Rejuvenate your business: make your move from Microsoft ... · Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365. Article...

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HSO.COM Rejuvenate your business: Adopting any new enterprise technology can simplify and rejuvenate your business processes, but the physical act of implementing it can have negative consequences if not managed well. If you’re already a user of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or 2012, you’re not looking at such a major infrastructure shift. The key to success is in the initial planning and design phases, and in identifying potential risks before they can impact the project. If you know the challenges to watch out for, implementing a move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be plain sailing, whatever the size and scope of the project. This whitepaper looks at the most effective ways to upgrade from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365. PRIORITISE YOUR BUSINESS COMPONENTS Microsoft Dynamics 365 combines ERP and CRM to provide an infrastructure that supports a broad range of business functions. But one of your biggest challenges is to work out what your organisation’s priorities are so you can mould the upgrade around them. Take a look at your objectives: are you aiming to give yourself room to grow or are you trying to improve a certain function of your business, like sales or marketing? For example, if your sales team is already operating at a high-level, it might be worth leaving any changes in that area to later in the project. The advantage Dynamics 365 has over Dynamics AX is that it’s packaged into different functions, like customer service or finance, each containing role relevant apps – which makes it easy for you to choose the areas you wish to prioritise and upgrade first. This modular structure allows you to add or lose the product fields you want, based on job roles. STAY ON BUDGET In a move away from the traditional method of using CRM or ERP, Dynamics 365 features apps that can be independently deployed to support users in specific business areas such as financial, field service, sales, operations, marketing, customer service and project service automation. This role-based licensing approach not only gives you the flexibility to support diverse employee roles – it means you only pay for what you need. For the first time, Microsoft’s customer-centric business model allows you to buy and build on the capabilities you require rather than purchasing a whole new suite upfront. Page 1 of 4 make your move from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365

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Page 1: Rejuvenate your business: make your move from Microsoft ... · Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365. Article Rejuvenate your business: make your move from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Dynamics

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Rejuvenate your business:

Adopting any new enterprise technology can simplify and rejuvenate your business processes, but the physical act of implementing it can have negative consequences if not managed well.

If you’re already a user of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or 2012, you’re not looking at such a major infrastructure shift. The key to success is in the initial planning and design phases, and in identifying potential risks before they can impact the project.

If you know the challenges to watch out for, implementing a move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be plain sailing, whatever the size and scope of the project. This whitepaper looks at the most effective ways to upgrade from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365.

PRIORITISE YOUR BUSINESS COMPONENTS

Microsoft Dynamics 365 combines ERP and CRM to

provide an infrastructure that supports a broad range of business functions.

But one of your biggest challenges is to work out what your organisation’s priorities are so you can mould the upgrade around them.

Take a look at your objectives: are you aiming to give yourself room to grow or are you trying to improve a certain function of your business, like sales or marketing? For example, if your sales team is already operating at a high-level, it might be worth leaving any changes in that area to later in the project.

The advantage Dynamics 365 has over Dynamics AX is that it’s packaged into different functions, like customer service or finance, each containing role relevant apps – which makes it easy for you to choose the areas you wish to prioritise and upgrade first.

This modular structure allows you to add or lose the product fields you want, based on job roles.

STAY ON BUDGET

In a move away from the traditional method of using CRM or ERP, Dynamics 365 features apps that can be independently deployed to support users in specific business areas such as financial, field service, sales, operations, marketing, customer service and project service automation.

This role-based licensing approach not only gives you the flexibility to support diverse employee roles – it means you only pay for what you need.

For the first time, Microsoft’s customer-centric business model allows you to buy and build on the capabilities you require rather than purchasing a whole new suite upfront.

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make your move from Microsoft

Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365

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Article Rejuvenate your business: make your move from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365

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The result of this is two-fold. First, you avoid excessive overheads when you make your transition to Dynamics 365, and secondly, you gain the ability to grow at your own pace, adding new apps as and when you require them.

It’s important to remember that Dynamics 365 is cloud-based, so new applications and processes can be implemented quickly and simply.

This means there’s no need to rush peripheral additions when you don’t have the budget available. Align your ambitions with your budget, avoiding unnecessary functionality if it doesn’t fit into your figures.

MANAGE YOUR UPGRADE TO DYNAMICS 365

Although making the transition from an existing Dynamics infrastructure to Microsoft’s latest offering is an obvious step, it makes sense to rely on the knowledge of Dynamics experts to gain the most from your new solution.

Allocating a project of this nature to an in-house team who need to juggle it alongside their main role can cause difficulties in two areas.

First, implementation becomes more fraught as your staff battle to stay on top of normal work priorities as well as meeting project deadlines. Second, without the experience of a seasoned Dynamics professional, you will fail to gain maximum value from your new system.

Dedicated project management from top to bottom can make the difference between a failed implementation and one that quickly delivers return on investment. Without it, a project team may not be entirely on the ball, inevitably causing delays and potentially leading to increased costs.

Assigning a dedicated project manager means you’ll have somebody who is wholly responsible for understanding and communicating the implementation from the planning stages to ensuring end users have the skills and knowledge necessary by the go-live date.

They’ll also be able to pick up all the detailed nuances that ensure you end up reaping the benefits of everything Dynamics 365 has to offer.

GET EVERYONE ON BOARD

Many implementation projects fail simply because there isn’t buy-in at all levels of the business, from key decision-makers to end users.

The main cause of resistance is a lack of communication about why changes are being made, how they’ll affect staff and what benefits there will be. With Dynamics 365, it becomes a simple process to explain why this new technology is a logical step forward from Dynamics AX.

Regular communication – including explaining that Microsoft introduced Dynamics 365 to empower users with familiar productivity tools that have built-in insights and business intelligence – will go a long way to gaining buy-in and generating enthusiasm for your project.

The structured workflow of Dynamics 365 - connected to collaboration with Office 365 – aims to give employees the productivity tools they need and streamline data management across apps and business processes.

Dynamics 365 apps can be integrated with Office 365 using a common data model with Microsoft’s Office-in-the-cloud service.

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AVOID USER ERRORS

One of the main advantages of choosing Dynamics 365 is that it’s based heavily on software and applications that your employees are already used to working with – meaning a shorter training period and a quicker implementation.

Too often employees aren’t ready to transition to a new system because critical gaps in their skills and learning have gone unaddressed.

Moving to Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a more straight-forward step for companies already using Dynamics CRM online or Dynamics AX.

You can start to build a successful training program before the implementation has begun by assessing skills levels across the organisation.

Cross-referencing this data with the knowledge needed for each role, you can then develop training plans to get users comfortable with Dynamics 365 before it goes live.

GET THE RIGHT ADVICE

With Dynamics 365, Microsoft has combined CRM and ERP platforms under one cloud service to provide built-in, actionable intelligence to enable greater productivity and profitability.

Dynamics 365 can be integrated with most aspects of your business, and as it becomes intertwined with your processes, it becomes more effective.

Although you might be tempted to save on costs by eschewing the help of outside consultants, the truth is, attempting to go it alone or with the wrong partner could end up costing you more in the long run.

Small delays quickly rack up additional costs, and without expertise and experience of delivering large-scale integrations, it can be difficult to get the project back on track.

Working closely with a technology partner who is well established in the industry is the best way to circumvent many integration challenges as they will provide you with in-depth consultancy and expert project management services.

The expertise, experience and resources that Dynamics experts can bring will ensure the successful completion of the project’s goals and objectives.

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Article Rejuvenate your business: make your move from Microsoft Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365

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