The MSDW Podcast

This episode is sponsored by insightsoftware. Microsoft continues to accelerate its work on technology like MCP servers, Fabric, Synapse, and more, they are shaping the way businesses use the data in their Dynamics 365 solutions. For finance and operations leaders, that pace of change raises a real question: how do you keep your reporting and analytics strategy current without rebuilding it every time Microsoft ships something new? This episode explores how to evolve your solution alongside Microsoft's platform instead of being caught off guard by it, and where the biggest opportunities lie in complementing what Microsoft already does well. We chat with our guest, Jason Carter of insightsoftware, about understanding when a native feature is ready to rely on, where complementary tools and strategies fill the gaps, and what AI integrations mean for the role of the financial analyst going forward. More from insightsoftware: AI-Ready Data: How To Build Finance Operations That Are Reliable, Auditable, and Trustworthy The 4 Data Integration Approaches (And Why One is the Clear Winner) 10 Strategies for Reducing Microsoft Fabric Costs With Jet Analytics

We wind down our Directions EMEA 2026 coverage with a look at some of the key announcements and a few predictions. Our guest is Microsoft MVP and MSDW contributor Jeremy Vyska.   The third day of Directions EMEA began with a keynote where ISVs shared AI-related solutions and attendees shared some of their outlook on the future of the BC partner channel. In this episode we discuss some of Microsoft messages around Copilot for BC and their evolving R&D model, and we also turn to what it all means for partners, both in terms of delivering BC solutions and building careers in an uncertain time.   BC professionals who are focused on problem solving and adapting to new ways of working should still have plenty of work, Jeremy believes, while those who build careers on old habits and outdated specializations may face greater headwinds. And he recounts some of the sessions he presented at the event and how they were received by an audience taking in a lot of important messages over the three day event.   More details: Jeremy on MSDW MSDW's Directions EMEA 2026 coverage

This episode is sponsored by AlfaPeople. The role of managed services in the Dynamics 365 ecosystem reflects the needs of customers facing a changing product landscape. Microsoft continues to push product updates and introduce AI features, but there are also new platform and architecture changes on the horizon that can have real implications for users, customizations, and licensing. To help make sense of what managed service should be in today's Dynamics 365 ERP space, we are speaking with Craig Shanek and Kimberly Stevens of AlfaPeople. They tell us how the role of managed services has already changed in this space. Customers' expectations are changing, but so are the demands on Microsoft customers. AI is certain to have an impact on how users interact and how administrators deal with ERP ownership. But other factors will also decide how well Dynamics 365 solutions fare heading into 2027.  Kimberly and Craig both share some of the ways they recommend that D365 customers measure the value of their managed services investments and how to make the most of their partner's expertise with the changes that are already on the horizon in F&O 10.0.50. More from AlfaPeople: Ebook: Beyond Go-Live: How to Maximize the Long-Term Value of Microsoft Dynamics Reach out to AlfaPeople directly: LContact: https://alfapeople.com/us/contact/ Email: [email protected]

Community Summit North America 2026 offered Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform customers a chance to get product updates, learn from other customers, and get the latest guidance from subject matter experts.  It's one of the biggest Dynamics-focused events in the world, and to learn more about the themes that drove the conversation this year, MSDW spoke with four veterans for the community about what they learned from Microsoft's presentations, what they heard from audiences in their own sessions, and other observations on both technology and ecosystem themes that will have an impact through the next year. We discuss: Headline messages from Microsoft that showed up across the event Work IQ's progress as a foundational AI service Other AI progress from Microsoft Other real concerns of customers at Summit like traditional user adoption, security, and business process The breadth of product and service updates from both Microsoft and other vendors in the space Our guests in this episode are: Elif Item, CEO at Item by Item Susana Ramos,  Director of Marketings Services at Coffee + Dunn Asif Rehmani, CEO at VisualSP Frank Vukovits, Chief Data Scientist at Delinea

This episode is sponsored by insightsoftware. Not everyone approaches the use of AI the same way, and when it comes to building and running critical reporting against a Dynamics ERP solution, business users need an approach that they can believe in. Our guest on this episode, Jason Carter of insightsoftware, is a veteran of Microsoft's ERP ecosystem and has been thinking a lot recently about how conversational AI can positively impact typical reporting work. We discuss the range of experiences he has had, from working with commercial AI tools on their own to the purpose-built capabilities that insightworks has incorporated into their solutions for Dynamics customers. Jason discusses the workflows that are proving useful for him today in terms of running reports, setting alerts, and retrieving data. And he offers advice for anyone who want to start adding some of the same techniques into their own reporting process. More from insightsoftware: MSDW Webcast on Oct 22 - https://msdynamicsworld.com/event/beyond-buzzwords-live-look-ai-finance Reporting Intelligence Flyover Video:  https://www.insightsoftware.com/resources/reporting-intelligence-ui-flyover/?utm_source=partnermarketing&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=2026-10-07_GBL_MDSW_Podcast_1&partnerref=MDSW

This episode is sponsored by PayTrace. Accountants working with Dynamics 365 Business Central face a unique set of challenges related to receivables. Corey Green and Sam Johnson from PayTrace join us on this episode to share both real-world experiences and the role of embedded payments, both in terms of the technology and the merchants who use it.   We discuss recent enhancements to PayTrace's Trace AR for Business Central and guidance that Corey brings to the team based on his years in the Microsoft community serving in various customer and partner roles, including as an accountant. And with Summit North America 2026 coming up, Sam and Corey share details about PayTrace's presence and activities. More from PayTrace: Visit PayTrace at Community Summit in Nashville, October 11-15 in booth 1408, or contact Corey at [email protected] to discuss how PayTrace can help simplify monthly reconciliation and collections for your business.

This episode is sponsored by AlfaPeople. Global Dynamics 365 ERP projects face unique challenges as teams work across varying locales with unique characteristics and requirements. Our guests on this episode, Craig Shaneck and Marcel Ruf from AlfaPeople, have seen the realities and challenges of global ERP rollouts. They tell us about some of the underlying challenges that any international project can face, such as cultural and operational differences. But other factors like language, terminology, and management styles should also be factored into a plan, they advise. Craig and Marcel tell us the importance of focusing on business process alignment and the use of a global template with Dynamics 365 F&SCM. And they advise that execution plans can expose unexpected risks, like assuming the complexity of any one locale when attempting to harmonize processes.  They also offer guidance on balancing the push for global consistency with the need for regional flexibility, the realities of negotiating on process details, and the importance of cultural understanding. Show notes: AlfaPeople's new eBook on ERP and international growth: https://msdynamicsworld.com/white-paper/your-erp-quietly-limiting-your-international-growth If your organization is planning an international ERP rollout, visit alfapeople.com/us/contact to connect with AlfaPeople's international implementation experts.

As we wrap up MSDW's coverage of Directions for Enterprise 2026, we are joined for a recap podcast with Microsoft MVP Dag Calafell. Dag attended the event in Copenhagen, and we in this episode we discuss some of the core themes of the event including Microsoft's product plans, outlook on the partner opportunity, and how AI could change the nature of Dynamics 365 ERP projects and partner teams. Dag tells us that one of his hopes is that as AI matures it will allow partners to accelerate project work so they can achieve more of their desired goals more quickly rather than focusing on launching minimal viable products. But he believes partners also have questions about the future, like how a focus on AI will impact talent development and how it will be reflected in customer perspective on ERP investment outcomes. More information: •        MSDW's Directions for Enterprise 2026 coverage: https://msdynamicsworld.com/directions-enterprise-2026 •        Dag on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagcalafell3/ •        Dag's blog: https://www.calafell.me/

This episode is sponsored by Plauti. The tech world's focus on AI and agents has helped illuminate a longstanding question for Dynamics 365 CE customers - how strong is the data underlying your CRM? As the pressure to embrace AI and agents grows, customers have a range of concerns about their data. In this conversation, we look at how CRM teams are meeting core goals around sales efficiency and the overall value of their D365 tools while also considering the implications of AI in the near term. Our guests on this episode are Plauti's Nico Miedema and Rob Griffin, as well as Microsoft MVP Heidi Neuhauser. They tell us how new AI readiness pressure is forcing leaders to ask new questions, especially in situations in which no one may have actually measured data health before. Heidi, Rob, and Nico tell us about some of the ways they help customers approach this challenge, whether the organization has been living with Dynamics 365 solutions long term or they are moving from another CRM. Customers can and should start by knowing the tools that D365 gives them to manage and control their data, the guests agreed, but that is often not enough when it comes to duplicates, inaccuracies, and old information that could reduce the value of reporting, automation, and of course, AI and agents.  More from Plauti: Meet the Plauti team at the Nashville Community Summit. We will have chocolate and more giveaways, and we're happy to continue the conversation on AI readiness.  📍 Booth #1934 We will also host a session that expands on the podcast topic, so don't miss it.  🎤 AI Doesn't Fix Dirty Data. It Multiplies It. An inside look at how to make Dynamics 365 CE data actually ready for Copilot and agents. → https://www.summitna.com/browse-sessions/?q=AI+doesn%27t+fix+dirty+data&sessionid=2371 And lastly, feel free to visit the Marketplace to explore the new Monitor features in our Data Management app.  🛠️ Plauti Data Management on Microsoft Marketplace → https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/product/DynamicsCE/plautibv1633354680268.duplicatecheck If you can't make it to Nashville, feel free to connect with us by viewing our other content on the MSDW page or connecting with us on LinkedIn.  ·         Plauti on MSDW: https://msdynamicsworld.com/vendor/plauti ·         Rob Griffin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgriffinct/ ·         Nico Miedema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-miedema-a6a976129/

This episode is sponsored by Mekorma.   ERP implementations and AP automation initiatives are well-known for introducing meaningful change into organizations. Veterans of ERP consulting learn quickly that change management is easy fto minimize during project planning but hard to ignore when deployments run into go-live challenges. Our guests on this episode are Don Anderson, a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and co-founder of SC&E Partners, and Brendan Coffey, director of revenue at Mekorma. Both Don and Brendan are students of organizational management and we begin the discussion by examining some of Don's research that relates specifically to modernizing technology on finance teams. Don shares some of the surprising findings of his own research in this field, including the balance that leaders must find when working to improve processes while keeping staff engaged. And we discuss how AP teams adapt to the introduction of modern AP automation capabilities. The reaction can vary widely depending on the legacy approach and factors like team size, industry, geography, and more. We also explore the concept of openness to change, what the research tells us about team success, and the advice that Don and Brendan would give to a team embarking on a new AP technology project today. More from Mekorma: Why does change feel different in Accounts Payable?   The conversation doesn't end here. In our whitepaper, AP Resistance Isn't Pushback. It's Pattern Recognition, we take a closer look at why AP teams may approach system changes with caution, and what their questions can reveal about risk, control, and readiness.   Read the whitepaper.