Most companies don’t buy a new ERP or CRM solution for only six months or a year. Organisations dream about long-term use of their ERP/CRM solutions or Digital Transformation initiatives. To make the right long-term choice, you must have an insight into the future of the products you are considering. That’s why a product roadmap is a crucial element in your selection process.
The average lifecycle of an ERP or CRM solution in our Western world is somewhere around 8 to 10 years. So when you think about investing in a modern software solution, you’re not buying a product but more of a concept. A concept that spans over the next 10 years or so.
Question – If you buy and implement that new solution today, would you be able to work with that same product version for the next ten years? Think about the extent to which your own organisation changes in these turbulent times, not only in size, offerings and in the way you operate, but also in the markets you’re active. Consider the changes that might happen with both your customers and your toughest competitors. And on top of that, technology innovates with the speed of light. Do you really believe you can ignore new developments like cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning for the next 10 years?
So when selecting a new software solution, it’s crucial that you have insight into the development plans for the near future. That’s what is called a roadmap. Software vendors who publish and maintain a roadmap understand how important this insight is for you. Vendors who don’t have a roadmap, on the other hand, introduce risks for your digital future.
Microsoft created a website around the product roadmaps for its complete Dynamics 365 product family. That should give you as a current or potential customer confidence in the future of these products. You can see the plans for the new versions that come up in the near future. The availability of localised version around the world. And you can also see how long older product version will be supported. Most of all, you will experience how committed Microsoft is towards these software solutions. That feeling will definitely help you to make a good choice!
You can find that website here: Product Roadmap | Microsoft Dynamics 365
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