What to Look for When Choosing a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partner

Choosing Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the first decision. Choosing the right implementation partner is the second and arguably more important one.

The software is the same regardless of who implements it. The difference between a successful implementation and a painful one almost always comes down to the partner. Here is what to look for.

Relevant Industry Experience

A partner who has implemented Dynamics 365 for manufacturing businesses twenty times understands the specific challenges, typical configurations, and common pitfalls of that industry. A generalist partner who has done a few implementations across many industries does not.

Ask specifically about implementations in your industry. Ask for references from businesses similar to yours. If a partner cannot provide relevant references, that is a red flag.

Microsoft Certifications

Microsoft has a partner certification program. Partners earn certifications based on their demonstrated expertise in specific products and solutions.

Look for partners with active Microsoft certifications in the specific Dynamics 365 products you are implementing. A partner certified in Business Central has demonstrated a minimum level of knowledge and capability in that specific product.

Implementation Methodology

Good partners have a clear, documented implementation methodology. They can explain the phases, the deliverables at each phase, how they handle change requests, and what the go-live process looks like.

Partners who are vague about their methodology or who adjust their approach entirely to whatever you ask for are not necessarily experienced enough to guide you through a complex implementation.

Post-Implementation Support

The go-live is not the end. Businesses need ongoing support as they learn the system, as their processes evolve, and as new features become available.

Ask specifically what post-implementation support looks like. Response times. Support channels. How change requests are handled after go-live. What is the cost of ongoing support?

Partners who are strong on pre-sales but vague on post-implementation support are a common source of frustration.

Team Stability

Ask who specifically will be working on your project. What is their experience level? How long have they been with the company?

High staff turnover at implementation partners is a real risk. Starting a project with one consultant and having someone different take over halfway through creates significant disruption and knowledge loss.

Size Match

A very large partner may assign junior consultants to a midsize business implementation while their experienced team works on larger accounts. A smaller specialist partner may give your project more senior attention.

Neither large nor small is automatically better. The question is whether the partner's team size and structure are a good match for your project size and complexity.

The Honest Question to Ask

Ask the partner directly: What are the most common reasons implementations fail, and what do you do specifically to prevent those problems?

A partner with enough implementations will have a clear, honest answer to this question. One who has not will give you a generic response about communication and project management.

Nimus Technologies is a Microsoft solutions partner specializing in Dynamics 365 implementation for small and mid-size businesses. Visit nimustech.com to discuss your requirements with our team.