Microsoft Innovation Podcast

Mark Smith [nz365guy]

If you want to get your ideas or questions featured on an episode, please leave us a voicemail: https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/voicemail/ Dive into the future of work with the "Microsoft Innovation Podcast," exploring the intersection of People, Business, Technology, and AI.  Engage with expert guests—including thought leaders from Microsoft, industry innovators, and community specialists—who are redefining the world with advancements in AI, Cloud technologies, the Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and beyond. Every episode delivers a blend of in-depth discussions, practical insights, and actionable strategies tailored for professionals driving enablement and innovation. Join us across our six shows: The Power Platform ShowThe MVP ShowThe Copilot ShowThe Ecosystems ShowThe AI AdvantageThe AI Unfiltered Show

  1. Stop Buying Software, Start Buying Outcomes

    22 HR AGO

    Stop Buying Software, Start Buying Outcomes

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM    This episode dives into why large CRM and ERP projects keep failing and how AI is reshaping consulting, software delivery, and platform decisions. The core insight is simple. Organisations fail when they buy software instead of outcomes. With AI, experienced teams can move faster, strip away legacy complexity, and build only what the business actually needs. The conversation explores outcome-based thinking, flawed RFP processes, and why AI is accelerating the gap between great and average practitioners.  👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/836    🎙️ What you’ll learn    How to frame technology decisions around outcomes, not vendors or features Why traditional RFP processes drive cost blowouts and failed projects The four core business problems most systems are really trying to solve How AI tools are changing the speed and shape of consulting work When building custom solutions now beats buying off-the-shelf software ✅ Highlights  “So many people are still buying software like it’s a software decision rather than a business decision.” “You’re really only trying to solve one of four business problems.” “Most organizations aren’t even thinking in terms of what is the root of what I’m trying to solve.” “Your highest qualified people are not even in the game because you’ve already excluded quality.” “AI is now to the developer what Visual Studio was in the 90s.” “It made the good developers really good and the bad developers a lot faster.” “Low code was developed because we couldn’t get enough developers.” “There’s a third option now, and that is vibe code your own add-on.” “I think we’re less than 18 months away from this changing enterprise software.” 🧰 Mentioned  Microsoft Power Platform: https://learn.microsoft.com/power-platform  Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Dynamics 365 CRM): https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/solutions/crm  Microsoft Business Central: https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/products/business-central  Microsoft Finance and Operations (Dynamics 365 Finance): https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/products/finance Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google  LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator DynamicConsultantsGroup.com: https://dynamicconsultantsgroup.com ✅Keywords    ai in consulting, outcome-based software, crm failures, erp projects, power platform, low code vs pro code, vibe coding, rfp process, enterprise software, applied ai skills, digital transformation, consulting strategy Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    39 min
  2. AI as Your Operating System for Work and Life

    1 DAY AGO

    AI as Your Operating System for Work and Life

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM    AI is shifting from a tool to an operating system, enabling individuals to move faster, build bespoke solutions, and dramatically increase productivity. The biggest advantage now comes from curiosity, not technical depth. Those who experiment, learn a few tools deeply, and treat AI as a collaborator can compress hours into minutes and unlock new business models. Meanwhile, large organisations risk falling behind due to governance, inertia, and slow decision-making.  👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/835     🎙️ What you’ll learn  Use AI as an operating system to replace and create software Move from idea to working solution in minutes, not hours Build capability by mastering a few tools, not chasing every new model Apply curiosity-driven workflows to unlock better AI outcomes Avoid common enterprise pitfalls around governance and tool sprawl ✅ Highlights   "This software rewards the patient and the curious." "Learn two or three of these tools really well." "Are you using these tools to improve your quality of life or aren’t you?" "This is the last software that I’ll ever train." "We can create bespoke applications through any of these tools." "It’s eating other software." "People who choose to be left behind." "From idea to iteration in 30 minutes." "I feel like I’m becoming a bionic person." "The barriers to entry are just gone." 🧰 Mentioned  ChatGPT – https://chatgpt.com/ Bing (Copilot Search) – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/copilot-search Google – https://www.google.com Gemini – https://gemini.google.com/ Claude – https://claude.ai/ Copilot – https://copilot.microsoft.com/ Perplexity – https://www.perplexity.ai/ Stability AI (Stable Diffusion) – https://stability.ai/ Ethan Mollick (Wharton profile) – https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/emollick/ Co-Intelligence (book) – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/ Suno (AI music generator) – https://suno.com/ ✅Keywords  ai tools, generative ai, chatgpt, ai productivity, solopreneur ai, ai governance, llm workflows, ai operating system, automation, business ai, ai adoption, digital transformation  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    38 min
  3. Make Copilot Safe: Fix Data Governance First

    5 DAYS AGO

    Make Copilot Safe: Fix Data Governance First

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM   This episode explores why data governance must come before enabling Microsoft 365 Copilot, with insights from Khurram Hafeez. It breaks down how sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, and Microsoft Purview reduce the risk of unintended data exposure. You will hear practical guidance on preparing your environment, protecting sensitive information, and managing AI use across Microsoft tools and third‑party AI sites. The focus is on real‑world decisions organisations must make to safely adopt Copilot at scale. 🎙 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/834 👉 What you’ll learn      Why Copilot increases the impact of poor data governance How sensitivity labels affect what Copilot can access and summarise When to use DLP versus inline DLP for AI risk management How organisations can limit data sharing with third‑party AI tools What licensing choices matter for Copilot and Purview governance ✅ Highlights      “With the intro of the AI, the importance of the data governance compliance has much increased.” “The first defense layer that you should be apply, that is the sensitivity label.” “If a user doesn’t have permission, Copilot can’t actually extract the data.” “Standard policy actually is not sufficient these days.” “Users copy and paste or upload a sensitive file to third‑party AI sites.” “Inline DLP policy is one step ahead of endpoint DLP policy.” “Microsoft focus not to block something, to protect something.” “Before enabling the copilot, they ensure that their environment is ready.” “Copilot certainly honors the permissions the user have.”  🧰 Mentioned      Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot/ Microsoft Entra Suite: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/microsoft-entra-suite  E5 licence: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/enterprise/e5  Pay‑as‑you‑go Purview licensing: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/purview-billing-models ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/ DeepSeek: https://www.deepseek.com/  Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 ✅ Keywords  microsoft copilot, microsoft purview, data governance, sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, inline dlp, endpoint dlp, ai security, m365 e5, third party ai, information protection, enterprise ai  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    25 min
  4. Adopt vs Adapt: Cut Power Platform Technical Debt

    18 MAY

    Adopt vs Adapt: Cut Power Platform Technical Debt

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  A practical rethink of how teams use Power Platform and Dynamics 365 to reduce technical debt, improve governance, and build sustainable solutions. The discussion centres on shifting from tech-first thinking to business outcomes, balancing low-code and pro-code principles, and preparing for AI and Copilot. The key insight is that long-term success comes from disciplined governance, reuse, and choosing when to adopt versus adapt.  👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/833 🎙️ What you’ll learn    Shift from technology-first to outcome-first solution design Decide when to adopt vs adapt to reduce complexity Apply coding principles inside low-code environments Manage technical debt through governance and architecture Evaluate where AI and Copilot add real value today ✅ Highlights  "taking a step back and looking at business need and use a process rather than technology first." "a term we're using in the department more and more is kind of adopt versus adapt." "the more you’re restricting yourself off from these possibilities." "it's treating it as a tool, a set of tools we can use rather than the default." "governance to me means more preventative." "it's really difficult to then stay on top of things like the Wave releases." "it’s more a matter of time than anything." "it's not the same thing as code, but it's not meant to be." "there's still a level of maturity that we need to get to." "what does Power Platform mean really and what is it there for?"  🧰 Mentioned  Power Virtual Agents (now part of Copilot Studio): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/copilot-studio/microsoft-power-virtual-agents-now-part-of-microsoft-copilot-studio/ AI Builder: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ai-builder/overview Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    29 min
  5. AI Makes Breaches Faster: 30-Minute Data Theft

    17 MAY

    AI Makes Breaches Faster: 30-Minute Data Theft

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM This episode explores how AI is accelerating both productivity and cyber risk. As attacks become faster and more automated, traditional perimeter security no longer holds. The conversation focuses on why organisations must assume compromise, adopt zero trust thinking, and build visibility before scaling AI. It highlights practical steps to govern AI use, reduce insider risk, and modernise access models beyond legacy VPNs. The core message is clear: embracing AI without security foundations can move your business backwards. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/832    🎙️ What you’ll learn  Why AI has shortened breach timelines from days to minutes How to shift from perimeter defence to a zero trust mindset Practical ways to gain visibility over AI tools and data use Where unplanned AI adoption creates insider risk Why VPN-only security models struggle in cloud-first work ✅ Highlights  “From the time of compromise to data exfiltration, we’re seeing 30 minutes.” “Cybercrime is doing the same thing with AI that businesses are.” “You can’t protect what you can’t see.” “You can’t govern what you don’t know about.” “We almost have to assume we’re going to get hit.” “Security by obscurity doesn’t work anymore.” “AI is introducing far more risk when there’s no planning.” “Once you’re in with a VPN, there’s zero control on the inside.” “The volume and scale and speed is what really concerns me.” 🧰 Mentioned   Zero trust: https://learn.microsoft.com/security/zero-trust/zero-trust-overview VPN (virtual private network): https://www.cisco.com/learn/topics/security/what-is-a-virtual-private-network-vpn.html  SASE (secure access service edge): https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/security-101/what-is-sase  Booz Allen: https://www.boozallen.com/  Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/en  Anthropic Claude: https://claude.ai/  ✅Keywords  ai security, cybersecurity, zero trust, ai risk, data governance, cybercrime, vpn security, sase, insider risk, cloud security, ai adoption, threat landscape  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    31 min
  6. Why Copilot Adoption Is Stuck at 3% And Fix It

    13 MAY

    Why Copilot Adoption Is Stuck at 3% And Fix It

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM This episode explores how business leaders are actually using AI inside organisations, and why adoption of tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot remains low. Chris shares practical insight from the frontline, covering Copilot strategy, Work IQ, agentic thinking, and how AI now enables teams to build internal tools faster than buying SaaS. The focus is not hype, but how to reimagine business models, reduce cost, and unlock new value with applied AI capability. 🎙️For full Show Notes   https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/831  👉 What you’ll learn      Why low Copilot adoption is an opportunity, not a failure How to think beyond productivity to AI-enabled business models When building internal AI tools beats buying SaaS What Work IQ enables that other AI systems cannot How agentic systems change OKRs, dashboards, and execution ✅ Highlights      “AI is transformative, it is expensive, and it requires several years of exposure to capital budgets” “It’s not just about doing things better, but doing things you never could do before” “Microsoft is the largest commercial AI company on the planet” “Copilot can orchestrate over your information in a way that other AI can’t” “Work IQ would be a little bit better than the word graph” “I love the term vibe coding” “It would have been a couple of hundred thousand dollars two years ago” “I’ve taken over two thousand dollars of subscription costs out of my business” “They do exactly what I needed to do and no more” 🧰 Mentioned      Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot Host - Polaris podcast: https://polaris.synozur.com Co-Host Microsoft’s Intrazone podcast: https://aka.ms/TheIntrazone Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 ✅ Keywords       ai adoption, microsoft copilot, work iq, agentic ai, internal tools, ai strategy, okrs, vibe coding, business transformation, saas replacement, applied ai, enterprise ai  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    26 min
  7. How Agentic AI Is Rewriting ERP Workflows

    11 MAY

    How Agentic AI Is Rewriting ERP Workflows

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  This episode with Christian Segurado explores how agentic AI is reshaping ERP and enterprise delivery. The discussion covers deploying Copilot Studio agents in Teams, reducing ERP UI friction, accelerating fit gap and requirements work, and why multi agent orchestration matters. It focuses on where AI delivers real operational value today, the foundations required to unlock it, and what this shift means for people, process, and technology decisions in 2026.   👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/830    🎙️ What you’ll learn    How agentic AI changes how users interact with ERP systems Where Copilot Studio and Azure Foundry fit in real implementations How AI accelerates requirements gathering and fit gap analysis Why clean data foundations are critical for agentic scenarios What multi agent, multi model AI means for enterprise teams  ✅ Highlights  “ERP being actually more the layer on the back where the agent inquires knowledge” “It is probabilistic, not deterministic” “We are deploying is on Teams” “It will fundamental change how we interact with the ERP” “You cannot start with the roof if you don’t have the foundation” “We have an agentic driven methodology” “Consistency creates predictability” “It does have a soul” “Multi agent, multi model will be the norm” 🧰 Mentioned  Dynamics 365: https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot  Copilot Studio: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio  Azure Foundry (Microsoft Foundry): https://ai.azure.com  Microsoft Fabric: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-fabric  Medallion architecture: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/databricks/lakehouse/medallion  Azure DevOps: https://azure.microsoft.com/products/devops  Microsoft Learn: https://learn.microsoft.com  Microsoft Mesh: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-mesh✅Keywords    agentic ai, erp, dynamics 365, copilot studio, microsoft teams, multi agent systems, enterprise ai, ai governance, fit gap analysis, microsoft power platform, azure foundry, digital transformation  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    28 min
  8. Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Innovation Culture

    10 MAY

    Why AI Alone Won’t Fix Innovation Culture

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/829    This episode explores why AI and innovation fail without culture change. Drawing on decades of innovation experience, the discussion breaks down common myths around productivity, frameworks, and lone heroes. The core insight is simple but hard to execute. Sustainable AI adoption starts with leadership alignment, psychological safety, and recognising that everyone is creative. Real change happens bottom‑up, reinforced by long‑term discipline, not hype or short‑term fixes.  🎙️ What you’ll learn  Why AI does not automatically improve productivity or innovation How leadership behaviour shapes innovation culture What psychological safety enables in teams and organisations Why every employee is creative in practical, everyday ways How to build long‑term innovation habits that actually stick  ✅ Highlights  “If it’s that easy, everyone will be doing it.” “Sometimes I think AI makes me more unproductive.” “There is no lone hero that is going to save the company.” “Everyone knows at least one thing how they can improve something.” “Innovation is much more complex than one framework.” “Psychological safety is a property of a group, not an organisation.” “Everyone is creative, not just artistic people.” “Changing behaviour is one of the most difficult things.” “You cannot trick people, they will see if you walk the talk.” 🧰 Mentioned  AI adoption: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ai/ Innovation frameworks: https://www.deloittedigital.com/us/en/offerings/customer-led-marketing/customer-strategy-and-applied-design/applied-design-and-innovation/ten-types.html Design thinking: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-design-thinking Business Model Canvas: https://www.strategyzer.com/library/the-business-model-canvas ✅Keywords  ai adoption, innovation culture, psychological safety, creativity at work, leadership, organisational change, productivity myths, design thinking, innovation frameworks, applied ai, business innovation, technology change  Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption Support the show If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin. Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    32 min
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About

If you want to get your ideas or questions featured on an episode, please leave us a voicemail: https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/voicemail/ Dive into the future of work with the "Microsoft Innovation Podcast," exploring the intersection of People, Business, Technology, and AI.  Engage with expert guests—including thought leaders from Microsoft, industry innovators, and community specialists—who are redefining the world with advancements in AI, Cloud technologies, the Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and beyond. Every episode delivers a blend of in-depth discussions, practical insights, and actionable strategies tailored for professionals driving enablement and innovation. Join us across our six shows: The Power Platform ShowThe MVP ShowThe Copilot ShowThe Ecosystems ShowThe AI AdvantageThe AI Unfiltered Show

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Smith [nz365guy]
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    835
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mark Smith - Cloverbase Ltd.
  • Show Website
    Microsoft Innovation Podcast

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