AI and Copilot
Information architecture is the work that decides whether Copilot succeeds
Generative AI answers are only as good as the content behind them. The preparation that determines quality happens before any licence is assigned.
Guide ยท Architecture
Choosing between Microsoft platforms for a business application
Dataverse, Dynamics 365, SharePoint, Power Pages or a custom Azure application: a decision framework based on process, data and lifecycle characteristics.
The same business requirement can be implemented credibly on several Microsoft platforms. The differences appear in maintenance cost, extensibility and the skills required to support the result. This framework separates the cases.
Start with four characteristics
- Is the primary artefact a record or a document? Records suggest Dataverse; documents suggest SharePoint.
- Is the process transactional with defined states, or collaborative and unstructured?
- Who are the users: internal, external, or both? External access changes both licensing and security design significantly.
- Does a first-party application already implement most of the process? Configuring Dynamics 365 is usually cheaper than rebuilding it.
Indicative fit
| Characteristic | Likely platform |
|---|---|
| Structured records, relationships, security roles | Dataverse with Power Apps |
| Established business process with standard model | Dynamics 365 first-party application |
| Document-centric collaboration and retention | SharePoint Online |
| External users, public or authenticated | Power Pages |
| High volume, specialised logic, custom protocols | Custom application on Azure |
The questions people forget
- Licensing at scale: check the cost at full user population, not pilot size.
- Application lifecycle management: how changes move from development to production.
- Data volume and retention: what the store looks like after five years.
- Support model: who resolves an issue at nine on a Monday morning, and with what access.
Written by
Daniel Osei
Daniel designs and delivers Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions, with a strong bias towards configuration, explicit process design and data quality controls that hold up long after go-live. He has spent much of his career untangling CRM implementations that recorded administration rather than supporting work.
- Dynamics 365
- Dataverse
- Power Apps
- Process design
- CRM data quality
Relevant industries
- Professional Services
- Manufacturing
- Insurance
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