Support services are imperative throughout the digital transformation of a business. They provide protection in case of an emergency or when something breaks, and allow for change requests, training, and other engagements, to be dealt with efficiently and in a timely manner. But which model is best suited to your organisation?
What are Support Models?
Support Models are differing ways in which Microsoft Partners offer and deliver support services to their clients, allowing organisations to utilise the expertise of their Microsoft Partner. This can include support for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications, Power Platform apps, Power Automate Flows or Power BI reports, to name a few. Dynamics 365 & Power Platform support services can often be used for the following:
- Break/fix Issues
- Solution Enhancements
- Customisations
- Development
- On-site Consultancy
- On-site User Training
- Telephone Support
- Advisory Service
- Remote Assistance
- Upgrades
So, what support models are out there? Each Microsoft Partner will have their own support model which outlines how their services are priced, packaged, and delivered, but in general, each Microsoft Partner will utilise one of four main models as follows:
1. Per User Per Month
This support model charges a fixed amount per user per month, so for example, the fixed amount could be £15 per month for every user in your company.
Advantages
- This model’s greatest advantage is that annual support costs can be forecasted and are predictable.
- This model also works well for businesses with a low user count keeping monthly costs low.
- Support time is sometimes advertised as unlimited, but fair usage policies often apply.
Disadvantages
- Paying for support every month regardless of usage means that there will be some months where support is not required from your Microsoft Partner, but costs are still incurred.
- This model assumes that as the user count increases within your organisation, more support is required. This is not necessarily the case, as it is possible to have many users but simple support requirements. However, as the number of users within the business increases, so will the support costs.
- In this model, support can usually be used for break/fix issues, but any additional work is often a chargeable extra.
2. Fixed Time Per Month
This support model gives a fixed amount of support time per month, based on the total number of users. Typically, the higher the user count, the more time is provided.
Advantages
- Annual support costs are predictable and can be forecasted.
- More available support time as the user count grows.
Disadvantages
- As with the Per User Per Month Model, you will have to pay for support every month regardless of usage, with increased support costs as the user count grows.
- Fixed support time is not always used by an organisation but must still be paid for.
- Often just for break/fix issues; additional work is usually a chargeable extra.
- Companies that have simple Dynamics 365 support requirements, but many users, will end up paying more than they should.
3. Set Number of Days over 12 Months
This model involves purchasing a set number of days to be consumed over a 12-month period. The number of days can be decided upon by the customer based on their anticipated usage.
Advantages
- Unlike the previous two models, support can usually be used for more than just break/fix issues. This can include system customisation, improvements, and reporting.
- In the previous two models, costs and support time are based on the number of users and are automatically set. With this model, you can purchase support time dependent on your organisation’s requirements. This means that an organisation with many users will not see an increase in costs as they can buy a set number of days according to their support needs.
- The number of days can be increased or decreased annually as support requirements change.
- Volume discounts when purchasing more support time.
Disadvantages:
- It may be difficult to estimate how much time is required for the initial 12-month period.
4. Set Number of Support Cases Per Year
This support model is where the partner offers a set number of support cases that can be logged within each 12-month period. Different options may be available such as 5 cases per year or 10 cases per year, for example.
Advantages
- Each support case could be used for larger pieces of work to obtain a better value per case.
Disadvantages
- Smaller pieces of work would still consume a full case creating a reluctance to use up cases.
- Additional cases always incur additional costs.
- Fair usage policies often apply to stop customers from using a single case for larger pieces of work.
Our Model
The Strategy 365 support offering uses the third model – Set Number of Days over a 12-month period. Our Dynamics 365 & Power Platform Support Services are charged by a simple day rate that can be consumed on an hourly basis in as little as 15-minute slots. This model has been extremely well received by our clients and offers the best value to ensure that clients are not paying more than they should, based on their requirements or being forced to consume time that they might not need.
One of our clients, Helen Hitchmough from EMaC Limited, stated how Strategy 365’s support services have helped develop their organisation:
“Building upon existing capabilities, Strategy 365 supported the design, build and implementation of an efficient lead generation solution. It has enabled users to manage and prioritise their consumer contact more effectively than ever before, resulting in increased consumer retention and satisfaction. The ongoing support we have received as we continue to develop the platform has been excellent.”
Head of Sales from Steel Service Centre Limited provided some great feedback for our support desk:
“Nothing is too much trouble for the Strategy 365 support desk, and they are all great ambassadors for the company. They always explain things clearly and will hop onto a screen share to explain further.”
Comparison Table
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Support Model |
Support can often be used for more than break/fix issues |
Costs do not increase when there are more users |
Annual support costs can be predicted |
|
Per User Per Month |
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 |
|
Fixed Time Per Month |
|
|
|
|
Set Number of Support Cases over 12 months |
|
|
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|
Set Number of Days over 12 months – Our Model |
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Summary
We are proud to support our clients in their digital transformation and understand that a project doesn’t simply finish once the solution has gone live; the go-live is simply the start of a new journey. Therefore, we believe it is important for our clients to invest in a support service that suits their business, and we hope this blog helps to provide some clarity around the different support models offered by Microsoft Partners within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem.
If you want to talk about our support services with one of our team members, please feel free to get in touch. Alternatively, if you want to learn more about our support model, you can read more about it here.
