The truth about Microsoft Sure Step and FastTrack.
Let’s start with the most common misinterpretation: Microsoft Sure Step is NOT a Project Methodology!
Sure Step was launched as a PROGRAM to help partners in the sale and implementation of Dynamics and beyond. It included a guidance booklet and a tool (Sure-Step) to help partners and customers track their implementation progress.
Although not many people actually used the tool, the guidance document said to divide the implementation process into 6 phases which soon grew to be known as the Dynamics Project Implementation Phases. And so, the misconception started which lead people to think Sure Step is a Project Method. It is not.
As a matter of fact, Sure Step transitioned from using Waterfall to Agile. Another fact: Sure Step has NOT been updated since the last version for AX 2012. Instead, Microsoft has launched “FastTrack” to help customers and partners in the successful implementation of Dynamics 365. FastTrack uses Microsoft's new project implementation methodology “Success by Design”.
As parts of the FastTrack methodology are based on Waterfall while others use Agile, it is safe to say that FastTrack uses a Hybrid Project Management approach.
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Customers and Microsoft Partners who want to use FastTrack must comply to a series of requirements:
- FastTrack at Project Initiation
- All project members (Program/Project Manager, Consultants/Architects, and so on) must be FastTrack certified.
- Microsoft FastTrack Solution Architects are closely involved during the entire project and beyond.
On average FastTrack will delay the start of the Project by 6 months to a year and multiply the total project costs up to 50% or more.
But what makes FastTrack so effective?
Well, one of its secrets is “early discovery” and its iterative approach of its second phase that now combines 2 phases of Sure Step into one.
At Quantum Omega we have taken a close look at Sure Step and the FastTrack methodology and enhanced it with ways to make it even more effective and user-friendly while still complying to its core design.
We call this method: “The Advanced Sure Step Methodology by Quantum Omega”.
Written by Danny Thie
