+1 480 485 7373
Microsoft Teams
What a consultant is for, and what one is not for
Microsoft sells Dynamics 365 as a family of apps. Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Business Central, Finance, Supply Chain Management and Project Operations all carry the same brand, yet they solve different problems and suit companies of very different sizes. Most buyers meet this family through a reseller whose next step is a statement of work. That is a fair business model, but it means the question of whether to buy, and what, is rarely asked by someone with nothing to sell.
A consulting engagement with us is scoped to answer that question. We map how orders, cases, jobs, invoices and month-end actually flow today, name the handful of problems worth paying to fix, and match them to the smallest set of apps that fixes them. The output is a written recommendation you can take to any partner, including us, or to none.
What we will not do is dress up a sales pitch as a strategy. If spreadsheets plus a better accounting package would carry you for another few years, the report says so.
Matching the Dynamics 365 app to the problem
Turning a wish list into a roadmap you can fund in stages
- 1
Listen to the people doing the work
Short interviews with finance, sales, service and operations leads, plus a look at the spreadsheets and workarounds they rely on. The workarounds tell us more than any requirements template.
- 2
Rank the pain by cost
Each problem gets a rough business cost in your own terms: late invoices, lost quotes, stock write-offs, overtime at close. Problems nobody can price usually drop down the list.
- 3
Sequence the phases
We group the work into phases that each pay for themselves or remove a real risk, so you can stop after any phase without stranding money in half-built software.
- 4
Write it down
The roadmap names the apps, the license types, the integrations, the data to move and the decisions you still owe. Commercial terms for any delivery work are scoped in writing first, never assumed.
Licensing questions worth settling before you sign
- ✓Which staff need a full user license and which only read data or make light updates, where a Team Members license may be enough.
- ✓Whether people who use two apps need a second full license or can take a cheaper attach license on top of their base license.
- ✓How much Dataverse storage your data and attachments will consume, since capacity beyond the included amount is bought separately.
- ✓Whether Power Apps or Power Automate usage is already covered by the Dynamics 365 license you plan to buy, or needs its own plan.
- ✓Which environments you need for testing and training, and whether they fit inside your entitlement.
- ✓What your current contract term and renewal date are, so the timing of a switch does not leave you paying for two systems.
A second opinion on a project already underway
Stalled go-live
Go-live has slipped more than once and nobody can say what is left. We read the backlog, test scripts and open defects and give you a list of what truly blocks launch.
Too much custom code
The partner is writing plug-ins or X++ for things the product already does. We point out where standard features or configuration would do the job.
Estimates that keep growing
Change requests keep arriving. We check whether each one is new scope or something the original design missed, so you know which conversation to have.
Data you do not trust
Balances do not tie out after a trial migration. We trace a sample back to the source and show where the mapping breaks.
Questions buyers ask before hiring a Dynamics 365 consultant
Do we need a consultant if we already have a Microsoft partner?
Not always. If your partner is candid about trade-offs and the project is on track, adding another voice mostly adds cost. Where an outside view helps is when the scope keeps moving, the design seems heavier than your business, or leadership wants an independent check before approving the next phase. In those cases a short, focused engagement usually answers the question.
Will you recommend your own implementation services?
We implement Dynamics 365, so we will say so openly if we think we are a good fit. The recommendation itself is written so any capable partner can deliver it, and it does not assume we are chosen. You are free to take the roadmap elsewhere, and many buyers use it to compare proposals on equal terms.
How do you choose between Business Central and Finance and Supply Chain Management?
We look at the number of legal entities, countries and currencies, transaction volumes, manufacturing and warehouse complexity, and the size of the internal team that will own the system. Business Central fits most small and mid-sized firms and is far lighter to run. Finance and Supply Chain Management earns its extra weight in larger, multi-country operations. When the answer is close, we show you the reasons on both sides rather than picking for you.
Can you help with licensing without quoting prices?
Yes. We work out which license types each role needs and flag where you might be over-licensed or under-licensed, then you get current pricing from your Microsoft reseller. That keeps the advice about fit, not about a number that changes when Microsoft updates its price list. It also means the recommendation stays valid if you switch resellers.
What do we receive at the end?
A written recommendation covering the apps, license types, integrations, data to move, phases and open decisions, plus a walkthrough session with your leadership team. It is yours to keep and use with any partner. If you want us to deliver the next phase, that is scoped separately in writing.
Talk to us about your project.
Tell us what you run today and what has to change. A senior consultant replies with a written next step.