Hiring for a Dynamics 365 role but don’t speak “Microsoft”? You’re not alone.

Thanks to years of rebrands, buzzwords, and techy acronyms, understanding resumes in the D365 world can feel like decoding hieroglyphics. So—we made you a cheat sheet.

This’ll help you search smarter, screen faster, and avoid mixing up your CRMs with your ERPs (which, trust us, happens a lot).

First, Know Your CRMs From Your ERPs

In 2017, Microsoft rebranded everything under the “Dynamics 365” umbrella—and created a tidal wave of confusion.

So here’s the breakdown:

ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning

Think: Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Warehousing, Retail, HR, etc.

If your business needs to track inventory, pay invoices, or run production lines—it’s ERP.

Key terms you’ll see:

• Dynamics AX (the OG name, pre-2017)

• Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations (F&O) – post-2017 name

• Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (F&SCM) – new naming from 2021 onward

• Other Microsoft ERPs:

  • Dynamics GP (legacy)

  • Dynamics NAV (now rebranded to…)

  • Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) – lighter, SMB-focused ERP

• Not D365 but still ERP: SAP, Oracle, NetSuite

AX ≠ NAV ≠ Business Central ≠ SAP. Don’t treat them the same. Ever.

CRM = Customer Relationship Management

Think: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service.

If you’re logging leads, tracking opportunities, or managing cases—it’s CRM.

Key terms to look for:

• Dynamics CRM (pre-2017)

• Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) – post-2017 term

• Not Microsoft CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho

CE ≠ F&O. Sales guys don’t do Supply Chain.

TL;DR Recap:

• “Dynamics 365” ≠ one product — it’s a whole suite.

• Always ask: ERP or CRM?

• D365 F&O / F&SCM / AX = ERP skillset

• D365 CE / CRM = CRM skillset

• One candidate won’t cover both. Don’t waste time (yours or theirs).

Want help finding someone who actually fits your job?
I’m Ryan — I run a boutique recruitment firm that lives and breathes D365.

Let’s talk

ryan@bondpatrick.com