyond traditional retail systems. It provides end-to-end visibility across manufacturing operations, inventory management, and retail activities, ensuring seamless oversight of the entire supply chain. Real-time data synchronization across stores, warehouses, and eCommerce platforms helps businesses maintain accurate information and streamline operations. Dynamics 365 also supports complex manufacturing needs, including bills of materials (BOMs), production routings, make-to-order workflows, and demand planning. With built-in scalability, it offers the flexibility to grow from a small or mid-sized business to a large enterprise—without the need for a new ERP implementation.

Cost, Scalability & Future-Proofing

As your furniture business grows, whether through new stores, expanded product lines, or entry into eCommerce, your ERP needs to support that evolution without requiring a complete reimplementation. 

STORIS: Purpose-Built for Retail, But Limited  

STORIS offers a unified platform with bundled functionality focused on furniture retail operations. This makes it easier and quicker to deploy for showroom-heavy businesses. However, its architecture is more rigid, and as operations become more complex (especially on the manufacturing or logistics side), customization options become limited.  Pros:  Predictable pricing and functionality  Built-in retail workflows out of the box  Good for stable, retail-focused businesses  Limitations:  May require external add-ons for complex needs  Less flexible in adapting to new operational models  Limited manufacturing capabilities 

Dynamics 365: Modular and Built for Growth 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses a modular licensing model, allowing you to start with the applications you need and scale into Commerce, Supply Chain, Customer Service,  or Sales as your business evolves. Pros:  Pay for only what you need  Easily add new functionality via Power Platform  Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams  A familiar UI to the apps your team is already using like Office and Outlook  Built to support long-term growth and international expansion  Limitations:  Slightly higher initial investment  Requires a strategic implementation plan (which is where Sunrise helps)

Pro tip:

Businesses that outgrow STORIS often turn to Dynamics 365 when scaling into manufacturing or multi-region logistics, making it more cost-effective in the long term. 

Final Verdict: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Is the Smarter Choice for Furniture Manufacturing, Distribution, and Retail

For furniture companies planning for the future, agility, integration, and end-to-end visibility capabilities are not optional; they’re essential. While STORIS offers useful capabilities for retail-focused operations, Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out as the platform built to grow with you, from showroom to supply chain to smart factory. 

With Dynamics 365, furniture manufacturers and omnichannel retailers can unify operations, automate processes, and gain predictive insights—all while staying connected to the Microsoft tools they already use daily. As needs evolve, businesses can expand into other  Dynamics 365 and Power Platform capabilities, unlocking unmatched flexibility and future-proof scalability. 

At Sunrise, we don’t just implement ERP, we align your technology with your business strategy. With deep expertise in furniture manufacturing and retail, we help growing companies replace legacy systems like STORIS with powerful, modern ERP solutions designed to reduce cost, improve customer experience, and accelerate growth. 

Why Sunrise & Dynamics 365 

Choosing Sunrise Technologies with Microsoft Dynamics 365 gives furniture manufacturers and distributors access to tailored solutions designed for their unique industry needs. Sunrise delivers seamless omnichannel capabilities, including point-of-sale, eCommerce, and mobile solutions—all integrated within a single platform. With AI-powered tools like Copilot built directly into the Dynamics 365 workspace, businesses can enhance productivity and decision-making across departments. Dynamics 365 also offers full integration with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and Teams, promoting collaboration and real-time insights. Backed by a scalable cloud infrastructure, Sunrise helps companies achieve predictable ROI while positioning them for long-term growth.

Talk to a Furniture ERP Expert

Speak with a furniture ERP expert today. We can help you assess your current business systems and pain points as you evaluate your options.

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