The Power of Conference Room Pilot in Dynamics 365 ERP Implementations
The Conference Room Pilot is a pivotal cornerstone of success for any ERP implementation, particularly with Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.
As a QA lead, I’ve seen firsthand how Conference Room Pilot (CRP) bridges the gap between system configuration and real-world business processes, ensuring our clients are ready to go-live and confident in their new system. In fact, I would say it’s my favorite test event (if there is such a thing). In this post, I’ll walk you through what CRP is, how we approach it in our organization, and why with thoughtful planning it’s a transformative step for ERP implementation projects.
What is Conference Room Pilot?
CRP is a structured testing phase in ERP implementations where end-to-end business scenarios are executed in the configured system to validate that it meets your business requirements. Unlike other testing phases like User Acceptance Testing (UAT), which focuses on user-driven validation, CRP is a collaborative, observational process. It brings your team together, our functional consultants, and other stakeholders to test, validate, and refine the system in a controlled environment.
Think of CRP as a dress rehearsal for your business processes. It’s not just about checking boxes, it’s about ensuring the system works as intended, fostering team alignment, and building confidence in the solution before moving to later stages like UAT.
Our Approach to CRP
At Stoneridge Software, CRP is a carefully orchestrated phase emphasizing collaboration, clarity, and consensus. Here’s how we do it:
1. End-to-End Business Scenarios
We design test scenarios that reflect your real-world business processes, covering multiple functions across the ERP system. For example, a single scenario might span procurement, inventory management, and financial reporting in D365 F&SCM. These scenarios are comprehensive, ensuring the system is tested holistically rather than in silos.
2. Single-Stream Testing
Our CRP sessions are single stream, meaning only one person tests at a time while everyone else observes. This approach might sound slow, but it’s deliberate. By having one user execute their piece of the scenario, such as creating a purchase order, receiving goods, or generating an invoice, everyone in the room can follow the process step-by-step. This ensures transparency and allows users to provide immediate feedback if something doesn’t work as expected.
3. Collaborative Observation
During CRP, your team, our functional consultants, and other relevant stakeholders are all present. As the tester navigates the system, others watch, ask questions, and provide input. This setup does more than validate requirements—it fosters agreement among team members. If there’s a discrepancy in how a process should work, it’s caught early, discussed, and noted to follow up on after CRP. In fact, I’ve noticed that gaps are often caught by stakeholders who are upstream or downstream of the process being actively tested.
4. Training and Confidence Building
CRP isn’t just about testing; it’s a training opportunity. For many clients, this is their first hands-on experience with D365. By actively participating in testing, they gain familiarity with the system’s navigation, terminology, and functionality. Watching their colleagues test also builds confidence, as they see their business processes come to life in the ERP environment.
5. Requirement Validation
At its core, CRP ensures the system aligns with the client’s requirements. Each scenario is mapped to specific business needs documented during the project’s discovery phase. As the team tests, they confirm that the configurations, customizations, and integrations work as intended. Any gaps are identified and addressed before moving to UAT, reducing the risk of surprises later.
6. Analyze Additional Facets
During CRP, we test complementary system aspects to enhance user experience. We verify that security roles are correctly assigned, ensuring users access only job-relevant functions. We evaluate UI and process efficiency, identifying opportunities for personalization or customization. Additionally, we monitor system performance, logging slow-responding screens or functions for follow-up and, if needed, scheduling targeted performance tests.
Why CRP Matters
CRP is more than a testing phase—it’s a strategic milestone that sets the tone for the rest of the ERP implementation. Here’s why it’s so valuable:
- Alignment Across Teams: By bringing everyone into the same room (or virtual meeting), CRP ensures that all stakeholders—client teams, consultants, and project leads—are on the same page. Disagreements about how a process should work are resolved early, preventing costly rework.
- Proactive Issue Resolution: Testing end-to-end scenarios in a collaborative setting uncovers issues that might be missed in isolated testing. Whether it’s a configuration error, a misunderstanding of requirements, or a training gap, CRP catches these problems before they escalate.
- User Empowerment: For clients, CRP is a chance to see their system in action and feel ownership. The hands-on experience builds confidence, making them more comfortable with the system as they approach UAT and go-live.
- Reduced Risk: By validating requirements and processes early, CRP minimizes the likelihood of major issues during later testing phases or post-go-live. It’s a critical quality gate that ensures the system is ready for the next steps.
Best Practices for a Successful CRP
Based on our experience, here are a few tips to make your CRP phase effective:
- Prepare Thorough Scenarios: Invest time crafting realistic, end-to-end scenarios that cover all critical business processes and key exceptions.
- Create a Detailed Test Plan: Expand the scenarios with the specific processes you plan to test and the data and expectations that go with them.
- Set Clear Expectations: Before CRP begins, communicate its purpose and process to all participants. Emphasize that it’s a collaborative effort, not a pass/fail exam.
- Remove Distractions: Get backup for the testers on the day of testing so they don’t have to worry about their day job and encourage them to close their laptops and stay engaged.
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions or raising concerns. The goal is to uncover issues, not to gloss over them.
- Document Everything: Record the outcomes of each scenario, including successes, issues, and action items. This documentation is invaluable for tracking progress and addressing gaps.
- Park Lengthy Discussions: The team may naturally want to start resolving issues they find. The goal of CRP is to test as many business scenarios as possible within the scheduled time, so we may need to “park” these lengthy discussions for later. Start a parking lot on a whiteboard in the room to record these to further discussion later.
In ERP implementations like D365 F&SCM, the Conference Room Pilot is a pivotal moment where theory meets practice. By testing end-to-end business scenarios in a collaborative, single-stream environment, CRP validates requirements, fosters team alignment, and builds user confidence. It’s not just a checkpoint, it’s an opportunity to refine the system, train the team, and set the stage for a successful go-live.
Talk to the Stoneridge Team to Learn More About CRP
Our experts have a lot of experience successfully helping companies across sectors implement and optimize Dynamics 365 ERP systems. With our approach, you can access a team of experts to help you set up your environment, conduct thorough testing, and ensure a successful implementation.
Get in touch with us today to learn more!
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