Let’s Build Your Finance & Operations Plan Together –> Talk to a Specialist
A Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementation is a large and complex project. Work with a partner who will guide you through the challenges, and tailor the system to empower your team, elevate your processes, and connect with your broader tech stack.
With over 2,300 successful implementations, Encore brings deep expertise, a proven methodology, and long-term support for our clients.
The 5 steps to implement Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) successfully are Diagnostic, Analysis, Solution Modeling, Deployment, and Operation. The whole process requires an experienced Finance & Operations Partner to collaborate with your team and configure the system to your needs.
Discovery meetings to uncover your technical and functional needs, and to map them to Finance & Operations and the rest of the Microsoft suite. This step is essential for identifying and mitigating risks.
Review of your future strategy and current setup in detail, together with our solution architects, to determine your exact requirements. This detailed analysis makes sure the finished ERP will fit your true requirements, and that our estimates on timeline and budget account for the specifics of how we’ll meet those needs.
Iterative design and development that includes technical setup, configuration, integrations, training, and testing together with your team. It’s important to set aside time for your subject matter experts to participate in this step and collaborate with us.
Data migration, technical load testing, and preparing to go live with the new ERP. You may also need on-site visits to help your people transition and use the system well, especially in your warehouse or production processes.
Transition to client ownership of your Dynamics system and ongoing support from Encore. This includes final documentation, project review, and any ad hoc questions.
We chose to work with Encore because they approached the ERP implementation as if they were a member of our team, and not an outsider. They worked closely with us to align our business workflows to the software’s best practices.
Michael Zieve, Vice President, Electroimpact
Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementations require careful attention to solution architecture: a comprehensive blueprint of how your strategic and technical needs map to the solution.
If your Dynamics 365 partner starts your Finance & Operations implementation without first creating such a blueprint, it may initially feel like the project is “moving quickly.” The project may avoid difficult conversations related to your barriers to growth, technical debt, and strategy. But sooner or later, an insufficiently planned implementation like that will run into major problems, budget overruns, and delays that could and should have been foreseen.
Our experience of over 2,300 Microsoft Dynamics implementations shows that there is no such thing as a static, one-size-fits-all ERP implementation. To mitigate the risks and uncertainty of a large project like a Finance & Operations implementation, it’s essential to start with this architectural analysis.
Finance & Operations implementations cost between $500,000 and $3 million or more, depending mainly on your functionality requirements, integrations, any special compliance needs, and internal documentation.
Click through the main factors below to learn more about each of them.
Functionality requirements start from GL/AP/AR and go up through engineer-to-order manufacturing, advanced warehouse management, master resource planning, and quality controls. Companies needing more advanced functionality will require a larger investment to implement their ERP.
The number and depth of integrations required, especially with 3rd-party software, is a significant influence on your implementation price. Note, however, that some tools you have now may be replaceable by functionality in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and the rest of the Microsoft stack.
Some clients have special compliance needs that require extra effort to configure in the system. These needs may relate to international trade, healthcare, government and defense, or other regulated industries. The audit trail and manufacturing controls in Finance & Operations provide a strong foundation for these compliance needs, but such companies may require additional configuration to meet their exact requirements.
An often-overlooked factor is how well-defined and documented your current processes and requirements already are. Especially for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution, having accurate and up-to-date documentation for these processes can reduce the cost of the implementation.
To quickly assess these factors for your company’s situation, and get your own Finance & Operations price estimate range, try our self-serve tool. Take 3 minutes to estimate your project with confidence.
Implementation is a one-time cost. To understand the total cost of ownership for Finance & Operations, the two most important ongoing costs to consider are licensing and support.
Full user licenses for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations usually cost $240 USD/user/month ($325.60 CAD/user/month). However, there are some nuances and exceptions to that, partly because there are several different license types, as follows:
Also, be aware that Microsoft now technically offers Finance & Operations via two different app licenses, called “Dynamics 365 Finance” and “Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management.” To navigate all these licensing details and get the right license types for your company, speak with our Finance & Operations experts or read more about Finance & Operations license pricing.
All pricing is subject to change without notice. Based on the length of the license contract commitment and billing plan, per user per month prices may differ from the prices listed above. Contact Encore for the most current product pricing and available contract options.
Clients can access Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations support from Encore’s team of Microsoft-certified experts through a package starting at $1,175 per month. Learn more.
(That price covers 5 hours of support at $235/hour. Additional hours can be purchased at standard rates.)
For the most up-to-date pricing information, please reach out to your Encore Account Manager or contact us.
Encore’s Finance & Operations support package includes:
To drive the efficiency and insight you seek with your ERP solution, you’ll likely need Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations to share data and connect automations with your other software. We have experience with connections between Finance & Operations and a wide range of other tools, including:
One of the main reasons customers choose Dynamics 365 for their ERP is the ability to connect their data and automate processes across departments and applications. And one of the main reasons customers choose Encore as their Dynamics 365 implementation partner is our expertise across the full Microsoft suite.
Need to connect your systems? Start by talking with the experts.
With over 35 years of experience as a Microsoft Dynamics Partner, we have unmatched perspective and a network of relationships to draw on when it comes to selecting and integrating with the best ISV add-ons and 3rd-party solutions for you.
Also, as the functionality in Finance & Operations, Copilot, and the Power Platform continues to grow, we are increasingly able to use Microsoft tools to address needs you may have previously relied on 3rd-party applications for.
Our Chief Revenue Officer, Aran Cameron, explains the importance of thinking beyond the core functionality of an ERP itself:
Implementing Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations is no small feat — and without the proper guidance, it’s easy to make costly mistakes. Encore will provide the honest advice, comprehensive technical expertise, steady hand through change, and ongoing Finance & Operations support services you need to mitigate the risks and achieve the ROI you’re seeking.
In a major technology project like this, it’s key to make sure the configuration will meet your needs today as well as your plans for growth over the next 3 to 5 years. While some companies try to provide oversimplified, templated Finance & Operations implementations, we believe that each business’s needs are unique enough to require a tailored approach.
In fact, if a Finance & Operations implementation doesn’t prioritize architectural planning, consultation, and training, that will almost always lead to unexpected delays, cost overruns, missing functionality, or poor user adoption.
At Encore, we guide our clients through both the technical challenges (integrations, configurations, data migration) and the human challenges (project management, change management, requirements gathering) needed to successfully implement a new ERP. Together, we’ll get it right the first time.
Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementations take 1 to 2 years to complete, depending on your integrations, functional needs, and important human factors like the availability of your team.
The level of functionality you need
The more of the Finance & Operations functionality you’ll use, the more time that it will take to configure. For instance, a company using master resource planning and engineering change management (like an original equipment manufacturer) will need more time to implement than a company using only GL/AP/AR functionality (like a professional services organization).
How well-documented your processes are
For each of the functionalities that you will be using in Finance & Operations, we’ll need to match up the configuration to your processes. If you already have up-to-date documentation that accurately describes your real processes, the implementation will go more smoothly.
Note that we often discover that the actual workflows a customer’s team uses don’t perfectly align with their official training manuals and other documents. That’s one of the reasons its so important to involve both us and your subject matter experts in the requirements-gathering process.
The integrations you require
Integrations for EDI and PLM tend to be the most important ones to consider in terms of timeline. The amount of time integrations will take overall partly depends on whether you’re staying with your existing vendor or selecting a new one, and whether there is already an established method of connecting that tool to Finance & Operations.
Note that we can sometimes use the expanded functionality in Finance & Operations and the rest of the Microsoft stack to address needs you previously depended on 3rd-party tools for.
How available and committed your team is
Needs assessment, training, and testing are key steps in the ERP implementation process that require dedicated time from your staff. In particular, it’s common for customers to underestimate the effort needed for end-to-end testing by their team before go-live. Planning for this availability is a key step in a successful, on-schedule Finance & Operations implementation.
With 2,300+ Dynamics implementations under our belts, we have seen many variations on each of these factors, and we can develop a realistic time estimate that fits your situation and strategy.
Electroimpact, a world leader in aerospace manufacturing, had undergone 15 years of rapid growth. However, they were concerned about the limits of their legacy ERP. They needed a scalable solution, tailored to their needs as an engineering-focused original equipment manufacturer. And they needed their solution to help them budget and forecast costs for complex, unique projects based on real data rather than gut instincts.
Encore’s Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations experts worked closely with Electroimpact to investigate their requirements, configure the Finance & Operations to their needs, integrate it to PLM, HR, and other systems, and then train their power users to independently handle recurring needs for new workflows and reports. With their new ERP in place, and their partnership with Encore, Electroimpact is now prepared for their next stage of growth.
"We met our three project goals of 100% completion of critical business requirements at go-live, completed with 90% Best Practices or better, and go-live done in a timely manner that does not delay or disrupt any new business. This close collaboration exceeded our expectations and excites Electroimpact about Encore as a partner for future work with Microsoft technologies."
Benjamen D. Hempstead, PE, Mechanical Engineering Lead, Electroimpact
Beyond implementation, what truly sets Encore apart is our systematic and proactive approach to providing Finance & Operations support services and training for our clients, ensuring you’re never left stranded.
During your go-live, our dedicated Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations specialists will assist you as you begin working in the new system. They’ll resolve any unexpected problems and help your team transition to the new processes with confidence.
Our Finance & Operations team will also document the specifics of your system throughout the implementation, so that we’ll have your specific context on-hand for any support cases needed in the future.
Any ERP implementation will fall flat without training that helps users become confident and capable in the new system.
Your team will receive training from Encore as part of your implementation process. And after implementation, we’ll provide training for new users and other needs through Encore Care support.
Encore training goes beyond “feature and function,” and is tailored to your users, their needs, and the business processes around the software. You can also stay informed about using the system efficiently with our tips-and-tricks blog articles and live webinars.
Once your system is live and stable, you’ll receive support from the same team that worked on your implementation.
Through our Encore Care support program, you can submit tickets and view both historical tickets and knowledge-base articles through our support portal. Our dedicated specialists address client concerns promptly, earning a client satisfaction rate of 96%.
Watch this short video from Scott Murn, our Client Support Services Practice Lead, about common challenges companies are facing today, and how Encore’s support services can help you through them:
To truly see the benefits of implementing Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, it takes great communication and partnership between our team and yours.
As an experienced Finance & Operations Partner, we believe that ERP projects are fundamentally people-driven change management projects. That’s why we involve your subject matter experts for each of the affected processes in the implementation. It’s essential to understand their pain points and gain their buy-in early, so the new implementation can achieve full user adoption.
Our project managers coordinate the efforts of both sides, setting clear expectations, keeping leaders up to date on the implementation’s progress, handling change requests, and contingency planning.
From day one, you’ll appreciate constant communication and our honest, straightforward approach. We’ll work closely with each other to solve real-world challenges as partners.
"Besides building the systems, we’ve built a trusted relationship with Encore across every part of our organization. From the beginning they’ve been the ones to help get things on track, give advice on what’s best for the solution, and really helped us in understanding what our end goal is.”
Jaylyn Rowe, Director of Digital Transformation, UBCJA
Selecting the right technology partner is just as important as selecting the right ERP solution. Hear more from Aran Cameron, our Chief Revenue Officer, about what makes Encore stand out from other partners:
We start by getting to know you and your business. We’ll assess your requirements and your current technology stack, and then we’ll help you develop an implementation plan that suits your strategy.
Reach out to consult with our experts today.
Three of the key challenges to overcome in a Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementation are:
Without proper guidance from a skilled partner, these challenges can lead to cost overruns, project delays, and other significant problems. Encore prioritizes solution architecture at the start of a Finance & Operations implementation in order to overcome these challenges, de-risk the implementation, and achieve your business goals.
To implement Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations properly, there are 5 steps, each of which you need to take with a Finance & Operations Partner: Diagnostic, Analysis, Solution Modeling, Deployment, and finally Operation. Learn more about our proven process.
Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementations typically take 1 to 2 years. Where you fall in that range depends on factors like your needed functionality and integrations, your current documentation of business process flows, and the availability and commitment of your team for the implementation project. Learn more.
Implementing Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations typically costs between $700,000 and $3,000,000. Most full-user licenses cost $240 USD ($325.60 CAD) per user per month. Learn more.
There are 4 main reasons businesses choose Encore for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations implementations: