This episode is sponsored by Cavallo. Microsoft has provided a wealth of Dynamics 365 Business Central product and channel guidance in 2023 that is sure to impact strategic planning across the ecosystem. Our guests on this episode, Matt Abbott and Bob McAdam of Cavallo, share their views on what the future holds for customers, VARs, and ISVs. Coming out of Directions North America 2023, they discuss their unique perspective on going to market with advanced capabilities that augment Business Central. In a specialized area like advanced workflow capabilities for order management, Cavallo must stay aligned with Microsoft's process automation capabilities, they say, while continuing to differentiate their advanced out of the box offering. Bob and Matt also offer a preview of their team's conference plans for the near future. Show Notes: 2:30 – Our guests' impressions of the Dynamics SMB channel after Directions North America 2023 7:00 – Is Microsoft encouraging Business Central customers toware ISV solutions and away from customization? 10:45 – How VARs are transitioning to embrace ISV solutions 14:30 – The importance of building successful partnerships between ISVs and VARs 16:00 – Thoughts on the Business Central team's AI roadmap 20:30 – Digital commerce opportunities around Business Central today 24:30 – The importance of workflow automation tailored to an industry 29:30 – Update on Cavallo's community activities: DynamicsCon Live, Innovia's customer event, and more For more information or to see a demo of Cavallo, reach out to Matt Abbott: matt.abbott@cavallo.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkRXU78x7Ds

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