Training workers on their organization's Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O or CE solution is never a simple initiative. Trainers must factor in the way users learn and the way they do their work. Another critical factor: the choices the organization makes throughout an implementation project in terms of scheduling and funding training efforts. Our guest on this episode, Elif Item, is a Dynamics AX and Dynamics 365 consulting veteran and trainer and she works hard on optimizing training to match the way software users learn. Recently recognized as a Microsoft MVP, Elif talks with us about her latest work including a new video series for MSDW, her journey to becoming an MVP, expanding her work to include training on D365 CE applications, and what younger people entering the workforce will expect from their employers when it comes to technology training. Show Notes: 2:15 – Becoming an MVP and joining a small F&O MVP community in North America 6:30 – Elif's story of becoming an MVP 13:00 – What makes an F&O project successful when it comes to training? 16:45 – Developing new training programs as Microsoft's product roadmap evolves, both in the F&O space and CE 20:30 – The unique training needs of sales-focused employees 23:00 – How has Covid impacted customers' approaches to training? 27:30 – What does the future of D365 solutions mean for users' training needs? 38:00 – Will AI disrupt training development or change users' training needs? References: Item by Item New MDSW Video Series: 10 Dangers to Avoid in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Training Elif's other writing and videos on MSDW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5q81jL4TUc

This episode is sponsored by Microsoft. FastTrack senior program manager Rachel Profitt joins us to talk about Dynamics 365 F&O migrations, the latest updates to the FastTrack program, and her team's newest achievement, the launch of new business process guides and a guidance hub. The first editions of the guides have just launched, and Rachel talks about what it means to take a business process-focused implementation, how to use the tools, how partners and users might contribute, and how to give her team feedback. This conversation follows a Microsoft roundtable on successful AX to D365 migrations hosted by MSDW in which Rachel also participated. Show Notes: 3:00 – Reviewing recent and upcoming community events and activities 8:00 – The return of bigger user-focused events in Europe 11:30 – The launch of the Dynamics 365 Guidance Hub 15:00 – Using the process catalog: Defining project scope, capabilities, and how it fits into project management 19:00 – The evolution of the Guidance Hub with feedback from customers and partners 21:00 – Which parts of the process catalog are most developed today 27:00 – Common scenarios in which customers can take advantage of this guidance 28:00 – How the FastTrack team is progressing to incorporate more implementation process in addition to technical expertise Resources: Business Processes on Github https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5oOD6OHE2Y

This episode is sponsored by Forceworks. Microsoft has revealed a broad range of plans to bring generative AI to businesses. The Copilot brand now spans productivity tools, collaboration, and business applications, and their Azure OpenAI Service will offer any developer new ways to incorporate the technology into their own offerings. Our guest, Microsoft MVP and Forceworks CEO Steve Mordue, has been thinking about the impact AI will have on some of today's conventional wisdom around developers and applications. He wrote about Microsoft's vision for building a massive population of no-code/low-code citizen developers and why that could be as unrealistic as the myth of the so-called full-stack developer. Microsoft's Copilot investments could expose the weak points in how customers use Power Platform or how they customize their business applications more broadly, Steve says. He even offers a few guesses at what could come next as Microsoft and others in the generative AI market accelerate their efforts. Show Notes: 1:00 – Did the velocity of ChatGPT's uptake surprise Microsoft 3:00 – The challenge of making generative AI useful and not generic 4:30 – Roles that AI will impact heavily, according to Microsoft executives 6:30 – The value of AI tools for end users compared to developers 9:00 – Has no-code-low-code and the push for more citizen developers helped Microsoft customers? 13:30 – Foreceworks's progress on their services as a subscription model 16:30 – What could come next in the generative AI space at Microsoft and with competitors References: The Forceworks subscription model Steve's blog post: The Myth of the Full Stack Developer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qkuijEIfW4