Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX
Scoping Assessment
Delivery Guide
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Table of Contents
1
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 2
2
Executive Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 3
3
4
2.1
Vision and Scope ................................................................................................................................................ 3
2.2
Risk Assessment ................................................................................................................................................ 3
2.3
Potential Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Initiate Engagement ................................................................................................................................................. 5
3.1
Ensure Readiness for Service ............................................................................................................................ 5
3.2
Conduct Internal Pre-Kickoff Meeting ................................................................................................................. 5
3.3
Customize Service and Create Baseline Agenda .............................................................................................. 5
Kickoff Meeting ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
4.1
Understand Customer Situation ......................................................................................................................... 7
4.2
Discuss Implementation Project Types .............................................................................................................. 8
4.3
Ensure Customer Benefits from Engagement .................................................................................................... 8
4.4
Assemble Core Delivery Team ........................................................................................................................... 9
5
Engagement Phases and Implementation Methodology ................................................................................... 10
6
Information Gathering Phase ............................................................................................................................... 12
7
6.1
Meeting with Project Sponsor, BDMs, and TDMs ............................................................................................ 12
6.2
General Information Gathering ......................................................................................................................... 13
Findings and Recommendations (Customer Deliverables)............................................................................... 14
7.1
Build Cost Model Spreadsheet ......................................................................................................................... 14
7.2
Management Review and validation ................................................................................................................. 14
8
Closeout Meeting ................................................................................................................................................... 15
9
Work Breakdown Structure .................................................................................................................................. 16
10
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
11
Appendix A: The Different Implementation Approaches ............................................................................... 18
11.1
Release Strategy ......................................................................................................................................... 18
11.2
Deployment Model ...................................................................................................................................... 18
12
Glossary .............................................................................................................................................................. 20
13
References .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
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1
INTRODUCTION
The goal of this document is to make onsite consultants aware of what is required of them, of the
customer, and of any vendors. The document also describes how various teams work together—
including your company, the customer, and independent software vendors (ISVs)—if add-in solutions are
required.
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2
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
This section describes some major issues that may have led a customer to begin the evaluation process
for implementing a Microsoft Dynamics AX solution. This section also briefly addresses the customer’s
motivations for moving forward with the Scoping Assessment engagement. It describes both the
overarching program and the purposes of the engagement, and outlines the major activities covered.
2.1
Vision and Scope
The vision of the Microsoft Sure Step Scoping Assessment is to provide the customer with an overview of
the various implementation options that are available and the costs that are associated with each of
those implementation options. A cost model is developed, along with a Resource Plan, based on a
proposed project organization chart with defined project roles.
In Scope:

Interviews with your business and IT decision-makers, to identify the preferred implementation
options to evaluate.

Development of a spreadsheet cost model to enable a “what if” analysis based on the type of
resources used.

Development of an Implementation Plan that reviews and compares the various implementation
options, summarizes the high-level cost analysis, provides high-level project plans and resource
plans, and discusses the risks to be evaluated.

Review of the Implementation Plan and the Cost Model with senior business and technical
decision-makers, incorporating their feedback into the final documents.
Out of Scope:
2.2

Configuration, customization, or any form of prototyping.

Business process re-engineering.

Development of detailed functional or technical specifications.

Development of detailed project plans or detailed cost estimates.

A proposed technical architecture.

Return on investment (ROI) calculations and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis.

Any other items not explicitly defined as in-scope.
Risk Assessment
The usual risks in carrying out a Scoping Assessment are that insufficient or incorrect data has been
provided from the source documentation (such the Fit Gap Analysis and Solution Blueprint), and that
validation has not been granted by the business and IT decision makers regarding the most appropriate
implementation options to consider. It is important for all cost data to be adequately validated and for
the consultant to get a good view of the customer’s needs and wants regarding implementation options.
Partners should consider leveraging the Microsoft Technical Presales Advisory Group (TPAG) during the
scoping phase. Microsoft TPAG assists partners who are authorized to provide Microsoft Dynamics
licensed software to their customers. TPAG will provide technical evaluations of your pre-sales customer
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proposals based on industry standards and Microsoft best practices and will answer technical questions
around scalability, product architecture, and performance proactively before problems can occur.
TPAG's Key Objectives are:

Improve the Customer and Partner Experience (CPE).

Help manage risk and lower escalations and the chance of litigation.

Shorten sales cycles.

Leverage technical experts from Microsoft to apply best practices.
2.3
Potential Next Steps
Throughout the engagement, the consultant should flag any planning items that—for any reason—
cannot be resolved within the scope of the engagement. Such items should be listed here, along with
recommendations as to how the customer should proceed in resolving these outstanding issues.
Depending on the outcome of this engagement, several other activities might be required in order to
meet the customer’s vision and objectives; these are defined as ‘next steps.’ The following potential next
steps have been identified:

Microsoft Sure Step Business Systems Architecture Assessment: The assessment provides an
overall architectural design, validates scalability, and identifies any gaps in the customer’s
standard operating environment (SOE). The objective here is to provide the data required to
determine the overall hardware and software costs.

Microsoft Sure Step Business Case: Standard Nucleus Research templates are used to prepare a
business case for the implementation of the Microsoft Dynamics AX product.

Microsoft Sure Step Analysis and Design Phases: The customer might be comfortable with the
costs identified in the Scoping Assessment, and might decide to proceed directly to an
implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX. The first phases of an implementation would
comprise a detailed Analysis and Design Phase.
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3
INITIATE ENGAGEMENT
Before the engagement starts, the delivery consultant should become familiar with the customer’s
situation by gathering information from various partner internal resources.
3.1
Ensure Readiness for Service
Assuming that a Fit Gap Analysis and a Solution Blueprint have previously been developed, it is
important for the consultant to review the following documents.
Document Name
Document Description
Fit Gap Worksheet
A worksheet that lists in an organized fashion all of the high-level
requirements identified by the customer. For each requirement listed, it
is specified whether the requirement can be addressed out-of-the-box by
Microsoft Dynamics AX, or whether configuration, customization, or an
ISV add-in is required. For those requirements involving configuration or
customization or an ISV add-in, an order-of-magnitude effort estimate is
also provided. The percentage degree of fit across the stated set of
requirements is also estimated.
Solution Blueprint
The Solution Blueprint is a business-focused nontechnical document. It
describes our understanding of the current business requirements and
any assumptions made in preparing the Fit Gap Analysis report, and it
reviews key Functional Design Points. Major customization requirements
are documented, along with integration requirements. Each proposed ISV
add-in is further described. A conceptual design of the overall AX solution
is provided.
In the event that a Conference Room Pilot has been conducted, the outputs of the Conference Room
Pilot should also be included in the Scoping Assessment Analysis.
3.2
Conduct Internal Pre-Kickoff Meeting
Prior to meeting the customer, the delivery team should meet to review the customer’s needs and
expectations and the goals of both the customer and your company. This meeting is an opportunity for
the delivery consultants (technical, business, and operations) to review and discuss existing knowledge
and documentation about that customer.
Typically, the delivery consultants discuss each other’s skills and suitability for the project. It is essential
to address these matters prior to starting the onsite work. The consultants should determine the project
agenda and agree on their respective roles and responsibilities for this specific engagement.
Additionally, one of the team members must take ownership for arranging the logistics with the
customer—including reserving rooms and audio-visual equipment, building access, food, and access to
the right staff and information.
3.3
Customize Service and Create Baseline Agenda
The Pre-Kickoff Meeting is the time to agree on the final agenda for the service. Delivery of the
engagement depends upon the existing customer environment.
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Once you have established the overall engagement flow, you can fill in the baseline agenda with discrete
activities—workshop sessions, project management meetings, and report authoring.
The engagement provides baseline agenda; it must always be customized to suit specific customer
needs. It is expected that the deliverables may be spread over a longer period of time.
Important
Allocate yourself ample time in the agenda for authoring the customer-deliverable document. It is
the main deliverable of the engagement, and should exhibit high quality.
Based on the Pre-Kickoff Meeting, the delivery consultant should have enough knowledge to select tools
and interviewers when engaging with the customer, and also have enough knowledge to customize the
agenda to suit the specific customer’s needs. This agenda should be confirmed and amended as needed
after the Kickoff Meeting.
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4
KICKOFF MEETING
At the Kickoff Meeting, all participants agree on the engagement’s delivery, goals, deliverables, and
schedule.
The Kickoff Meeting is the first meeting of the engagement. It has the following primary purposes:

Gain the customer’s confidence by demonstrating the consultant’s professionalism.

Set and confirm expectations.

Gather basic information about the customer’s requirements.

Define roles and responsibilities.
This meeting should introduce the team to the customer and set the stage for the project. Some general
topics that should be covered during this meeting are:

Introduction of team members and identification of other participants whose assistance will be
needed.

Introduction of the topics that will be covered during delivery of the engagement.

The customer’s general expectations, requirements, goals, and timelines.

Items that are in scope or out of scope. Out-of-scope items should be defined before beginning
the engagement, but the meeting is an opportunity to reinforce the defined scope of the
engagement. For example, items such as detailed project plans should be identified as being outof-scope.

Customer responsibility for all implementation design decisions, since the customer knows its
environment and users best. The engagement provides guidance and recommendations, but
ultimately the customer is responsible for final decisions.

The planned data and information gathering schedule and audience required for each phase.
These issues should already have been discussed with the customer’s executive sponsor and
project leader, and a tentative schedule should have been determined before the Kickoff
Meeting.

The consultant’s work schedule and location. The engagement can be delivered continuously or
divided into segments, as appropriate.
Written minutes, including action items, should be collected and distributed after the Kickoff Meeting.
4.1
Understand Customer Situation
Before starting the engagement, the consultant should get enough background information about the
current environment to position the engagement within context. This does not imply an in-depth
analysis, which is beyond the scope of this exercise, but it captures how the customer currently feels.
Some examples of areas that should be covered include:

Current enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and environment.

The level of readiness in the organization for an ERP implementation.

Current organizational structure, including business and technical decision makers, and
identification of the prime project sponsor.
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
Preferences regarding the classic “Project Management Triangle.” In other words, what is more
import to the customer—Time, Cost, or Quality. There should be an understanding that in a realworld project you can never simultaneously optimize all three.

The “Guiding Principles” by which any implementation should be structured.

The customer’s preferred implementation-delivery model:


In-house IT Lead

Vendor Lead

Partner Lead
The customer’s preferred support delivery model:

In-house IT lead

Partner Lead (Partner Advantage)

Microsoft Lead (Premier, Business Ready Enhancement Plan, Advantage Plus)

The current skill levels within the customer’s IT organization.

The current status of any initiative within the customer’s organization relating to its ERP
environment.
The consultant also needs to determine if the customer has a current business plan that is supported by
its technology roadmap, either implied or explicitly written. There are no mandatory deliverables as a
result of this exercise, but the consultant’s notes are used as inputs to the customer-deliverable
document.
4.2
Discuss Implementation Project Types
One of the key decisions to be taken by the project stakeholders is the approach to the implementation.
The implementation project types within Sure Step can be classified in two broad categories:

Waterfall

Agile
The consultant should clearly explain the benefits and constraints of both these approaches to the
project stakeholders and set their expectations. It should be explained to the customer that although
this is not a final choice on how they will run their project, the type of project selected will affect the
scoping assessment report detail as the project type affects the recommended approach within the
report.
Consultants are advised to use the relevant ‘Scoping Assessment’ template based on the Project Type
selection.
4.3
Ensure Customer Benefits from Engagement
Engage all project stakeholders to insure that expectations have been correctly set. The entire project
team should understand and buy into the vision and scope for this engagement. The team should
understand both the importance of the engagement and how the engagement fits into an overarching
program.
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Focus on technical, business, and operations aspects as appropriate. Sample items include:

Help me to understand my implementation options.

Help me to understand costs associated with various implementation options.

Help me do a what-if analysis of the use of different resources combinations.
You should be asking yourself these questions when preparing for the engagement:
4.4

What are the key decisions that the customer needs assistance to make?

What are the showstoppers that we can resolve?

Are there any fundamental knowledge gaps?

How can we bring the customer to a solution faster?
Assemble Core Delivery Team
The engagement is structured to be delivered by a virtual team with collective knowledge in potentially
three disciplines: business value, technical, and operations.
The main resource for this engagement is an experienced ERP Project Manager who has previously
scoped out and planned ERP implementations. Specific experience in planning Microsoft Dynamics AX
implementation is particularly important. For more information about required resources, see the
Microsoft Sure Step Dynamics AX Scoping Assessment Resource and Readiness Guide.
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5
ENGAGEMENT PHASES AND IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY
Describe the steps, requirements, resources, and tools for data gathering for this engagement.
The steps, requirements, resources, and tools for data gathering for this engagement are depicted in
Figure 1 Scoping Assessment Engagement Overview and Schedule.
*N.B. The Scoping Assessment process assumes
that a Fit/Gap & Solution Blueprint process (or
some other process to determine configuration
and customization effort) has been completed.
Week 1
Week 2
Figure 1 Scoping Assessment Engagement Overview and Schedule
As part of the Scoping Assessment, an Implementation Plan and an Implementation Cost Model will be
prepared by an experienced Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) consultant, based on the patented
Microsoft Sure Step Implementation Methodology (Figure 2).
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Figure 2 Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Implementation Methodology
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6
INFORMATION GATHERING PHASE
During this phase, the various inputs needed for the development of an Implementation Plan and a
Costing Model are collected. Information to be collected includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Business Requirements as well as Configuration and Customization estimates—usually derived
from the Fit Gap Analysis and Solution Blueprint Analysis, but perhaps further verified through a
Proof of Concept (POC).

Input from the project sponsor and the business and technical decision makers about preferred
implementation and resourcing options as well as views regarding internal customer project
readiness and delivery capability.

Input from the Microsoft Sure Step Implementation Methodology regarding the structure and
organization of a best-practices ERP implementation.

Experience and knowledge from an experienced Microsoft Dynamics AX Project Manager.
6.1
Meeting with Project Sponsor, BDMs, and TDMs
To start the Microsoft Dynamics AX - Scoping Assessment engagement, you must first determine with
the project sponsor the scope of the implementation options and identify the people who are to serve in
each role.


Project sponsor, technical decision makers (TDMs), and business decision makers (BDMs):

Provide the scope for the Implementation Plan.

Assist in narrowing down the implementation options to the two or three to be evaluated.

Provide guidance as to the mix of customer, Microsoft Partner, and MCS resources.
Partner business subject matter experts:


Provide ad hoc feedback on implementation plan details.
Microsoft Partner:

Gathers inputs about costs, including the following:

Project Management

Design

Configuration

Customization

Deployment

Support

Prepares Cost Model.

Evaluates different implementation options based on cost, timing, and risk.

Delivers Implementation Plan, including high-level Project Gantt chart, Resource Plan,
Proposed Project Organization Chart, Resource Role Descriptions, Analysis of the Cost Model,
etc.
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After having identified the persons to fill each of the above-mentioned roles, you should schedule the
workshop series with the customer as appropriate to gather the necessary inputs.
6.2
General Information Gathering
During workshops, inputs are collected from Fit Gap Analysis, Proof of Concept (POC), Business Systems
Architecture (BSA), etc., via questionnaires, interviews, discussions, and so forth. The methodology for
this information gathering is ad hoc, and depends on customer preferences and readiness and on the
availability of the information.
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7
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (CUSTOMER DELIVERABLES)
After all information-gathering phases are completed, the delivery consultant will have many reports,
tools, outputs, and interview documents that can be used as inputs for the customer-deliverable
documents. The consultant should address all objectives agreed upon at the beginning of the
engagement, and should gather all results generated throughout the engagement and create a list of
recommendations as inputs to the customer-deliverable document.
7.1
Build Cost Model Spreadsheet
The experienced Microsoft Dynamics AX Project Manager will build an easy-to-understand Dynamic Cost
Model that allows the customer to do “what if” analysis based on the following:

Customer/partner/MCS resource mix

Resource source location and expense assumptions

Project scope

The generated Implementation Plan Report
The experienced Microsoft Dynamics AX Project Manager will develop a high-level Implementation Plan
that:
7.2

Is based on experience with best practices from previous Microsoft Dynamics AX
implementations.

Is based on the proven Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step implementation methodology.

Identifies roles and responsibilities for the project team.

Provides a proposed organization chart and resource plan.

Provides an objective evaluation of the various implementation options from a high-level
cost/benefit perspective. Typically, two different options are evaluated.

Provides an understanding of the types and quantities of resources required for a successful
implementation.

Establishes business priorities—cost vs. time vs. scope.
Management Review and Validation
During the final iteration, the project manager will go over the Cost Model and the Implementation
Report with the project sponsor and get buy-in. He or she will update the Cost Model and the
Implementation Report with feedback from the project sponsor in order to generate the final
deliverable.
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8
CLOSEOUT MEETING
At the end of the assignment, there is a Closeout Meeting to finish the engagement. The Closeout
Meeting is the final activity performed as part the engagement. The findings for the engagement are
presented to the customer and the recommendations are delivered. This meeting is also an opportunity
to propose any follow-up engagements that have been identified during this offering. Actions related to
the Closeout Meeting are:

Meet and discuss:

Results to date.

Findings and recommendations regarding the implementation plan and the cost model.

Relation of findings to the original objectives and requirements.

Discussion of the way to proceed—roadmap.

Determine customer satisfaction.

Close engagement.
Important
Make sure that you identify any possible follow-up engagements for inclusion in the Next Steps
section of the presentation.
The Closeout Meeting is an opportunity to deliver all documentation and reports that resulted from the
engagement:

Implementation Plan

Implementation Cost Model
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9
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
This section contains a detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for this engagement:
Scoping Assessment
Preparation for Scoping Assessment Project
Preparation for Project Kickoff Workshop
Kickoff Workshop with Project Sponsor
Schedule Workshops and Meetings
Protocol for Kickoff Workshop plus
Communication/Workshop Matrix
Preparation for Information Gathering Workshops
Information Gathering Workshops
Consolidate Infromation for Cost Model and
Implementation Plan
3
5
4
4
16
8
2
8
8
Protocol of the Midpoint Meeting
Build Cost Model Spreadsheet
Generate Implementation Plan Report
Prepare Workshop for Iteration with Project
Sponsor
2
Calibrate Cost Model Spreadsheet with Project
Sponsor and Get Buy-in. Update with Feedback
Update Cost Model Spreadsheet
Calibrate Implementation Plan Report with
Project Sponsor and Get Buy-in. Update with
Feedback
Update Implementation Plan Report
Prepare Closeout Meeting
Conduct Closeout Meeting
Protocol of the Closeout Meeting
Total
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Time Estimate
(Hrs)
Comments
work through previous deliverables
8
and read annual report
adopting PPT slide template and
8
check agenda with others, e.g.
Account Manager; Engagement
Manager etc.
2
3
2
3
2
2
4
78
10
CONCLUSION
The overall objective of the Microsoft Sure Step Dynamics AX Scoping Assessment is to give the
customer an understanding of the various implementation options, along with their cost impact. This is
accomplished by providing the customer with a Dynamics Cost Model and an Implementation Plan,
based on the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Implementation Methodology.
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11
APPENDIX A: THE DIFFERENT IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES
11.1
Release Strategy
The overall release strategy consists of a spectrum, with bigger and fewer releases at one end, and
smaller and more frequent releases at the other end.
Figure 3: Release Strategy
Bigger and fewer releases target the enablement of more long-term capabilities that require significant
amounts of development, testing, and change-management coordination. The focus is on building
sustainable business benefits, enhancing people capabilities, and facilitating fundamental business
process change. This release strategy is typically used when the change is big, complex, and profound in
its implications for the retail enterprise and the store.
Smaller and more-frequent releases are more targeted toward driving business benefit. This release
strategy prioritizes specific benefit goals, and addresses first those opportunities that offer the greatest
value. The intention is to develop and deliver multiple pilots and prototypes and to accrue benefits that
can quickly fund the next set of programs. When innovative opportunities are more compartmentalized,
this approach works very well and builds momentum and a track record for success.
11.2
Deployment Model
The phasing-in of innovation is another tough issue for enterprise retailers contemplating change. We
have defined four approaches for deployment: Big Bang, Function by Function, Location by Location, and
Combination.
Figure 4: Deployment Models
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
Big Bang. Big Bang implementations imply the deployment of several new, innovative capabilities
simultaneously across the retail-store footprint. Implementation is done as quickly as possible
once testing and validation are complete. The benefits lie in reducing overall execution risk by
minimizing the level of integration required, and simplifying the conversion and cut-over process.
The drawbacks of Big Bang are that management effort is greatly increased due to the planning
requirements of this model. The development effort is not phased, which means that a
substantial resource load is required for execution. Also, the magnitude of the change introduces
substantial business risk. This approach works well in organizations having high executive
involvement and discipline if the scope is clearly defined with outcomes.

Function by Function. Function by Function implementations undertake to discretely enable
specific capabilities that derive known, quantifiable business benefits. Often tied to a “quick
wins” release strategy, the benefits include the introduction of incremental change (enabling the
change to be absorbed more easily), a reduction of risk (due to a more constricted impact area),
and the ability to gain experience quickly as the organization adapts to the change (thus making
subsequent implementations easier to deploy). The drawbacks include a more complicated
“shutoff” procedure (because certain business processes are eliminated while other legacy
processes remain), more temporary interfaces to bridge the old with the new, and a strain on
organizational bandwidth (because the maintenance and support of parallel systems and
processes is required for an extended period of time).

Location by Location. This model takes advantage of organizational and operational
characteristics that enable deployment that is reasonably isolated and has minimal collateral
impact. Energy and resources are focused on delivering broad-based impact on a narrow space.
Distractions are minimized with this model because new capabilities are implemented
throughout a single business unit. A major drawback is that the development effort is not phased
in this model. The entire new environment must be designed, built, tested, and deployed. This
approach drives longer development cycles, requires more complex and rigorous testing
processes, and creates significant execution risks. In addition, dual environments will need to be
maintained in this model, which increases the training and support costs for the organization.

Combination. A Combination strategy is often the deployment-model choice for enterprise
retailers. The strategy combines the various approaches defined above into an overall solutionand-benefit case that meets customer needs. The benefits themselves are determined by the
options selected: how many locations should be involved, which cluster of functions should be
implemented first, etc. Typically, a combination model is more costly than any of the pure
approaches noted previously and often results in a lengthier implementation timeline.
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GLOSSARY
The following table defines terms and acronyms used in this guide.
Term
Definition
Account Manager (AM)
An individual who is responsible for facilitating the sale of
products and solutions to large customers.
Assessment Report
The deliverable generated from the Business Systems
Architecture Assessment that recaps the project and details
Dynamics stack technology mapping, hardware
recommendations, architectural guidance, assumptions made,
and final recommendations.
Business Decision Maker (BDM)
A customer who is considered a nontechnical business person
(for example, Chief Financial Officer, Head of Finance, Head of
Human Resources, and so on). A BDM has the power to make
business decisions about purchase and the use of Microsoft
Dynamics products and solutions.
Briefing Summary
A PowerPoint presentation that confirms what was discussed
and outlines the recommendations and next steps identified
during the engagement.
Conditions of Satisfaction (COS)
An initiative implemented by the Worldwide Microsoft Services
leadership team, that involves a discussion and/or negotiation
with key customers about a relationship (for example, technical
service account managers), an engagement, or a project (for
example, Account Manager, Engagement Manager, and
Customer Project Manager).
Customer and Partner Experience
(CPE)
A Microsoft initiative that includes the company’s work as it
relates to the goals of becoming more customer-focused and
connecting with customers and partners.
Engagement Manager
Individual who is responsible for providing services positioning
and ongoing relationship management services to Microsoft
strategic accounts.
Engagement Report
A report that documents what has been done during the Proof
of Concept (POC). The content of the report varies, depending
on the objective of the POC.
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Term
Definition
Evaluation Plan
A customer-facing document that chronologically outlines
suggested steps that are required for the decision-makers to
make a buying decision—that is, all events that will occur during
the sale. These steps usually include initial solutions
development, customer interviews or assessments, technical
and business proofs, technical reviews, proposal reviews, and
implementation kickoff. The evaluation plan helps to create and
formalize shared ownership of the buying process.
Go-To-Market (GTM)
Integrated campaigns that address a common customer need,
and align the sales, marketing, and services teams of Microsoft
and its partners with Microsoft and partner products and
solutions.
Independent Software Vendor
(ISV)
An organization that exclusively develops software or software
solutions.
Large Account Reseller (LAR)
A product reseller that Microsoft allows to resell licenses to end
users under the Microsoft Select License program.
Microsoft Consulting Services
(MCS)
A Microsoft service that offers a full range of consulting
programs for advanced technology requirements, including ecommerce, enterprise application planning, and distributed
network architecture computing.
Project Manager (PjM)
Individual who manages Microsoft Dynamics implementations.
PjMs could be from the customer, the partner, and/or Microsoft.
There could be multiple PjMs at any one of these organizations,
depending upon the size of the implementation.
Proof of Concept (POC)
Maps to the proof stage of the Microsoft Solution Sales Process
(MSSP). POCs follow a structured approach that enables the
activity owner to execute and deliver on the vision-scope
document from the Business Systems Architecture Assessment
to overcome final barriers.
POC outcome relates to the proof-stage verifiable outcome:
evidence required for the power sponsor to approve the final
solution proposal.
Proof Of Concept Project Plan
Plan which outlines a list of proof points that the customer
wants to see demonstrated during a POC.
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Term
Definition
Solution Sales Professional (SSP)
Individual who works together with Microsoft account teams,
services, and partners to develop opportunity identification and
engagement strategies for selling solutions to qualified business
decision makers or departmental business-supporting IT
technical decision makers.
Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Individual who has great amounts of knowledge or expertise in
specific areas.
Technical Sales Professional (TSP)
Individual who acts as a trusted technical advisor on broad and
complex issues. A fairly deep technical person who is adept at
explaining technology to technology decision makers. Generally
focuses on one technology or workload.
Technical Services Account
Manager (TSAM)
Individual who manages the Microsoft Dynamics support
relationship with the customer and partner as part of the Deluxe
Support Services agreement with the customer. This individual
serves as the customer’s single point of contact within Microsoft
for any product-support–related issues.
Technology Decision Maker
(TDM)
A customer who is generally a technical department head or
technology decision maker in an organization considering the
purchase or use of Microsoft products and solutions. Technology
decision makers have responsibility for evaluating technologies
for use within a business and making either a purchasing
decision or a recommendation to business decision makers.
Workload
A grouping of Microsoft products that correspond to a business
challenge or opportunity. For example, the Collaboration
workload is a grouping of Exchange, Live Communication, and
SharePoint Portal servers together with the Office desktop suite.
Microsoft Dynamics Planning Services
13
REFERENCES
The following references are used during the Microsoft Dynamics AX Scoping Assessment engagement at
the customer:

Customer Stories

Microsoft Dynamics AX Product Overview

Product Demos

Microsoft Dynamics AX System Requirements

Microsoft Dynamics AX Implementation Guide

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Implementation Methodology

Technical Product Advisory Group
Support Resources:

Premier Support

Microsoft Dynamics Customer Service Plans

Microsoft Dynamics Partner Service Plans
Additional Resources:

Microsoft Dynamics AX Website
Microsoft Dynamics Planning Services