Upgrading Dynamics CRM On Premise to Dynamics 365: A Comprehensive Guide

Dynamics 365 is the latest cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solution from Microsoft. It offers a range of powerful features and functionalities that can help businesses of all sizes to enhance their customer engagement and improve their bottom line. However, businesses that have been using Dynamics CRM on-premise may be hesitant to make the switch. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of upgrading to Dynamics 365 and walk you through the process of upgrading your existing Dynamics CRM on-premise installation to Dynamics 365.

Benefits of Upgrading to Dynamics 365
Upgrading to Dynamics 365 offers a range of benefits that can help your business to stay ahead of the competition and improve productivity. Here are just a few of the benefits of upgrading:

1. Enhanced functionality: Dynamics 365 offers a range of new features and functionalities that are not available in Dynamics CRM on-premise. For instance, Dynamics 365 includes advanced AI capabilities, such as predictive analytics and machine learning, which can help you to gain insights into your customers’ behavior and preferences.

2. Lower costs: Upgrading to Dynamics 365 can help you to reduce your IT costs significantly since you no longer need to maintain expensive hardware infrastructure or hire dedicated IT staff to manage your CRM system.

3. Improved security: Dynamics 365 is designed to be incredibly secure, with regular security audits and updates to ensure that your data is safe from cyber threats.

4. Seamless integration: Dynamics 365 integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365 and Power BI, making it easy to share data across different applications and platforms.

5. Scalability: Dynamics 365 is a highly scalable solution that can easily grow with your business as it expands.

Now that we’ve highlighted the benefits of upgrading to Dynamics 365, let’s dive into the process of upgrading your existing Dynamics CRM on-premise installation.

Step 1: Evaluate Your Current System

Before you begin the upgrade process, it’s important to evaluate your current system to identify any potential issues or roadblocks. This can include:

1. Hardware and software compatibility: Check if your current hardware and software meet the minimum requirements for running Dynamics 365. If not, you may need to upgrade your infrastructure before proceeding.

2. Customizations: Identify any customizations that have been made to your Dynamics CRM on-premise installation. These may include custom workflows, plugins, reports, or dashboards. You will need to recreate these customizations in Dynamics 365.

3. Data migration: Determine how much data you need to migrate from Dynamics CRM on-premise to Dynamics 365. This will help you estimate the time and resources required for the migration.

Step 2: Plan Your Upgrade

Once you have evaluated your current system, the next step is to plan your upgrade. This includes:

1. Choosing an upgrade path: There are two main upgrade paths available for Dynamics CRM on-premise customers to move to Dynamics 365: a direct upgrade or a phased upgrade. A direct upgrade involves upgrading your entire system at once, while a phased upgrade involves moving certain components of your system to Dynamics 365 in a series of stages.

2. Identifying your migration tools: You will need to identify the migration tools that you will use to move your data from Dynamics CRM on-premise to Dynamics 365. Microsoft provides several migration tools, including the Data Export Service and the Dynamics 365 Migration Assistant.

3. Creating a test environment: It’s important to create a test environment where you can test the upgrade process and ensure that everything works as expected before making the switch to Dynamics 365.

Step 3: Perform the Upgrade

Once you have planned your upgrade, it’s time to perform the actual upgrade. Here are the key steps involved:

1. Backup your data: Before you begin the upgrade, make sure to back up your data to ensure that you have a copy of all your important information.

2. Install Dynamics 365: Install Dynamics 365 on a new server or in the cloud.

3. Migrate your data: Use the migration tools you identified in Step 2 to migrate your data from Dynamics CRM on-premise to Dynamics 365.

4. Recreate your customizations: Recreate any custom workflows, plugins, reports, or dashboards that you identified in Step 1 in Dynamics 365.

5. Test your system: Test your system in the test environment to ensure that everything is working as expected.

6. Make the switch: Once you are confident that everything is working correctly, it’s time to make the switch to Dynamics 365.

Conclusion

Upgrading from Dynamics CRM on-premise to Dynamics 365 can seem like a daunting task, but with careful planning and execution, it can be a smooth and seamless process. By upgrading to Dynamics 365, you can take advantage of advanced features and functionalities, lower IT costs, and improve security – all while staying ahead of the competition. With this guide, you should be well-equipped to make the switch to Dynamics 365 and take your business to the next level.