What technical skills and project experience should a developer build to become a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Technical Consultant?
Question
Explore the technical skills required to build a successful career as a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Technical Consultant.
Understand the importance of X++, extensions, integrations, data entities, reporting, security, workflows, APIs, and development best practices.
Learn what kind of real-world projects and implementation experience can help demonstrate these skills to employers and interviewers.
A valuable discussion for students, developers, and working professionals planning to enter or advance in the Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations ecosystem.
Answers
A Finance and Operations Technical Consultant needs more than X++ syntax. The role combines ERP business understanding, X++ development, extensibility, integrations, reporting, security, testing, performance and ALM. Microsoft's current developer guidance specifically includes X++, Visual Studio, Azure DevOps, source control, testing, performance, integrations and lifecycle management.
Developers should become comfortable with:
- X++ and object-oriented programming
- Extensions and Chain of Command
- Tables, forms, classes and data entities
- Integrations and APIs
- SSRS/reporting concepts
- Security
- Performance troubleshooting
- Automated testing
- Azure DevOps and Git
- Deployment and ALM
A strong portfolio project could implement an end-to-end Procure-to-Pay or Order-to-Cash customization, including business logic, extension development, integration and deployment.
The real progression is:
X++ Developer → Solution Developer → Technical Consultant
The final step requires understanding why the business needs the solution and how the technical architecture should satisfy it.