When Customising Dynamics 365 Becomes a Liability

🔧 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝟯𝟲𝟱 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

It’s always tempting to customise Dynamics 365. A stakeholder wants a new plugin to replicate an old spreadsheet calculation, a custom workflow to skip standard approval logic, or a completely new form just for their team—even though the standard one already works.

But over time, I’ve learned that every shortcut adds weight—and eventually, that weight slows everything down.

Here’s why I stopped reaching for custom solutions by default:

• 𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆. Even small updates become a risk when too much custom logic is in place.

• 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. When no one remembers why something was built a certain way, you’re stuck playing detective.

• 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿. The more tailored the system, the harder it is to adjust when the business shifts.

• Microsoft often already 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. Standard features are deeper than most people realise.

Now, I treat customisation as a last resort:

• Start with 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀—they’re there for a reason.

• Say yes to 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, not to replicating legacy logic.

• Only build when there’s 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲—otherwise, simplify.

• 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀—just because it was done a certain way before doesn’t mean it should be again.

• Use 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 before jumping into plugins or custom code.

• 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽—sometimes a requested feature is already coming. • Set a 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀—make teams justify the need.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆—if it’s going to be hard to maintain, think twice.

• Keep the 𝗲𝗻𝗱-𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲—consistency beats novelty.

• Maintain a 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿—know what’s been built, why, and who owns it.

• Build with 𝗿𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱—if it can’t be reused elsewhere, reconsider.

• Don’t customise what you can solve 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

Dynamics works best when it’s kept clean, understood, and aligned with how Microsoft continues to evolve the platform. Less custom means more flexibility—and that’s where the long-term wins are.