#️⃣Software Engineering: Mea Culpa (Part VII: A Look Forward)

Software Engineering Series

I worked for more than 20 years in various areas related to ERP systems - Data Migrations, Business Intelligence/Analytics, Data Warehousing, Data Management, Project Management, (data) integrations, Quality Assurance, and much more, having experience with IFS IV, Oracle e-Business Suite, MS Dynamics AX 2009 and during the past 3-7 years also with MS Dynamics 365 Finance, SCM & HR (in that order). Much earlier, I started to work with SQL Server (2000-2019), Oracle, and more recently with Azure Synapse and MS Fabric, writing over time more than 800 ad-hoc queries and reports for the various stakeholders, covering all the important areas, respectively many more queries for monitoring the various environments. 

In the areas where I couldn’t acquire experience on the job, I tried to address this by learning in my free time. I did it because I take seriously my profession, and I want to know how (some) things work. I put thus a lot of time into trying to keep actual with what’s happening in the MS Fabric world, from Power BI to KQL, Python, dataflows, SQL databases and much more. These technologies are Microsoft’s bet, though at least from German’s market perspective, all bets are off! Probably, many companies are circumspect or need more time to react to the political and economic impulses, or probably some companies are already in bad shape. 

Unfortunately, the political context has a broad impact on the economy, on what’s happening in the job market right now! However, the two aspects are not the only problem. Between candidates and jobs, the distance seems to grow, a dense wall of opinion being built, multiple layers based on presumptions filtering out voices that (still) matter! Does my experience matter or does it become obsolete like the technologies I used to work with? But I continued to learn, to keep actual… Or do I need to delete everything that reminds the old?

To succeed or at least be hired today one must fit a pattern that frankly doesn’t make sense! Yes, soft skills are important though not all of them are capable of compensating for the lack of technical skills! There seems to be a tendency to exaggerate some of the qualities associated with skills, or better said, of hiding behind big words. Sometimes it feels like a Shakespearian inaccurate adaptation of the stage on which we are merely players.

More likely, this lack of pragmatism will lead to suboptimal constructions that will tend to succumb under their own structure. All the inefficiencies need to be corrected, or somebody (or something) must be able to bear their weight. I saw this too often happening in ERP implementations! Big words don’t compensate for the lack of pragmatism, skills, knowledge, effort or management! For many organizations the answer to nowadays problems is more management, which occasionally might be the right approach, though this is not a universal solution for everything that crosses our path(s).

One of society’s answers to nowadays’ problem seems to be the refuge in AI. So, I wonder – where I’m going now? Jobless, without an acceptable perspective, with AI penetrating the markets and making probably many jobs obsolete. One must adapt, but adapt to what? AI is brainless even if it can mimic intelligence! Probably, it can do more in time to the degree that many more jobs will become obsolete (and I’m wondering what will happen to all those people). 

Conversely, to some trends there will be probably other trends against them, however it’s challenging to depict in clear terms the future yet in making. Society seems to be at a crossroad, more important than mine.

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💫🗒️ERP Systems: Microsoft Dynamics 365's Business Process Catalog (BPC) [Notes]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from the various sources and not to provide a complete overview of all the features. Please refer to the documentation for a complete overview!

Last updated: 25-Apr-2025

Business Process Catalog - End-to-End Scenarios

[Dynamics 365] Business Process Catalog (BPC)

• {def} lists of end-to-end processes that are commonly used to manage or support work within an organization [1]
• agnostic catalog of business processes contained within the entire D365 solution space [3]
• {benefit} efficiency and time savings [3]
• {benefit} best practices [3]
• {benefit} reduced risk [3]
• {benefit} technology alignment [3]
• {benefit} scalability [3]
• {benefit} cross-industry applicability [3]
• stored in an Excel workbook
• used to organize and prioritize the work on the business process documentation [1]
• {recommendation} check the latest versions (see [R1])
• assigns unique IDs to 
• {concept} end-to-end scenario
• describe in business terms 
• not in terms of software technology
• includes the high-level products and features that map to the process [3]
• covers two or more business process areas
• {purpose} map products and features to benefits that can be understood in business contexts [3]
• {concept} business process areas
• combination of business language and basic D365 terminology [3]
• groups business processes for easier searching and navigation [1]
• separated by major job functions or departments in an organization [1]
• {purpose} map concepts to benefits that can be understood in business context [3]
• more than 90 business process areas defined [1]
• {concept} business processes
• a series of structured activities and tasks that organizations use to achieve specific goals and objectives [3]
• efficiency and productivity
• consistency and quality
• cost reduction
• risk management
• scalability
• data-driven decision-making
• a set of tasks in a sequence that is completed to achieve a specific objective [5]
• define when each step is done in the implementation [5] [3]
• define how many are needed [5] [3]
• covers a wide range of structured, often sequenced, activities or tasks to achieve a predetermined organizational goal
• can refer to the cumulative effects of all steps progressing toward a business goal
• describes a function or process that D365 supports
• more than 700 business processes identified
• {goal} provide a single entry point with links to relevant product-specific content [1]
• {concept} business process guide
• provides documentation on the structure and patterns of the process along with guidance on how to use them in a process-oriented implementation [3]
• based on a catalog of business process supported by D365 [3]
• {concept} process steps 
• represented sequentially, top to bottom
• can include hyperlinks to the product documentation [5] 
• {recommendation} avoid back and forth in the steps as much as possible [5]
• can be
• forms used in D365 [5]
• steps completed in LCS, PPAC, Azure or other Microsoft products [5]
• steps that are done outside the system (incl. third-party system) [5]
• steps that are done manually [5]
• are not 
• product documentation [5]
• a list of each click to perform a task [5]
• {concept} process states
• include
• project phase 
• e.g. strategize, initialize, develop, prepare, operate
• configuration 
• e.g. base, foundation, optional
• process type
• e.g. configuration, operational
• {concept} patterns
• repeatable configurations that support a specific business process [1]
• specific way of setting up D365 to achieve an objective [1]
• address specific challenges in implementations and are based on a specific scenario or best practice [6]
• the solution is embedded into the application [6]
• includes high-level process steps [6]
• include the most common use cases, scenarios, and industries [1]
• {goal} provide a baseline for implementations
• more than 2000 patterns, and we expect that number to grow significantly over time [1]
• {activity} naming a new pattern
• starts with a verb
• describes a process
• includes product names
• indicate the industry
• indicate AppSource products
• {concept} reference architecture 
• acts as a core architecture with a common solution that applies to many scenarios [6]
• typically used for integrations to external solutions [6]
• must include an architecture diagram [6]
• {concept} process governance
• {benefit} improved quality
• {benefit} enhanced decision making
• {benefit} agility adaptability
• {benefit{ Sbd alignment
• {goal} enhance efficiency 
• {goal} ensure compliance 
• {goal} facilitate accountability 
• {concept} policy
• {concept} procedure
• {concept} control
• {concept} scope definition
• {recommendation} avoid replicating current processes without considering future needs [4]
• {risk} replicating processes in the new system without re-evaluating and optimizing [4] 
• {impact} missed opportunities for process improvement [4]
• {recommendation} align processes with overarching business goals rather than the limitations of the current system [4]
• {concept} guidance hub
• a central landing spot for D365 guidance and tools
• contains cross-application documentations
• {purpose} provide considerations and best practices for implementation [6]
• {purpose} provide technical information for implementation [6]
• {purpose} provide link to product documentation to achieve the tasks in scope [6]

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References:

[1] Microsoft Learn (2024) Dynamics 365: Overview of end-to-end scenarios and business processes in Dynamics 365 [link]
[2] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2023) Business Process Guides - Business Process Guides [link]
[3] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance - Part 2 Introduction to Business Processes [link]

[4] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance - Part 3: Using the Business Process Catalog to Manage Project Scope and Estimation [link]

[5] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance - Part 4: Authoring Business Processes [link]

[6] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance - Part 5:  Authoring Business Processes Patterns and Use Cases [link]
[7] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance  - Part 6: Conducting Process-Centric Discovery [link]
[8] Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Business Process Catalog and Guidance  - Part 7: Introduction to Process Governance [link]

Resources:

[R1] GitHub (2024) Business Process Catalog [link]

[R2] Microsoft Learn (2024) Dynamics 365 guidance documentation and other resources [link]
[R3] Dynamics 365 Blog (2025) Process, meet product: The business process catalog for Dynamics 365 [link]

Acronyms:
3T - Tools, Techniques, Tips

ADO - 
BPC - Business Process Catalog

D365 - Dynamics 365

LCS - Lifecycle Services

PPAC - Power Platform admin center
RFI - Request for Information
RFP - Request for Proposal

🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XVIII: The Price of Partnership)

ERP Implementations Series

When one proceeds on a journey, it’s important to have a precise destination, a good map to show the road, the obstacles ahead, and help to plan the journey, good gear, enough resources to make it through the journey, but probably more important, good companions and ideally guides who can show the way ahead and offer advice when needed. This is in theory the role of a partner, and on such coordinates should be a partnership based upon. However, unless the partners pay for the journey as well, the partnership can come with important costs and occasionally more overhead than needed. 

The traveler’s metaphor is well suited to ERP implementations and probably many other projects in which the customer doesn’t have the knowledge about the various aspects of the project. The role of a partner is thus multifold, and it takes time for all the areas to be addressed. Typically, it takes years for such a relationship to mature to the degree that it all develops naturally, at least in theory. Conversely, few relationships can resist in time given the complex challenges resulting from different goals and objectives, business models, lack of successes or benefits.

Usually, a partnership means sharing the risks and successes, but more importantly, building a beneficial bidirectional relationship from which all parties can profit. This usually means that the partner provides a range of services not available in-house, allowing customers to pull resources and knowledge on a need-by basis, providing direction and other advice whenever is needed. A partner can help if it has the needed insight into the business, and this implies a minimum of communication in respect to business decisions, strategies, goals, objectives, requirements, implications, etc. 

During sales pitches and other meetings, many service providers assume themselves the role of partners, however between their behavior and the partner role is usually a considerable gap that often may seem impossible if not difficult to bridge. It’s helpful to define as part of the various contracts the role of partnership, respectively the further implications. It’s helpful to have a structure of bidirectional bonuses and other benefits that would help to strengthen the bond between organizations. A framework for supporting the partnership must be built, and this takes time to be implemented adequately. 

Even if some consultants are available from the early stages of the partnership, that’s typically the exception and not the norm. It’s typical for resources to be involved only for the whole duration of a project or less. Independently of their performance, the replacement of resources in projects is unavoidable and must be addressed adequately, with knowledge transfer and all that belongs to such situations. Moreover, it needs to be managed adequately by the serve provider, however resources can’t be replaced as the parts of an engine. The planning and other activities must consider and accommodate such changes.

Also the replacement of partners in mid of the project is possible and this option should be considered as exception in projects and planned accordingly. The costs of working with partners can be high and therefore organizations should consider the alternatives. Bringing individual resources in projects and even building long-term relationships with them can prove to be a cost-effective alternative. Even if such partnerships are more challenging to manage, the model can offer other advantages that compensate for the overhead of managing them.

Outsourcing resources across geographies or mixing models can work as well. Even if implementations usually don’t allow for experiments, they can still be a feasible alternative. The past successes and failures are usually a good measure of what works and doesn't for organizations. 

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XVII: Taming the Monsters)

ERP Implementations Series

 

Given their extensive scope, duration, investment and complexity, ERP implementations are probably one of the most complex endeavors pursued by organizations. Moreover, they are often a matter of endurance with many junctions, skirts, turns, shortcuts, ups and downs, a continuous carousel in which the various issues tend to misbehave like little monsters, many of them haunting one’s dreams unexpectedly during and long after implementations.

Probably, the main drivers are the scale and mass of such projects as they touch all or most important aspects of organizations. Just consider the typical project done for a single department and multiply its complexity by a constant number representing the number of departments in scope. And the more one goes into details, the higher the complexity. To move forward the parties need to compromise, and as no one wants to do that, the discussions are prolonged, the discussions get personal, issues are escalated, and probably more negative effects can be met.

Tensions can be rooted in politics, in the friction between different goals, in the need to prioritize requirements, postponing or leaving things out of scope, or by pushing an agenda other parties don't agree with. Besides the typical constraints of projects, there’s the complexity of performing a huge amount of work within a limited period, time during which the resources must be available, the quality must match the expectations, and there are so many aspects to be considered!

Of course, not all implementations are like this, though each such project is a real exam of maturity for the people involved in it. Sometimes, it’s better to have people who care about the decisions made. On the opposite side, there are organizations that go almost blindly with the solutions suggested to them, with all the effects resulting from this. Probably, the middle way between these two extremes is more indicated, though it’s hard to find such a path through all complexity.

An ERP implementation is highly dependent on the initial conditions under which the project has started, the commitment made by the various parties involved in the project, the way resources are made available, on what’s considered in plan, on the communication that takes place, the planning done and its enforcement, etc. Of course, some topics can be addressed also later, though delays tend to create more delays that can have a ripple effect through the project. Under normal circumstances the backlog and other aspects can be manageable, though it’s enough for a few issues to gather momentum so that their cumulative impact can have an exponential impact.

Certain sensitive project topics can easily lead to crises and abnormal behavior, though such situations are usually exceptions (until they are not). It’s important to have in place the processes and procedures that can be used to address this kind of situation, and, not less important, have them communicated to the team. Moreover, it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel - the processes defined in IT and project methodologies can be used and adapted for this purpose.

It's important to have in place all the processes, procedures and checkpoints needed to support the project. The people participating in a project should have some hands-on experience with them, including the exceptions (e.g. escalation procedures). It’s useful to have a mentor or some experienced person who can help with advice and even attend meetings and provide constructive feedback. Just having some awareness sessions with no feedback can be as dangerous as not having any training at all! It’s suboptimal to use the implementation itself as an environment for learning though in extremis this approach may work as well.

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XVI: It’s All About Politics)

ERP Implementations Series

An ERP implementation takes place within a political context and politics can make or break implementations. Politics occurs whenever individuals or organization groups interact to make decisions that affect parts or the whole organization. Besides decision-making there are further components that revolve around the various types of resources allocation and management, resulting in power dynamics that shape and pull organizations in politically charged directions.

Given the deep implications of ERP systems, probably in no other type of projects the political aspects are that visible and stringent to all employees to the degree that they pull decisions in one direction independently of the actual requirements. It may seem incredible, though there are cases in which ERP systems were selected just because the organization’s CEO played golf with the vendor’s CEO. In the end, the gaps between systems should be minimal nowadays, at least in theory, isn’t it?

Of course, just because one meets certain strange behaviors, it doesn’t mean that this is common practice! There are higher chances of selecting an inadequate system just because the sales representative did a good job and convinced the audience that the system can do anything they want. It probably does if coins are used for each missing feature, and in the long term it can be a lot of coins. Conversely, even if a system satisfies nowadays’ requirements, it doesn’t mean it will continue to do the same with future requirements. Only the future can tell whether the choice of a system over the others was a good one.

The bigger the gaps between the various interests, the more difficult it becomes to pull the project in the right direction. Probably the best way to demonstrate why one system is better than another is by bringing facts and focusing on the main requirements of the organization. This supposes the existence of an explicit list of requirements with a high-level description of how they can be addressed by the future system. This might not be enough, though it’s a good start, a good basis for discussion, for making people aware of the implications. However, doing this exercise for 2-3 or more systems is not cost effective, as such analysis can become time-consuming and expensive.

One way to address political resistance is by discussing openly with the stakeholders and addressing their concerns, arguing why the system is a good choice, what can be done to address the gaps, and so on. It will not always be enough, though it’s important to establish common ground for further discussions. Further on, it’s important to keep the same openness and disposition for communication given that the further the project progresses, the higher the likelihood of other concerns to appear. It’s a never-ending story if there are gaps between needs and what the system provides.

It's important to establish clear and honest communication with the stakeholders, informing them proactively about the challenges faced, independently in which area they are faced. Conversely, too much communication can be disruptive and can create other challenges. One way to cope with this is by identifying the communication needs of each stakeholder and trying to identify what’s the volume of information, respectively the communication needs of each of them. That’s project management 1:1.

The Project Manager and his team should ideally anticipate and address the potential conflicts timely, before they propagate and reach a broader audience. It’s questionable how much can be achieved proactively, especially when the project keeps everybody busy. The tendency is to answer politics with politics, though brainstorming sessions, open communication and a few other approaches can reach deeper where politics can’t.

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XV: An Ecosystemic View)

ERP Implementations Series

In organizations, the network of interconnected systems, technologies, applications, users and all what resides around them, physically or logically, through their direct or indirect interactions form an ecosystem governed by common goals, principles, values, policies, processes and resources. An ERP system becomes thus part of the ecosystem and, given its importance, probably becomes the centerpiece of the respective structure, having the force to shift towards it all the flows existing in organizations, respectively nourishing its satellite systems, enabling them to create more value.

Ecology’s components should allow for growth, regeneration, adaptation, flow, interaction and diversity, respectively creating value for the organizations. The more the flow of information, data, products, and money is unrestricted and sustained by the overall architecture, the more beneficial they become. At least, this is the theoretical basis on which such architectures are built upon. Of course, all this doesn’t happen by itself, but must be sustained and nourished adequately!

The mixture of components can enable system interoperability, scalability, reliability, automation, extensibility or maintainability with impact on collaboration, innovation, sustainability, cost-efficiency and effectiveness. All of these are concepts with weight and further implications for ecology. Some aspects are available by design, while others need to be introduced and enforced in a systematic, respectively systemic manner. It’s an exploration of what’s achievable, of what works, of what creates value. Organizations should review the best practices in the field and explore.

Ideally, the ERP system should nourish the ecology it belongs to, enabling it to grow and create more value for the organization. Conversely, the ERP system can become a cannibal for the ecology, pulling towards it all the resources, but more importantly, limiting the other systems in terms of functionality, value, usage, etc. In other terms, an ERP system has the power to cannibalize its environment, with all the implications deriving from this. This may seem like a pessimistic view, though it’s met in organizations more often than people think. Just think about the rate of failure in ERP implementations, the ERP cannibalizing thus all the financial and human resources available at their disposal.

To create more value, the ERPs should be integrated with the other critical and non-critical information systems – email and other communication systems, customer and vendor relationship systems, inventory management systems, regulatory reporting platforms and probably there are many other systems designed to address the various needs. Of course, not every organization needs all these types of information systems, though the functions exist to some degree in many organizations. Usually, components grow in importance with the shift of needs and attention.

There are also small organizations that only use small subparts of the ERP system (e.g. finance, HR), however an ERP investment becomes more attractive and cost-effective, the further the organization can leverage all its (important) features. It’s also true that an ERP system is not always the solution for everybody. It’s a matter of scale, functionality, and business model. Above all, the final solution must be cost-effective and an enabler for the organization!

Beyond the ecosystemic view, there are design principles and rules that can be used to describe, map and plan the road ahead, though nothing should be considered as fixed. One needs to balance between opportunities and risks, value and costs, respectively between the different priorities. In some scenarios there’s a place for experimentation, while in other scenarios organizations must stick to what they know. Even if there are maybe recipes for success, there’s no guarantee behind them. Each organization must evaluate what works and what doesn’t. It’s a never-ending story in which such topics need to be approached gradually and iteratively.

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XIV: A Never-Ending Story)

ERP Implementations Series

An ERP implementation is occasionally considered as a one-time endeavor after which an organization will live happily ever after. In an ideal world that would be true, though the work never stops – things that were carved out from the implementation, optimizations, new features, new regulations, new requirements, integration with other systems, etc. An implementation is thus just the beginning from what it comes and it's essential to get the foundation right – and that’s the purpose of the ERP implementation – provide a foundation on which something bigger and solid can be erected. 

No matter how well an ERP implementation is managed and executed, respectively how well people work towards the same goals, there’s always something forgotten or carved out from the initial project. Usually, the casual suspects are the integrations with other systems, though there can be also minor or even bigger features that are planned to be addressed later, if the implementation hasn’t consumed already all the financial resources available, as it's usually the case. Some of the topics can be addressed as Change Requests or consolidated on projects of their own. 

Even simple integrations can become complex when the processes are poorly designed, and that typically happens more often than people think. It’s not necessarily about the lack of skillset or about the technologies used, but about the degree to which the processes can work in a loosely coupled interconnected manner. Even unidirectional integrations can raise challenges, though everything increases in complexity when the flow of data is bidirectional. Moreover, the complexity increases with each system added to the overall architecture. 

Like a sculpture’s manual creation, processes in an ERP implementation form a skeleton that needs chiseling and smoothing until the form reaches the desired optimized shape. However, optimization is not a one-time attempt but a continuous work of exploring what is achievable, what works, what is optimal. Sometimes optimization is an exact science, while other times it’s about (scientifical) experimentation in which theory, ideas and investments are put to good use. However, experimentation tends to be expensive at least in terms of time and effort, and probably these are the main reasons why some organizations don’t even attempt that – or maybe it’s just laziness, pure indifference or self-preservation. In fact, why change something that already works?

Typically, software manufacturers make available new releases on a periodic basis as part of their planning for growth and of attracting more businesses. Each release that touches used functionality typically needs proper evaluation, testing and whatever organizations consider as important as part of the release management process. Ideally, everything should go smoothly though life never ceases to surprise and even a minor release can have an important impact when earlier critical functionality stopped working. Test automation and other practices can make an important difference for organizations, though these require additional effort and investments that usually pay off when done right. 

Regulations and other similar requirements must be addressed as they can involve penalties or other risks that are usually worth avoiding. Ideally such requirements should be supported by design, though even then a certain volume of work is involved. Moreover, the business context can change unexpectedly, and further requirements need to be considered eventually. 

The work on an ERP system and the infrastructure built around it is a never-ending story. Therefore, organizations must have not only the resources for the initial project, but also what comes after that. Of course, some work can be performed manually, some requirements can be delayed, some risks can be assumed, though the value of an ERP system increases with its extended usage, at least in theory. 

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XIII: On Project Management)

ERP Implementations Series

Given its intrinsic complexity and extended implications, an ERP implementation can be considered as the real test of endurance for a Project Manager, respectively the team managed. Such projects typically deal with multiple internal and external parties with various interests in the outcomes of the project. Moreover, such projects involve multiple technologies, systems, and even methodologies. But, more importantly, such projects tend to have specific characteristics associated with their mass, being challenging to manage within the predefined constraints: time, scope, costs and quality.

From a Project Manager’s perspective what counts is only the current project. From a PMO perspective, one project, independent of its type, must be put within the broader perspective, while looking at the synergies and other important aspects that can help the organization. Unfortunately, for many organizations all begins and ends with the implementation, and this independently of the outcomes of the project. Often failure lurks in the background and usually there can be small differences that in the long term have a considerable impact. ERP implementations are more than other projects sensitive on the initial conditions – the premises under which the project starts and progresses. 

One way of coping with this inherent complexity is to split projects into several phases considered as projects or subprojects in their own boundaries. This allows organizations to narrow the focus and split the overall work into more manageable pieces, reducing to some degree the risks while learning in the process about organization’s capabilities in addressing the various aspects. Conversely, the phases are not necessarily sequential but often must overlap to better manage the resources and minimize waste. 

Given that an implementation project can take years, it’s normal for people to come and go, some taking over work from colleagues, with or without knowledge transfer. The knowledge is available further on, as long as the resources don’t leave the organization, though knowledge transfer can’t be taken for granted. It’s also normal for resources to suddenly not be available or disappear, increasing the burden that needs to be shifted on others’ shoulders. There’s seldom a project without such events and one needs to make the best of each situation, even if several tries and iterations are needed in the process.

Somebody needs to manage all this, and the weight of the whole project falls on a PM’s shoulders. Managing by exception and other management principles break under the weight of implementation projects and often it’s challenging to make progress without addressing this. Fortunately, PMs can shift the burden on Key Users and other parties involved in the project. Splitting a project in subprojects can help set boundaries even if more management could occasionally be involved. Also having clear responsibilities and resources who can take over the burdens when needed can be a sign of maturity of the teams, respectively the organization. 

Teams in Project Management are often compared with teams in sports, though the metaphor is partially right when each party has a ball to play with, while some of the players or even teams prefer to play alone at their own pace. It takes time to build effective teams that play well together, and the team spirit or other similar concepts can't fill all the gaps existing in organizations! Training in team sports has certain characteristics that must be mirrored in organizations to allow for teams to improve. Various parties expect from the PM to be the binder and troubleshooter of something that should have been part of an organization’s DNA! Bringing external players to do the heavy lifting may sometimes work, though who’ll do the lifting after the respective resources are gone? 

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XII: The Process Perspective)

ERP Implementations Series

Technology can have a tremendous potential impact on organizations, helping them achieve their strategic goals and objectives, however it takes more than an implementation of one or more technologies to leverage that potential! This applies to ERP and other technology implementations altogether, but the role of technology is more important in the latter through its transformative role. ERP implementations can be the foundation on which the whole future of the organization is built upon, and it’s ideal to have a broader strategy that looks at all the facets of an organization pre-, during and postimplementation. 

One of the most important assets an organization has is its processes, organization’s success depending on the degree the processes are used to leverage the various strategies. Many customers want their business processes to be implemented on the new platform and that's the point where many projects go in the wrong direction! There are probably areas where this approach makes sense, though organizations need to look also at the alternatives available in the new ecosystem, identify and prioritize the not existing features accordingly. There will be also extreme cases in which one or a mix of systems will be considered as not feasible, and this is an alternative that should be considered during such evaluations! 

An ERP system allows organizations to implement their key value-creation processes by providing a technological skeleton with a set of configurations and features that can be used to address a wide set of requirements. Such a framework is an enabler - makes things possible - though the potential is not reached automatically, and this is one of the many false assumptions associated with such projects. Customers choose such a system and expect magic to happen! Many of the false perceptions are strengthened by implementers or the other parties involved in the projects. As in other IT areas, there are many misconceptions that pervade. 

An ERP provides thus a basis on which an organization can implement its processes. Doing an ERP implementation without process redesign is seldom possible, even if many organizations want to avoid it at all costs. Even if organization’s processes are highly standardized, expecting a system to model them by design is utopian, given that ERP system tends to target the most important aspects identified across industries. And thus, customizations come into play, some of them done without looking for alternatives already existing in the intrinsic or extended range of solutions available in an ERP’s ecosystem. 

One of the most important dangers is when an organization’s processes are so complex that their replication in the new environment creates more issues that the implementation can solve. At least in the first phases of the implementation, organizations must learn to compromise and focus on the critical aspects without which the organization can’t do its business. Moreover, the costs of implementations tend to increase exponentially, when multiple complex requirements are added to address the gaps.  Organizations should always look at alternatives – integrations with third party systems tend to be more cost-effective than rebuilding the respective functionality from scratch! 

It's also true that some processes are too complex to be implemented, though the solution resides usually in the middle. Each customization adds another level of complexity, and a whole range of risk many customers take. Conversely, there’s no blueprint that works for everybody. Organizations must thus compromise and that’s probably one of the most important aspects they should be aware of! However, also compromises must be made in the right places, while evaluating alternatives and the possible outcomes. It’s important to be aware of the full extent of the implications for their decisions. 

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🧮ERP: Implementations (Part XI: Tales from the Crypt)

ERP Implementations Series

One can seldom meet more frighteningly strange stories than the ones told by people who worked in ERP implementations. Such projects attempt to model an organization’s main functions and processes, independently on whether the focus is on production, finance, supply chain, services, projects or human resources. Because they tend to touch all important aspects of a business, such projects become so complex and political that they are often challenging to manage and occasionally are predestined to failure by design.

For the ones who never participated in an ERP implementation, imagine an average project and the number of challenges associated with it, and multiply it by 10 or a similar number that reflects the increase in complexity with the translation to broader scales. The jump in complexity can be compared with the jump from putting together a bed after a scheme to building a whole house using the same level of detail. The scale can further increase by moving from a house to a whole building or a complex of residential houses. Even if that’s technically achievable, a further challenge is how to build all this in a short amount of time, with minimal costs and acceptable quality levels.

With the increase of scale, imagine the amount of planning and coordination that needs to be achieved to avoid any delays. Even if many plan with the "first-time right" objective in mind, inherent issues are often unavoidable, and an organization’s agility can be measured on how robustly it can handle the foreseeable and unforeseeable challenges altogether. Of course, there are many approaches that allow one to minimize, defer or share the risks, or even opportunities, though there’s usually an important gap between one’s planning and reality!

This doesn’t mean that such projects are unmanageable! Everything can be managed to some level of detail and within some tolerance margins, however many organizations are tempted to answer complexity with complexity, and that’s seldom the right approach! Ideally, complexity should be broken down to manageable parts, though that’s challenging to do when one doesn’t know what is being done. That’s why many organizations search for partners with which to share the risks and success, though that works if the customer, and its partners can stir the same ship toward common destinations, at least for the main itinerary if not for the whole duration of the trip.  

Unfortunately, as happens in partnerships that diverge toward distinct goals, the misalignment and other similar factors resulting from this divergence can lead to further challenges that increase the complexity of ERP implementations even more. Ideally, a partner should behave like the mechanics at a pitstop, though that’s utopic especially when they must be always available and this for the whole duration of the project. So, all parties need to compromise somehow, and, even if there are general recipes that can be used, it’s challenging to make everybody happy!

Often in an ERP implementation is defined from the beginning whose needs are the most important, and from there one can build a whole hierarchy of scenarios, models and analyses that should show the right path(s). There’s a lot of knowledge that can be carried out between projects, respectively, between the different phases of a project, though there will always be surprises and one should be prepared for them! Same as the captain must occasionally change the course to avoid or fight storms or other hazards, so must the corresponding structure act when this is the case! Occasionally, each team member may be in the position to act like a captain and raise to expectations, though project designs must allow for this!

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💫🗒️ERP Systems: Microsoft Dynamics 365's Financial Tags [Notes]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from the various sources and not to provide a complete overview of all the features. Please refer to the documentation for a complete overview!

Last updated: 23-Mar-2025

[Dynamics 365] Financial Tags

• {def} user-defined metadata elements used to track additional information on accounting entries for analytics or processes purpose
• provide an additional layer of metadata
• {objective} eliminate the need to use document numbers, descriptions, or financial dimensions [1]
• stored on the accounting entries that are created for the transactions [1]
• {benefit} improved accuracy 
• ensure each transaction is linked with the correct accounting and auditing elements, enhancing the accuracy in financial reporting and compliance [8]
• {benefit} streamlined processes 
• by automating the categorization of financial transactions, financial tags affect a more efficient invoicing process [8]
• {benefit} better financial track 
•  allow for granular tracking of expenses and revenues, enabling more detailed financial analysis [8]
• shown as separate columns on voucher transactions and similar GL inquiry forms 
• legal entity specific
• can be shared by using the Shared data feature [3]
• designed to support any amount of reuse
• do not default from master data
• {feature|planned} defaulting will be enabled through user-defined rules
• similar to financial dimensions
• an alternative to creating financial dimensions
• structured (account structures, account rules, validation) 
• designed for medium to high reuse 
• the two are most likely mutually exclusive
• every transaction that supports dimensions will eventually support financial tags 
• unstructured 
• no structure, no rules, no validation
• require a delimiter between the tag values
• via General ledger parameters >> Financial tags
• it can be deactivated but not deleted 
• ⇐ helps ensure that the tag values remain available for reporting on posted general ledger entries can easily be activated and deactivated at any time
• the label of each financial tag can be changed at any time, even after transactions are posted
• if transactions have been posted for a specific financial tag, the tag values don't change
• tag values
• are associated with an accounting entry
• can be reused 
• have header to line defaulting
• are stored as simple text 
• do not reference other data 
• are not validated at any time, including during entry and posting
• can be entered or edited at any time prior to posting 
• can be changed at any time after posting 
• by enabling "Allow edits to internal data on general ledger vouchers" feature
• up to 20 financial tags can be defined
• e.g. Customers, Vendors, Projects, PO numbers, Payment references
• each is 100 characters [1]
• {type} text 
• free text with no lookup 
• {type} custom list
• free text with lookup 
• {type} list
• predefined list of many common types of data with lookup 
• list values are also not validated
• supported by
• general journals
• customer and vendor payment journals, including entities 
• {operation} editing
• values can be entered or edited at any time prior to posting 
• values can be changed at any time after posting 
• by enabling "Allow edits to internal data on general ledger vouchers" feature
can be disabled at any time [1]
• any values that were entered for financial tags on transactions will be maintained in the database [1]
• values will no longer be visible on any transactions or in inquiries [1]
journals and transactions support for tags
[10.0.32] introduced
• [10.0.37] [1]
• general journal, including entities 
• global general journal
• allocation journal
• fixed asset journal
• all asset leasing journals
• periodic journal
• reporting currency adjustment journal
• customer payment journal, including entities 
• vendor payment journal, including entities 
• invoice journal (vendor)
• global invoice journal (vendor)
• invoice register
• SO documents 
• Sales order, packing slip and customer invoice
• {feature} "Enable financial tags for sales order invoicing"
• voucher transactions and Transactions for [account] forms 
• general journal account entry reporting entity 
• ledger settlement (manual settlement)
• [10.0.41|PP] PO documents
• {feature} "Enable financial tags for purchase order invoicing"
• {feature} [10.0.42] financial tag rules 
• allow to enter default value or automatically populate values in financial tags [7]
• {benefit} ensure consistency and efficiency in transaction tagging [7]
• ⇐ essential for accurate financial tracking and reporting [7]
• journals support [7]
• general journal
• global general journal
• allocation journal
• reporting currency adjustment journal
• invoice journal (vendor)
• {operation} Create a financial tag rule
• via General ledger >> Chart of accounts >> Financial tags >> Financial tags >> New >>
• {operation} Copy a financial tag rule within legal entity
• copies a rule that is defined for one transaction entry point to another entry point in the same legal entity [7]
• {operation} Copy a financial tag to other legal entity
• copies rules to any legal entity where financial tags are defined and active. Select one or more rules to copy to another legal entity [7]
• {feature} rule-based defaulting engine for financial tags 
• e.g. default the vendor name to financial tag XX 
• {feature} financial tag defaulting rules
• {feature} valuate storing financial tags directly on subledger data 
• e.g. store financial tag values in the bank subledger to use with advanced bank reconciliation matching rules

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References:
[1] Microsoft Learn (2025) Dynamics 365 Finance: Financial tags [link]

[2] Microsoft Learn (2025) Dynamics 365 Finance: Differences between financial tags and financial dimensions [link]

[3] Microsoft Learn (2025) Dynamics 365 Finance: Microsoft Learn (2022) Financial dimensions [link]

[4] Dynamics on Demand (2025) Financial Tags in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance | 10.0.32 [link]
[5] Ramit Paul (2025) Financial Tags in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations [link]
[6] Microsoft Learn (2025) Dynamics 365 Finance: Financial tag rule reference (preview) [link]
[7] Microsoft Learn (2025) Dynamics 365 Finance: Financial tag rules (preview) [link]
[8] Dynamics Global Edge IT Solutions (2024) Financial Tags For Purchase Order Invoicing In MS Dynamics365 F&O [link]

Resources:
[R1] Dynamics365lab (2024) Ep. 120:4 Exploring Financial Tags in Dynamics 365 F&O [link]
[R2] Nextone Consulting (2024) New Feature: Financial Tag Rules in Dynamics 365 SCM 10.0.42 [link]

[R3] Dynamics on Demand (2024) Financial Tags in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance | 10.0.32 [link]
[R4] Axcademy (2023) Is this the end to Financial dimensions in D365FO as we know them? [link]
[R5] HItachi Solutions (2024) New Feature in Dynamics 365 Finance - Financial Tags [link]

Acronyms:
D365 F&O - Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations

GL - General Ledger
GA - General Availability
LE - Legal Entity
PO - Purchase Order
PP - Public Preview
SO - Sales Order

💫🗒️ERP Systems: Microsoft Dynamics 365's Business Performance Analytics (BPA) [notes]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from the various sources and not to provide a complete overview of all the features. Please refer to the documentation for a complete overview!

Last updated: 15-Mar-2025

[Dynamics 365] Business Performance Analytics (BPA)

• {def} centralized reporting hub within D365 F&O designed to streamline insights and help organizations make faster, data driven decisions [3]
• solution designed to transform organization's data into actionable insights [1]
• provides an intuitive out-of-box data model along with familiar tools like Microsoft Excel and Power BI for self-service analytics [4]
• data extracted from D365 is classified in BPA in the form of value chains
• ⇐ a group of business processes on top of the value chain [4]
• {benefit} allows to simplify data insights by providing a unified view of business data across entities in near real time [4]
• {benefit} allows to streamline financial and operations reporting to reduce the cycle times [4]
• {benefit} allows users of all technical abilities to quickly access and analyze data to facilitate data driven decisions [4]
• {benefit} provides auditors with direct access to financial data, making the audit process more efficient
• {benefit} enables ease of use through familiar apps like Excel and Power BI, in addition to AI driven insights and automation in this platform that can be scalable and extendable [4]
• {feature} extends into Microsoft Fabric
• {benefit} provide a scalable, secure environment for handling large data sets and ensuring insights are always powered by the latest technology [3]
• {feature} ETL process 
• involves extracting data from finance and operations database, transforming and loading it into Dataverse [4]
• each of the entities required for the generation of the dimensional model for the value chains that were mentioned earlier, they are backed by the underlying tables in finance and operations database [4]
• installed in Dataverse, virtual  entities that are created will then pull in the data into the managed data lake [4]
• the data is then transformed to generate the dimensional  model which is then pushed into the embedded Power BI workspace in the form of analytical tables [4]
• BPA consumes this data from Power BI workspace to render the power BI reports [4]
• this data can also be extended to Fabric if there is a need to consolidate data from multiple sources [4]
• {feature} reports 
• designed to provide a detailed overview of an organization's financial health [8]
• further reports will be added to expand the coverage for the value chains [8]
• out-of-box reports can't be modified
• ⇐ users cannot rename, delete or edit these type of reports [8]
• there’s the option to duplicate the base report and edit the version thus created [8]
• can be shared with other users who have access to BPA 
• ⇐ they can receive an in-app notification [8]
• can be shared over email with another user by entering user’s email address [8] 
• one can configure whether the recipient can edit or view the report [8]
•   {feature} allows to create a new Power BI or Excel report from scratch [8]
• {option} start with a blank report or duplicate an existing report [8]
• {feature} data refresh
• automatic data refreshes run currently two times a day [4]
• at 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM UTC
• the volume of data is also constrained by the storage capacity of the A3 SKU for Power BI Embedded [1]
• future release, may support additional data reporting capacity [1]
• ⇐ so that larger data sets can be reported and analyzed [1]
• the target is to have refreshes every hour or less [3]
• data volume will be initially for about eight quarters of data [4]
• extensibility will be supported with bring your own Fabric [4]
• architecture
• SaaS solution
• {capability} immediate deployment 
• businesses can start to analyze data and generate insights with minimal setup [1]
• {capability} comprehensive reporting and dashboards
• provides access to a wide range of preconfigured reports that cover multiple business functions [1]
• {capability} near-real-time analytics 
• future releases will offer more frequent data refreshes to enable near-real-time data analysis and reporting
• {capability} predictive insights 
• future releases will introduce predictive analytics capabilities that enable businesses to 
• forecast trends
• identify risks
• seize opportunities [1]
• {capability} user-friendly interface 
• intuitive design ⇒ minimal training
• fosters broader adoption 
• enables a data-driven culture across the organization [1]
• {capability} cost-effectiveness
• available as part of D365 license
• ⇒ provides advanced analytics without requiring significant investments in IT infrastructure [1]
• DaaS solution
• {capability} organizations can integrate its data models with their existing data warehousing infrastructure in Microsoft Fabric [1]
• maximizes the value of existing data solutions [1]
• positions businesses for future enhancements [1]
• {capability} unified and scalable data models
• customers can build custom models on top of a unified framework
• ensures consistency and scalability across data sets [1]
• {capability} future-proofing with automatic upgrades
• data models integrate seamlessly with future D365 updates
• reduces manual maintenance and ensures access to the latest features [1]
• {capability} consistency and standardization
• data models provide consistency and standardization across data sources
• ensure high data quality and integrity [1]
• {capability} advanced analytics and AI 
• by customizing the data models, organizations can take advantage of advanced analytics and AI capabilities [1]
• deeper insights without having to develop them from scratch [1]
• {capability} enhanced data governance
• unified data models support better data governance by providing standardized data definitions, relationships, and hierarchies [1]
• ensure consistency and quality across the organization [1]
• requires an integrated Power Platform environment [5]
• must be integrated with the Microsoft Entra tenant [5]
• uses shared Dataverse entitlements [1]
• includes access to the data lake [1]
• setup
• dimensions
• the selection of dimensions might affect the dimension groups that are created using these dimensions and the users who are assigned there [7]
• e.g. legal entity, business unit
• dimension groups
• users can select specific values for the legal entity, or add a range of values [7]
• selecting an invalid combination of dimension values, the dimension group will filter out all the records on the report [7]
• {warning} assigning too many dimension groups to a user, slows the load for that user [7]
• roles
• determine which reports the user can access [7]
• security
• secure data through role-based access control on top of the value chains [7]
• the first user who signs into the app is assigned the BPA admin role [7]
• allows a user to access the administrator section of the BPA [7]
• where the security can be set up [7]
• has automatically assigned 
• Microsoft report viewer role 
• the All Access Dimension group [7]
• allow the admin to see the data  in all the reports across all the dimensions [7]
• {feature} dimension-based role-level security
• ensures that users only see the data relevant to them based on their role
•  confidently share reports without duplicating them
• ⇐ data is automatically filtered by organization's security policies [3]
• simple but powerful way to maintain control while providing access for teams that love working in Excel [3]
• accessibility
• can be accessed through either 
• Power Platform
• admins can access BPA app through PowerApps' makeup portal [6]
• Dynamics 365
• through the BPA preview shortcut in the homepage or the default dashboard [6]
• for end users, the BPA preview shortcut is provided when they have certain duties associated to their role(s) [6]
• licensing
• included in D365 F&O license [4]
• requirements
• requires a tier two environment and Dynamics 365 finance version 1.0.38 or later [5]
• {project} timeline
• [2025 wave 1] backup and restore custom reports and analytics
• {benefit} support better lifecycle management and empower customers to develop on sandbox instances before publishing to production [3]
• 2025: available in all regions where F&O is available [3]
• Oct-2024: GA

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References:
[1] Microsoft Learn (2024) Dynamics 365 Finance: What is Business performance analytics? [link]
[2] Microsoft Learn (2025) Business performance analytics (BPA) with Dynamics 365 Finance [link]
[3] Dynamics 365 Finance - Business Performance Analytics 2025 Release Wave 1 Release Highlights [link]
[4] Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Dynamics 365 Bites: Business Performance Analytics Part 1 [link]
[5] Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Dynamics 365 Bites: Business Performance Analytics Part 2 [link]
[6] Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Dynamics 365 Bites: Business Performance Analytics Part 3 [link]
[7] Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Dynamics 365 Bites: Business Performance Analytics Part 4 [link]   
[8] Dynamics 365 Community (2024) Dynamics 365 Bites: Business Performance Analytics Part 5 [link]
[9] Microsoft Learn (2024) Dynamics 365: Business performance analytics introduction [link] 

Acronyms:
AI - Artificial Intelligence
BPA - Business Performance Analytics
D365 F&O - Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations
DaaS - Data-as-a-Service
ETL - Extract, Transfer, Load
GA - General Availability
MF - Microsoft Fabric
PP - Public Preview
SaaS - Software-as-a-Service
SKU - Stock Keeping Unit
UTC - Coordinated Universal Time

𖣯Strategic Management: Strategic Perspectives (Part II: The Elephant in the Room)

Strategic Management Perspectives

There’s an ancient parable about several blind people who touch a shape they had never met before, an elephant, and try to identify what it is. The elephant is big, more than each person can sense through direct experience, and people’s experiences don’t correlate to the degree that they don’t trust each other, the situation escalating upon case. The moral of the parable is that we tend to claim (absolute) truths based on limited, subjective experience [1], and this can easily happen in business scenarios in which each of us has a limited view of the challenges we are facing individually and as a collective. 

The situation from the parable can be met in business scenarios, when we try to make sense of the challenges we are faced with, and we get only a limited perspective from the whole picture. Only open dialog and working together can get us closer to the solution! Even then, the accurate depiction might not be in sight, and we need to extrapolate the unknown further.  

A third-party consultant with experience might be the right answer, at least in theory, though experience and solutions are relative. The consultant might lead us in a direction, though from this to finding the answer can be a long way that requires experimentation, a mix of tactics and strategies that change over time, more sense-making and more challenges lying ahead. 

We would like a clear answer and a set of steps that lead us to the solution, though the answer is as usual, it depends! It depends on the various forces/drivers that have the biggest impact on the organization, on the context, on the organization’s goals, on the resources available directly or indirectly, on people’s capabilities, the occurrences of external factors, etc. 

In many situations the smartest thing to do is to gather information, respectively perspectives from all the parties. Tools like brainstorming, SWOT/PESTLE analysis or scenario planning can help in sense-making to identify the overall picture and where the gravity point lies. For some organizations the solution will be probably a new ERP system, or the redesign of some processes, introduction of additional systems to track quality, flow of material, etc. 

A new ERP system will not necessarily solve all the issues (even if that’s the expectation), and some organizations just try to design the old processes into a new context. Process redesign in some areas can be upon case a better approach, at least as primary measure. Otherwise, general initiatives focused on quality, data/information management, customer/vendor management, integrations, and the list remains open, can provide the binder/vehicle an organization needs to overcome the current challenges.

Conversely, if the ERP or other strategical systems are 10-20 years old, then there’s indeed an elephant in the room! Moreover, the elephant might be bigger than we can chew, and other challenges might lurk in its shadow(s). Everything is a matter of perspective with no apparent unique answer. Thus, finding an acceptable solution might lurk in the shadow of the broader perspective, in the cumulated knowledge of the people experiencing the issues, respectively in some external guidance. Unfortunately, the guides can be as blind as we are, making limited or no important impact. 

Sometimes, all it’s needed is a leap of faith corroborated with a set of tactics or strategies kept continuously in check, redirected as they seem fit based on the knowledge accumulated and the challenges ahead. It helps to be aware of how others approached the same issues. Unfortunately, there’s no answer that works for all! In this lies the challenge, in identifying what works and makes sense for us!

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Resources:
[1] Wikipedia (2024) Blind men and an elephant [link]