Author: Ryan Carolan

How to Prevent Dynamics 365 Projects from Going Over Budget (Unlike 362% of Other ERP Projects)

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

The Confession:

OK, I have to come clean: that headline stat about 362%? We made it up*.

Unlike others online posting ridiculous stats: we’re not afraid to admit it. Tongue in cheek.

But if you’ve ever lived through an ERP disaster, you probably nodded and thought, “Yeah, that’s about right…”

And that’s the problem. ERP overruns are so common that completely fabricated statistics feel believable. Kinda.

In our experience advising and rescuing Dynamics 365 ERP projects, the truth is this: ERP implementations don’t go off the rails by accident. They fail for the same, predictable, face-palmingly avoidable reasons.

Here are the four biggest culprits we hear about time and again.

*The real numbers? According to Gartner research, between 55% and 75% of all ERP projects fail to meet their objectives: whether through project abandonment, significant budget overruns, or extended timelines.*

1. Rushed and Unrealistic Planning (Or: “How Hard Could It Be?”)

Picture this: Leadership announces the ERP project on Monday. By Friday, you’re expected to have a “comprehensive project plan” ready for review. So you cobble together a Gantt chart that looks impressive, slap some optimistic dates on it, and pray nobody asks about the details.

Sound familiar?

More often than not, organizations attempt to compress ERP planning into a matter of weeks. The resulting project plan is full of assumptions, wishful thinking, and timelines that would make a Formula 1 pit crew nervous.

The truth: ERP planning is a specialized discipline. When rushed, it creates a cascade of problems that haunt you throughout implementation and beyond. Underestimated complexity, inadequate resource allocation, and scope creep make cutting corners feel like a good option.

Why This Happens

  • Executive pressure to “get moving”
  • Underestimating the complexity of your existing processes
  • Nobody wants to be the person who says “this will take six months of planning”

The Real Cost

Every shortcut in planning costs you exponentially later. That week you saved upfront? You’ll spend it three times over troubleshooting issues that shouldn’t exist.

Our advice: Take ERP planning seriously. Invest the time upfront and involve an experienced D365 ERP project manager from day one. A proper ERP project plan should span dozens of pages, not a single Word document. Every day spent planning properly saves weeks and tens of thousands of dollars later.

TIP: We have a network of seasoned D365 ERP Project Managers who have delivered multiple implementations, we’d be happy to discuss finding a fit for someone who’s also got experience in your specific industry.

2. Underestimating the Internal Commitment Required (The “Side Project” Delusion)

Here’s a conversation that happens in approximately 99% of organizations:

Executive: “So, Sarah can handle the ERP implementation, right?”
Manager: “Well, she’s currently running the entire finance department, but sure, she can probably squeeze it in.”
Narrator: She could not, in fact, squeeze it in.

ERP transformation is not something people can do “on the side” while maintaining their usual day jobs. Yet this is exactly the expectation many businesses set- and then act shocked when things fall apart.

What Actually Happens

Without dedicated internal ERP resources:

  • Projects stall waiting for decisions
  • Knowledge gaps emerge and never get filled
  • Partners end up making business-critical decisions (because someone has to)
  • Misalignment grows like mold in a damp bathroom
  • Costs escalate while everyone points fingers

The Partner isn’t the problem here. Your team simply cannot contribute meaningfully while also doing their actual jobs. It’s like asking someone to paint your house while they’re still living in it and hosting dinner parties. It can be done, but nobody is gonna enjoy it.

Our advice: Treat your ERP implementation as a full-time commitment. Either backfill your key people or free them up entirely. The “halfway house” approach- where people are supposed to do both their regular job AND the ERP project- works approximately never.

When ERP Projects Go Over Budget: Comparison of planned ERP project timeline versus actual implementation reality showing common delays

3. Cutting Corners on an Inherently Expensive Undertaking (AKA Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish)

ERP systems are expensive. They’re expensive because they’re complex, business-critical, and replace literally every system that runs your company.

Yet somehow, businesses convince themselves there’s a “budget version” that’ll work just fine.

The False Economy

Attempts to drive down costs at every stage – whether by reducing scope, minimizing testing, or treating contingency planning like it’s optional – almost always backfire spectacularly.

In reality: That data migration you’re balking at because it “seems expensive”? Wait until you load your lovely new ERP system with garbage data and discover the true cost of that. We’re talking months of cleanup, lost productivity, and finance teams who’ve stopped making eye contact with you.

The Testing Trap

“Do we really need that much user acceptance testing? Can’t we just… wing it?”

No. You cannot wing it. You’re implementing software that controls your entire business. Cutting testing is like skipping the brake inspection on your car because “they probably still work.”

Our advice: Accept that ERP is a significant investment, because it is. Build a 20-30% contingency buffer into your budget. This isn’t us being pessimistic: project management best practices from PMI (Project Management Institute) recommend contingency reserves to cover ‘estimate uncertainty and risk exposure,’ typically ranging from 10-30% depending on project complexity. For ERP implementations, which are among the most complex enterprise projects, the higher end is justified.

Surprises will happen (guaranteed), and having the flexibility to absorb them beats the frantic, humiliating scramble for emergency funding mid-project.

Your CFO will thank you later.

4. Becoming Overly Dependent on Your Partner (The Hidden Hostage Situation)

This is perhaps the most common trap of all, hiding in plain sight like a ninja in business casual.

When all knowledge, code, documentation, and decision-making authority lives exclusively with your implementation partner, you’ve created a dangerous dependency. Every change (however minor) becomes a negotiation. Every question becomes a billable hour. Every enhancement becomes a six-week project with a quote that makes your eyes water.

How This Happens

  • Partner controls all documentation (it’s in their “system”, their DevOps)
  • Internal team never gets trained on anything beyond basic usage
  • All customizations are black boxes you can’t touch
  • You can’t even change a workflow without calling them

The Long-Term Cost

This dependency doesn’t end at go-live. It gets worse. Years later, you’re still paying premium rates for simple changes because nobody else can touch your system. You’ve essentially entered into a very expensive arranged marriage with your Microsoft partner. You didn’t even get to choose the dress.

Our advice:

  • Demand knowledge transfer from day one (not “eventually” or “at the end”)
  • Maintain documentation internally: in systems you control, YOUR DevOps
  • Build confidence within your team so they can challenge and contribute to decisions: hire internal employees who know D365 implementation cycles
  • Build internal D365 capability by hiring permanent staff who can own your system long-term (our parent company specializes in finding permanent D365 talent if you need to strengthen your internal team)
  • Consider bringing in independent D365 contractors for specific areas to avoid single-source dependency

ERP should empower your business and show undeniable ROI, not create long-term dependency.

Not sure if you’ve fallen into this trap? Take our Partner Dependency Assessment– it takes five minutes and will either give you peace of mind or a much-needed wake-up call.

Final Thoughts: The Good News About Predictable Failures

Here’s the thing about ERP projects failing for the same reasons repeatedly: if the problems are predictable, they’re also preventable.

The four issues above aren’t acts of God or unforeseeable circumstances. They’re choices—sometimes conscious, often unconscious—that compound over time until you’re starring in your own cautionary tale.

The Action Plan

If you’re currently in an ERP project (or about to start one):

  1. Audit your planning: Is it actually detailed or just detailed-looking?
  2. Check your team’s capacity: Are people genuinely freed up or just “expected to manage”?
  3. Review your budget: Does it include contingency or are you planning for perfection?
  4. Assess your partner dependency: Do you control your destiny or are you along for the ride?

Get a Reality Check

If you’re unsure whether your business has fallen into the over-reliance trap, assess your position now. We’ve created a quick Partner Dependency Assessment that takes five minutes and will reveal exactly where you stand.

The earlier you identify these risks, the easier (and cheaper) they are to fix.

The Bottom Line

Whilst our 362% figure was made up, the costs of a poorly run ERP project are very real—and very expensive, and very career-limiting for everyone involved.

Don’t become another statistic (real or imaginary). Plan properly, commit fully, budget realistically, and maintain control of your own destiny.

Get the Talent your ERP project deserves:

DISCUSS YOUR D365 TALENT STRATEGY WITH US TODAY

Hiring Dynamics 365 F&O Contractors: 4 Red Flags

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

Picture this: Monday morning. Your new D365 contractor walks in, all confidence and firm handshakes. By Wednesday afternoon, they’ve created a custom solution for something that exists out-of-the-box, corrupted your UAT environment, and asked if “Dynamics 365” is the cloud version of “Dynamics 360”.

True stories? OK, OK- maybe not the last one.

We’ve seen D365 F&O contractors who could rescue a burning project with one hand tied behind their back. I’ve also seen F&O “experts” who made me wonder if they’d ever actually opened the application or just watched YouTube tutorials on 2x speed.

Confident consultant arrives Monday; by Wednesday, the UAT environment is in chaos.

The difference between these two isn’t always obvious in an interview. Especially if you don’t have an expert on your side to ask the right questions. The bad ones have gotten really good at talking the talk. They’ve weaponized LinkedIn buzzwords. They’ve turned vague answers into an art form.

But they all share similar red flags. And once you know what to look for, they’re as obvious as a NASCAR sponsorship jacket at a black-tie dinner.

Why Bad D365 Contractors Are Worse Than No Contractors

Let me be clear: having nobody is better than having the wrong somebody.

An empty chair doesn’t corrupt your production database. A vacant desk doesn’t build elaborate workarounds for standard functionality. And a missing contractor definitely doesn’t convince your CFO that the only solution is a $500k custom development project when a simple configuration change would do.

Bad contractors don’t just fail to solve problems – they create new ones. Sometimes very subtlely. 

The worst bit? By the time you realize they’re in over their head, they’ve usually done some damage. Or burnt a LOT of precious time.

So let’s talk about the red flags to spot that’ll save you from this special circle of ERP hell.

Red Flag #1: The “We Did Everything” D365 F&O Expert

Here’s a fun game: Ask a contractor about their last project and count the pronouns.

Good contractors might sound like this: “I configured the allocation rules for their multi-entity structure. I designed the month-end close process. Sarah handled the technical integration while I focused on the functional design.”

Bad contractors sound like this: “We implemented the entire Finance module. We did a full end-to-end D365 F&SCM implementation. Our team delivered everything.”

See the difference?

When someone can’t articulate their specific contribution, it’s usually because they didn’t have one. They were either the coffee-fetcher on a large project or they’re straight-up lying about their involvement.

I once interviewed a contractor who claimed “we transformed the client’s entire financial operations.” Twenty minutes of probing revealed their actual role: updating Excel templates for data migration. Important? Sure. Transformation leader? Not quite.

The Test: Ask them to walk you through ONE specific thing THEY personally built or configured. If they start with “Well, the team…” or “We all worked on…” – run. Real experts can point to their work like a proud parent showing off kindergarten art.

HUMBLE NOTE: there are some very humble contractors out there that use the “royal we” in the spirit of being a team player: when in actual fact it was them (not the team). Get clarity by asking the simple question: “when you say ‘we’, do you mean ‘I’?”

Red Flag #2: The Universal D365 Genius

Meet Bob. Bob is amazing. Bob is a functional finance consultant AND a technical architect AND a project manager AND a data migration specialist AND an integration expert AND an Advanced Warehouse pro. Bob has never met a D365 module he couldn’t master. Bob is also full of… it.

Real D365 expertise is deep, not wide. The best D365 Finance consultant won’t go near a line of X++ code. The best technical architect I work with wouldn’t dream of designing a credit management process. They know their lanes and they stay in them.

Why? Because D365 F&O is massive. It’s complex. It changes constantly. Nobody – and I mean NOBODY – is an expert in absolutely everything. Maybe in D365 Business Central, but not D365 Finance & Supply Chain Management / Finance & Operations / whatever it’s latest name!

The contractors claiming universal expertise are usually mediocre at everything and expert at nothing. They’re the ones who’ll confidently say “yes” to any requirement, then frantically Google how to do it after the call.

The Test: Ask about something highly specific outside their claimed expertise area. A real expert will say, “That’s not my area, but I can recommend someone great” or “I’d need to research that.” A faker will bluff their way through it.

Red Flag #3: The Reference Dodger

This one’s my favorite because it’s so predictable.

The conversation goes like this:

  • You: “Can you provide a reference of one of those CIOs you helped in the past 5 years?”
  • Them: “Oh, they’re all under NDA.”
  • You: “All 4 of them?”
  • Them: “Yes, very sensitive industries.”
  • You: “Can they at least confirm you worked there?”
  • Them: [Sound of crickets and tumbleweeds]

Look, NDAs are real. But they don’t prevent someone from confirming a contractor did good work. Unless the work was performed through a Microsoft Partner organization (check with the contractor). If someone has supposedly worked on dozens of projects but can’t produce a single human who’ll vouch for them…

Good contractors? They’ve got references lined up like ducks in a row. They’ll volunteer them. They’ll say things like, “Call Jennifer at Contoso Manufacturing – she’ll tell you about the time I saved their year-end close.”

The Test: Push for just ONE reference. Even with NDAs, there’s always someone who can speak in general terms about their performance. If they can’t produce anyone, they’re either impossible to work with or lying about their experience. Either way, next!

Red Flag #4: The Vague F&O Storyteller

Ask a weak contractor about challenges they’ve solved, and you’ll get a masterclass in saying nothing with maximum words.

“We followed best practices to optimize their processes using industry standards and proven methodologies to achieve synergies and drive value.”

What does that even mean? It’s the contractor equivalent of a horoscope – vague enough that it could apply to anyone, specific enough to sound meaningful.

Compare that to a real expert’s response:

“They were doing manual journal entries for 200 intercompany transactions every month because their entity structure was set up wrong. I redesigned their legal entity hierarchy, set up automatic intercompany accounting, and eliminated 40 hours of manual work per month. The accounting team literally sent me cookies.”

One is specific, measurable, and includes enough detail that you can picture the problem and solution. The other is word salad with buzzword dressing.

The Test: Ask for specifics. What was the exact problem? What specifically did you do? What was the measurable outcome? If they can’t get specific, they weren’t there or didn’t do the work.

Your Gut Check Questions

Before you hire any D365 F&O contractor, ask yourself:

  1. Can they clearly explain what THEY specifically did on past projects?
  2. Do they admit to having limits and specialties?
  3. Can they provide at least one reference who’ll talk to you?
  4. Do their stories include specific problems, solutions, and outcomes?

A dial labeled ‘Gut Instinct’ points toward ‘Clear & Specific’ and away from ‘Buzzword Spin’.

The Bottom Line: Trust Your Instincts

Here’s what thirteen years of vetting contractors has taught me: your gut usually knows before your brain does.

If something feels off – the stories don’t quite add up, the expertise seems too broad, the references are always unavailable – trust that instinct. It’s your subconscious picking up on patterns that your conscious mind hasn’t processed yet.

Good contractors make you feel confident. They ask smart questions. They admit what they don’t know. They can point to specific wins. They have people willing to sing their praises.

Bad contractors make you feel like you’re being sold something. Because you are.

The difference between a project-saving contractor and a project-destroying one isn’t just technical skill – it’s integrity, experience, and the ability to be honest about both their capabilities and limitations.

Choose wisely. Your D365 project, your sanity, and quite possibly your job depend on it.

Still need to work on that gut instinct? (you are not alone) We’ve already vetted hundreds of D365 contractors so you don’t have to. 

Our contractors come with real references, specific expertise, and zero BS. 

Get matched with pre-vetted D365 contractors:

ERP Phase 0: The VP of IT’s Guide to Implementation Readiness

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

If you are a VP of IT staring down an ERP initiative, this might sound familiar:

The current system is holding the business back. Finance wants better reporting. Operations wants fewer workarounds. The exec team agrees that something needs to change if growth is the goal. What they do not yet agree on is scope, cost, timing, or how disruptive this will be.

“ERP Phase 0 is where the smartest VPs show their value.”

We’ve helped walk VP of ITs through D365 ERP programs, often after things went sideways. The pattern is consistent. Successful projects do not start with software or partners. They start with clarity, alignment, and control. That work lives in Phase 0.

This guide is written to help you run Phase 0 properly so you can secure executive buy-in, protect your team, and set the project up for success before any implementation contract is signed. But first…

What is ERP Phase 0?

It’s where the compass for your roadmap ahead is built. Your North Star when things get choppy (and they will).

Phase 0 is the diagnostic and pre-planning phase of an ERP program. Some organizations call it readiness assessment, business case development, or pre-planning. The name matters less than the outcome.

Phase 0 is where the business decides what problem it is solving and how it will govern the solution.

Phase 0 typically includes:

  • Building the ERP business case and project charter
  • Defining scope boundaries and success criteria
  • Mapping current and future state business processes
  • Documenting real requirements and pain points
  • Planning resourcing, governance, and decision ownership
  • Identifying risks early, including data, integrations, and change impact
  • Defining how partners will be selected and evaluated

What Phase 0 is not:

  • Vendor demos or RFPs
  • ERP & tool selection
  • Configuration or design
  • Sales-driven discovery sessions

A successful Phase 0 is introspective for the most part. Where are we? Are we ready? What must be done? If Phase 0 feels uncomfortable, that is usually a sign it is working. It forces decisions that are often deferred until it is too late.

Why ERP Projects Fail When Phase 0 Is Rushed or Skipped

When ERP projects struggle, it is rarely because of the software. It is because the foundation was weak.

Here are the most common Phase 0 failures I see.

1. Lack of executive alignment

Funding gets approved, but leadership is not aligned on what success actually looks like. IT becomes accountable for outcomes it does not control.

2. Vendor led definition

Partners define scope, requirements, and timelines before the business has agreed internally. The project drifts toward what is easy to sell rather than what the business needs.

3. ERP treated as a side job

Subject matter experts are expected to do ERP work on top of their day jobs. No backfill is planned. Burnout starts before build even begins.

These are not go live problems. They are Phase 0 problems.

Here is your 6 Step process to nailing Phase 0:

Step 1: Define the Business Case So You Can Get Approved With Confidence

Your first job in Phase 0 is not to justify technology. It is to frame the business problem.

Executives want clear answers to a few questions:

  • Why are we doing this now?
  • What business outcomes are we driving?
  • What happens if we do nothing?
  • What will change for the organization?

Lead with outcomes, not features. Avoid module lists and screenshots. You could even argue that deciding between D365 Finance & Supply Chain Management or D365 Business Central isn’t important yet. Focus on measurable impact such as financial visibility, operational efficiency, risk reduction, or scalability.

The output of this step should be a concise business case that an executive can defend in a board conversation without you in the room. I often hear executives say they are being asked to approve a large investment without a shared understanding of what “right” looks like. One CFO described it this way:

“The hardest part of this project is that the exec team doesn’t know what right looks like. Getting alignment at the executive level is my number one priority.” 

CFO, Food & Beverage MFG Company

Phase 0 is where you define that picture clearly enough that everyone can point to the same destination.

Step 2: Establish Scope and Guardrails Before Everyone Wants Their Version

ERP projects fail quietly through scope creep long before they fail loudly through budget overruns.

Phase 0 is where you define boundaries.

That includes:

  • What business units are in scope
  • What processes are in scope
  • What will not be addressed in this phase

Clear guardrails do not limit the business. They protect it.

As a VP of IT, this is also where you earn trust. Saying not now with a clear rationale is far better than saying yes and failing later.

Step 3: Map Business Processes and Real Requirements Before Talking to Vendors

Requirements are about decisions, not wish lists.

In Phase 0, process mapping should focus on:

  • Where the business is today
  • Where it truly needs to be
  • What pain points must be resolved
  • Where standardization is acceptable
  • Where flexibility is non-negotiable

This work must be business-owned, not vendor-authored. If a partner writes your requirements, you will get a solution optimized for their delivery model.

This is also where strong IT leaders must resist the urge to hand control to vendors.

“Do not let vendors run the show. You need to know what you want and why before a Partner proposes solutions.”   

D365 F&SCM Program Manager

Strong requirements give you leverage later. Weak ones hand it away.

Step 4: Build the Real Resourcing and Governance Model

This is where ERP plans become credible or quietly fail. In Phase 0, resourcing must move from assumed to explicit.

The most common mistake? Assigning “Reviewers” instead of “Decision Makers.” You must identify who truly owns the business processes across Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations. These individuals cannot just be invited to meetings; they must have the authority to pull triggers and the capacity for sustained involvement.

Identify Resource Gaps Early

Most organizations do not have deep, end-to-end ERP implementation experience sitting on the bench. That is normal. However, significant risk emerges when internal teams are expected to:

  • Design complex “future state” processes
  • Audit and challenge aggressive vendor recommendations
  • Make high-stakes architecture decisions

…all while seeing D365 ERP for the very first time.

Where Independent D365 Contractors Add Value

This is the “Keystone” moment. Experienced independent D365 contractors fill these critical gaps without adding permanent headcount. They aren’t there to do the work your team can do; they are there to provide the framework your team doesn’t have yet.

Independent contractors bring:

  • Pattern Recognition: They’ve seen 10+ D365 programs and know where the “landmines” are buried in your specific industry.
  • Neutrality: They provide objective guidance without the pressure of hitting software sales quotas or billable-hour targets.
  • Cross-Functional Vision: A D365 Solution Architect understands how a small change in Supply Chain configuration will create a massive reconciliation headache for Finance three months later.

This is exactly why we built the community at d365contractors.com. We give VPs of IT direct access to vetted, independent leaders who have already lived through Phase 0 and know how to tie Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations into a unified, functional system.

Stop the “Side-Job” Death Spiral

If your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are expected to contribute without a backfill plan, the project is already at risk.

  • Operational Backfill: Their daily responsibilities must be covered by someone else.
  • Burnout Prevention: ERP work is mentally taxing. If it’s treated as a “side job,” your best people will leave before UAT begins.

As one VP of IT we spoke to put it:

“If your internal team is doing this as a side job, you are doomed.”

Establish Hard Governance

Strong governance isn’t about bureaucracy; it’s about velocity. You need a clear path to “Yes.”

  1. Steering Committee: Executive-level authority to resolve budget and priority conflicts.
  2. Process Owners: The “single throat to choke” for every department.
  3. Escalation Paths: A defined 24-hour rule for decisions that stall the project.

Step 5: Identify Risks Early So You Are Not Asking for Emergency Budget Later

VPs of IT worry about missing something, and for good reason. Industry research has consistently shown that ERP failures are far more often tied to poor upfront planning and governance than to technology itself, a trend documented in multiple ERP studies by firms such as Panorama Consulting.

Risk discussion is true leadership. Phase 0 should surface risks such as:

  • Data quality and migration complexity
  • Integration dependencies
  • Customization pressure
  • Regulatory or compliance constraints
  • Change readiness across teams

Executives are far more receptive to risk when it is presented early and tied to mitigation plans. Late surprises damage credibility and trust. Experienced program leaders are consistent on this point. Risks that surface late are rarely new. They are risks that were not discussed early.

As one ERP delivery leader noted:

“You want data migration and risk planning to start during Phase 0, not in parallel with testing.”

D365 F&SCM Delivery Leader

Step 6: Use Phase 0 to Control Partner Selection Instead of Being Sold To

Partner selection should be a consequence of clarity, not a substitute for it.

When Phase 0 is done well, you can:

  • Run a focused RFP or RFI
  • Compare vendors on an apples to apples basis
  • Validate delivery models and references
  • Negotiate scope and accountability from a position of strength

When Phase 0 is skipped, the loudest sales team wins. The business pays for it later.

Successful D365 Phase 0 Checklist:

Phase 0 is complete when you have:

  • An approved business case
  • Aligned executive stakeholders
  • Defined scope and success criteria
  • Documented business processes and requirements
  • A realistic resourcing and governance model
  • A visible risk register
  • Clear Partner selection criteria
  • A board-ready budget narrative

At this point, implementation becomes execution, not discovery.

Thinking about an ERP Project? Start with Phase 0

If you are a VP of IT preparing for a D365 ERP initiative and want to sanity-check your Phase 0 approach before taking it to the executive team, we can help.

At d365contractors.com, we work with IT leaders during the earliest planning stages to validate assumptions, identify resourcing gaps, and bring in independent D365 experts where needed.

Book a call with Ryan to pressure-test your Phase 0 plan before implementation decisions are locked in:

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring D365 Contractors in 2026

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

How to find, vet, and deploy elite D365 freelancer talent: without getting burned.

Let’s start with the obvious: vetted Dynamics 365 talent is harder than ever to find.

Between partner churn, AI-generated resumes, and freelancers who never live up to interview-expectations, it’s no wonder so many ERP project leaders are fed up.

And yet…

✅ The right D365 contractor can save your project
✅ Fill a critical skill gap in days or weeks (not months)
✅ And save you hundreds of thousands in partner markup

So if you’re considering hiring a D365 contractor (or just want to avoid your last hiring mistake) this is your complete guide to doing it right.

What Is a D365 Contractor?

A D365 contractor is an independent consultant or freelancer hired on a temporary basis to work on Microsoft Dynamics 365 projects. Most specialize in specific areas like:

    • Finance & Project Accounting

    • Supply Chain & Warehouse Management (WMS)

    • Manufacturing

    • Data Migration & Integrations

    • Development (X++, Power Platform, Azure)

Unlike full-time hires or partners, contractors are flexible, fast to onboard, and bring deep experience in specific modules or industries.

When Should You Hire a D365 Contractor?

Hiring a contractor is smart when:

Scenario Contractor Win
Mid-project stall or deadline pressure Inject speed and experience
Staff turnover or knowledge gaps Temporary coverage or mentorship
Implementation partner falling short Bring in a fixer or QA layer
Need expertise in a niche module (e.g. WMS, Revenue Recognition) Get a specialist without hiring full-time
Budget pressure Avoid partner markup and pay for output

If your internal team or partner is stuck in analysis paralysis- or burning hours on rework- a contractor can course-correct fast.

What to Look for in a Great D365 Contractor

Here’s what separates the pros from the posers:

✅ Proven, relevant experience

“15 years of AX” is great. But have they actually led a D365 F&O upgrade? In your industry?

✅ Strong communication skills

If they can’t explain a config change to your business lead, they’re not the right fit.

✅ References & outcomes

Don’t just ask what they did. Ask what business outcome they delivered.

✅ Comfortable with messy projects

Great contractors know how to work inside chaos- and bring order fast.

Red Flags to Avoid

💬 “I’m a quick learner” (this is not the time for learning)

🧩 Generic resumes with every module listed

🕵️ No LinkedIn presence, no referrals, no accountability

💸 Bargain-basement rates (you’ll pay double to fix it later)

What Do D365 Contractors Cost in 2026?

Here’s a rough guide for North America (USD):

Role Rate Range (Remote)
Functional Consultant (Finance, SCM, MFG, Retail) $120–$175/hr
Senior Solution Architect $150–$200/hr
Developer (X++, Power Platform) $100–$160/hr
Data Migration / Integration $120–$180/hr
Project Manager $150–$200/hr

Tip: Higher isn’t always better- but overly cheap begs questions…

Where to Find the Best D365 Contractors

Here are your options- and the pros/cons of each:

❔ LinkedIn or Job Boards

Expect: Dozens of low-quality OR AI-generated applications
✅ Cheap to post adverts
❌ Time-consuming to sift thru applicants

❔ Traditional Recruiters

Expect: Slow turnaround, hit or miss vetting
✅ Recruiters can find gems, saves you time
❌ Mixed technical screening

✅ The only Vetted community for D365 Contractors: D365contractors.com

Expect: Pre-vetted, senior independent consultants with deep D365 + industry experience
✅ Fast, focused matches of real people
✅ Transparent, flexible pricing
❌ More expensive than hiring directly

Ready-to-Hire Checklist

Before you onboard a D365 contractor:

    • Define clear role scope and outcomes

    • Set expectations for documentation and knowledge transfer

    • Ensure they’ll integrate with your internal or partner team

    • Confirm rate, hours/week, and timeline

    • Request at least one relevant reference

Need a more detailed checklist to vet D365 contractors yourself?

D365 Contractor Checklist

Final Thoughts

Hiring a D365 contractor shouldn’t feel like rolling the dice.

With the right person, you get speed, expertise, and outcomes– without the overhead of a partner or the long ramp of a full-time hire.

And if you’re tired of resumes that don’t match reality?

👉 We’ll introduce you to contractors we’d trust with our own ERP.
No fluff. No junior fillers. Just pros who’ve done it before.

🔗 Let’s Talk

Need help picking the right contractor for your project?
Book a quick call or contact us: [email protected].

The Contractor’s Guide to Stupidly Simple Communication

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

But First: Let’s Talk About That Contractor Who Ruined It for Everyone

You know the one. They were brilliant at D365. Absolute wizard with configurations. Then one day they just… vanished. Poof. 

Three days later they resurface with some story about their internet being down. The client’s eye starts twitching. Trust is broken. And suddenly every D365 contractor after them gets treated like a flight risk.

Don’t be that contractor.

Look, I get it. You chose contracting for the freedom. No boring meetings about meetings. No corporate BS. No mandatory fun committees. But here’s the thing – your clients are betting their careers on you showing up. The least you can do is tell them when you won’t be around.

This guide is about the stupidly simple communication habits that keep clients happy and keep you busy. And those extensions rolling on.

Rule #1: The “No Surprises” Policy (Unless It’s Cake)

Your client finding out you’re off on Friday… on Friday morning… is not the kind of surprise anyone enjoys.

Here’s what works:

  • Monday morning: “Here’s what I’m tackling this week” (30 seconds to type, saves 30 minutes of panicked client emails)
  • Doctor appointment next month? Tell them now. Why wait?
  • Big request comes in? Even just “Got it, will dig in after lunch” beats radio silence

Real example that actually happened: “Hey team, dental appointment Thursday November 20th, 1-4pm. The reconciliation scripts will be done and documented before I abandon you for my root canal. If anything explodes while I’m gone, blame Dave.”

Client’s love this. And it’s so simple.

Rule #2: Yes, We Know You Have Other Clients (We’re Not Idiots)

Your clients aren’t children. They know you’re not sitting around waiting for their emails like a golden retriever. Well, not ALL the time! They know you have other clients. What drives them crazy is not knowing WHERE they fit in your world.

Just be straight with them: “Cards on the table – I’ve got another client who gets my Tuesdays and Thursdays. You get MWF and my full attention those days. If something catches fire on a Tuesday, I’ll handle it, but my standard response time is MWF. Cool?”

You know what clients say to this? “Cool.”

You know what they say when you’re mysteriously ‘busy’ every Tuesday without explanation? Nothing good.

The worst excuse I ever heard: “Sorry, I was… uh… walking the dog all day.” Dude. At least make up something believable. You have a Pug.

Rule #3: Taking Vacation Doesn’t Make You a Bad Contractor

Taking vacation WITHOUT WARNING just isn’t cool.

The 3-2-1 Countdown:

  • 3 weeks out: “Hey, heading to the Bahamas first week of December”
  • 2 weeks out: “Remember that Bahamas thing? Here’s my coverage plan”
  • 1 week out: “Bahamas next week! Everything’s documented, Dave knows what’s up”

The message that makes clients love you:

“Heads up – I’m off March 1-5 (finally using those airline credits from 2020 🙄). Here’s what’ll be done before I go:

  • User permissions audit – DONE by Feb 26
  • Month-end close documentation – DONE by Feb 27
  • Dave’s briefed on everything (he owes me one anyway)
  • My phone works in Mexico if something literally catches fire

Anything else you need before I abandon you for tacos and questionable tequila?”

Rule #4: When Life Punches You in the Face

Kid projectile vomits at 3am? Car battery decides today’s the day to die? Life happens.

The “Oh Crap” Protocol:

Send this immediately (yes, even at 6am):

“Morning [Client]. Life happened. [Brief truth]. Need to handle this until ~2pm. The warranty report will still hit your inbox by 5pm today. Will update you at 2pm. Sorry for the disruption – my [car/kid/cat] apparently hates project deadlines.”

What NOT to say:

  • “Something came up” (They’re imagining you at the beach)
  • Nothing (They’re imagining you at the beach)
  • An elaborate lie about food poisoning (We all know you’re hungover, Steve)

Rule #5: The Friday Insurance Policy

Every Friday, spend 5 minutes writing this email/Teams message. It’ll save you from Monday morning panic texts.

The World’s Simplest Status Update:

“Friday wrap-up:

Done this week:

  • Fixed that weird bug in the payment terms
  • Taught accounting how to actually use the reports
  • Prevented Dave from breaking production (again)

Next week:

  • Month-end close prep
  • That integration thing we discussed
  • More Dave damage control

Need from you:

  • Approval on the warranty config
  • Someone to tell Dave to stop touching things

Have a good weekend! 🍻”

Takes 5 minutes. Prevents 5 hours of “where are we on…?” emails/Teams.

The “I’m Getting Swamped” Conversation

When every client suddenly needs everything yesterday (usually in December, because of course), here’s how to not implode:

The message that shows you’re a pro:

“Hey [Client], being transparent here – I’m getting stretched pretty thin across all my clients. Your D365 project is important to me and I want to make sure I’m not dropping balls. Can we do a quick call to prioritize what absolutely needs to happen this week vs. what can wait? I’d rather be honest now than disappointing later.”

Clients LOVE this. Know what they hate? When you say yes to everything then deliver garbage because you’re running on 3 hours of sleep and coffee fumes.

Tools That Make You Look Like You Have Your Sh*t Together

Bare minimum:

  • Calendar that shows when you’re available (doesn’t need detail, just “Available” vs “Booked”)
  • Surprise out-of-office that doesn’t say “I’ll respond when I return” 
  • Slack/Teams status that isn’t permanently set to “Away” (we see you, Kevin)

Next level:

  • Phone reminder every Friday at 3pm: “Send status updates, dummy”
  • Template folder called “Excuses” (kidding… call it “Client Communication Templates”)
  • At least one contractor buddy who’ll cover for you (and vice versa) in mega situations

The Bottom Line (The Part Where I Get Serious for 30 Seconds)

You’re not an employee, but you’re not a ghost either.

The D365 contractors who survive long-term aren’t necessarily the best technically. They’re the ones who answer their damn emails and tell people when they’ll be gone.

Your clients don’t need you to be available 24/7. They need to know WHEN you’re available and trust that you’ll show up when you say you will.

It’s literally that simple.

Your Homework 😀 

  1. Right now: Send every live client a status update. Even if it’s “Everything’s on track, no blockers, talk Monday.”
  2. Check your calendar: Any time off in the next month? Tell your clients. Today.
  3. Set a phone reminder: Every Friday, 3pm – “Send weekly updates or clients will panic”
  4. Save this message template: “Hi [Client], emergency came up, will be back online by [time], [deliverable] still on track for [deadline]. Will update you at [time].”
  5. Forward this guide to that one contractor friend who needs it (we all know who it is)

“The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel, and misrepresentation.” – Some smart person who probably got ghosted by a contractor

The Verticalisation of ERP. Why Dynamics 365 Contractors Are Now the Difference Between Success and Stagnation

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

For years, ERP was sold as a one-size-fits-all promise a central nervous system for any business, regardless of industry. But in 2025, that idea feels almost quaint.

Today, ERP is defined by verticalisation solutions purpose-built for the nuances of specific sectors.
Manufacturers need predictive maintenance and IoT-enabled visibility. Financial services demand multi-entity consolidation and ESG reporting. Retailers expect real-time customer intelligence. Healthcare organisations require end-to-end data security and compliance under HIPAA or FDA regulations.

And no platform has leaned into this shift more effectively than Microsoft Dynamics 365.

From Monolithic to Modular

Microsoft’s evolution of D365 from a single, broad ERP to a composable ecosystem of industry clouds has changed the delivery model entirely. Instead of long, inflexible deployments, organisations are layering modular capabilities on top of a common Dataverse and AI foundation scaling functionality as business maturity increases.

The result? ERP projects that are faster, smarter, and infinitely more adaptable.

But this transformation introduces a new challenge and opportunity for the talent market.

The Rise of the Industry-Fluent Contractor

A D365 contractor in 2025 is not simply a functional consultant or technical specialist.
They are now industry interpreters professionals who can translate sector-specific regulations, operating models, and data flows into tangible D365 configurations.

  • In manufacturing, the demand is for contractors fluent in IoT telemetry, demand forecasting models, and mixed reality workflows.
  • In financial services, it’s those who can embed predictive cash-flow models, ESG metrics, and regulatory controls within D365 Finance.
  • For retail, the value lies in integrating Customer Insights, Commerce, and AI-driven merchandising to deliver omnichannel intelligence.
  • Within healthcare, contractors with experience aligning Cloud for Healthcare to patient engagement and data-privacy standards are commanding a premium.

These roles sit at the intersection of business process, data architecture, and industry regulation and they’re redefining what it means to be a D365 expert.

Why This Matters for the Market

As organisations move from generic ERP roll-outs to high-context, vertical deployments, they need specialists who can configure the nuances, not just the core.

That’s why D365 contractors with deep industry fluency are in unprecedented demand not to fill resource gaps, but to drive value creation.
They’re the difference between implementing software and activating strategy.

The next wave of ERP transformation won’t be led by technology alone, it will be led by the people who understand how to make it relevant.

In short:
ERP is evolving from a system of record to a system of intelligence and the most valuable contractors are those who can bring that intelligence to life, sector by sector.

Why Do So Many D365 ERP Projects Go Over Budget?

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

When ERP Projects Go Over Budget: Business professional reviewing escalating ERP implementation costs and budget overruns on computer screen

The Confession:

OK, I have to come clean: that headline stat about 362%? We made it up*. Don’t believe everything you read on LinkedIn 😀

Unlike others online posting ridiculous stats: we’re not afraid to admit it. Tongue in cheek.

But if you’ve ever lived through an ERP disaster, you probably nodded and thought, “Yeah, that’s about right…”

And that’s the problem. ERP overruns are so common that completely fabricated statistics feel believable. Kinda.

In our experience advising and rescuing Dynamics 365 ERP projects, the truth is this: ERP implementations don’t go off the rails by accident. They fail for the same, predictable, face-palmingly avoidable reasons.

Here are the four biggest culprits we hear about time and again.

*The real numbers? According to Gartner research, between 55% and 75% of all ERP projects fail to meet their objectives: whether through project abandonment, significant budget overruns, or extended timelines.*

1. Rushed and Unrealistic Planning (Or: “How Hard Could It Be?”)

Picture this: Leadership announces the ERP project on Monday. By Friday, you’re expected to have a “comprehensive project plan” ready for review. So you cobble together a Gantt chart that looks impressive, slap some optimistic dates on it, and pray nobody asks about the details.

Sound familiar?

More often than not, organizations attempt to compress ERP planning into a matter of weeks. The resulting project plan is full of assumptions, wishful thinking, and timelines that would make a Formula 1 pit crew nervous.

The truth: ERP planning is a specialized discipline. When rushed, it creates a cascade of problems that haunt you throughout implementation and beyond. Underestimated complexity, inadequate resource allocation, and scope creep make cutting corners feel like a good option.

Why This Happens

  • Executive pressure to “get moving”
  • Underestimating the complexity of your existing processes
  • Nobody wants to be the person who says “this will take six months of planning”

The Real Cost

Every shortcut in planning costs you exponentially later. That week you saved upfront? You’ll spend it three times over troubleshooting issues that shouldn’t exist.

Our advice: Take ERP planning seriously. Invest the time upfront and involve an experienced D365 ERP project manager from day one. A proper ERP project plan should span dozens of pages, not a single Word document. Every day spent planning properly saves weeks and tens of thousands of dollars later.

TIP: We have a network of seasoned D365 ERP Project Managers who have delivered multiple implementations, we’d be happy to discuss finding a fit for someone who’s also got experience in your specific industry.

2. Underestimating the Internal Commitment Required (The “Side Project” Delusion)

Here’s a conversation that happens in approximately 99% of organizations:

Executive: “So, Sarah can handle the ERP implementation, right?”
Manager: “Well, she’s currently running the entire finance department, but sure, she can probably squeeze it in.”
Narrator: She could not, in fact, squeeze it in.

ERP transformation is not something people can do “on the side” while maintaining their usual day jobs. Yet this is exactly the expectation many businesses set- and then act shocked when things fall apart.

What Actually Happens

Without dedicated internal ERP resources:

  • Projects stall waiting for decisions
  • Knowledge gaps emerge and never get filled
  • Partners end up making business-critical decisions (because someone has to)
  • Misalignment grows like mold in a damp bathroom
  • Costs escalate while everyone points fingers

The Partner isn’t the problem here. Your team simply cannot contribute meaningfully while also doing their actual jobs. It’s like asking someone to paint your house while they’re still living in it and hosting dinner parties. It can be done, but nobody is gonna enjoy it.

Our advice: Treat your ERP implementation as a full-time commitment. Either backfill your key people or free them up entirely. The “halfway house” approach- where people are supposed to do both their regular job AND the ERP project- works approximately never.

When ERP Projects Go Over Budget: Comparison of planned ERP project timeline versus actual implementation reality showing common delays

3. Cutting Corners on an Inherently Expensive Undertaking (AKA Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish)

ERP systems are expensive. They’re expensive because they’re complex, business-critical, and replace literally every system that runs your company.

Yet somehow, businesses convince themselves there’s a “budget version” that’ll work just fine.

The False Economy

Attempts to drive down costs at every stage – whether by reducing scope, minimizing testing, or treating contingency planning like it’s optional – almost always backfire spectacularly.

In reality: That data migration you’re balking at because it “seems expensive”? Wait until you load your lovely new ERP system with garbage data and discover the true cost of that. We’re talking months of cleanup, lost productivity, and finance teams who’ve stopped making eye contact with you.

The Testing Trap

“Do we really need that much user acceptance testing? Can’t we just… wing it?”

No. You cannot wing it. You’re implementing software that controls your entire business. Cutting testing is like skipping the brake inspection on your car because “they probably still work.”

Our advice: Accept that ERP is a significant investment, because it is. Build a 20-30% contingency buffer into your budget. This isn’t us being pessimistic: project management best practices from PMI (Project Management Institute) recommend contingency reserves to cover ‘estimate uncertainty and risk exposure,’ typically ranging from 10-30% depending on project complexity. For ERP implementations, which are among the most complex enterprise projects, the higher end is justified.

Surprises will happen (guaranteed), and having the flexibility to absorb them beats the frantic, humiliating scramble for emergency funding mid-project.

Your CFO will thank you later.

4. Becoming Overly Dependent on Your Partner (The Hidden Hostage Situation)

This is perhaps the most common trap of all, hiding in plain sight like a ninja in business casual.

When all knowledge, code, documentation, and decision-making authority lives exclusively with your implementation partner, you’ve created a dangerous dependency. Every change (however minor) becomes a negotiation. Every question becomes a billable hour. Every enhancement becomes a six-week project with a quote that makes your eyes water.

How This Happens

  • Partner controls all documentation (it’s in their “system”, their DevOps)
  • Internal team never gets trained on anything beyond basic usage
  • All customizations are black boxes you can’t touch
  • You can’t even change a workflow without calling them

The Long-Term Cost

This dependency doesn’t end at go-live. It gets worse. Years later, you’re still paying premium rates for simple changes because nobody else can touch your system. You’ve essentially entered into a very expensive arranged marriage with your Microsoft partner. You didn’t even get to choose the dress.

Our advice:

  • Demand knowledge transfer from day one (not “eventually” or “at the end”)
  • Maintain documentation internally: in systems you control, YOUR DevOps
  • Build confidence within your team so they can challenge and contribute to decisions: hire internal employees who know D365 implementation cycles
  • Build internal D365 capability by hiring permanent staff who can own your system long-term (our parent company specializes in finding permanent D365 talent if you need to strengthen your internal team)
  • Consider bringing in independent D365 contractors for specific areas to avoid single-source dependency

ERP should empower your business and show undeniable ROI, not create long-term dependency.

Not sure if you’ve fallen into this trap? Take our Partner Dependency Assessment– it takes five minutes and will either give you peace of mind or a much-needed wake-up call.

Final Thoughts: The Good News About Predictable Failures

Here’s the thing about ERP projects failing for the same reasons repeatedly: if the problems are predictable, they’re also preventable.

The four issues above aren’t acts of God or unforeseeable circumstances. They’re choices—sometimes conscious, often unconscious—that compound over time until you’re starring in your own cautionary tale.

The Action Plan

If you’re currently in an ERP project (or about to start one):

  1. Audit your planning: Is it actually detailed or just detailed-looking?
  2. Check your team’s capacity: Are people genuinely freed up or just “expected to manage”?
  3. Review your budget: Does it include contingency or are you planning for perfection?
  4. Assess your partner dependency: Do you control your destiny or are you along for the ride?

Get a Reality Check

If you’re unsure whether your business has fallen into the over-reliance trap, assess your position now. We’ve created a quick Partner Dependency Assessment that takes five minutes and will reveal exactly where you stand.

The earlier you identify these risks, the easier (and cheaper) they are to fix.

The Bottom Line

Whilst our 362% figure was made up, the costs of a poorly run ERP project are very real—and very expensive, and very career-limiting for everyone involved.

Don’t become another statistic (real or imaginary). Plan properly, commit fully, budget realistically, and maintain control of your own destiny.

Get the Talent your ERP project deserves:

DISCUSS YOUR D365 TALENT STRATEGY WITH US TODAY

Related Resources:

Hiring a D365 F&O Contractor: The End-User’s Field Guide

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

(North-American Edition)

Welcome

If you’re reading this, congratulations: you’re entertaining the radical idea of buying expertise exactly when you need it. And only for as long as you need it. In a world where every CFO is counting headcount like calories, that’s borderline heroic.

“But Ryan, aren’t contractors mercenaries who vanish mid-project?”

Only if you pick the wrong ones and treat them like disposable coffee pods. The D365contractors.com Community sticks around because good pay + good treatment = loyalty. Simple.

This guide is specifically for hiring Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations freelancers, aka D365 F&SCM aka Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain experts. We will use the terms interchangeably- but make no mistake we are talking about the legacy Dynamics AX product.

Why Bother?

These are the 4 most popular reasons for choosing a contractor over an FTE hire. But it’s not an exclusive list. If in doubt, we are happy to walk through a custom-fit analysis.

  • Speed to Impact. A seasoned D365 F&O pro can land on Monday and be worth their bill rate by Thursday.
  • Project-Length Flexibility. Six-month carve-out? Three-week rescue mission? No awkward “what do we do with them now?” conversations.
  • Different Budget Bucket. Contractor spend usually sits in project/OPEX, not head-count CAPEX- handy when FTE freezes rain down from Corporate.
  • Partner Counter-Balance. Bringing an independent D365 F&SCM SME in-house lets you own decisions instead of rubber-stamping your implementation partner (and often saves a fortune).

Knowing who NOT to hire is arguably more important than choosing who TO hire. There’s a lot of fakers, AI bots and time wasters out there.

We have a LOT of data about the location D365 F&O freelancers and permanent talent across the USA. Happy to share what we know about your local town or city (ask Ryan).

Budget Intelligence:

Here’s what North-American market rates for D365 F&O contractors look like at the time of writing (June 2025).

RoleTypical Range (USD / hour)
D365 F&O Functional Analysts (Fin, SCM, MFG, WMS)$125 – $175
D365 F&O Project Managers$150 – $220
D365 F&O Solution Architects$160 – $220
D365 F&O Developers & Technical Architects$130 – $180

If you work with a Partner already, these rates might make your CFO pay attention. We would back D365contractors.com Community members to be every bit as good (or better!) than Partner consultants.

Invoice Cadence: We pay our contractors every two weeks. If you hire directly, expect anything from weekly timesheets to 45-day terms: but clarify this up-front so Accounts Payable doesn’t panic.

You Are Now a Talent Magnet

Think of D365 contractors as customers: they choose you as much as you choose them. Want them to stick around?

  1. Pay promptly. Nothing kills goodwill faster than a “Just chasing my invoice…” email.
  2. Communicate scope changes early. Especially including project delays. Surprises are fun only on birthdays.
  3. Include them in wins. A contractor who feels part of the team is far less likely to ghost-quit.

(And yes, if you use D365contractors.com: we background-check, community-check, and paperwork-wrangle so you don’t have to.)

Outcomes, Outcomes, Outcomes

Nobody hires an F&O contractor because they “seem nice.” You hire them to:

  • Hit a go-live date that’s already wobbling.
  • Rescue a warehouse where pick paths resemble a toddler’s Crayon drawing.
  • Transfer knowledge so your internal team can run D365 F&SCM without a training-wheel partner.

Measure success in business terms- days shaved off close, lines picked per hour, % reduction in partner spend- not Jira tickets closed.

Proof It Works (Real Stories)

  • Global Toy Manufacturer – Three senior D365 F&O specialists parachuted in; go-live stayed on track, and internal ownership skyrocketed.
  • Industrial Engineering Manufacturer – D365 vacancies that lingered for months were filled in days, delivering “the best go-live we’ve ever had.”
  • Food Manufacturer – Bilingual warehouse & finance experts turned a shaky rollout into a model upgrade, with audit-ready docs and happier operators.
  • National Agricultural Firm – Upgrading from Dynamics AX to D365 F&O started with a complete overhaul of their chart of accounts. Get the legacy platform and data right before you launch an upgrade.

Sound like you? We can provide full information on these upon request. Just ask Ryan.

Admin (but Make It Easy)

Like any business-to-business relationship, there is no escaping the admin. Contractors have mouths to feed, mortgages to pay, taxes to manage. We do what we can to make that easy for you.

Some pointers:

  • Timesheets: Approve weekly in our portal; every hour has an audit trail and optional work-note narrative.
  • One All-In Rate: Taxes, benefits, insurances—baked in. No hidden HR overhead.
  • Records Retention: We store timesheets & invoices for two years for painless audits.

Prefer to self-manage? Be ready to juggle W-9s, 1099s, vendor onboarding, PO amendments, and the occasional “my password expired again” ticket.

First Time Basics

First-time D365 F&O contractor hire? Talk to someone who’s done it: successfully. We couldn’t recommend this enough.

A quick coffee with a peer CFO or IT leader can save you from six-figure mistakes. (Need intros? We know a few.) We won’t be offended if you’d prefer to do this than talk to use. But we can help here too.

Decide

Full-time hire, partner resources, or contractor?

None are irreversible, but we think only one gives you immediate firepower without permanent payroll weight. If you remember nothing else about hiring F&SCM freelancers, remember this:

Choose wisely, pay fairly, treat them well, and watch your D365 F&O project (and your sanity) thrive.

Ready when you are if you want expert advice.

5 Reasons Why D365 Failure is YOUR Fault

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

D365 implementations can feel overwhelming. You start with big ambitions- a system that will streamline operations, improve reporting, and drive growth– only to end up in frustration, delays, and unexpected challenges.

When this happens, the first (easiest) reaction is: “Our Microsoft partner messed this up!”

But while D365 partners play a crucial role, they are not ultimately the ones running their business with this new system. You are.

The truth is, some challenges can only be solved by getting your own ducks in a row.

So instead of focusing on blame, let’s focus on ownership– because understanding what went wrong is the first step to getting it right next time.

1️⃣ Your Business Requirements Were a Moving Target 1️⃣

Your D365 partner isn’t a mind reader.

If your business starts the project with unclear requirements, vague objectives, and changing priorities, your D365 partner is guessing at best and chasing a moving target at worst.

If you don’t know what success looks like, how can they deliver it?

What You Should Be Doing (Not Your Partner):

✔️ Map your business processes before implementation- don’t wait for your D365 partner to “figure it out” for you.

✔️ Identify and align key stakeholders across finance, sales, operations, and IT before project kickoff.

✔️ Define must-haves vs. nice-to-haves– D365 partners can’t read minds, and they can’t prioritize what your business really needs.

FACT: Your D365 partner can configure the system, but they can’t define your business strategy. That’s on you.

2️⃣ Your Leadership Team Was Watching from the Sidelines 2️⃣

See content credentials

D365 isn’t an IT project: it’s a business transformation.

And yet, in many failed implementations, leadership treats it like a back-office initiative, offloading the responsibility to the Partner and checking out.

When leadership isn’t engaged, employees don’t take the project seriously. And when roadblocks appear, no one has the authority to push through them.

What You Should Be Doing (Not Your Partner):

✔️ Deicide on ONE executive sponsor from day one: ideally this is the CFO.

✔️ Have leaders actively participate in meetings and adoption efforts.

✔️ Communicate the business impact of D365- so employees see why it matters.

FACT: Your D365 partner can build the system, but they can’t force your leaders to care. That’s on you.

3️⃣ You Gave Your Team a New System: But No Training 3️⃣

D365 isn’t a plug-and-play system—it requires training, practice, and ongoing support.

If employees aren’t properly trained, they’ll struggle, resist the system, and blame the software (or the partner).

No training = No adoption = D365 failure.

What You Should Be Doing (Not Your Partner):

✔️ Plan a structured training program—don’t expect people to just “pick it up.”

✔️ Run hands-on workshops instead of dumping a 100-page manual on employees.

✔️ Assign D365 champions inside the company—internal experts who can guide and support others.

✔️ Make training part of onboarding—so new hires don’t repeat the same mistakes.

FACT: The customization delivered by your Partner probably works flawlessly, but if Bob doesn’t understand how it helps him ship more product out of the Warehouse. That’s on you.

4️⃣ Your Data Was a Mess Before You Even Started 4️⃣

D365 is only as good as the data you put into it.

If your old system is full of duplicates, missing fields, and outdated records, guess what? Your new D365 will be too.

Your partner doesn’t own your data– they just migrate it.

What You Should Be Doing (Not Your Partner):

✔️ Start data cleanup at least 6 months before migration: don’t wait until go-live.

✔️ Deduplicate and standardize data formats: inconsistent data leads to errors.

✔️ Appoint internal data owners: people responsible for maintaining data quality long-term.

✔️ Audit reports in the old system: if they’re wrong before D365, they’ll still be wrong after.

FACT: Your D365 partner can move your data, but they can’t magically clean it up for you. That’s on you.

5️⃣  YOU Didn’t Get the Right People On The Bus 5️⃣

See content credentials

If you don’t have the right internal expertise, your D365 project is set up to struggle.

Here’s the deal: Your partner is not going to “own” your D365 system for you.

They will implement it, guide you, and support you- but at the end of the day, they move to the next project. You must have someone inside your company who is an expert in key areas.

If you’re relying entirely on your D365 partner to run the show, you’re building a system without anyone who actually understands how to use it long-term.

What You Should Be Doing (Not Your Partner):

✔️ Hire or upskill a D365 expert internally– before the project starts, not after.

✔️ Make sure you have a consistent project team– if key people keep leaving, expect chaos.

✔️ Have at least one person inside the business who can challenge decisions, validate requirements, and support users.

✔️ Don’t assume IT alone can manage D365– this is a unique business system, that needs unique skills to get the most from it.

FACT: D365 is your system, not the partner’s– if you don’t have the right people in place to manage it, it will fail. That’s not on them.

 Final Thoughts: Shifting from Blame to Ownership

If your ERP project failed, before you blame the partner, ask yourself:

✔️ Did we define our business requirements clearly?

✔️ Was leadership engaged and driving the project forward?

✔️ Did we train our team to actually use the system?

✔️ Did we ensure our data was clean before migration?

✔️ Did we hire or train internal D365 experts to own the system?

If any of these are familiar, the problem wasn’t just your partner.

Changing to a new one might help.

But it’s better to be introspective first.

PS- if you want help with number 5: get in touch with me to talk about accessing our community of vetted D365 Contractors.

#d365 #ERP #ProjectOwnership #ImplementationSuccess #DigitalTransformation #TakeOwnership

Why Your D365 Implementation Is Bleeding Money (And How to Stop It)

Posted on by Ryan Carolan

💸 Is your D365 project starting to feel like a bottomless money pit? 💸

You planned for a 6-month rollout. Now it’s month 12, you’re over budget, underwhelmed, and wondering where the money (and momentum) went.

Spoiler alert: It’s probably not because D365 is too expensive.

It’s because the way you’re running the implementation is.

Let’s break down the real money leaks- and how to plug them before you (or your CFO) start breathing into a paper bag.

🕳️ Leak #1: Scope Creep City

Adding “just one more” workflow. Customizing every form. Redesigning processes mid-project. Sound familiar?

You started with a lean plan… but somewhere along the way, it turned into a feature Frankenstein.

👉 The Fix:

  • Lock your requirements before the partner starts building
  • Appoint one internal decision-maker to kill unnecessary requests
  • Stick to out-of-the-box where possible- D365 is powerful as-is

🕳️ Leak #2: The Wrong Team = The Wrong Results

Here’s a dirty secret: A lot of D365 projects are staffed by whoever was free, not whoever was best.

Maybe your Microsoft partner brought in juniors. Maybe you didn’t hire a proper D365 project lead internally. Maybe your supply chain SME quit halfway through.

And now? You’re paying for rework, delays, and miscommunication.

👉 The Fix:

  • Bring in experienced, senior D365 contractors who’ve done it before
  • Vet your functional consultants- industry experience matters
  • Avoid relying solely on partner resources- build internal accountability

🕳️ Leak #3: No One’s Driving the Bus

If your leadership team thinks D365 is an “IT thing,” you’re already in trouble.

ERP is a business transformation, not a tech upgrade. Without strong executive sponsorship, decisions get stalled, adoption tanks, and timelines balloon.

👉 The Fix:

  • Assign an exec sponsor (hint: CFOs are ideal)
  • Make D365 a business priority, not just an IT one
  • Communicate value to users early and often

🕳️ Leak #4: “We’ll Clean the Data Later” (No, You Won’t)

Bad data is like sand in the engine—it slows everything down and destroys accuracy.

And guess what? Your partner’s job is to migrate your data, not clean it.

👉 The Fix:

  • Start cleansing your data before the project kicks off
  • Deduplicate, validate, and assign owners
  • Audit key reports now- garbage in = garbage out

🕳️ Leak #5: You’re Hiring Too Late (and Paying the Price)

You wait until go-live is 60 days out before hiring a D365 trainer or solution architect.

Now you’re scrambling, overpaying, or settling for whoever’s available.

👉 The Fix:

  • Start hiring D365 contractors 3–6 months out
  • Prioritize high-impact roles: Finance, Supply Chain, Production, Data Migration, Testing, Change Management
  • Lock in availability early: the best consultants get booked fast

Final Thoughts: Smart Projects Don’t Bleed Cash—They Plan for It

You can deliver a D365 implementation that’s:

  • On time
  • Under budget
  • And actually delivers ROI

But only if you:

✅ Build the right team early

✅ Avoid over-customizing

✅ Treat it like a business priority

✅ Clean your data like it matters (because it does)

💡 Bonus Tip: Hire Contractors Who Save You More Than They Cost

The best D365 contractors?

They don’t just tick boxes: they prevent mistakes before they happen.

That’s how you stop the bleeding and start winning.

🔗 Want help finding the right D365 experts—before the project goes sideways?

Let’s make your budget work smarter.

👉 Get in touch