Successful together: driving a Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation at a major IT reseller

For Dynamics 365 consultant Wesley Hofman, it was the largest project he has ever worked on in his 22-year career.In a lead role, he was involved in the Dynamics implementation and data migration of a large IT reseller. A project he worked on for five years. Wesley can't help but look back with pride. What made it such a big project and how he experienced it, he explains in this article. 

Top-notch service

The IT reseller sells hardware and software such as laptops and telephones to organizations, often for the design of workplaces. However, the company's distinctive character lies in its service component. "In terms of sales, service is divided into two domains: in-house and on-site," says Wesley. "In-house service is, for example, that laptops are already equipped with the correct software, labeled and that business phones have a screen protector and case before they are delivered. On-site service consists of on-site installations and support throughout the life of the hardware. This also involves a third domain, customer service, for example if devices break down."

This service branch within the company is not a small part. On the contrary. "Sometimes it involves the installation of 10,000 workstations, including in-house service such as the application of screen protectors," Wesley illustrates. "This makes it its own project with a budget and a start and end date. There is a lot involved: purchasing, planning engineers, installing software, delivering hardware and installing the entire workplace. The IT reseller's service processes involve more complex logistics flows than the basic sales process, which is actually complex enough."

A mega team

As a functional lead consultant at Conclusion MBS, Wesley supervised the switch to Microsoft Dynamics 365 for the service and projects domain of the IT reseller. Wesley: "I was responsible for the design of the Dynamics solution and the associated modules and processes of these two domains. With a team of twenty developers, key users and consultants under my wings - both MBS colleagues and employees of the IT reseller - we mapped out the service processes, set up the ERP system and associated integrations and took care of the data migration."

Characteristic of the IT reseller's service processes is that they are end-to-end processes. As a result, it affects all domains and departments within the company. Wesley: "The sale of an in-house service, for example, runs through the regular sales process. Our team became large as a result. You have to deal with everyone and many stakeholders to coordinate the steps of the migration, for example to ensure the right integrations. At the peak, there were already 75 people on the project from Conclusion MBS alone. This made it extremely important to manage my time well. Where on the one hand I was in a lot of consultation, on the other hand I managed the team and there had to be enough attention for what they were up against. It was a nice challenge to make good choices so that we kept an overview and stayed on schedule."

Coordinating at a global level

What made the collaboration extra challenging was that Wesley initially managed an international team. "We worked with people from all over the world; England, Ukraine, Poland, America, India. As a result, you not only have to deal with changing time zones, but also with different (work) cultures and manners. Besides the fact that we had to work together a lot online, that does something to the dynamics. It was more important than ever to take each other into account."

Wesley's people-oriented character came in handy here. "In addition to my knowledge of and experience with the Dynamics modules, I am good with people. I can feel how people are in the game. That helped enormously in this project to keep an overview of everything that was going on and to alternate the business with non-business things in the team. With enough humor and hard work, we have created an environment that really improves the business operations and processes of the IT reseller."

Successfully completed

In September 2024, the new Dynamics system went live at the IT reseller. "It was a very big operation, especially the data migration," Wesley recalls. "Despite the fact that it was sometimes a challenge to keep an overview, the special thing about this project was actually bringing together a large team of consultants into a well-oiled machine. The days flew by. How nice is it that together you ultimately deliver a product that the customer is happy with and works with to their full satisfaction?"