Copilot - Is the appetite as big as the hype?

In this very first episode of Dynamics Compass we're speaking with Andrea Hall from Innovia Consuling about the market's appetite for Copilot, the main concerns and its pitfalls. This is an introduction to a longer series of topical deep dives into Copilot for Dynamics. Questions discussed in this episode:

* What is the appetite for Copilot? * What are the main concerns?

* What is Copilot's ROI?

* Pitfalls rolling out Copilot

* Steps to take before your roll
out Copilot

Dynamics GP vs D365 BC

MS Dynamics GP has a lot of happy users. But Microsoft says it will no longer be supported past 2028. How does this impact your organization? What are the options?

Q's answered by Patrick Johnson - Business Central Practice Manager at LBMC:

1. Is GP still supported past 2028?

2. What are the main reasons for moving from GP to Business Central?

3. Business Central is not a replacement of GP?

4. Are GP customers resistant to Cloud and therefore BC?

5. Do demographics play a part in GP customers' hesitance to move to BC? 6. What are the biggest challenges moving from GP to BC?

7. What is the best angle: A business or Technology driven project?

8. GP to BC: Is it a migration or an implementation?

Dynamics GP vs D365 BC

Former GP end user turned ERP Practice Director at TruNorth Consulting - Michelle Serna - is sharing her genuine experiences that she's had moving from GP to Business Central and what her clients are experiencing.

Questions she's answering:

1. Is GP still supported past 2028?

2. What are the main reasons for staying on GP?

3. What are the main reasons to move to BC?

4. What should be considered when choosing between GP vs BC?

5. What are the critical factors when moving to BC?

6. Has anyone ever regretted moving to BC?

7. As an ex-GP user, what is your favorite feature in BC?

Copilot and the future of Software Development

⁠Marcel Chabot⁠ - Copilot Enthusiast and Development Manager at The TM Group is answering the the following questions:

1. Can developers kick back and relax now that Copilot has access to Github?

2. Where is Copilot adding value for development?

3. What are the development limitations with Copilot?

4. How is the job of the developer is evolving?

5. What development activities can easily be automated with Copilot?

6. What should the customer look for when shopping for a developer?

7. How do you see Copilot change the day to day job for development?

8. What will the job of a developer look like in a few years from now?

Transition from Navision (to BC) ft Kris Ruyeras

⁠Kristoffer Ruyeras⁠ - a life long NAV and Business Central Consultant, co-host of ⁠Dynamics Corner⁠ podcast and runs his own blog ⁠Matalino.io - and ⁠Rory
discuss the move from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to D365 Business Central, the rationale behind it and what to consider to ensure a successful transition:

1. What's the appetite for BC amongst NAV users?

2. Main reasons for moving to BC?

3. Main reasons for staying on NAV?

4. Is moving from NAV to BC always a re-implementation?

5. Is BC the default go-to for NAV customers?

6. Is it easier to move to BC than other ERPs?

7. Yes or no: If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

8. What's best: Implementation by a partner or in-house?

9. 3 Pitfalls for BC implementations

10. Is there a fail proof change management approach?

Implications of GP's end of support ft David Laster

⁠What does it mean that Microsoft Dynamics GP will no longer be supported past 2029? Is this a big deal for everyone?

David Laster - Director at Gravoc and GP-fan since 1999 discusses:

- Main reasons GP customers aren't moving

- Is the GP community moving since the end of support been announced?

- Risk of being on unsupported GP

- What if you use GP Payroll? What if you don't?

- Is BC the default go-to?

- What should the next 5 years look like for GP customers?

Breaking the paradigm: How sa.global Americas naturally achieved a female majority workforce

Hear from Matt Calderwood how sa.global Americas naturally achieved a female majority workforce by simply hiring the best person for the job.

Was it due to a transformative way of thinking from the leaders?
Did they have a brilliant recruitment strategy with targeted KPIs?
A new set of hiring policies?
A magnificent marketing campaign?

Whether you're running an organization yourself or want to get more parity across your team, there's advice here that will help you.

Transition from Navision: The customer's perspective

Chris Warren is IT Director and also the Chair of the Board of Advisors for the BC/NAV User Group in North America.

Questions we're discussing:

1. What were the key reasons to move to BC?

2. Were there any reasons to stay on NAV?

3. Did the implementation go as planned?

4. What was the hardest part of moving from NAV to BC?

5. What are the critical factors to a BC implementation?

6. What benefits or ROI have you seen from moving to BC?

7. In hindsight, is there anything you would’ve done differently?

8. What tips would you give other customers that are planning their BC implementation?

Successfactors & Pitfalls for ERP implementations

Having executed large ERP implementations both on the consultant and on the customer side, Martin has seen both sides of the fence and has a wealth of insights to share.

Topics/Questions we're discussing:

1. Main reasons company implement a new ERP

2. Does your ERP, or you dictate your business processes?

3. What are the key challenges for implementing ERP?

4. Why is data migration underestimated?

5. What are the key factors for a successful implementation?

6. Who should be the project sponsor?

7. Tips for a first timer

Why ERP implementations Fail and How To Prevent It ft Jesper Kehlet

CEO of a global Microsoft Partner Hoalani Group - known for rescuing failing D365 implementations - is sharing from lived examples.

Topics/Questions we're discussing:

* Where Microsoft Dynamics projects go wrong

* Why Organizational Change Management (OCM) gets ignored

* The sales vs. delivery gap: who's leading the change conversation?

* How important is the sponsor? (Spoiler: very)

* Big name partner ≠ safe bet — here's why

* Scope creep: how to manage changing requirements

* Advice to companies starting a Dynamics 365 implementation

When to Move to Business Central — And When You Shouldn't ft Andrea Hall

Fractional CIO Andrea Hall unpacks the critical decision points that push companies to evaluate — or mistakenly rush into — a new ERP system.

Topics/Questions we're discussing:

✅ Common trigger events that lead to ERP evaluations
✅ Why companies shouldn’t rush into a new system
✅ Real-world scenarios where Business Central is a no-brainer
✅ Common ERP mistakes and how to avoid them
✅ Who BC is actually a great fit for
✅ What steps to take after deciding on BC

Why Customers aren't upgrading to D365 BC - ft Jon Rivers

In this episode of Dynamics Compass, Rory sits down with Jon Rivers, Co-Founder and COO of Marketeery, a fractional CMO firm helping Microsoft ERP and CRM partners rethink their marketing strategies.

🎯 We cover:

• Why legacy ERP systems still have a grip on so many businesses

• The most common marketing mistakes Microsoft Partners make • How to actually educate NAV and GP customers without scaring them off

• What kind of marketing content drives real pipeline movement

• When to start the BC conversation (hint: it’s not 3 months before go-live)

• Tactical advice for partners looking to boost upgrade conversions this quarter

AI in Manufacturing: Bringing GenAI and Copilot to the Shop Floor - ft Kenny Mullican

Kenny Mullican is CIO at Paragon Films, who’s been leading real-world AI adoption inside a mid-market manufacturing environment. Instead of waiting for a board directive or a million-dollar budget, Kenny started small, with curiosity, user adoption, and a willingness to test what works (and what doesn’t).

We dive into:

✅ Lessons from early experiments with Microsoft Copilot — why it felt “half-baked” and what leaders can learn from that experience

✅ How Paragon Films identified live process monitoring as the “killer use case” for AI

✅ Why data grounding is the key to moving from generic AI to business-specific AI
✅ How mid-sized manufacturers can adopt AI without multi-million-dollar budgets
✅ Practical advice for CIOs and IT leaders considering AI, Copilot, or predictive analytics for manufacturing

Are you getting the most out of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system? - ft Andrew Good

We discuss:

✅ Why staying current with the latest Business Central updates matters

✅ The real cost of ignoring new features and capabilities

✅ How partners and customers can bridge the “awareness gap”

✅ Strategies to continuously improve system usage and ROI

If you’re a Business Central user, implementation partner, or IT leader responsible for ERP success, this conversation will give you practical insights on how to get more value out of your Dynamics 365 investment.

Business Central for Food Manufacturing: Customizations, EDI & Food Safety ft Bill Wilson

Bill Wilson, a 29-year veteran at Park100 Foods and Rory are exploring the critical role of Microsoft Dynamics in the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

🍲 Transitioning from DOS to NAV to Business Central in food manufacturing 🔧 Managing 800+ customizations: when to customize vs. use out-of-the-box functionality

📊 Why item cards are the "Bible" for raw materials and finished goods management

🔒 On-premise vs. cloud deployment: security concerns and lessons learned

⚠️ Critical data points for food safety: allergen tracking, lot numbers, and CCP monitoring

📦 EDI implementation with Lanham: automating customer orders, shipments, and real-time tracking

🏷️ SSCC-18 barcoding for advanced traceability (Chick-fil-A & Farmer's Dog requirements)

✅ The 5 T's of successful ERP upgrades: Team, Train, Test, Trust, Think

🚨 Preventing recalls through proper data integrity and quality control processes

💡 Change management strategies: getting user buy-in 6 months before go-live

D365 F&O Training Strategy: Why Most Implementations Get It Wrong ft Elif Item

Elif shares hard-earned insights on why most F&O implementations treat training as an afterthought, why spending tens of thousands on change management before you have a solution designed is wasteful, and how to structure a training timeline that actually works.

Topics Discussed:

🎯 Why training and change management are too often separated from core project management tasks

💸 The biggest mistake: front-loading change management resources before there's a solution to manage

📚 The critical difference between change management resources and training resources

⏰ Why you should start training 2 months BEFORE your F&O project kicks off

🔧 The fatal flaw in the "train the trainer" approach and when to bring in dedicated training resources

👥 Different audiences need different training: core team vs. SMEs vs. warehouse operators vs. finance users

📊 Building a smarter 18-month training timeline that doesn't overload users right before go-live

🏆 The role of a "training champion" and why it's different from your change management lead

⚠️ Why most companies waste their training budget in the first 4 months of a project

✅ Post-go-live training: why you need resources allocated AFTER you're live, not just before

🎓 How to repurpose implementation activities (like design sessions) into training materials

💡 The toolbox approach: why one-size-fits-all training fails in F&O implementations

Customizations shouldn't happen, Data Migration, and the Future of Dynamics Agentic ERP ft Michael Petersen

What We Cover:

The Customization Problem – Why "customizations shouldn't happen" inside your ERP, where the line actually is between necessary business logic and problematic modifications, and how Microsoft's MCP Server 2.0 changes everything Data
Migration Reality – Why data migration should be 25-40% of your implementation budget (but rarely is), the consequences of underinvesting, and what it takes to get it right when you're moving 100M+ records
The Great Plains Migration Decision – Real talk on BC vs F&O for GP customers, what makes the data migration unique, and why the platform choice matters more than you think
Agentic ERP is Coming – How Microsoft's push toward AI-driven ERP will fundamentally change how users interact with systems, why F&O is Microsoft's long-term horse in this race, and what this means for Business Central's future
Practical Preparation – How companies implementing today should be thinking about the 5-10 year horizon, getting teams ready for agent-based work, and avoiding another expensive migration down the road

AI Agents for Manufacturing: Smart Sourcing & Production Costing in D365 ft Dag Calafell

Topics Discussed:

🤖 How to identify AI use cases vs. shiny object syndrome in manufacturing

📊 Why starting with 10% automation beats swinging for 100%

🏭 Smart Sourcing Agent: automating vendor selection with supplier scorecards, delivery times & landed costs

💰 Production Costing Agent: real-time root cause analysis on production runs

🔗 Why Microsoft Fabric is the ideal data layer for AI agents

⚙️ Crawl, walk, run: building organizational comfort with autonomous AI

👥 Finding internal AI champions and building a continuous improvement culture

📈 The change management challenge most organizations underestimate

🎯 What manufacturers need to figure out before talking to a partner

🔮 Why the technology is ready—but humans need to catch up

Implementing F&O: From Horror to Industry leading with A.I. ft Steven Goodwin

What we cover:

🔥 Walking into a phase 0.5 go-live — what went wrong and why

🛠️ The 3-step rescue framework: stop the bleeding, build the foundation, enhance the product

👥 Why in-house capability beats outsourced development — and how to make the case for it

⚙️ The 80/20 standard vs. custom principle and the long road to getting there

🤖 How Graebel went from traditional relocation firm to AI-first organization

🏗️ Building a citizen developer community with governance guardrails that actually work

😰 Why most companies haven't started with AI yet — and why it's not too late

📌 The "start small" approach: a SharePoint-based AI agent that changed how people see the technology

Why D365 Manufacturing Implementations Fail & What Partners & Clients Get Wrong ft Carla Teasdale

Topics Discussed:

🔄 What consultants assume about clients (and vice versa) that turns out to be wrong

🧪 Why testing gets ignored — even though everyone knows it's critical

🏭 How manufacturing raises the stakes on end-to-end testing

👥 Who should own testing on the client side and push back when there's no time

🤝 The collaboration conversation that should happen at kickoff but rarely does

🎉 Why you should never high-five on Day 1 of Go Live

💡 Empowering teams to make decisions without delays

🎯 Why you should interview your implementation consultants before they start

5 Things to Do BEFORE Your D365 Business Central Implementation

By 2027, 70% of ERP initiatives will fail to meet their original business case goals. Mike Scalamogna from Schneider Downs breaks down the five things you should be doing before your Business Central implementation even starts, and why most companies get them wrong.

📊 Why data migration makes or breaks your implementation (and what Target got disastrously wrong)

🤖 How to think about AI without falling for the hype or getting left behind

🔄 The 88% statistic that proves change management isn't optional

⚙️ A3 thinking: Toyota's one-page framework for mapping your business processes

🎯 What MVP actually means for ERP projects (and what to push back on)

Your GP Partner Might Not Be Right for Business Central ft Kristen Hosman

Thinking about moving from GP to Business Central? Before you sign with your current partner out of loyalty, there are critical questions you should be asking — and red flags you might be missing.

📌 What you'll learn in this episode: 🔎 The patterns Kristen sees in failed BC implementations that need rescuing

⚠️ Why your GP partner might not be the right choice for your BC journey

✅ Questions you should be asking during the partner selection process

💰 What Bridge to Cloud is and who qualifies for 30% discounted licensing

⏰ The real timeline pressure for companies on legacy systems

🤝 Why you should interview the project team before signing

D365 WMS Is Not ERP — Stop Treating It Like One ft Steve Shebuski

Why most D365 WMS implementations fail and how warehouse veterans approach it differently. In this episode, Rory speaks with Steve Shebuski, VP of Pre-Sales at MCA Connect, about why Warehouse Management in Dynamics 365 can't be treated like a standard ERP module and what decision-makers need to know before kicking off a WMS project.

⚠️ Why treating WMS like Finance is the fastest path to a failed implementation

🔄 How order profiles and SKU profiles should drive every warehouse design decision

🏗️ Why every warehouse deployment is different and templates can backfire

🤖 How MCA Connect built an AI slotting agent to optimize warehouse throughput daily

👷 Why warehouse floor experience matters more than Dynamics certifications for WMS talent

🔎 The most common disaster Steve walks into on warehouse rescue projects

📊 Why continuous measurement and optimization is the real key to WMS success

Copilot - Is the appetite as big as the hype? ft Andrea Hall

In this very first episode of Dynamics Compass our host Rory de Goede is speaking with Andrea Hall from Innovia Consuling about the market's appetite for Copilot, the main concerns and its pitfalls. This is an introduction to a longer series of topical deep dives into Copilot for Dynamics.

Questions discussed in this episode:

* What is the appetite for Copilot?

* What are the main concerns?

* What is Copilot's ROI?

* Pitfalls rolling out Copilot

* Steps to take before your roll out Copilot

Copilot's maturity for Dynamics F&O ft Drew Lencsak

Drew Lencsak - ERP Delivery Director at Argano and creator of Youtube channel @DynamicsUnplugged - is guest speaker on this episode of Dynamics Compass Podcast and answering the following questions:

1. Is Copilot an out-of-the-box solution? 2. How mature is Copilot for F&O?

3. What's the level of people's comprehension of Copilot?

4. Are customers heavily reliant on partners for Copilot?

5. Where have you seen Copilot as the biggest game changer?

Dynamics GP vs D365 BC ft Patrick Johnson

MS Dynamics GP has a lot of happy users. But Microsoft says it will no longer be supported past 2028. How does this impact your organization? What are the options?

Q's answered by Patrick Johnson - Business Central Practice Manager @ LBMC:

1. Is GP still supported past 2028?

2. What are the main reasons for moving from GP to Business Central?

3. Business Central is not a replacement of GP?

4. Are GP customers resistant to Cloud and therefore BC?

5. Do demographics play a part in GP customers' hesitance to move to BC? 6. What are the biggest challenges moving from GP to BC?

7. What is the best angle: A business or Technology driven project?

8. GP to BC: Is it a migration or an implementation?

Dynamics GP vs D365 BC ft Michelle Serna

Questions she's answering:

1. Is GP still supported past 2028?

2. What are the main reasons for staying on GP?

3. What are the main reasons to move to BC?

4. What should be considered when choosing between GP vs BC?

5. What are the critical factors when moving to BC?

6. Has anyone ever regretted moving to BC?

7. As an ex-GP user, what is your favorite feature in BC?

Copilot and the future of Software Development ft Marcel Chabot

⁠Marcel Chabot⁠ - Copilot Enthusiast and Development Manager at The TM Group is answering the the following questions:

1. Can developers kick back and relax now that Copilot has access to Github?

2. Where is Copilot adding value for development?

3. What are the development limitations with Copilot?

4. How is the job of the developer is evolving?

5. What development activities can easily be automated with Copilot?

6. What should the customer look for when shopping for a developer?

7. How do you see Copilot change the day to day job for development?

8. What will the job of a developer look like in a few years from now?

Transition from Navision (to BC) ft Kris Ruyeras

Kristoffer Ruyeras⁠ - a life long NAV and Business Central Consultant, co-host of ⁠Dynamics Corner⁠ podcast and runs his own blog ⁠Matalino.io - and ⁠Rory discuss the move from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to D365 Business Central, the rationale behind it and what to consider to ensure a successful transition: