Microsoft Dynamics AX to 365 upgrade journeys, Part 5: Project management from the front line

On this episode we catch up with a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations upgrade project in process. We talk to project managers from both the partner and customer side to learn how each of them has navigated a challenging project with a very rigid deadline that is just two months away. From daily standup calls to project tools to executive sponsors, our guests, Arun (the customer project manager) and Ebrahim (the partner project manager) talk about their progress so far, technical hurdles of ERP on Azure, and how they have dealt with change management. Show Notes: 3:30 – Project basics – where it's at now and some current issues being dealt with. 6:00 – Why the go-live date is so rigid on this project, and what how that has shaped the critical path and project management considerations. 8:00 – Why this project has multiple critical paths (and why this project really looks more like two simultaneous projects) 11:30: The Azure infrastructure skills gap when moving to F&O and the challenges of stabilizing on Azure as the services iterate rapidly 15:00 – What differentiates an AX upgrade project from a D365FO upgrade project 18:00 – Is it possible to accurately account for contingencies when working with a D365FO environment in Azure? 22:00 – What kind of project methodology is the team using? 27:00 – How fast are change orders being approved? 28:30 – More details on the project team and user base size 31:00 – How the project team is using Microsoft Project 36:15 – Halfway through the project, how is the upgrade team's spirit holding up? 40:30 – How to keep daily standup calls tidy 42:30 – Final thoughts: Azure challenges are not to be underestimated