On this episode we welcome back Jeff Bacon and Elliot Fishman of Catapult ERP. Elliot recently published a two part piece on MSDW that explains how his firm will adapt its business model to serve clients in a SaaS era that no longer aligns with older time and materials or fixed price models for services delivery. Cloud adoption, a preference for subscription pricing, and a trend away from customization in favor of packaged add-on solutions all lead Fishman and Bacon to the conclusion that services firms that want to survive in this era must rethink their engagement model from the ground up.

Show notes:

• 2:00 - The changing tendencies of the customer engagement model – from upfront investment to consumption
• 5:45 – Software deployment as a risky enterprise for customers (historically)
• 10:00 – Where's the risk today?
• 12:45 – Are Dynamics 365/CRM and NAV customers trending toward standard ISV solutions?
• 17:30 – How digital engagement is driving decisions.
• 22:15 – The challenge of creating meaningful career paths with the right skills but accessible to more people.
• 25:40 - How does a partner help clients understand the difference between older and newer engagement models.
• 27:45 – What a SaaS model ought to mean for a reallocation of resources
• 32:00 – Highlights of the eight point plan – the executive level
• 36:00 – Can a new model empower customers and service providers?

On this episode we talk with Kyle McKie and Iain Wicks of RocketCRM. They co-founded the company less than a year ago to deliver Dynamics 365 CRM consulting services, but they both have years of experience with both CRM and education of various sorts.

Iain recently published a two part article series on MSDW featuring 22 tips for delivering CRM training, and if you've ever had to plan software training, you'll relate. We discuss enterprise software training in general, what Dynamics 365 CRM user adoption and training looks like today, and where they are focusing their own consultancy's efforts.

On this episode we chat with two veteran Dynamics developers for some more perspective on the impact of Microsoft's decision to buy GitHub last week. The deal, for 7.5 billion dollars in stock, updates Microsoft's overall profile in the software development landscape, but it also promises to keep the status quo in many ways.

Our Guests:

• Erik Hougaard is a Microsoft MVP and popular blogger in the Dynamics NAV community. He is the VP of software development at E Foqus and is based in Vancouver.
• Nicholas Hayduk is the founder and lead developer at Dynamics 365 and CRM consulting firm Engineered Code Consulting, based in Regina, Saskatchewan. He's also an MSDW contributor.

Nicholas and Eric talk about their own experience with git the technology, GitHub the service and platform, Microsoft's image in the developer community, including with Dynamics NAV, CRM, and 365, why the deal matters to Dynamics product-focused developers, and why you need source control.

The MSDynamicsWorld.com editorial team brings back the Dynamics community news roundup on this episode, with a little of everything, from Dynamics 365 product plans to partner challenges to leading edge tech and community profiles. And we introduce MSDW assistant editor Eamon Mcarthy Earls to the podcast.

Show Notes:

• 00:45 – The evolving standards and costs of CSP Tier 1, and what it could mean for Tier 2, too
• 04:10 – A small update on the Dynamics 365 Business Central product and rollout update
• 06:15 – Work less, do more with D365FO using Flow and PowerApps
• 08:35 – The challenges of growing a Dynamics practice
• 10:50 – More thoughts on the merger of 360 Vertical Solutions and SAGlobal
• 13:20 – Affinio's audience analysis solution launching in AppSource
• 14:30 – The role of AI in ERP complexity; And service industry considerations
• 15:30 – Community profiles:
  • Microsoft Dynamics Profile: For new Australian MVP, love of the D365 / CRM platform drove professional growth
  • Microsoft Dynamics Profile: Investing in emerging tech around Dynamics 365 / CRM