Next in my blog I am going to launch discussing the deployment and usage of Dynamics 365 Project Operations. Dynamics 365 Project Operations has been a product which I've been slowly learning about over the past 6 months. In this series I aim to understand the capabilities of Project Operations and how it can be used along side all of our favourite Dynamics 365 and Power Platform tools.
Dynamics 365 Project Operations is positioned in the market as a solution designed to manage various aspects of project-based activities within an organisation. It tries to bring together processes relating to sales, project planning, resource management, team collaboration, time and expenses, project accounting, and Bi into a single application. The overall scope of the solution is to provide a solution that gives organisation visibility from prospect to cash.
Before we get into the functionality however, first up in the series is a brief over of the various Deployment Types available for Project Operations. It is information to understand what each of these is and how it affect your implementation. In this first post I hope to provide a comprehensive guide on these deployment options and scenarios for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations implementation.
Deployment Types
There are main deployment types which use a combination of Dynamics 365 CE (Customer Engagement) App and Dynamics 365 ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Apps. The also range from CE only deployment to ERP only deployment, with a combined CE integrated with ERP option in the middle.
Lite Deployment (CE-only)
The Lite Deployment type, focusing on lead-to-invoicing functionality and is essentially an upgrade of the non defunct Project Service Automation (PSA) module. It deploys a standard first party customer engagement (CE) Project Operations app.
Integrated Deployment for Resource/Non-Stocked Based Scenarios
The Integrated Deployment type uses the same customer engagement (CE) Project Operations app mentioned above but combines it with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Project Management and Accounting (PMA). It is suitable for scenarios where resources and non-stocked items are managed.
Stocked/Production-Based Scenarios
The Deployment for Stocked/Production-Based Scenarios utilizes Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Project Management and Accounting (PMA) exclusively and is appropriate for scenarios involving stocked items and production orders.
Deployment Scenarios
In order to choose the right approach organisations and partners must consider their unique business needs and requirements. For each scenarios here are the keys considerations and functional areas you will receive with each.
Lite Deployment
The Lite Deployment scenario is suitable for resource-based projects that are integrated with existing 3rd party ERP solutions. This deployment type provides a streamlined set of functionalities, beginning with project sales where client engagements and contracts are created, through to the entire project lifecycle up to, but not including invoicing.
This ensures that all necessary steps are covered to manage and bill for project services effectively. This approach allows for integration with ERP solutions whist pulling essential project operations features, providing an end to end solution for managing resource-based projects from qualification to billing.
Resource/Non-Stocked Deployment
The Resource/Non-Stocked scenario provides a range of functionality which is essential for managing projects without stocked items. It involves the same project sales capabilities as the Lite Deployment. This is then followed by project planning, where detailed schedules, tasks, and deliverables are outlined.
Resource management is a critical component, ensuring the allocation and utilisation of team members and other resources are managed. Complimented by time entry and expense management features allow for tracking of hours worked and costs incurred, facilitating invoicing processes.
Revenue recognition ensures that income is accurately recorded according to the progress of the project, and project accounting provides a detailed financial overview, enabling financial control and reporting throughout the project's timeline.
Stocked/Production Orders Deployment
The Stocked/Production Orders scenarios covers similar areas as the above deployment types, such as, project sales, project planning, resource management, time entry, expense management, invoicing, revenue recognition, and project accounting.
However, it also includes additional aspects specific to the management of stocked materials and production orders. This ensures that stocked material consumption on projects is accurately tracked and managed, creating efficient inventory control and resource allocation.
Additional Considerations for Deployment
There are also some additional considerations when choosing a deployment model which must be factored into the decision making process.
User Experience
The Lite and Resource/Non Stocked deployment types provide a modern, dataverse-based project user experience, which is not available for customers with stocked item needs. So if a highly intuitive and customisable UI is needed, one of the first two deployment types may be best suited
PMA-only Features
If you are dependent on specific PMA features (such as project budgeting, purchase requisitions, and service management) you should carefully consider the need to implement the stocked/production order deployment type or consider adapting to an integrated deployment with necessary ISV's for PMA focus features.
Generic ISV and Extension Dependencies
For customers using existing resource scheduling tools, as an example, or any other ISVs or extensions. A Fit/Gap analysis is always recommended to determine the necessity and feasibility of moving to a fully integrated end-to-end deployment model. Understanding that an existing ISV's may work best alongside a deployment type is sometimes a better approach that blowing away existing functionality.
By understanding the deployment types and the various scenarios we can be more confident on the best approach for your Dynamics 365 Project Operations implementation.
Deployment Type Questionnaire
If the above does not provide the necessary guidance or detail in terms of the deployment type and various scenarios. Microsoft have created a Project Ops questionnaire.
The questionnaire takes the user through the key areas of discussion and judging on the responses will recommend an approach.
Hope you all enjoyed this post on the Project Operations. I will continue this series with some additional content specifically related to what Project Ops can actually do in terms of functionality and how it works with other aspects of the Dynamics 365 and wider Power Platform landscape. Take Care, Speak Soon!
Comments