How as a Functional Consultant or BA, you can add Real Value in Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Projects ?

It's been more than a decade since I started working on Dynamics 365 projects.?

Back then, we used to call it Dynamics CRM, or AX (ERP) and over a period of 10+ years, Microsoft Dynamics as a product changed its name several times. Several features were introduced and then deprecated, and the Power Platform was launched. Now, the era of Gen AI and Copilots has begun. More than ever, the market is responding to all the innovations that happened in Dynamics 365, and it is one of the leading CRM & ERP products in the market. I was a part of many complex digital transformation projects that involved Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Apps as the core of the implemented solution and learned a lot from such projects.?

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformations, implementing platforms like Dynamics 365 or the Power Platform represents a significant shift for any company. It's akin to moving into a new city or country; everything is new, and one will gradually become accustomed to the transformed way of working, which requires a considerable effort. As an implementation partner and a member of the project team in the role of a Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant (D365 FC) or a Business Analyst (BA), ensuring success hinges on a thorough understanding and precise definition of requirements. ?

Now, you might have received the requirements from your stakeholders, whether as part of your list of requirements or backlogs. Additionally, you have learned about many tasks and processes that are part of their existing systems. You have a pretty good idea about what is required, but when it comes to finalizing the requirements and then the solution, will you start implementing them as they are? That is, based on the requirements, just configure the system, customize, demonstrate, test, release—is this your approach? Without thinking much about the real value that you need to deliver??

As a D365 FC or BA, it is essential to determine if these requirements are relevant for the current time and business needs. You need to delve deep into what is exactly needed (and 'why') by understanding the “essence” of the requirements. Once you understand this essence, you can think about how to deliver these requirements in a simpler, more innovative, efficient, and cost-effective way, rather than simply starting to develop things as the customer stated in the requirements.?

Hence, having those ‘real conversations’ is indeed important. ??

Customers may not know how Dynamics 365 or Power Platform works and its capabilities. Your customers might have given you the requirements based on how they currently work, their habits, and the use of their current system. As I mentioned earlier, these requirements may not be relevant for the current time and business needs. Now, as a D365 FC or BA, you need to understand clearly what users are doing (and 'why') as part of said requirements. This not only helps you see the client's perspective but also allows you to guide them toward a more efficient solution.?

As the next step, map those tasks/processes in a requirement into Dynamics 365/Power Platform capabilities/features and show them how more efficiently, perhaps in a slightly different way, you can perform this process, which will save your customers XX time and more. You may also need to demo the out-of-the-box Dynamics 365 system or Power Platform Apps to show visually how it can be done so that users can get a sense of what they are getting.?

When you do this, ask the right questions and when you ask questions, ensure your customers understand and feel that you, as a D365 FC or BA, are helping them improve things but not criticizing their current way of executing processes or tasks.?

Trust me, this way of demoing the system and then eliciting and finalizing the requirements/solution has great benefits, as customers can clearly see the intended screens already and then relate their current and future way of working, instilling confidence in you as a D365 FC or BA/implementation partner. This may not be possible in all IT projects but is very much possible in Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product implementation projects (e.g., Dynamics 365 or Salesforce, etc.).?

For you as a D365 FC or BA, documentation can also be a little easier, as most of the wireframing/mock-ups are already done for you. You need to take a screenshot of the system and just tweak the required fields and places on a PPT or any other app you use. Also, as part of design documentation, make sure the team writes what configurations and customizations are required in detail.?

If you think that any complex automation/workflow might be required to achieve certain requirements, do not take them up at the beginning, unless they are prioritized and critical for the business to function. This can lead to a perception problem—that is, your customers may start thinking that your product is complex and tough to understand, etc. You need to take baby steps. Let your customers understand the product (via your demo) and develop a little more awareness about the product (Dynamics 365/Power Platform Apps), and then slowly introduce complex things.?

It is crucial to ensure that in the beginning of the project, you do not add to the pressures or burden the customers already bear, to make the project successful in terms of implementation, learning the new system/product, and facilitating user adoption, ultimately realizing their ROI. If you introduce complex things at this stage, such as complex automation processes or workflows, it can overwhelm the customers. This will impact change management and perception, ultimately affecting user adoption.?

Hence, through conversations and understanding current processes and project goals, you can gauge or assess the readiness of your customers for complex automation scenarios. This will prompt your customers to rethink or reprioritize their needs/requirements, leading to simpler and more streamlined solutions. It's always a collaborative effort between you and your customer to arrive at the most effective solution.?

Another important aspect for you as a D365 FC or BA is that processes/tasks/ automation in the new system might seem easier (because you know the product and are the product expert too) to implement but may be very complex for the customers/users. Avoid such situations. Get clear feedback from the customers early on about the solution. Clear conversations and agreement on the way forward (solution approach) are important. Through the conversations, you need to make sure that the intended solution to a requirement is understood and agreed upon by the customer.?

Any digital transformation project is a collaborative endeavour. Approach the process with a strategic mindset, ask the right questions, and collaborate to build a solution that benefits everyone involved. ?

Transformation or change is not an overnight affair and is not magical; it is a gradual process.?

Everyone involved must understand this fact.?

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