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The MSDynamicsWorld.com (MSDW) podcast explores news, ideas, and events in the Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM community.
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Now displaying: Category: general
Jun 2, 2020

Talking about digital transformation to an Microsoft community audience is a little like talking about gold medals to Olympic athletes. They all understand, they have all heard it a hundred times before. But few have a good chance to reach the goal. Fortunately, strategic IT is not a winner-take-all sport, and our returning guest for this episode, Guus Krabbenborg of Dynamics and More, has been spreading the message that all organizations have the opportunity to transform by shifting their thinking, re-focusing some IT priorities, and demanding a different kind of relationship with their technology partner.

Guus has a new book that tackles these challenges. We dive into Guus's motivation to create the book and his experiences in the last few years that shaped his message to customers and partners.

Show Notes:

  • 2:30 - Guus's outlook on digital transformation broadly
  • 6:45 - Executive sponsorship and the tension between IT projects, strategic vision, and responsibility for success
  • 11:45 - Why companies must refocus on their customers and engineer their business model accordingly
  • 14:00 - The challenge of having a conversation with executives vs IT, and how Microsoft partners can do better
  • 17:00 - Should partners try to be both strategic and tactical? Would they be better off breaking apart these duties?
  • 21:45 - Why change is so difficult for Dynamics partner organizations
  • 25:30 - How do you encourage clients to take action?
  • 30:00 - Guus's new book and his reasons for writing it
  • 36:00 - An alternative book sales model
  • 40:00 - How will Microsoft and partners address the topic of modernizing their ERP methodology guidance

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guuskrabbenborg/

Email: gk@dynamicsandmore.com

May 27, 2020

Kerry Peters and Cynthia Priebe of New View Strategies join the MSDW Podcast to continue the discussion on some of the critical and timely topics they have raised in recent articles about bringing automation and digital tools to bear in financial management with Dynamics 365 Business Central.

They discuss some of the pressures their clients have faced in the last two months due to COVID-19, some of the new features of Business Central that they believe hold a lot of value for clients, and what they have learned about introducing new organizations to Business Central.

Articles referenced:

New View Strategies has created a page that collects all their remote work articles and a checklist.

 

Show Notes

  • 1:45 - Kerry and Cynthia's experience in the Dynamics community
  • 6:45 - How their clients had to adapt quickly to plan for work from home.
  • 10:15 - The challenge of reducing paper processes under situational pressures of COVID-19
  • 12:45 - Experiences implementing positive pay for Business Central - and how well organizations have adapted
  • 17:30 - Why organizations fail to be self-motivated on digital transformation in finance
  • 22:00 - Exciting new features
  • 27:30 - Do organizations need coaching to adopt electronic/paperless features of Business Central?
  • 31:30 - How are GP users evaluating Business Central?
  • 34:15 - Bringing new customers to Business Central from any other finance or ERP system.
May 22, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by DXC Technology.

Companies say they want off-the-shelf software, but the reality is that most products can't meet the needs of a sophisticated enterprise without some amount of enhancement. On this episode we assemble a roundtable of experts from DXC Technology to dive into the common challenges and questions around investing in custom software development. Our guests, delivery manager Mindy Waters, enterprise integration expert Keith Honkonen, vice president of software engineering Will Wirtz, and sales director David LaMarre, discuss software requirements definition, roadmap development, and how to build atop off-the-shelf or bridge the gap between solutions.

And they explore why software development fits in more naturally with application modernization efforts than many enterprise or mid-sized organizations might think.   

Show Notes:

  • 2:30 – In what cases should today's enterprise software buyer be thinking about custom development?
  • 5:45 – Examples of when an off-the-shelf Dynamics solution can benefit from solution development
  • 9:00 – Application modernization
  • 14:00 – Moving from on-prem to cloud and why it's not just about cost
  • 15:30 – The struggle of finding a balance between legacy applications and new development
  • 18:00 – Tips to get started defining their needs and building a solution roadmap
  • 23:00 – Bringing an agile mindset to solution development projects
  • 26:00 – How to measure success in deploying custom solutions

If you’d like to speak with our guests or learn more about DXC Technology and how they can help your organization move your business applications from on-premise to the cloud, you can reach them at phone no#: 877-651-6193 or email: dxceclipse@dxc.com.

May 20, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by DXC Technology

Organizations with on-premises Dynamics ERP or Dynamics CRM solutions probably understand that moving those workloads to the cloud requires planning. But with so many variables, no two cloud journeys are exactly the same.

Today's podcast guests, Chris Lavelle and Heather Palmieri from DXC Technology, join Microsoft MVP Rick McCutcheon to share their experiences planning and delivering cloud migrations of various types. The process always starts with a conversation to understand the business goals and the current application environment, Lavelle and Palmieri explain.

Listen in as our guests discuss their experiences working with customers to move a Dynamics ERP or CRM solution to the cloud and what kinds of plans, expectations, and decisions lead to success.

If you have questions you can get in touch with our DXC guests at dxcexclipse@dxc.com or by calling: +1 877-651-6193.

Show Notes:

  • 3:00 - How to start the conversation
  • 5:00 - Who on the user side needs to be involved in the process from the start?
  • 6:15 - How can an organization estimate the time their migration will  take?
  • 7:45 - Following a project planning methodology to develop a fact-based approach
  • 10:30 - Why legacy system migration usually includes unknowns that make expectation management a challenge
  • 15:15 - Estimating the time required of the end user organization to keep a cloud migration moving forward
  • 17:45 - How to prepare your organization for the commitment required on a cloud project.
  • 19:30 - Supporting an organization's ERP or CRM usage after moving to the cloud
  • 21:15 - How to use cloud migration as an inflection point for our business
May 17, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by DXC Technology.

An organization with a mandate to embrace digital transformation can only achieve its goals if it considers the needs of its workforce. Expectations by the executive team around productivity, flexibility, and expertise hinge on supporting employees with the tools that enable them to do their jobs no matter the challenge.

Today, as IT departments navigate a landscape that bridges the on-premises systems of the last two decades and today's cloud-based services, decisions around new technology investments will determine whether an organization can support a digital workforce.

In this episode, we hear from three subject matter experts from DXC Technology on how their clients are transitioning to support a digital workforce. DXC sales director Russ Riley, director of operations David Bowles, and IT manager Pete Loach sit down to discuss how a digital workforce succeeds today. We dive into how IT leaders are assessing their next investments and the measures that organizations are taking today to accelerate their digital journeys.

Show Notes

  • 2:00 – The value of virtual cloud migrations and scenarios that drive organizations to embrace it
  • 4:30 – What should companies expect to scope a cloud migration project?
  • 8:30 – Adopting virtual desktop infrastructure: The technology and the advantages
  • 12:30 – The importance of client-based VPN tools
  • 17:00 – Disaster recovery services and what they accomplish
  • 22:00 – DR and the importance of defining what's truly mission critical
  • 24:30 – Securing resources in a corporate environment via multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • 26:30 – The benefits of managing public cloud infrastructure compared to the days of all on-premises data centers

If you’d like to speak with our guests or learn more about DXC's work with organizations building a digital workforce, you can reach them at phone no#: 877-651-6193 or email: dxceclipse@dxc.com.

May 15, 2020

Paul Soliman is one of the newest Microsoft MVPs and the first for business applications in the Philippines. As we learned from our recent profile piece, Paul splits his time between running two businesses, Hacktiv and Raven Global Ventures and helping to organize his country's growing business apps community group, which has grown from single digits to hundreds of members. Paul sat down to discuss his experiences in more depth, including his work experiences at major Dynamics NAV customers in his country and his realization at the possibilities of the Power Platform to transform businesses and careers.

(Editor's note: Due to some audio engineering issues, some parts of the interview have a bit of distortion, but it is still easy to understand.)

Show Notes

  • 2:45 - Paul's experience getting started in the Dynamics NAV space, including what he learned about corporate culture from his early employers
  • 5:30 - Experiences as an admin on a legacy ERP and exploring open source enterprise software
  • 10:00 - Transitioning to a consulting role and working with the Philippine Red Cross
  • 13:30 - Using empathic listening
  • 15:45 - Embracing the Power Platform
  • 17:00 - What it took to become an entrepreneur
  • 20:00 - Why focus on the Philippine market for his company's solutions
  • 23:45 - Favorite Power Platform use cases so far
  • 27:45 - The types of people who find roles via Hacktiv
  • 30:40 - Paul's early experiences as a Microsoft MVP
  • 32:40 - What's next in the Philippines Dynamics community
  • 36:30 - New and upcoming technology Paul is excited about: Adaptive cards, Teams, and more
May 13, 2020

Microsoft has noticeably ramped up efforts to offer a path for its on-premises SMB ERP customers on Dynamics NAV, GP, and SL to Dynamics 365 Business Central. Some technical tools already exist to help migrate data to the cloud, and there is a roadmap for more to come. And Business Central partners are armed with favorable licensing conversions and special offers for these existing customers.  While many SMB ERP customer will be well suited to a future Business Central solution, others will be best served looking elsewhere. Staying in the Microsoft family, Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations is the logical option for organizations with multi-company, multi-currency, or other complex needs that their current ERP is struggling to fulfill. Some may end up looking at other third party options.

Our guests on this episode, Karen Riordan of Menlo Technologies and Peter Joeckel of TurnOnDynamics walk us through some of the reasons today's on-premises SMB ERP customer may be tomorrow's SaaS enterprise ERP customer - or not.

Show Notes:

  • 2:00 - Karen's background in the ERP channel
  • 3:00 - On being challenged to think about more than just Business Central for today's GP customers
  • 5:00 - When a GP customer should stay on GP
  • 7:45 - Microsoft's advantage by improving GP to BC cloud migrations
  • 11:00 - The importance of master data cleanup
  • 14:00 - Why GP customers may not be aware of the extent of the customization and ISV add-on solutions in their ERP
  • 18:30 - Consolidating legacy systems
  • 20:30 - Why leaving GP ought to be a move to the cloud in some form - whether BC, F&O, or another

See also: Peter and Karen's new article on the options that GP customers can consider when evaluating their on-premises GP solution's future.

May 7, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by Ingram Micro Cloud

Microsoft partners have no choice but to adapt at a time when coronavirus has raised so much uncertainty in the world. But while some firms are facing massive risk, others continue to thrive, engaging their clients and fostering a constructive position in the ecosystem.

To understand more about how partners should face the challenge of marketing during an unprecedented crisis, we're speaking on this episode with Shark Chobot, chief transformation officer at Neural Impact, a sales and marketing consulting firm that applies behavioral economics, neuroscience and persuasion psychology to the customer acquisition process.

On this episode we discuss how partners are adapting to change today, including the impact on the sale, service, and delivery of Microsoft technology, from productivity tools to cloud services to ERP and CRM.

To learn more about today's sponsor, Ingram Micro, and their partner services please visit https://microsoft.ingrammicrocloud.com/dynamics/.

 

Show Notes:

  • 2:00 - What Neural Impact is hearing from partners today
  • 5:00 - Should partners bother investing in marketing activities right now? And what's not working?
  • 10:00 - The impact of mass marketing in the current climate
  • 15:30 - How can marketers get started changing their marketing stance? 
  • 18:00 - Identifying new revenue opportunities
  • 21:30 - New programs Sharka is working on with Ingram Micro
May 7, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by PowerObjects.

 

The Power Platform has evolved into a collection of services underpinning everything about Microsoft's Business Applications suite. First-party apps like Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service are really Power Apps now, but so are the thousands of custom applications, automated processes, and dashboards built by and for customers.

 

Our guests on this episode are Avni Pandya, Merlin Schwaiger, and Dave Kuntz of PowerObjects and they will be discussing how organizations that use the Power Platform should approach critical components of any development project like user adoption, app development, and data protection.

 

They also share lessons from the field about learning how to use tools like Power Apps and Power Automate, mitigating risk, and some success stories.

 

Learn more about PowerObjects' training on organizational adoption and governance of Microsoft’s Power Platform.

 

Show Notes

 

  • 5:00 - How to begin understanding the Power Platform
  • 11:30 - Protecting your data.
  • 19:00 - The benefit of a common database to build upon
  • 22:00 - Assigning responsibility to your users for building, with guardrails
  • 23:30 - How to encourage use in places with resistance?
  • 27:00 - A story of the benefits of modernizing a carpet company
  • 33:30 - A key benefit of asking your team to help define the apps they need: ownership
  • 34:45 - The limitations of the citizen developer's skills and involvement
  • 36:00 - Other app examples
May 1, 2020

Editor's Note: This episode of the MSDW Podcast is sponsored by Avanade.

Larger enterprises have transitioned to remote work in response to the coronavirus, and it has forced IT managers to re-evaluate their traditional methods for mobilizing, managing, and delivering a successful technology project.

To understand the delivery challenges of an ERP project in today's environment, we speak with David Misakian, delivery management group lead at Avanade. David discusses recently completed and ongoing client work and explains how his teams are navigating the current challenges successfully.

Topics include:

  • Client concerns arising from coronavirus
  • Interesting use and the rapid uptake of Teams
  • Whether risk management has changed
  • Observations on successfully transitioning to remote work
  • Project ownership
  • Agile development for ERP
  • Perspective on planning an F&O project today

To learn more about how Avanade helps organizations upgrade, integrate and maximize their ERP technology investment visit https://www.avanade.com/en-ca/solutions/business-applications/finance-and-operations.

Apr 3, 2020

The MSDW editorial team compares notes once again, and there is nowhere to start but the impact of coronavirus on the Microsoft ecosystem. We reflect on the varied feedback we are hearing from VARs and ISVs of different sizes, independent experts, and customers. And this week is also significant for kicking off 2020 release wave 1 for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. We discuss some of the most consequential changes like dual-write for ERP-CRM integration and RPA for Power Automate.

Articles referenced in this episode include:

Mar 23, 2020

Microsoft MVP Ed Gonzales (LinkedIn, Twitter)is not a professional developer, but his willingness to dive into new technology has helped him steadily expand his expertise from the Dynamics 365 product line to the Power Platform, Teams, and beyond. He recently told MSDW about his journey to becoming an MVP, with his time spent championing Microsoft tools at his day job while challenging himself with new tech at other times. He documents his latest explorations on his blog, The Flying Polymath, like an increasingly sophisticated bot that pulls in a range of Microsoft technology based on his own exploration and input from others in the community.

 

Show Notes

  • 1:15 - More about Ed's day job, including his efforts around CRM adoption.
  • 4:00 - What it's like being a CRM administrator and advocate, while also promoting Microsoft productivity tools.
  • 7:00 - Creating realistic incentives and assistance from prospective users.
  • 9:30 - On his efforts to gain support from management
  • 12:30 - Ed's thoughts on the D365 product direction and efforts to encourage power users and makers
  • 15:30 - User adoption milestones in the context of digital transformation
  • 18:15 - Exploring and collaborating on the Power Platform as a non-developer through the birthday bot
  • 25:00 - Applying information learned from experiments to real business cases.
  • 26:00 - Where is Teams going in combination with enterprise systems?
  • 32:00 - Other parts of the Microsoft tech stack that Ed is excited about
Mar 12, 2020

Directions on Microsoft research vice president Andy Snodgrass joins us to discuss Microsoft licensing, cloud transitions, Power Platform investments, and other complex choices that his firm's clients are weighing today.

Show Notes

  • 1:00 – The Microsoft products Andy covers and how Directions on Microsoft works with clients
  • 3:45 –Microsoft customers challenges with cloud pricing
  • 6:20 – Managing the true cost of cloud solutions
  • 11:00 – How to prioritize the areas to watch in Microsoft's Business APplicatinos group.
  • 17:00 – Thinking about Dynamics 365 aggregate applications, and why it doesn't simplify system management
  • 22:15 – What are the prospects for the new D365 Human Resources application?
  • 26:30 – Progress on the citizen developer trend with the Power Platform and how enterprises have adapted
  • 29:30 – Why some enterprises are going all-in on Power Platform, and what metrics are driving their decisions.
  • 31:00 – POV: Is "citizen developer" still valid if you're making Power Platform part of a larger IT strategy?
  • 35:30 – Evaluating the structure of the biz apps group
  • 39:39 – Has the Biz Apps group come full circle, back to the MBS days under Kirill Tatarinov?
Mar 9, 2020

Editor's Note: This is a special episode of the MSDW Podcast sponsored by k-eCommerce.

Louis Mousseau, president of k-eCommerce joins us to discuss the company's recently launched Payment Portal and Payment Extension for Dynamics GP. There are a range of reasons why a GP customer should consider adding e-payment capabilities, even if they don't need e-commerce. Mousseau explains some of the differences between the two, like the fact that e-payments provide benefits on top of fundamental GP accounting features arounds sales and invoicing. We also discuss topics including security, customer experience, and streamlining operations.

Feb 14, 2020

Why do some CRM-focused projects, probably too many, end with a less-than-satisfying outcome? As our guest, Chuck Ingram, explains, dissatisfaction with enterprise technology is a strange thing. Even when a consulting team leaves a project with all metrics "green", things might not say that way after some time has passed.

 

Chuck last joined the podcast about 3 years ago. He updates us on his professional path since then, including his new firm CongruentX. As he explains, his new team will take a different approach to CRM projects, with a somewhat different engagement model and different measures of success. He will remain focused on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM technology, and we talk about the impact of products like Power Apps and D365 Customer Insights, customer adaptation, and life in the partner channel these days.

 

Show Notes:

  • 1:25 - Chuck's professional background and journey over the last few years.
  • 11:00 - Big picture perspective on approaching CRM projects differently to meet buyer needs.
  • 15:20 - Why CRM efforts don't always have to be big projects.
  • 18:25 - How CRM ownership and services change with Microsoft's semi-annual release waves.
  • 21:30 - The case for building on top of legacy systems vs upgrade or migration.
  • 24:45 - Why customer experience is about more than CRM.
  • 27:30 - How and why centers of excellence benefit organizations of different sizes.
  • 33:20 - Chuck's perspective on Microsoft's engagement with partners
  • 38:20 - Why D365 Customer Insights, Microsoft's Customer Data Platform offering, is exciting
  • 39:45 - Looking ahead to 365 Power Up Tampa on Feb 22
Jan 28, 2020

Microsoft just released the 2020 release wave 1 plans for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. On this episode we talk with Microsoft MVP Malin Donoso Martnes for her perspective on updates coming to the D365 Human Resources (formerly Talent) and Marketing apps.

Malin has worked in the Dynamics CRM and D365 Customer Engagement space for several years, first on the customer side and now as a consultant based in Oslo. We discuss the new features of Human Resources, how to position the application alongside Dynamics 365 F&O and Project Service Automation, the role of Power Automate, and more.

 

You can follow Malin on Twitter or LinkedIn, and on her blog.

 

Show notes

  • 2:00 - First impressions of the Dynamics 365 HR plans for 2020 wave 1 and why country-specific requirements are so important.
  • 4:30 - The partner opportunity around Dynamics 365 HR
  • 6:45 - Managing entities in the CDS, and how the HR app's architecture has evolved
  • 9:30 - D365HR compared to the HR module of Dynamics 365 F&O
  • 14:00 - Outlook on Dynamics 365 Marketing in the new release wave
  • 17:00 - Deciphering Microsoft's language on upcoming marketing features
  • 20:30 - More on Malin's professional background
  • 23:30 - On getting back up to speed with Dynamics 365 after an extended leave
  • 27:00 - How Malin creates her blog posts, with help from reader questions
  • 28:00 - Upcoming events and plans
Jan 8, 2020

While the Microsoft Power Platform is seemingly everywhere in the Dynamics ecosystem, not all Dynamics ERP partner teams can deliver these cloud services yet as part of customer solutions, especially in the SMB space. 

Sven Noomen, founder of Process4People, joins us to talk about his work to build a consulting, advisory, and training business focused on Power Platform services in the Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central ecosystem. He and his team have developed their own reusable IP, along with providing Power Platform services, training partners, and even working with Microsoft at times.

As Sven explains in this episode, deploying Power Platform requires a unique focus and skill set, and many Dynamics partner, especially those serving the SMB market, do not yet have enough expertise to properly guide their clients on all the options.

Show Notes:

  • 1:30 - About Sven and his work
  • 4:00 - How far has Power Platform progressed alongside Business Central?
  • 7:30 - Are there two visions for the future of Business Central solutions?
  • 12:00 - Is there room for businesses to build on Power Platform using NAV APIs as a backend source?
  • 15:00 - Why ISVs need more IP protection with Power Platform
  • 18:00 - Why customers opt for Power Platform as a low-code platform
  • 21:00 - What's it like running a consultancy offering Power Platform-related services?
  • 26:00 - Will a significant subset of Dynamics ERP users eventually become primarily PowerApps users?
  • 30:00 - Advice for traditional NAV/BC VARs to adapt for the future
  • 34:45 - How will Power Automate's addition of RPA capabilities impact assessments of legacy ERP
Dec 10, 2019

Mariano Gomez is a Microsoft Dynamics GP expert, but he has also been focusing on the Power Platform for some time – not only learning for his own work but creating walkthroughs, demos, and presentations for the community. And he is often able to tie those Power Platform findings back to GP, as he is doing in a new three-part video series on Power Automate and its new (still in preview) UI flows tool.

On this episode, Mariano discusses his findings from working on a range of Power Platform scenarios, how it impacts his day job as director of technology services at Mekorma, and the implications of these new tools on ownership of older ERPs.

Show Notes

  • 2:00 – Ways the GP community can make use of Power Platform
  • 3:30 – What to be caution about with preview products from Microsoft
  • 6:00 – Breaking down Power Automate use cases into practical steps
  • 9:00 – Looking at the business user's perspective on Power Platform
  • 11:00 – How to talk to both developers and business users
  • 13:00 – How could the desktop automation aspect of Power Automate and other RPA solutions change the outlook of GP solution owners for technical modernization?
  • 17:30 – Why it is valuable to show customers more than one way to use Power Platform to achieve similar automation goals.
  • 22:45 – Why GP users might find Power Automate a better option than GP macros for automating repetitive activities.
  • 26:00 – Will Power Platform serve as a preferred area of investment for GP customers over ERP upgrade or migration?
  • 31:00 – How Mekorma is incorporating elements of the Power Platform into their product development and internal operations.
  • 37:30 – What Mariano would like to see improved next in the Power Platform
  • 39:00 – Why Teams is so important to the future of business applications
Sep 20, 2019

In this news roundup episode, our editorial desk offers an accelerated review of recent news and expert insights published on MSDW. Among the topics covered are:

Sep 12, 2019

What does it mean to be an ISV in the Microsoft business applications channel these days? With so many aspects of that particular type of partner relationship in flux today, there is no single answer. Yet another sign that things are not what they used to be: the most recent Inc. 5000 list, which featured only five or so partners from the Microsoft Dynamics channel down from nearly twenty in 2017.

While magazine "best of" lists are a generally terrible way to measure anything, at least this one has a bit of quantitative data to use as a starting point for a discussion. So on this MSDW podcast episode, we speak with Mike Dickerson, CEO of ClickDimensions, one of the Dynamics-focused ISVs on this year's list. They reported over 100% growth over the last three years.

As Mike tells us, there is no single reason for the drop on the Inc list. But with the massive changes underway in this space, both with the products and the partner strategy, there is plenty to consider in terms of what is changing, why, and how ISVs can position themselves for the future.

Show Notes

  • 3:00 – What has allowed ISVs to grow historically in the Dynamics space?
  • 6:00 – What might have caused the dropoff in high growth ISVs in this space, as measured by the Inc. 5000?
  • 11:15 – Is it a problem for Microsoft if fewer ISVs in their channel are growing?
  • 13:30 – What does growth mean to ISVs vs VARs?
  • 18:30 – How much influence does Microsoft have as a partner vs as a competitor?
  • 22:30 – The multi-faceted art of planning for change in the Microsoft channel
  • 27:15 – Can newcomers to the Microsoft business applications channel find real growth opportunities today?
  • 30:00 – How businesses can make the most of their marketing automation investments.
Aug 26, 2019

The reporting architecture of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (D365FO) is moving toward data lakes, and it's not a simple change for customers to understand. Today's guest, Kirk Donahoe, solution architect and consulting manager at MCA Connect, has been studying the changes to the entity store and the BYOD model and wrote about it recently. The use of ADLS Gen2 will change the overall architecture of D365FO in the Azure cloud, but it will also impact third party data warehouse solutions like his firm's. Partners like MCA Connect need to understand what to do next, but just as importantly, so do D365FO customers.

Kirk spends a good deal of his time advising clients on the impact of Microsoft's changes. He and other D365FO experts are also paying close attention to Microsoft's guidance on the topic as it rolls out, sometimes with bigger announcements but often in small pieces.

On this episode, Kirk reviews some of the highlights of his recent article, discusses how various updates will impact both D365FO and AX users, and explains how other Azure data services factor into a Microsoft cloud ERP customer's experience.

Show Notes

  • 2:30 – What's the impact of ADLS Gen2 on D365FO customers and Microsoft customers more generally?
  • 3:30 – More about Kirk's role at MCA Connect
  • 4:30 – What is the present state of data management and reporting in AX and D365FO?
  • 6:30 – Microsoft's move away from multidimensional data services and toward tabular.
  • 9:45 – What are entity store limitations today, and what will change with ADLS?
  • 12:00 – Why ADLS Gen2 does not change the need for data warehouses and a real reporting strategy.
  • 13:00 – Common examples of unstructured data in a data lake
  • 14:15 – How are AX and D365FO customer responding to the data lakes plan so far? And how will customer migrate to it?
  • 17:00 – How Power BI plays into the change, and how costs of Power BI and ADLS Gen2 compare to today's architectures
  • 20:00 – When will D365FO customers be switched to the data lake from the current entity store?
  • 21:20 – What does this mean for AX users planning an upgrade?
  • 24:30 – Open Data Initiative, data lakes, CDS for analytics, and other Azure data services to track
  • 26:45 – What should customers understand first to manage their project investments?
  • 29:00 – What else could Microsoft be doing to improve customer value?
Aug 21, 2019

Microsoft MVP Erik Hougaard published his first book this week, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Field Guide, and he joins the MSDW Podcast to talk about the book, the state of Business Central, and his experiences with self-publishing.

Erik has been working with NAV and Business Central for a long time. He's perhaps best known for his work as a developer and architect and his related blogging and speaking. The Field Guide is a departure from some of the topics he usually discusses. It is written for new Business Central users and administrators, whether they have experience with Dynamics NAV or not. It is not intended as a cover to cover read, he says, but rather as a real field guide – something meant to be picked up as needed to learn more about specific topics, from standard features to integration options to reporting and customization.

We discuss a few important chapters, Erik's experience writing and publishing the book, and plans for updating it as Business Central is updated by Microsoft every six months going forward.

Show Notes:

  • 2:00 – Why write a book, and why make it a field guide?
  • 7:45 – What is it like to write about Business Central for the newcomer?
  • 10:00 – Thoughts on the real uses of the "Intelligent Cloud" tools for linking on-prem to cloud BC
  • 13:20 – User productivity in the Business Central interface
  • 19:00 – What topics around BC could use a deeper dive?
  • 21:30 – The strength of standard BC integration via APIs
  • 22:45 – How to keep a Business Central book current.
  • 24:50 – Thoughts on self-publishing
  • 26:10 – What else you need to know about the book.
Aug 9, 2019

In today's news roundup episode we break down recent Microsoft announcements, and highlight recent expert content on budgeting, automation, reporting, and ERP integration, and more.

Topics include:

Aug 7, 2019

Microsoft's industry accelerators for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform don't simply appear. Rather, they are the result of extensive collaboration with partners willing to share their years of experience and intellectual property to help develop standardized data models and feature sets. In the financial services sector, VeriPark has contributed to that effort, contributing to the development of the recently launched Banking Accelerator.

Our guest on this episode, Wim Geukens, managing director of VeriPark Europe, explains that committing some of the company's most valuable IP to an open source initiative like an industry accelerator wasn't an easy decision. And while they may be losing some advantages, there are advantages to helping Microsoft shape its industry model, too, he says. The company also continues to move ahead with efforts to offer more high value capabilities for financial services firms, in areas like language processing and facial recognition.

We also discuss Wim's recent articles for MSDW on approaching the requirements of omnichannel customer engagement in the banking and insurance sectors. One reason the articles work so well is that, unlike generic statements on the importance of improving customer experience, they take on real and addressable challenges like integrating legacy solutions and prioritizing the availability of customer information at key moments.

Show Notes:

  • 2:30 – Approaching omni-channel customer experience needs for specific industries
  • 4:30 – The insurance industry's unique requirements
  • 5:50 – Are insurers eager to re-invent themselves through innovation and a modern architecture?
  • 10:15 – VeriPark's evolution as an industry-focused vendor
  • 13:45 – What does an industry-focused approach mean when designing and marketing a solution?
  • 18:00 – Does leading edge technology have a place in financial industries?
  • 19:00 – Why work with Microsoft on the banking accelerator initiative.
  • 23:00 – The broader industry effort around the Microsoft Business Applications platform
  • 26:00 – What's next for VeriPark's investment with Microsoft? Blending what's possible and what's realistic.
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