Change comes for us all, but for some, it’s less a specter and more a strategic partner. For Long View, an organization defined by its namesake ability to foresee, anticipate, and prepare for what’s next, stagnancy was never on the table. The true test of a company’s mettle, though, is the moment it dares to modernize its own operations—putting theory into relentless, practical action. So when the very systems that once powered Long View’s ambitions began to slow its stride, something had to give. The answer? A full-throttle embrace of Microsoft Dynamics 365, proof positive that the only thing more powerful than foresight is the courage to act on it.
Long View’s entire ethos is encapsulated in its moniker: never just achieving today’s wins, but always positioning itself for sustained triumph. If you squint hard enough, you might even catch a glimpse of the company’s boardroom decked with binoculars, compasses, and a big red button labeled “Future-Proof.” In a rapidly changing digital world, quick fixes simply don’t cut it. The “long view” means bravely peering into the hazy possibility of tomorrow, then building a bridge to cross whatever chasms may appear.
This brushed up against hard reality when Long View’s aging legacy stack—comprised of Microsoft Navision ERP and duct-taped-together, heavily customized Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation—began showing its age. Operating systems out of support, SQL Server versions best left to the annals of tech history, and infrastructure that would make even the most intrepid IT admin reach for an extra cup of coffee: these weren’t mere inconveniences, but symptoms of much deeper inefficiencies.
Manual processes, staggering complexity, and fragmented data quality had become the unintentional byproducts of years spent customizing and patching rather than transforming the core. The operational experience was equal parts nostalgia trip and cautionary tale. If nothing changed, the risk would balloon—security vulnerabilities, outright system failures, and, perhaps worst of all, lost opportunities for innovation.
The company’s business case was clear: it needed a future-ready, cloud-powered ERP solution—one that could eradicate inefficiencies, unify scattered data sources, streamline clunky workflows, and serve as the backbone for growth yet to come. The challenge? Doing this for themselves, not a client, and proving that the best practices they advocate to customers work under their own roof.
Enter Microsoft Dynamics 365, chosen with surgical precision for its breadth, flexibility, and promise of transformation without endless customization headaches. The implementation would be both comprehensive and methodical, embodying Long View’s trademark commitment to strategic simplification, agility, and creating value from innovation.
Every step was designed with intent. They didn’t just want to digitize stale processes, but fundamentally rethink and refine how the business operated—from order to cash, prospect to quote, record to report, and beyond. No detail was too granular, no inefficiency too small to escape scrutiny.
First came the anchor: Dynamics 365 Human Resources, deployed in February 2024. With this foundation, Long View tackled one of the most critical junctures of any organization—the human element. Streamlining core HR functions unlocked efficiency from day one, shedding the baggage of outdated processes for a modern, cloud-native experience.
But Long View wasn’t stopping at HR. In October 2024, they simultaneously launched Dynamics 365 Finance, Sales, and Project Operations—each phase intricately linked to five key business processes chronicled in the Microsoft Business Process Catalog. This was operational choreography at its finest, intricately coordinated to ensure the company could seamlessly move from prospecting to quoting, order fulfillment to cash, and every step in between, without missing a beat.
The results weren’t just theoretical. Relying on Dynamics 365’s robust out-of-the-box features allowed Long View to axe 22 high-maintenance customizations previously thought unavoidable. The savings? A jaw-dropping $440,000 in avoided technical debt and development costs. Less code, fewer headaches, and a balance sheet that could breathe a sign of relief.
End-to-end oversight suddenly became the norm, not the exception. Finance could seamlessly integrate with sales, HR could coordinate with project operations, and project visibility became instantaneous—from contract close to cash collection. The friction between departments gave way to fluid collaboration, replaced by a transparency that made every KPI, workflow, and exception visible at a glance.
That means no more dread during software updates, no existential fear over unsupported infrastructure, and agility baked into every corner of the business. Long View can spin up new services, integrate cutting-edge technologies, or pivot processes—all with the confidence that comes from an architecture built for long-term resilience.
Moreover, the days of shadow IT are, mercifully, gone. Teams are empowered to ask more from their systems, and innovation no longer requires a ticket to the digital back office. With Dynamics 365, automation isn’t an afterthought—it’s at the very heart of how business gets done.
Perhaps more importantly, the shift centralized Long View’s data in real time. Decision-makers aren’t operating from gut instinct or stale reports anymore—the up-to-date, actionable insights they need are only a click away. Data integrity, once a running joke in quarterly reviews, now anchors every decision, and business intelligence is no longer a boutique feature but the default setting.
Clients, in turn, get a partner who has navigated the pitfalls of modernization, felt the pain of change, and emerged stronger—and can now guide them with authentic empathy and insight. It’s a classic case study where the client and consultant are the same. The lessons are hard-earned and highly transferrable.
This approach doesn’t mean forsaking differentiation; it means being brutally honest about where customization adds value and where it drains resources. By cutting 22 customizations and embracing standard, supported processes, Long View freed itself from the hamster wheel of ongoing development, QA, and support. That’s $440,000 not spent on digital spaghetti, but ready to be invested in growth and innovation.
It’s a lesson for every business: sometimes, the optimal answer is already in the box. You just have to be brave enough to open it.
The decision to focus on end-to-end visibility pays continual dividends. No more operational silos, no more finger-pointing when things go wrong, and no more scrambling for missing data in the eleventh hour. The business marches forward confident that it can see, understand, and act on every part of its machine.
This cultural momentum is the secret ingredient that keeps innovation alive. No amount of new SaaS platforms can replace the optimism and drive that comes from seeing your organization live its truth—and invest in making work better for everyone.
By breaking the cycle and embracing transformation head-on—championing standardization, cloud agility, and process-first thinking—Long View proves that modernization isn’t just about technology. It’s about unleashing potential, fortifying resilience, and ensuring that every success today sets the stage for tomorrow’s bigger wins.
Organizations everywhere would do well to take a cue from Long View: keep your eyes on the horizon, but don’t be afraid to sweep out the cobwebs beneath your feet. The best way to future-proof your business isn’t by waiting for perfect conditions—it’s by preparing to thrive no matter what.
Dynamics 365 wasn’t just a product selection. It became a rallying point for modernization that permeated every process, every decision, every morning cup of coffee. Today, efficiency is no longer aspirational; it’s operational reality. Data is no longer a wild stallion; it’s a thoroughbred, harnessed and guided toward business advantage. Most importantly, the proof is not in the promise, but the performance.
So, if you ever find yourself wondering whether the long view is worth it, just ask Long View. For them, the future is not some distant point on the calendar. It’s the next meeting, the next sale, the next breakthrough—and with a foundation like Dynamics 365, it’s coming into focus faster than ever.
Source: Microsoft Long View innovates with foresight choosing Dynamics 365 for operational excellence | Microsoft Customer Stories
Lessons from Looking Ahead: A Legacy of Foresight
Long View’s entire ethos is encapsulated in its moniker: never just achieving today’s wins, but always positioning itself for sustained triumph. If you squint hard enough, you might even catch a glimpse of the company’s boardroom decked with binoculars, compasses, and a big red button labeled “Future-Proof.” In a rapidly changing digital world, quick fixes simply don’t cut it. The “long view” means bravely peering into the hazy possibility of tomorrow, then building a bridge to cross whatever chasms may appear.This brushed up against hard reality when Long View’s aging legacy stack—comprised of Microsoft Navision ERP and duct-taped-together, heavily customized Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation—began showing its age. Operating systems out of support, SQL Server versions best left to the annals of tech history, and infrastructure that would make even the most intrepid IT admin reach for an extra cup of coffee: these weren’t mere inconveniences, but symptoms of much deeper inefficiencies.
Manual processes, staggering complexity, and fragmented data quality had become the unintentional byproducts of years spent customizing and patching rather than transforming the core. The operational experience was equal parts nostalgia trip and cautionary tale. If nothing changed, the risk would balloon—security vulnerabilities, outright system failures, and, perhaps worst of all, lost opportunities for innovation.
Turning Expertise Inward: Modernization as a Living Lab
For Long View, modern workplace transformation isn’t just a service; it’s a calling card. But even experts have to eat their own cloud dog food eventually (figuratively, of course). When the writing on the server wall was too glaring to ignore, Long View seized the moment to demonstrate what true digital leadership looks like in practice.The company’s business case was clear: it needed a future-ready, cloud-powered ERP solution—one that could eradicate inefficiencies, unify scattered data sources, streamline clunky workflows, and serve as the backbone for growth yet to come. The challenge? Doing this for themselves, not a client, and proving that the best practices they advocate to customers work under their own roof.
Enter Microsoft Dynamics 365, chosen with surgical precision for its breadth, flexibility, and promise of transformation without endless customization headaches. The implementation would be both comprehensive and methodical, embodying Long View’s trademark commitment to strategic simplification, agility, and creating value from innovation.
Planning the Leap: Zeroing in on What Matters
The onramp to change wasn’t paved with panic but plotted with precision. Long View’s leadership and IT teams took a process-focused approach, guided by a simple but often elusive principle: don’t reinvent the wheel. The notoriously complex morass of customizations that haunted their old systems was pegged for elimination. Out-of-the-box Dynamics 365 functionalities were favored, not just because they worked, but because they were proven, supported, and scalable.Every step was designed with intent. They didn’t just want to digitize stale processes, but fundamentally rethink and refine how the business operated—from order to cash, prospect to quote, record to report, and beyond. No detail was too granular, no inefficiency too small to escape scrutiny.
Phased Rollout, Unmatched Impact
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is operational excellence. Long View’s Dynamics 365 journey was split into multi-phased deployments, each measured and tailored to minimize disruption and maximize value.First came the anchor: Dynamics 365 Human Resources, deployed in February 2024. With this foundation, Long View tackled one of the most critical junctures of any organization—the human element. Streamlining core HR functions unlocked efficiency from day one, shedding the baggage of outdated processes for a modern, cloud-native experience.
But Long View wasn’t stopping at HR. In October 2024, they simultaneously launched Dynamics 365 Finance, Sales, and Project Operations—each phase intricately linked to five key business processes chronicled in the Microsoft Business Process Catalog. This was operational choreography at its finest, intricately coordinated to ensure the company could seamlessly move from prospecting to quoting, order fulfillment to cash, and every step in between, without missing a beat.
The results weren’t just theoretical. Relying on Dynamics 365’s robust out-of-the-box features allowed Long View to axe 22 high-maintenance customizations previously thought unavoidable. The savings? A jaw-dropping $440,000 in avoided technical debt and development costs. Less code, fewer headaches, and a balance sheet that could breathe a sign of relief.
Toward a Single Source of Truth
In a world where data is often siloed and fragmented, the holy grail for fast-moving organizations is a unified system that serves as the “single source of truth.” For Long View, this project was as much about cohesion as it was about modernization. The company’s newly minted Dynamics 365 backbone centralized data management across teams, eliminating version-control nightmares, manual reconciliation, and those infamous “which spreadsheet is real?” debates.End-to-end oversight suddenly became the norm, not the exception. Finance could seamlessly integrate with sales, HR could coordinate with project operations, and project visibility became instantaneous—from contract close to cash collection. The friction between departments gave way to fluid collaboration, replaced by a transparency that made every KPI, workflow, and exception visible at a glance.
Futureproofing the Business: Agility on Demand
The best digital platforms aren’t static—they’re living organisms, built for change. With Dynamics 365 powering its operations, Long View is no longer shackled by the limitations of an aging ERP. Instead, it occupies a digital fast lane, able to adapt, evolve, and scale at will.That means no more dread during software updates, no existential fear over unsupported infrastructure, and agility baked into every corner of the business. Long View can spin up new services, integrate cutting-edge technologies, or pivot processes—all with the confidence that comes from an architecture built for long-term resilience.
Moreover, the days of shadow IT are, mercifully, gone. Teams are empowered to ask more from their systems, and innovation no longer requires a ticket to the digital back office. With Dynamics 365, automation isn’t an afterthought—it’s at the very heart of how business gets done.
Empowering People, Unlocking Insights
Tech upgrades are only as powerful as the people who wield them. Long View’s transition to Dynamics 365 didn’t just streamline processes; it empowered employees across all levels. Gone is the learning curve of arcane interfaces. Modern user experiences replaced labyrinthine menus with intuitive dashboards and proactive alerts, reducing errors and slashing onboarding times.Perhaps more importantly, the shift centralized Long View’s data in real time. Decision-makers aren’t operating from gut instinct or stale reports anymore—the up-to-date, actionable insights they need are only a click away. Data integrity, once a running joke in quarterly reviews, now anchors every decision, and business intelligence is no longer a boutique feature but the default setting.
Client Lessons: Walking the Talk
Long View’s journey stands as more than an internal achievement—it’s a model for their clients. Many organizations find themselves in the same tangled mess of legacy systems, manual workarounds, and data dread that Long View once faced. By choosing to go through the fire themselves, Long View doesn’t just sell a promise of transformation; it offers living proof.Clients, in turn, get a partner who has navigated the pitfalls of modernization, felt the pain of change, and emerged stronger—and can now guide them with authentic empathy and insight. It’s a classic case study where the client and consultant are the same. The lessons are hard-earned and highly transferrable.
The Value of Out-of-the-Box Thinking
For years, customizations in ERP systems were badges of honor—proof of an organization’s uniqueness. The reality? For most, customization was a slow, expensive march into technical debt. Long View’s embrace of Dynamics 365’s out-of-the-box functionality reflects a radical mindset shift that’s sweeping the industry.This approach doesn’t mean forsaking differentiation; it means being brutally honest about where customization adds value and where it drains resources. By cutting 22 customizations and embracing standard, supported processes, Long View freed itself from the hamster wheel of ongoing development, QA, and support. That’s $440,000 not spent on digital spaghetti, but ready to be invested in growth and innovation.
It’s a lesson for every business: sometimes, the optimal answer is already in the box. You just have to be brave enough to open it.
Risks Mitigated, Horizons Expanded
Any transformation of this magnitude invites risk—operational, technical, and cultural. Long View’s gamble, however, was calculated. Cloud infrastructure means automatic updates, patching free from panic, and security protocols aligned with the highest standards. Outdated SQL servers and unsupported OS versions can now fade into distant memory, replaced by a foundation designed for whatever tomorrow throws at it.The decision to focus on end-to-end visibility pays continual dividends. No more operational silos, no more finger-pointing when things go wrong, and no more scrambling for missing data in the eleventh hour. The business marches forward confident that it can see, understand, and act on every part of its machine.
The Intangible Benefits: Culture, Morale, Momentum
Beyond the facts and figures lies a less tangible, but equally potent, layer of impact. For Long View, this was a galvanizing moment—a clear signal that the company is as forward-thinking as its brand suggests. The morale boost for employees can’t be overstated: it’s energizing to know you’re working with industry-standard tools, that your groans over sluggish legacy processes have been heard, and that the business is committed to making your job easier—not harder.This cultural momentum is the secret ingredient that keeps innovation alive. No amount of new SaaS platforms can replace the optimism and drive that comes from seeing your organization live its truth—and invest in making work better for everyone.
Lessons for the Industry: Modernization with Meaning
Long View’s evolutionary leap offers a valuable blueprint for the countless organizations still hesitating on the ledge of digital change. The tendency to cling to custom code, patch up legacy platforms, and delay tough decisions is endemic. The result? Stunted growth, mounting costs, and missed opportunities.By breaking the cycle and embracing transformation head-on—championing standardization, cloud agility, and process-first thinking—Long View proves that modernization isn’t just about technology. It’s about unleashing potential, fortifying resilience, and ensuring that every success today sets the stage for tomorrow’s bigger wins.
Organizations everywhere would do well to take a cue from Long View: keep your eyes on the horizon, but don’t be afraid to sweep out the cobwebs beneath your feet. The best way to future-proof your business isn’t by waiting for perfect conditions—it’s by preparing to thrive no matter what.
A Final Glance Through the Looking Glass
At its core, Long View’s journey is a tale of transformation powered by purpose. It’s about facing hard truths, championing the right technology, and proving—once and for all—that the organizations with the greatest foresight are those most willing to change.Dynamics 365 wasn’t just a product selection. It became a rallying point for modernization that permeated every process, every decision, every morning cup of coffee. Today, efficiency is no longer aspirational; it’s operational reality. Data is no longer a wild stallion; it’s a thoroughbred, harnessed and guided toward business advantage. Most importantly, the proof is not in the promise, but the performance.
So, if you ever find yourself wondering whether the long view is worth it, just ask Long View. For them, the future is not some distant point on the calendar. It’s the next meeting, the next sale, the next breakthrough—and with a foundation like Dynamics 365, it’s coming into focus faster than ever.
Source: Microsoft Long View innovates with foresight choosing Dynamics 365 for operational excellence | Microsoft Customer Stories
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