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…

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 f…

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 rece…

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 of…

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, …

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 a…

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 …

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 m…

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 c…

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 pla…

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…

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 th…

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 ins…

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 con…

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 Softw…

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 bec…

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. TechBayani…

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 or…

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 Cust…

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 Le…

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 l…

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 …

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 deci…

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 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: Microsoft certifications and their value for landing a new job. Other ways EY's team evaluate…

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…

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…

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…

This episode is sponsored by Leapwork. Microsoft has recently adjusted the update schedule and policies for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations apps, with the One Version strategy now driving the delivery for four service updates per year to customers, with limited pauses allowed. Given the regular cadence, the short testing windows, and the need t…

TechFluent Academy is gearing up for a new class of students and the nonprofit expects a major increase in applications (the deadline is May 15) and participation. To learn more, the organization's founder and executive director, Liz McGlennen, spoke with Julie and Jason about their current enrollment, eliminating barriers to entry, and what it tak…

This episode is sponsored by Paymerang. The world of invoice and payments automation continues to evolve, and our guests on this episode, Tiffany Allen and Brian Cook of Paymerang, join us to discuss their team's vision for serving the needs of organizations running Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Paymerang's recent acquisition of KwikTag …

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 le…

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 Microso…

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 follow…

This episode is sponsored by Vertex. Tax engines have a unique role to play in the performance of mid-market businesses. Our guest on this episode, Pete Olanday, Director of Consulting, Vertical Solutions: Retail, Leasing, Telecommunications, at Vertex discusses how implementing a tax engine can help mid-market companies streamline processes, enhan…

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 mem…

Microsoft just released their plans for 2024 Release Wave 1 of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, and the Finance and Operations suite will be adding a range of process and data-themed capabilities. Generative AI is part of that roadmap too, of course, but our guest on this episode, Microsoft VP Georg Glantschnig, shares that his broader focus is on …

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 …

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 cap…

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 P…

This episode is sponsored by Vertex. Larry Mellon , Tax Director – Chief Tax Office at Vertex, joins us to shed light on potential risks that businesses grapple with when they rely on their ERP's native tax functionality rather than a dedicated tax engine. Larry tells us about his history with Vertex, working both internally and with both customers…

In our inaugural episode of the Biz Apps Buzz, host Amiee Keenan speaks with Cavallo’s head of strategic partnerships, Bob McAdam, about the company’s latest product updates. He shares updates on new solutions for Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics GP focused on business performance and profitability, as well as new integrations and enhance…

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 do…

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 …

The analysts at Everest Group have published their latest ratings of systems integrators in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem, and changes in the space reflect both product trends and attitudes toward enterprise software investment. Our guest, Everest Group practice director Abhishek Mundra, discusses the factors that his time uses to assess ser…

This episode is sponsored by enVista. The speed with which Microsoft has introduced various Copilot capabilities has challenged even the most dedicated channel professionals to keep up. Updates across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and beyond have signaled a new era at Microsoft, with the company's product teams all putting AI-based c…

This episode is sponsored by Wisefish. Seafood companies face a unique mix of operational and production challenges related to sustainability, traceability, supply chain management, and cloud adoption. Our guests on this episode, Sigrun Dora and Ari Hróbjartsson of Wisefish, tell us about the ways that their company's seafood industry solutions, bu…

This episode is sponsored by Vena. Organizations are rethinking the finance function and its potential to improve business-wide collaboration, decision making, and planning. In the Microsoft ecosystem, standard tools like Dynamics 365 Finance, Power BI, and Excel play a key role for financial professionals, but the office of finance often needs mor…

With the second annual Microsoft Power Platform Conference (MPPC 2023) now over, Microsoft MVPs Steve Mordue and Asif Rehmani joined us to review their experiences and observations at the event. Microsoft had positive numbers to share on growth in both customers and community, but it was the company's messaging on Copilot overpowered other announce…

This episode is sponsored by KwikTag by Paymerang. KwikTag recently joined the Paymerang family, bringing together the firms' AP and payment automation services. Their combined solutions streamline invoice and payment automation to extract and match data, eliminating manual processes to reduce the risk of fraud. On this MSDW Podcast episode, Sierre…