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Our process-first implementation methodology.
We implement Dynamics 365, the Power Platform and Microsoft 365 on Microsoft's own delivery framework — Success by Design — run process-first against the Business Process Catalog. Here is exactly how an engagement works, gate by gate, and why it gives you a more predictable, upgrade-safe outcome.
We don't invent a lifecycle. We adopt Microsoft's — and run it on process.
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, our answer to "how will you deliver this?" is not a bespoke methodology with our logo on it. It is to adopt Microsoft Success by Design (SBD) as the canonical delivery framework and run it process-first, anchored on the Microsoft Business Process Catalog (BPC).
SBD is Microsoft's proven, review-driven implementation framework. The BPC is Microsoft's standardised library of end-to-end business processes that every engagement is scoped, designed, built and tested against. Together they mean we deliver the way Microsoft and FastTrack expect, qualify for FastTrack support, accelerate through fit-to-standard, and speak one language — process language — with you and across our own teams.
Microsoft Success by Design
A review-driven framework that assures progress at structured checkpoints rather than by burning hours. Each review has a named approver, a fixed agenda and a binary outcome.
- Five phases from Discover to Operate
- A formal review at every gate
- FastTrack alignment for qualifying D365 work
The Business Process Catalog
Microsoft's standardised catalog of end-to-end processes. We define your scope as the processes that are in — and trace every requirement, design, test and backlog item back to a process ID.
- 15 end-to-end scenarios
- 100+ business process areas
- Six-level taxonomy, maintained by Microsoft
Process is the unit of scope — not features, not modules.
Every engagement defines its scope as a set of in-scope end-to-end processes and process areas. That single decision is what makes everything downstream measurable.
The Business Process Catalog spans 15 end-to-end scenarios across more than 100 process areas. A typical engagement scopes a handful of them:
L1 end-to-end processes → L2 process areas → L3 business processes → L4 process patterns → L5/L6 detailed steps. Administer to Operate — environments, security, monitoring and compliance — is in scope on every engagement by default.
Why it matters. Process-anchored scope is what makes the fit-to-standard approach possible: use the standard process, and treat every departure as an explicit, documented gap. It gives clean change control — a change is simply a process added or a gap opened — and it lets estimation, testing and margin all be measured against the same list. When scope is a feature wishlist, none of that is true.
Five phases, each closed by a review.
A project is never "started" by booking time. It is started by completing Discover with an agreed in-scope process list.
Discover
We validate your requirements, map them to in-scope BPC end-to-end processes, and finalise the approach and commercials. The output is a scope baseline both sides agree on — with Administer to Operate included — and a check on FastTrack eligibility. No time is billed until Discover is complete.
Initiate
The most important phase. In fit-to-standard workshops we walk each in-scope process against the standard product. Each process is confirmed fit-to-standard or recorded as a gap — configuration, extension or customisation — with a user story. The solution blueprint (architecture, data model, integrations, security, environments and ALM) is reviewed against Microsoft guidance and our own standards, structured by process area.
Implement
Detailed design, configuration and build run in iterative cycles, unit-tested by process area. Checkpoints cover data, integration, security, ALM and testing. For custom Digital & App Innovation build, the work runs agile on Azure DevOps while the BPC still frames scope and the SBD reviews still govern. A failed topic holds that one process area — not the whole project.
Prepare
Process-based integration testing and user acceptance testing, plus performance, security, training and cutover planning. The change log is reconciled here against the process list — any material design change re-opens the relevant Implementation Review before go-live.
Operate
Go-live and hypercare, then a clean handover: a runbook organised by process, a knowledge-transfer session with the receiving support team, an agreed support model and SLA, a defined hypercare window and per-process adoption monitoring. Recurring work then follows the managed-services cadence, inheriting the Operate disciplines.
Every gate has a named approver and a binary outcome.
SBD is review-driven: the PMO chairs, the accountable owner approves, and assurance is independent of delivery on purpose. Each review ends one of three ways.
Fit-to-standard is the default quality position: the standard process is tested, supported and upgrade-safe, so every gap is a deliberate, assured exception rather than a hidden risk. For qualifying Dynamics 365 engagements, Microsoft FastTrack contributes external assurance and we align to it rather than duplicate it.
One spine, applied the right way for each kind of work.
SBD and the BPC are the spine for every engagement. How the build runs inside Implement depends on the work.
| Practice | How the method applies |
|---|---|
| Business Applications (Dynamics 365) | SBD + BPC end to end. Configuration-led, fit-to-standard, process-area Implementation Reviews. |
| Modern Work (Microsoft 365) | SBD + BPC end to end for configuration work, anchored to the in-scope processes. |
| Data & AI | BPC frames scope and SBD reviews govern; model governance and data quality are the practice quality bar. |
| Digital & App Innovation | BPC frames scope and SBD reviews govern; the build inside Implement runs agile on Azure DevOps. |
| Managed Services & CSP | Recurring work runs the lighter service-management cadence, inheriting the Operate-phase disciplines. |
Right-sized, too. A small engagement (under ~20 days) runs reviews as a lightweight checklist and may combine Discover and Initiate into one mobilisation session. Large, multi-practice, fixed-price or integrated engagements run the full lifecycle with mandatory process-area Implementation Reviews and, where eligible, Microsoft FastTrack.
Quality is measured against process — not opinion.
SBD review pass-first-time rate
How often a gate is cleared on the first attempt — a direct read on design quality before build.
Fit vs customisation ratio
The share of scope delivered fit-to-standard versus as gaps. A leading indicator of cost, defect and upgrade risk — customisation is where all three concentrate.
Process test-coverage
Test and traceability coverage tied to the in-scope BPC process list, so nothing ships untested against its process.
Why this is a better way to buy an implementation.
Scope you can actually see
Your scope is a list of named processes, not a vague feature backlog. You know what's in, what's out, and what every change costs.
A budget that holds
Estimation, change control and testing all trace to the same process list, so surprises are caught at a gate — not at go-live.
An upgrade-safe platform
Standard-first delivery keeps you on the supported path, lowering maintenance and keeping you moving with Microsoft's roadmap.
Independent assurance
The PMO assures; the practice delivers. Design risk is caught per process area by people who aren't marking their own homework.
Frequently asked
What is "process-first" in plain terms?
It means we define and run the project around your business processes — Order to Cash, Hire to Retire and so on — rather than around a list of software features. Every requirement, design decision, test and change is tied to a specific process, which keeps scope visible and change controllable.
Is the Business Process Catalog a de facto invention?
No. The BPC is Microsoft's own standardised library of end-to-end business processes, maintained by Microsoft and downloadable from aka.ms/BusinessProcessCatalog. We use it as the shared yardstick for scope, design and testing.
What does "fit-to-standard" mean for customisation?
We test each in-scope process against the standard product first. The standard path is supported and upgrade-safe, so we default to it. Where it genuinely doesn't fit, we record an explicit gap — configuration, extension or customisation — with a user story, so every departure is deliberate and assured rather than accidental.
Do small projects really need all five phases?
The phases always apply, but the rigour scales. Under roughly 20 days we run reviews as a lightweight checklist and may combine Discover and Initiate into a single session. Large or integrated work runs the full lifecycle with mandatory process-area reviews.
How does this work with Microsoft FastTrack?
For qualifying Dynamics 365 engagements, FastTrack provides external assurance input. Because we already deliver on Success by Design, we align to FastTrack rather than running a separate, duplicated process.
What happens after go-live?
The Operate phase enforces a clean handover — a process-organised runbook, knowledge transfer to the support team, an agreed SLA, a defined hypercare window and per-process adoption monitoring. Recurring work then moves to our Managed Services cadence, which inherits the Operate disciplines.
See what process-first delivery looks like for you.
Book a scoping call and we'll map your priorities to in-scope business processes, identify the likely fit-to-standard coverage, and outline how an engagement would run gate by gate.