Independent QA for Microsoft Dynamics 365 deployment
Clients that rely on our expertise
When to opt for an independent QA provider
Complex Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation projects can benefit from a third-party evaluation of quality that can mitigate the following risks:
Failed releases
An unvalidated Microsoft Dynamics 365 rollout is a significant operational risk that can interrupt business processes and seriously impact end users.
Costly post-launch issues
Defects missed due to insufficient testing and discovered only after the Dynamics 365 solution’s rollout can result in high-cost remediation, as fixing issues in production requires significantly more effort and budget compared to addressing them earlier.
Lack of fair evaluation
When the implementation partner tests its own configuration, the absence of a truly independent perspective can limit objectivity, increasing the risk of overlooked defects that are only identified after go-live.
Missed delivery timelines
When QA activities are too limited or issues are found too late, defects may appear late in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation process, causing rework, delayed releases, and pressure on project timelines.
Unverified multi-system flows
Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementations rarely operate in isolation and are typically integrated with other systems. Without proper testing of these integrations, end-to-end processes may remain partially untested, reducing confidence in production readiness of key business workflows.
Need for post-deployment testing
After go-live, Microsoft updates and solution extensions require regular testing, especially in environments with extensive customizations, integrations, and complex configurations. With limited time available between releases, organizations need a clear post-deployment QA strategy, often supported by test automation, to ensure stable adoption of new versions.
Guiding principles behind Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementations
Risk-based approach
We don’t focus on standard out-of-the-box Microsoft functionality and instead concentrate QA efforts on high-risk areas such as business process flow logic and configuration, complex custom extensions or plug-ins, system integrations, security model validation, data completeness, and reporting and analytics.
Business-centric QA
We use configuration documents as inputs, but anchor test design and readiness reporting to your business processes and their priorities.
Transparent outcomes
We provide information that enables informed decisions on solution readiness (or progress toward this goal), based on reliable, traceable data linking business processes to executed tests, their results, identified defects, and the status and resolution of each issue.
Independence by design
As an unbiased QA partner, we validate your Dynamics 365 system from an objective perspective, detecting issues that may be overlooked by those involved in its implementation and configuration.
Where we fit into your project
Our involvement is flexible across the entire project life cycle. If we join early, we contribute to defining the testing approach, coverage, and readiness criteria. In later stages, the focus shifts to reviewing current implementation quality, concentrating on the most critical risk areas, and helping progress toward release goals:
Phase 1. Initiate
QA lead reviews business and non-functional requirements as well as solution architecture and establishes the overall test approach and strategy, identifying key risks and defining what needs to be validated.
Phase 2. Implement
Our specialists apply the testing pyramid principle across Microsoft Dynamics 365 and connected applications, starting with validation of individual customizations, configurations, and components alongside integration testing, and culminating in end-to-end testing of complete business process flows, including non-functional validation such as performance testing of key business transactions.
Phase 3. Prepare
The QA team designs UAT across business processes weeks ahead of go-live, coordinates users, tracks defects in Azure DevOps, and owns the UAT report to ensure the system is ready to be launched into production, all while relying on feedback from client business users throughout the entire UAT cycle.
Phase 4. Operate
With the help of risk-based regression testing, we verify the system after any update from Microsoft, third-party apps, or internal developers to make sure nothing gets broken. We conduct impact analysis of the update, custom logic, and system integrations and focus on critical business processes and areas affected by the change.
Our software testing capabilities
Configuration and process validation
We verify that the Microsoft Dynamics 365 configuration supports agreed business processes, rules, roles, and approval flows. This helps understand if the system setup works in practice and distinguish between configuration issues and gaps in business requirements.
Customization and extension testing
We validate custom functionality in Microsoft Dynamics 365, including plug-ins, extensions, and Power Platform flows, to ensure that decisions on what should remain standard and what should be customized are implemented as intended, and that standard system behavior is not impacted by custom changes.
Integration testing
We assess the behavior of Microsoft Dynamics 365 in an integrated ecosystem, including ISV/AppSource solutions, Power Platform components, and external applications. During testing, our QA specialists prioritize verification of data movement, trigger execution, error processing, and end-to-end consistency across systems.
Data migration testing
We ensure that legacy data is correctly transferred into Microsoft Dynamics 365, including proper mapping, transformation, and loading. Key records, relationships, balances, statuses, and vital business information are retained, as QA engineers check data in different ways, including comparing it with source systems, verifying completeness, and reviewing errors and exceptions.
Conference room pilot support
We contribute to CRP-style validation by verifying the expected behavior of configured process increments prior to subsequent testing phases, with business users executing real-life scenarios directly in the system rather than observing demos. The QA team logs any identified issues as defects, gaps, or change requests.
User acceptance testing
We turn real business operations into test scenarios, coordinate business users across functional areas’ review, conduct defect triage sessions, and provide readiness evidence for business sign-off.
Performance testing
We test how the implemented solution behaves under realistic load, including peak activity, batch jobs, integrations, reports, and production-like data volumes.
Automated testing
We leverage best practices, customized testing solutions developed in an in-house test automation R&D, and AI solutions to automate time-consuming, repeated regression checks once the process is stable.
Test management
We run all test plans, their execution, and defect tracking directly within your existing Azure DevOps project space.
Why a1qa?
A bespoke approach
We recognize that every business is unique, which is why we tailor our QA services to fit your specific technology stack, industry standards, and project-specific goals.
20+ years in SQA business
We are proud of our 1,100+ proficient QA engineers, managers, and architects who have successfully delivered 1,500+ projects across 10+ industries.
AI-powered testing
We use AI-driven quality engineering tools to accelerate your QA life cycle, optimize test coverage, improve software reliability, and decrease operational costs.
Internal CoEs and R&Ds
We constantly expand our internal technical expertise and develop custom testing solutions to stay ahead of industry trends and streamline our QA delivery.
Secure QA delivery
We strictly adhere to the ISO 27001 standard to ensure robust information security and protect sensitive data across all our systems, processes, and client engagements.
Impartial evaluation
We provide objective Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation testing, allowing companies to stay confident in their software’s stability and readiness for deployment.
Frequently asked questions
When the same team builds and tests the solution, potential issues can be easier to overlook. An independent vendor provides an unbiased assessment of whether processes are ready for a go-live.
Our specialists run tests and report to you rather than to the party that delivered the configuration.
QA lead commonly joins the project during the initiation phase to define the testing strategy, test environment requirements, and QA plan. Software testing engineers are then engaged as soon as the first business requirements are signed off to begin designing test scenarios.
Sure. Once a process is stable, we automate regression testing, so repeated runs stay fast, with a QA engineer reviewing the automated results before each gate.
We plan, track, and report test runs in Azure DevOps, managing test cases, execution, and defects in one place.
We provide regular progress reports, test execution status, defect summaries, and go-live readiness updates to help you make informed decisions and ensure a successful launch.
On average, we need less than two weeks to provide professionals with the required level of expertise to quickly delve into your project and bring value straight away.
We can contribute to projects of any size, be it the deployment of a single module or a full-scale solution rollout.
We prioritize critical business processes and high-risk areas affected by updates, customizations, and integrations. Automated regression testing is introduced as early as possible during implementation to maximize coverage and testing efficiency.
Our team supports testing across a wide range of Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications, from Business Central ERP for small and mid-sized companies to enterprise-wide applications such as Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, Project Operations, Human Resources, Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, and Customer Insights. We also provide QA services for Power Platform and complex integrations connecting multiple systems.