FAQ

Yes, Dynamics 365 cloud is secured. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is hosted on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which is known for its strong security measures. The security of Dynamics 365 is backed by Microsoft's global network of secure data centers protected by strict physical and digital security controls, such as encryption, secure networks and firewalls, hardware security modules, and multi-factor authorization.

The average implementation time for Microsoft Dynamics 365 varies significantly based on business size, complexity, and specific module, but general timelines are as follows:

For Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (now Finance & Supply Chain Management):

• Small businesses generally take 3 to 6 months.
• Medium businesses take 4 to 12 months.
• Large businesses take between 9 to 24 months.

For Dynamics 365 Sales:

• Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) typically take about 6 to 8 weeks.
• Larger enterprises with more customization and integrations may take 6 to 12 months or more.

To compare Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O) with your current ERP systems, you should focus on specific KPIs that measure key areas of ERP performance and business impact. Important KPIs to consider include:

System Performance: Measure system uptime, availability, response time, and downtime to assess reliability and efficiency of the ERP platform.

• User Adoption Rate: Track how quickly and broadly users adopt the system, reflecting ease of use and training effectiveness.
• Data Accuracy and Quality: Evaluate the accuracy and consistency of data sourced or processed by the ERP, critical for sound decision-making.
• Customization vs. Standardization Ratio: Measure the extent of customization versus use of out-of-the-box processes to understand system complexity and flexibility.
• Return on Investment (ROI) and Cost Reductions: Calculate cost savings and financial benefits realized post ERP implementation.
• Process Efficiency Metrics: For example, order processing time, inventory turnover, and manual task reductions indicate operational improvements.
• Customer Experience: Measure customer satisfaction impacts related to the ERP system, including order accuracy and response times.
• Project Margins: If applicable, track profitability on project-based work facilitated by the system.
• IT Spending: Monitor ongoing IT costs related to ERP maintenance and support, seeking optimized cost-effectiveness.
• Asset Performance KPIs: If managing assets, track uptime, downtime, repair time, Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), and maintenance costs.

These KPIs provide a comprehensive view to evaluate key benefits and shortcomings of D365 F&O relative to your existing system and overall business objectives.

Data migration from legacy systems to Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) involves transferring relevant data from old systems to the new Dynamics 365 environment. This process is critical for a successful go-live and requires careful planning and execution. Here are key aspects and best practices based on expert guidance:

Types of Data to Migrate

• Configuration data: setups like currencies, tax codes, and parameters necessary to prepare your production environment for business operations.
• Migrated data: actual business data such as customers, products, vendors, and open transactions (e.g., sales orders, stock balances).

Key Steps in Data Migration to D365

1. Planning and Preparation.
• Understand business requirements and establish data governance
• Identify relevant data sources and define the migration scope
• Analyze data volume and characteristics
• Decide on the data entities to migrate and the sequence of migration
• Define the migration strategy, including timelines, tools, and resources
• Cleanse and validate data to remove duplicates and outdated records before migration
• Allocate proper environments and staging databases scaled to the data volume
2. Data Mapping and Transformation.
• Map data fields between legacy and D365 systems
• Adapt legacy data to fit into D365 data structures, which may require manual adjustments
• Use ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) or ELT tools for efficient data conversion
• Prepare for ongoing management of configurations and continuous data updates during implementation
3. Execution.
• Perform data extraction from legacy systems
• Load data into D365, often using in-built import/export tools or third-party migration accelerators
• Use features like test runs and splitting files for performance and accuracy
• Monitor and track migration history to identify and fix discrepancies
4. Validation and Testing.
• Validate the accuracy and completeness of migrated data
• Conduct system integration testing (SIT) and user acceptance testing (UAT)
• Handle conflicts (e.g., overwrite, merge, or ignore rules) during data loading
5. Cutover and Post-Migration Activities.
• Plan cutover carefully to minimize business disruption
• Migrate transactional data at go-live or soon after
• Continue to monitor data quality and system performance post-migration

tools and solutions

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 includes built-in data import/export tools
• Specialized no-code embedded migration solutions can simplify mapping and speed up migrations
• Pre-configured migration templates (for example, for migrating from AX 2012) can help accelerate project timelines
• Some solutions allow data import from multiple sources including Excel, ODBC connectors, etc

Challenges and Considerations

• Migration can be complex and underestimated if preparation is lacking.
• Data cleansing and validation are critical to prevent garbage-in, garbage-out scenarios.
• Real-time data synchronization methods require stable connections and may be challenging for large data sets.
• Proper resource allocation and expertise in both legacy and D365 environments are essential.

In summary, successful data migration to D365 demands a well-documented strategy, thorough planning, robust data cleansing, effective mapping and transformation, and vigilant testing and validation to ensure business continuity and system performance.