Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations

Robert Houdeshell

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781801071093
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Entreprise Applications
• Index: Computer Science

Discover the endless capabilities and end-to-end project management functionalities of Dynamics 365 Project Operations to drive your firm's project success and ensure rapid business growth in the competitive digital economic worldKey Features• Deliver successful projects via improved collaboration, visibility, and teamwork using Microsoft Project Operations solutions• Gain real-time data insights to modernize business strategies to increase market share• Build the right project operations models to meet business needs with an optimized budgetBook DescriptionDynamics 365 Project Operations is a game-changing solution set for project-driven businesses that allows you to deliver commercially successful projects in a timely and cost-effective manner, keeping the project teams productive and collaborative. With this book, you'll find out how you can bring more value to the business by winning new projects and driving exponential revenue growth. Starting with the key principles of Project Operations, you'll understand how it improves project planning and execution. You'll then learn how to successfully deploy Project Operations along with different integration strategies and get to grips with the best approach for sales through project opportunities, project contracts, and pricing workflow implementation. This book will guide you through setting up direct staffing and centralized staffing models and enable you to manage project changes confidently by getting hands-on with project timeline management, pricing management, resource assignments, and modifications. In the final chapters, you'll find out how to use Project Operations effectively for project accounting and finance. By the end of this book, you'll have gained the confidence to deliver profitable projects in a well-connected organization through efficient decision-making and successful customer-client relationships.What you will learn• Configure key elements of Project Operations to drive improved collaboration with your customers• Discover how Project Operations is interconnected with Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 Platform• Understand the Project Opportunity-to-Quote-to-Contract workflow and its implications for selling• Find out how to set up and utilize direct staffing and centralized staffing models• Explore Project Timeline Management using Task, Board, and Timeline views• Find out how information flows to finance and operations in Project OperationsWho this book is forThis book is for project managers, project leads, business consultants, and business leaders who want to gain a competitive edge by delivering successful projects in a shorter time span with the help of effective operations and workflows across different teams within projects. Knowledge of Microsoft 365 and a sound understanding of business acumen and sales through the delivery process is necessary to get the most out of this book.

Section 1: Foundation and Framework of Project Operations

Dynamics 365 Project Operations is a game-changer for a project-driven business. Combining the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 Project Operations unifies and optimizes the ability to deliver successful and profitable projects. Keeping large and small teams productive and collaborative means delivering promises that was made to your clients.

In this section, you will learn about the key principles of the Project Operations solution and how it works. You will start by exploring the key principles of Project Operations and understanding how it improves project planning and execution. You'll then learn how to successfully deploy Project Operations along with different integration strategies, and get to grips with the best approach for sales through project opportunities, project contracts, and pricing workflow implementation.

This section includes the following chapters:

• Chapter 1, Introducing Project Operations
• Chapter 2, Using the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Framework for Success
• Chapter 3, The How-Tos of Setting Up Project Operations

Chapter 1: Introducing Project Operations

Microsoft Project Operations begins a new generation of project management capabilities combined with the power of the Microsoft 365 platform! Many years ago, Microsoft entered the office solution category and now Microsoft 365 dominates all other solutions. Project Operations is designed to provide you with the tools to expand your customer base by providing a connected environment from sales through delivery through planning to financial reporting and profitability.

Project Operations optimizes an already-proficient organization by providing optimized resource utilization and project economics. It allows you to amplify communication across project teams, collaborate externally and internally, and act upon up-to-date insights in a project. Furthermore, Project Operations simplifies time tracking and expense management while at the same time evolving with a modern and adaptable platform.

In this chapter, you will understand the key principles of the Project Operations solution and how it works. This chapter will help you to understand the key principles and concepts of the project business industry. People with the titles of project manager, practice manager or portfolio managers and consultants alike will understand the value of the solution and how it will improve project planning, execution, and accounting. Understanding where we intend to be is the first key to success. This chapter will define the success criteria of the Project Operations solution.

In this chapter, you will learn about the following concepts:

• Key principles and concepts for project managers, project leaders, or business consultants so that you know how you, personally, fit into the solution for your clients
• Project businesses at a glance to get to know how your company fits into similar industries
• The value of the Microsoft Project Operations solution so you can determine how this solution benefits your company, you (personally), and your industry peers
• Key performance results of implementing a Project Operations solution benefitting the firm by knowing your key performance statistics
• The overall solution value of a connected organization so you can connect internally and externally
• How to achieve more profitable projects in Project Operations so your firm benefits from the hard work performed
• Better decision making through better tools so you can spend the most time on the most beneficial activities
• Better customer/client relationships through communication, collaboration, and information so that you can enjoy the journey with your clients

Key principles and concepts for project managers

Congratulations! Imagine you have just become the project manager of that great new project your firm has won! You have worked hard to get this project and you want nothing but the best delivery of your solution for the client. You may be the program or practice manager who worked with the project manager to win the business and this is one of your many customers or clients (depending on your terminology). The chief operations officer may be looking at your portfolio as a part of a larger segment of business and thus looking at this new project as a part of a firm's overall services portfolio.

Project Operations pulls together the sales and delivery teams to provide a solution in which both sales and delivery can work. From the selling cycle, project contracts are created, which tie directly to the milestones that will be billed. Further along in the process, invoices are created, which drives revenue recognition in the accounting system.

Now, how do you deliver effectively for the clients that you have worked so hard to bring on board and keep happy? Now the project must be fulfilled to meet the expectations of the client. A hundred thoughts go through your mind. How do I turn an estimating worksheet into a project plan? How do I get the right people with the right skills on my project? What other projects am I competing with internally for the right talent? How can I manage all these moving parts?

Many project managers and others have lost many hours of sleep pondering these questions and trying to figure out how to deliver on the success promised to their client. Our goal with this book is to introduce you to a solution called Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations that will be the tool you can use to relieve your mind and get more rest! The goal of this book is to identify the key principles and concepts for you as a program or project manager or business executive in charge of the profit and loss (P&L) of an entire firm.

Project businesses at a glance

First off, what does a project business do for their clients? Well, that answer is wide and varied. In fact, using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, if you searched on project business categories, you will find a significant variation of business types within almost the same classification. One of my favorite examples from history has been how some firms classify AEC as Architects, Engineers, and Construction. Although classified together, architects, engineers, and construction firms have about as much in common as bakers, butchers, and farmers. They have some things in common but not common business processes. Thus, for the purpose of this book, let's identify the common thread within a project business. Project businesses deliver skilled and certified services by people to achieve a project's purpose.

The following is a representation of the common business sectors or industries included in the project business sector:

Figure 1.1 – The Project Business sector

Within the Microsoft world, we have consultants who are skilled (read experienced) and certified (having achieved Microsoft certification) on services (implementation and training) to set up and implement software for their clients.

Other examples are management consultants who provide business strategy and tactics to grow and build the performance of businesses as a result of a merger or acquisition or simply to grow the business. Information technology (IT) implementation firms may specialize in setting up cloud computing solutions for their clients. Furthermore, some Point of Sale (POS) or security solution companies may have massive hardware configurations they prepare for their clients to be deployed at a retail establishment that requires purchasing inventory, combining it with project business and onsite deployment.

These are only a few examples of what project business is. Let's also determine what project business is not. Project business is not personal services, automotive services, health services, or private services. These do not fit into the category of project business primarily because they do not have the project orientation that requires a level of management not readily available.

Some outliers that fit into the overall services category but may or may not fit into this category of project business include legal services, educational services, and membership organizations. If these businesses need to manage projects along with costing or pricing information they could benefit from Project Operations.

So, what is this Project Orientation that is so important to identify whether an industry is a project business or not? Well, it begins with the basics of a project itself. From the earliest moment of human history, we have been working on projects. From the Pyramids to the Great Temple to the Great Wall, projects have been the backbone of great achievements! I sometimes have mused about the project plan for the Great Pyramid… how many laborers of stonecutters would I need to cut a certain amount of stones to achieve the result of not just an architectural monolith but also an engineering achievement!? Oh, and to add pressure, it has to be done with relatively simple tools and within the lifetime of the Pharaoh! Now, talk about some pressure!

The Egyptians were some of the earliest recorded project managers and with the results of their projects, I would say they have achieved a lot, to their credit. They would have had to be concerned with the overall project (a pyramid), the timeline to get the project done, the labor, and the organization thereof. The resulting pyramid project also had concerns over materials and environmental concerns, emphasizing their achievements. Their projects took on a life of their own, very much like our projects, and a ton of support systems to achieve their desired results. There were ...

Table of contents

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations
• Contributors
• Preface
• Section 1: Foundation and Framework of Project Operations
• Chapter 1: Introducing Project Operations
• Chapter 2: Using the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Framework for Success
• Chapter 3: The How-Tos of Setting Up Project Operations
• Section 2: Project Sales through Delivery
• Chapter 4: The Account Manager – Project Selling
• Chapter 5: Project Contracts and Pricing
• Chapter 6: Practice Manager Functions – We Won the Contract! What Now?
• Chapter 7: Resource Manager – Staffing for Success!
• Section 3: Project Delivery through Operations
• Chapter 8: Managing the Project to Success!
• Chapter 9: Team Member Activities
• Chapter 10: Approvals and Exceptions
• Chapter 11: Project Accounting and Operations
• Assessments
• Other Books You May Enjoy