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AwardsCompany Update Infinity Group CEO named one of the UK’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2025_ Rob Young, CEO of Infinity Group, has been recognised as one of The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Busine...... AI AI agent use cases: eliminating project risk_ Find out how we’re using AI agents internally to streamline manual project work and eliminate risk for our clients....
AI AI agent use cases: eliminating project risk_ Find out how we’re using AI agents internally to streamline manual project work and eliminate risk for our clients....
Updated September 2026 Key takeaways_ Strong Dynamics 365 Power Platform ALM helps organisations scale applications, automation and AI without increasing risk or complexity. A structured approach to governance, testing and deployment reduces costly errors and protects your Microsoft investment. Organisations that embrace ALM can innovate faster, improve collaboration and create a stronger foundation for future growth. You’ve invested in Dynamics 365 and Power Platform to make your business run better. Maybe you’ve automated manual processes, connected systems or built applications that save your teams hours each week. But as those solutions grow, so does the complexity. More environments, more customisations, more people making changes and more pressure to innovate quickly. Without the right foundations, what started as a productivity boost can become difficult to manage, harder to govern and riskier to change. That’s where Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) comes in. ALM is the framework that helps you build, test, deploy and manage Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions in a controlled way. Get it right and you’ll be able to deliver improvements faster, reduce risk and create a platform that’s ready to support future initiatives such as automation, analytics and AI. In this guide, we’ll explain what ALM is, why it matters and how to build a more scalable approach to managing your Dynamics 365 and Power Platform estate. What is ALM for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform? ALM is the structured approach to planning, building, testing, deploying and continuously improving applications across Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. Rather than treating go-live as the finish line, ALM helps you manage change in a controlled way so your solutions can continue to grow alongside your organisation. Without a clear ALM strategy, even small changes can create unnecessary risk. Teams can lose track of customisations, deployments become harder to manage and issues can find their way into live environments. Over time, that can slow down innovation and make it more difficult to get value from your Microsoft investment. With the right foundations in place, it’s a different story. ALM helps you introduce new capabilities with confidence, maintain quality as solutions become more complex and create a platform that’s ready to support future initiatives such as automation, analytics and AI. In short, ALM helps you move from managing applications as one-off projects to treating them as continuously evolving business assets. Why ALM matters for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform_ Faster improvements without the disruption_ Every business wants to move quickly. The challenge is doing so without creating problems elsewhere. A mature ALM approach helps teams deliver updates, new features and process improvements faster by reducing manual effort and creating a clear route from development to production. Instead of worrying about every release, you can focus on delivering value to the business. Better governance and auditability_ When multiple people are working across Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, it’s important to know what has changed, who changed it and when. ALM provides the structure and visibility needed to maintain control as solutions evolve. This is particularly important for organisations with compliance requirements, governance policies or complex business processes. Greater confidence in every release_ Nobody wants to discover a problem after a change has gone live. By introducing consistent testing, version control and deployment processes, ALM helps reduce risk and improve the quality of every release. The result is greater confidence that new functionality will work as intended and less time spent fixing avoidable issues. A stronger foundation for AI and automation_ Many organisations are exploring Microsoft Copilot, AI agents and more advanced automation. But the success of these initiatives depends on the foundations beneath them. Strong ALM practices help ensure your applications, processes and environments remain stable, governed and ready to support future innovation. In other words, the organisations getting the most value from AI are often the ones that already have control of their Dynamics 365 Power Platform estate. The building blocks of a healthy ALM approach_ A strong Application Lifecycle Management strategy doesn’t need to be overly complicated. While every organisation’s requirements are different, the most successful Dynamics 365 Power Platform projects tend to have a few things in common. Separate environments_ Building directly in a live environment might feel quicker in the short term, but it creates unnecessary risk. Most organisations use separate environments for development, testing and production, allowing changes to be reviewed and validated before reaching end users. This separation helps teams innovate safely, minimise disruption and avoid unexpected issues affecting day-to-day operations. Version control_ When multiple people are making changes, keeping track of what’s been updated can quickly become difficult. Version control provides a single source of truth for your applications, customisations and configurations. It allows teams to understand what has changed, who made the change and when it was introduced, making collaboration easier and reducing the risk of conflicting updates. Automated deployments_ Manual deployments often rely on individual knowledge and repetitive tasks, increasing the likelihood of errors. Automating deployments creates a more consistent and repeatable process. Changes move through environments in a controlled way, helping teams release new functionality more quickly while reducing the risk of human error. Consistent testing_ No organisation wants to discover an issue after it reaches production. A consistent testing process helps identify problems before they impact users, whether that’s a broken workflow, a reporting issue or an unexpected side effect from a seemingly minor change. Testing builds confidence that new functionality will perform as expected and support business processes effectively. Ongoing monitoring_ Go-live isn’t the end of the journey. As applications evolve, organisations need visibility into performance, usage and potential issues. Ongoing monitoring helps teams identify opportunities for improvement, resolve problems more quickly and ensure Dynamics 365 Power Platform continues to deliver value as business requirements change. Together, these building blocks create a framework that supports innovation without sacrificing stability. They help organisations make changes with confidence, reduce operational risk and create a platform that’s ready to support future growth, automation and AI initiatives. Best practices for ALM_ Implementing a robust ALM strategy for your Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions is crucial for ensuring stability, efficiency and maintainability. By adhering to these guidelines, you can minimise risks, streamline deployments and empower your team to deliver high-quality solutions consistently. Here are some essential best practices to consider Establish clear naming conventions for solutions, components and environments_ Consistency is key to manageability. Implement a well-thought-out naming convention for your solutions, individual components (like tables, columns, flows, model-driven apps), and environments (e.g., DEV_UK, TEST_US, PROD). This significantly improves clarity, reduces confusion during deployments and makes it easier to identify and manage assets throughout their lifecycle. Your naming conventions should be documented and communicated clearly to all team members. Implement a well-defined branching and merging strategy in source control_ Source control systems like Azure DevOps Repos or GitHub are fundamental to ALM. Establish a clear branching strategy (e.g., Gitflow, GitHub Flow) that dictates how changes are developed, isolated and integrated. Define clear rules for creating branches for features or fixes, merging changes between branches and managing releases. This ensures code integrity, facilitates collaboration and allows for easy rollback if necessary. Automate as much of the ALM process as possible_ Manual processes are prone to errors and can be time-consuming. Identify repetitive tasks in your ALM workflow, such as solution packaging, environment provisioning, deployment and testing, and automate them using tools like Azure DevOps Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or the Power Platform Build Tools. Automation increases efficiency, consistency and reliability, freeing up your team to focus on more strategic activities. Conduct thorough testing in dedicated environments_ Never deploy directly to production. Establish a tiered environment strategy (e.g., Development, Test/UAT, Production) and ensure rigorous testing is conducted in dedicated test environments that closely mirror your production setup. This includes unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing (UAT) and potentially performance and security testing. Thorough testing significantly reduces the risk of introducing issues into your live environment. Document your ALM processes and configurations_ Comprehensive documentation is essential for knowledge sharing, onboarding new team members and maintaining the long-term health of your ALM implementation. Document your branching strategy, naming conventions, deployment processes, environment configurations and any custom scripts or automation workflows. Keep this documentation up-to-date and easily accessible to the entire team. Train your team on ALM best practices_ Successful ALM relies on a well-informed team. Provide adequate training to all team members involved in the development and deployment process on the established ALM best practices, tools and processes. This ensures everyone understands their roles and responsibilities and can contribute effectively to the overall ALM strategy. Regularly review and refine your ALM strategy_ The Dynamics 365 and Power Platform landscape is constantly evolving. Regularly review your ALM strategy and processes to identify areas for improvement. Gather feedback from your team, analyse deployment successes and failures and adapt your approach as needed to optimise efficiency and effectiveness. Consider security and compliance requirements throughout the ALM lifecycle_ Integrate security and compliance every stage of your ALM process. This includes secure coding practices, managing sensitive data in development and test environments, implementing appropriate access controls and ensuring your deployments adhere to relevant regulatory requirements. Incorporate security testing and compliance checks into your automated pipelines. Utilise Power Platform CLI (Command Line Interface) for scripting and automation_ The Power Platform CLI is a powerful tool for automating various ALM tasks. Leverage its capabilities for scripting solution management, environment administration, data migration and more. Integrating the Power Platform CLI into your automation pipelines can significantly streamline your ALM processes and enhance efficiency. By embracing these best practices, you can build a robust and efficient ALM framework for your Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions, leading to more stable deployments, improved team collaboration and greater success in delivering valuable business applications. Five questions to ask yourself_ If you’re relying on Dynamics 365 and Power Platform to support critical business processes, it’s worth taking a step back and assessing how effectively your solutions are being managed. A strong ALM approach should help you answer “yes” to most of the questions below. 1. Can you confidently deploy changes to production? When a new feature, workflow or customisation is ready, can you move it into production without worrying about downtime, disruption or unexpected consequences? If deployments feel risky, time-consuming or heavily dependent on specific individuals, your ALM processes may need strengthening. 2. Do you know who changed what and when? As solutions evolve, it’s important to understand how they are changing over time. If you struggle to track updates, identify the source of issues or understand which version is currently live, version control and change management may be lacking. 3. Are your environments clearly separated? Development, testing and production environments should each have a distinct purpose. If changes are being built or tested directly in live systems, you’re increasing the likelihood of issues affecting users and business processes. 4. Is testing part of every release? Testing shouldn’t be reserved for major projects. Every update, no matter how small, should be validated before it reaches production. Consistent testing helps reduce risk, improve reliability and build confidence in every release. 5. Could you support new AI initiatives safely today? As organisations explore Copilot, AI agents and automation, the pace of change is increasing. Do you have the governance, deployment processes and controls needed to introduce new capabilities without creating unnecessary risk? If any of these questions gave you pause for thought, you’re not alone. Many organisations discover they need to formalise their ALM approach as their Dynamics 365 Power Platform environment grows. The good news is that putting the right foundations in place now can make it far easier to scale, innovate and adopt new technologies in the future. Dynamics 365 Power Platform ALM FAQs_ What tools support ALM in Dynamics 365 Power Platform? Microsoft provides several tools to support ALM, including Solutions, Power Platform Pipelines, Power Platform CLI and Azure DevOps. These tools help organisations manage source control, automate deployments and maintain consistency across environments. How does ALM support Microsoft Copilot and AI projects? AI initiatives depend on reliable applications, trusted data and well-governed environments. ALM helps create the foundations needed to introduce Copilot, AI agents and automation safely by providing structured testing, deployment and change management processes. What are the biggest ALM mistakes organisations make? Some of the most common challenges include developing directly in production environments, relying on manual deployments, lacking version control and treating governance as an afterthought. These issues can become increasingly difficult to manage as Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions grow. Do small organisations need ALM? Yes. While ALM becomes more important as solutions become more complex, establishing good practices early can help organisations avoid technical debt and support future growth. Even relatively simple Dynamics 365 Power Platform deployments benefit from clear processes for testing, deployment and change management. What’s the difference between managed and unmanaged solutions? Unmanaged solutions are typically used during development and allow components to be modified directly. Managed solutions are designed for deployment into test and production environments, helping organisations maintain greater control over changes and updates. How many environments should a Dynamics 365 Power Platform project have? Most organisations use at least three environments: development, testing and production. Separating environments helps ensure changes can be validated before reaching users and reduces the risk of business disruption. How we approach Dynamics 365 Power Platform projects_ Successful Dynamics 365 Power Platform solutions aren’t just about delivering today’s requirements. They’re about creating a platform that can adapt as your organisation grows, evolves and adopts new technologies. Building for long-term success: It’s easy to focus on delivering features quickly. We believe it’s equally important to ensure solutions remain scalable, maintainable and easy to evolve in the future. A strong ALM approach helps create the foundations for sustainable growth rather than short-term fixes. Governance from day one: Governance shouldn’t be an afterthought. By establishing the right environments, controls and deployment processes from the start, organisations can reduce risk, improve visibility and maintain confidence as solutions become more complex. Customer Zero experience: We don’t just help clients implement Microsoft technology. We use Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Fabric across our own business. That means our guidance is shaped by real-world experience, not just theory. Real-world use of Dynamics 365, Power Platform and AI: As organisations expand automation and explore AI, strong operational foundations become increasingly important. Our own transformation journey has reinforced the value of repeatable processes, governance and continuous improvement when building solutions designed to deliver long-term business value. Strong foundations create better outcomes_ The most successful Dynamics 365 Power Platform projects aren’t the ones with the most customisations, apps or automations. They’re the ones that can continue evolving as the business changes. Application Lifecycle Management helps create that foundation. By introducing the right processes, governance and controls, organisations can reduce risk, improve reliability and make it easier to deliver ongoing improvements with confidence. As Dynamics 365 and Power Platform become increasingly central to operational efficiency, customer engagement and AI adoption, having a structured approach to managing change is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s what enables organisations to scale, innovate and get more value from their Microsoft investment. See what’s possible when Dynamics 365 and Power Platform work together_ Dynamics 365 is powerful on its own. Power Platform makes it even more valuable by helping you automate processes, connect data, build applications and extend functionality without complex development. Download our one-pager to discover how Dynamics 365 and Power Platform work together to help organisations streamline operations, increase productivity and unlock new opportunities for innovation.