Keith Ellis CEO Vivid Reports on Making Reporting and Budgeting Easy with Excel

In this episode of ISV Talks, Carol Livingston  interviews Jeffrey DeMaria, founder of xMonthly, to explore how Microsoft and ERP partners can unlock new revenue streams and accelerate their cloud strategy. Learn how the Microsoft AI Cloud Tour helps partners rebrand and extend their services across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Azure, and more. Discover how xMonthly’s Agent Services, licensing expertise, and Partner Center support can help you grow your business, protect client relationships, and lead the cloud conversation with confidence.Ready to expand your Microsoft cloud practice? Reach out to xMonthly for a quote or get your branded Microsoft AI Cloud Tour embedded on your website and start onboarding clients today.

In this special Summit Recap episode of ISV Talks, Carol Livingston is joined by Bob McAdam from Tasklet Factory to unpack the energy, insights, and unforgettable moments from Summit NA 2025 in Orlando, FL. With over 5,200 attendees, this year’s event was a true celebration of the Dynamics and Power Platform communities.In theis episode you will hear about:  Microsoft’s continued emphasis on AI through all keynotes and sessionsPractical AI agents embedded in Business Central and other MS productsThe launch of the Learners platform that centralizes meetups, roadshows, national events, and session recordings. It’s a smarter way to track skills across the Microsoft stack—ERP, CRM, Power Platform, Azure, and now Copilot—without getting lost in a maze of links and invites. The ten-hour partner enablement workshop, live Copilot Studio builds that actually shipped working apps, and a GP-to-BC workshop that encouraged BC adoption and compared familiar processes side-by-side. The heart of the episode is decision-making under pressure. You’ll hear three GP paths in motion—staying put with strong partner backing, running a broad market scan, or mapping a two-year migration to Business Central—each with timelines, budgets, and risk controls. A Grateful Dead-inspired community T-shirt featuring a “tour” of past Summits dating back to 2005Academy classes, Legend and Allstar Awards, and the Women in Tech LuncheonA bustling Exhibition Hall with nearly 300 ISVs and VARs, plus sponsor-led activities like Puppy Snuggles, Pickleball, Axe Throwing, 80s Arcade, and Professional HeadshotsAdvanced networking opportunities including the BC Bash, PowerGP Online party, and partner-hosted client events around Orlando and at the Gaylord Palms ResortReflection on Bob & Carol's panel session with Tiffany Allen and Fauwaz Hussain, where they tackled the Top 5 questions to ask your ISV—and how to spot red, yellow, and green flags in partner relationships. 📍 Mark your calendars: Summit NA 2026 heads to Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, October 11–15, 2026. If this breakdown helps you plan your next step—subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review. What’s the one AI or migration question you want answered before Summit NA in Nashville?

Warehouses don’t need more screens. They need faster hands, fewer errors, and tools people actually like using. We sit down with Tasklet’s Bob McAdam and Ed Willoughby to unpack how a “super simple” mobile WMS turns Business Central and F&O warehouse logic into guided work on a handheld scanner, from receiving to put‑away, pick, pack, and ship.We trace Tasklet’s roots back to the home of Navision in Denmark and explore why staying laser‑focused on the warehouse beats chasing features outside the four walls. Bob explains how thousands of customers across 50+ countries rely on a tightly integrated barcode scanning app that snaps into Microsoft Dynamics. Ed brings the story to life with a multi‑site customer who left paper-and-pen behind, met tough big box EDI requirements, and even tailored pick‑pack‑ship flows themselves using Tasklet University and the knowledge base—no vendor project required.You’ll hear what’s shipping now and what’s next: license plating for complex handling, alignment with Microsoft’s QA features, scale integrations, and a new path into Acumatica to meet growing cloud demand. We also dig into the channel reality—partners balancing on‑prem support with cloud momentum, competing with other ERPs, and simplifying the ISV stack. Tasklet’s strategy is pragmatic: one mobile app, deep ERP integration, curated partnerships for shipping, manufacturing, and EDI, and responsive support across time zones so projects go live cleanly and keep running smoothly.If inventory sits on your balance sheet, this conversation shows how a clear UX and a strong ecosystem can cut picking time, reduce mistakes, and speed adoption on the warehouse floor. Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more operators and partners can find it.

Carol Livingston  interviews Keith Ellis, CEO at Vivid Reports, Inc., about how their CPM solutions have helped users simplify their financial Reporting and Budgeting needs using the familiar Excel user interface. If your clients already do reporting or budgeting in Excel,  Vivid Reports, Inc. makes it easy to “Vivid-ize” those spreadsheets turning manual spreadsheet reports into automated templates with the same familiar format.✅ Fast refresh speeds✅ Convert existing spreadsheets or Management Reporter reports✅ 60+ ERP integrations✅ 87% retention rate✅ 100% say support is easyFor multi-entity, multi-currency, complex roll-ups and report distribution, Vivid demos exceptionally well and scales when budgeting moves beyond spreadsheets COMPANY WEBSITE: www.vividereports.com

Carol Livingston sits down with Giuseppe Ianni, VP and Community Director at Dynamic Communities, for a preview of Community Summit NA 2025, taking place October 19–23 in Orlando, FL. In this ISV Talks episode, they unpack what’s new at this year’s event, from curated educational tracks for users, partners, and ISVs to a brand-new focus on AI-driven topics. They also spotlight expanded opportunities to network, learn, and grow within the Dynamics community.Agents and Copilot are defining the future of Dynamics, CRM, Power Platform, Azure, Fabric, and more. Explore and discover what this means to you at Community Summit the largest Microsoft Business Solutions User Conference on the planet with over 600 sessions, 300 sponsors, and innovative networking opportunities. Dynamic Communities has enhanced this year's event with unique elements like axe throwing, pickleball, and arcade games on the expo floor to create natural networking environments alongside educational content. Community Summit Website: www.summitna.com

The AI revolution waits for no one—and Microsoft wants its partners to know it. In this revealing conversation, Carol Livingston and Bob McAdam unpack the seismic shift happening in Microsoft's partner strategy following their attendance at the BizApps Partner Summit (soon to be renamed the AI Business Solutions Partner Executive Summit).The urgency in Microsoft's messaging was impossible to miss. Gone are the days of gradual technology adoption curves—while personal computers took 12 years to become ubiquitous and cloud computing took five, artificial intelligence is expected to transform business completely within just two years. And as Bob pointedly observes, "one year has already gone by." This accelerated timeline has Microsoft executives sounding an alarm that partners can't afford to ignore.A particularly striking theme emerged around becoming what Microsoft calls "frontier firms"—partner organizations that embrace AI internally before advocating it to customers. The stakes couldn't be higher, with one panel moderator bluntly stating that partners failing to adopt AI strategies might not survive beyond the next 12-18 months. This evolution isn't just about prompted AI tools that require human direction, but autonomous "agentic AI" that operates independently in the background, potentially becoming part of organizational structures. As Carol notes, "It kind of freaked me out when they said agents are part of your org chart."The future clearly belongs to those who adapt quickly. For ISVs, this represents both challenge and opportunity as Microsoft looks to them to develop industry-specific AI solutions. Perhaps the most sobering insight came from a conference speaker who observed: "AI is not going to take your job away. Someone doing your job with AI is going to take your job away." Where does your organization stand in this rapidly evolving landscape? Are you becoming a frontier firm, or risk being left behind?

In this episode, host Carol Livingston chats with Jodi Thibedeau , Account Executive from www.Greenshades.com   about their full-suite Payroll, HR, and Tax solutions tailored for Dynamics 365 BC, MS Dynamics GP, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, and Bullhorn. With deep HR and tax compliance roots and tech-savvy insights, Jodi outlines how Greenshades delivers transparency, flexibility, and financial control through its in-house payroll model.Hear how the PowerBI integration brings data clarity for strategic decisions, why their upcoming Integration Hub will simplify ecosystem connectivity, and what the new CEO's arrival signals for Greenshades’ roadmap. Jodi also shares trends among channel partners—including the “payroll-first” migration approach—to help clients navigate GP sunset timelines and streamline legacy workarounds like manual spreadsheets and siloed processes.COMPANY WEBSITE: www.Greenshades.com 

Your ISV product might be great, but can a partner confidently recommend it to their customer? 🤔  In this episode of ISV Talks, host Carol Livingston of Dynamics Connections sits down with Sal Buonocore from Technology Leader Companies, Marketing Coordinator and ISV Alliance Partner Manager at Pre-Sales Leader,  we unpacked what it really takes to build stronger ISV–VAR partnerships in the ERP channels.  At the heart of it all? Clarity, trust, and meaningful collaboration. ISVs need to make their value unmistakable, think clear messaging, ERP-aligned pricing, and defined processes.   Showing up matters, too: community events like Summit NA and Acumatica Summit offer vital face time to earn credibility. We also explored how co-marketing, from webinars to shared lead gen, can scale growth when trust is already there.   The ISV–VAR relationship isn’t just about software, it’s about shared success.  As Sal puts it, “Relationships are the name of the game.” Keep finding smarter, simpler ways to strengthen the channel and deliver results together. www.techleaderco.com 

🚚Smart Warehouses are here! AI, automation, and robotics are transforming warehouse management, optimizing efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. From AI-driven inventory tracking to autonomous robots streamlining fulfillment, businesses embracing these innovations aren’t just keeping up, instead they’re staying ahead.On this episode of ISV Talks, Carol Livingston chats with Naomi Marti and Kyle McNerney from IntraOne WMS by Hy-Tek about their Tier 1 WMS, full-stack solution, and Azure-powered Integration Hub. Their ERP-agnostic approach supports industries from wholesale to pharma, integrating seamlessly with Dynamics, Acumatica, and more ERPs. They dive into AI innovations, robotics, cloud adoption, and how their one-stop-shop execution platform helps businesses scale efficiently.🔹Key Trends:✅ AI-driven inventory and task automation ✅ Robotics boosting warehouse productivity ✅ Cloud demand & integrated, full-stack solutions ✅ VAR success through ISV alliances & industry specialization🤖 Are robotics and AI the future of warehousing?  Listen to the full episode and learn more about it.Discover more about IntraOne WMS by Hy-Tek Intralogistics 

In this episode of ISV Talks, host Carol Livingston sits down with Jason Williams from The Atum Group, creators of GP365. Together, they explore how GP365 offers an affordable Azure hosting service tailored for Microsoft Dynamics GP users, alongside a convenient archive service for customers transitioning to a new ERP system. Discover why The Atum Group's expertise in Dynamics GP infrastructure makes them the ideal partner for cloud hosting. 👉 Learn more at www.gp365.ca