Solution architecture
End-to-end architecture on Power Platform and Dynamics 365 — data model, processes, extensibility, and deciding what stays standard and what genuinely deserves custom logic.
David Menzi
Solution Architect for Power Platform and Dynamics 365 — from the first requirement to an operation that holds after go-live.
Power Platform · Dynamics 365 · Azure · C#/.NET · TypeScript
01 — About
Architecture that survives operations
I am a Solution Architect with more than eight years of experience designing, architecting and evolving solutions on Microsoft Power Platform, Dynamics 365 and Azure.
My focus is end-to-end solution architecture, technical leadership and building durable platforms and development standards. Low-code and pro-code aren't camps to me, they are tools: the question is which one, where, produces a solution that scales, stays maintainable and can still be released in five years.
In projects I cover the full path — requirements engineering, solution design, technical lead responsibility and coordinating interdisciplinary teams through to a structured handover to operations.
I balance that in the mountains and in sport: cycling and strength training, water sports with Limmatclub Zürich, plus family and the garden. The Alps remain the best place I know to turn an architecture decision over one more time.
- Location
- Mettmenstetten ZH · Switzerland
- Role
- Solution Architect
- Education
- MAS in Computer Science, ZHAW
- Languages
- German (native), English
- Engagement
- Accredited examiner for Informatiker EFZ, Canton of Thurgau
02 — Focus
What I work on
Four topics I keep coming back to, and that rarely show up on their own. Clean architecture without ALM is a prototype; ALM without architecture just automates the mess.
Azure integration
Decoupled integration architecture with API Management, dedicated Functions and real monitoring — instead of logic that has spread across flows and plugins over the years.
Governance & ALM
Environment strategy, solution management and CI/CD that make releases predictable — with development standards and documentation a team can still rely on later.
Low-code & pro-code
PCF controls, plugins and client scripting where the standard ends — with test infrastructure, project templates and dependency injection instead of one-off builds.
03 — Work
Selected work
A selection from eight years of project work. Company and client names stay out of it — what matters is the starting point, the decision, and what was different afterwards.
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001
Development platform for Dataverse plugins
A reusable framework for a CRM team: project templates, dependency injection, a build and packaging strategy, test infrastructure and binding development standards. Plugin development became standardised rather than reinvented per developer.
C# · Dataverse SDK · Azure DevOps -
002
Azure integration architecture, rethought
Migrated organically grown Power Automate and plugin logic into a decoupled architecture using API Management, dedicated Functions, monitoring via Application Insights and automated infrastructure deployment.
API Management · Functions · IaC -
003
DMN-based pricing engine
Hard-coded pricing logic was replaced by a rule-based architecture. Business teams have adjusted pricing rules themselves ever since — no developer release required.
DMN · Azure Functions · Dataverse -
004
Digital quoting in the sales process
Redesigned two business-critical custom pages — one in Dynamics 365, one in the web process — both wired to the same pricing API, with extended configurability for more complex sales cases.
Custom Pages · React · Pricing API -
005
Replacing standard routing with a custom architecture
A modular routing solution built from a custom page, client scripting and a custom API, with role-dependent process guidance, automated customer communication and simplified queue selection for different business units.
Custom API · Client scripting -
006
Component dependency analysis (MAS thesis)
A .NET tool built on the Dataverse SDK for holistic analysis of component dependencies in Dynamics 365 — modular layered architecture, hierarchical evaluation and Excel export.
.NET · Dataverse SDK · ZHAW MAS
04 — Experience
Career
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Senior Consultant Consultics AG since May 2024
Project assignments with a central Swiss electricity supplier and a Swiss banking software vendor. Technical design and delivery of complex Power Platform and Dynamics 365 solutions from requirements analysis to production operation; maintainability and release readiness secured through ALM processes and development standards.
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Senior Software Engineer adesso Schweiz AG 2024
Project assignment with a Swiss cantonal bank. Architecture decisions and further development of existing Dynamics 365 on-premise solutions in a SAFe/Scrum context — in a regulated environment focused on governance, maintainability and cross-departmental business processes.
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Professional Consultant adesso Schweiz AG 2023
Azure DevOps engineering and CI/CD, technical workshops, pre-sales and estimation. Designed an MVP for managing EV charging cards (Static Web Apps, Logic Apps, SharePoint) and replaced a macro-based Excel tool with a Dataverse and Canvas app solution.
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Consultant Trivadis AG — Part of Accenture 2020 – 2022
Architecture of complex Dynamics 365 solutions and technical ownership as lead developer across several client projects; PCF controls with React, client scripting with XrmDefinitelyTyped and C# plugins.
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Associate Consultant Trivadis AG 2018 – 2020
Migration of Dynamics 365 from on-premise to the cloud including upgrading the scripting and SDK base from v8 to v9; lead developer on an internal CRM project covering CI/CD, Logic Apps and SAP integration.
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Software development / Support Comitas AG 2017 – 2018
Built a web-based CRM solution as a technology showcase, plus 2nd/3rd level support (SAP R/3).
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MAS in Computer Science ZHAW 2022 – 2024
Thesis: a tool for holistic analysis of component dependencies in Dynamics 365. Previously ICT application developer with federal diploma (IFA) and Informatiker EFZ specialising in application development (WISS).
05 — Certifications
Credentials
- Power Platform Solution Architect Expert
- Power Platform Developer Associate
- Power Platform + Dynamics 365 Core
- Dynamics 365 Customization and Configuration
- Dynamics 365 for Sales
- M-20483 Programming in C#
- IREB Requirements Engineering Foundation
06 — Blog
Notes from practice
Occasional posts on solution architecture, Power Platform ALM and the things you only learn in the second release.