Microsoft revealed its plans to revamp its partner model recently, replacing the Partner Network with the Cloud Partner Program. In the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform space, veteran partners have already started to take measure of the impact of the changes - how Microsoft will score their performance in the channel and what benefits they will gain, lose, or keep as a result.

Our guests, AJ Ansari of DWSi and Peter Wolf of Azamba, tell us that, on the whole, the early signals from Microsoft about the new program have been discouraging. They cite a number of reasons, from the details of the new scoring system to Microsoft's lack of outreach. Neither AJ nor Peter believes that Microsoft engineered the new program to hurt healthy and growing business applications-focused partners, but their concern is real and they believe Microsoft will begin hearing a rising chorus of questions and criticisms as the program nears the planned implementation date.

AJ and Peter discuss this issue from range of perspectives, including the new scoring, the business value of different benefits like IURs, and the realities of trying to run a Microsoft partner business under the new program.

See also:

• The Crancer Group discussion of the evolving Microsoft Partner Network
• Microsoft documentation on the Solutions partner for Business applications
• Upcoming webcast:  Business Apps Partner Chat, May 2022: Microsoft’s New Cloud Partner Program – What's Changing and What's In It for Me?

Microsoft partner organizations, especially those fully committed to the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform channel, should not be surprised to hear that managing their Microsoft relationship is an important element of their business success.

Our guest on this episode, Joe Corigliano, understands the importance and complexity of these relationships between Dynamics partners and Microsoft. Joe joined Microsoft as part of the Great Plains acquisition of the early 2000's and has worked both as an employee and as a member of the channel ecosystem in the years since. Now working with Microsoft ISVs from the outside, he shares his perspective on what top performing Dynamics 365 ISVs are doing well today and what he foresees in Microsoft's ongoing partner engagement efforts and broader community planning.

Show Notes:

• 1:30 - Joe's history in the business apps ecosystem, dating back to Great Plains
• 3:30 - Observations on the current state of partners
• 5:00 - Why it is so challenging for partners to manage their Microsoft relationship
• 6:30 - What it means to be a globally managed ISV and how to achieve that level of attention
• 10:00 - Why ISVs should pursue a globally managed status
• 12:30 - Observations from Inner Circle and the ISVs who were invited this year
• 15:30 - Themes coming out of both Inner Circle and Directions North America 2022
• 17:30 - How should ISV IP align with Microsoft's goals?
• 20:00 - The benefits of tying into a Microsoft industry cloud
• 22:00 - Are partners getting enough from Microsoft in terms of strategic guidance?
• 26:00 - Microsoft channel leadership and the future of Microsoft's own conference strategy
• 28:00 - What does Microsoft's goal of Business Apps becoming a $10 billion segment mean for their public image, including their events roadmap?

We wrap up a busy April with a news roundup edition of the podcast. We begin with a dive into some performance details from Microsoft's Q3 2022 earnings, including a miss on Dynamics revenue, strength in Power Platform, and stabile and healthy Azure growth. From there we discuss recent news about Dynamics SMB strategy and leadership, industry partnerships, Azure in Africa, HR, and more.

Show Notes

• 0:30 - Diving into Microsoft's earnings announcement and commentary
• 4:15 - Our interview with Microsoft's Mike Morton
• 7:00 - Dynamics 365 Business Central roadmap updates
• 8:45 - Piloting an Azure Data Lake export from Business Central
• 9:45 - Hybrid cloud and multi-cloud investment data
• 11:15 - New high profile cloud partnerships with Boeing and Rogers
• 12:30 - Microsoft reveals its new Cloud Partner Program
• 15:00 - A Dynamics GP roadmap update
• 16:45 - When will Microsoft Azure
• 18:00 - Planning and managing automated database migrations to Azure
• 18:30 - Experts explore Dynamics 365 Human Resources top features, collapsible groups, and advanced duplicate detection

This episode is sponsored by Avanade.

Ecolab, a leading provider of water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services, has undergone major business transformation initiatives using Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. On this episode we hear from Ecolab's Rachel Hart, program manager for Industrial sales and service applications, in conversation with leaders from Avanade's North American sales and service team. They discuss Ecolab's organizational and technical accomplishments and how the investments in digital transformation have been executed in a way that benefits the organization.

Rachel explains that the work is much more than just technology and platforms, it’s innovating to enable the right user experience and ensuring your users are setup for success.

From Avanade:

If your organization is on a similar journey and you want to learn more, you can reach out to Abi Sridhar by email or on LinkedIn.

This episode is sponsored by Versapay.

From the rise of remote work to the inconveniences of paper checks, it’s no surprise that a recent survey indicated that 93% of CFOs are already digitizing accounting operations. But not all digitization efforts are created equal. This is especially true when integrating solutions with ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics.

In this episode, we speak with Versapay senior product manager Meredith Mitchell and national partner manager David Gersten about the state of AR in 2022, including their experiences building new and improved integrations to Dynamics ERPs, how improved maturity in AR technology aligns with broader goals of the CFO, and their view on evaluating AR solutions.

Show Notes

• 1:00 - Trends and CFO sentiment around accounting modernization related to Dynamics 365
• 7:30 - Global conditions that are motivating businesses to modernize AR: pandemic changes, inflation pressures, security
• 12:00 - The benefits of building a network between vendors and buyers
• 18:00 - Recommendations for modernizing finance with Dynamics ERPs
• 23:00 - Launching Versapay's newer Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM integration
• 26:00 - Microsoft tools and technology that show promise for CFO needs
• 30:00 - Why e-commerce integration shows so much promise
• 32:00 - Looking to the future at Versapay for product development and new partner opportunities

A message from Versapay:

Put what you learned here about Versapay's integrated payment solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 into action. Book and attend a meeting with Versapay and you’ll get a complimentary $15 gift card to Starbucks or Uber Eats.

Conditions:

• To receive a $15 Starbucks or Uber Eats gift card, you must book and attend a meeting with a Versapay Sales Development Representative.
• This offer is only available to people located in North America (USA and Canada)

This episode is sponsored by Binary Stream Software.

The thinking around service-based business models has moved far beyond traditional scenarios. Today, forward-thinking businesses in a range of industries are taking service-oriented (or XaaS) approaches that require all corners of the organization to embrace changes in process and technology.

Our guest, Khaled Nassra of Binary Stream Software, a global software and services firm focusing on subscription management, consolidation accounting, and lease administration, helps us unpack some of the reasons why subscription-based business models are succeeding today. We discuss recent research on the performance of forward-thinking firms compared to their traditional counterparts, regulatory pressures, and the technical fundamentals that make new subscription and service models possible.

Show notes:

•  1:30 - Describing the origins and concepts around a service-oriented approach to business
• 4:00 - What does the market really want in terms of a pivot to a service mindset?
• 5:30 - Research on subscription-based models and their growth potential
• 7:00 - The legacy vs new market potential for innovation around services and subscriptions
• 9:30 - Technical fundamentals of new business models
• 11:45 - The organizational support required for services-focused execution
• 15:30 - Key regulations for revenue recognition and financial management
• 18:45 - Microsoft's message on subscription-oriented models to the market and to partners
• 21:00 - How are partners adapting to offer more subscription-focused offers to clients?
• 23:00 - Recommendations on getting started with digital tools to support transformation

From Binary Stream:

Binary Stream is a global solution provider for Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERPs with over 20 years of experience supporting over 2500 customers. The company recently cemented its status as an expert in subscription management and completed a licensing agreement with Microsoft for its Subscription Billing Suite solution for Dynamics 365 Finance; and continues to develop leading services and solutions in the space. You can learn more about Binary Stream or get in touch with the team here.

This episode is sponsored by Formpipe.

Despite all the investment in digitization of paper, organizations still face huge volumes of paper documents and manual processes. That's according to Lennart Garbarsch, CEO of Tabellae. He speaks with Formpipe's Ben Saxton on this special MSDW Podcast episode about Tabellae's efforts to help organizations expand their document and output automation across more departments and more core business processes. He also offers feedback on the human side of the automation, both in terms of project execution and user adoption.

• Show Notes:
  1:45 - Why so business document automation still remains today
• 4:45 - Accelerating automation projects that had been slated for the future
• 7:30 - How to help make people more comfortable with the move to cloud document management
• 10:30 - The future of industry-specific document needs in retail, logistics, and other areas
• 12:30 - The demand for a single view of content and documents across internal and customer-facing processes

For more information on Formpipe, please visit www.formpipe.com or contact them at sales@formpipe.com

This episode is sponsored by Resco.

There is an important deadline looming for Dynamics 365 Field Service customers and the future of their mobile application strategy. Ivan Stano, COO of Resco joins us to discuss that change in direction and customers' options. We also discuss some of the broader mobile technology challenges faced by Microsoft customers today, interesting future-looking tech, and Resco's plans in the Dynamics 365 space beyond field service.

Show Notes:

• 2:00 - Understanding the Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app transition
• 5:00 - Evaluation criteria when deciding between Resco's field service solution and Microsoft's new Power Apps-based solution
• 7:15 - Reco's deeper mobility history with Microsoft
• 9:30 - Observations on the recent growth of D365 Field Service overall
• 13:00 - The future of service industry investments at Microsoft
• 14:00 - New capabilities developed by Resco in areas like augmented reality, guides, and more
• 16:30 - The new mobility landscape with field services - how will organizations make the decision between their options
• 20:00 - Why offline remains such a big challenge
• 24:00 - Resco's plans in other parts of the Dynamics 365 space like Business Central
• 25:00 - Resco's presence at DynamicsCon 2022

More information:

• More information on the mobile app transition: www.resco.net/transition
• Resco's profile on MSDynamicsWorld

On this episode, the MSDynamicsWorld and MSCloudNews editorial team discuss recent news coverage and popular expert articles. Topics range from Ukraine to executive changes in the Microsoft Business Applications organization to ISV alignment strategies to the conference outlook.

Show Notes:

• 0:30 – Microsoft community response to war in Ukraine
  • Microsoft partners and professionals with Ukraine connections express growing concern, dismay
  • What does the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean for cloud security?
• 4:00 – Cloud security outlook related to the Russian invasion
• 6:15 – Executive departure: Business Apps channel lead Cecilia Flombaum
• 8:20 – Executive departure: Muhammad Alam's departure
• 10:20 – Microsoft completes the acquisition of Nuance
• 13:15 – Advice for ISVs on aligning properly with Microsoft
• 15:00 – Getting ready for DynamicsCon 2022 virtual event.
• 17:00 – Broader event outlook for March and April -
• 17:45 – The future of hybrid cloud
• 19:00 – Gaining an advantage in contract manufacturing

This episode is sponsored by DBSync.

Data integration challenges remain at the center of today's IT modernization efforts. From common ERP and CRM modernization scenarios to complex hybrid strategies with legacy applications, some of today's most important real-life enterprise software projects rely on reliable integration capabilities.

My guests, Connor Evans and Avinash Rao of DBSync, share their observations about current investments in integration technology for the modernization of ERP, field service, e-commerce, and more. They share some recent project scenarios in the Dynamics space, discuss the role of Power Platform, and offer some project management tips.

Show Notes:

• 3:00 - The landscape for integration needs in today's organizations
• 4:30 - Having an integration plan amid ERP modernization
• 8:00 - How to think about integration platforms alongside Power Platform
• 10:00 - Supporting integrations long-term
• 11:00 - Recounting a Dynamics 365 customer story - National Maintenance and Construction
• 13:00 - Tecman's work on integrating Business Central and Shopify
• 15:30 - Why experience with integration projects matters
• 19:30 - The importance of post-go-live support for new integrations
• 20:00 - How to assess your next integration with DBSync

DBSync’s Cloud Data Management Platform helps automate data integration workflows, getting everyone on the same page with the same sales and accounting information. Seamlessly connect SaaS, cloud and on-premise applications without the burden of installing and maintaining software and appliances.  

Either use our bi-directional pre-built template or go with a customized more complex, and dynamic mapping to fit your unique requirements.

Useful Links:

• Dynamics 365 Connector
• Dynamics 365 x Quickbooks Integration
• Dynamics 365 x Shopify Integration

Microsoft continues to update Dynamics 365 Project Operations on a monthly basis. For those keeping a close eye on the product, new and improved features can make a big difference in how organizations use the software. Microsoft MVP Kuldeep Gupta has been keeping MSDW readers informed on key updates of the current release wave in areas like sub-contracting, approvals, and project tasks. He joins us to share more about the product's evolution, his clients' needs, and his new role since he last joined the podcast.

Show Notes:

• 1:15 - Kuldeep's new role
• 3:15 - Overall trends in the evolution of Project Operations
• 5:45 - The importance of sub-contracting updates
• 9:00 - Perspective on the introduction of modern approvals
• 12:45 - PSA to PO upgrade status and opportunities
• 16:00 - The difference between PO and PO Lite
• 17:30 - The importance of the monthly update cadence
• 19:00 - Implementation trends

This episode is sponsored by Mavim.

As low-code tools like Microsoft Power Platform mature, organizations see promising new options for the future of their legacy processes and systems. But when considering investments in Power Platform-enabled enhancements like new connectors, custom integrations, RPA, or custom applications, organizations shouldn't lose sight of the potential impact on managing business processes. 

Edwin Jongsma of Mavim joins us on this episode to discuss how he views low-code in relation to business process management. We discuss the impact on governance, how these issues intersect in Microsoft's industry cloud strategy, and what the Mavim team are seeing in the Microsoft channel related to legacy application replacement.

Show Notes:

• 1:30 - How low code trends and vendors are evolving
• 2:45 - What complexity in low-code apps means for traditional enterprise apps like Dynamics 365
• 4:00 - Supporting governance for organizations making big bets of Power Platform
• 7:30 - The maturity levels around low code governance
• 9:00 - Process implications of Microsoft's push for industry cloud solutions
• 12:15 - The Microsoft partner journey to industry solutions: Building a process repository
• 14:45 - What does the growth of low code mean for legacy applications?
• 16:15 - The challenge of understanding and transcending as-is processes defined by legacy apps

More from Mavim:

• Improving low code with business process management (Article)
• Low Code No Code and Business Process Management (White Paper)
• Going Cloud on a Deadline? It's Never Too Late to Find a Better Way (White Paper)

Our editorial team returns for a fast-paced discussion about recent Microsoft Business Apps and Azure news coverage and expert articles. It's the first roundup episode of 2022 and helps us catch up on what's new and important in the community.

• 0:45 - Microsoft announces GA of finance insights features for Dynamics 365 Finance
• 2:45 - How Power Platform professionals re-invented their careers
• 4:45 - Microsoft CVP Vasu Jakkal on why security is so important to Cloud for Financial Services
• 6:30 - Microsoft takes on cloud security solutions: What it means for partners, rivals
• 7:30 - Why Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare matters in the healthcare IT market
• 9:45 – global's acquisition of Dynamic Consulting and new financing
• 12:30 - Finding the right fit: A Microsoft partner CEO shares his acquisition experience in the channel
• 13:45 - SignUp Software plans for new stage of growth in Microsoft channel following IPO
• 15:00 – Expert contributor highlights: House of the Future and Quantum computing in the cloud