Businesses looking to optimize their Microsoft Dynamics 365 investments need a sound implementation strategy.  According to a recent survey, ERP implementations cost nearly four times the planned budget.  Another study also confirmed that 30%  of ERP implementation projects take longer than expected. Poor testing, lack of quality assurance, and ineffective integration are the prime reasons behind these failures. When an organization races through the implementation process, they are more likely to be confronted with inconsistent data, downtime of systems, and compliance issues.

Frequent delays and distractions frustrate end-users and affect revenue, efficacy, and daily business operations. Quality Engineering ensures that ERP platforms like Dynamics 365 are tested thoroughly for quality, performance, and risk mitigation to prevent such costly delays. A systematic approach to Quality Engineering will allow early error detection and increase scope for automation and higher security. If you want to implement Dynamics 365, then Quality Engineering is not just an option; it is a must-have!

This article will discuss how following a well-planned approach with Quality Engineering enhances success and capitalizes on your ROI.

MS Dynamics 365: Explained!

Dynamics 365 by Microsoft is an intelligent business applications portfolio that enables enterprises to be more agile and achieve operational efficiency by combining finance, manufacturing, human resources, CRM, warehouse, supply chain, and inventory management.  Developed for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Dynamics 365 helps organizations move from traditional, monolithic ERP systems to a scalable, cloud-based platform. 

MS Dynamics 365 projects can be challenging when upgrading, integrating, or replacing a legacy ERP system. Organizations must invest in strategies and approaches that guarantee seamless migration, customization, and security compliance. Data loss, integration failures, or project disruptions will likely occur without proper guidance.   An implementation methodology leveraging the expertise of a certified ERP professional along with Quality Engineering enables a smooth implementation journey and the ability to unlock all the benefits of Dynamics 365.

6 Major Roles of Quality Engineering in Dynamics 365 Implementation

Quality Engineering is critical during the implementation of Dynamics 365 to prepare organizations for a smooth transition and unlock high-performing features. Adequate Quality Engineering helps methodically identify risks at an early stage, enables an efficient flow of operations, and provides enhanced user experience, guaranteeing successful implementation. Let us explore how it makes a significant difference across the Dynamics 365 implementation stages:

Seamless Integration Across Systems

The consequences of poor system integration result in increased operational costs due to task and data duplication, data processing errors, and additional expenditure to maintain disparate IT systems. The most critical risk of improper integrations are data silos and operational inefficiencies.

A leading retail chain using Dynamics Finance reportedly found that its inventories were out of sync because of poor integration with its legacy supply chain management software. A Quality Engineering team identified and resolved the problem using stringent API testing and validation processes to ensure well-in-place data exchange.

Improved System Performance and Load Handling

When large data volumes are introduced to Dynamics 365 processing, performance issues are common. A global eCommerce company using Dynamics 365 Sales once encountered severe order processing delays during peak seasons. Different performance engineering methodologies like load testing and database optimization in Quality Engineering increase system response time.

Enhanced Security and Compliance

ERP systems house confidential business data and customer information, making them attractive targets for cybersecurity attacks and breaches. Ransomware attacks that hijack the ERP system for days reveal lapses in security testing. Preventing security threats and risks requires penetration testing and regular data encryption audits by the Quality Engineering team to ensure that patient records remain secure and fully compliant with regulatory standards.

Higher User Adoption and Experience

User adoption and satisfaction are ERP users’ key business value realization metrics.  Well-tested end-user test cases, daily ERP transactions, and workflows determine active usage and adoption barriers. For example, a leading manufacturer implementing Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management faced adoption issues due to user navigation challenges on the interface. Changes made because of the usability tests and UX improvements increased user adoption rates by 30% in six months.

Reduced Implementation Costs and Downtime

Enterprises overlook hidden costs that stretch their ERP implementation budgets. Those include productivity loss and downtime during transition, data migration, and compliance audits to ensure data privacy and security. Quality Engineering makes sure the cost of rework is reduced by predicting defects early on in the process during the implementation.

Recently, a financial services provider migrating to Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations identified significant defects that would have cost them $500,000. Automating testing and real-time monitoring made the go-live process smooth for the organization, preventing costly downtimes.

Better Customization and Scalability

Dynamics 365 customization helps add the desired functionality to the platform through integrations, tweaks to the UI, and more by experts familiar with Dynamics 365 capabilities. Customization helps enterprises leverage the platform to meet their business and operational needs. Quality Engineering helps test the ERP system to ensure it meets all customization criteria. A logistics firm was looking to customize the fleet management’s real-time tracking features for integration into the Dynamics 365 Field Service. The Quality Engineering team adopted regression testing to validate all modifications and ensure that the new customizations do not interfere with the core functions of the ERP system. 

Challenges in Dynamics 365 Implementation and How Quality Engineering Helps

There are several layers to the Dynamics 365 implementation process, and it often comes with multiple challenges, from data migration issues to security issues and integration complexities. Most organizations discover system customization and testing gaps, leading to delays, inefficiencies, and compliance issues. Quality Engineering leads to a structured, well-error-free, and seamless implementation process that optimizes performance and mitigates possible risks. It helps overcome challenges by enabling: 

Data Migration Accuracy

Migrating large data volumes across disparate sources and outdated systems is time-consuming and resource intensive. According to a study by Gartner, 83% of migrations cause delays attributable to errors. Quality Engineering includes data validation, cleansing, and process-based automated testing so that the data moves in and around transformation accurately and consistently.

Security and Compliance 

ERP systems meet sensitive data protection requirements as per regulatory standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Quality Engineering simplifies and streamlines access control, encryption, and better adherence to business security regulations.

Prevention of Issues from Insufficient Testing

Poor or no testing can result in system failure, performance issues with UI elements, and performance bottlenecks. Quality Engineering introduces automated functional, regression, and performance testing to find errors before the release and ensure circumstances for system stabilization.

Streamlined Integration with Legacy Systems

Integrating with legacy CRM, HR, and sales systems to Dynamics 365 requires sufficient planning and resource allocation and may take a long time until an enterprise adapts to the new ERP system. There may be risks of unmeasured and unnoticed disruptions of workflow-driven by data inconsistencies. Quality Engineering offers API testing, data sync automation, and workflow validation for smoothly running systems and enabling integration between archaic systems and cloud-based ERP platforms.  

Optimizing Customization Without Performance Impact

Customization of Dynamics 365 is an integral part of the system but can lead to complications and reduced productivity if not managed well. Performance-testing and structured customization over-optimized configurations in Quality Engineering render the systems slow immediately. Quality engineering, then, will consider many of the above issues. By doing so, businesses will have an implementation that is high on security and efficiency and highly scalable. It makes the whole system reliable and conveniently operable.

Maximizing Success with Quality Engineering

The absence of an organized Quality Engineering approach during Dynamics 365 implementations often leads to unexpected costs, security lapses, and integration failures.  A good Quality Engineering plan assures integration, security, and early defect detection while optimizing performance. It helps address various challenges like the migration of data, compliance risks, and customization challenges to transform Dynamics 365 into a high-performing, scalable, and friendly solution. Organizations adopting automated testing, performance monitoring, and security validation enjoy higher adoption rates, lesser downtimes, and cost efficiency to ensure maximum returns.

Qualizeal’s Quality Engineering solutions have the expertise and technology for seamless Dynamics 365 implementations that are out-of-the-box ready. Partner with Qualizeal for a more straightforward, risk-free ERP transformation!