Case study in monitoring and servicing Dynamics 365 solutions

A fruit company learned how to get the most out of its Dynamics 365 solution by working with its independent software vendor (ISV) to match Microsoft's update rings.

The challenge

The fruit company used finance and operations apps in the cloud to manage its global distribution of fresh produce. It also used some extensions and an ISV solution that handled its warehouse operations and transportation.

The company wanted to take advantage of new features that Microsoft released for Dynamics 365, such as advanced warehouse operations in the Supply Chain Management app. These features would help the organization save time, money, and resources as it expanded into new markets.

But there was a problem. The ISV didn't update its solution as fast as Microsoft did. The vendor usually waited until the last update ring or skipped some updates altogether. This meant that the fruit company couldn't apply Microsoft's updates on time or at all, because they depended on the ISV's software.

The company's project team realized that they needed to change their approach to servicing their solution. They needed to test their entire solution, including the ISV's software, in early update rings, so that they could adopt new features as soon as they were available.

The solution

The team talked to the company's ISV partner and explained their situation. They asked them to provide software updates earlier, so that they could align with Microsoft's release cadence for Dynamics 365.

The ISV agreed to change its update strategy and deliver software updates in sync with Microsoft's update rings. This way, the fruit company and other customers could test their whole solution when the standard release was available.

By working together, the fruit company and the ISV improved their servicing of the Dynamics 365 solution. The fruit company could enjoy the latest innovations from Microsoft and optimize its warehouse operations. The ISV could increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by meeting its customers' needs and expectations.

The lesson

Servicing your Dynamics 365 solution is more than just applying Microsoft's continuous updates. You also need to coordinate updates with your own extensions and any ISV solutions you use. This will help you benefit from the new features and functionality that Microsoft delivers for Dynamics 365.