Your ERP Customization Is a Ticking Time Bomb. Stop Over-layering.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) is the engine that runs the core financial and operational processes of global enterprises. Customizing this mission-critical system is not just a technical task; it's a high-stakes architectural responsibility. The language of this customization is X++, a powerful object-oriented language that provides deep access to the application's core.
The modern F&O development paradigm is built on extensions, a model that allows developers to add functionality without modifying the standard application code. This is a critical discipline for ensuring that customizations are maintainable and that future Microsoft updates do not break your system. A developer who still thinks in terms of "over-layering" (modifying the standard code directly) is not just using an outdated technique; they are creating a massive, long-term liability for your business.
An engineer who can write a simple X++ job is not an F&O expert. An expert understands the extension framework, can design robust data entities for integration, writes efficient and bulk-safe code, and knows how to manage the application lifecycle with Azure DevOps. This playbook explains how Axiom Cortex finds the developers who possess this deep, enterprise-grade engineering discipline.
Traditional Vetting and Vendor Limitations
A nearshore vendor sees "Dynamics AX" or "X++" on a résumé and assumes proficiency. The interview might ask a few basic syntax questions. This process completely fails to distinguish between a developer who has only maintained legacy AX 2012 code and an engineer who can build modern, extensible, and performant solutions for D365 F&O.
The predictable and painful results of this flawed vetting are common in F&O environments:
- The Over-layering Nightmare: A developer modifies a standard F&O class directly. The immediate requirement is met, but the next time you apply a Microsoft service update, the customization is wiped out, or worse, causes a catastrophic failure. Your upgrade path is now broken.
- Inefficient Data Entities: A custom data entity for an integration is poorly designed, leading to slow performance and an inability to perform bulk operations, crippling your data migration and integration projects.
- Ignoring Best Practices: The developer writes code that is not bulk-safe, leading to performance bottlenecks and governor limit errors under load. They fail to use the platform's best practices for security and performance.
- Chaotic ALM: There is no disciplined Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) process. Code is moved between environments manually, builds are inconsistent, and there is no automated testing, making every deployment a high-risk event.
How Axiom Cortex Evaluates Dynamics 365 F&O Developers
Axiom Cortex is designed to find engineers who think in terms of the modern F&O architecture: extensions, data entities, and automated ALM. We test for the practical skills required to build and maintain mission-critical ERP customizations. We evaluate candidates across four critical dimensions.
Dimension 1: The Extension-Based Customization Model
This is the absolute foundation of modern F&O development. A developer who does not live and breathe extensions is a liability.
We provide a customization requirement and evaluate their ability to:
- Design an Extension-based Solution: Can they explain how they would add a new field to a standard table, add new logic to a standard class, or modify a standard form, all using extensions? A high-scoring candidate will immediately talk about class extensions, event handlers, and form extensions.
- Understand Chain of Command: Do they know how to use Chain of Command to wrap standard methods with custom logic in a way that is safe and maintainable?
Dimension 2: X++ and Performance
This dimension tests a candidate's fluency in writing clean, performant, and bulk-safe X++ code.
We present a business logic problem and evaluate if they can:
- Write Bulk-Safe Code: Can they write code that efficiently processes hundreds or thousands of records at once, avoiding the "select-in-a-loop" anti-pattern?
- Write Efficient SQL-like Queries: Are they proficient in writing efficient `select` statements in X++? Do they know how to use joins and field lists to retrieve only the necessary data?
Dimension 3: Data Management and Integration
An elite F&O developer is an expert in managing and integrating data.
We evaluate their knowledge of:
- Data Entities: Can they design and build a robust data entity for exposing data to or importing data from external systems? Do they understand how to optimize a data entity for performance?
- OData and Custom Services: Are they familiar with exposing data and logic via OData or creating custom services for more complex integration scenarios?
Dimension 4: Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
A professional F&O developer uses modern DevOps practices to manage the application lifecycle.
Axiom Cortex assesses a candidate's understanding of:
- Azure DevOps for F&O: Can they explain the process of setting up a build and release pipeline in Azure DevOps for a D365 F&O project?
- Automated Testing: Are they familiar with the unit testing frameworks available for X++ and the importance of automated testing in a CI/CD pipeline?
From Fragile Customizations to a Scalable ERP Platform
When you staff your team with Dynamics 365 F&O developers who have passed the Axiom Cortex assessment, you are investing in a team that can build customizations that are secure, performant, and—most importantly—upgrade-safe. They will enable you to tailor your ERP to your business needs without creating a long-term maintenance nightmare, ensuring that you can continue to benefit from Microsoft's ongoing platform innovations.