Pitching Scrum to Microsoft Customers – YouTube
#81. Gustaf Westerlund CIO and founder at CRM-Konsulterna asks, “How can we get customers to really understand that an agile approach is best for them?” Agile is built on trust. Trust that the developing partner will do their best. But if the customer has been burned many times before, this can be hard to gain. And half-hearted trust becomes half-hearted agile.” I dive into the detail and expand on my top three...
3 User Story Traps to Avoid with Power Platform and Dynamics 365 – YouTube
#80. Richard asks about working with user stories in a Dynamics 365 or Power Platform agile project. I’ll spend this episode talking about user stories on Dynamics 365 and Power Platform projects and I’ll share three traps to avoid when working with user stories when building Power Platform and Dynamics 365 apps using Scrum. • The first trap is the level of detail. • The second trap is splitting and combining stories. • The...
Bonus: Extended Interview with CJ Brooks, MISSION CRM – YouTube
#79. Bonus extended interview with CJ Brooks, a Fundraising and Engagement Architect at Mission CRM as we talk about how Mission CRM closed the doors on their consulting practice to focus on building the Mission CRM fundraising and engagement application for nonprofit organizations. In this bonus episode, CJ and I try to solve the Elon Musk problem in data verse. Resources CJ Brooks on LinkedIn...
The Making of MISSION CRM with CJ Brooks – YouTube
#78. Join me with CJ Brooks, a Fundraising and Engagement Architect at Mission CRM as we talk about how Mission CRM closed the doors on their consulting practice to focus on building the Mission CRM fundraising and engagement application for nonprofit organizations. Make sure you stick around until the end of this episode to find out how you can get access to the bonus episode with Neil Benson and CJ Brooks extended interview. Our...
Bonus: Extended Interview with Bert Wijns, Power Accelerate – YouTube
#77. Bonus extended interview with Bert Wijns, a Global Solution Strategy Architect a Microsoft and co-founder of Power Accelerate as we talk about the tool he created which allows you to take a screenshot of a legacy application or database schema and have a Power App built in a few minutes with the legacy data migrated. Sound crazy? Listen on to hear more about Bert Wijns’ Power Accelerate. Resources • Bert Wijns on LinkedIn...
Testing Heaven: When should we test agile apps? – YouTube
#110. My current team is stuck in Limbo. We’ve finished development of a Dynamics 365 application for a local government department and we’re tapping our fingers waiting for acceptance testing to start. What should agile testing look like on a Dynamics 365 or Power Platform project? I describe my agile testing Heaven, and the next best thing, Elysium. And what it’s like to be stuck in Limbo. What does testing look...
Automagically Building Power Apps with Bert Wijns, Power Accelerate – YouTube
#76. Join me with Bert Wijns, a Global Solution Strategy Architect a Microsoft and co-founder of Power Accelerate as we talk about the tool he created which allows you to take a screenshot of a legacy application or database schema and have a Power App built in a few minutes with the legacy data migrated. Sound crazy? Listen on to hear more about Bert Wijns’ Power Accelerate. Make sure you stick around until the end of this...
EY’s PowerPost reduces lead times by 95% – YouTube
#125. In this episode of Amazing Applications, Emil Hovgaard and Sheelan Bhana of EY Nordic Tech Hub share the story behind EY’s PowerPost application and how it has made the General Ledger posting process easier and faster for the EY organization. • Emil’s background and his role at the EY organization • Sheelan’s background and his role at the EY organization • Emil’s favorite Microsoft application • Sheelan’s favorite...
Should .NET Developers Stick or Switch to Power Platform? – YouTube
#153. Neil Benson is joined by Keith Atherton, a proper pro developer. Keith shares his journey from developing custom apps using .NET, C# and SQL Server to embracing and mastering the development of enterprise business applications using the Power Platform. What do developers lose and gain using Power Platform compared to developing an app from scratch with .NET and SQL Server. The power of rapidly prototyping applications in Power...
Should .NET Developers Stick or Switch to Power Platform?
#153. Neil Benson is joined by Keith Atherton, a proper pro developer. Keith shares his journey from developing custom apps using .NET, C# and SQL Server to embracing and mastering the development of enterprise business applications using the Power Platform. What do developers lose and gain using Power Platform compared to developing an app from scratch with .NET and SQL Server.The power of… Continue Reading ‘s Article on...
Unpacking User Stories and Backlog Refinement with Dani Kahil – YouTube
#152. Host Neil Benson is joined by the talented Dani Kahil for an insightful discussion on managing backlogs and enhancing user stories in Azure DevOps and Jira. Neil shares his experiences with Jira, highlighting some configuration challenges, while Dani expresses a strong preference for Azure DevOps. They dive into the hierarchy of backlog items, including epics, features, user stories, and tasks, and explore different approaches...
Unpacking User Stories and Backlog Refinement with Dani Kahil
#152. Host Neil Benson is joined by the talented Dani Kahil for an insightful discussion on managing backlogs and enhancing user stories in Azure DevOps and Jira. Neil shares his experiences with Jira, highlighting some configuration challenges, while Dani expresses a strong preference for Azure DevOps. They dive into the hierarchy of backlog items, including epics, features, user stories,… Continue Reading Dani Kahil’s...
Super CRM: a Power Platform case study in financial services from Superware – YouTube
I dive into a case study from one of his team’s own projects: “Member Super”, a financial services organisation in Australia. With over a million members, they needed a CRM application that could handle their complex stakeholder relationships and provide exceptional service to their customers. Member Super’s existing CRM app was limiting their capabilities and hindering their goal of achieving a single view of...
Super CRM: a case study
#151. Amazing Apps host, Neil Benson, dives into a case study from one of his team's own projects: "Member Super", a financial services organisation in Australia. With over a million members, they needed a CRM application that could handle their complex stakeholder relationships and provide exceptional service to their customers. Member Super's existing CRM app was limiting their capabilities… Continue...
A Big Bang? Going Live with Dynamics 365 or Power Platform with Andrew Bibby – YouTube
What does it take to have a successful go live event for your Dynamics 365 or Power Platform application. Andrew Bibby joins Neil Benson to discuss what modern go live events look like, how customers are measuring the success of their release, and that three biggest factors that contribute to successful go live events. GO LIVE RUNSHEET Download an example of the type of release checklist my teams use to plan and execute a go live...
A Big Bang? Going Live with Dynamics 365 or Power Platform with Andrew Bibby
#150. What does it take to have a successful go live event for your Dynamics 365 or Power Platform application. Neil Benson sat down with Andrew Bibby, a seasoned expert in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform business applications. In this episode, Andrew shares his insights on the crucial process of preparing for and executing a successful go live. From addressing technical difficulties… Continue Reading Andrew...
The Tyranny of the Deliverable with Andrew Welch – YouTube
#149. Andrew Welch is the Chief Technology Officer at HSO. Andrew is an expert in IT strategy and has a wealth of experience advising customers on their big strategic technology decisions. He is also an author, Microsoft MVP, and a regular presenter at conferences. Joining us today, Andrew shares valuable insights on the importance of IT leadership, cloud ecosystems, data platforms, artificial intelligence, and the future of...
Breaking Free from the Tyranny of the Deliverable with Andrew Welch
#149. Andrew Welch is the Chief Technology Officer at HSO. Andrew is an expert in IT strategy and has a wealth of experience advising customers on their big strategic technology decisions. He is also an author, Microsoft MVP, and a regular presenter at conferences. Joining us today, Andrew shares valuable insights on the importance of IT leadership, cloud ecosystems, data platforms, artificial… Continue Reading Andrew...
Amazing CRM & ERP Apps in Manufacturing with Shawn Tabor – YouTube
Get ready for another captivating episode of Amazing Apps! In this episode, Neil Benson engages Shawn Tabor, Director of Consulting Services at Hitachi Solutions, in an insightful conversation about the dynamic realm of Microsoft Business Applications and its role in the manufacturing and service industries. Explore Hitachi’s product landscape, investment strategies, and the art of identifying patterns to create accelerators for...
Amazing CRM & ERP Apps in Manufacturing with Shawn Tabor
Get ready for another captivating episode of Amazing Apps! In this episode, Neil Benson engages Shawn Tabor, Director of Consulting Services at Hitachi Solutions, in an insightful conversation about the dynamic realm of Microsoft Business Applications and its role in the manufacturing and service industries. Explore Hitachi's product landscape, investment strategies, and the art of identifying… Continue Reading ‘s...
Which Pipelines: Power Platform or Azure DevOps? with Benedikt Bergmann – YouTube
147. When should you use Power Platform pipelines and when should you use Azure DevOps pipelines to deploy your Power Platform or Dynamics 365 apps? That’s the question that Benedikt Bergmann answers in this episode of Amazing Apps. Benedikt is a Power Platform consultant known for his expertise in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Neil and Benedikt delve into the world of ALM, discussing its importance for small and...
Power Platform pipelines or Azure DevOps pipelines for ALM? with Benedikt Bergmann
147. When should you use Power Platform pipelines and when should you use Azure DevOps pipelines to deploy your Power Platform or Dynamics 365 applications? That's the question that Benedikt Bergmann answers in this episode of Amazing Apps.Benedikt is a Power Platform consultant known for his expertise in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Neil and Benedikt delve into the world of ALM,… Continue Reading Benedikt...
Can you really gain competitive advantage with Dynamics 365? with Martin Hinshelwood – YouTube
146. In this episode, we’re thrilled to have Martin Hinshelwood from naked Agility join host, Neil Benson. Martin shares his perspectives on improving the success of agile engagements through the role of a consulting product owner, and why you should build your own business applications rather than buy Dynamics 365 if you’re looking for competitive advantage. Hit the play button and dive into this insightful conversation...
Can you really gain competitive advantage with Dynamics 365? with Martin Hinshelwood
146. In this episode, we're thrilled to have Martin Hinshelwood from naked Agility join host, Neil Benson. Martin shares his perspectives on improving the success of agile engagements through the role of a consulting product owner, and why you should build your own business applications rather than buy Dynamics 365 if you're looking for competitive advantage. Hit the play button and dive into… Continue Reading Neil...
Why Chris Huntingford Doesn’t Believe in Citizen Devs! – YouTube
145. We’re back with another incredible episode of Amazing Apps, and this time we have an amazing guest on board. Neil Benson is joined by the Low Code Lead & Platform Evangelist at ANS Group, Chris Huntingford. Chris spills the beans on citizen developers, he talks about the concept of ecosystem enablement, the potential of low code platforms, the importance of enabling everyone to build apps and flows, hackathons, and...
Chris Huntingford Doesn't Believe in Citizen Developers
145. We're back with another incredible episode of Amazing Apps, and this time we have an amazing guest on board. Neil Benson is joined by the Low Code Lead & Platform Evangelist at ANS Group, Chris Huntingford. Chris spills the beans on citizen developers, he talks about the concept of ecosystem enablement, the potential of low code platforms, the importance of enabling everyone to build apps… Continue Reading Chris...
What should a new scrum master do joining an existing Dynamics 365 team? – YouTube
Neil Benson is joined by Matthew Venamore, a scrum master with extensive experience coaching Dynamics 365 teams. Matthew shares valuable insights into the challenges faced by new scrum masters when joining existing teams and emphasizes the importance of empowering the team. He advises taking a standoffish stance initially, observing the team and their work before making any changes or adding value. Matthew shares his personal journey,...
Joining an existing team as a new scrum master with Matthew Venamore
#144. Neil Benson is joined by Matthew Venamore, a scrum master with extensive experience coaching Dynamics 365 teams. Matthew shares valuable insights into the challenges faced by new scrum masters when joining existing teams and emphasizes the importance of empowering the team. He advises taking a standoffish stance initially, observing the team and their work before making any changes or… Continue Reading Neil Benson with...
Who do we need in our Business Apps team?
On this episode of Amazing Apps, we discuss resourcing agile teams using the Scrum framework. Neil Benson talks about who we should have on our teams as product owner, developers and scrum master. Should Microsoft partners offer to provide a consultant for every role on the team? Listen in to find out. Timestamps [00:02:04] Product owner maximizes value, sets goals.[00:03:02] Product owner… Continue Reading Neil Benson’s...
Is Smaller Better? When to split your enterprise apps team. – YouTube
Amazing Apps #142. I discuss the challenges of organising a large Scrum team to maximize effectiveness. When your team becomes too big, splitting it into component teams feels natural. Component teams usually organise by skill set — a systems integration team, a Power Apps team, and an Azure team. But although component teams might feel natural, they have one big downside. Find out what it is and other ways to organise teams...
Smaller Teams, Bigger Wins: how to split your enterprise apps teams
141. Neil Benson discusses the challenges of organizing a large Scrum team to maximize efficiency. He suggests rotating developers between teams and organizing teams around specific components or external systems they need to integrate with. Neil also recommends self-organizing teams and coaches teams to create their own code of conduct and establish expected behaviors. He shares his… Continue Reading Neil Benson’s Article...
Navigating the role of an architect in a Dynamics 365 Scrum team with Allan de Castro
#141. On this episode of Amazing Apps, podcast host Neil Benson is joined by Allan de Castro, a senior technical consultant for the Power Platform at Avanade France.They discuss their experience applying Scrum to recent projects, including the role of an architect in the Scrum framework. The episode covers key challenges such as the importance of ensuring clarity in the backlog, prioritization… Continue Reading Neil Benson /...
How I run experiments to build better Microsoft Business Apps – Amazing Apps – YouTube
Today, it’s just me, and I’d like to discuss what EMPIRICISM means to teams building complex, enterprise Dynamics 365 and Power Platform applications. In this episode, I’ll break down what empiricism is and its importance in Scrum, provide examples of work that would benefit from an empirical approach, and share insights on how we can use empiricism to build better business apps and improve our processes, tools, and techniques. MY...
Running experiments to build Dynamics 365 and Power Platform apps
Today, it’s just me, and I’d like to discuss what EMPIRICISM means to teams building complex, enterprise Dynamics 365 and Power Platform applications. In this episode, I’ll break down what empiricism is and its importance in Scrum, provide examples of work that would benefit from an empirical approach, and share insights on how we can use empiricism to build better business apps and… Continue Reading Neil Benson’s Article...
Agile Testing for Dynamics 365 with Emma Beckett
#139. Today’s guest is Emma Beckett, an experienced test professional who runs her own company, Fortitude 17, in London, UK. A professional footballer, Emma pursued a career in software testing, even though her first role in tech was in Desktop Support — hardware, not software!As you’ll hear, Emma is a Certified ISTQB Test Consultant and trained in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and… Continue Reading Neil Benson / Emma...
Agile Testing for Dynamics 365 apps with Emma Beckett, Fortitude 17 – YouTube
Amazing Apps 139. Today’s guest is Emma Beckett, an experienced test professional who runs her own company, Fortitude 17, in London, UK. A professional footballer, Emma pursued a career in software testing, even though her first role in tech was in Desktop Support — hardware, not software! As you’ll hear, Emma is a Certified ISTQB Test Consultant and trained in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM, CE, and...
Deep dive into Dynamics 365 Marketing with Malin Martnes
#138. My guest today is Malin Martnes, a Microsoft MVP and MCT who runs her own company MaCoTra AS in Oslo, Norway. As you’ll hear, Malin doesn’t have any technical background on Dynamics 365 and Power Platform but she focuses on using these systems. In this episode, Malin talks about how she came to be a CRM consultant and set up her own consulting business. With years of experience as… Continue Reading Neil Benson and Malin...
What's Next for Customery Academy?
137. Customery Academy is my online business through which I coach and train Microsoft customers and partners to build amazing, agile business applications.In this episode, I share a short history of Customery Academy, where it's at today, and my goals for 2023. Halfway through editing the episode, there's a surprise about just how many Customery Academy students have achieved their… Continue Reading Neil...
Richard Hundhausen – Professional Scrum and DevOps – Amazing Apps 136 – YouTube
136. My guest is Richard Hundhausen, a former Microsoft MVP and Regional Director, Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainer, and co-creator of the Nexus Scaled Professional Scrum Framework. As you’ll hear, Richard doesn’t have a background in Dynamics 365 or Power Platform, but he’s no stranger to developing apps on Microsoft technology. In this episode, Richard talks about his experience working with Microsoft and how he got started with...
Professional Scrum and DevOps with Richard Hundhausen
My guest is Richard Hundhausen, a former Microsoft MVP and Regional Director, Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainer, and co-creator of the Nexus Scaled Professional Scrum Framework. As you’ll hear, Richard doesn’t have a background in Dynamics 365 or Power Platform, but he’s no stranger to developing apps on Microsoft technology. In this episode, Richard talks about his experience… Continue Reading Neil Benson / Richard...
I'm Beginning to Hate Scrum
Remy is starting to hate Scrum. He thinks we should use Kanban. And get rid of Product Owners. It's a shame, then, that Remy doesn't understand Scrum. And doesn't want to understand Scrum.Don't be like Remy.Resources Kanban Guide on Kanban UniversityProfessional Scrum with Kanban training from Scrum.org Support the show Continue Reading Neil Benson’s Article on their blog I’m Beginning to Hate Scrum...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...
Is Power Fx really low code? – Amazing Apps 136 with Rishona Elijah – YouTube
Join me for Amazing Applications ep. 136 with Rishona Elijah. Find out how she got started in Microsoft Business Applications, how she uses her blog to help business users, and the latest innovations with Power Virtual Agents. Rishona also talks about whether Power Fx is really part of a low-code platform and new features from Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance that are being incorporated into Power Platform. [00:00] Welcome to Amazing...