Roles and Responsibilities in Power Platform Projects

Organizational Structure of a Power Platform Project

A Power Platform implementation project can range from a simple, lean setup with few roles to a complex multi-tier structure typical of large enterprises. Each role—from management to technical execution—contributes to the overall success of the project.

The typical organizational structure includes:

• An Executive Steering Committee composed of senior management representatives;
• A Program Manager overseeing multiple connected projects;
• A Project Manager responsible for day-to-day project management;
• The Lead Architect and Solution Architects defining technical and functional architecture;
• Business Consultants and Technical Consultants responsible for functional analysis and technical implementation, respectively;
• Development, testing, and IT support teams with specific roles such as Development Lead, Tester, and IT Lead.

This structure ensures effective governance, clear communication, and optimal resource management.

Central Roles and Governance

Central roles ensure that the project aligns strategically with business objectives. The steering committee and project sponsor are responsible for overall vision and key decisions, while the PMO (Project Management Office) provides administrative and control support.

Implementation Partner Roles

The implementation partner—such as a system integrator or consulting firm—plays a critical role in providing specialized expertise and ensuring that the Power Platform solution is developed and deployed following Microsoft best practices.

Typical partner-side roles include:

• Program Manager: Oversees multiple projects, managing scope, timelines, and budgets at the program level.
• Project Manager: Coordinates activities, resources, and daily communication within the project.
• Lead Architect: Ensures architectural consistency and the adoption of common standards across projects.
• Solution Architect: Defines the technical and functional structure of the Power Platform solution.
• Business Consultant: Analyzes and documents business requirements, identifying functional gaps.
• Technical Consultant: Handles technical design, customizations, and integrations.
• Development Lead and Developers: Build custom components, plug-ins, web resources, and PCF controls.
• Test Lead and Testers: Plan and conduct functional, integration, and acceptance testing.

The partner is also responsible for implementing ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) methodologies, using tools like Azure DevOps, and ensuring overall project quality.

Customer Roles and Responsibilities

The success of a Power Platform project heavily depends on the active involvement of the customer. Lack of commitment or dedicated resources is among the main causes of failure in complex IT projects. Therefore, the customer must provide key roles with clearly defined responsibilities.

• Customer Program Manager: Coordinates customer-side activities and collaborates with the partner for strategic planning.
• Customer Project Manager: Manages operational activities and serves as the direct interface with the partner.
• Business Process Owner: Provides business process expertise and supports functional requirement definition.
• Key User / Tester: Participates in testing and provides continuous feedback during development sprints.
• IT Lead: Ensures infrastructure support and compliance with corporate IT policies.
• IT Services (System, Application, Database, Security Admins): Provide technical resources and system access.

It is essential that all customer team members are partially released from their daily duties to dedicate sufficient time and attention to the project.

Technical and Testing Teams

Technical teams include developers, consultants, and testers who ensure the technical and functional quality of the solution. The Development Lead coordinates development activities, while the Test Lead defines the testing strategy and supervises validation work.

Key responsibilities include:

• Writing and maintaining code (JavaScript, plug-ins, PCF, Power Automate, Power Pages).
• Creating test cases, test strategies, and reporting.
• Validating integrations with external systems and data migrations.
• Technical documentation and post go-live support.

Additional Roles and Support Functions

In complex projects, additional specialized roles may be introduced to cover specific needs:

• Infrastructure Consultant: Handles hardware and software configuration, environments, and networks.
• Release Manager: Manages solution lifecycle and DevOps pipelines.
• Integration Lead: Coordinates the development of system integrations.
• Data Migration Lead: Oversees data migration activities and ensures data quality.
• Adoption & Change Management: Manages communication, training, and adoption of the solution.

These functions ensure that every technical and organizational aspect is managed in a coordinated way and aligned with corporate and enterprise architecture guidelines.