Governance: The New Measure of CRM Success

A decade ago, success in CRM meant deployment. If you could configure a working system and get your users logged in, you were winning. Today, that bar is far too low. In 2025, true CRM success is measured not by deployment, but by governance — the ability to manage, secure, and evolve your platform confidently as your business changes.

From Control to Confidence

Governance isn’t about locking systems down. It’s about understanding how they’re being used — and why.

In the early days of Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Power Apps, administrators focused on control: who had access, which fields were editable, which entities were visible. But the evolution of the Power Platform — particularly Dataverse, Managed Environments, and now Copilot and AI features — has transformed governance into a visibility discipline.

Unlocking the Layers of Power Platform Security: Getting Dynamics 365 Licences, Roles and Governance Right

If you’ve ever wondered why two Dynamics 365 users see different buttons on the same screen — the answer isn’t magic, it’s licensing combined with security roles.
Licences define the ceiling of what users can do; security roles define the floor of what they may do. Between those layers sits your governance discipline — the difference between compliant control and chaotic sprawl.

For Dynamics 365 Sales, Microsoft offers three core licence levels — Team Member, Sales Professional, and Sales Enterprise. Each unlocks a distinct depth of capability: from light collaboration and record visibility through to full-scale automation, forecasting, and integration. But while upgrading brings power, misalignment can be costly — both financially and in compliance risk.

The Forgotten Risk in CRM Projects — Security Roles and Licence Alignment

Every CRM project has technical milestones — integrations, data migration, go-live. But one of the biggest risks often hides in plain sight: security roles that don’t match Microsoft’s licensing model. With Power Platform Security now tied directly to licence entitlements, misalignment can cost more than data exposure — it can breach compliance.  Particularly with Team Member licences, although also more broardly, it is essential that a user's security roles do not permit more than their licence allows.  There are many areas in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform where it is technically possible to do something that is not legal.

The Moving Parts of Dynamics 365 Security

Security in Microsoft Dynamics 365 isn’t a single mechanism — it’s an ecosystem. It blends licensing, security roles, team structure, environment controls, identity management, and app governance into one coherent framework. Each part has a distinct purpose; together they protect data integrity, enforce compliance, and support safe collaboration across the Power Platform.  Having said that, mot of the technical aspects are easy to understand - the real key to get it right is the governance.

What CRM Experts Wish Executives Knew

By Gill Walker, CRM Success Catalyst & former Microsoft MVP

Too many CRM projects underperform — and it’s almost never because of bad software.

It's because CRM is too often misunderstood by the very leaders who champion it. Executives approve the investment, endorse the initiative, and expect transformation — but unknowingly set the stage for frustration.

The disconnect? CRM is treated as an IT implementation when it’s actually a strategic business initiative. Technology plays a role — but it is only the enabler. The real engine of CRM success is leadership.

As someone who has been rescuing CRM projects for over two decades, let me share what CRM experts  -  the people brought in when things aren’t going to plan - wish every senior executive understood from day one.  These tips are advice that any CRM Expert would love to share with an executive involved in a CRM buying decision - before the implementation partner is selected.

CRM Isn’t About Technology — It’s About Transformation

Before a single licence is purchased — and often long before any ROI is realised — the first mistake is made: confusing CRM technology with CRM strategy.