The MSDW Podcast MSDynamicsWorld.com

Julie and Jason took the Biz Apps Classroom to Denver to talk training and learning at DynamicsCon Live 2024. Our guest on this live, in-person episode is Nick Doelman, a Microsoft MVP and former Microsoft employee.
AI was all over the conference, and we start by taking on the question of Microsoft Copilot's role in developing Microsoft technology training. Nick shares his perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of today's tools for creating learning plans, classroom training, and self-learning activities. His experiences point to Copilot as a tool, not a solution, and he explains why he still has trust issues with the technology.
Nick also shares a recent experience of asking Copilot to develop a syllabus for a client. He had to balance the potential time saved, the skills a Microsoft consultant needs to properly review such AI output, and the risks of some people leaning too heavily on these tools. 
Resources: 
Power Platform Boost Podcast: https://powerplatformboost.buzzsprout.com/  MSDW's DynamicsCon Live 2024 coverage: https://msdynamicsworld.com/tags/dynamicscon-may-2024 See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting  https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/

What can Copilot do for the average business user? Julie and Jason turn on screen sharing in this video-enabled episode to examine some of the basics of interacting with a Microsoft Copilot.
 
Conference season has begun, and attendees will find a bounty of sessions focused on AI. But organizations will have to consider two key questions as they decide to embrace AI and Copiilot in general: how to identify useful AI-enabled scenarios and how to use them effectively and responsibly.
 
As Julie shows us in this walkthrough, great results are not guaranteed with an AI copilot interaction. Prompts matter, as does the user's critical eye toward the results. In this episode we explore not only prompts and responses, but the importance of language choices and how to adapt your approach during an AI interaction to get the ideal outcome.
 
Resources:
See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here: https://msdynamicsworld.com/biz-apps-classroom Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting  https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at https://mydigest.365.training/

This episode is sponsored by Evenica.
 
Public sector organizations use Microsoft Business Applications for a broad range of solution needs, and the latest advances in Dynamics 365 Commerce have empowered municipalities and other government entities to transact and interact online in a compelling new ways.
 
In a recent panel discussion, Kelly Mazur of Microsoft partner Evenica led a discussion about what’s possible for municipalities today when they leverage the full capabilities of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, including commerce.
 
Topics include:
Evenica's outlook on Commerce in public sector How well Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations apps (including Commerce) fit in public sector organizations Unique commerce-related challenges of public sector and local governments Commerce in portals scenarios Easing the pain of RFPs  
A message from Evenica:
Over the past 20 years Evenica has defined Commerce as a category and become one of the leading implementers of Dynamics 365 Commerce. They work with Microsoft customers across each major industry to create synergy between transactions and interactions. You can learn more about them at Evenica.com

Microsoft MVP and MCT EY Kalman joins us in the Biz Apps Classroom to discuss Microsoft's Applied Skills and Applied Labs, his view on the employment landscape, and some tips on making yourself a more attractive candidate.
 
Topics of the discussion include:
Microsoft certifications and their value for landing a new job. Other ways EY's team evaluates candidates based on technology, roles, and other considerations. Why EY believes the PL-200 is a good starter exam for candidates, even if they are new to Microsoft Business Applications.  Whether college matters when hiring for Business Applications consulting roles. How to interpret the completion of Applied Skills by a candidate. Why Applied Skills can be a headache for more experienced Microsoft professionals EY's recent experiences finding skilled candidates to fill his firm's open roles Tips for building your skill set without an employer  
Resources:
https://thecrm.ninja See all Biz Apps Classrooms episodes here. Support the podcast and get a discount on an annual plan for 365.training by visiting  https://365l.ink/MSDW. Keep up with community content at  https://mydigest.365.training/

With DynamicsCon Live fast approaching, we check in with Dynamics User Group's Ryan Harris for a quick update on the event, which runs from May 13 to 16. 
Ryan tells us about the planning and offers some suggestions on how to attendees can take advantage of the event's layout and features to get the most out of the week. He also previews some of the schedule highlights like the TechFluent Gala on Tuesday, May 14.
And listen closely to this short episode because at the end we explain how to enter to win one of MSDW's two free passes to DynamicsCon Live. 

Microsoft introduced three tiers of new partner benefits packages in January 2024 that were designed for partners to purchase to help meet different types of channel needs. Our guest on this episode, Microsoft MVP AJ Ansari of DSWi, has been looking closely at these benefit levels and joins us to share some of his observations about the elements of each offer, the value of different options, and how different kinds of organizations might be able to use them to their advantage. We also discuss what these offers say about Microsoft's channel engagement priorities today and how they differ from other programs and incentives.
 
Events and resources mentioned:
Comparing partner offerings Directions North America DynamicsCon Live DynamicsMinds Days of Knowledge Central BCTechDays