There are hundreds of reasons organizations move from Sage CRM to Dynamics 365 CRM — better features, usability, cost reasons, you name it. But moving from one CRM system to another can be fraught with challenges, especially if you lack the technical know-how to implement changes. Have you thought about data integrity? Field mappings? Timelines? Training? What about the costs associated with an unsuccessful migration?
Here’s an alarming statistic: Just 29 percent of IT implementations are successful, while 19 percent are complete failures. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Preparing for CRM migration and working with a partner like Dynamic Consultants Group increases your chances of successful implementation.
Have a Plan for Dynamics 365 Migration
You should outline your Dynamics 365 migration strategy early on. This reduces problems from occurring. Your plan should include:
- Specific goals: What do you want to achieve from migrating to Dynamics 365? How will it help your business? How will it save money?
- Timelines: How long will it take to migrate from Sage CRM software to Dynamics 365 software? Can you speed up the process by hiring a consultant? (More about Dynamics 365 migration timelines in the next section.)
- Protocols: Outline the protocols involved in migration. How many employees will you involve in the project? Will you bring in outside sources? Or complete the project in-house?
- Budget: What is your budget for Dynamics 365 migration? Have you considered all the potential costs? Have you thought about the financial impact of any downtime? Note: A Dynamics 365 consultant can help you stick to your budget and save costs.
- Disruption: Do you have a backup plan if you encounter downtime? How will employees access information if systems are down? Will you need to suspend operations for a few days during migration?
Once you have created your migration plan, share it with everyone involved in the project. This might include:
- Senior management
- IT administrators
- CTOs
- Other decision-makers in your organization
Dynamics 365 vs. Sage CRM Integration
Sage CRM integration and Dynamics 365 CRM integration are two different beasts with different processes, timescales, and challenges. Don’t assume integration will be successful because you had relatively few problems when integrating Sage. (Dynamics 365 software requirements differ from Sage CRM software requirements.)
Reduce Migration Timelines
Migrating from Sage CRM to Dynamics 365 CRM can take days, weeks, or months. It depends. The longer it takes, the more disruption you could do to your organization. Employees might not carry out day-to-day tasks if they cannot access Sage or Dynamics 365.
Migration times depend on your requirements for the new system and the amount of data you want to integrate. For smaller businesses, the process might be a relatively short one. You will also need to consider data management and governance:
- Does your data comply with regulations like CCPA and GDPR?
- Does your data provide you with value?
- Do you need to keep so much legacy data?
- Do you need to delete duplicated or erroneous data?
Working with a partner can reduce migration times significantly. Dynamic Consultants Group determines your data before migration even begins, with no disruption to your operations. You can decide what data you need to move to the new system, ensure data migration adheres to legislation and industry/frameworks, and find cost-effective solutions that reduce CRM storage.
Training
A lack of adoption among employees is often the No.1 hurdle to CRM success. Usually, the problem lies in training. Untrained staff who don’t know how to use a CRM cannot engage with the system, and this can have harmful effects on productivity. Although Dynamics 365 CRM isn’t a particularly difficult system to use and shares many features with Sage CRM, you still need to train employees on how to use it. Because Dynamics 365 has such a broad footprint, with thousands of features, this can take time and resources.
Again, this is where making plans and working with a Dynamics 365 partner proves useful. A partner like Dynamic Consultants Group provides various training solutions for a more successful CRM implementation. You can teach employees how to engage with Dynamics 365 for better interaction with customers at key touch points in your marketing and sales cycles. Plus, you can reduce errors that could have a financial impact on your business.
Data Integrity
One of the major reasons an organization migrates to a new CRM system is to get more value from data. Incorporating Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM into an organization is a great way to achieve this goal. However, you will need to maintain the accuracy and consistency of data as you move from Sage CRM. Otherwise, your team will struggle to use data to generate insights into your customer base.
Working with a partner can improve data integrity as you migrate from Sage to Dynamics 365. A risk-based approach to data management can ensure you reduce transfer errors as you welcome a new CRM system into your organization.
Dynamic Consultants Group helps you establish a proper business continuity plan where data transfers over to your new CRM seamlessly. As a result, you can continue to access data insights that power your business.
We are the partner of choice for many organizations that want to migrate from Sage to Dynamics 365. Schedule a Teams meeting today and learn more.
Data Loss
Data loss can have a detrimental effect on organizations during the migration process. If sensitive data doesn’t transfer correctly to Dynamics 365, you might not facilitate day-to-day workflows, and you could lose customers in the process. Data loss can happen when you don’t properly plan for CRM migration or when employees lack training on how to use a new CRM system.
Working with a Dynamics 365 partner like Dynamic Consultants Group can reduce the chances of data loss in your organization by protecting access to both systems during the migration process (but keeping disruption to a minimum), securing cloud and applications, and taking other preventative steps. As you can see, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner provides you with a valuable return on your investment.
A Lack of Communication
A lack of communication between teams is another reason for CRM implementation failure. Different departments rely on CRM for various purposes, and a new system can often confuse everyone. So you need to plan your implementation as soon as you can and bring in outside help.
Dynamic Consultants Group values communication during the entire migration process. We want to solve the problems associated with CRM implementation and provide you with a helping hand at this important stage in the development of your business.
Data Mapping
Data mapping is a complicated process that typically requires an expert. It happens when you match data fields from one CRM database to another one, facilitating the smooth transfer of data. Some legacy data on Sage might not be readable on Dynamics 365, and this can have ramifications for your business. A proper data mapping strategy, however, promotes data management as you move between CRM systems.
Data mapping is one of the most time-intensive elements of CRM migration, and it’s one of the most important. If employees can’t read or access data on Dynamics 365, they won’t be able to carry out everyday tasks. So you should work with a partner who specializes in data mapping for Dynamics 365. Dynamic Consultants Group can take care of the data mapping process for you, saving you time and money.
The Right Time to Migrate
There’s no right time to migrate to a new CRM system. It depends on your business. It might be a good idea to migrate from Sage to Dynamics 365 during a relatively quiet period of the year, perhaps after the holiday season or during the summer. This could reduce disruption to your organization as you make the switch. The best-case scenario is a speedy transition to a new CRM at any time of the year.
Working with a Dynamics 365 partner helps you determine the best time to move over to Dynamics 365. A professional will give you an estimate of how long the project will take and provide suggestions on how to make the migration as seamless as possible. This insight is well worth the investment if you rely on CRM to expedite day-to-day operations.
Final Word
Investing in a new CRM system like Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be costly, so it’s tempting to migrate yourself, with no outside help. This isn’t the best idea. You could jeopardize your business by losing sensitive data, confusing employees, and suffering from weeks or months of downtime. Using a partner like Dynamic Consultants Group solves these challenges and increases the chances of a successful implementation.
Dynamic Consultants Group is the partner of choice for forward-thinking businesses that want to migrate to Dynamics 365 CRM. Schedule a meeting to learn more.
