Dual Write is one of the most powerful — and often misunderstood — integration tools in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem. It’s not just about syncing data; it’s about enabling seamless business processes across Customer Engagement (CE) and Finance & Operations (F&O).

In our latest episode of the D365 Insights Podcast, we sat down with Tom Burnett, a seasoned Technical Architect and Dual Write Integration Specialist with over 25 years of experience in the Dynamics space. What followed was a deep dive into the architecture, setup, and real-world challenges of Dual Write.

🧠 What Is Dual Write — and What Isn’t It?

Tom was quick to clarify: Dual Write is not a data migration tool. It’s an integration framework designed to connect CE and F&O using out-of-the-box maps that represent key data entities — customers, products, suppliers, and more.

Before Dual Write, integrations relied on custom APIs or tools like BizTalk, which were costly and time-consuming. Now, Microsoft’s native framework bridges the gap with speed, validation logic, and ease of setup.

💡 Top 5 Benefits of Dual Write

Tom outlined five key advantages:

1. Out-of-the-box maps for faster testing and delivery

2. Reduced need for specialist developers — no BizTalk or custom API skills required

3. Built-in data validation to reduce errors and improve accuracy

4. Rapid setup — Dual Write can be running in a day

5. Ease of use — intuitive configuration and field mapping

🧱 Architecture & Components

Dual Write is powered by a mix of Microsoft technologies:

• Data Integrator: The backbone of the framework

• Entities & Virtual Entities: Tables in CE and F&O, with virtual lookups to avoid duplication

• Plugins & Data Management Framework: For synchronization and transformation

• OData Calls & Azure Service Bus: For data transfer and message queuing

• Orchestration Service: Manages sync logic and dependencies

🛠️ Planning & Setup: What Teams Must Know

Before enabling Dual Write, Tom recommends:

• Designing your data blueprint — what to sync, in which direction, and why

• Identifying transforms — e.g., converting “Yes/No” fields in F&O to “True/False” in CE

• Setting up filters to avoid syncing unnecessary data

• Understanding data dependencies — e.g., payment terms before customer groups

• Defining environments — Dev, Test, UAT, Pre-Prod — and who owns the sync process

• Selecting the right solution packages based on modules in use (Finance, HR, etc.)

⚠️ Common Pitfalls & Real-World Issues

Tom shared several cautionary tales:

• Using Dual Write for data migration — it’s not built for high-volume initial syncs

• Failing to apply filters, leading to bloated environments

• Syncing all legal entities unnecessarily, causing data chaos

• Overlooking field length mismatches and data type conflicts

• Skipping governance — making changes directly in Test or Prod without version control

🔐 Governance & Monitoring

Governance is critical. Tom advises:

• A strict release process — changes only in Dev, then packaged and deployed

• Enabling debug mode for payload logging

• Using telemetry and health checks to monitor sync health

• Assigning a single owner for Dual Write across the programme lifecycle

📣 Final Thoughts

Dual Write is more than a technical tool — it’s a strategic enabler of cross-functional business processes. But it demands planning, governance, and a deep understanding of both CE and F&O.

If you're leading or supporting a D365 programme, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify