Upgrade projects do not sound thrilling. Nobody is really asking for it and changes are anyway never easy. So why doing it, only because mainstream support is running out? For once, the migration to Dynamics 365 is not just a migration to the next version; it is opening a new world. A world, which allows faster adoptions, more possibilities and the shift from ERP to a complete business application platform. Nine reasons, why to consider such a move.

  • Safety and Security: For smaller and mid-sized organizations, the challenge is rising to protect critical business data from attacks. Hacking poses an ever-present risk to companies both financially and reputation. Contrary to prior business thought, cloud-based applications now provide a more secure experience because credentials and active threats are monitored and counter-attacked 24/7 by Microsoft.
  • Reduced Total Cost of Ownership: Cloud software works out significantly cheaper than its on-premise counterparts do because you access everything from a browser – no servers required. The cost of upgrade is limited to testing and validation, removing all other IT-centric related work (no re-training of staff). The main reason for this reduced cost is the use of automatic upgrades, managed services (Lifecycle services), and no more hardware investments, which also helps to significantly decrease the total cost of ownership.
  • Familiarity: Because much of the functionality remains the same, organizations can save time learning the software and increase overall efficiency. The core business logic in Dynamics AX has been transferred to Dynamics 365, but the interface has been updated.
  • Always Have the Latest & Greatest Features: After the migration into the Cloud, any subsequent platform updates will be performed automatically every three months. The applications will update every six months. Upgrades are no longer a complex, stressful project that requires months of planning and developers. Dynamics 365 is on a continuous release cycle (OneVersion).
  • Infrastructure Scalability: The ability for a business management system to scale and grow with the business as needs and requirements change is one of the biggest selling factors of Dynamics 365. Using Azure as its unifying architecture and the underlying Common Data Model, companies can build onto the system without complex development work and massive consulting fees.
  • PowerApps: The Microsoft PowerApps platform is closely integrated into D365. Within PowerApps it is possible to create apps e.g. for internal users within hours and this without a developer Training.
  • Any device: Dynamics 365 utilizes a native HTML5 browser based user interface, which can run on any device (PC, tablet, phone), any platform (Windows, Mac, etc.), and any browser (IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.). This simplifies access to the application from any type of user device. Because the business applications are standardized by Microsoft, they work seamlessly with a single sign-on and are integrated out of the box.
  • Real-time Business Intelligence: Dynamics 365 now includes a real-time, in-memory BI solution that provides up-to-the-minute information around how the business is performing, with new tools (Power BI) for visualizing this data and creating Dashboards.
  • Platform innovations: By moving to Dynamics 365, companies can take advantage of many new capabilities in the Microsoft cloud, including a common data model with Dynamics CRM and Office 365. With Flow it is now possible to easily create workflows and notifications.