What Is Dynamics 365 Project Operations?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations streamlines visibility and unifies the complex aspects of managing multiple projects of varying sizes. It can improve the accuracy of both resource booking and project estimates, as well as the consistency of your project management.

An experienced Dynamics Partner like Encore can also integrate Project Operations with your financial solution to provide a fully centralized, lead-to-billing database that allows for more exact project invoicing and payroll.

Table of Contents

• Features of Dynamics 365 Project Operations
• Common Uses
• Pricing
• Microsoft Project vs Dynamics 365 Project Operations
• Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation vs Dynamics 365 Project Operations
• Limitations
• Integrations with Other Apps
• Implementation

Note: Project Operations is one of the five different Dynamics 365 apps that serve various CRM needs. In some contexts, you may also see those products referred to as “Customer Engagement” or “CE” apps.

Features of Dynamics 365 Project Operations

The key features of Dynamics 365 Project Operations are:

• Project financials and analytics
• Opportunity, resource, and project management
• Team collaboration
• Mobile connectivity
• Time and expense entry

Beyond these functionalities, Project Operations offers the ability to modify the application for unique business needs instead of rigidly enforcing particular workflows or vocabularies.

Project Operations allows easy input of time and expenses against assignments, so project managers can proactively authorize and track costs against budget. It also offers project quoting based on historic actuals, which enables more accurate cost and timeline estimates.

Resources are tracked by both skill and availability, ensuring that the most effective assets are applied to the project at the best times, decreasing project costs. They are also empowered with real-time, cross-departmental collaboration tools, creating agility by providing immediate access to answers no matter where your resources are physically located.

Common Uses for Dynamics 365 Project Operations

Dynamics 365 Project Operations is especially useful for any company that manages multiple ongoing projects that range in size, location, type, resource scope, and complexity. These companies place high importance on delivering quality work on time and on budget.

It is especially beneficial for companies that struggle with consistent planning, tracking, and financial processes. These companies typically find it difficult to offer accurate project estimates and roadmaps to their customers. They seek improvements to their core business operations, including workflow hand-offs and cohesive reporting while balancing multiple systems to satisfy specific requirements.

Pricing

Dynamics 365 Project Operations licenses start from $120/user/month USD or $153/user/month CAD.

Based on the contract commitment, the per month price may differ from the price listed above. All pricing is subject to change without notice. Contact Encore for the most current product pricing and available contract options.

Microsoft Project vs Dynamics 365 Project Operations

While Microsoft Project Online is a popular solution for smaller project service organizations, it doesn’t offer the integrated financial process benefits of Dynamics 365 Project Operations.

Microsoft Project Online may be a better solution for companies that are not currently using other Microsoft solutions and that do not need financial process integrations or comprehensive reporting.

Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation vs Dynamics 365 Project Operations

Dynamics 365 Project Operations is the next evolution of Microsoft’s older Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation (PSA) solution. It combines the functionality of the PSA offering with stronger project management and accounting.

Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation is no longer available under that name. For those seeking its operational management tools, Dynamics 365 Project Operations is the natural choice.

Limitations

For companies that manage simple and easily repeatable projects with little need for integrated project accounting, Dynamics 365 Project Operations may have more functionality and elements to manage than might be leveraged. In these cases, administration may be more difficult than the overall ROI provided to the company.

Regarding general scope, Project Operations does not offer case or ticket creation, management, or tracking. For this functionality, Dynamics 365 Customer Service is the best solution. Likewise, it doesn’t offer physical asset dispatch, routing, or management in the field. For that, Dynamics 365 Field Service is the best application.

Integrations With Other Apps

The most common and compelling integration of Dynamics 365 Project Operations is with financial systems. This not only provides end-to-end functionality to help ensure accuracy in project estimates and actuals, but also provides a single customer database to all core areas of the business. This allows all employees to see the most current information regardless of their function.

While Project Operations can integrate with almost any financial system, pairing it with Microsoft ERP solutions like Dynamics 365 Business Central or Finance & Operations lowers overhead by streamlining implementation, administration, management, and improvements.

Another one of the most powerful app integrations for Project Operations is with Microsoft Teams. This makes time and expense management faster and more accurate by allowing submissions via the desktop or mobile apps. Users can also collaborate easily with other departments no matter where they are, so they can make informed, immediate decisions that best support the project.

Combining Project Operations with other Dynamics 365 solutions like Customer Service extends the capabilities to support the organization beyond project management and creates a seamless working relationship with customers. Leveraging integrations like LinkedIn and SharePoint connects users to the information they need in real-time, reducing email and wait times.

Implementing D365 Project Operations

Like all other Dynamics 365 applications, Project Operations offers completely configurable solutions, so companies can adapt it to their best processes and workflows. While this is a huge benefit, it does require working with an experienced Dynamics 365 Project Operations Partner like Encore to ensure your implementation sustainably fits your company’s needs.

If you’d like to discuss whether Project Operations or other apps in the Dynamics 365 suite are a good fit for your business, please contact us.