Dynamics 365 Project Operations preview is now available

The COVID-19 global pandemic has resulted in increased pressure on project-based services organizations to rapidly change the way they operate. Now more than ever, operating with the speed needed to deliver successful project-based services requires that everyone involvedfrom leaders to team members and contractorscan predict, adapt, and rapidly respond to change, all while practicing social distancing and with teams working remotely. Our vision for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations is to connect teams across the project delivery lifecycle and unlock the business agility and resilience needed for success. Today, we are announcing the next milestone in achieving that vision and invite you to participate in the Dynamics 365 Project Operations Preview Program.

As we build Project Operations, we want your feedback and ideas on how best to connect your sales, project management, resourcing, and finance teams around actionable data, process governance, and measurable outcomes. We know that these are uncertain times, so to help you make the most out of the preview program, here are our top five evaluation tips, organized by organizational benefit.

Get more accurate quotes and perfect sales to delivery hand-offs

Your sales team will provide the best customer experience from the first touch point by creating project proposals that outline scope and provide more accurate quotes. Be sure to take the time to create a full client proposal, including delving into the flexible and multidimensional pricing capabilities, as well as the project planning functionality, that is key to nail the hand-off from sales to project delivery teams.

Optimize resource scheduling with accurate demand forecasting

People are the cornerstone of your project-based services businessesmaking it imperative to retain top performers. Project Operations helps you take better care of your people by making the best use of their time and skillset, while providing insights on resource utilization across the business. Explore how you can match team member skillsets with project demands. And don’t miss the advanced scheduling engine that simplifies resourcing processes. Increased awareness of how you are utilizing your resources allows you to make better workforce decisions, resulting in better quality of work and higher customer and employee satisfaction.

Improve collaboration across all team members

With your teams operating remotely, it is important to keep everyone connected and working efficiently. While evaluating Project Operations, we suggest you dig into the forecasting and dashboards that will ensure team members have the data they need to make confident decisions. Also, check out Microsoft Teams to keep everyone connected, as Project Operations will allow for Microsoft Teams integration to facilitate world-class collaboration and teaming. In addition, keep in mind that Project Operations is built on the Microsoft Power Platform and you can expand your team’s access to business intelligence with Microsoft Power BI.

Deliver projects on-time and on-budget

Empower your project teams to be responsive by enabling consistency in practice and procedures with true process governance. Explore Microsoft Project for the web project management tools that are embedded in Project Operations. Take a look at the project planning capabilities, kanban board, and Gantt charts that let users see project timelines in relation to one another. The rise in the need for enhanced mobility among your project team members and delivering an outstanding customer experience is more important than ever, so ensure you explore Project Operations from your mobile devices.

Drive financial performance and increase project profit margins

Last, but definitely not least important, delve into the comprehensive project costing and accounting capabilities of Project Operations. You will want to take the time to look at budgeting, forecasting, time and expense tracking, project costing, and billing capabilities. And don’t forget to dig into the financial insights and metrics that will keep profit margins front and center.

Get everything you need to run your project-based services businessquotes, resourcing, project delivery, time and expense, project accounting, and business intelligenceall in one solution for better insight, collaboration, and visibility. Project Operations ensures you can deliver exceptional services to your customers on-time and on-budget, every time.

Learn more

We want to ensure that you can quickly explore Project Operations capabilities and provide us with your feedback. Learn more about how you can become part of our journey to reimagine project operations lifecycle management by joining our preview program webinar on June 25 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time or sign-up to participate today.

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