Episodes
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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:
4:00 - What does project success really mean and why does the "on-premises way" still pervade partner perspectives? 11:00 - Why customer happiness should be a driving metric of partner success 13:30 - Presenting a direct message to customers and prospects - how Guus does it and why partners should get better at it 15:45 - The real guidance that partners need to give clients for success 19:30 - A story of an AX/F&O customer executive's mistakes 29:00 - Why partner success at Microsoft is still largely focused on sales and revenueMore information
More on ERP Masterclasses: www.erpmasterclasses.com A related customer story from Guus -
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:
Common mistakes when filing export data in AES Consequences of incomplete filings How to prepare for potential audits Country-specific requirements for AES filing information Technology within Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management that can address AES, and where it falls short NMB's solution to supporting AES filings in D365, including their partnership with AEBMore from NMB:
Get the AES Buyers Guide from NMB Contact NMB Solutions to learn more -
Missing episodes?
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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:
See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/ -
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:
ClearPath Migration Consultation at Summit Booth #1452 – Schedule here: ClearPath Consultation at Microsoft Summit Free BC + CE integration for Summit attendees who visit us at our booth! Mention the free integration to get signed up! -
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:
See the Aqueducts Consulting teaw at Booth 1817 Partner Solution Showcase: Tuesday October 15th, 10:45-11:45 AM
Come by to cover reporting out of D365F&O. Hear from your peers on how they designed their reporting out of F&O, with a special focus on Synapse Link, and the lakehouse/data warehouse approaches. And ask me about Report Factory! It's our new way of making sure your team can survive when any of your key people leave the BI / reporting team. Demo Zone: Wednesday Oct 16th, 4:45-4:55 PM
Where we run through how to get the most progress on F&O reporting, from 14 years of reporting in the field. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-christensen-aqc/ -
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 Podcast: The Rise of Embedded Payments for Dynamics ERP -
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:
KingswaySoft JDBC Drivers -
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:
Lasernet Essentials will be available risk-free, for immediate download starting 10/14 at https://www.formpipe.com/en/lasernet-essentials Stop by booth 1453 to get hands on with the Lasernet Platform Formpipe's session with Steel Warehouse -
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.
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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
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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:
Recent Blog post AI+HR 101: How to Use AI for the Best Results - Integrity Data (integrity-data.com) Recent webinar: Microsoft Copilot + Integrity Data HRP: Maximize your HR Software with AI” Information about Integrity Data HRP for GP & BC Information about our BC-embedded payroll and HR solution -
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:
See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/ -
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.
See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/
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:
What skills do students need coming into the Microsoft channel workforce? Why interns and apprentices have trouble focusing on the right challenge or task. The role of writing code as a Power Platform consulting intern Why a mentor must provide an environment where apprentices are safe to make mistakesLinks & Resources:
George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgedoubinski/ George's Power Platform Community Conference discount code: ENABLER100 Julie's Power Platform Community Conference discount code: JYACK100 See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/ -
This episode is sponsored by Upland Software.
In a world where the next revolutionary contact center technology is always just around the corner, the reality is that agents still need real solutions today. Computer-telephony integration (CTI) is the real game-changer, says this episode's guest, Denis Francoeur, Director of Product from Upland Software, and he explains why.
The contact center needs better connections between systems and people, Francoeur says, and CTI holds a fascinating place among IT assets. It has proved its worth over the years as an evolving technology, and the latest generation of tools, like InGenius from Upland, shows its relevance by serving as both a productivity tool for agents and as a vector for AI-driven insights, recommendations, call routing, and more. We discuss what trends in AI messaging have meant for positioning CTI, recent feedback Upland has had from Dynamics 365 customers and partners, and what users can do today to cut through the noise when deploying CTI in their organizations.
InGenius customers see an average of 50% uplift in agent call handling when integration D365 with their telephony system. Schedule a 1:1 product demo by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3M7ttW8
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This episode is sponsored by insightsoftware.
The rapid increase in attention on AI has generated lots of new conversations at insighsoftware, a global provider of comprehensive solutions for the Office of the CFO. Their customers in the Microsoft ecosystem want to bring AI and ML to bear for better performance, but challenges around data often become a hurdle.
Our guests, Warwick Leitch and Caria Collins of insightsoftware, follow up their recent MSDW webcast to talk in more detail about delivering AI-related features and planning for the data-related challenges that their clients are talk about today. Beyond data preparation and forecasting, consumers of financial and operational analytics want speed, accuracy, and the ability to configure AI models for their needs. Our guests explain why advances in forecasting, helped by AI and ML models, could prove to have the biggest impact on businesses and why new tools for anomaly detection and report suggestions could also add value.
Warwick and Caria tie these trends back to insightsoftware solution Jet Analytics and explain where AI and ML capabilities align with it. They also provide some insight into what other AI-related topics customers are thinking about for the future.
More from insightsoftware:
insightsoftware is a global provider of comprehensive solutions for the Office of the CFO. We believe an actionable business strategy begins and ends with accessible financial data. With solutions across financial planning and analysis (FP&A), accounting, and operations, we transform how teams operate, empowering leaders to make timely and informed decisions.
Learn more about Jet Analytics and Microsoft Fabric.
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The Microsoft technology community in the Philippines has grown and evolved over the years along with the products and business opportunities in the space. Now, a group of community leaders have organized a new conference in Manila with a focus on Power Platform and Dynamics 365 training and learning for professionals and students alike. TechBayanihan 2024 takes place on August 2 and 3 and promises a full schedule of sessions and activities, from Microsoft product updates to customer panels to plenty of networking opportunities.
Our guests on this episode, Microsoft MVPs Kris Ruyeras, Doher Drizzle Pablo, Ahmed Salih, and Cecile Dinh, are all part of the globe-spanning organizing committee for the event. They explain how they came together along with the rest of the team to conceive of and plan the event. They discuss the event's priorities, the organizing process, and interesting characteristics of the Microsoft tech community in the Philippines.
And listeners can help sponsor the attendance of more students. Learn more about purchasing low-cost registrations on behalf of local students.
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This episode is sponsored by PayTrace.
Bringing embedded payments capabilities to a Dynamics ERP system can offer a range of benefits, but it is not always a simple transition. On this episode, our guests, Mary Miller and Sam Johnson of PayTrace, discuss what it means to accept payments within the context of ERP-driven business processes and how organizations are reaping the benefits.
Payment requirements in B2B scenarios are unique compared to the B2C world, and our guests discuss some of the goals that PayTrace clients seek when they invest in embedded payments. Mary and Sam tell us about the experiences of their customers that have expanded payments capabilities and insights into areas like AR, cash management, and analytics. And we discuss how conversations in the Dynamics channel between partners and customers are changing based on payments-related requirements. In short, partners need trustworthy tools that they can rely on to deliver supported solutions that meet client needs.
A message from PayTrace:
The B2B payment experts, PayTrace specializes in payment processing and automation that enables businesses to accept payments anywhere and increase cash flow. They provide solutions for accounts receivable, interchange optimization, surcharging, and more, all built on the solid foundation of a B2B payment gateway that’s trusted by 40,000 merchant businesses.
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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:
Derik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derikbormann/ See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/ -
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:
Joe's Blog: https://crmchap.co.uk Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joejgriffin/ Joe on X/Twitter: https://x.com/joejgriffin See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/ - Show more
