SignUp Software Insights on Optimizing Dynamics 365 With ISV Partnerships

In this episode of the Office of the CFO Podcast, John Siefert
hosts Rob Ashe, VP of North America, SignUp Software, and Blaine
Grzegorek, Senior Solution Architect, Sikich, for a conversation
on the benefits of partnering with ISVs, top considerations when
selecting an ISV, and the impact of AI agents.


Key Takeaways:  



Risks of building your own solutions: One
major risk that's becoming more prominent is having the
expertise in-house to build custom solutions. Another hurdle is
the upfront costs compared to subscription costs associated
with many ISVs. Oftentimes, Ashe notes, "You have to spend a
lot of capital on new tools...to make this new solution or
change a process." Grzegorek suggests a third challenge which
is meeting compelx needs. Oftentimes, industry expertise is
also required, as you may be able to build the technology but
might not be ready to translate the business needs to the ERP.


Benefits of partnering with an ISV: A big
reason organizations turn to ISVs is that they develop
purpose-built solutions to address multiple different
situations and multiple industries. "That's what I've found
clients like about it, there might be a core functionality out
of the box but it doesn't really handle every scenario,"
Grzegorek says. Working with ISVs provides expertise in various
industries to consult with to address specific issues and
needs.


Considerations: Because ISVs work on these
types of projects regularly, they are aware of more elements to
take into consideration. For instance, Ashe describes how ISVs
look at the landscape within Dynamics 365. It's important to
consider how the solution will integrate with existing systems,
how it will impact security, where data is being sourced from,
and more.


Selecting an ISV: When selecting an ISV, there
are some qualities you should look for to ensure unexpected
situations are taken care of. "The documentation they have,
that speaks a lot to what they're able to contribute on an
ongoing basis," Grzegorek says. Clients are looking for
partnership, and working with an ISV is a partnership. You want
to be confident that you can reach out to your ISV and get
answers right away. "It's hard to see that before you actually
start that partnership, so I go to that documentation of what
the solution has, what it solves, and if that stuff is
detailed...that is a huge indicator." Initial interactions with
them are also a good sign of this.


Multiple ISV solutions from a single vendor:
It's always beneficial to have an ISV that can provide multiple
solutions in different areas. One thing to look out for,
Grzegorek highlights, is to make sure that the ISV has good
alignment internally. Integration time is also a major focus,
considering whether you have to integrate or if it's embedded
in the system.


AI agents and Microsoft Dynamics 365: While
the solutions themselves are very powerful, AI agents can add a
new level of efficiency. Ashe shares an example of how
individuals are now running teams of agents to automate various
functions. There are agents fulfilling individual functions
within Dynamics 365 that customers are already using, so SignUp
Software is like an extension of the platform and the workload.
"We feel like we have a really strong value proposition to
bring back to Microsoft to leverage the strength and the
roadmap of the platform, but then also have immediately
valuable solutions that they can take advantage of now," Ashe
says.

This episode is sponsored by SignUp Software.



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