Overview
Microsoft consulting for organisations that don't run on Microsoft alone
Most Australian mid-market organisations use Microsoft 365 for email, Teams and documents, and Microsoft Entra ID for identity. Many also run Dynamics 365 for finance, operations or customer service, Power Platform for apps and automation, and Azure for data and integration. Each is licensed and governed separately, and each now has its own AI: Copilot inside Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, and agents built in Copilot Studio.
Great Minds is a Sydney-based systems integrator, founded in 2009, positioned as the integrator for the gaps between your platforms. Our Microsoft consulting starts from that view. In our clients' stacks Microsoft rarely stands alone: Dynamics 365 runs next to Salesforce, Teams and SharePoint sit next to Jira and Confluence, and Power BI reports draw on data from all of them. We help you decide which Microsoft products should own which processes, and how they connect to everything else.
We bring Microsoft delivery experience, including a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations implementation for a manufacturer with more than 1,000 employees. AI agents running on Claude and OpenAI models do repetitive analysis, migration and testing work; our senior consultants are accountable for the advice and the result. New to the product family? Start with our guide, what is Microsoft Dynamics 365?
Capabilities
Where our Microsoft consulting helps
We work at four levels, from the roadmap down to the build. Engagements are usually short and specific: a decision to make, a design to review, or one connection to build.
01Microsoft platform strategy and roadmapWhich Microsoft products to use for which processes, what to retire and in what order, with licences sized by role. For ERP, that includes the choice between Business Central and Finance and Supply Chain Management.
02Operating model and governance designWho owns each environment, how Power Platform apps and Copilot Studio agents are approved and published, which data AI can reach, and how you test changes now that Dynamics 365 ships updates continuously.
03Solution architecture and cloud migrationArchitecture for Dynamics 365, Dataverse, Power Platform and Azure, including integration with non-Microsoft systems, data migration plans and environment strategy, documented so your team and other vendors can build on it.
04AI and automation consultingWhere Copilot, Copilot Studio agents and Power Automate fit, which processes to automate first, and how agents are governed and paid for, since Dynamics 365 agents consume Copilot Credits.How we deliver
How a Microsoft consulting engagement runs
Licences, tenants and environments, the apps and automations already built, the non-Microsoft systems they connect to, and the decisions you need to make. We read what's there before recommending anything.
A short written recommendation: options, trade-offs, licensing impact and risks, with a preferred path. For ERP selection we work through the questions in our guide, what is an ERP platform?
Target architecture, integration patterns, data migration approach and governance, at the level of detail your build team or other vendors need.
We can build it, start with one connection to prove the design, or review another provider's work against it. See Dynamics 365 implementation and Microsoft integration.
Australian considerations
Australian data, security and regulatory checks
Microsoft runs Azure datacentres in Sydney and Melbourne, and Dynamics 365 customer engagement apps run in the Australia East and Australia Southeast regions for Australian tenants. Australia is also one of the local region geographies where Microsoft 365 tenants can get Advanced Data Residency commitments for services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams.
Azure, Dynamics 365 and Office 365 services have been assessed under the Australian Government's IRAP program at the PROTECTED level, which agencies and their suppliers can use in their own risk assessments. Microsoft says Copilot processing for Australian Dynamics 365 environments happens in region or in the United States, so review cross-region settings before switching on AI features if you're APRA-regulated or hold sensitive personal information.
For APRA-regulated entities, Microsoft services that support critical operations come under CPS 230, and the data they hold under CPS 234. We document data flows and controls so they can go into those assessments.
FAQ
Microsoft consulting questions
Do you only work with Microsoft?
No. We have delivery experience across Microsoft, Salesforce, Atlassian, Adobe and Klaviyo, which is why clients ask us when Microsoft has to work with other platforms. If a non-Microsoft option fits better, we'll say so.
Should we use Dynamics 365 or Salesforce for CRM?
Both are strong CRMs. Dynamics 365 makes most sense when you run Dynamics ERP or rely on Dataverse and Power Platform. Salesforce is often the better fit where it's already established in sales and service. Many organisations run Dynamics 365 for ERP and Salesforce for CRM, which works well when the two are properly integrated.
Business Central or Dynamics 365 Finance?
Business Central suits single-country or simple multi-entity businesses and has no minimum user count. Finance and Supply Chain Management suit organisations with many legal entities, currencies or complex manufacturing, and Microsoft requires a minimum of 20 seats for each. Our Dynamics 365 guide explains the choice.
Is Copilot included in our Dynamics 365 licences?
Copilot inside the Dynamics 365 apps is included. Agents are different: Dynamics 365 agents consume Copilot Credits, which only the Premium plans include (1,000 per user per month), and everyone else buys them. Budget for credits from day one if you plan to use agents.
Can you review another provider's Microsoft proposal or design?
Yes. An independent review is a short engagement: we check scope, licences, integration approach and data migration against your requirements, and flag risks before you sign.
How do we start?
With one decision or one connection. Tell us what you're trying to decide or connect, and we'll suggest the smallest piece of work that answers it.
People
The people behind the work
Strategists, architects and platform specialists who have delivered 350+ projects since 2009, across APAC and Europe.
Case studies
Microsoft work in practice
For a manufacturer with more than 1,000 employees, we replaced a decade-old, heavily customised ERP with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, ran more than 40 process design workshops and migrated over 2 million records.
60% less manual processing, 30% faster month-end closeTransforming manufacturing operations with Microsoft Dynamics ERPReimagining processes and platforms to drive visibility, control, and decision-making at scale.
165 email signatures redesigned as 3 core templatesFrom 165 email signatures to three core templatesExclaimer signature logic moved into Active Directory for an Australian accounting firm: 165 signatures redesigned as three core templates plus an insolvency set.Insights
Reading on Dynamics 365, ERP and AI
What changed in October 2026: Atlassian, Salesforce, Microsoft, Google and AdobeOctober 2026 changes for Australian IT: Atlassian Cloud price rises, Salesforce SOAP login() deadlines, Copilot licensing, Gemini data residency, OAIC.
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365? Apps, pricing and AI agentsMicrosoft's CRM and ERP apps explained for Australian businesses: what each does, AUD pricing, Business Central vs Finance, and Copilot agents.