Feature management in Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform is one of the most powerful yet often overlooked benefits of the Dynamics 365 ecosystem. Microsoft constantly adds robust and evolving solutions to these platforms, but they often go unnoticed. In fact, you might spend time and resources on a custom solution, only to discover a hidden feature that solves your problem perfectly.

However, not all features are created equal and they may not all be applicable to your business processes. That’s where strategic feature management comes in. By having a plan to track, evaluate, test, and deploy these features, you unlock the true potential of Dynamics 365 and minimize disruption to your workflows.

Feature management framework

1. Prioritize: Evaluate and rank each new feature based on its relevance to your business needs.

2. Test: Thoroughly test features in a non-production environment before deploying them into production.

3. Communicate: Keep your team informed about the upcoming features and how they may impact their workflows.

4. Train: Develop and share training materials to ensure users know how the new features work.

5. Monitor: Track user adoption and system performance after the new features have been enabled.

Microsoft release planner

You may be asking yourself, “How do I keep track of all of the features?”

One way to stay informed is by utilizing Microsoft’s free release planner. This planning portal provides a simple-to-use overview of all of the features planned, in preview or coming soon.

Check out the quick 1-minute video below for an overview of the portal.

Another way is to entrust the management of your features to a trusted partner. A good partner will have an intimate understanding of your business and stay informed about all new, updated, or deprecated features that could impact it.

At Caf2Code, exceptional feature management is a cornerstone of our client services. If optimizing your Dynamics 365 feature management sounds like something we can assist you with, feel free to get in touch with us. We’re always here to support your business’s unique requirements.