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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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This episode is sponsored by Resco.
How does your organization handle mobility requirements on Microsoft Power Platform projects? Ivan Stano, SVP at Resco, joins us to help break down the realities of Power Platform mobility across a variety of use cases. We discuss the latest innovations to extend your Power Platform projects and grow your Microsoft business. Ivan also offers a peek into Resco's vision for Power Platform mobility and the simple steps to get involved.
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The Biz Apps Classroom welcomes its first guest on this episode, Microsoft MVP and partner executive Vlad Sarov joins us to talk about the work he, podcast co-host Julie Yack, and others have been doing on a project to bring Microsoft Business Applications skills to adults in Ukraine through an ongoing series of training cohorts. The program follows Microsoft's prescribed Business Application professional skilling collection, but the team have taken the extra effort to translate the learning materials, adapt the guidance to allow for online interaction, and develop automated translation capabilities to allow trainers who don't speak Ukrainian to still help educate the students.
Vlad and Julie share the program's history, the team effort that was required to launch it and keep it running, the outcomes for graduates, and how they hope to expand the training to more cohorts in Ukraine and perhaps in other parts of the world.
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Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW.
On this episode, we are talking role-based training: where it works well, what roles tend to benefit, and how the concept has evolved in the Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform ecosystem.
Role-based training in the Biz Apps space coincides with changes in Microsoft certifications, and that that has helped shift the focus of learners away from memorizing facts about software and toward developing skills, says our co-host, Julie Yack. And while Microsoft have their own overall approach to role-based training and certification, it is not the only reference out there. Julie shares some of her experiences training people in a range of roles and settings.
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Conferences play a key role in many Dynamics and Power Platform professionals' training plans. On this episode, Julie and Jason talk about the types of educational content that are gaining popularity at Microsoft-focused events, how sessions are selected, and how to get the most educational value out of the next event you choose to spend your time at.
Julie gives an update on planning for the next Power Platform 24 virtual event on March 20 and 21 and their call for speakers. We also talk about Jason's recent trip to the NRF Big Show 2024 event, why AI could become a bigger part of event attendees experiences soon, balancing structure and spontaneity in an event schedule, and whether session selection teams are doing a better job encouraging participation from a diverse range of presenters.
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The latest updates to Metafile's AP Automation solution blend improving AI-based capabilities with their trusted capabilities around process and data efficiency. Company veteran Doug Bertram talks with Biz Apps Buzz host Amiee Keenan about his experiences watching the company's AI tools evolve before his eyes, with extraction and error handling capabilities improving almost before his eyes. Doug tells the story of a demo thrown off when the solution's AI engine learned to correctly interpret an invoice field that had been failing a few weeks earlier. And he explains how improvements in understanding documents raises the bar for AP fundamentals like automating 2-way and 3-way PO matching and for approving invoices without a PO.
To learn more about the latest updates from Metafile, contact them at info@metafile.com.
About Biz Apps Buzz
Biz Apps Buzz is the newest podcast series from MSDynamicsWorld.com, focusing on breaking news and announcements from Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform channel partners. The conversation is broadcast live on LinkedIn and YouTube, and the recording is then made available as a podcast.
Julie and Jason are talking about goals and goal setting. While neither of them is a self-described goal setter, they both acknowledge that taking a goal-oriented approach can be a helpful tool for professional development.
Using the SMART(ER) model as a reference point, they talk through different ways professionals in the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform space can set goals for their own professional development. They note examples of various people in the Microsoft community who have modelled great goal-setting behaviors for the rest of us, and they identify tools and programs that listeners can look at for further guidance and inspiration.
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About Biz Apps Buzz
Biz Apps Buzz is the newest podcast series from MSDynamicsWorld.com, focusing on breaking news and announcements from Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform channel partners. The conversation is broadcast live on LinkedIn and YouTube, and the recording is then made available as a podcast.
Julie Yack has years of experience with Microsoft certification exams, whether taking them herself, helping others prepare to pass them, and even helping Microsoft develop new ones. On this episode she talks with Biz Apps Classroom co-host Jason Gumpert about her certification experiences over the years, both good and bad, and what Microsoft has done to improve their approach in recent years by transitioning toward a role-based model and taking steps to make exams and exam prep somewhat more accessible.
Special offer: Listeners can support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW.
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More about Practice Assessments: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/practice-assessments-for-microsoft-certifications
We are kicking off our new podcast series, the Biz Apps Classroom, and our hosts, Julie Yack of 365.training and Jason Gumpert of MSDynamicsWorld.com, discuss how this project arose and where it will be going in future episodes. They chat about some of the training and learning themes influencing the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 landscape today and trade notes on recent conference experiences and Microsoft product announcements. Julie also shares some observations from her most recent classroom training work.
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of the Biz Apps Classroom, where we will examine topics like the influence of AI, Microsoft certifications, training resources, classroom and teaching styles, the evolution of the Microsoft business applications products, and more.
Special offer: Listeners can support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW.
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