When today's guest, Guus Krabbenborg, talks to Dynamics 365 partners and their customers, he likes to ask them about some of the more challenging topics in a typical ERP project: what does success really look like when each party is being honest about their goals and motivations? And why do so many projects fail to meet those goals?
Guus shares his perspective with us on customer project preparation, some of the continuing challenges of cloud ERP projects, and the role he believes Microsoft should be playing in today's Business Central partner channel. He also shares customer anecdotes and his outlook on Directions EMEA 2024.
Show Notes:
More information
This episode is sponsored by NMB Solutions.
For businesses involved in exporting from the US, AES has become a key program that spans multiple government entities and enforces key regulations. Our guest, Michelle Frenier, a strategic consultant for NMB Solutions in the aera of global trade, introduces us to the role of AES in global trade, with a focus on the key role that technology like Dynamics 365 plays in managing the rules and staying compliant.
We discuss:
More from NMB:
Learning new technology skills requires full concentration, but the task is even more challenging when it is being carried out in a learner's non-native language. Often in the business world, that training language is going to be English, and Microsoft MVP George Doubinski has seen firsthand the struggles that learners can face. George has had recent experiences training non-native speakers in an English language classroom. He explains why this is a common scenario and offers a range of suggested tools and techniques to help overcome typical headaches. We discuss vocabulary, pronunciation socio-political angles, and ways to gain comfort communicating in a business setting.
Resources:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Mike DeGeeter and Sabrina Zimara from Velosio.
With the recent end-of-life update for Dynamics GP, the Velosio team has ramped up their planning services and guidance for GP customers and will be offering Summit attendees 15 minute one-on-one consultations with specialists at booth 1452.
The team will also be showing off their Sales Velocity framework to provide comprehensive, pre-built integration of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement apps and Business Central at no cost.
Mike and Sabrina also reminded us of some of the firm's other recent news. Their new CEO, Robbie Morrison, has set a new vision for the firm focused on partnering with clients to create raving fans. The firm also has some new recognitions: they are once again Microsoft Inner Circle due to their sales success and they were named as a finalist in Microsoft's Partner of the Year award for Dynamics 365.
More information:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Joe Christensen, founder of Aqueducts Consulting.
The team at Aqueducts thinks a lot about how to help Dynamics 365 F&O and AX customers find success in their reporting and data management efforts, Joe tells us. He has seen plenty of pain and frustration among customers over the years, and there are many good reasons why, from the technology to project planning to user adoption and organizational change. Reporting challenges often come down to a solution's reliability, Joe explains. When there's no reliability, a company’s reporting system often reverts to becoming little more than key people and tools, rather than something designed to deliver reports to everyone.
We also discuss the evolution of the Dynamics 365 F&O data strategy, first with the introduction of Export to Data Lake and now Synapse Link. The Aqueducts Consulting booth at Summit will give attendees as unique "data factory" experience, and Joe explains what that will look like, blending concepts, technology, and operational process.
More information:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with returning guests Mary Miller and Sam Johnson of PayTrace.
Mary and Sam update us on their preparations for Community Summit, running October 13 to 17 in San Antonio, and the types of conversations and connections the PayTrace team are planning for at the event at booth 1027.
One theme they expect to discuss with attendees is the way that payment technology is moving across organizations today. As they explain, PayTrace customers often deploy their technology in a specific point scenario first and then move into more structured Business Central use cases like invoicing. Sam and Mary also tell us about some of the attractions you can enjoy at their booth and offer tips on getting the most out of the event.
See also:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Daniel Cai, founder and managing director of KingswaySoft.
Daniel tell us about KingswaySoft's newest offering, their JDBC Driver Pack for Dynamics 365. It first launched in July 2024 with Dynamics 365 CRM and Dataverse support, which they called JDBC 2024 release wave 1. At Community Summit they will be releasing release wave 2 for this product family to support D365 F&O and Business Central.
We discuss some of the most important use cases for the JDBC Driver pack and how Summit attendees can engage with the KingswaySoft team at booth 300 to talk data management, analytics, ETL, and more.
More information:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with David Little, leader of business development in North America for Formpipe.
As David explains, Formpipe has a big product announcement for Summit, the launch of Lasernet Essentials to the Dynamics market, a no-code solution for documentation embedded into Dynamics 365 environments.
Formpipe will also be cohosting a session with customer Steel Warehouse on their use of Lasernet in a self-service digital portal scenario for customer-centric documentation across their purchasing and delivery process.
More information:
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Nick Morea, manager of sales engineering at Leapwork.
Nick will be on site for the company at Community Summit, and he updates us on the new finding that Leapwork will be sharing with the Dynamics community in October. Their new AI report will be available, with new analysis of how to AI-based testing can best be used with in an enterprise software solution and how AI tools can actually be used to test other AI.
In addition, Leapwork's booth, 1432, will be offering attendees great coffee, educational experiences, prizes, and more.
See the company's session, Extreme Makeover – The Test Automation Edition, on Monday October 14 at 10:45 local time.
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Fauwaz Hussain, Senior Director of Strategy at Nodus Technologies.
Nodus specializes in payment acceptance and accounts receivable automation solutions that integrate with all Microsoft Dynamics platforms, and Fauwaz tells us how that expertise aligns with some of the key themes that attendees can expect at Summit. AI conversations are increasingly important, he believes. And the future of Dynamics GP will continue to be a key talking point for users. Fauwaz is presenting with other GP experts on how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the future of GP.
One of the key themes that Nodus will communicate to Dynamics ERP users, especially those who still have on-premises ERPs, is that they can still modernize their tech stack in a variety of ways without moving their core ERP to the cloud.
And Fauwaz's advice for a new show attendees: absorb as much information as you can from as many resources as possible. Take advantage of the deep networks that veterans in the community can offer to help you make valuable connection.
Nodus Technologies will have a team of experts at booth 415. Here are more details on their sessions and parties at Community Summit:
Sessions
PSS: Money Talks: Automate AR and Hear the Difference!
Tuesday, October 15 • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM CT
Registration Link: PSS: Money Talks: Automate AR and Hear the Difference! - Community Summit NA 2024
AR Magic: Tricks to Supercharge Your Accounts Receivable
Tuesday, October 15 • 2:45 PM - 2:55 PM CT
Registration Link: Premier Spotlight: AR Magic: Tricks to Supercharge Your Accounts Receivable - Community Summit NA 2024
Mythbusters: Separating Fact from Fiction around future of Microsoft Dynamics GP
Wednesday, October 16 • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CT
Registration Link: Mythbusters: Separating Fact from Fiction around future of Microsoft Dynamics GP - Community Summit NA 2024
Parties
First Annual BC Bash Party
When: Tuesday, October 15th, from 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM CT
Where: 1902 nightclub in San Antonio
Registration Link: First Annual BC Bash Party Tickets, Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 8:00 PM | Eventbrite
PowerGP Online Party
When: Wednesday, October 16th, from 9 PM to 2 AM CT
Where: 1902 nightclub in San Antonio
Registration Link: PowerGP Online Party - PowerGP Online
MSDW is previewing Community Summit North America 2024 with a new series of quick podcast episodes featuring exhibitors. In this episode, we speak with Patrick Doolan, founder and CEO of our sponsor, Integrity Data. Integrity specializes in HR and payrolls solutions for Dynamics 365 Business Central and GP. He shares an update on this team's latest solutions and their plans at Community Summit including the opportunity to have casual face-to-face conversations about solving customer problems.
Patrick also shares some observations on how the industry push to embrace AI lines up against customer realities and he offers some advice for getting the most out of Summit.
More from Integrity Data:
Running better events means making them accessible to more people, and our guest on this episode, Microsoft MVP and HR expert Ana Inés Urrutia, joins us in the Biz Apps Classroom to discuss how conferences can do more to be inclusive by design. Both Ana Inés and BAC co-host Julie Yack will be participating in Scottish Summit 2024 in October, and they share some of ways that event's organizers have been improving both inclusivity and accessibility.
We also discuss what it's like to build a career in enterprise software for someone with a non-conventional professional history. Both Ana and Julie share some of their professional background and what it's meant for their time in the Dynamics and Power Platform space. Before her work with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, Ana was a psychologist, while Julie started her software career after years as an educator and a stay at home parent. Julie and Ana also share some experiences in getting the most out of education and how in-conference experiences are evolving to accommodate more attendees.
Resources:
MSDW is a media sponsor of Power Platform Community Conference 2024. Get $100 off your registration with the code MSDW100.
Microsoft MVP Lisa Crosbie has spent plenty of time and effort understanding Microsoft's rapidly expanding set of Copilot offerings for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. While she has documented many of those discoveries and insights on her popular YouTube channel, she has also been developing new in-person presentations and workshops for the upcoming event season.
Lisa joins us in the Biz Apps Classroom on this episode to preview the AI-centric session and full-day workshop she will be presenting at the upcoming Power Platform Community Conference 2024.
Lisa has historically focused a lot of her presentations on model-driven Power Apps, but for #PPCC24 she wanted to do something different, she explains. A lot of questions from the community are about the broad concept of Copilot within Microsoft solutions. Her workshop aims to look at the Copilot experiences across the various business apps and how different people can use them in their roles. Topics will include prompting skills, hands-on demos, interactive questions, and more. She wants people to come away understanding the range of possibilities and the skills they will need to use those.
Resources:
Microsoft MVP and founder of AlexaCRM George Doubinski joins us in the Biz Apps Classroom to talk about his recent experiences hiring an intern to learn what Power Platform services and solutions development are all about. As this person's internship experience nears an end, George shares several lessons and observations that others may want to consider if they set up a similar program.
George talks about the importance of insulating an apprentice from customer scrutiny, finding the balance between teaching and discovery, catching and correcting bad habits, and how to know when a new learner is ready to become a true working professional. Other topics discussed include:
Links & Resources:
Derik Bormann is president and director of learning at Myrium Technology Solutions, a founding principal and instructor at 365.training, and a Microsoft MVP.
Over the last few years, Derik has been doing a lot of work training and onboarding hundreds of new Microsoft technical specialists who needed the PL-100 and PL-200 skills as well as D365 Customer Service, Field Service, Sales, and Customer Insights. He explained why that particular training had to be tailored to the needs of Microsoft employees as opposed to other styles like classroom training.
But while he has been training others to get their certs some of Derik's own certifications have lapsed. He tells us about his work to prepare to re-certify on PL-200 and PL-600. PL-200 is one of the hardest certifications to get, Julie and Derik say, due to its broad range of knowledge across Power Apps, Power BI, and other services.
We also discuss some of the other Power Platform certifications that people can choose from, how Derik recommends people prepare to pass a cert, how quickly the Microsoft exams change over time, and the benefits of Applied Skills, which Derik says are challenging but offer a good way to prepare by testing understanding in real world scenarios.
Links & Resources:
After a few years of relatively little change to certifications in the Business Applications space, Microsoft MVP Joe Griffin says he is encouraged by forward movement from Microsoft in new certs and new approaches.
In this episode, recorded live at DynamicsMinds 2024, Joe tells us about why he likes the Applied Skills approach through Microsoft Learn. He and Julie also share their experiences with the new incremental assessment capabilities of some certs and their opinion of the new D365 Customer Experience Analyst Associate cert that serves as something of a baseline for other more specialized areas.
Joe also offers a few predictions on the importance of Copilot Studio and role-based copilots and he discusses getting a broader and more diverse group of people involved with Power Platform.
Links & Resources:
The Biz Apps Classroom travelled to Slovenia last week for DynamicsMinds 2024, the Dynamics and Power Platform community conference in its second year, and we caught up with Microsoft channel expert Joe Corigliano to talk partner training and skills. Joe wears several hats in the Microsoft channel community, helping build connections, plan events like the partner track at DynamicsMinds, and working with firms on their Microsoft strategy via his role at Ciellos.
Joe talks with Julie and Jason about his work, his experiences at DynamicsMinds 2024, and his plans for future events and projects. He explained that partners face a range of challenges today in their Microsoft businesses, from administrative hurdles like optimizing the use of Partner Center to achieving the solution designations needed for maximum channel benefits. Certifications play an important role in those Microsoft designations, along with sales, utilization, and other metrics.
We also discuss other ways that partner firms are findings success with non-traditional business models that don't involve the solution designations and may not align with Microsoft's incentives. Regardless of the strategy, relationships between firms will continue to drive a lot of the success partners achieve, Joe believs.
Julie and Joe also talk about how community connections have evolved in the Microsoft biz apps channel. Developing a richer set of relationships will fall to people who work in this space directly, they believe, and it will require a range of efforts. Joe's outlook for the year includes his own podcast, organizing July's Biz Apps Partner Summit, and Community Summit.
More Resources:
Julie and Jason took the Biz Apps Classroom to Denver to talk training and learning at DynamicsCon Live 2024. Our guest on this live, in-person episode is Nick Doelman, a Microsoft MVP and former Microsoft employee.
AI was all over the conference, and we start by taking on the question of Microsoft Copilot's role in developing Microsoft technology training. Nick shares his perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of today's tools for creating learning plans, classroom training, and self-learning activities. His experiences point to Copilot as a tool, not a solution, and he explains why he still has trust issues with the technology.
Nick also shares a recent experience of asking Copilot to develop a syllabus for a client. He had to balance the potential time saved, the skills a Microsoft consultant needs to properly review such AI output, and the risks of some people leaning too heavily on these tools.
Resources:
What can Copilot do for the average business user? Julie and Jason turn on screen sharing in this video-enabled episode to examine some of the basics of interacting with a Microsoft Copilot.
Conference season has begun, and attendees will find a bounty of sessions focused on AI. But organizations will have to consider two key questions as they decide to embrace AI and Copiilot in general: how to identify useful AI-enabled scenarios and how to use them effectively and responsibly.
As Julie shows us in this walkthrough, great results are not guaranteed with an AI copilot interaction. Prompts matter, as does the user's critical eye toward the results. In this episode we explore not only prompts and responses, but the importance of language choices and how to adapt your approach during an AI interaction to get the ideal outcome.
Resources:
This episode is sponsored by Evenica.
Public sector organizations use Microsoft Business Applications for a broad range of solution needs, and the latest advances in Dynamics 365 Commerce have empowered municipalities and other government entities to transact and interact online in a compelling new ways.
In a recent panel discussion, Kelly Mazur of Microsoft partner Evenica led a discussion about what’s possible for municipalities today when they leverage the full capabilities of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, including commerce.
Topics include:
A message from Evenica:
Over the past 20 years Evenica has defined Commerce as a category and become one of the leading implementers of Dynamics 365 Commerce. They work with Microsoft customers across each major industry to create synergy between transactions and interactions. You can learn more about them at Evenica.com
Microsoft MVP and MCT EY Kalman joins us in the Biz Apps Classroom to discuss Microsoft's Applied Skills and Applied Labs, his view on the employment landscape, and some tips on making yourself a more attractive candidate.
Topics of the discussion include:
Resources:
With DynamicsCon Live fast approaching, we check in with Dynamics User Group's Ryan Harris for a quick update on the event, which runs from May 13 to 16.
Ryan tells us about the planning and offers some suggestions on how to attendees can take advantage of the event's layout and features to get the most out of the week. He also previews some of the schedule highlights like the TechFluent Gala on Tuesday, May 14.
And listen closely to this short episode because at the end we explain how to enter to win one of MSDW's two free passes to DynamicsCon Live.
Microsoft introduced three tiers of new partner benefits packages in January 2024 that were designed for partners to purchase to help meet different types of channel needs. Our guest on this episode, Microsoft MVP AJ Ansari of DSWi, has been looking closely at these benefit levels and joins us to share some of his observations about the elements of each offer, the value of different options, and how different kinds of organizations might be able to use them to their advantage. We also discuss what these offers say about Microsoft's channel engagement priorities today and how they differ from other programs and incentives.
Events and resources mentioned:
Microsoft MVP Malin Martnes has spent considerable time exploring the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) Specialist certification and its exam, MB-260, and she has discovered that the required subject matter is vast. In this episode, Malin tells us about her experience working with clients on the D365 Customer Insights Data application, her efforts to cover the topics of MB-260 on her blog, as well as more general Microsoft certification exam recommendations.
Show Notes
Resources:
How do you decide what's next in your learning journey in the Microsoft Business Applications space? The answer can depend on factors like your career plans, your employer's priorities, or your interests and skills.
Co-host Julie Yack has fielded this question many times and she shares some of the questions and concerns that she often hears from learners. We discuss some of the different options people have, from Microsoft's own training materials to conferences to working with trainers, and how to choose the right path forward. And we discuss some of the most interesting opportunities for people in the Dynamics and Power Platform ecosystem who are looking for a change.
Resources: