Project Roles in a Dynamics 365 Implementation

Introduction

From an organization's perspective, a Dynamics 365 project is likely one of the most extensive undertakings and one of the most critical challenges early on is to assemble the proper team. Before you can define and recruit your team (either partner lead, or customer lead), it's essential to identify the roles required for the project. Depending on the specifics of the project, the requirements will vary but in this post I want to provide an overview of the most recurring roles in a Dynamics 365 project.

For the sake of this article, let's assume your project encompasses several Dynamics 365 applications, such as Finance and Operations, Dynamics 365 Sales, and Dynamics 365 Field Service. For such a large-scale project, you will need multiple teams within the implementation team.

At the highest level, you'll need a Project Management team, which includes the executive sponsors, client engagement managers, project managers, project coordinators, and the enterprise architect. The enterprise architect is responsible for the overall solution across all Dynamics applications. Within the functional teams, each application typically has its own solution architect.

There would be a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations solution architect, a Dynamics 365 Sales solution architect, and a Dynamics 365 Field Service solution architect. These Architects lead within their stream consultants, product owners, key users, and business analysts.

Next, you have the Technical team. Depending on the skill sets of the developers, you can organize them by application or create cross-functional teams.

Finally, there is the Extended team, which includes roles such as test managers, training leads, and change managers.

Below, you'll find detailed descriptions of each role, their responsibilities, and the time commitments required for the project.

If you are interested in any other aspects, please let me know in the comments!

Project Management

Executive Sponsors

C-level executives of the client responsible for the overall success and return on investment (ROI) of the Dynamics 365 project. They form the steering committee and oversee the project's strategic direction, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

Time Investment:
1 hr per week

Client Engagement Manager / Engagement Lead

Facilitated by the partner, this role reports to the steering committee on the project's status and serves as the highest escalation point. They are responsible for ensuring proper resourcing, managing stakeholder expectations, and maintaining budget adherence throughout the project's lifecycle.

Time Investment:
8 hrs per week

Project Manager

Works closely with the Client Engagement Manager to ensure the project team follows the prescribed methodology, manages the project budget, provides regular status reports, and resolves any impediments to keep the project on track.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Project Coordinator

An optional role that assists the Project Manager with administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, approving timesheets, and ensuring the project team has a conducive work environment.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Enterprise Architect

Responsible for the overall solution design from both functional and technical perspectives. Ensures the solution aligns with the client's business processes and strategic goals, and that critical architectural decisions are made in a timely manner.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Functional Team

Solution Architect / Functional Architect

Maintains alignment of different functional streams within the application. If a project holds multiple applications like F&O and Sales, multiple Solution Architects could be staffed on the project. The Architects ensure best practices are followed and teams are coordinated effectively across different sub-areas.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Senior Consultants / Stream Leads / Functional Leads

Gather requirements, define and prioritize the project backlog, make key decisions regarding business processes, and work closely with product owners and business analysts to ensure that the solution meets business needs.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Junior/Medium Consultants

Execute tasks from the backlog, support in the documentation of business processes and requirements, and assist in configuring and testing the Dynamics 365 application.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Product Owners / Subject Matter Experts

Ensure the right requirements are gathered and addressed within the project. They work closely with key users to validate that the solution meets business needs and provide subject matter expertise in specific functional areas.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Key Users

Responsible for specific functional areas within the project, such as accounts payable or inventory management. They gather and validate requirements, perform testing, and create user documentation to ensure that the solution meets operational needs.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Business Analyst

Assists key users in their tasks and activities, helping to complete detailed requirements gathering, process mapping, and task execution when key users are occupied with their daily responsibilities.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Technical Team

Technical Architect

Oversees all developers and is responsible for the project's overall technical architecture. This includes approving code changes, managing code branches, and ensuring integrations with other systems are effectively designed and implemented.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Developer

Codes extensions and customizations requested by the functional team.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Data Migration Lead

Responsible for planning and executing the migration of data from legacy systems to the new Dynamics 365 application. They work closely with functional teams to validate the success of data migration activities.

Time Investment:
40 hrs per week

Extended Team

Test Manager

Reviews test scripts created by the functional team, develops comprehensive test plans aligned with business processes, and coordinates end-to-end testing scenarios, particularly during the validation phase of the project.

Time Investment:
20 hrs per week

Training Lead

Develops training documentation and guidelines for end users, and handles communication tasks related to change management to ensure that end users are adequately prepared for the new system and that the transition has minimal impact on operations.

Time Investment:
8 hrs per week

Change Manager

Focuses on preparing the organization for changes brought by the new Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementation. This includes managing stakeholder expectations, developing change management strategies, and ensuring user adoption through effective communication and training.

Time Investment:
16 hrs per week