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.
When a new application changes the way a business operates, it is changing the way individual workers carry out their jobs. Our guest, Derek Lichtenwalner, a digital transformation specialist at water bottling company BlueTriton Brands, understands the impact of changes better than your average solution developer because he made the transition to his current role after working several in roles on the company's production line.
Now a Microsoft Power Apps expert at the company, he is responsible for developing and enhancing applications that the production workers use to inspect and maintaining equipment.
Derek tells us about how Power Apps changed the trajectory of his career from production to digital transformation, and how he now interfaces with both the company's employees and management.
Show Notes:
This episode is sponsored by Avanade.
In a landscape of global competition and supply chain complexity, manufacturers are turning to some of the most interesting and newest technology offerings to help fuel their success. And our guests,
Jennifer Johnson, Avanade’s North America Manufacturing Industry lead, and Thomas Nall, Avanade’s Global Manufacturing Industry lead, share their perspective on the investments their manufacturing clients are making or planning as modern manufacturers. From big data and data transformation to disruptive technology and sustainable manufacturing, they share stories from the field and how Avanade is helping manufacturers move the needle when it comes to data, technology and innovation.
Show Notes:
Connect with Jen and Tom on LinkedIn and visit Avanade.com for more information on Avanade - the leading digital innovator, creating great experiences and realizing results for their clients through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem.
This episode is sponsored by Beanworks.
The twelve months from March 2020 to March 2021 were an important year for financial automation vendor Beanworks for a few key reasons. The pandemic made their tools indispensable, both for existing clients and those companies scrambling to get away from paper-based financial processes. The company was also acquired by Quadient, which marks the next phase in the company's history.
Beanworks CEO Catherine Dahl joins us to talk about some of the key moments in her company's history, from their challenging start picking up the pieces of a previous firm to their product development roadmap, post-acquisition plans, and more. The company operates with the current and future needs of finance department workers in mind, Dahl says, and their product portfolio, from managing purchase orders to invoices to expenses to payments, reflects that worldview.
Show Notes:
Eliminate 83% of data entry, with AI-powered header and line item data capture, so your team can focus on higher-value tasks. Manage POs, invoices, payments and expenses from a central platform. For more information visit beanworks.com or email us at sales@beanworks.com
This episode is sponsored by Columbus.
Microsoft has made some important updates to its desktop-as-a-service lineup this year, with the launches of Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). To help make sense of the differences, the strengths of each, and how they stack up in the broader marketplace, we are joined by Jason Valenzano, senior technical solution architect for managed services at Columbus. Jason walks us through some of the details and differentiating factors of Microsoft's virtual desktop offerings and where organizations can best apply each one today.
Factors like onboarding and the complexity of the surrounding IT environment, including security and hybrid needs should be at the top of the list, he says. But don't underestimate the employee experience benefits of the right desktop as a service offering like the flexibility of work location, streamlined IT support, and choice of the devices people can use to get work done.
Show Notes:
For more information on infrastructure and application management services, please visit https://www.columbusglobal.com/en-us/solutions/application-management or contacts Luke.Dudenhoeffer@columbusglobal.com.
This episode is sponsored by Vertex.
Changes in sales, use, and value added taxes around the world reflect other key shifts in economies, both local and international. As B2B and B2C commerce accelerated into digital channels starting in 2020, businesses were forced to not only reconcile their finances differently, but contend with any manual processes that would hold up their ability to levy and pay taxes. At the same time, companies have expanded geographically or digitally, making their tax burdens more complex.
On this episode, Steve Johnston and Arun Raghavan of Vertex join us to discuss the state of tax automation and how it aligns with the ongoing shift to cloud ERP. As they explain, sales tax is not just about selling, it should be considered part of the broader customer engagement processes that touch sales, service, expense management, and more. And as regulations themselves evolve and modernize, the governments raise their expectations of businesses to comply, including the growing likelihood of the need in some places for real-time remittance and compliance.
Show Notes:
For more information on how Vertex delivers sales, use, and value added tax technology for a wide range of Microsoft Dynamics platforms, visit https://www.vertexinc.com/partners/microsoft-dynamics-365 or contact them by email: microsoftdynamics@vertexinc.com
This episode is sponsored by Formpipe.
In this podcast, leaders of the team at Formpipe join us to discuss the challenges of viewing and accessing documents across the Microsoft Dynamics applications - and beyond.
As organizations push for more automation, more data availability, and better customer experiences, the challenges of document management and visibility continue to grow. Businesses are asking tough questions of IT in a world where user roles blur, as do expectations for interacting with document data, from ERP and CRM interfaces to portals and beyond.
As our guests explain, the future of documents is a reflection of the future of business more broadly in terms of data control, user experience, and business outcomes.
Show Notes:
For more information on Formpipe or Autoform DM, please visit www.formpipe.com or contact them at sales@formpipe.com
This episode is sponsored by KwikTag by enChoice.
Many organizations understand the benefits of automated invoice approval but often they haven't taken the next step to automate payments processing. Our guests on this episode, Mary Miller and Tiffany Allen of KwikTag by enChoice, share their outlook on payment processing and how its role alongside AP automation has changed in the last couple years. Paper checks have always been a costly and inefficient payment method, especially at scale, but the pandemic made checks even more challenging to manage. We discuss key elements of automating payment processing like virtual cards and cash flow management. But Tiffany and Mary also explain some of the broader spend management opportunities that their customers are enjoying, like control of spend over time and optimizing contracts.
Show Notes:
KwikTag, by enChoice, leads organizational digital transformation as the one system for invoice and payment automation. KwikTag helps organizations increase efficiency and gain visibility into their invoice workflows with complete AP automation and powerful integrations with the Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems. Visit kwiktag.com to learn how automation could benefit your business.
Learn more about KwikPayables Accelerate, the cloud-based AP and payment automation solution for Dynamics GP, watch this episode of Coffee with KwikTag: Complete the AP Cycle with Payment Processing. To read more about why AP and payment automation is so important post-pandemic, read the whitepaper: Why Automate AP and Payment Processes?
The Ignite Fall 2021 event has now wrapped. The virtual event was full of product updates that gave strong indications of Microsoft's plans for cloud, devices, application development, employee experiences, and collaboration. To wrap up our Ignite 2021 news coverage, veteran Microsoft MVP and new MSDW contributor Asif Rehmani joins us to break down some of the major announcements and how they could shape the future for businesses, workers, learning, and, in some cases, for society at large.
Show Notes
More information:
This episode is sponsored by Inogic.
Microsoft MVP and Inogic co-founder Roohi Shaikh joins the podcast to discuss geoanalytics, solution development, product management, and the needs of the Dynamics 365 CRM community.
Inogic's product lineup includes its flagship, Maplytics, but it also includes over a dozen other apps, many of which cover relatively simple use cases that add efficiency and boost productivity. But as she exlains, simple does not always mean easy. Apps that boost productivity can help everyone from the small to very large Dynamics customers. We also talk about how Azure services now play a part in R&D and what Microsoft customers think about using the public cloud.
Show Notes:
About Inogic : Inogic has a suite of 15 Microsoft Preferred Productivity Apps on Microsoft AppSource. Be it App Integrations, streamlining Document Management in Dynamics 365 CRM/CE, improving productivity with its suite of 1 Click Apps or simply visual representation of data using Visualization Apps – Inogic has always been a hub of distinct and innovative solutions for Dynamics 365 CRM / Dataverse (Power Apps). Its flagship product Maplytics™ is a geo-analytical mapping app that provides seamless Maps and Dynamics 365 CRM integration with features like Territory Management, Radius Search, Appointment Planner and Routing within Dynamics 365 / Dataverse (Power Apps) across all devices. A preferred app on Microsoft AppSource, Maplytics helps businesses around the world plot, plan and analyze their CRM data on a rich and interactive map interface within Dynamics 365 CRM.
In this quick news roundup episode, the MSDW editorial team reviews a period of active deal-making in the Microsoft Dynamics channel. We look at all sorts of M&A, including deals driven by private equity, by big corporations, smaller ones, and an SMB merger. We also review three recent features by contributing authors with very different expertise.
Articles referenced in this episode:
Our sites:
MSDynamicsWorld -
Everest Group recently published its new assessment of Microsoft Dynamics 365 service providers, and lead author and practice director Abhishek Mundra joins us to discuss the report's findings. The report evaluates service delivery factors across some of the most recognizable names in the Microsoft channel, including a few we rarely hear about in the context of Dynamics 365.
We do not get into details on any specific service provider, but we discuss topics raised in the report like adoption trends, industry specialization, measuring Dynamics 365 customer satisfaction, and the mix of Dynamics customers from the SMB sector up through large enterprises.
Abhishek also offers some perspective on how his team's findings on Dynamics 365 services compare with services in competitors' channels like Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, and more.
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Cynthia Priebe of New View Strategies joins us for a conversation following her article and presentation on how to best use the Dynamics 365 Business Central EFT data exchange definitions and assisted setup. These capabilities offer a lot of potential value for Business Central users without the help of developers or administrators, she says. But the setup is not always straight forward, and we discuss some of the points she has made already and how MSDW readers have reacted to her findings.
Show Notes:
It's about time for another news roundup from our editorial team. We look at new product launches, Microsoft Dynamics and Azure partner news, new sales figures, and some of the most popular article contributions from subject matter experts.
Show Notes:
This episode is sponsored by Mavim.
Business process modelling touches nearly every element of a Dynamics 365 ERP or CRM project, from the customer's requirements and goals to a partner's pre-sales engagement to Microsoft's own platform and tools for project execution.
On this episode we speak with Edwin Jongsma of Mavim, makers of BPM tooling built on Microsoft technology, about the variety of ways in which BPM fits into Dynamics projects today.
We discuss some of the subtle but important reasons to focus on business process transformation from the diagnostic stage of a project onward, and why having a platform to support BPM leads to successful outcomes for both an individual project and for managing a broader IT portfolio.
Microsoft has a role to play in BPM for Dynamics 365, Edwin notes. The Lifecycle Services platform is one obvious touchpoint, as is the Catalyst methodology for envisioning and planning solutions. And Power Platform's low-code/no-code tools, have an important role to play in both defining business process and reflecting an organizations needs.
And, Jongsma argues, partners should be applying BPM concepts to provide industry models and process expertise to shorten the diagnostic phase and provide better guidance.
Show Notes:
More from Mavim:
This episode is sponsored by ExpandIT.
Field service solutions maintain a unique position in the world of business software. It serves a distinct purpose and is used by very specific roles, and yet it also needs to work alongside other critical systems like a Dynamics ERP solution.
John Macdonald, group CSO and regional president for North America at ExpandIT joins us to talk about the types of businesses adopting field service today and how his firm's solution has matured alongside common ERPs like Dynamics 365 Business Central. We discuss the types of deployments and business outcomes his clients are seeking today, including some of his observations from recent customer conversations. For example, he estimates that eight percent of the prospects his sales team talks with are not moving from another field service solution but rather using manual, unstructured processes today.
As you will hear, John brings a unique perspective as a solution provider. Before joining ExpandIT, he held roles at Navision and Microsoft, so he is understands the challenges of the ERP-focused partner and how field service touch points should be optimized.
Show Notes:
About ExpandIT : ExpandIT Field Service software puts information at your service technicians’ fingertips – digitally. Easily track key information, access up to date data, view a real-time overview of job related information, complete checklists and provide photographic proof of work completed.
This episode is sponsored by Stratos Cloud Alliance, Velosio’s Microsoft partner program. Visit www.dynamics365partner.com to learn more about their partner offerings.
Microsoft has been moving the Power Platform forward steadily over the last few years, both by expanding the platform and by deepening the tools and capabilities in each of the services. At the same time, the messaging from Microsoft about the suite has evolved, with encouragement for citizen developers and promises that professional developers and partners have a place in this ecosystem. Those dynamics of customer self-service and partner guidance may seem at odds, but the reality is that, like the rest of the Microsoft business applications stack, expertise comes from investments in skills development and from the time and experience gained from real world projects. While users may be able to get started themselves with Power Platform by building small scale apps or flows, the reality, say my guests Scott May and Rod Donovan of Stratos Cloud, is that partners are already becoming the trusted resource for most customers in more advanced scenarios. And, they believe, that opportunity will only grow, making Power Platform one of the best opportunities for new client engagements going forward.
Show Notes:
About: Stratos Cloud Alliance is the Microsoft CSP Indirect Provider that provides all the sales support, enablement, and services a partner needs to build a profitable cloud solutions business with Microsoft Dynamics 365. With over 33 years’ experience implementing Dynamics business management solutions, Stratos Cloud offers partners a comprehensive portfolio of Microsoft Cloud Business and Productivity Solutions, ISV Products and Tools, Customer Services, and flexible Partner Programs supporting transformation at the pace and investment level that is right for you.
This episode is sponsored by BI4Dynamics.
Microsoft offers its Dynamics ERP customers a variety of ways to get started with analyzing their business data, but the BI and analytics landscape continues to evolve as data growth accelerates and industry demands change. Our guest on this episode, Dr. Vijay Jog, the founder of CRGroup and president of Global Business Applications for CRGroup’s parent company, Quisitive, joins us to discuss the BI and reporting themes influencing Dynamics space today.
Expectations are changing for many roles, Vijay believes. Accounting teams must provide better insight that leads to a proactive outlook. IT departments must gaining new skills in areas like data lakes, analytics, storage, and security. And teams continue to struggle with the perennial problem of data islands, Vijay says.
BI and analytics options vary by Dynamics product, and Vijay shares his views on some of the most interesting new and upcoming capabilities, including the transition from BYOD to BYOL for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and advances with Power BI.
Show Notes:
You can start a free 30 day trial of BI4Dynamics, just visit bi4dyamics.com/trial to learn more.
Editor's Note: This episode is sponsored by Pendo.
Change is hard when it's not predictable. But replacing or adding to a worker's business applications can also be a comfortable experience when the organization provides adequate preparation and support.
Our guests on this episode, Hannah Whiteside and John Dorrian of Pendo, discuss some of the ways in which change management is impacting technology adoption today. We discuss some of the typical symptoms of a failed software deployment, including ways to prevent them. And our guests share their views on the different kinds of change management that organizations must contend with, whether human, systems-driven, or even compliance-driven.
And we frame some of those challenges in the context of Microsoft's business software offerings. As Hannah and John explain, apps like Microsoft Power Apps and Teams pose their own unique challenges and patterns of adoption.
Show Notes:
For more information on how to overcome user adoption challenges on your employee-facing applications, https://pendo.io/digital-adoption.
More information:
This episode is sponsored by Stratos Cloud Alliance, Velosio’s Microsoft partner program. Visit www.dynamics365partner.com to learn more about their partner offerings.
What does Microsoft want from partners in their fiscal 2022? If July's Inspire 2021 was any indication, partners will have to re-commit to priorities ranging from continued opportunities in remote work and data management to co-selling industry-focused solutions.
Stratos Cloud's Scott May and Jeff DeMaria join us to sort through the announcements from July and to offer some guidance on how partners can prepare for the opportunities of the new year.
Show Notes:
About: Stratos Cloud Alliance is the Microsoft CSP Indirect Provider that provides all the sales support, enablement, and services a partner needs to build a profitable cloud solutions business with Microsoft Dynamics 365. With over 33 years’ experience implementing Dynamics business management solutions, Stratos Cloud offers partners a comprehensive portfolio of Microsoft Cloud Business and Productivity Solutions, ISV Products and Tools, Customer Services, and flexible Partner Programs supporting transformation at the pace and investment level that is right for you.
Note: This episode is sponsored by Sana Commerce.
What does it take to earn and retain the business of B2B buyers today? For manufacturers contemplating ways to improve the experiences of their customers, technology investment is likely a major component of any plan. After all, B2B buyers are hard to replace and, since they are also consumers when they're not at work, their expectations have changed over the years to include things like choosing their preferred ways to buy products and get support.
Our guest, supply chain technology marketing strategist Adam Robinson, joins us to provide context on how manufacturers investments in customer experience technology like modern e-commerce is becoming one of the most critical ways to position a company for success in the future. Robinson foresees a wave of change coming to the manufacturing sector that will impact supply chains through new waves of acquisition, continuing risks disruption, and new options for buyers who will more actively seek new options if a vendor fails to meet their needs.
Show Notes
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Microsoft offered partners a wealth of Azure-related updates at Inspire 2021. To help us get our bearings on them all, we invited Gordon McKenna, a veteran Microsoft MVP and CTO for public cloud at Ensono, for a conversation. Gordon shared his perspective on both the hybrid scenarios that his clients frequently care about and some of the forward-looking goals that Microsoft has set with new Azure and Azure-adjacent product and service updates.
Show Notes:
This episode is sponsored by Cavallo.
Distribution software firm Cavallo may have recently appeared in the marketplace, but the brand is really the new incarnation of one of the most well-established vendors in the Microsoft business applications ecosystem. Formerly known as Salespad, the company has a long legacy building its solutions atop Dynamics GP and the firm has announced plans to launch its next generation of solutions on Dynamics 365 Business Central first, while also planning to support some products more broadly.
Senior vice president of product Jeremy Boogaart joins us to discuss the story behind the new brand, the evolving needs of distributors, the company's outlook for customers on both Business Central and GP, and his own lengthy career at the company, starting as one of the first employees sixteen years ago and building his expertise in a range of roles.
Show Notes:
To view Cavallo’s solutions, request a demo or visit their website at www.cavallo.com
DevOps has changed a lot in the last decade. And in the world of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and its predecessor, Dynamics NAV, the devops landscape has absorbed many of those changes in just the last two to three years as Business Central emerged as a cloud-first SaaS ERP product.
Our guests on this episode, Tobia Fenster, a Microsoft MVP and Microsoft Regional Director and fellow MVP Waldo (a.k.a., Eric Wauters), discuss their experiences with DevOps for Business Central, including the tools and services they have created to improve the experience. Their work in this area has been driven by both a need to help their internal teams and to offer solutions for the broader BC developer ecosystem that take on a range of needs in areas like container management and automated build pipelines.
DevOps requirements are more sophisticated than ever, which means the tools are more powerful, but the concepts are also more complex. That rapid shift could be a risk both to partners and to BC customers that rely on customizations in the cloud. The situation remains quite manageable, Tobias and Waldo say, but development teams joining the BC community need to address the challenges straight away and understand the stakes, for their own sake and for their customers.
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This episode is sponsored by Versapay.
The payment processing landscape today has been shaped by the enormous stresses of the last fifteen months. As our guests, Meredith Mitchell and Jason Read of Versapay explain, they have seen customers accelerating existing modernization plans while for others, their companies' survival hung in the balance of opening up new digital payment options for clients.
Jason and Meredith discuss some of their latest thinking around payment modernization and process automation, like ways to help an organization get paid on time and to make the process both easy for customers and united with the rest of the business operations through systems like Dynamics 365 Business Central.
The Versapay team is also watching some of the more interesting trends today in the Microsoft space, like supporting migrations of Dynamics SMB customers to Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management and helping customers seeking achieve even more optimization around payments.
Show Notes
For more information on Versapay or book a demo with them, visit https://info.versapay.com/versapay-payments-schedule.