The users of CRMs always look for a way to manage their project services directly from a single interface. Thus, Dynamics CRM had been handling customers’ orders for a long time. Microsoft has taken it a step further to enable customers to manage their projects from the same platform.
With the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft aims to provide users with a single solution for hosting every process a business can need. Moreover, it strives to provide a dynamic fit to any industry and being simple to use across the entire organization.
Dynamics CRM modules such as Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service are now Dynamics 365 Apps. They contain more functionalities and go beyond the three services introduced in the prior version of Dynamics CRM.
This article offers a comprehensive introduction to Microsoft Dynamics 365 project service automation.
What is Project Service Automation Dynamics 365?
Project Service Automation D365 is an easy-to-use tool for companies with large-scale projects to hand over. No matter what the industry is, while the project is being developed, the bigger it becomes, the more liable it is to go out of the scope, losing precise estimates, and outstanding the initial cost. Thus, Project Service Automation is necessary. It keeps everything ordered, synchronized, and, particularly, visible to each person responsible for the project.
Project Service Automation Dynamics 365 works as an end-to-end solution that can handle entire projects. It can handle available resources, project contract, project management, budget and costs, and deadlines. Moreover, it connects sales quote, project, and order working between project managers and salespeople. Therefore, it makes sure that the project is feasible, profitable, and deliverable on time.
Microsoft gained a lot of experience in the field from Microsoft Project, a tool within Office. Therefore, creating a powerful solution by combining the tool with it.
With its multiple features, including Project Planning, Opportunity Management, Team Collaboration, Time and Expenses, Customer Billing Service, Resource Management, and Analytics, Dynamics 365 PSA helps sales and shipping teams engage clients and ensure on-budget and on-time delivery.
How to Install Dynamics Project Service Automation?
You can install Dynamics Project Service Automation in Microsoft Project to easily manage your PSA in the project management tool that you are familiar with.
For installing Dynamics PSA in the 32-bit version, you must have the Microsoft Project in a 32-bit version, and for the 64-bit version of Microsoft Project, you have to use the 64-bit version of the Dynamics PSA. You can follow the steps below to install the Project Service Automation:
- To start the “Setup Wizard”, double-click the .msi file
- Click “Next”
- Accept the license agreement, then click “Next”
- Click “Install”
- Click “Finish”
Once installation completes successfully, open “Microsoft Project” and a new “Project Service Automation” tab will display on the ribbon. Further, for installing this update rollup, you can do any one of the following:
- Click “Run” to immediately start the installation.
- Or, Click “Save” to save the download to your PC for installing it later.
- Or, Click “Cancel” to cancel the installation.
What are the Benefits of Using Project Service Automation Dynamics 365?
Project Planning
You can manage project templates for multiple project types to create similar projects faster. Besides this, Project Service Automation automatically schedules tasks for you and provides you with a view of related information concerning time and expenses.
Time and Expense Management
Your team members can now log all their time and expenses in one place. With Dynamics 365 Mobile, they can do it easily and actively. Managers can also approve expenses, track the project duration, and check the progress of the project on one calendar.
Resource Management
Resource management becomes complicated for large organizations with various ongoing projects and a few resources, each with distinct skillsets and times. If you have a large organization, you do not need to be concerned about, because Dynamics 365 provides an excellent built-in engine for resource allocation and resource management.
Based on your location, availability, and skills, PSA makes sure that you use the right resources for the right projects.
Project Billing
Project Service Automation provides sales managers and project managers with a dashboard to evaluate the project billing along with unbilled revenues and project costs. This tool helps to generate and approve project invoices automatically. The project invoices are recorded and combined with a back-office Financial Accounting application.
Team Collaboration
Team collaboration in PSA supplies a single interface for project managers, partners, and customers to stay up to the minute with the project process and risks. It enables your whole team to collaborate with the help of the Office 365 workspace generated for distinct projects.
Service Analytics
PSA provides analytics in the shape of interactive visual representation of business performance and business opportunities using custom-built dashboards and charts. This enables practice managers to generate reports, measure performance, and get intelligent segmentation, recommendations, and predictive analysis for the further steps.
Conclusion
Microsoft has been striving to make all its business solutions accessible from anywhere, anytime, by bringing them all under one big umbrella. Dynamics 365 makes it easy for you to work more productively.
Understanding the challenges a project-oriented business faces around scheduling resources and preparing estimates, Dynamics 365 for PSA is implemented to help you manage projects- from quotes to deliveries.
Project Service Automation is significantly more than a simple project management tool. It offers all the functionalities and capabilities to ensure that the controls and processes of your company’s Project Management Office are successfully finished and adhered to it.
The Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation application helps companies efficiently manage, track, and deliver project-oriented services on time.
