Abstract
Most mid-market enterprises buying Microsoft Dynamics 365 sign the SOW before they've understood the platform's modular architecture, the realistic cost-and-timeline brackets, or the customization discipline that decides whether the estate compounds value or accrues debt. This buyer's guide is the document we wish every D365 prospect had before talking to partners.
The guide goes module-by-module across F&O, Customer Engagement, Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, and the Power Platform layer: with realistic cost ranges by company size, partner-selection criteria, and the published brackets for what implementation, integration, customization, and post-go-live operations actually cost. No vendor framing; just the trade-offs we evaluate on real engagements.
Targeted at CFOs, COOs, and IT directors mid-evaluation. Pairs with the Choosing an Implementation Partner checklist (W10) for buyers who haven't yet shortlisted vendors.
Table of contents
- 01
Why D365 (and when not)
- 02
Module-by-module: F&O, CE, Sales, Customer Service, Field Service
- 03
Realistic cost ranges by company size
- 04
Realistic timelines by program shape
- 05
Configuration vs customization: the discipline that decides upgrade-readiness
- 06
Integration as primary scope (not phase 2)
- 07
Power Platform: where it earns its keep, where it doesn't
- 08
Partner selection: 12 questions that filter weak partners
- 09
Migration from AX 2012 / NAV / GP / competitor ERPs
- 10
Post-go-live operating cadence
- 11
License optimization: avoiding 20–40% over-licensing
- 12
Appendix: scope-of-work template + phase-by-phase checklist