Beyond Go-Live: Continuous Improvement with Dynamics 365 Sales
Launching Dynamics 365 Sales is just the beginning. Learn post-deployment best practices to drive adoption, optimize processes, and enhance your CRM investment.
Table of Content
You can breathe a sigh of relief, you’ve got Dynamics 365 Sales up and running. So, now what?
It’s a question many organizations face after the initial rush from deployment fades. And it’s often accompanied by the worry that the new system won’t take off like you’d hoped.
Unfortunately, that’s a well-founded concern. Forrester Research found that the majority of businesses implementing a CRM fail in some way to get the value they expected. And the reason is a lack of organization post-deployment.
Simply launching a powerful system isn’t enough. True success lies in continuous improvement, in recognizing that Dynamics 365 is a powerful, adaptable, and, well, dynamic, platform. This article will guide you through post-deployment best practices that will help ensure your long-term success and maximum benefit from your investment in Dynamics 365.
The system is live, so the real work begins. It’s time to learn what’s working and what needs to be improved. A post-implementation review (PIR) is an important first step toward maximizing your Dynamics 365 Sales investment.
Ideally, a PIR should occur six to eight weeks post-deployment, after initial technical issues have been addressed and users are familiar with the basics. However, even if you’re past that point, a review during upgrade planning can still yield valuable insights.
The goal of a PIR is to identify opportunities for future growth. You’re looking to pinpoint:
Despite their jobs focusing on long-term strategy, executives still want to see immediate value from big projects like a Dynamics 365 implementation. So, while you should look to get long-term ROI, for now, prioritize finding some visible “small wins” to drive adoption.
Here are suggestions you could dig up that often happen after implementing Dynamics 365:
While Dynamics 365 is a stable and reliable platform, it can still be quite intricate. Some of your planned customizations might accidentally generate errors due to incompatibilities among different modules. Consider scheduling regular performance or stress testing as you iterate on your setup.
Technical training alone can’t guarantee user adoption. You can’t treat users as just another component of a business system. Consider the human element in a major project like this. User resistance, fear of change, and the comfort of old habits can all hinder adoption and stop you from getting full value from a new Dynamics 365 implementation.
Beyond online courses and simply deploying knowledge bases, focus on building user confidence and proficiency. Leverage other Microsoft tools, like Microsoft Learn, to help you create personalized learning paths for everyone. Remember, training and fostering adoption are ongoing activities, not one-time tasks you check off after deployment.
Don’t wait for something to force your hand. Reacting to changes in the market or the release of new Dynamics 365 features is simply too slow in modern business. You can use the Copilot-powered predictive analytics tools in Dynamics 365 for forecasting. You can identify impending resource bottlenecks before they affect your business or identify new opportunities before the competition.
Develop contingency plans using Dynamics 365 for potential problems that impact your business. Are you projecting a downturn in your market? Could you potentially lose a tentpole client? Model how those could impact your budget. Or treat it as an opportunity—what resources would be suddenly freed up so that you could relocate elsewhere?
Dynamics 365 Sales is powerful on its own, but the real potential lies in its integration with the wider Microsoft ecosystem of applications. In slow, steady steps, you can build a whole strategic network of interconnected systems unified by AI to help run your business.
Here are a few components to consider in your continuous improvement plan.
Dynamics 365 data delivers its greatest value when accessible beyond management and analytics teams. By providing your sales teams and frontline workers with real-time, actionable insights, organizations foster more nimble decision-making where it matters most—at the customer interface.
Mobile applications, role-specific dashboards, and scheduled reports transform how teams operate, breaking down information silos that traditionally separate departments. When a sales representative can instantly access a customer’s support history before a call or field teams can view inventory status without contacting multiple departments, operational efficiency naturally follows.
This democratization requires thoughtful investment in data literacy. Organizations must equip non-technical personnel with the skills to interpret information meaningfully through targeted training programs and mentorship opportunities. Remember that access without understanding creates little value. Balance this openness with appropriate governance, implementing role-based controls and data masking to protect sensitive information while maintaining accessibility.
If you want Dynamics 365 Sales to be a strategic resource and not just another business application, you must continuously improve. By embracing a continuous improvement mindset, you can transform D365 Sales from a static tool into a powerful sales platform that adapts to customer needs and wider market conditions.
Talk to us about how Velosio can help you realize business value faster with end-to-end solutions and cloud services.
"*" indicates required fields