ERP done right. The first time.
Most ERP projects go sideways for the same few reasons: process design nobody agreed on, unclear ownership, and complexity that got underestimated during scoping. That's the part I work on. Today I run managed services delivery for a portfolio of D365 F&O clients and consult on licensing and security.
Impact at a Glance
Measurable outcomes from client and in-house work. The full picture is in the experience section below.
I solve problems.
ERP is the medium.
I've been taking things apart to figure out how they work since I was a kid. That's what pulled me into technology, starting with teaching myself to write programs on my first PC. It grew into a career running Dynamics 365 implementations for companies that can't afford to get their systems wrong.
Software is rarely the actual problem. Projects go bad on process design nobody owns, decisions that keep getting deferred, and change management treated as an afterthought. That's where I spend my time, whether I'm reviewing an architecture, running a go-live, or keeping a live environment from drifting.
I've worked both sides of this. Years in-house at a global CNC manufacturer and a national LTL freight carrier, where I was the person users came to when the system got in their way. Now partner-side, running managed services delivery and sitting on the solution architecture team, I get at those problems earlier, before they're built into a design.
Outside of work I keep up with tech well beyond the Microsoft stack, mostly out of the same curiosity that got me into it in the first place. Some of it ends up on my blog, Planned Downtime, where I write about D365, side projects, and whatever else I'm digging into.
Work Experience
Both sides of ERP delivery: in-house at a global manufacturer and a national freight carrier, now partner-side at a Microsoft Solutions Partner.
- Owns D365 F&O service update delivery across a managed services portfolio, building the release calendar for every client each cycle and driving dev, UAT, and weekend production promotions through regression testing and cutover readiness on Microsoft One Version timelines.
- Runs delivery operations for the portfolio, including client support reporting, resource forecasting, engagement budget monitoring, Microsoft support escalations, and new customer onboarding.
- Serves on the solution architecture team, partnering with Microsoft FastTrack to review solution design and validate architecture decisions across client engagements.
- Leads client-facing licensing analysis and remediation alongside the licensing and security practice, mapping assigned entitlements against actual usage and pairing the analysis with security role redesign and audit-ready documentation for SOX access reviews.
- Delivers Azure and Modern Work consulting covering CSP subscription management, cost optimization, and Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and Copilot enablement.
- Served as internal D365 F&O lead at a national LTL freight carrier, owning system enhancements, integration health, security administration, and end-user support across systems used by over 5,000 users and three legal entities.
- Developed integrations between D365 F&O and the company HRIS to synchronize employee and customer records, eliminating manual reconciliation between platforms.
- Supported ISV integrations spanning AP automation (Medius), bank reconciliation (SK Global), document output (PrecisionForms), and access governance (Fastpath Assure).
- Administered security roles, user permissions, and access governance under SOX, coordinating annual access reviews and producing audit-ready role documentation and remediation plans.
- Automated regression testing in SmartBear TestComplete and Leapwork, and led UAT coordination across business users with defect tracking through resolution.
- Owned D365 F&O and AX support for a global manufacturer of CNC machining centers and machine tools, covering production control, advanced warehouse management, inventory, procurement, master planning, and finance across 15 legal entities and 500+ users.
- Led the WMS transition covering 1,100+ SKUs including barcode labeling system development, warehouse configuration, and full cutover coordination across production and shipping operations.
- Migrated legal entities from legacy AX 4.0 to D365 F&O, managing data validation, security configuration, cutover coordination, and post-go-live hypercare.
- Administered security roles and access governance across financial modules under SOX, and delivered SSRS reports, Power BI dashboards, end-user training, and system documentation.
- Supported enterprise incident response and recovery for the on-premises AX 4.0 environment, coordinating across IT infrastructure, security, and business teams to restore ERP operations within 24 hours.
- Built and supported custom websites for small business clients, owning requirements through deployment along with all client communication and vendor coordination.
- Wrote HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript alongside WordPress builds.
- Drove client acquisition by writing and distributing personalized marketing letters, achieving a 13% lead conversion rate.
- Deployed hosting infrastructure through Amazon Web Services, configured over 50 domains using Cloudflare, and optimized performance to achieve front-page load times under 1.3 seconds.
Certifications
Dynamics 365, cloud, networking, security, and service management. Most link straight to public verification.
Skills & Technologies
The platforms, modules, and tools I work in day to day.
Education
Business school on top of an IT background.
What Others Say
Straight from the people who've worked alongside me.
"After nearly a year of working with Brayden Short, I can confidently say he's one of the most gifted, driven, and genuinely impactful employees I've had the privilege of managing in my 35+ years in IT, and that's not something I say lightly. His curiosity, drive for excellence, and commitment to learning made an immediate impact, not just on our projects, but on the people around him. He's the kind of talent you hope for and rarely find."
Former Manager at AAA Cooper Transportation
"Brayden is one of the most ambitious people that I have ever met. He is quick to jump on an issue and get it solved regardless of whether it's a large project or for one single user. His drive to succeed and learn will make him great for whatever company can hire him. Brayden is a unique asset, and I know that he will go far in his career."
Former Colleague at Hurco Companies, Inc.
Let's Connect
D365 F&O implementations, architecture reviews, licensing cleanup, managed services. Email is the fastest way to reach me.