Mastering Microsoft Dynamics 365 Implementations

Introduction

Stages of an Implementation Overview

• What Is Microsoft Dynamics?
• The Client Journey
• Implementation Methodologies
• Triple Constraints

What to Do Before You Begin a Project

• Identify Your Project Team and Stakeholders
• Identify Your Processes in Scope
• Clean Up Your Data
• Define Your Success Metrics
• Possible Benefits
• Building Your Business Case and Securing Funding

Four Keys to Consider When Buying an ERP or CRM Solution

• Selection Process
• The Four Keys
• Building Your Scorecard

How to Evaluate and Buy Business Application Software

• Buying Process Steps

Organizing Your Team for Success and Project Governance

• RACI
• Your Partner's Implementation Team
• Project Governance

Sprints and Tools Needed to Run Your Project

• Definition of a Sprint
• Backlog
• Sprint Meetings
• Work Definitions
• Azure DevOps

Change Management Throughout Your Project

• Success Criteria
• Use of Satisfaction Surveys
• Nine Steps to Change Management

Organizing Your Business by Processes

• Common Language Businesses Speak
• Process Hierarchy
• Discovering Your Processes

Independent Software Vendors—Filling Gaps and Managing Partnerships

• The Purpose of ISVs
• Hosting Providers
• Working with ISVs
• Microsoft's AppSource Marketplace

Factors for a Successful Project Kickoff

• Pre-Kickoff Meeting Activities
• Kickoff Meeting Content
• Executive Message
• Expectations for the Project Team

Designing the Software Collaboratively

• Joint Application Design Concept
• Joint Process Design and Other Design-Related Definitions
• Joint Process Design Iterations
• SIPOC

Requirements Gathering and Staying “In the Box”

• Staying in the Box
• Customization Examples
• Requirements
• Writing Good Requirements
• Fit/Gap Analysis
• The Cost of Customizations

Conference Room Pilots

• The Purpose of a Conference Room Pilot
• CRP Roles and Responsibilities
• CRP Place in the Overall Schedule
• CRP vs. UAT
• What to Do Between CRP and the End of the Create Stage
• CRP Goals

Dealing with Challenges Mid-Project

• Managing the Project Status
• Risks and Issues
• Common Project Challenges

Customizations vs. Configurations and How You Manage Them

• Customizations vs. Configurations
• Tracking Configurations
• Functional Design Documents
• The Development Process
• After Code Complete
• The Lifecycle of a Customization

Data Migration—Early and Often

• Data Migration Plan
• Extract
• Transform
• Load
• Validating the Data
• Technical Validation
• Go-Live Iteration

Environment Management and Deployments

• Types of Environments
• Environment Plan
• Deploying Code
• Security

Testing

• Definitions
• Pre-Deploy Stage Activities
• UAT Sessions
• Post UAT Testing

Training for All

• Learning During Interactive Sessions
• Learning Modalities
• How to Manage and Distribute Your Content
• Building Your End User Training Schedule

Going Live

• Go-Live Criteria
• Mock Cutover and Final Week Activities
• Go/No-Go Meetings
• Live Cutover

Hypercare

• Go-Live Support
• Role of HelpDesk
• Post Go-Live Releases
• Project Team Transition

Support and Enhance Your Project

• Support After Hypercare
• After Action Review
• Ongoing Releases
• Future Enhancements
• Calculating Return on Investment

Bringing It All Together

• Align Stage
• Define Stage
• Create Stage
• Deploy Stage
• Empower Stage
• Additional Resources