How to choose a Dynamics 365 partner: see if we are the right fit for your project
8 questions. 3 minutes. A straight answer on whether our model fits your project before you spend time on a call. Wondering how to choose a Dynamics 365 partner? This quiz gives you a clear signal. No sales pitch. No email gate.
Take the quiz now → receive an instant fit score → book a scoping call in 48 hours → signed statement of work within 2 weeks if there is a match.
The Dynamics 365 partner fit assessment: answer 8 questions
Select the option that best matches your current situation. There are no wrong answers. Be honest for the most accurate result.
What best describes your current enterprise resource planning situation?
What is your primary industry?
How many Dynamics 365 named users do you expect?
When do you need to go live?
What is your implementation budget status?
Which engagement model appeals most to you?
Who is the primary driver of this decision?
What matters most to you in a Dynamics 365 partner?
Your project profile is a strong match for how Redefine Innovations works. Your industry, user count, timeline, and engagement model preferences align closely with engagements we complete successfully. We recommend booking a 30-minute scoping call to move forward.
No obligation. We will confirm fit on the call before proposing anything.
Your project has several strong alignment signals but some factors need a scoping conversation before we can confirm fit. This typically means one or two dimensions, budget clarity, timeline, or decision-making authority, are not yet resolved. A short discovery call can clarify whether this is a workable engagement.
Some project parameters fall outside our primary engagement model. A 20-minute call will clarify whether adjustments to scope or approach can resolve the gaps.
Book a no-obligation discovery call. We will be direct if another partner type would serve you better. We do not take projects that are not the right fit for our model.
We will be honest if another partner is a better match for your project.
Based on your answers, our delivery model is not the right match for your project at this stage. This could be due to project scale, industry vertical, budget stage, or preference for a different engagement type. We would rather tell you this now than discover it 6 months into a project.
- If your team is under 10 users, Microsoft's self-service Business Central onboarding may be more appropriate.
- If budget is not established, start with a structured Enterprise Resource Planning Discovery Sprint before engaging a full implementation partner.
- If you have 150 or more users, look at larger systems integrators with dedicated bench capacity and formal program management.
Six dimensions our Dynamics 365 partner fit quiz tool scores
Our model is purpose-built for a specific type of project. These six dimensions tell us whether your engagement will go well or whether a different partner type would serve you better.
Who we fit best
Three profiles based on the companies we work with regularly. If your situation matches the Strong Fit column, we will likely deliver an exceptional result. If it matches the Misaligned column, we will tell you on the first call.
Strong Fit
Manufacturer, distributor, or professional services firm in North America
10 to 150 named Dynamics 365 users expected at go-live
Budget approved or in final sign-off stage
Chief executive, finance, or operations leader actively driving the project
Fixed-price statement of work preferred over time-and-materials
Target go-live 10 to 24 weeks from signed statement of work
Migrating from Dynamics Great Plains, Dynamics NAV, Dynamics AX, QuickBooks, or first enterprise resource planning implementation
Moderate Fit
Industry is adjacent: retail, healthcare, nonprofit, or construction
User count is at the edges: 7 to 10 or 130 to 175 users
Budget estimated but not yet formally approved
Information technology director is leading but executive sign-off still required
Engagement model not yet decided. Open to guidance
Timeline is aggressive but not impossible with tight scope
Evaluating Dynamics 365 alongside other platforms
Book a 20-minute discovery call. We will advise on whether adjustments to scope or approach can resolve the gaps, or suggest a better-matched partner type.
Not The Right Fit
Fewer than 8 users. Economics of a full statement of work do not work
More than 175 users. Requires larger systems integrator with dedicated programme management
No implementation budget defined or planned
Lowest cost is the primary selection criterion
Time-and-materials body-shop staffing required
No internal champion with executive authority
Government, public sector, or regulated financial services verticals
We will point you to a partner whose model is better suited. We would rather refer you than take a project that will not succeed under our model.
What happened after they chose us
One example from our implementation history. Full project details available on our scoping call.
Multi-channel distributor managing complex inventory, order, and customer workflows across ecommerce platforms.
Inventory, orders, and customer data were scattered across multiple disconnected systems, creating inefficiencies, data inconsistencies, and increased operational overhead. Manual processes slowed fulfilment and reduced data accuracy.
A tailored Dynamics 365 Business Central environment was configured with two-way integrations to Shopify, Uniform Market, and a third-party logistics warehouse system. Automation tools streamlined deployments and reduced manual effort across all channels.
Partner selection questions answered
Evaluate partners on three dimensions: industry depth, delivery model, and reference quality. Look for a partner with at least five completed implementations in your specific industry in the last three years. Verify their delivery model matches your preference, fixed price versus time-and-materials is a fundamental difference in how risk is allocated. Ask for three references willing to discuss timeline adherence and change-order history specifically, not just general satisfaction. Never hire a partner who will not name your lead consultant before you sign the statement of work.
Microsoft retired the Gold Partner designation in October 2022. The current framework is Microsoft Solutions Partner, with six specialisation areas including Business Applications, Data and Artificial Intelligence, Digital and App Innovation, Infrastructure, Security, and Modern Work. Solutions Partner for Business Applications is the relevant status for Dynamics 365 and Business Central implementations. It requires passing performance thresholds on customer growth, skilling, and successful deployments. Redefine Innovations holds Solutions Partner for Business Applications status.
Fixed-price implementations for 10 to 50 users typically range from 75,000 to 250,000 United States dollars depending on modules, integrations, data migration complexity, and number of legal entities. Time-and-materials arrangements are billed at 175 to 275 dollars per hour for North American partners at the senior consultant level. Large systems integrator rates for programme managers and solution architects range from 225 to 400 dollars per hour. Redefine Innovations provides fixed-price statement of work ranges during scoping calls. We do not charge for the scoping call itself.
Ask: How many implementations have you completed in my specific industry in the last 3 years and what were the average user counts? Who is my named lead consultant and what are their certifications? Is your statement of work fixed price or time and materials, and what triggers a change order? What is your average go-live date variance versus the original statement of work date? Can I speak with references from 3 projects similar to mine in size, industry, and complexity? What happens if we exceed the statement of work hours before go-live?
For Business Central deployments in the 10 to 50 user range, well-scoped projects with a named consultant and fixed statement of work typically go live in 10 to 14 weeks. Projects with complex data migration from legacy platforms typically require 14 to 20 weeks. Multi-entity rollouts or implementations requiring significant custom development can extend to 6 to 18 months. Redefine Innovations averages 14 weeks from signed statement of work to go-live across 47 engagements. The most common causes of timeline overrun are scope creep after statement of work signature and delayed client data readiness.
Watch for: a partner who cannot name your lead consultant before contract signature; a purely time-and-materials model with no cap on hours; a sales process that skips discovery and jumps directly to demo; references who will only speak to Microsoft's software quality rather than the partner's delivery performance; a statement of work that excludes data migration or training from scope to lower the headline number; and a partner who agrees to your timeline regardless of what you describe as your scope.
Large systems integrators have broad bench capacity, formal programme management, and global delivery capability. They suit enterprise projects with 200 or more users, complex regulatory requirements, and multi-country rollouts. Boutique partners like Redefine Innovations deliver named consultants with deep industry focus, faster decision cycles, and fixed-price models that align incentives. For mid-market companies in the 10 to 150 user range, boutique partners typically deliver faster go-lives at lower cost with fewer change orders. The trade-off is bench depth. A boutique partner has limited capacity for very large simultaneous engagements.
Confirm fit before you commit anything
The assessment gives you a signal. The scoping call gives you certainty. Deciding how to choose a Dynamics 365 partner comes down to this conversation: we spend 30 minutes understanding your project in detail, then tell you honestly whether our model is the right fit and what a realistic scope and budget would look like.
- Scope and budget range on the callYou will leave with a realistic cost range and a clear picture of what a fixed-price statement of work would include.
- No obligation, no pipeline pressureThis is an advisory conversation. We do not start a formal sales process unless you ask us to.
No commitment. No pitch. Just 30 minutes to confirm whether this makes sense for both of us.
Submit your brief → call within 48 hours → scoped proposal in 3 days → sprint 1 begins within 1 week of sign-off.