Choosing the right for your business can often be a challenge, especially with some many potential partners currently available. Implementation of a Dynamics software is a major business move, so getting the right advice on what deployment option to choose and ensuring the solution is implemented with the utmost precision and accuracy is critical. If you’re looking to achieve the right Dynamics outcomes, it’s a good idea to consider the following top skills each Microsoft Dynamics partner has while you weigh your options:
1. Technical Skills - Be Sure to Evaluate Their Dynamics Expertise
Technical knowledge (and expertise) of the Microsoft Dynamics solution is of paramount importance to the success of its implementation. Since every Dynamics solution spans across a plethora of functional areas (often requiring deep integration with multiple systems), it is imperative the chosen partner understands the solution and its integration capabilities (and challenges) with other platforms. Look for a partner with proven technical expertise (preferably those with certifications, awards, and other recognitions) and make sure to ask for a demonstration of the same – after all, the stakes with any Dynamics implementation are fairly high, so it makes sense to ask the partner to justify their credibility with a proven track record of successful implementations.
2. Deployment Skills – Assess Their Ability to Keep Up With Demand
No matter which industry you belong to, accurately forecasting demand is often challenging. If you’re like other organizations around the world, you too aspire to run your Microsoft Dynamics solution on , it’s important to assess the Dynamics partner’s capabilities and their ability to keep up with demand. Evaluate their scalability options and check if their competency fits your current and future needs. Find out if they specialize in providing cloud services, and make sure to get in touch with past clients for testimonials. Make it a point to check for partner flexibility - ascertain their ability to work collaboratively and offer a business-specific solution (rather than a one-size-fits-all approach). And don’t forget to determine the compatibility of their systems with your business and .
3. Industry Knowledge - Check for Relevance (and Know-How) in Your Area of Business
A Microsoft Dynamics Partner successfully implementing a solution in another industry says nothing about their ability to succeed in yours. Every industry is unique, with several distinct processes (and operating cultures) that define it. When you’re investing your heart and soul into the implementation (and putting in significant time, resources, and cost), you don’t want to be forced to tweak (or completely remodel) your processes and best practices to suit the partner’s methodology. It’s always good to select a Microsoft Dynamics partner with specific experience of your market, industry, and type of customers. A partner who has successfully implemented Dynamics solutions for businesses like yours is undoubtedly a better bet. Speak to customers, understand the , and check for success factors yourself.
4. People Skills – Does the Partner Speak the Language of Your Users?
The “think global, act local” mantra always holds true. Dynamics implementations are generally more successful if the partner understands your global organization, and the people that make up the organization at various locations. If you’re a global organization, chances are you have a sizeable number of offices spread across the world, with a large number of remote employees as well. In such a situation, its best if the partner has the capability to locally manage rollouts for various locations – either by conducting the implementation locally or by engaging a local partner as part of the implementation (and support) team – a team that speaks the local language and also understands the culture and outlook of those stationed. Such an approach enables you to gain the trust of your distributed staff, and increases the likelihood of a successful .
5. Support Capabilities – Don’t ignore Their Training Abilities
While the partner you shortlist might possess excellent implementation capabilities, make it a point to do a little research on their support and training abilities as well. You don’t want your large scale implementation to go down the drain because of a lack of training or support expertise. Ensure you go with a partner who excels in supporting your business even after the implementation, and helps you build a comfortable and long lasting relationship with your users and customers. While traditional support desks offer a standard 9-5 support model, if your business has flexible business hours (and a substantial number of remote employees), you might need a more flexible support model. Make sure the partner offers support that covers your organization’s operating hours.
Recipe for Success
Considering how massive Dynamics implementations generally are – both in terms of the time required and the investments made – choosing the best partner becomes a requisite to implementation. If you’re looking to forge a strong and long lasting partnership with your , make sure you select one that possesses the right technical expertise, clearly understands your area of business, speaks the language of your users, and offers a customized support model – one that perfectly fits your organization and its operating hours. While it’s tricky to select the right implementation and support partner, make sure you do all your homework to ensure a successful Dynamics implementation – one that will give you the much desired (and deserved) ROI that you’re looking for.
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