Microsoft Dynamics is a powerful piece of software capable of greatly improving the operations and processes of any business. However, for it to do that, the product needs to be managed well – something that many teams struggle with. Enter Microsoft Dynamics managed services – a suite of support and maintenance solutions designed to help teams with system maintenance, customization, proactive monitoring, user support, and more.
In this article, we will uncover the key components of Microsoft Dynamics managed services as well as their benefits. And on top of that, we’ll look into what competitive edge one may get from combining Microsoft Dynamics with Office 365 managed services and products.
What Is Microsoft Dynamics Managed Services
Microsoft Dynamics managed services are a suite of support and maintenance offerings designed to ensure the seamless operation, security, and continuous improvement of Microsoft Dynamics applications. These services are typically provided by dedicated teams of Microsoft Dynamics experts – Managed Service Providers or MSPs, for short.
Microsoft Dynamics managed services most commonly include:
- Ongoing system maintenance
- Customizing and configuring Microsoft Dynamics applications
- Proactive monitoring of system performance
- Deployment of updates, patches, and hotfixes
- Technical user training and support
- Security enhancements
- Identifying opportunities for process improvement
Through these services, teams can vastly improve their IT operations, reduce administrative overhead, and make the most out of their Microsoft Dynamics.
Key Components of Managed Services for Microsoft Dynamics
In this section, we will break down each core activity that makes up Microsoft Dynamics managed services:
Proactive Monitoring and Performance Management
MSPs employ advanced monitoring tools and techniques to assess the health, performance, and availability of Dynamics applications. These tools provide real-time insights into system usage, transactional performance, and resource utilization, allowing teams to proactively address issues before they impact business operations. For example, monitoring tools can track database performance metrics, such as query execution times and resource utilization, enabling administrators to optimize database configurations.
Patch Management and Software Updates
Managed service providers ensure timely deployment of patches, updates, and security fixes for Microsoft Dynamics applications to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure system stability. This involves assessing the impact of updates on the Dynamics environment, testing patches in a controlled environment, and scheduling updates during maintenance windows to minimize disruption. MSPs also may conduct compatibility testing with various customizations to ensure seamless deployment of updates without compromising the system.
Customization and Configuration Support
MSPs offer specialized expertise in customizing and configuring Dynamics applications – this includes tailoring Dynamics modules, entities, and workflows to automate specific business processes. This way, service providers can develop custom entities or fields to accommodate specific industry regulations or organizational processes to meet the specific needs of the business.
Security and Compliance Management
MSPs implement robust security measures, including access controls, data encryption, and auditing mechanisms, to safeguard data integrity and confidentiality. For instance, they may configure role-based access controls to restrict access to sensitive data and implement encryption mechanisms to protect data at rest and in transit, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA.
User Support and Training
Managed services also include user support and training solutions to enhance team proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics applications. They can provide access to a dedicated help desk for addressing user inquiries and technical issues, as well as offer training sessions and self-service resources to facilitate ongoing learning and skill development.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
MSPs can create robust backup and disaster recovery solutions to protect against data loss and ensure business continuity. This involves implementing automated backup processes to regularly back up Dynamics data and configurations and developing disaster recovery plans for restoring operations quickly in the event of an outage.
Strategic Planning and Consulting
MSPs can conduct proficient assessments of current Dynamics usage, identifying opportunities for optimization and improvement, and developing strategic roadmaps for future enhancements. For example, they may collaborate with stakeholders to develop a roadmap for migrating to the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics, leveraging new features and functionalities to improve business processes.
Advantages of Outsourcing Microsoft Dynamics Management
Now let’s look into what specific benefits outsourcing your Microsoft Dynamics management may bring to your business:
Access to Expertise and Specialized Skills
Outsourcing Microsoft Dynamics managed services provides access to a team of experienced professionals with specialized skills in Dynamics administration, customization, and support. These experts bring in-depth knowledge of Dynamics applications and best practices, with the help of which businesses can ensure that their software environment is managed effectively and following industry standards.
Cost Savings
Outsourcing can also result in significant cost savings and efficiency gains for businesses. External service providers often offer flexible pricing models that allow organizations to pay for only the services they need, eliminating the need for costly investments in infrastructure, staffing, and training. Additionally, outsourcing Dynamics management frees up internal resources, allowing employees to focus on core business activities rather than routine IT tasks (more on that just below).
Focus on Core Business Activities
Outsourcing allows businesses to refocus their internal resources and efforts on core business activities that drive growth and innovation. By delegating routine IT tasks, such as system maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting, to external service providers, teams can allocate more time and resources to strategic initiatives, product development, and customer engagement. This, in turn, typically leads to increased productivity, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
Scalability and Flexibility
Working with MSPs also allows teams to adapt to changing business requirements and IT environments. External service providers can quickly scale resources up or down in response to fluctuating demand, ensuring that teams have the support they need to meet their evolving needs. Additionally, outsourcing gives businesses access to a wide range of specialized services and expertise on an as-needed basis, providing flexibility to address the most specific challenges.
Access to Latest Technologies and Innovations
Outsourcing helps companies stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and innovations in the Dynamics ecosystem, as they get access to specialized training, certifications, and resources. This way, they are always aware of all the best practices in Dynamics administration and can leverage this knowledge to implement innovative solutions and drive digital transformation initiatives.
Managed Office 365 Services: Enhancing Productivity and Efficiency
What are Managed Office 365 Services?
Managed Office 365 services are another suite of solutions meant to elevate the performance, security, and versatility of Microsoft Office 365 applications. These are also performed by MSPs, with their activities ranging from initial deployment and configuration to ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and user support. They ensure that businesses can get the most out of their Office 365 applications like Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and others.
Integration of Office 365 Managed Services with Microsoft Dynamics
The integration of Managed Office 365 Services with Microsoft Dynamics creates a cohesive ecosystem that fosters collaboration, strong data management practices, and business intelligence, namely:
- Single Sign-On (SSO): SSO integration between Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics eliminates the hassle of remembering multiple passwords and reduces the risk of security breaches associated with password fatigue and reuse. Additionally, SSO simplifies user management tasks for IT administrators, such as user provisioning, de-provisioning, and access control. This improves productivity and user satisfaction, leading to higher adoption rates and better utilization of both platforms.
- Unified Contact Management: The synchronization removes data silos and ensures that all users have access to the most current and accurate contact data, regardless of which platform they are using. This way, sales reps can access customer contact information from Dynamics while composing an email in Outlook, ensuring they have the most relevant information at their fingertips. Not to mention. unified contact management simplifies data entry and reduces the risk of errors by eliminating the need for manual data duplication and reconciliation.
- Email Integration: By integrating email with Dynamics, businesses can improve communication efficiency and effectiveness, as users have access to a centralized repository of customer-related emails, attachments, and correspondence history. Email integration also enables automated workflows and triggers based on email interactions, such as automatically creating new leads or cases in Dynamics in response to specific email inquiries or requests.
- Calendar Integration: This feature enables users to schedule and manage meetings, appointments, and tasks in either platform and have them automatically reflected in the other, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation. Sales representatives can view their colleagues’ calendars within Dynamics when scheduling customer meetings, ensuring they can easily identify available time slots and avoid scheduling conflicts. The integration also enables automated reminders and notifications based on scheduled events, such as sending meeting reminders or follow-up emails directly from Dynamics.
- Document Management: Users can access, share, and collaborate on documents stored in SharePoint directly from within Dynamics, facilitating collaboration on projects and various customer engagements. On top of that, document management integration enables users to associate documents with specific records or activities within Dynamics, such as customer accounts, opportunities, or cases. This provides contextually relevant access to documents, improving decision-making and customer interactions.
- Power BI Integration: Power BI integration enables businesses to create interactive dashboards and reports that combine CRM data from Microsoft Dynamics with other business data from Office 365 and external sources. This way, teams can gain actionable insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and business trends. They can also create customized dashboards that provide real-time visibility into KPIs, such as sales revenue, pipeline velocity, customer retention rates, and marketing campaign effectiveness.
Conclusion
Microsoft Dynamics managed services play a pivotal role in optimizing business operations and maximizing the value derived from Dynamics applications. By outsourcing management tasks to specialized providers – MSPs, teams can access a wealth of expertise, reduce costs, and refocus internal resources on core activities.
Moreover, the integration of Managed Office 365 Services with Microsoft Dynamics can prove a very beneficial stroke as the unified ecosystem streamlines workflows enhances productivity, and facilitates informed decision-making.
If you feel that your team may benefit from collaborating with an expert-managed service provider, don’t hesitate to reach out to OMI – our team will make your Microsoft products work better than ever.