Author: Ryan Carolan

💰 CFOs love predictability. But when it comes to staffing a D365 project, the big question is:

Should we hire full-time employees… or bring in expert contractors?

It really depends- if you are looking to build out an internal CoE for your long-term Dynamics needs then FTEs are a good option. If you can find them.

BUT: If you’re trying to increase speed AND avoid burnout for a specific project- contractors win every time.

Let’s break it down.

📉 Full-Time Hires: The Hidden Cost Trap

Hiring a permanent D365 resource sounds logical, right?

Until you realize:

• It takes 3-6 months to find and onboard them
• You’re paying benefits, PTO, and overhead—even when the project slows down
• They might not even have the exact experience OR industry knowledge you need

Oh- and what happens after go-live?

That $160K/yr D365 Advanced Warehouse SME is mostly twiddling their thumbs… or worse, leaving.

👉 Hiring full-time is a long-term investment for a short-term project. That’s not cost-effective. It’s just expensive.

🚀 Contractors: High-Impact, Zero Overhead

D365 contractors are built for speed.

You pay for outcomes- not office snacks.

Here’s what you get:

✅ Immediate availability

✅ Deep expertise (usually across 10+ implementations)

✅ Zero ramp-up time

✅ No long-term commitment

✅ Laser-focused delivery

They’re not there to climb the corporate ladder.

They’re there to get it done right, the first time.

💡 Let’s Do the Math

So you need a Supply Chain Expert to sort out your Inventory Management.

Full-Time Hire:

• Salary: $150,000
• Benefits, overhead, training: $25,000
• Ramp-up time: 2 months (minimum)
• Risk: high if they leave mid-project

D365 Contractor:

• Rate: $165–$200/hr
• Total cost for 6 months: ~$160K
• Immediate productivity
• Off your books when the job’s done

➡️ Same spend. Double the value. Zero long-term risk.

🛠️ But What About “Building Internal Knowledge”?

Valid point.

But here’s the trick: blend both.

Contractors aren’t here to replace your team. They’re here to:

• Accelerate delivery
• Transfer knowledge
• Upskill your internal staff along the way

You get the best of both worlds- speed now, stability later.

🧠 Pro Tip: Not All Contractors Are Equal

Yes, the market is flooded with D365 freelancers—but here’s the truth:

🟥 Some are PowerPoint warriors who talk the talk, but can’t run a proper CRP session.

🟩 Others are battle-tested consultants who’ve delivered 10+ rollouts, fixed trainwrecks, and can spot bad requirements from 100 yards away.

Guess which ones we work with? 😎

If you’re not plugged into the D365 contractor ecosystem, finding the right expert can feel like gambling with your project timeline.

✅ Final Verdict: Contractors Save You More (When You Hire Right)

If you’re:

• Launching a new D365 implementation
• Upgrading from AX or NAV
• Struggling with data, finance, or supply chain performance
• Or just trying to hit your go-live without losing sleep…

💡 Bringing in experienced contractors is faster, smarter, and more cost-effective than locking in full-time hires too soon.

Especially when your project success depends on getting it right the first time.

🔗 Want a cost-effective way to staff your D365 project with real pros?

Let’s connect you with high-impact contractors who deliver ROI from day one.

👉 Talk to us now

💸 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

🚨 Spoiler alert: If you’re hiring for top-tier D365 contractors right now, you’re not the only one.🚨

The demand for Dynamics 365 expertise is off the charts- especially in manufacturing, supply chain, and finance. But the supply? Let’s just say you’ve got a better chance of finding a clean UAT environment than an available Senior Functional Consultant with real-life industry chops.

Let’s talk about what’s going on.

📈 The D365 Boom (and Why It’s Not Slowing Down) 📈

Since Microsoft went all-in on cloud ERP, D365 Finance & Operations and Business Central have become the gold standard for mid-market and enterprise businesses alike.

Companies are:

• Replacing aging on-prem ERP systems
• Integrating with AI, Power Platform, and Copilot
• Expanding global operations and compliance needs

But here’s the kicker: everybody’s doing it at once.

That means more projects, more upgrades, more customizations- and a red-hot market for people who know what the hell they’re doing inside D365.

Note: Sadly, there are also many out there that simply look like they know what the hell they’re doing…

❌ The Talent Pool Isn’t Growing Fast Enough ❌

Here’s the math:

• D365 experts with real implementation experience take YEARS to grow
• Many seasoned consultants are booked out months in advance
• Some are going permanent (chasing job security or benefits)
• Others are niching down (just Finance, just SCM, just public sector)

And let’s be honest: not all contractors are created equal. The number of people claiming to be “D365 Consultants” on LinkedIn? Massive. The number who can actually deliver on a 12-month global rollout? Tiny.

🧨 The #1 Hiring Mistake You’re Probably Making🧨

Most companies wait until the project’s already kicked off to start looking for talent.

By then it’s too late. The best D365 contractors are already snapped up: usually by the smart folks who planned ahead and booked early.

Or worse… you hire based on rate instead of capability.

Remember: a $90/hr consultant who breaks things is way more expensive than a $165/hr consultant who delivers.

🧲 How to Secure Top D365 Talent (Before Your Competitors Do) 🧲

If you want the A-players, here’s what works:

✅ Start your search 3–6 months before project kickoff

✅ Prioritize experience over rate- especially in manufacturing-heavy skillsets

✅ Work with someone (hi 👋) who actually knows the D365 contractor market

✅ Lock in availability fast- if you hesitate, someone else will pull the trigger

Final Thoughts: D365 Talent Isn’t Cheap—But Scarcity Is Pricier

You don’t want to be the business stuck with “whatever’s left” when it’s go-live time.

If you’re serious about delivery, adoption, and long-term ROI- you need the right people in the right seats.

And if that sounds overwhelming, good news: this is what we do.

We live and breathe D365. We know who’s good. We know who’s available. And we’ll save you months of guessing.

🔗 Ready to connect with elite D365 contractors?

Let’s talk before someone else grabs them.

👉 Get in touch with us