Services · Implementation Projects

Implementation Projects — putting Microsoft Business Applications into production.

When you want to roll out Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, or Microsoft 365 — we deliver the full implementation engagement from discovery to go-live. With clearly defined project sizes, an ALM-compliant approach, and a seamless handover to Application Care.

20+ years of practice Microsoft Partner CMMI methodology · MD is Consultant + Internal Appraiser ALM-compliant

Managing Directors · Owners

Sprint fixed prices instead of open-ended hourly billing.

Microsoft implementations rarely fail on the technology — they fail on uncontrolled hour volumes and an unclear scope. We deliver in sprint fixed prices with a clear delivery promise per sprint. Before each sprint, you know what you get and what it costs. The CFO sees milestones in euros, not hours. Steering-ready project control with risk burndown instead of Excel spreadsheets.

Department Head · Business Unit

A milestone plan that holds up in steering committee.

You have to defend the project internally — against the CFO, procurement, and competing initiatives. We deliver the steering-committee-ready milestone plan: phases, deliverable types, acceptance criteria, risk matrix, change-request discipline. Plus a discovery spike (fixed price, price on request) as a clean first engagement with a documented outcome report — before the big budget gets signed off.

IT Lead · CIO · Solution Architect

Release-Wave-compliant implementation with a clean ALM pipeline.

We build Release-Wave-compliant: solution layering with managed-vs-unmanaged discipline, ALM pipeline in Azure DevOps with service principal, environment strategy (Dev/Test/UAT/Prod), automated Solution Checker runs, DLP policies, tenant boundary discussion, change management with CR templates. CMMI methodology with measurable delivery discipline. Direct conversation with the solution architect.

For Managing Directors · Sprint fixed prices

Sprint fixed price instead of hourly billing — budget control from day one.

Every sprint has a delivery promise, an acceptance criterion, and a fixed price. You can stop after any sprint without penalty. What the CFO sees: predictable line items, milestone billing, a clear ROI path. What the board sees: risk burndown, documented decisions, no hourly jungle. No unpleasant surprises at quarter-end.

Request sprint fixed price

For Department Heads · Steering-committee-ready

Milestone plan, acceptance criteria, risk burndown — ready for steering committee.

Deliverables: discovery-spike report with business-case skeleton, phase plan, risk matrix, change-request discipline, acceptance criteria per sprint, monthly steering status with forecast. With this you walk into steering committee, procurement, and the CFO — with evidence, not slides. Outcome report defensible internally, without consultant folklore.

Start discovery spike

For IT leads · 45-min architecture conversation

ALM setup, Release-Wave discipline, environment strategy — on the whiteboard.

Topics: solution layering with managed/unmanaged discipline, ALM pipeline in Azure DevOps with service principal and Power Platform Build Tools, environment topology (Dev/Test/UAT/Prod) including capacity planning, Release-Wave compliance, DLP policy strategy, Solution Checker as quality gate. You talk directly to the solution architect who will implement.

45-min architecture conversation

Scope of services

What an implementation project covers.

Eight disciplines that run through every project — Quick-Win projects compress them, Enterprise projects deepen them. But never skip them.

Requirements analysis

Workshops, process mapping, use-case catalog, backlog build-up. Understand first, then configure.

Architecture

Solution architecture on the Microsoft stack, integration sketch, data model, security-role concept.

Configuration

Use the standard features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform to their full extent, without unnecessary code.

Customization

Extensions where needed — as a plug-in, Power Automate flow, custom connector, or Azure Function. Cleanly documented.

Data migration

Data discovery, mapping, test runs in sandbox environments, documented cut-over plan. Migration as its own phase.

Training

Power users, key users, end users — with real data and processes, not Microsoft demo data. A fixed component.

Go-live

Cut-over weekend, floor-walking in the first week, daily stand-ups, defined escalation paths.

Hyper care

Four to eight weeks of elevated response readiness after go-live. Then transition into Application Care.

Three project sizes

Quick-Win, Standard, or Enterprise.

The project size is set during discovery, not promised upfront. We'd rather build three Quick-Wins back-to-back than one mega-project that's on the brink after 18 months.

01 · 2–3 months

Quick-Win

Clearly scoped first application — one department, one module, one location. Ideal for the first productive Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Power Platform adoption in the company. Fast value, low risk exposure.

  • One module (e.g., Sales, Customer Service)
  • One user group (typically 10–40 users)
  • Standard configuration, minimal customization
  • Fixed-price corridor possible
Recommended
02 · 4–9 months

Standard

A complete application with data migration, one to three integrations, and customization for company-specific requirements. The typical size for a first Microsoft Dynamics 365 adoption in mid-market companies.

  • One to two modules with customization
  • 50–300 users
  • Data migration from legacy system included
  • One to three integrations
  • T&M with corridor or hybrid model
03 · 12+ months

Enterprise

Multi-entity, multi-country, or multi-module rollout. Multiple user groups, a more complex integration landscape, dedicated governance and ALM structures. We work here with a phase plan and clear milestones.

  • Multiple modules or legal entities
  • 300+ users
  • Complex integration landscape
  • Dedicated ALM pipeline and governance structure
  • Phase plan with clear go-live milestones

Methods

Agile, Hybrid, ALM-compliant.

Methodology is not an end in itself — it follows the project size and the maturity of your organization. Three methodological anchors, however, run through every project.

Agile or Hybrid — by project size

Quick-Win projects run purely agile in two-week sprints with weekly demos. Standard projects run hybrid: a discovery phase with waterfall character, then an agile implementation phase with sprints and backlog. Enterprise projects work with a phase plan, within which individual streams run agile — a classic hybrid model.

ALM process — Application Lifecycle Management

From day one, we build an ALM pipeline: separate environments for development, test, UAT, and production, solutions as deployment units, automated promotion via Microsoft Power Platform Build Tools or Azure DevOps. This makes controlled release maintenance possible after go-live — and turns the handover to Application Care into routine.

CMMI maturity as a framework

We work to CMMI methodology. In practice that means: we document decisions in writing, maintain requirements traceability, run reviews against defined criteria, and run continuous process improvement in-house. For you this means traceable projects, even when key people change — methodological discipline sits at the top.

Method follows project — not the other way around. We don't force an Enterprise governance apparatus onto a Quick-Win project, and we don't start an Enterprise project without a clean ALM pipeline. That saves days that flow into the result.

After go-live

Transition into Application Care.

With us, the transition into Application Care is part of the project. No abrupt cut between "project done" and "daily rate per bug fix" — we build the ongoing support during the hyper-care phase so the handover is seamless.

After the hyper-care phase, our Application Care team takes the application into a flat-rate engagement: second- and third-level support, release maintenance with every Microsoft update, small adjustments without a daily-rate debate, monthly health review. You know what Microsoft operations cost — and your project investment is protected long-term through continuous optimization.

For larger extensions after go-live, we either open new project engagements (Phase 2, new modules, new locations), or let the extension grow through the Training Subscription with your own citizen developers. We've taken both paths multiple times — both work.

Application Care in detail →

Frequently asked questions

What we clarify before every implementation engagement.

What does a system adoption with arades GmbH include?

We deliver the full implementation engagement: discovery and requirements analysis, solution architecture, configuration of standard features, customization of extensions, data migration from legacy systems, user training, go-live support, and hyper-care phase. After hyper care, the application optionally transitions into our Application Care flat rate.

How long does a Microsoft Dynamics 365 adoption take?

We work in three project sizes. Quick-Win: 2–3 months for clearly scoped first applications (e.g., Sales module, one department, one location). Standard: 4–9 months for a complete application with data migration and integration. Enterprise: 12+ months for multi-entity, multi-country, or multi-module rollouts. The size is set during discovery, not promised upfront.

Which Microsoft Power Platform implementations do you deliver?

We implement Power Apps Canvas and Model-Driven, Power Automate for process automation, Power BI for reporting, and Power Pages for external portals — each built on Microsoft Dataverse, with Power Platform Governance, ALM, and compliance on the Microsoft stack. Implementations are often faster than classic Dynamics 365 projects because less customization code is required.

How does data migration work in an implementation project?

Data migration runs as its own project phase with data discovery (what migrates, what doesn't?), mapping definition, multiple test runs in sandbox environments, a documented cut-over plan, and a migration weekend before go-live. We typically migrate from Dynamics CRM versions (4.0, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016), SQL databases, Excel spreadsheets, older ERP systems, and SaaS applications. Details under Migration.

Is the user team trained during the implementation project?

Yes — training is a fixed part of every implementation project and is not sold as an add-on. We train power users and end users with their real data and processes before go-live, do floor-walking in the go-live week, and optionally run a follow-up training four to eight weeks after go-live. Ongoing learning needs are covered by our Training Subscription.

What happens after go-live?

Go-live is followed by a hyper-care phase of four to eight weeks with elevated response readiness and a daily stand-up. Then the application moves into our Application Care flat rate — second- and third-level support, release maintenance, continuous optimization. The handover is part of the project, not a follow-up sales step.

Take-away · two materials

Factsheet and whitepaper.

Two depths for different reading needs. The factsheet is a quick reference (3–5 min) and instantly downloadable. The whitepaper is market education with methodology and comparison data (15–30 min) — you get it by email after a short request.

Factsheet · 2 pages

Implementation Projects Factsheet

3–5 min read · Direct download · no form

Compact overview: scope, key metrics, pricing model, process — ideal to forward to CFO, procurement, or the business unit.

Download factsheet (PDF)

Whitepaper · 12 pages

Implementation Projects — Deep Dive

15–30 min read · by email after request

Methodology, comparison data, recommendation framework — material for internal argumentation toward stakeholders.

Related services

Implementation doesn't stand alone — these topics surround it.

Project conversation

Which application, what size, what timeframe?

30-min initial conversation — we clarify scope, project size, and timeframe. You get a candid assessment and a discovery proposal quickly.

Take-away

Implementation Projects Factsheet.

Two-page quick reference with package structure, delivery areas, and three reasons for arades — instantly downloadable, no form. Ideal to forward to CFO, procurement, or the IT lead.

Factsheet · 2 pages · PDF

Implementation Projects Factsheet

3–5 min read · Direct download · no form

Download factsheet (PDF, 5 KB)