The introduction of Dynamics 365 Project Operations spells the end of Project Service Automation
When Microsoft announced the launch of Dynamics 365 Project Operations, two things were clear. The first was that the new application, combining Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Project, would be an incredibly useful tool for any organisation involved in project management. The second was that Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation end of life couldn’t be far away
What is Project Operations?
Dynamics 365 Project Operations combines the best of functionality from Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation and Microsoft Project.
It then adds additional functions including opportunity management, invoicing and wider service management features to offer a more complete approach to project management.
You can discover more about the applications on our dedicated Dynamics 365 Project Operations page.
What’s the future of Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation?
Microsoft has stated it will continue to support the product in the near term.
However, a hard date of October 1 2024 has been set for support to end, effectively signalling Project Service Automation end of life.
This means organisations will need to migrate to Dynamics 365 Project Operations by this time.
Microsoft has made tools available for organisations to migrate data from their existing Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation setups to new Dynamics 365 Project Operations instances. However, from our experience of undertaking such a migration, the data transfer should not be approached casually.
There is also a range of new features and possible connections (eg. accounts systems) to configure as part of any new Dynamics 365 Project Operations setup. Using a Microsoft Dynamics professional to undertake this work is therefore advisable.
Project Service Automation end of life: Don’t forget the updates
While organisations may be tempted to leave an upgrade to the last minute, Microsoft’s continued development of Project Operations also won’t stand still.
Given its biannual cycle of product updates, by October 2024 Dynamics 365 Project Operations may have received as many as seven separate updates. Each one could make this new application less and less familiar to current users of Project Service Automation.
So while Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation end of life may be some time away, it is advisable that organisations look to make the upgrade as soon as they are able to.
Akita has assisted organisations to migrate from Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation to Dynamics 365 Project Operations.
To discuss mitigating the impact of Project Service Automation end of life for your organisation, please get in touch:
