Microsoft Business Applications Architect — BC, Dataverse, D365 Sales

Project Overview We are running a 40-week Microsoft 365–native ERP replacement project for a multi-line operating company with a custom millwork manufacturing operation, a high-end residential construction and renovation division, and an architectural design center. The implementation plan is written, the delivery team is staffed, and the technology direction is committed. We are looking for a senior fractional architect to review, pressure-test, and advise the implementation. We are not looking for a developer to build screens or close tickets. We need experienced judgment on system boundaries, data ownership, integration patterns, and deployment readiness — the decisions that determine whether this project ages well or accumulates technical debt. A strong initial architecture review may lead to ongoing fractional advisory work across phase gates, deployment validation, and cutover. Project Context Client replaces a fragmented stack — QuickBooks Online, Pipedrive CRM, Buildertrend, paper-based shop-floor travelers, and assorted spreadsheets — with a single Microsoft platform. One existing system, Mosaic (design scheduling and labor system of record), is retained and integrated via API rather than replaced. Target stack: Dynamics 365 Business Central (cloud) BC Manufacturing BC Jobs / project accounting Microsoft Dataverse Dynamics 365 Sales (Dataverse-native) Power Apps (canvas + model-driven) Power Automate Power BI (Premium) SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams Microsoft Entra ID, Intune Role Scope You will: Review the Client implementation roadmap and architecture documents Pressure-test system-boundary decisions across BC, Dataverse, and D365 Sales Identify implementation, integration, and ALM risks Recommend source-of-truth patterns for shared master data Validate the BC Manufacturing and BC Jobs approach for a custom millwork + residential construction business Review BC ↔ Dataverse / D365 Sales integration strategy Review Power Apps write patterns (when to write to Dataverse vs. directly to BC) Review Power Automate usage boundaries and where it is the wrong tool Review security roles, audit trail, correction workflows, and exception handling Review environment, ALM, deployment, and release-control plans Join periodic architecture review calls Provide concise written recommendations Help troubleshoot architecture and deployment issues during key project phases Responsibilities Review the Client implementation roadmap and phase plan Validate BC Manufacturing design for custom millwork operations (work centers, routings, BOMs, production orders, traveler workflow) Advise on BC Jobs and project accounting structure for high-end residential construction work Advise on QBO-to-BC migration approach, chart of accounts design, opening balances, vendor and customer migration, and historical reference data Advise on master data ownership for customers, vendors, items, estimates, opportunities, jobs, production orders, and labor across BC, Dataverse, and D365 Sales Review the integration approach between BC, Dataverse, D365 Sales, Power Apps, and the Mosaic API Help define source-of-truth rules and sync boundaries between BC and the Dataverse layer Help prevent technical debt from brittle flows, duplicate tables, or poor ownership decisions Review Power Apps architecture for shop-floor kiosk and operational workflows Advise on when Power Automate is appropriate vs. native BC/D365 functionality vs. custom logic Review Power BI / reporting implications of the data model Review security roles, permission boundaries, audit trail, and correction workflows for sales, operations, mill, design, and accounting users Review deployment readiness at phase gates Provide architecture notes and prioritized risk recommendations Required Experience Senior implementation experience with Dynamics 365 Business Central (cloud) BC Manufacturing depth: work centers, machine centers, routings, BOMs, production orders, capacity, and shop floor reporting BC Jobs / project accounting depth, including WIP methods and the accounting implications of project cost recognition Background in Dynamics NAV / Business Central and an understanding of where AL extensions are appropriate vs. native configuration Microsoft Dataverse architecture experience: tables, relationships, security model, business rules, environments, and solution layering Working understanding of the Dynamics 365 Sales data model Direct experience or strong architectural knowledge of BC ↔ Dataverse / D365 Sales integration, including standard connectors and where they break down Power Apps architecture understanding (canvas and model-driven) Power Automate architecture understanding, including where flow logic is the wrong tool Master data and source-of-truth design judgment Security role and permission design experience Environment, solution management, ALM, deployment, and release discipline Demonstrated ability to advise a delivery team rather than simply complete assigned development tickets Ability to explain architecture tradeoffs clearly to non-technical executives Preferred Experience Custom manufacturing, especially millwork, cabinetry, or other configure-to-order work High-end residential construction or renovation Design/build businesses, field services, or other multi-line operating companies Job costing, estimate-vs-actual reporting, and sales-to-operations handoff Purchasing, inventory, production, and project accounting in one platform Labor-hour ingestion from external systems into BC job costing Mosaic or comparable scheduling/labor systems QuickBooks Online to Business Central migration Pipedrive or similar CRM replacement projects Buildertrend or construction-management replacement projects Small/mid-market operating companies with lean implementation teams Fractional consulting model — comfortable advising rather than owning every keystroke AI-ready data structures and agent-ready governance, without making AI the focus of the role What This Role Is Not A junior developer role A generic Power Apps screen-building role A BC-only role with no Dataverse or D365 Sales awareness An AI / agent architecture role (separate scope, separately staffed) A Python / Anthropic / Cursor role A full-time employment role A role for someone who only says yes and does not push back A role for someone who custom-codes everything before exhausting native platform capability A role for someone who cannot explain architecture decisions to business leaders Coordination Model You will work primarily with the Cornerstone PATH / CEO Brain delivery team You will advise the solution/workflow lead and the builder-developers You may participate in phase-gate reviews at planning, mill implementation, finance cutover, CRM implementation, construction/project-accounting workflows, and reporting readiness You may be asked to advise during BC ↔ Dataverse / D365 Sales sync decisions and cutover troubleshooting You should be comfortable giving clear, concise guidance in calls and in written summaries You should not expect to own all hands-on development Engagement Structure Step 1: Paid initial architecture review of provided project materials Step 2: Advisory call with our delivery team Step 3: Written findings and recommendations Step 4 (optional): Ongoing fractional advisory across deployment, validation, troubleshooting, and phase-gate reviews A strong first review may lead to ongoing fractional advisory engagement across the 40-week delivery window. Expected Deliverables Architecture review memo Key risks and technical-debt concerns Recommended system-boundary decisions across BC, Dataverse, and D365 Sales Source-of-truth recommendations for shared master data BC Manufacturing and BC Jobs guidance for the millwork + construction profile BC ↔ Dataverse / D365 Sales sync recommendations Power Apps and Power Automate architecture guidance Migration and cutover concerns (QBO → BC, Pipedrive → D365 Sales, Buildertrend → BC Jobs / Power Apps) Security, audit, and exception-handling recommendations Environment, ALM, and deployment recommendations Prioritized next-step guidance Optional implementation review checklist How to Apply In your proposal, please include: Two or three implementations you have led or architected that resemble this profile (BC + Dataverse + D365 Sales, ideally with manufacturing or project accounting). Brief is fine — we care about the architecture story, not page count. Your view on how you decide what lives in BC vs. Dataverse vs. D365 Sales in a project like this. Your availability for an initial architecture review and an advisory call in the next two to three weeks. Any questions you would want answered before recommending an architecture direction. We will respond to proposals that engage with the substance of the role.