Dynamics 365 Licensing Advisory Services
Licensing waste cut in 5 business days.
Most organizations overpay on Dynamics 365 licensing by 18 to 35 percent. A named consultant reviews your user mix, agreement type, attach eligibility, and module usage. You receive a written recommendation in five business days.
What is a Dynamics 365 licensing advisory? It is a structured engagement where a certified consultant audits your current license assignments against Microsoft's use-rights guide, checks your Cloud Solution Provider or Enterprise Agreement tier, identifies attach pricing opportunities, and delivers a specific cost model showing what you should pay per month versus what you currently pay.
4.9 / 5 from 47 engagements
Fixed-price statement of work
Microsoft Gold Partner
Named consultant. Written deliverable.
Typical client savings
$28,400 / year
Average year-one licensing reduction across advisory engagements
Attach pricing opportunities34%
Over-assigned Premium licenses28%
Team Member eligibility unused21%
Provider versus agreement tier mismatch17%
Engagement cost
$1,500 to $6,000
2025 license pricing
What Microsoft charges and where to reduce it
These are Microsoft's published list prices effective 2025. Most organizations do not pay list price. Cloud Solution Provider, Enterprise Agreement volume, nonprofit, and academic discounts apply. The advisory identifies which tier and agreement type gives you the best net unit price.
| License type | Per user / month (list) | Key capabilities | Common roles | Advisory note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $70 | Finance, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Projects, Supply Chain, Human Resources | Finance team, sales operations, purchasing | Most users qualify for Essentials. Over-assigning Premium is the most common overspend. |
| Premium | $100 | All Essentials plus Manufacturing (material requirements planning and production orders) and Service Management | Production planners, service dispatchers | Only users who access production orders or service management need Premium. |
| Team Members | $8 | Read access, light data entry, approve time and expenses, run reports | Executives, approvers, read-only staff | Underused. Many read-only users are on Essentials unnecessarily. |
| Device | $40 | Full Essentials access tied to a shared device, not a named user | Warehouse scanners, shared kiosk stations | One device license replaces multiple named licenses. Net saving often 60 to 80 percent per station. |
| External Accountant | Free | Limited access for an external accounting firm | Outsourced bookkeeper, accounting firm | No cost. Most clients are not using this for their external accountants. |
| License type | Per user / month (list) | Key capabilities | Common roles | Advisory note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Finance | $180 | General ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, budgeting, cost accounting, financial reporting, multi-entity consolidation | Finance director, controller, accounts payable and receivable teams | Base qualifying license. Unlocks attach pricing for Dynamics 365 Sales and other first-party apps. |
| Dynamics 365 Finance Attach | $30 | Dynamics 365 Sales, Commerce, Human Resources, and others when added to a qualifying base license | Users who also need customer relationship or human resources functions | The attach rule is the highest-impact advisory finding. A Dynamics 365 Finance user adding Dynamics 365 Sales pays $30 not $95. |
| Activity | $50 | Limited to specific functional workflows: time entry, expense submission, purchase requisition approval | Approvers, project staff, field employees | Review whether light users need full Finance access or qualify for Activity. |
| Team Members | $8 | Read data, run reports, approve simple tasks | Senior executives, board members | Often overlooked for senior stakeholders who only view reports. |
| License type | Per user / month (list) | Key capabilities | Common roles | Advisory note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Sales Professional | $65 | Core customer relationship management: leads, opportunities, accounts, contacts, basic reporting | Inside sales reps, account managers | Sufficient for most sales teams. Enterprise features are rarely needed by all users. |
| Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise | $95 | All Professional plus artificial intelligence insights, forecasting, sequences, LinkedIn integration | Field sales, managers who use forecasting | Check whether all users need forecasting and artificial intelligence features before assigning Enterprise. |
| Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise Attach | $20 | Same as Enterprise but for qualifying base license holders (Dynamics 365 Finance, Business Central Premium) | Finance or Business Central users who also need customer relationship management | The most commonly missed attach opportunity on mixed enterprise resource planning and customer relationship environments. |
| Team Members | $8 | Read customer relationship data, view pipeline, update assigned records only | Executives, customer service leads | Many pipeline viewers do not need full Sales licenses. |
| License type | Per user / month (list) | Key capabilities | Common roles | Advisory note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management | $180 | Advanced warehouse, transport, manufacturing, master planning, quality management | Warehouse managers, supply planners | Base qualifying license. Review whether Business Central Premium can serve the same need at lower cost. |
| Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Attach | $30 | Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Sales, or other qualifying apps added to Supply Chain base | Supply chain users who also need finance or customer relationship management | Attach applies if Supply Chain is the qualifying base. Map all dual-role users before renewal. |
| Activity | $50 | Purchase requisition, time entry, expense approval workflows | Warehouse clerks, receiving staff | Many floor-level users do not need full Supply Chain licenses for transactional data entry. |
| Team Members | $8 | Read access, run reports, approve light workflows | Operations director, logistics stakeholders | High-value management roles that only consume dashboards are often over-licensed. |
All prices shown are Microsoft United States list prices for 2025 and are subject to change. Volume discounts, Cloud Solution Provider partner margins, nonprofit pricing (up to 75 percent discount), and Enterprise Agreement tiers all affect your net cost. The licensing advisory calculates your actual net unit cost, not list price.
How it works
Written recommendation in five business days
No long discovery phase. No vague consulting report. A named consultant follows a four-step process with a defined output at every stage.
Step 01
License Audit
We pull your current license assignments from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, your Cloud Solution Provider or Enterprise Agreement details, and any existing Dynamics 365 usage reports you can share.
Day 1 output
Current license inventory with per-seat cost breakdown
Step 02
Role Mapping
Every user role is mapped against the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide (updated April 2025) to identify whether the assigned license matches actual system use rights required.
Day 2 output
Role-to-license mismatch report with downgrade candidates flagged
Highest value
Step 03
Attach Analysis
We calculate attach pricing eligibility across your user base. This single step typically accounts for 30 to 40 percent of identified savings. Qualifying base license holders pay a fraction of list price for additional Dynamics 365 apps.
Day 3 output
Attach eligibility map with before and after monthly cost per user
Step 04
Written Recommendation
You receive a written licensing recommendation: specific license mix, agreement type, renewal timing advice, and a monthly cost model comparing current spend against the optimized scenario.
Day 5 output
Signed deliverable with cost model and renewal action plan
Your team's time investment across the advisory is typically 2 to 3 hours: one kickoff call to share access, a short clarification exchange on role assignments, and a review of the written recommendation. We handle the audit, the mapping, and the cost modeling.
Who needs a licensing advisory
Four situations where the advisory pays for itself
The situation
Your Cloud Solution Provider or Enterprise Agreement renews in 90 days
Microsoft does not proactively tell you when your current agreement tier, license mix, or user count qualifies for a lower rate. Renewing without an advisory means locking in the same overpayment for another 12 to 36 months.
- We review your agreement before renewal date and provide negotiation points for your Cloud Solution Provider or Microsoft account manager.
- Multi-year commitment discounts and add-on bundling are negotiated before signing, not after.
Real outcome
Distribution company, 44 users
Renewal advisory identified 12 users misclassified on Premium who only needed Essentials, plus 6 warehouse device licenses replacing named seats. Annual saving: $22,800.
Timing note
The advisory takes five days. Start it at least 30 days before your renewal date to allow time for license reassignment and agreement renegotiation.
The situation
You are adding 10 or more users in the next quarter
Every new user added without a licensing review is a missed opportunity to apply attach pricing, assign the correct tier, and hit volume discount thresholds. The cost of wrong decisions compounds with headcount.
- We define the correct license type for each new role before purchase, preventing month-one overspend.
- Volume thresholds that trigger Enterprise Agreement discount tiers are mapped so you know exactly when to negotiate.
Real outcome
Professional services firm, 28 to 51 users
Growth advisory correctly assigned 23 new users across Team Members, Essentials, and one new Premium role. Applying attach on 9 of those users saved $8,640 annually from day one.
The situation
You are adding Dynamics 365 Sales, Field Service, or Project Operations
Adding a first-party Dynamics 365 module on top of an existing enterprise resource planning system changes which licenses qualify as base licenses for attach pricing. Getting this sequence wrong locks you into full list price for every added user.
- We map the correct sequence of license additions to maximize attach eligibility across all affected users.
- The recommendation includes whether Dynamics 365 or Power Platform custom apps are more cost-effective for your specific use case.
Real outcome
Manufacturer adding Dynamics 365 Sales, 19 customer relationship users
All 19 users held qualifying Dynamics 365 Finance base licenses. Applying attach cut their Dynamics 365 Sales cost from $95 to $20 per user per month: $17,100 annual saving on the customer relationship layer alone.
The situation
Microsoft or your Cloud Solution Provider has flagged a licensing compliance issue
Microsoft's Software Asset Management program actively audits Dynamics 365 deployments. Non-compliance findings result in back-billing, penalty fees, and forced license upgrades at list price. An advisory performed before an audit finding is always less expensive than one performed in response to one.
- We prepare a compliance position document you can share with Microsoft or your Cloud Solution Provider to demonstrate proactive remediation.
Important note
Redefine Innovations does not provide legal advice. For active audit enforcement actions, engage your legal counsel alongside this advisory. We provide the technical licensing analysis.
Who does the work
Certified consultants. Not junior analysts.
Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance Lead
11 years experience · 23 completed implementations
MB-800MB-300PL-900
Leads all Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance licensing advisory work across manufacturing, distribution, and professional services clients.
11yr
Experience
23
Implementations
$0
Change orders average
Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain, and Project Operations Lead
9 years experience · 14 completed implementations
MB-300MB-330MB-500
Leads all enterprise licensing advisory work where the customer holds multiple Dynamics 365 workloads with complex attach structures across Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain, and Project Operations.
9yr
Experience
14
Implementations
2.8hr
Priority 1 average response
Client case studies
Real engagements. Measurable outcomes.
Dynamics 365 Business Central
JWE Inc: Dynamics 365 Streamlines Operations
Challenge
Inventory, orders, and customer data were spread across multiple systems with inconsistent license assignments, creating inefficiencies, data inconsistencies, and increased operational overhead.
Result
Core business processes including inventory management, order processing, and cross-platform data synchronization were streamlined. Automation reduced manual effort and increased overall productivity.
License rightsizingEnterprise resource planning integrationThird-party logistics automation
Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations
Renewable Energy Provider: Cost Control at Scale
Challenge
Rapid headcount growth created license sprawl across multiple Dynamics 365 modules. No clear owner for license assignment decisions led to significant month-on-month cost overruns.
Result
31%
Annual licensing cost reduced. Attach pricing applied to 28 dual-role users saved $19,200 in year one. License governance process now embedded in onboarding.
Attach analysisLicense governanceCost modeling
Dynamics 365 Business Central plus Supply Chain
Mid-market Distributor: Pre-Renewal Advisory
Challenge
44-user organization approaching Cloud Solution Provider renewal with all users on Essentials. Warehouse team running six shared kiosk stations under named licenses at $70 each.
Result
$22,800
Annual saving. Six device licenses at $40 each replaced 18 named licenses. Twelve users downgraded from Essentials to Team Members for read-only workflows.
Device licensingTeam member mappingCloud Solution Provider renewal
Engagement cost
Fixed-price tiers. No hourly surprises.
Every engagement is a fixed-price statement of work with a defined scope and a written deliverable. Your cost is agreed before work starts.
Value calculation: at an average 18 to 35 percent reduction on a typical $80,000 annual Dynamics 365 licensing spend, the engagement pays for itself in the first renewal cycle.
Essentials
$1,500
Fixed fee
- Up to 25 users
- Single Dynamics 365 product
- License audit and role mapping
- Written recommendation
- Delivered in 3 business days
Most common
Standard
$3,000
Fixed fee
- Up to 75 users
- Up to two Dynamics 365 products
- Full attach pricing analysis
- Cloud Solution Provider versus Enterprise Agreement analysis
- Renewal timing and negotiation brief
- Delivered in 5 business days
Enterprise
$6,000
Fixed fee
- 75 or more users
- Multiple Dynamics 365 workloads
- Multi-entity and multi-region analysis
- Enterprise Agreement tier and commitment optimization
- 30-day implementation support included
- Delivered in 7 business days
Submit your brief → discovery call within 48 hours → fixed-price statement of work → written recommendation in 5 business days.
Common questions
Questions about Dynamics 365 licensing
As of 2025: Business Central Essentials is $70 per user per month, Premium is $100, Team Members is $8, and the Device license is $40 per device per month. These are Microsoft United States list prices. Your actual cost depends on whether you purchase through a Cloud Solution Provider partner, hold an Enterprise Agreement, or qualify for nonprofit or academic pricing. Most customers pay 10 to 25 percent below list price with volume discounts applied.
Business Central Essentials covers financials, sales, purchasing, inventory, supply chain, projects, and human resources. Premium adds manufacturing (production orders and material requirements planning) and service management. Users who never access production orders or service modules do not need Premium. Assigning Premium to all users when only production planners need it is the most common licensing overspend Redefine encounters.
Microsoft's attach pricing rule allows a user who holds a qualifying base Dynamics 365 license to add other first-party Dynamics 365 applications at a significantly reduced rate. For example, a user with a Dynamics 365 Finance license can add Dynamics 365 Sales at $20 per user per month instead of the $95 full list price. The key is identifying which of your licenses qualify as base licenses and which apps can be attached. This analysis is a core component of every Redefine advisory engagement.
Cloud Solution Provider agreements offer monthly billing flexibility and are managed through a Microsoft partner. Enterprise Agreements require a three-year commitment but typically offer better unit pricing at higher user counts (around 250 or more seats). For most mid-market customers under 150 users, a Cloud Solution Provider through a specialized partner like Redefine offers better net pricing after partner margin credits and flexibility. The advisory calculates both scenarios with your specific user count.
Yes. Post-go-live is actually the most valuable time for a licensing advisory because actual system usage data is available. We compare your current license assignments against the Microsoft 365 Admin Center usage reports and Dynamics 365 license assignment data to identify users who have been assigned licenses they are not using. Remediation savings are typically visible from the first renewal date after the advisory.
Redefine Innovations advises on Business Central, Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Field Service, and Dynamics 365 Project Operations. The Standard and Enterprise tiers of the advisory cover multi-product environments where attach pricing rules span multiple workloads.
The recommendation is a structured document covering: a current-state license inventory with per-seat cost, a role-to-license mismatch table with recommended changes, an attach pricing analysis with before and after monthly cost per user, an agreement type recommendation (Cloud Solution Provider versus Enterprise Agreement), renewal timing advice, and a total monthly cost comparison between current spend and optimized spend. It is written to be shareable with your Microsoft account manager or Cloud Solution Provider partner.
Is this a fit
Who the advisory is for, and who it is not
Good fit when
- You are live on Dynamics 365 with 15 or more users and have never had a formal licensing review.
- Your Cloud Solution Provider or Enterprise Agreement renews within the next 90 days.
- You are adding headcount or modules and want each new seat assigned the right license from day one.
- You can share your Microsoft 365 Admin Center license assignments and agreement details.
Not a fit if
- You have fewer than 10 Dynamics 365 users; the savings rarely cover the engagement fee at that scale.
- You have not yet selected or deployed any Dynamics 365 product; there is nothing to audit yet.
- You are in an active legal enforcement action; engage legal counsel first, we provide only the technical analysis.
Not sure? Tell us your situation and we will be straight with you →
Book a discovery call
Free 30-minute call. Walk away with a licensing recommendation.
Tell us your user count, which Dynamics 365 products you use, and when your agreement renews. We will confirm whether an advisory is likely to save you money before you commit to anything.
- Certified consultant, not a sales representative
- Fixed-price statement of work before work starts
- Written recommendation delivered within five business days
- Microsoft Gold Partner with MB-800, MB-300, MB-330 certified consultants
Book a discovery call
Request received
A named consultant will contact you within one business day to confirm a time.
Reply within 48 hours
Recommendation in 5 days
37 advisory engagements
Written deliverable you own
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