Microsoft Application Portfolio Management
Microsoft application portfolio management covers the ongoing management, support, and operational governance of Microsoft as a deployed enterprise platform. This page outlines what Microsoft-specific managed services involve, the platform constraints that shape service delivery, and what to look for when selecting a managed services provider with Microsoft expertise.
Microsoft platform profile
What Microsoft managed services covers
A managed services engagement for Microsoft typically spans: application monitoring and alerting, patch and upgrade management, incident response (Tier 2/3), integration health monitoring, user administration, and periodic health checks. The scope is constrained by the deployment model — SaaS deployments shift infrastructure responsibility to Microsoft vendor; managed services focuses on configuration, integration, and functional support.
Platform strengths relevant to managed services
Power BI, Power Automate, Teams native integration; broad app ecosystem
Known constraints that affect service delivery
Requires Dynamics 365 as core ERP; licensing model complex
Compliance modules
Microsoft includes or integrates compliance controls for: SOX, HIPAA, GDPR. Managed services providers should evidence familiarity with these modules if your environment is in scope for any of these frameworks.
Integration approach
Integration health is a primary managed services responsibility. Microsoft uses: Power Automate; Azure API Management; Microsoft Graph. Your managed services provider should include integration monitoring in their SLA coverage — a failed integration is a business outage even when the application itself is up.
What to ask a prospective Microsoft managed services provider
- How many Microsoft clients do you currently manage, and what is the breakdown by deployment model?
- What does your upgrade process look like — who owns regression testing, and what is the typical lead time?
- How do you monitor integration health, and what is your alert-to-resolution SLA for a failed integration?
- Who holds the escalation relationship with Microsoft vendor support, and what tier is that relationship?
- What does handover look like if we terminate — what documentation, data, and access do we receive?
Ready to assess your ERP managed services options?
Our specialists work with IT directors and finance leads at organisations managing one or more ERP platforms. An assessment takes 45 minutes and produces a written summary you can share with your steering committee.