When starting a new Dynamics 365 implementation, it is a common question. Should we use a Microsoft or partner accelerator? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer, but hopefully, this blog post will help you navigate the choices and evaluate a fit for your business.
The first question that needs to be answered is the accelerator you are considering really an accelerator or is it a product? The second question and more importantly, are you looking for an accelerator or a product?
The term product and accelerator commonly get confused, and it is essential to understand what you need as a business. First, we need to understand the difference between the two options.
A product is defined as an off the shelf option where you will receive regular updates driven by the product provider. This means that you will receive all the latest and greatest features but have little or no control which could mean the product changes in such a way in the future it no longer fulfils your requirements.
An accelerator, on the other hand, is designed to accelerate your project delivery and fulfil somewhere between 50 and 80 per cent of your requirements, leaving you only the remainder to customise or develop.
Now I assume if you are reading this blog, you have already determined that you want to go down the accelerator route.
This leaves the following problem how do I know if an accelerator will speed up my project or will it deaccelerate the project as it is not a good fit?
Most of the accelerators available supply a detailed data model to begin your project from and for me, this is the most critical area to evaluate. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does the data model align with my business?
- Does the data model align with the region I am working in?
By answering these questions, you can quickly determine if the accelerator is right for you.
Most accelerators also come with a range of functionality this is of less importance as within Dynamics you can simply turn it off. The core area for consideration is the core data model. The features only become a priority if you are comparing two very similar accelerators with the same data model.
