CRM MVP Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gus Gonzalez
Gus Gonzalez, a Microsoft Business Solutions (CRM) MVP since 2012, covers subjects rarely discussed openly in the CRM Community. With 15+ years of experience in the CRM world and hundreds of successful deployments around the world, Gus brings a real-world fact-based approach to these subjects and how they affect the Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM community.
I just got back from the 2024 Community Summit in San Antonio, TX and I wanted to share my thoughts on my experience attending the event this year.
I discuss what I liked, what I didn't like, and what I think would make the event much better next year and going forward.
Topics discussed:
- The "vibe"
- Where's the value?
- Session levels
- Expertise Alignment
- Expo Floor Experience
- Copilot Overload
- The need for a shift of focus
- What the conference lacked and how it can be improved for next year
Link: https://www.summitna.com/
Here's what I learned as the Microsoft Business Applications Program Director for over 2 years.
In this episode we will talk about:
- Where have I been?
- How did I end up at Microsoft?
- What did I learn?
- Microsoft's bets over the years
- Copilot
- The change I wish to see at Microsoft
Shoutout to Neil Benson for his recommendation of https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/microsoft
Dani and James host this episode of the podcast and they share stories from projects in the past where things didn't work as expected from the get go.
Hosted by:
Dani Kahil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danikahil/
James Abraham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrossabraham/
This episode focuses on API calls and the entitlements that Microsoft expects customers to follow based on their licenses.
Gustaf Westerlund joins me to share everything you need to know about API calls.
P.S. If you are On-Prem this show is not for you. :)
Last week we attended the UG Summit 2021 in Houston, TX...many people were concerned about having an event in person and a large number of attendees decided to attend virtually instead.
In this episode, Microsoft MVPs Sarah Jelinek, Nicholas Hayduk, and Gus Gonzalez sit down and discuss their experience attending the event in person and whether they will be attending the event in 2022.
I'm never really excited to see announcements around licensing for Dynamics 365 and Power Apps, but I've been looking forward to this announcement for months!
But first, as usual, I went into a tangent about something else, this time I discuss July 1st, and how important of a date it is for me personally.
Link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/pricing_and_licensing_updates_coming_to_power_apps
There's someone who works at Microsoft who has been involved in the release of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (previously known by different names) since its Beta version.
He led the creation of the first version of the product, then the creation and release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, 4.0, and then responsible for taking it Online!
And I believe that understanding this person's role in the history of Microsoft Dynamics 365 is important if we are trying to see where the product is going in the future.
Links shared during this episode:
A Brief History of Microsoft Dynamics: https://www.nigelfrank.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-microsoft-dynamics/
Release waves of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/released-versions/dynamics-365ce
Microsoft Dynamics 365 On-Prem (v9.X) Lifecycle: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/dynamics-365-for-customer-engagement-apps-version-9-onpremises-update
Microsoft Launches Dynamics CRM Online: https://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/207401175/microsoft-launches-dynamics-crm-online.htm
Microsoft appoints Nadella to lead Microsoft Business Solutions: https://news.microsoft.com/2006/09/12/microsoft-appoints-nadella-to-lead-microsoft-business-solutions/
Reinventing Business Processes: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reinventing-business-processes-satya-nadella/
Solution audits are a great way to work around challenges with your current implementation, whether it is because you are curious about the effort to fix an issue, complete a migration, or improve user adoption, an audit can make a huge difference in terms of effectiveness of a Dynamics 365 Solution for any organization.
This is our 4th Anniversary Episode!
Thank you everyone who have been listening since May 2017. This one is for you!
I found some interesting data about the Lifecycle of Dynamics 365 On-Prem. Listen to this episode and tell me what you think.
Also, this episode is available on video through our YouTube channel: http://crmmvpmedia.com/
In this podcast Microsoft MVPs Hamish Shield and Dani Kahil dive into the concept of ‘requirement curveballs’, sharing their experience in challenging projects with complex , misunderstood or ambiguous requirements. They talk about how to get everyone on a project to that sweet spot, where there is a shared understanding of the requirements.
Links to some of the materials we discussed during the show:
Design Thinking
- Tools and Templates
-
- Design Kit
- Ideo Design Thinking
- Stanford d.school
- IBM Enterprise Design Thinking
- Training
-
- Ideo U
- Microsoft Catalyst
-
- Microsoft Learn
Design Sprints
- The Design Sprint (thesprintbook.com)
- Design Sprint Masterclass by AJ&Smart. (ajsmart.com)
Share and engage with the Design Sprint Community (designsprintkit.withgoogle.com)
Hosted by:
Hamish Shield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishsheild
Dani Kahil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danikahil
In this episode of the podcast I talk to Andrew Ly, who on top of being one of my favorite MVPs in the world he just became a FastTrack Recognized Solution Architect.
Andrew discusses the process he went through to receive the recognition and how it is different from a Certified Power Platform Solution Architect.
My Guest:
Andrew Ly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlyadelaide/
Links:
FastTrack Recognized Solution Architects - Power Platform: https://powerplatform.microsoft.com/en-us/fasttrack/recognized-solution-architects/
FastTrack Recognized Solution Architects - Dynamics 365: https://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/fasttrack/recognized-solution-architects/
Recently Microsoft announced that they will be taking over the support of local user groups while other organizations battle to fill the gaps Microsoft will be unable to fill initially such as in person events and training.
Most of the organizations looking to fill those gaps are led by implementation partners, and I wanted to share my thoughts on whether this is a good thing for the community and for the users.
Article reviewed during this episode: https://msdynamicsworld.com/node/30151/node/30151
Today we discuss 10 capabilities from Dynamics 365/Power Apps that have been around for a while and whether they are still useful. need some work, or never worked whatsoever.
The List:
- More Addresses
- Connections
- Word/Mail Merge Templates
- Follow/Unfollow
- Merge
- Duplicate Detection
- Import Data Wizard
- Bulk Duplicate Deletion
- Sharing
- Reports
To celebrate our 100th episode, I decided to compile some data about the show and go over it with you. Along the way, you'll find me going out in tangents and sharing some lessons and best practices...I hope some of these helps!
Thank you everyone for tuning in, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel below and stay tuned for even more CRM MVP Podcast in the future!
http://crmmvpmedia.com/
Most of the functionality in the Dynamics 365 Customer Service App has been around for years, so I invited two Microsoft MVPs and Customer Service experts to discuss the value of these features today.
The features we discussed are:
- Knowledge Base
- Subject
- SLAs/SLA Pausing
- Entitlements
- Queues
- Case Creation and Case Routing Rules
- Customer Service Portal
- Holiday and Customer Service Schedules
- Parent/Child Case Relationships
- Scheduling
This episode is also available on video! If you rather see our faces as we discuss these topics live, tune in and subscribe to: http://www.crmmvpmedia.com/
Guests:
Tricia Sinclair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciasinclair/
EY Kalman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecrmninja/
The Dynamics 365 2021 release wave 1 is upon us and I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about some of the features I’m really excited about, including very innovative (and borderline hard to believe) capabilities as well as some improvements we have been expecting for years!
I also address a topic that might be very controversial to discuss openly but, are MVPs losing their “allure”? Are we just "influencers" now and not really experts?
Important Links:
Dynamics 365 2021 release wave 1: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2021wave1/
Microsoft Power Platform 2021 release wave 1: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform-release-plan/2021wave1/
Most of the functionality in the Dynamics 365 Sales App has been around for over a decade, so I invited two Microsoft MVP veterans and world-class implementers to discuss the value of these features today.
The features we discussed are:
- Leads
- Quotes
- Orders, Invoices
- Sales Territories
- Goals and Fiscal Years
- Product Catalog
- Competitor
- Sales Literature
- Gamification
- Pipeline Charts and Sales Dashboards
This episode is also available on video! If you rather see our faces as we discuss these topics live, tune in and subscribe to: http://www.crmmvpmedia.com/
Guests:
Neil Benson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbenson/
Matt Wittemann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwittemann/
Let's take an hour to go over the goals we set out to achieve in 2020, and how successful we were against those goals.
We also go through some of the most exciting moments in the year, the launch of the Decision Accelerator Community, and the slow death of Dynamics 365 On-Premise.
A couple of years ago Microsoft released the $10 per user per app per month license and a lot of organizations were either tempted to make a move into the new licensing model or made the change altogether.
Well, Microsoft seemingly improved this offer by allowing organizations to create Power Apps hosted on Dataverse/CDS for FREE*.
Well, it's not 100% free, you do have to have a Microsoft Teams license, but who doesn't have a Teams License nowadays?
Before you get too excited and start dreaming about moving your current Power Apps to Teams so they are free to use and access, there are some caveats we need to discuss.
Guest:
Joel Lindstrom: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
Last year we got together and asked Microsoft for some new features and some changes or adjustments to existing ones...since we had such a poor record in 2020 (just like everyone else this year) we decided to give it another shot and ask Microsoft for some more stuff!
Listen to five Microsoft MVPs as they each reveal their list of wants and needs for Microsoft while the other four MVPs react in real time.
Guests:
Nicholas Hayduk: https://twitter.com/Engineered_Code
Lisa Crosbie: https://twitter.com/LisaMCrosbie
Megan Walker: https://twitter.com/MeganVWalker
Matt Collins-Jones: https://twitter.com/D365Geek
The Coronavirus Pandemic has affected millions of businesses around the world, one of those businesses is Dynamic Communities, Inc. The organization that runs the user groups globally and the organizer of many marquee events such as the User Group Summit that I've attended every year since 2012.
This year the organization has been under heavy criticism for actions like cancelling or drastically changing events at the last minute and refusing to provide full refund to attendees.
In addition to the horrible customer service some users experienced, the company laid off about 90% of their employees, and is currently trying to shift gears in an effort to stay alive.
Is COVID-19 to blame for what is happening at DCI?
Join me as I discuss with former VP, Program Team and GM of CRMUG Tony Stein and former Director of Global Dynamics 365 Community and GM of AXUG Heather Williams, who share their perspective and details behind some of the decisions that ultimately led DCI to this point.
Guests:
Tony Stein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-stein/
Heather Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-williams-68b69111/
The Product Catalog in Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a polarizing piece of functionality. Some people love it and some people swear they'll never use it, some think it's too complicated and some think it's not complex enough, some companies rely on it where others avoid it at all costs, so I invited Microsoft MVP and Solution Architect Gustaf Westerlund to dive deep into the Product Catalog and share all of our lessons learned and best practices to those of you wondering how it all works and how it could benefit your business.
Special Guest:
Gustaf Westerlund: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
How scary would it be to end up with a failed CRM Implementation that costs your company hundreds of millions of dollars?
This is exactly what happened on Halloween of 1999 to Hershey.
Let's talk about this failed implementation and what we can learn from it.
Dealing with data is one of the most challenging aspects of owning a CRM Solution. Whether you are using Dynamics 365 or Power Apps, I wanted to share a list of 10 things you can put in place to make sure your data quality is always high.
I also share a 10-question data readiness quiz to see how healthy your organization is in terms of data quality and data management...listen in and see how your organization scores!
There are countless online articles titled something like "Here are the secrets insert profession or industry here don't want you to know", and it gave me the idea for this episode.
Here are ten secrets you probably didn't know about us, the Microsoft MVPs.
In this episode, I cover 10 quick and easy improvements you can add to Dynamics 365. Some of these are simple settings that most people never enable, and some require special (but free) tools to enable them but all of them are super simple and can make a HUGE difference for your users' experience.
There are things we learn from others, and things we learn on our own by making mistakes or missing opportunities and learning from them.
Amey Holden is a Microsoft MVP and she is sharing the 10 things she wishes she knew early in her Business Application career. Hopefully you can learn something in this episode that you won't have to learn the hard way in the future.
Follow Amey: https://twitter.com/AmeyHolden
Links:
Pimp my LinkedIn Profile: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUbrBBiv8mBqfklikU7wbYg
Ask the Experts LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUgbvXSAJLQ
Dynamics 365 Sales Insights enables organizations to bring together the art and science of selling. Engage buyers like never before with seller intuition and AI working in concert.
Lisa Crosbie is back hosting the show and she dives deep into Sales Insights, its features and capabilities, and her Top 10 features!
More info: https://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/sales-insights/
Implementing Dynamics 365 can be tricky, there can be so many moving parts, but some of the things that you do on every Dynamics 365 Implementation must be done at the right time to maximize value.
If you do something too early you may have to deal with it for the duration of the projects, constantly struggling to keep it up to date, but if you do something too late you might delay a project because you didn't start soon enough!
Here are my Top 10 things most people get WRONG in terms of timing when implementing Dynamics 365, and why it is so important to get it right.
July was full of surprises, starting with a positive COVID-19 test on July 3rd, my battle against a virus that took me to the hospital twice and almost killed me, plus I talk about Dataflex announced at Microsoft Inspire, and a new free tool available to the Dynamics 365 and Power Apps community, Power Text!
Link to Podcast episode I mentioned on the show:
http://divetalkmedia.com/episode-15-this-is-why-we-havent-posted-for-a-month
This is episode is hosted by Lisa Crosbie, a new Microsoft MVP for 2020 who wanted to share her perspective regarding the "MVP Process" and add some best practices for aspiring MVPs.
Follow Lisa: https://twitter.com/LisaMCrosbie
In this episode we discuss the alarming signs of low user adoption and discuss how we can handle them.
The article reviewed in this episode: https://academy.whatfix.com/alarming-signs-crm-is-underutilized-and-how-to-deal-with-it/
When it comes to becoming or being a Dynamics 365 Consultant, and more specifically a Functional Consultant, there are a few things you should know.
So, I put a list together of 10 things a Functional Consultant should know, and if they know these things they can get a job as a Functional Consultant pretty much anywhere!
I hope this episode does two things:
- It helps current Functional Consultants identify potential gaps in their skillset and fill them.
- It helps aspiring Functional Consultants identify what they need to learn to get the opportunity they are striving for.
Looking forward to hearing what you think of this list!
For our 3rd Anniversary episode, I wanted to talk about changes that I've seen over the last 3 years and share my thoughts around why some people should not become a Microsoft MVP.
I also talk about Impostor Syndrome and what can you do to deal with it.
Jonny Kim: https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jonny-kim/biography
Depending on where you work as a Solution Architect you might be expected to be involved with a project from begining to end, or maybe just for bits and pieces during the project execution.
Neil Benson, a Microsoft MVP and Agile Implementation expert invited me and Joel Lindstrom to discuss the role of a Solution Architect within the projects we normally implement.
From small to large enterprise implementations, roles and responsibilities vary so we wanted to share what we've seen over the years.
Is your company leveraging you as a Solution Architect the right way?
It's time to find out!
Hosts:
Neil Benson: https://twitter.com/customery
Gus Gonzalez: https://twitter.com/GusGonzalez2
Joel Lindstrom: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
This is part two of my review of businessThink, a book that transformed my career as a Solution Architect.
I thought I could review the book and give you a ton of examples and best practices within an hour or so, and by the time I stopped recording more than 3 hours had gone by.
This episode is Part 2 of 2, and it focuses on the last 4 rules described in the book. These rules will make you a better Consultant and Solution Architect.
Applying these rules in my Solution Architecture career took me to the next level, and they will also take yours.
Get ready to take some notes!
Buy the Book:
businessThink: Rules for Getting It Right-Now, and No Matter What!: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471219932/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_d5KHEbW18FGYM
This is part one of my review of businessThink, a book that transformed my career as a Solution Architect.
I thought I could review the book and give you a ton of examples and best practices within an hour or so, and by the time I stopped recording more than 3 hours had gone by.
This episode is Part 1 of 2, and it focuses on the first 4 rules described in the book. These rules will make you a better Consultant and Solution Architect.
Applying these rules in my Solution Architecture career took me to the next level, and they will also take yours.
Get ready to take some notes!
Buy the Book:
businessThink: Rules for Getting It Right-Now, and No Matter What!: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471219932/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_d5KHEbW18FGYM
In this episode, 4 Microsoft MVPs walk through the Top 10 things they hate in our industry.
We talk about things we hate to see other MVPs, Microsoft, Partners, ISVs, and even ourselves doing!
No one is safe.
Guests:
- Daryl LaBar: https://twitter.com/ddlabar
- Joel Lindstrom: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
- Gustaf Westerlund: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
For this episode, I wanted to focus on the common mistakes new professionals - specially consultants - make when they get started in their new role.
This list comes from mistakes I made personally, and mistakes I've seen former colleagues and people in the industry make.
How many of these mistakes have you made in the past?
Jocko Willink, a former US Navy SEAL Commander has a motto: "Discipline Equals Freedom", and if we apply this motto to Dynamics 365 we can see a connection between the discipline to maintain a successful Dynamics 365 Solution equals to a ton of freedom when it comes to being constantly "putting out fires" within the system.
Even the most successful Dynamics 365 implementations can die if the team supporting the solution becomes complacent and undisciplined.
These are my TOP 10 situations where COMPLACENCY can KILL your Dynamics 365 solution.
On this episode, 3 Portal MVPs from Canada share the Top 12 improvements they would introduce to Power Apps portals if they were the Program Managers in charge at Microsoft.
Sorrey!
Hosts:
Nick Doelman: https://twitter.com/readyxrm
Nick Hayduk: https://twitter.com/Engineered_Code
Colin Vermander: https://twitter.com/koolin_
Refresh the Cache: https://portal.libsyn.com/
What would happen if we tasked a veteran salesperson and world-class Dynamics 365 and Power Platform implementer with overhauling the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales App?
Well, 12x Microsoft MVP Joel Lindstrom shares his vision for what the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales App should look like.
Hosted by:
Joel Lindstrom: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
On the last episode of the podcast I explored the 10 things I would introduce or change if I suddenly became the Program Manager for Dynamics 365 and CDS security at Microsoft.
Now two of the world's greatest Dynamics 365 developers share what they would do if they suddenly became Program Managers for the Dynamics 365 Platform.
Hosted By:
Daryl LaBar: https://twitter.com/ddlabar
Jonas Rapp: https://twitter.com/rappen
A new year represents new beginnings for a lot of people and that got me thinking on what I would do if I was beginning my tenure as the newly appointed PM of Dynamics 365 and CDS security at Microsoft?
Well, I had a few things in mind, and I wanted to share them with you and Microsoft.
These are the first 10 things I would do if I was a PM of Security at Microsoft.
For the last episode of 2019 I decided to compile a list of 12 New Year's Resolutions for 2020.
This list will include things that are challenging for some, and some that might be too easy, but every listener should be able to select at least 1 option from this list and make it a goal for the year.
Get ready to take some notes and decide whether you will pick 1 or more options from this list as your New Year's Resolution(s) or will you take on the Ultimate CRM MVP Challenge and complete all 12 resolutions within the next 12 months!
Link shared on Resolution #3: experience.dynamics.com/insider/
Since every item in our list to Santa these holidays are all improvements to Microsoft Dynamics 365 we figured it would make more sense to just ask Microsoft Directly.
So I invited fellow CRM MVPs Chris, Gustaf, and Nick to jump on a mic and share their list LIVE so you can hear our reactions and recommendations to each other and to Microsoft.
Guests:
- Chris Cognetta: https://twitter.com/ccognetta
- Gustaf Westerlund: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
- Nicholas Hayduk: https://twitter.com/Engineered_Code
Microsoft MVPs Antti and Kyle share their best practices and expertise regarding Microsoft Azure capabilities and features that every Solution Architect and Functional Consultant should know.
They also talk about their favorite Azure features to enhance Dynamics 365 and what to look forward to in the future.
Hosted by:
Antti Pajunen: https://twitter.com/anttipajunen
Kyle Hill: https://twitter.com/KyloHill
More info: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customerengagement/on-premises/developer/azure-integration
Microsoft announced some new limitations being placed on API calls and Portal visits/logins, so I invited two CRM MVPs to discuss these changes and whether organizations are on a collision course with skyrocketing licensing costs or whether they should celebrate these changes.
My guests:
Gustaf Westerlund: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
Nicholas Hayduk: https://twitter.com/Engineered_Code
Links:
Microsoft Announcement: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/api-request-limits-allocations
Gustaf's Blog Article on this subject: https://powerplatform.se/api-per-user-limits-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
This is a dual-podcast episode release on XrmToolCast and the CRM MVP Podcast.
In this episode, Microsoft MVPs Daryl and Jonas who are two of the world's best Dynamics 365 developers interview Matt Barbour, Principal Platform Architect for the Microsoft Power Platform.
Topics discussed in this episode include:
- PowerApps Command Line Utility
- Visual Studio Dev Toolkit
- Data Configuration and Migration Tool
- CRM/CDS SDK changes that may break your logins
- .NET Core SDK
Guests:
Matt Barbour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-barbour-02702b1/
Daryl LaBar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryllabar/
Jonas Rapp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rappen/
There are currently ONLY 90 CRM MVPs in the World, so the chances of you directly interacting with one or more of us is very small.
This lack of access to Microsoft MVPs creates a sense of mystery or perhaps misunderstanding about what MVPs are, or even more importantly what they are not.
This episode is all about the common misconceptions people have about MVPs.
Some of the biggest hits include: "Do MVPs work for Microsoft?", "Do MVPs get free stuff?", "Do MVPs get to decide who becomes an MVP?", "Do all MVPs get paid to attend conferences?", "Can MVPs criticize Microsoft?" and many more.
Tune in to this special and non-technical episode of the show.
I'm not a big fan of reviewing the latest and greatest technology, those episodes never age well; but I am a big fan of former 9x Microsoft MVP and current Microsoft Global Black Belt for Power Platform Scott Sewell.
Before joining Microsoft, Scott implemented Dynamics 365/CRM for organizations around the country, so his take on new technology, solutions, and innovation originating from the Power Platform team is always grounded on real world application of these solutions.
Get ready to take some notes and listen to this conversation with Scott where we tackle Artificial Intelligence (and the services currently available for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform), Power BI, Flow, and the never-ending tangents we kept going into.
Connect with Scott:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mscottsewell/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottsewell
Titanic Customer Engagement:
https://community.dynamics.com/365/b/webinars/posts/community-corner-scott-sewell-and-titanic-customer-engagement
How to build a company where the best ideas win | Ray Dalio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXbsVbFAczg
Check out my interview with Scott on the CRM MVP Media YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/video/cNit8aXk0Po
On this episode, I tackle 15 different scenarios where today's consultants and solution architects are acting based on emotions or "feelings" rather than facts.
The reality is that fact based consulting always performs better in the real world.
Links:
Managed vs. Unmanaged: http://crmmvppodcast.com/episode-38-managed-vs-unmanaged
Setting up Security like an MVP: http://crmmvppodcast.com/episode-19-setting-up-your-security-architecture-like-a-crm-mvp
Our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/CRMMVPMedia
Starting October 1st, 2019, Microsoft will be enforcing new licensing rules and offerings, and this new licensing model is completely new.
Steve Mordue is back on the show to discuss the new licensing model.
Whether you are implementing for a brand new Dynamics 365 customer, or you've been a customer for a while, this episode is a MUST LISTEN!
Guest:
Steve Mordue: www.stevemordue.com
More info: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/powerapps-flow-licensing-faq
There are things you must know as a Solution Architect, and then there are things you don't but for some reason people believe you should know them in order to be a Solution Architect.
These are my top 10 OVERRATED skills for Solution Architects.
Video:
How do you become a Solution Architect? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZoZTuYbwHc
Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CRMMVPMedia
Due to the popularity of the video posted on the CRM MVP Media YouTube channel on July 21st, 2019 (link below), I have decided to expand on my thoughts regarding the skills and knowledge needed to be a Solution Architect.
These are my Top 10 things every Solution Architect MUST KNOW.
Video:
How do you become a Solution Architect? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZoZTuYbwHc
Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CRMMVPMedia
Microsoft MVP and Dynamics 365 Community Superstar Megan Walker takes over the show to tell us all about Microsoft Forms Pro.
Those of us using the Voice of the Customer (VoC) functionality in Dynamics 365 or perhaps even a third-party solution to create, send, and analyze surveys now have the ability to leverage Microsoft Forms Pro to accomplish our goals.
Tune in to listen to Megan's Top 10 features and business benefit Microsoft Forms Pro offers to Dynamics 365 customers.
Megan Walker:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganwalker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganVWalker
I can already tell you are going to disagree about these, you might even be skeptical about my warnings, you will perhaps even be mad about the horrible news I've come to bear today; but this list is real and you need to take it seriously.
Here are the Top 10 things you need to STOP using in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.
If you are using one or more of these on your current Dynamics 365 Solution, or if you are planning to implement any of these, STOP IMMEDIATELY.
The Microsoft Business Applications Summit is over and there is an overwhelming number of new features coming. So I sat down with Rami Mounla, former Microsoft MVP and Enterprise Solution Architect to discuss how can organizations get the most value out of Dynamics 365 and these features that are coming, as well as ways that organizations are leaving money on the table by paying for access to potentially game changing functionality they don't even know they have access to!
Guest:
Rami Mounla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramimounla/
One of the most effective ways to increase your impact in the community - and even become an MVP - is to build your brand.
As MVPs we get to meet countless super talented professionals who have so much to offer to the community but whose voices and contributions go largely unnoticed since they lack a personal brand.
So how do you stand out in the crowd?
How do you build a reputation that draws people to learn from you?
How do you build a personal brand when you operate under the shadow of your organization?
These and more important questions are answered by four CRM MVPs who have built a personal brand over the years.
Guests:
George Doubinski: https://twitter.com/georgedude
Steve Mordue: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Mark Smith: https://twitter.com/nz365guy
CRM MVP Neil Benson details the best practices and techniques he uses to maximize the value LinkedIn provides to his Dynamics 365 career.
Tune in to listen Neil's Top 10 tips to get the most effective LinkedIn Profile, as well as tons of personal stories and real events directly related to his ability to make the most out of LinkedIn capabilities and personal connections.
Whether you are a Dynamics 365 user, consultant, developer, or even a Practice Lead; tune in to this short episode and get ready to take lots of notes.
Host:
Neil Benson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbenson/
When Microsoft introduces features into Dynamics 365, they have an objective in mind and a gap to fill with it. But there's always a different and perhaps clever way to use some of these features to achieve a completely different goal.
Links:
Scheduling recurring workflows: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mvpawardprogram/2013/03/11/scheduling-recurring-workflows-in-microsoft-dynamics-crm-2011-online-and-on-premise/
This is our 2 year anniversary episode!
In this episode, we talk about a massive CRM project failure that took place years ago, and my Top 5 red flags that can tell you if your project is going down the same road to failure.
Links:
EDS vs. BskyB Court Decision: https://www.scribd.com/document/32707026/EDS-v-BskyB-court-decisions
EDIT: Several people asked me if this was a Microsoft Dynamics CRM/365 implementation because I didn't make that clear on the episode.
The project that's the subject of this episode started in November 2000. Microsoft Dynamics CRM was not released until 2003.
So the answer is No.
But this was a CRM Implementation and the lessons we learned from this disaster can be extrapolated to the implementation of ANY CRM solution available in the market today.
However, the software is not the focus or the reason for the disaster. Based on the way things were done, I think the project would've been a disaster regardless of the software being implemented.
I will discuss more on Episode 53.
If you haven't been paying attention to PowerApps and the Power Platform lately you are missing a massive shift in the world of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.
As far as I'm concerned, Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement consulting, implementations, architecture, and approach - the entire CRM game - has changed forever.
I decided to invite three CRM MVPs to the show to discuss these changes and hopefully give you our perspective and lessons we've learned so far.
Guests:
Steve Mordue: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Kuba Skalbania: https://twitter.com/KubaSkalbania
Mark Smith: https://twitter.com/nz365guy
My first MVP Summit was in 2012, I had been an MVP for about 4 months and the experience was amazing and overwhelming. I wanted to hear what first timers were thinking after day 1 of the summit.
This year's MVP Summit was attended by 12 first timers, so after a few adult beverages I invited/convinced 9 of them to jump on the mics and talk about their experience at their very first MVP Summit.
Now, I'll just go ahead and say that recording a podcast episode at around midnight is probably not the best idea, so this is not our most technical episode ever, but it was entertaining - and at some points hilarious - to record.
Tune in to listen to some behind the scenes stories from the MVP Summit, best practices, who they want to see at the summit next year, and more from these amazing legends.
Microsoft MVPs on this episode:
Antti Pajunen: https://twitter.com/anttipajunen
Chris Huntingford: https://twitter.com/TattooedCRMGuy
Julien Miquel: https://twitter.com/Ju_li3n
James Novak: https://twitter.com/crmdevjim
Ulrik Carlsson: https://twitter.com/crmchartguy
Sarah Jelinek: https://twitter.com/dyn365diva
Elaiza Benitez: https://twitter.com/benitezhere
Natraj Yegnaraman: https://twitter.com/RajYRaman
Clément Olivier: https://twitter.com/Clement0livier
This episode was recorded days before the Microsoft MVP Summit 2019 conference.
Many of my listeners have what it takes to become a CRM MVP but unfortunately very few will make it. Setting aside the people who are not willing or able to do the work needed to become an MVP, I wanted to focus on those who are willing and able to do the work, and have the skills and commitment as well, but who could be making one or more mistakes that could be holding them back on their pursuit to become a Microsoft MVP.
I can confess I made some of these mistakes and somehow still made it, but I wanted to pass my personal best practices along and hopefully get to see you in Redmond at the Microsoft MVP Summit 2020.
Links:
More info about the program: https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/pages/what-it-takes-to-be-an-mvp
My contributions: https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/PublicProfile/4039758
Daryl LaBar is a 3x Microsoft MVP and a world-class Dynamics 365 developer. He stopped by the CRM MVP Podcast studio to share the Top 10 mistakes CRM developers make.
Top 10 mistakes:
- Not learning TypeScript
- Not using a tool to deploy webresources
- Not using EarlyBinding
- Not using a plugin base
- Not creating a custom execution context
- Not creating unit tests
- Not logging plugin context on errors
- Looking up pre images by name
- Putting all your plugin logic in a single Execute method
- Not using extension methods to keep code dry and discoverable
Hosted by Daryl LaBar: https://twitter.com/ddlabar
Every time I get an opportunity to train new Solution Architects I always enforce the importance of understanding Dynamics 365 and Power Platform licenses when it comes to designing or architecting Dynamics 365 solutions.
There are many reasons why understanding licensing is important. Lack of knowledge regarding licensing can lead to the creation of solutions that cost the organization a lot more in licensing than estimated or more than what's needed, or on the opposite side you might be paying for functionality your users will never leverage or even access, or even worst, you design a solution that relies on features that users don't have access to.
Recently CRM MVP Jukka Niiranen wrote two amazing blog articles that went over these details. Demystifying Dynamics 365 & Power Platform licensing PART 1 and PART 2
I decided to invite Jukka to the show to talk about licensing, and to discuss his approach to Solution Architecture while keeping licensing details and capabilities in mind.
Guest:
Jukka Niiranen: https://twitter.com/jukkan
His blog: https://survivingcrm.com/
Today's episode is hosted by Michael Ochs, a Dynamics 365 MVP and veteran developer.
Mike was joined by 4 of the best Dynamics 365 developers in the world. Tune in to hear them discuss a variety of deeply technical topics and share their best practices and favorite tools.
Guests:
Michael Ochs: https://twitter.com/MikeFactorial
Daryl LaBar: https://twitter.com/ddlabar
Nick Doelman: https://twitter.com/readyxrm
Andrew Butenko: https://twitter.com/a33ik
Jason Lattimer: https://twitter.com/JLattimer
It is no secret that I love speaking at conferences and delivering training, but all the success I've had as a presenter came from all of the learning I've done since I started teaching full time over 15 years ago.
In this episode, I share all of my secrets behind the way I prepare for, deliver, and evaluate a session. Whether the session is 45 minutes or 5 days long, the process is always the same.
Regardless if you are a seasoned professional speaker, or just trying to get better, listen to this episode to learn more about the process and pick up some tricks along the way.
In order to implement an effective Dynamics 365 solution, your users need to adopt it, and it is near impossible to get users to adopt a solution that has a poor user experience, so I wanted to spend an hour talking about the User Interface and User Experience best practices I use on every implementation I lead as a Solution Architect.
I also talk about Unified Interface gaps and share my Top 5 User Experience Accelerators!
There are several features in Dynamics 365 that can strongly increase User Adoption when they are set up and used correctly.
I've put a list of 10 User Adoption Magnets and I discuss why I believe these can be the difference between an Effective and an Ineffective Solution.
Some of these magnets are features we've had for 10+ years but no one seems to pay attention to them!
Let me explain.
We were in Austin, TX attending eXtreme 365 and the keynote focused on what we can expect in 2019 from the world of Microsoft Business Applications and the Power Platform.
We took some time to reflect on all the changes that have happened over the last 3 years, and see how many things we know and love today were only dreams or perhaps unimaginable back in 2015.
Which made us think, where will we be 3 years from now? Can we make predictions about what will happen by the end of 2021?
Well, five CRM MVPs took on this challenge and made predictions on what will happen within the next 3 years. Some can only be labeled as outrageous or impossible. Some we all agreed are just around the corner.
Each MVP was instructed to write 2 predictions privately and reveal them live during the recording. All of the predictions and reactions you are about to hear are raw and real!
My Guests:
Steve Mordue: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Jonas Rapp: https://twitter.com/rappen
Jerry Weinstock: https://twitter.com/crminnovation
Nick Doelman: https://twitter.com/readyxrm
I was traveling to Sweden to speak at Dynamics 365 Saturday in Stockholm when I started realizing that there were a few situations in Microsoft Dynamics 365 where there were a couple of ways to approach them, but I always defaulted to one way versus the other, sometimes perhaps even going against Microsoft or Industry Best Practices.
I wrote down a list of 10 situations or functionalities that accomplish the same task and I got together a group of CRM MVPs and outstanding professionals to discuss which one they prefer and why.
If you are an Dynamics 365 Pro or practitioner, listen in to what 5 CRM MVPs have to say about these items:
- Real-time vs. Background workflows
- Power BI dashboards vs. Dynamics 365 dashboards
- Dynamics 365 for Outlook client vs. App for Outlook
- Regular/Web vs. Unified Interface
- Power Platform and CDS vs. 3rd party Integration tools
- Dynamics 365 for Marketing vs. 3rd party Marketing Automation solutions
- AppSource vs. Google/Bing search
- Microsoft Portals vs. VoC surveys or 3rd Party web forms
- PowerApps vs. Dynamics 365 for Mobile
- Editable grids vs. Classic grids
Guests - CRM MVPs:
Gustaf Westerlund: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
Chris Huntingford: https://twitter.com/TattooedCRMGuy
Jonas Rapp: https://twitter.com/rappen
Antti Pajunen: https://twitter.com/anttipajunen
Humberto Fernández-Morán: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Fern%C3%A1ndez_Mor%C3%A1n
Episode 39 focused on 10 features I wanted GONE from Dynamics 365. This episode focuses on 10 features I want ADDED to Dynamics 365 immediately.
Here's my wish list:
- Print to Word/Print to PDF/Email PDF
- Performance-based Configuration Freedom
- Save and Publish
- Business Rules actions on Sections and Tabs
- Multi-select Lookups
- Audit 2.0
- Compose with Outlook Online
- Auto-Number and Random-Number
- Dynamics 365 and SharePoint synchronized security
- Customizable Social Pane
Plus a Bonus feature I added at the end as I was signing off!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CRMMVPPodcast
There are so many features in Microsoft Dynamics 365. Some of those features have been in the product for a long time and I believe they should go away!
Now, I know you'll disagree with some of the items on this list just by reading it but hear me out, let me explain why I think these features need to die:
- The Outlook client
- Mail Merge
- The Knowledge Base
- Leads
- Non-editable Entities
- Non-editable Field Data types
- Contracts
- Non-Editable grids
- Import Data Wizard
- FetchXML
Links discussed on this episode:
Features too tough to die: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omHguZkYzc
XrmToolBox: http://www.xrmtoolbox.com/
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CRMMVPPodcast
Episode 37 caused quite a stir because I publicly announced my refusal to ever use Managed Solutions for any purpose other than to deliver IP or Solutions created by an Independent Software Vendor (ISV).
CRM MVP Jonas Rapp "closed this case" by publishing an article attempting to put this issue to rest where he basically claimed that you are either using Managed Solutions, or you are doing it wrong.
So, I started wondering: Am I the one who has been wrong this whole time? Have I been against this "Best Practice" for so many years due to my lack of understanding regarding how these solutions work? Should I apologize to all the listeners for suggesting they use Unmanaged Solutions instead?
Well, there was only one way to find out. I took advantage of the fact that I was attending the CRMUG Summit in Phoenix, AZ and pulled 4 other seasoned Microsoft Dynamics 365 Professionals (2 developers and 2 implementers) to see if we could end this debate once and for all. At the very least we should be able to end this debate with a 3-2 vote, right?
Was Team Managed Solutions led by Microsoft, Jonas Rapp, and other experts right this whole time? Or, will I be able to find anyone else who would join my Unmanaged Solutions Rebel Squad?
Tune in to listen how we end this debate once and for all.
Guests:
- Seth Bacon
- Neil Benson
- Nick Doelman
- Aiden Kaskela
Also Read:
Great article regarding Managed vs. Unamanged Solutions by CRM MVP Nadeeja Bomiriya:
https://community.dynamics.com/365/b/dynamics365apps/archive/2018/10/15/managed-or-unmanaged-how-to-decide-which-one-to-choose
The title says it all. This is an episode about the "things" I never do or use in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and why.
Just like the "Top 20 Best Practices I disagree with" episode, you will probably go through a rollercoaster of emotions listening to this episode, as you find yourself agreeing, disagreeing, happy, sad, angry, proud, disappointed, and ready to unfollow me on Twitter and unfriend me on Facebook at different points during this episode.
I hold no punches.
Here is the list of "things" I never do or use in Microsoft Dynamics 365:
- Whole Number fields
- Non-Global OptionSets
- Organization-owned custom entities
- System N:N relationships
- Managed Solutions
- Dynamics 365 for Outlook Offline mode
- Disregarding Licensing "limitations"
- Code for something that can be done with out of the box functionality
- Enabling Audit without configuring it first
- Trade performance for functionality
Paul Slade is CEO at The CRM Team, a world-class Microsoft Dynamics 365 Gold Partner in South Africa.
I've known Paul for several years and this episode is long overdue. Paul is an excellent speaker, and understands how organizations can accomplish a Digital Transformation successfully by leveraging Microsoft Business Applications, including Dynamics 365.
On this episode we discuss:
- Paul's past experience as a row-boat builder.
- Starting his first technology company and how they accidentally became a CRM Practice
- His experience working for Microsoft
- The birth (and death) of "CRM Rockstar"
- Starting his second CRM Practice
- Navy SEALs and becoming the High Priest of the Church of Extreme Ownership
- Paul's thoughts regarding what makes a successful CRM team and practice
Links:
Follow Paul: https://twitter.com/thatcrmguy
The CRM Team: https://thecrmteam.com/
Jocko and Leif on the radio in South Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmgaypgYYu0
The book: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250183863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535924644&sr=8-1
I've been thinking about this episode for a while. I wanted to take some time and talk about those confrontational situations that happen once in a while during Dynamics 365 Implementations and what is the best way to manage them or diffuse them.
Years ago when I was a "young Solution Architect" I was lucky enough to be mentored by someone who had been working with Dynamics CRM since its Beta days, and who I consider the best in the world at dealing with confrontation in Dynamics 365 Implementations.
So, when I thought about recording an episode featuring the Top 10 confrontational situations we find on Dynamics 365 Implementations, I knew I had to get him on the show.
His name is Patrick Lewis, and he joined me on this episode to talk about how he deals with these situations:
- The project lead on the customer side was not involved in the sales process and now wants something different
- The executive sponsor of the project is on the IT side and none of the users care what he/she thinks because they are sales people
- You realize that a task that is needed on a project will take twice or three times to accomplish than what was calculated before stating the project
- You find out that someone assigned to your project team does not have the necessary skills or experience to perform tasks assigned to her/him
- The customer was told something by your sales team before they signed the contract that you know it’s impossible now that the project started, and the contract is signed. Time wise or functionality wise.
- Dysfunctional organizations where the business and IT hate each other
- The customer is taking forever to get their data
- Personality conflicts/people who bring personal issues to work
- The awkward situation where Microsoft functionality gets dropped between the sales process and project completion
- Working with ISV vendors that are unresponsive or have poor collaboration
Special thanks to Joel Lindstrom for suggesting some of these situations.
You can reach Patrick at: patrick.lewis@fullscope.com
Links:
businessThink: http://a.co/cQ7P6xP
Sandler Selling: http://a.co/8Z5URUt
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: http://a.co/glaaVpZ
In the past, whenever we approached a Dynamics 365 Solution we never really thought about the client/medium the user would use to access the functionality and data. We led entire implementations from the perspective of the Web Client and other available clients were always an afterthought.
With the improvements on the Mobile clients and the introduction of new mediums to access the information over the last couple of years, we are no longer on a place to ignore all of these options and remain effective as a Solution Architect.
So, I invited CRM MVP Michael Ochs to discuss these options and share some best practices and examples on best situations to use each option. We discussed:
- Web Client with Unified Interface
- Outlook clients
- Mobile Clients
- Task Flows
- Power Apps
- Portals
- Power BI
- Unified Service Desk
Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeFactorial
Cobalt's Snapshot: https://www.cobalt.net/category/crm-lab/crm-snapshot/
One of the reasons why I enjoy attending Microsoft Inspire (previously known as World Partner Conference) each year is that I have the opportunity to interact with partners that are not solely focused in Dynamics 365. Sometimes, we find opportunities to partner with these organizations and offer each other's solutions to our customers.
For example, we have partners who focus 100% on the Finance and Operations side of Dynamics 365, we have partners who are experts in Azure, partners who are expert in merging complete IT infrastructures after an acquisition takes place, and we have even established partnership with organizations who focus on Citrix, Cisco, and other technologies outside of Microsoft.
The idea behind establishing these partnerships is to leverage the talent and experience other organizations out there have worked hard to obtain and be able to make a recommendation to our customers depending on their needs. We are obsessed with customer success, and we love to be able to work with and recommend other organizations out there that have the same level of obsession.
This year I attended a session at Microsoft Inspire focused on creating effective partnerships, and I learned several things in the process, so I invited the presenters of that session to join me on this episode and share some of their expertise with you.
Finally, my guests focus on partnerships regardless of industry or area of expertise so this will not be an episode focused on Dynamics 365. We will be back with new Dynamics 365 programming on the next episode.
Links:
http://smartp2p.net/
https://partner.microsoft.com/en-lb/inspire
My guests:
Diana Kreklow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-kreklow-6201176/
Shann McGrail: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannmcgrail/
The conversation we started on Episode 31 with CRM MVPs Ulrik Carlsson, Chris Cognetta, and Steve Mordue continues now with Sean Tabor joining the party. These guys were visiting Atlanta for D365 Saturday so I invited them to the CRM MVP Podcast studio to talk all things Dynamics 365 and Microsoft MVP.
Follow us:
Ulrik: https://twitter.com/crmchartguy
Chris: https://twitter.com/ccognetta
Steve: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Gus: https://twitter.com/gusgonzalez2
Sean: https://twitter.com/crmhobbit
Podcast: https://twitter.com/crmmvppodcast
CRM MVPs Ulrik Carlsson, Chris Cognetta, and Steve Mordue were visiting Atlanta for D365 Saturday so I invited them to the CRM MVP Podcast studio to talk all things Dynamics 365 and Microsoft MVP.
Follow us:
Ulrik: https://twitter.com/crmchartguy
Chris: https://twitter.com/ccognetta
Steve: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Gus: https://twitter.com/gusgonzalez2
Podcast: https://twitter.com/crmmvppodcast
This episode is inspired by Scott Sewell and his obsession with Antiques Roadshow.
CRM MVP Ulrik Carlsson was visiting Atlanta so I invited him over to the CRM MVP Podcast studio to collaborate on our list of Top 10 Pro Tips regarding how to take your Dynamics 365 Implementation to the next level. These tips are all about "the finish" high level professionals put on their Dynamics 365 Implementations. These best practices are subtle, and not all users will notice the difference, but other professionals certainly do.
Top 10 beautification tips:
- Standarize views
- Remove unused views
- Remove unused fields from Advanced Find
- Use App Designer
- Remove unusued charts/show relevant charts
- Deactivate unused Business Process Flows
- Remove "Quick Create" from some entities
- Remove unwanted actions from Security Roles
- Change Relationship Behavior
- Implement "User Experience Enhancers"
Follow us: @CRMMVPPodcast
Don't forget to vote for #TeamGus or #TeamCRMChartGuy
We are taking a break from the "Dynamics 365 Content" to discuss a very important non-technical topic.
Back on Episode 22, when asked "Which non-MVP community leader do you want to see here at the Microsoft MVP Summit next year and why?", CRM MVP Neil Benson said:
"I'd like to see more women, I'd like to see more people who speak Arabic, and Korean, and Chinese, and Spanish, and Portuguese --- there's a lot of other countries around the world that are under-represented in the MVP Community and are just as passionate as we are about the product and about solving customer challenges. I'd like to see more of those people join the MVP Program."
The lack of diversity in the MVP Program that Neil pointed out is a reflection of our industry as a whole, and it is something that we (MVPs) talk about often.
So for this episode I invited a couple of people who are passionate about this topic to discuss why Diversity is important as well as what can we do as an industry to encourage more diversity.
By the way, I realize that some of you are probably dissapointed that we are not covering Dynamics 365 Best Practices and Expert Insights on this episode, but don't worry, we'll be back to our original programming on Episode 30. :)
Follow us:
Salim Adamon: https://twitter.com/salimadamon
Nick Doelman: https://twitter.com/readyxrm
Gus Gonzalez: https://twitter.com/GusGonzalez2
Julie Yack: https://twitter.com/coloradojules
Times like these remind me of why I travel with so much equipment, you never know who you'll have the opportunity to talk to.
For this episode, I was in New Jersey for some customer meetings and after those meetings I stopped by the Microsoft Office at Times Square and talked to my friend Scott Sewell.
Scott is a former CRM MVP and currently a Global Black Belt for Microsoft, so he has tons of real world experience working with Dynamics 365 and the business applications that surround it.
On this episode we discuss:
- How Scott ended up working in Alaska for a couple of winters
- Why Scott lived in Kenya for 2 years
- Scott's experience working for multiple Microsoft Dynamics Partners
- Power BI's story and capabilities
- What's so great about Microsoft Flow
- How awesome PowerApps really are
- Can you be an expert on ALL Microsoft Business Solutions?
Connect with us:
Scott Sewell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mscottsewell/
Gus Gonzalez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggonzalez2/
Follow us:
Scott Sewell: https://twitter.com/scottsewell
Gus Gonzalez: https://twitter.com/GusGonzalez2
With the release of the new Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Marketing App, I wanted to explore its capabilities and how it compares with ClickDimensions and the Adobe Marketing Cloud.
I didn't want to tackle this topic by myself, so I invited someone who has spent a lot of time working with the new marketing app, fellow CRM MVP Steve Mordue.
I also wanted to explore how the new app compares with well-established marketing automation solutions for Dynamics 365, so I invited Mike Dickerson who is the CEO at ClickDimensions to explore not only the differences but also to understand how ClickDimensions feels about the new app, and Microsoft's partnership with Adobe.
One final note regarding this episode: we had some technical issues with the solution we typically use to record our podcast episodes, so we had to switch to Plan B, and this is why this episode sounds more like a conference call rather than the crystal-clear sound you are accustomed to on this podcast. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Connect with us:
Steve Mordue: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemordue/
Mike Dickerson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdickerson/
Gus Gonzalez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggonzalez2/
Follow us:
Steve Mordue: https://twitter.com/stevemordue
Mike Dickerson: https://twitter.com/MikeWDickerson
Gus Gonzalez: https://twitter.com/GusGonzalez2
Over the last couple of months I had the opportunity to speak at two universities here in the United States. I delivered a presentation to students graduating soon and looking to start a career.
There are two things I noticed during my research for these presentations and while delivering the sessions:
- There is a huge need for talent in the Microsoft Business Application industry
- All these students graduating today are young millenials
So I invited CRM MVP Daryl LaBar, CRM MVP Britta Rekstad, and Microsoft Program Manager Patrick Dykema to discuss millenials, talent, and career opportunities within the Microsoft Business Applications industry.
Links:
Daryl LaBar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryllabar/
Britta Rekstad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brekstad/
Patrick Dykema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdykema/
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
On average, people spend over 4 hours a day on their phones, so it makes sense for organizations to think about Mobility when it comes to their Dynamics 365 implementations. But often, Mobility falls to an afterthought on implementations, functionality relegated to Phase 2 or 3. Organizations focus on the overall solution and just want to make sure that this solution is available on the users' phones and tablets.
On this episode, I talk to Ivan Stano from Resco.net, which is the leading mobile client third party provider for Dynamics 365.
Now, since Ivan invited me to their annual mobility conference in Atlanta he probably thought I was going to take it easy on him, but that wasn't the case...here are some of the things we discuss:
- When did Resco get into the CRM Mobile Client business?
- Why did they decide to NOT release a client for Blackberry even though Blackberry was the market leader at that time?
- What was their reaction when Microsoft announced their partnership with CWR Mobility a few years ago, effectively "killing Resco and TenDigits" in the process?
- How did they manage to survive that partnership while their competitors "closed shop"?
- Are they being acquired by Microsoft?
- Now that they are partners with Microsoft, what are they doing to ensure this partnership works out, unlike the CWR partnership?
- Is Microsoft coming up with their own Field Service App? Does Resco have its days counted?
I would like to thank Ivan Stano from Resco.net for his time answering my questions and sharing their story.
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
During the Microsoft MVP Summit 2018, Gustaf Westerlund asked if I had some time to talk about Episode 20 where he thought there were a few "Best Practices" I was incorrect for disagreeing with them, and that there were other "Best Practices" that he didn't even think they were actual Best Practices at all.
So instead of missing all the great details and insight from Gustaf by having the conversation later that night during dinner or at the hotel bar, I decided to hand him a mic and hit record to settle our disagreements on record and let you all listen.
Follow Gustaf: https://twitter.com/crmgustaf
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
Many Dynamics 365 Consultants and experts today have thoughts about becoming an Independent Consultant. Typically these thoughts boil down to simple math, the thoughts go something like this: "If my company gets X amount of dollars per hour for my work, I could make that X amount times 40 per week and keep all of it if I was Independent!".
But is it really that easy?
Listen to 5 CRM MVPs at different stages of their "Independent" careers to get some clarity regarding subjects such as the mindset needed to go Independent, timing, sub-contracting for another partner vs. getting your own customers and work directly for them, charging less to "get your foot on the door", starting with a partner or going 100% solo, being prepared to fail, and having the will to win:
- Steve Mordue: has been working independent for decades. Never worked for anybody.
- Gus Gonzalez: went independent in 2014, now leads a CRM Practice with 8 full time employees.
- Sheila Shapari: went independent a year ago, and she's at a point where she could start a practice to meet demand, or stay independent for now.
- Britta Rekstad: went independent a few months ago and provides amazing insights of what work and life has been like since then.
- Daryl LaBar: who months ago was facing two options, join a large CRM partner organization or go independent. He chose against going Independent and explains why.
Links:
- Steve Mordue (www.stevemordue.com)
- Daryl LaBar (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR7naI_fY4LbY-TO_nLMTYA)
- Britta Rekstad (http://www.macgyvercrm.com/)
- Sheila Shapari (sheila@empowr.net)
Follow us/Subscribe:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
As you know, I attend several conferences and events each year and I do record content for this podcast at those events but I have never really debriefed after an event.
This one was different, it was my 7th eXtreme 365 conference and it has been my favorite conference so far, so I wanted to bring Ulrik Carlsson on the show so we could share why we believe this was their best event ever.
Follow eXtreme: https://twitter.com/eXtreme_365
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Ulrik: www.crmchartguy.com
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
There is one week every year where the largest concentration of CRM MVPs is recorded, and that is the Microsoft MVP Summit.
During the MVP Summit 2018, I asked 10 CRM MVPs to answer the 22 tough questions you see below and I recorded their answers for all to enjoy, discuss, and learn from.
Questions:
- Should Microsoft get rid off Dynamics 365 On-Premise? Why or Why not?
- How do you think the new Dynamics 365 for Marketing App affects stablished Marketing Automation Solutions such as ClickDimensions, Salesfusion, Act-On, and others?
- Salesforce and Google continue to collaborate and recently announced tighter integrations between the solutions offered by both organizations, how would a Salesforce acquisition by Google disrupt Dynamics 365’s momentum?
- One of the things Marc Benioff - the CEO of Salesforce – mentioned on their last big conference was that “Microsoft can’t seem to keep their Dynamics 365 leadership in place”, are those comments accurate? And if so, why do you think that’s happening?
- Salesforce continues to be a leader in the CRM space with around 25% of the market share globally while Microsoft holds a smaller share, what can Microsoft do to catch up to Salesforce?
- How important is to master tools such as Microsoft Flow and Power Apps for a Dynamics 365 Solution Architect today?
- Speaking from the point of view of thousands of partners who are based in the US, why should I care about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) approved by the European Union Parliament on April of 2016?
- As the Dynamics 365 world grows, many developers from other products or platforms are making a jump into Dynamics 365 and other related technologies, what would you recommend to these developers to focus on learning so they can make a big impact in the near future?
- AppSource continues to grow and new items are added often, how do you keep up with what is being released and do you have any go-to apps?
- If you were the Dynamics 365 Product Owner for a day, what are some of the changes or improvements you would like to see added to Dynamics 365?
- If you could go back and re-do something inside Dynamics 365, what would it be and why?
- What kind of solution or company would you like to see Microsoft acquire and incorporate into their Dynamics 365 roster next?
- In your opinion, what is the most underrated feature of Dynamics 365?
- Now that Microsoft eliminated the branding of XRM, how has this impacted your approach to implementations and conversations with the community?
- There are hundreds of suggestions on the Microsoft Connect or Idea portal for Dynamics 365 enhancements, some of the suggestions date back a few years, if you had to pick one of those ideas to be incorporated into the next version of Dynamics 365, which one would it be?
- What is your favorite thing about working with Dynamics 365?
- What is your favorite part of the MVP Summit and why?
- What is your favorite thing about being a Microsoft MVP?
- If you could give one advice to aspiring CRM MVPs, what would it be?
- We are very fortunate to live in the US and have the ability to travel to and speak at conferences and other events, but what would you say to someone who might not be able to do what we do and who’s wondering if they can add value to the Dynamics 365 community?
- Which non-MVP community leader do you want to see here at the Microsoft MVP Summit next year and why?
- Lastly and just for fun, if there was a “CRM MVP for Life Award” and only one CRM MVP could be selected, who should the award go to and why?
I would like to thank Ulrik Carlsson and Seth Bacon for contributing questions to this list.
And of course, here are the CRM MVPs who stood outside a building for an hour in freezing weather to answer these questions:
- Colin Vermander (https://twitter.com/koolin_)
- Sheila Shapari (https://twitter.com/SheilaShahpari)
- Daryl LaBar (https://twitter.com/ddlabar)
- Neil Benson (https://twitter.com/customery)
- Gustaf Westerlund (https://twitter.com/crmgustaf)
- Britta Rekstad (https://twitter.com/MacgyverCRM)
- Leon Tribe (https://twitter.com/leontribe)
- Rick McCutcheon (https://twitter.com/rick_mccutcheon)
- Shawn Tabor (https://twitter.com/CRMhobbit)
- Joel Lindstrom (https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom)
Follow us/Subscribe:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
There are many things you can do to increase your chances of success on a Dynamics 365 Implementation, there are also many things you can do to increase the chances of failure.
In this episode, I'm joined by CRM MVP Neil Benson to discuss the Top 10 things organizations do that increases the risk of Dynamics 365 Implementation failure. We also walk through a few real personal stories of projects that either failed after go-live, or didn't even make it to full release. We hope you learn from our experience rather than "learning the hard way".
Here are the 10 things that will increase the chances of FAILURE of a Dynamics 365 implementation:
- Lack of buy-in from stakeholders and/or Lack of Executive Sponsor
- Lack of Systemic, Predictable Project Execution or Methodology
- "IT Focus" rather than "Business Focus"
- Lack of Training
- Starting the implementation of "Change Management" too late
- "Dirty Data"
- Lack of integration
- Not having "quick wins"
- Misuse of Microsoft Partners
- Lack of Customer Involvement
Exclusive Discount to Neil's "Introduction to Scrum for Dynamics 365" course for listeners of this episode: https://scrum365.customery.com/p/introduction-to-scrum-for-dynamics-365/?product_id=502971&coupon_code=CRMMVP21
Follow us on Twitter!
Neil: https://twitter.com/customery
CRM MVP Podcast: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
Being a CRM MVP gives me the opportunity to interact with Dynamics 365 professionals of diverse backgrounds, whether they work as independent contractors, work for a large global systems integrator, or working for a customer as a CRM Admin, we all have something in common. We are all trying to learn from each other and improve our skills over time.
And sometimes is tough to add value from my side because there are times where it seems like most people follow best practices that I either partially or completely disagree with.
So for Episode 20, I decided to share the Top 20 "Best Practices" I keep finding myself at odds with, and explain why I disagree with them.
I wonder how many of these you agree and/or disagree with me on.
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhjoi4W_K7sLNpXr9Kqz8w
On this episode I dive into all the steps and best practices I follow when setting up Security for every Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM Implementation I lead as a Solution Architect.
I will discuss my approach to:
- Licensing
- Admin Roles
- Business Units
- Security Roles
- Teams
- Hierarchy Security
- Field Security
- Security Performance
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Back on Episode 15, fellow CRM MVPs Chris Cognetta and Joel Lindstrom walked through the best practices and details behind preparing for and migrating to Dynamics 365 Online. Unfortunately, Chris and Joel ran out of time and could not cover what happens once the Migration has been completed.
This episode closes the series as we dive into the best practices and details behind a completed Migration.
We discuss the following topics:
- Training, Testing, and Readiness
- Changes to the Microsoft Outlook client and the Mobile apps
- Leveraging technology that wasn't available On-Premise but it is now is available Online
- Dynamics 365 Upgrades and how to prepare for them
If you haven't listened to Episode 15 or "Part 1" of this series, I recommend you to enjoy that episode first and get the foundation you need to successfully move to the cloud:
http://crmmvppodcast.com/episode-15-moving-to-the-cloud-hosted-by-chris-cognetta-and-joel-lindstrom
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Follow Joel: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
On this episode, Customer Service world-class experts and Community Leaders Sarah Jelinek and Ulrik Carlsson stop by the show to discuss whether Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the right Customer Service solution for all organizations out there.
We discuss:
- Reasoning behind managing customer service on a separate stand-alone solution.
- Why Dynamics 365 makes sense as a Customer Service solution
- What can companies do to prepare to move their Customer Service operations to Dynamics 365
- Common issues that arise during Customer Service implementations
- Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world
- Other Microsoft Business Solutions that can greatly improve your Customer Service effectiveness and customer experience
Follow our experts on twitter:
Sarah: https://twitter.com/dyn365diva
Ulrik: https://twitter.com/crmchartguy
Learn more about ITIL: https://www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/itil/what-is-itil
Here at the CRM MVP Podcast, we like to focus on topics that are rarely discussed out there, and sometimes we like to be the first podcast out there covering a topic in particular.
In this case, we managed to accomplish both conditions, we decided to dedicate an episode to the best practices and techniques you can leverage to become a "better customer", perhaps even "the perfect customer".
Let me explain what that means.
The perfect customer - in my eyes - is the organization that manages to accomplish the trifecta of value when it comes to Dynamics 365:
-
They manage to achieve their business objectives by implementing Dynamics 365 to help them get better in all 3 areas of the Customer Lifecycle: acquiring new customers, deliver products or services more efficiently to those customers, and extend the relationships they have with existing customers. This makes the Dynamics 365 customer happy.
-
By having a solution that helps them on their Customer Lifecycle you get User Adoption, which means license revenue and utilization, which makes Microsoft happy.
-
Having a great working relationship with their partner is the third element of "the perfect customer trifecta", where the expectations from the customer side, and the partner side line up perfectly. In other words, the customer receives exactly what they need when they need it, and the partner is 100% focused on providing that specific value. This makes the partner happy.
Whether you work for a Dynamics 365 partner or a customer, this episode will include best practices and tips on how to get the most value out of Dynamics 365 as a customer, how to find the best vendor for your specific organization and needs, and how to avoid pitfalls during your implementation.
Lastly, I would like to thank Chris for sharing the Glynlyon story and best practices during this episode. They are an amazing company and industry leader in academic solutions. You can learn more about them at http://www.glynlyon.com/
On this episode, Chris Cognetta and Joel Lindstrom dive deep into Migrating to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online.
They will tackle areas regarding preparation, data, customizations, tools, Microsoft FastTrack, and readiness, to name a few.
CRMUG Q3 2017 Magazine: https://goo.gl/B4pgiQ
Microsoft FastTrack info: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/mt812191.aspx
Follow us: https://twitter.com/CRMMVPPodcast
Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/ccognetta
Follow Joel: https://twitter.com/JoelLindstrom
On December 8th, 2016, Microsoft closed its acquisition of LinkedIn and all of us on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 industry started wondering what that meant for us.
Over the last few months, we've seen the evolution of the integration between the LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.
I wanted to talk about this evolution and this acquisition as well, so I invited my good friend Brian Galicia, who is the world-wide lead for sales force automation and LinkedIn relationship sales for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.
Brian and I talk about:
- Evolution of Dynamics 365 Sales
- What the acquisition of LinkedIn means for Dynamics 365 customers
- The value of Relationship Selling
- Real-world examples of how organizations are using Relationship Selling today
- Value proposition of Dynamics 365 Sales vs. its competitors
Follow Brian on Twitter @briangalicia
One of the things that happens in almost every Microsoft Dynamics 365 Deployment is that you will end up with a combination of technical, and non-technical people involved in the project.
Typically we find developers at the end of the "technical spectrum", and when people can't communicate with developers correctly they can cause project delays and time and effort wasted on the wrong functionality.
Solution Architects are responsible for bridging the gap between non-technical and technical resources, but sometimes you can find yourself involved in a project where you need to communicate with a developer and your Solution Architect is nowhere to be found.
So ask yourself this question: "Do I speak 'Developer'?"
If you don't, or if you are not sure, get a notepad and get ready to take some important notes because Microsoft MVP Daryl LaBar is our guest and he dives into:
- How can you identify the kind of personality your developer has?
- How developers communicate and work together?
- What can developers do? (I.E. What you shouldn't be asking for)
- How important it is for developers to learn what can Dynamics 365 do without code?
Lastly, make sure you follow Daryl LaBar on Twitter @ddlabar