A guide for manufacturers, distributors, and ERP-driven teams running on D365
Implementing or upgrading Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a major undertaking. Whether you are a food distributor managing inventory and compliance or a manufacturer coordinating production across sites.
But no matter how much you invest in licenses, consultants, or change management, one overlooked element continues to derail go-lives and slow down digital transformation. Testing.
At TheTestMart, we have worked with dozens of teams across industries like manufacturing, logistics, and retail who struggled with quality assurance during D365 projects. Many made the same avoidable mistakes.
If your organization is using Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain, or Business Central, here are the top 10 ERP testing mistakes to avoid.
1. Treating Testing as a Final Phase Instead of an Ongoing Process
ERP testing should not start three weeks before go-live. In D365, where features are updated continuously and environments are often deployed iteratively, testing needs to begin early and run in parallel with development.
Manual testing is not just time-consuming. It is unsustainable in a cloud-based environment. Dynamics 365 updates frequently, and without automation, your QA team cannot keep up with regression testing.
Impact: We have seen clients reduce test cycle time by up to 90 percent by automating core workflows.
3. Failing to Test Real-World Business Scenarios
Testing isolated modules like Accounts Payable or Sales Orders is not enough. You need full end-to-end tests for workflows like Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, or Pick Pack Ship. Especially when those workflows span multiple modules in D365.
D365 Example: Sales Order flows from D365 Commerce through to Finance and Operations. Test the entire chain, not just the forms.
4. Ignoring Integration Testing Across Systems
Most D365 deployments are not isolated. You have likely got integrations with WMS, CRM, EDI, Power Platform, or legacy systems. Not validating these connections leads to data sync issues and post-launch chaos.
Risk: A broken pricing sync or inventory integration can grind your operations to a halt.
5. Not Involving Business Users in the Testing Process
Your QA team can validate forms. But business users know what a successful workflow looks like in their department. Involving them helps catch misconfigurations and ensures usability.
Solution: TheTestMart makes it easy for business users to participate in testing. No code required.
6. Underestimating the Impact of Microsoft Updates
Microsoft pushes regular platform and service updates across D365. Without proactive regression testing, even minor changes can break customizations, workflows, or reporting logic.
Real-world example: One client’s invoice automation failed after a platform update because the updated field mapping was not caught.
7. Neglecting Data Quality in Test Environments
Testing with outdated or unrealistic data sets leads to false positives. D365 data structures are complex including ledger setups, inventory dimensions, and tax rules. They must reflect real business scenarios to test effectively.
Tip: Refresh test environments regularly and validate data inputs before running automated tests.
8. No Centralized Test Management or Documentation
Scattered Excel sheets and tribal knowledge slow everything down. Without a centralized, version-controlled test library, D365 testing becomes inconsistent and hard to scale.
Fix: Centralize your test library in a platform like TheTestMart that supports documentation, versioning, and collaboration.
9. Skipping Performance and Load Testing
D365 environments especially those supporting high-transaction volumes like retail or distribution can become unstable under load. Skipping performance testing means risking slow response times during peak operations.
Scenarios to test: Large order uploads, warehouse allocations, month-end financial posting.
10. Lacking an Automation Strategy Built for D365
Generic test automation tools often fail with D365’s UI complexity, security roles, and frequent updates. You need an ERP-specific platform that understands Dynamics objects and can evolve with Microsoft’s roadmap.
TheTestMart is purpose-built for automated Dynamics 365 testing. Fast to deploy, easy to scale, and used by manufacturers, distributors, and logistics leaders.
Final Thoughts
ERP testing is not just a technical step. It is a critical part of business readiness that directly impacts operations, compliance, and user confidence.
Avoiding these common mistakes leads to faster deployments, fewer disruptions, and a more resilient Dynamics 365 environment. Strong testing supports every department that relies on your system to function.
If your organization is working in Dynamics 365 and struggling to keep up with testing demands, TheTestMart provides automated solutions built for real-world ERP complexity. We help you reduce risk and move faster without compromising quality.
Have questions or want to explore a tailored solution? Contact TheTestMart and talk with our team.
If you are working with Microsoft Dynamics 365, you have probably asked yourself this question or heard it raised in planning meetings. Testing is always part of the process, but identifying when automated testing should become a core strategy is not always straightforward.
The Dynamics 365 environment is built around constant change. New features are released in public preview, platform upgrades are scheduled regularly, and monthly quality updates introduce improvements that require validation. For many teams, the challenge is not deciding whether automation will help, but recognizing the point at which waiting becomes the riskier path forward.
A Constant Stream of Change
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is designed for continuous evolution. Updates arrive on a fixed schedule, bringing feature enhancements, bug fixes, and performance improvements. These are valuable, but they also require organizations to consistently validate customizations, integrations, and business-critical workflows.
Over time, the burden of testing every change manually becomes unsustainable. It is not just about confirming if something works in isolation. It is about ensuring it continues to work in combination with everything else already in place.
This is where automated testing becomes essential. At TheTestMart, we have seen teams succeed when they shift from a reactive approach to one that builds automation into their delivery rhythm.
The Early Signs It Is Time to Start
Most teams do not wait until testing breaks entirely. The shift tends to happen gradually. A regression bug surfaces late in the cycle. A last-minute fix pushes a deployment. QA capacity starts to feel thin with every new release. These are not failures, but they are signals.
Teams that respond to those signals early can start small. They focus on workflows that are high risk or frequently touched. Over time, they build a foundation that scales as the product matures.
TheTestMart has profiled organizations that did just that. By identifying repeatable test cases and introducing automation early, they gained efficiency without disrupting their delivery cadence.
Automated Testing Is Not a Project. It Is a Foundation.
There is often a misconception that automated testing must be fully scoped and deployed all at once. In practice, the most successful implementations begin incrementally. Teams may start by automating login processes, pricing rules, or approval paths, and then expand as the value becomes clearer.
The benefits show up quickly. Test time is reduced. Defects are caught earlier. Confidence increases across development and QA.
Automated testing becomes more than a tool. It becomes the way a team keeps pace with a platform that does not slow down.
Manual Testing Still Matters
As much as automation improves efficiency, manual testing continues to play a critical role in a complete quality strategy. There are scenarios where human input is essential. Exploratory testing, usability reviews, and domain-specific edge cases all benefit from the intuition and perspective of experienced testers.
The goal is not to eliminate manual testing. It is to make sure that manual effort is spent where it matters most. When automation covers the repetitive and the routine, manual testing becomes more focused, strategic, and impactful.
A blended approach gives teams both scale and insight.
Ready to Start? Here Is Where to Focus
If your team is already discussing testing bottlenecks, stretching QA resources, or bracing for the next update, it may be time to take a closer look at where automation fits. But knowing where to begin can be just as important as the decision to start.
Teams that succeed in high-change environments like Dynamics 365 are not the ones who try to automate everything. They are the ones who start early, scale gradually, and invest in a process that grows with their platform.
Take the Next Step
If you are ready to explore what automated testing could look like for your team, get in touch with us or schedule a quick consultation. We are here to help you move from interest to action with a practical, tailored approach.
We are excited to announce a new partnership between TheTestMart and Cittros, a Microsoft-accredited consultancy specializing in solution architecture, delivery, and optimization for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O).
Why Cittros?
Cittros is known for its ability to guide organizations through the full D365 F&O delivery lifecycle. From requirement definition and solution design to implementation, rollout, and ongoing enhancement, they support enterprise and mid-sized businesses across industries including manufacturing, retail, and professional services. Their focus is on creating ERP systems that align with how businesses actually operate, built for both today’s needs and tomorrow’s changes.
Their work results in scalable, maintainable platforms that are ready for continuous improvement and built with a strong foundation in governance and execution.
Dan Diefendorf, CEO of The TestMart, underscores the strategic value of this partnership:
“Partnering with Cittros means D365 F&O customers no longer have to choose between speed and quality—together, we’re delivering both.”
Where TheTestMart Fits In
TheTestMart does not implement D365 F&O. We ensure it is implemented correctly. Our platform helps delivery teams test faster, uncover issues earlier, and go live with more confidence.
Through our automated, no-code testing platform, we’ll be supporting Cittros projects by:
Reducing Testing Burden Customers can validate business-critical processes without placing the load on internal teams.
Keeping Pace with Microsoft’s Update Cadence Microsoft releases four updates for D365 F&O each year. While only two are mandatory, each update brings change. Our library of version-aligned automated tests helps teams stay ready without the last-minute scramble.
Minimizing Business Disruption By shifting testing from manual to automated, teams reduce release-week stress and avoid late-stage defects.
Accelerating ROI With faster and safer releases, customers benefit sooner from new functionality and more stable systems.
A Stronger Delivery Model for D365 F&O Teams
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to helping customers adopt and evolve D365 F&O with fewer roadblocks. By pairing Cittros’ delivery expertise with TheTestMart’s automated testing capabilities, clients gain an integrated approach to implementation and quality assurance.
Special thanks to Thomas Meede and Thomas Jensen of Cittros for their leadership and collaboration in bringing this partnership to life.
Together, we are enabling delivery teams to move faster without compromising on quality. As organizations continue to modernize and rely on D365 F&O, this partnership ensures that stability, scalability, and confidence are built into every stage of the ERP lifecycle.
Automated testing is becoming essential for businesses using Microsoft Dynamics 365. But with growing interest comes a lot of misinformation. Misconceptions about cost, complexity, and who can use it often hold teams back from realizing the true value of test automation.
In this blog post, we address nine common myths about automated testing and explain what the reality looks like for modern ERP environments like Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Myth 1: Automated Testing Costs Too Much
Reality: While there is an upfront investment, the long-term savings are significant. According to Forbes, IT downtime can cost as much as $9,000 dollars per minute. Avoiding even a single outage can quickly justify the cost of automation.
Automated testing helps teams catch issues early, reduce risk, and increase test coverage over time. The return on investment grows as more processes are automated and less time is spent pulling business users away from their roles to manually assist with testing efforts.
Myth 2: Automated Tests Do Not Require Maintenance
Reality: Test automation is not a one-time setup. As Dynamics 365 continues to evolve, your test scripts need to evolve with it.
TheTestMart handles platform-level changes by automatically updating your scripts after each Microsoft release. For your custom workflows, once they are scripted they will continue to be tested, but if those workflows change between releases the scripts will need to be updated so the automation reflects the new process accurately.
Myth 3: If You Automate Testing You Do Not Need Manual Testing
Reality: Automated and manual testing both have important roles to play. Automation is great for repetitive tasks and regression testing, while manual testing is essential for exploratory scenarios and usability evaluation.
A complete test strategy combines both approaches to ensure high-quality releases.
Myth 4: Automated Testing Is Only for Developers
Reality: You do not need to be a developer to use automated testing. Low-code and no-code platforms make it easy for business users, analysts, and QA professionals to contribute to testing without writing complex scripts.
Collaboration across technical and non-technical teams leads to more accurate and useful test coverage.
Myth 5: You Must Automate Everything From the Start
Reality: The best approach is to start small and scale gradually. Begin with repeatable and high-impact test cases like login flows or core financial processes.
Over time, expand your automation to cover more complex workflows, prioritizing areas with the highest business risk and return.
Myth 6: Only Large Enterprises Can Use Test Automation
Reality: Test automation is accessible to businesses of all sizes. Small and medium-sized teams can benefit just as much, especially when using no-code solutions that reduce the need for specialized staff.
By focusing on the right areas, even small teams can improve quality and efficiency while saving time.
Myth 7: Test Automation Is Too Rigid to Handle Change
Reality: With modern tools, automated testing is flexible and designed to keep pace with change. Updating test scripts is faster and more reliable than redoing manual test cycles.
Platforms like TheTestMart make it easy to adapt tests as your D365 environment grows and changes.
Myth 8: Manual Testing Is Good Enough for Dynamics 365
Reality: Monthly updates from Microsoft and the need for speed make manual testing alone insufficient. It is slow, prone to errors, and hard to scale.
Automated testing provides the most scalable and reliable way to maintain coverage and confidence in fast-moving ERP environments.
Myth 9: Automation Replaces the QA Team
Reality: Automation does not replace QA professionals. It frees them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on more strategic work like risk analysis and exploratory testing.
With automation in place, QA teams have more time and headspace to add real value throughout the testing lifecycle.
Final Thoughts
Getting the most out of automated testing starts with understanding what it is and what it is not. By moving past these nine myths, your team can build a smarter, more sustainable approach to testing in Dynamics 365.
Whether you are just getting started or expanding your test automation strategy, TheTestMart is here to help you reduce risk, boost efficiency, and scale with confidence.
Get in touch today to learn more about how TheTestMart can transform your Dynamics 365 testing and help you gain confidence in every release through smarter automation.
Last week Microsoft released a preview of the 10.0.44 version for Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. This update brings significant changes that focus on quality management, process automation, and enhanced analytics to improve overall operational efficiency.
For organizations managing the testing and validation of these updates, planning is key to avoiding disruptions. Here is an overview of the most important changes in this release and what testing teams should prioritize before the update rolls out.
Key Updates in 10.0.44
Enhanced Quality Management in Supply Chain
One of the standout features in 10.0.44 is the expansion of Quality Management in Supply Chain Management. Updates include the ability to easily record defect reasons, manage quality orders with greater flexibility, and perform trending analysis more robustly over time.
Testing teams should focus on validating the new workflows for defect recording, quality orders, and trending reports. It’s also important to ensure that output generated from these changes integrates properly with existing reporting and analytics processes.
The update introduces broader automation across procurement, finance, and inventory management:
Post the inventory close adjustment to the fixed assets subledger: Inventory adjustments now automatically update the fixed assets subledger, reducing manual work for finance teams.
Enable process automation for bank foreign currency revaluation: Bank currency revaluations can now be fully automated, minimizing the risk of human error.
Collection process automation includes project invoices and general journals: Teams can now automate collections beyond just sales orders, covering more transaction types.
Testing should prioritize workflow approvals, automation triggers, and any customizations related to procurement and financial operations.
Finance Enhancements
Several important finance-specific features are arriving with this release:
Budget depreciation proposal running in the background across multiple legal entities: Users no longer need to manually run depreciation budgets for each company—this is now processed automatically in the background.
Add financial tags to inventory-to-fixed asset journals: Improves traceability and categorization of assets during posting.
Key testing areas include vendor collaboration updates, financial reporting accuracy, and ensuring that newly automated background processes align with company-specific workflows.
User Experience and Analytics Improvements
While visual changes are minimal, some enhancements that affect analytics and reporting include:
Performance improvements for subscription billing consumption updates: Enhances the speed and accuracy of subscription billing processes.
Modern bank reconciliation: Prevents duplicate bank statement imports by adding smarter validation during reconciliation.
Testing should verify that any embedded dashboards, Power BI reports, and financial reconciliations perform correctly after the update — especially in highly customized environments.
Preview Release and General Availability
The 10.0.44 update is currently in public preview as of April 2025. Organizations are encouraged to begin testing in sandbox environments ahead of time.
1. Review and Update Your Test Scripts Early Focus especially on workflows tied to modules or feature areas tied to this release.
2. Prioritize Regression Testing Around Core Business Processes With updates impacting financial close, vendor settlements, and order fulfillment, prioritize end-to-end regression testing across Finance and Supply Chain.
3. Validate Role-Based Access and Security New automation and workflow enhancements mean it’s critical to revalidate security roles and custom permissions.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft’s 10.0.44 release brings powerful new capabilities for Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. However, these changes can also have ripple effects across integrated processes.
Organizations that prepare by updating their test coverage, prioritizing regression testing, and validating key business processes will be better positioned to adopt the new features smoothly.
As the general availability rolls out in the coming months, teams should be ready to take full advantage of the new automation, quality improvements, and reporting enhancements.
At TheTestMart, we help businesses stay ahead of Microsoft’s update cycle with flexible, no-code test automation for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations. If you need help preparing and testing for your D365 updates, reach out to us for a quick consultation.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) has become a cornerstone for digital transformation in modern enterprises, but the shift to cloud and Microsoft’s rapid update cadence have made robust, proactive testing more critical than ever.
The Pace and Complexity of D365 Updates
Microsoft has moved Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations to a One Version update model, releasing four major updates each year—in February, April, July, and October. Each update comes with a preview period, so organizations can test changes before they go live.
While this new schedule gives businesses more flexibility and time to prepare, it also means environments are always evolving. Even though Microsoft thoroughly tests these updates, every company’s setup is unique. That’s why it’s crucial for organizations to test updates in their own environments to catch any issues before they reach production.
Why Testing Can’t Be an Afterthought
Frequent, Automatic Updates: In the cloud era, updates are pushed automatically and frequently, sometimes with little lead time. This means organizations must be ready to validate new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements on a regular basis.
Customization and Integration Risks: While Microsoft tests standard features, every organization customizes D365 to fit unique processes and integrates it with other systems. Updates can inadvertently break custom workflows, disrupt integrations, or impact data flows—issues Microsoft’s own testing won’t catch.
Business Continuity at Stake: Poorly tested updates can cause operational disruptions, data issues, and frustrated users, harming business continuity and ROI. Many ERP implementations fall short of expectations, often due to insufficient testing. This makes thorough validation essential to avoid costly problems.
Regulatory and Data Integrity Concerns: Updates can affect compliance-related features or data handling. Without proper validation, organizations risk falling out of regulatory compliance or suffering data integrity issues.
Best Practices for D365 Testing in the Cloud Era
Practice
Why It Matters
Shift Left Testing
Start testing early in the development/update cycle to catch issues before they escalate.
Automated Testing
Ensures every update is vetted quickly and thoroughly, reducing manual effort and human error.
End-to-End Scenario Validation
Validates that all integrated workflows and customizations function as intended post-update.
Clear Testing Objectives
Define what needs to be validated (core processes, compliance, integrations) for each update.
Continuous Testing in CI/CD
Integrate testing into DevOps pipelines for ongoing quality assurance with every change.
The Bottom Line
Testing is not just a technical checkbox—it is a business safeguard. In the cloud era of D365, where updates are frequent and automatic, treating testing as an afterthought exposes organizations to unnecessary risk. Proactive, automated, and comprehensive testing strategies are essential to ensure that every update enhances your business rather than disrupts it.
Testing is your safety net, ensuring your Dynamics 365 deployment is robust, reliable, and ready for action.
Don’t let your next D365 update be the one that breaks your business. Make testing a core capability, not a last-minute checkbox.
