4 Reasons why the advent of Dynamics 365 increased the collaboration between Microsoft Partners 

As a result of Microsoft’s ERP rebranding exercise, Clients can now better identify how each of the Dynamics 365® solutions help their business ‘do more’. This has disrupted the market in a positive way but has also posed the need for Microsoft Partners to rethink their business models.

Dynamics 365® came with an intensive re-engineering of the software packages with most notable change obviously being that Partners cannot revert to overlayering when addressing the customisations needed by the Client.

The good news is that the Dynamics 365® family of products has evolved in such a way in that in most cases, customisation can be done through the product itself without the need of any development work.

The problem is that in complex ERP implementations, additional customisation will always be necessary and the creation of extensions, in contrast with ‘simple’ overlayering is more complex.

Clients who are looking to shift to Dynamics 365® will, however, still expect their Microsoft Partner to be able to handle their urgent needs in a short time frame.

A Microsoft Partner might not be able to do so on its own and may need to collaborate with another Partner:-

Reason 1 – Capacity 

Given the turmoil that the industry is facing, resource forecasting is quite a challenge. The Partner needs time to adapt to new approaches in tackling their projects and possibly reassess its competency requirements.

Recruiting people is timely and the future is a bit uncertain to justify the exact skills that are going to be required in the short-medium term.

The alternative is to employ individual contractors on a project basis but this proves to be quite tough as they need to:

• Be reliable;
• Share the work ethic of the organisation;
• Uphold the brand in their work;
• Be readily available;
• Come at a reasonable price.

Hence, the ideal option would be that of having a reliable business partner to turn to when in need of the right people for the Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation in question. Having an ongoing relationship with the same partner gives that peace of mind of knowing what to expect.

Reason 2 – Industry Related Expertise

The inability to translate the Client Requirements into an optimised functional implementation is the highest risk factor of any IT implementation. 

Industry-specific expertise on how the functional aspects should be addressed is now taking a larger importance given that the development customisations has become more complex.

Partners are now, therefore, more inclined to collaborate with more experienced Partners in a particular field.

Reason 3 – External Systems

One of the most common source of data issues like data unavailability, data loss or even worse, incorrect critical data is actually the interfacing between different technologies.

If the Partner has never dealt with the third-party software with which Dynamics 365 will interface with, seeking advice, at least in the design stages, can help in preventing further problems down the line.

Reason 4 – Geographical 

The ERP marketplace is a global playground. Partners may lack the knowledge of the local requirements and regulations.

Furthermore, the remoteness of the Client’s branches will hinder a satisfactory level of support. Collaborating with a local or near-shore trusted Partner on one-off projects is a more feasible option than establishing a footprint in the region.

The arrangement could vary from a full collaboration on a project or a Partner who would simply dedicate an individual or a team for some onsite work from time to time.

Do you think that Carabao can help you in your next Dynamics 365® project? Get in Touch.