Cloud Service Analyzes Dynamics AX

Analyzing existing and proposed Dynamics AX environments receives help from Dynamics Lifecycle Services (LCS), a Microsoft-hosted environment that allows customers and partners to analyze Dynamics AX implementation, upgrade, and maintenance projects. LCS provides diagnostic features to model business processes, improve system performance and code, estimate upgrade effort from prior AX versions, and calculate licensing requirements. However, most LCS features are only available for Dynamics AX 2012 R2, involve significant manual input, and require the upload of AX system information and custom code to the cloud, which may limit its use for some organizations.

Cloud Hosted Collaboration Fills Gap

Dynamics AX is Microsoft’s enterprise relationship planning (ERP) product aimed at large, multinational companies that has industry-specific capabilities for manufacturing, retail, services, and the public sector. Organizations typically deploy Dynamics AX with the help of a Microsoft partner, because analyzing, designing, deploying, and maintaining an ERP solution is complex. Project management tools, such as Microsoft’s RapidStart and Sure Step Online, focus on coordinating the implementation of AX. However, analysis tools that evaluate infrastructure needs, licensing levels, and customizations and upgrade effort have been lacking compared to tools offered by other ERP vendors (such as Oracle and SAP).