Migrating from Salesforce to Microsoft Dynamics 365: Preparing for effective resource management

According to data from Nigel Frank's 2017/2018 Microsoft Dynamics Salary Survey (registration required), one in five current Dynamics users have migrated from another business software in the previous year, 16 percent of those from Salesforce. The survey results indicate that the number of Salesforce users who are jumping ship in favor of Dynamics is increasing; up from 11 percent the previous year.

When migrating from Salesforce to Microsoft Dynamics, it's not only the practicalities of porting data from one software platform to another that need to be considered. So how should organizations manage their resources to get the most out of the new system?

Traditionally, resource management for software migration projects will take into account things like financial outlay, hardware, and labor costs. When migrating from Salesforce to Dynamics 365, however, being that they are both cloud-based platforms, many of those regular considerations are less likely to come into play.

Resources such as technical equipment and kit are less imperative when dealing with SaaS products, and as for financial resources, it's highly likely that value for money and improved use of your IT budget will already have been addressed during your decision-making process.  

In many ways, the most crucial resource available to you when migrating from one software to another, and as a result, the one which must be managed most closely, is human skills.

Switching to Dynamics 365 can do wonders for your organization, but having valuable technology at your fingertips means nothing if your people aren't using it correctly (or at all).

People are often naturally resistant to change. If they spend their days using a particular ...