This chapter serves as an introduction to the rest of the book. We began with a discussion of the needs and priorities of the business solutions market. We then explained how, depending on the usage scenario, CRM and ERP solutions can be mission critical to the customer organizations. This criticality underscores the need for a dependable approach for selecting the right solution to meet the customer's needs, a method that builds on the knowledge gained in the envisioning stage to deliver a solution that meets the requirements. We also introduced Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step as a methodology that has been designed to fulfill these needs.

The chapter also includes a brief overview of the Microsoft Dynamics solution portfolio. We also introduced the notion of a project within the business solution arena, and discussed implementing these solutions and lessons learned from past implementations.

The next chapter covers the body of knowledge behind solution selling and how it aligns well with the customer's due diligence process. We will illustrate the benefits of this approach for both the service provider and the customer.