The MSDW Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Avalara. Every year brings tax changes at the local, state, and national level, and Avalara has captured the latest updates in their newest tax changes report, which is available now. Avalara's vice president of government relations, Scott Peterson, joins us to discuss some of the report's findings and major themes, including what Scott calls 'off the charts' levels of change in terms of transaction taxes in the US. At the federal level, income tax changes are set to have a direct impact on state income taxes ,and Scott explains how states will react based on own funding needs. And we discuss why states are expanding their sales tax base into digitawl good and servicees, including taxing digital equivalents and B2B services. Scott also shares his guidance on the role of AI in international tax compliance and what our listeners can take away from this year's report. To learn more, contact Avalara: microsoft@avalara.com.

This episode is sponsored by Truvio. Enterprise systems bring order and control to complex organizations, but in the most challenging business processes like AP and commerce experiences, friction can persist. On this episode we are discussing how Truvio, the new brand representing SignUp Software and multiple Dynamics 365 solutions, works with partners to deliver real-world improvements to ERP customers. Our guests are Kris Marcus, Director of Partnerships at Truvio and Rob Ashe, chief revenue officer at SJS Dynamics. They share customer stories, market challenges, and decisions that partners must make today if they want to add value for their customers in a world where AI challenging business cases are leading to new thinking on technology investment. More from Truvio: reach out to TruvioSJS Dynamics

As 2026 rolls along, Microsoft partners understand that they operate in an ecosystem dominated by AI ambitions. But the channel story goes a lot deeper, and attendees at PartnerIn's inaugural Vibe conference brought a broad range of ideas, experiences, and stories with them. The event did not ignore AI, and some sessions dove into topics around how partners are incorporating it into end-to-end business processes, data mining, agent development, and security. But when Microsoft isn't overpowering the conversation, partners also enjoy opening up about other topics like business process standardization, managing consulting teams, creating more effective relationships between ISVs and VARs, and improving sales pipelines. In this MSDW Podcast episode, we share conversations recorded on-site at Vibe with three presenters: Joel Leichty of Cooptimize, Carol Smock of TechFluent Academy, and Tanya Henderson and Steve Endow of Blue Dragonfly. They each share a bit about what they brought to the event, what they were learning from others, and their outlook on operating in the Microsoft channel in 2026.

In this MSDW podcast episode, Mariano Gomez Bent, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Mekorma, shares a technology leader's perspective on moving to Business Central. Drawing from Mekorma's own transition from GP to Business Central, Mariano discusses key considerations around cloud security, selecting the right implementation partners, and managing change across teams. The conversation highlights real-world lessons, common pitfalls, and what organizations should prioritize to successfully navigate a move to the cloud. Considering a move to Business Central? Tune in to hear firsthand insights on cloud security, partner selection, and change management. See more Mekorma content on MSDW: https://msdynamicsworld.com/vendor/mekorma

This episode is sponsored by PlanAutomate. Enterprise Project Management (EPM) is not the typical project management that most people have experienced at work. EPM brings projects out of their silos and into the fold of business by integrating functions and processes with finance, supply chain, production, HR, and other key workloads. In other words, EPM is all about putting projects at the core of critical enterprise systems, says our guest Matt Mong of PlanAutomate. For companies that derive their revenue from projects, EPM integrated with ERP is critical to staying competitive and in control of performance. In this conversation, we discuss:

Microsoft partners have a new event experience to consider in early 2026: PartnerIn's Vibe 2026. Note: MSDW is a media partner of Vibe 2026.Register with code FeeltheVibe15 for 15% off your registration. The conference takes place January 28 to 30 on South Padre Island. And while it is new, the founders and event organizers, Molly Fuchsel and Liz Hallen, bring years of work in the Microsoft ecosystem to the iniative. Molly joins us on this episode to share a quick rundown of the new event and how they came to the decision to focus it on building partner relationships and skills. Molly shares details about developing the idea ofr the event, experiences the team is planning, and what she believes attendees will take away from the three days on the Gulf Coast. More information: Vibe 2026 LogisticsVibe 2026 Sponsor Interest Form

This episode is sponsored by SignUp Software. The e-invoicing landscape is evolving in North America with increasing regulatory pressure and growing customer demand for automation and efficiency. Our guests on this episode, Johan Niedomysl, COO of NAB Solutions Inc. and SignUp Software's product manager Tomás Navarro and director Bob Monio, set the scene for the growing role of e-invoicing in the US, Canada, and Mexico. While e-invoicing has advanced much more quickly in other parts of the world, our guests explain why North American businesses already pay attention to the technology enabling e-invoicing and what Business Central customers are doing today to strengthen their functional capabilities. We discuss the reality in North America compared to e-invoicing in other parts of the world, what BC customers in North America can learn from experiences elsewhere, and what it takes to build a scalable, future-ready e-invoicing setup for BC.

This episode is sponsored by Evenica. On this episode, Evenica's Gustavo Oliveira help us unpack the fundamentals of creating a seamless, secure, and consistent checkout experiences in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce. He explains how a payment connector acts as the communication bridge between POS systems, online stores, and financial institutions to handle the orchestration that makes modern payments work. We also discuss how solutions like Evenica's e4Payment streamline the "last mile" of the customer journey, reduce friction at checkout, support loyalty and gift card systems, and unlock transaction data inside Dynamics 365. From tokenization and modern tender types to unified data for better decision-making, Gustavo highlights why payment connectors have become essential for retailers looking to modernize, scale, and differentiate. From Evenica: https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/product/dynamics-365-for-operations/evenicacorp1582838632446.e4payment?tab=Overview

Microsoft MVP Andrew Welch is the founder of the AI-focused consultancy Cloud Lighthouse, where he and his team now help organizations begin or evolve their AI strategies. He joins us to discuss some of the ways organizations are trying to gain confidence with AI today and the challenges they face in terms of strategy, technology, and organizational change management. Andrew shares examples and anecdotes from his team's work, including ways different kinds of companies are building on past progress or fixing bad habits to prepare themselves for success with AI-driven solutions. We also discuss topics including how to measure outcomes for AI investments today, Andrew's community efforts, Cloud Lighthouse's participation in the Center for Trustworthy AI, and the Center's upcoming event in the spring, the Brasov Forum. Show Notes: Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdwelchhttps://www.centerfortrustworthyai.com/https://www.brasovforum.com/https://cloudlight.house/about

This episode is sponsored by XPLUS. On this episode we are discussing security and compliance in Dynamics 365 F&O and what advances in these areas could mean for the future of the product. Since we last talked to our guest, Bartosz Szpiech, VP of Product at XPLUS, Microsoft has advanced its support for user security governance, or USG, which means users must adapt to evolving license enforcement policies. Bartosz discusses how understanding licensing policy relates to the broader concept of observability in D365. As roles evolve to conform to security and license requirements, customers have the opportunity to begin achieving better insights, he explains. We explore how new tools that offer better insights into activity within F&O could accelerate the identification of high-value AI scenarios that will evolve ERP. He also provides an update on the latest Executive Automats security training for F&O customers. More from XPLUS https://www.executiveautomats.com/dynamics-365-fscm-security-masterclasses

This episode is sponsored by Yooz. Dynamics ERP customers take different approaches to evaluating investments in invoice automation technology, but the decision ultimately comes down to a few key decisions around cost, fraud, and productivity. Our guests on this episode, John Parisi of Yooz and Mark Munson of Ace Micro, have helped organizations of all sorts improve their financial management with Dynamics and AP automation, and in this conversation they reflect on some of the challenges of manual processes and how to overcome them, from data entry to approvals to security. John and Mark share their unique perspectives on the AP-related conversations they are having with GP and Business Central customers today related to fraud and error prevention, evaluating the cost of investing in AP automation, and planning to make it a reality. More from Yooz: https://getyooz.comhttps://www.getyooz.com/accounts-payable-fraud?utm_source=msdw_pod&utm_medium=webhttps://www.getyooz.com/pricing?utm_source=msdw-pod&utm_medium=web https://msdynamicsworld.com/vendor/yoozhttps://msdynamicsworld.com/story/msdw-podcast-how-yooz-builds-strong-microsoft-dynamics-channel-partnerships

MSDW was a media partner of Directions EMEA 2025, and in addition to covering news and announcements at the event, we also caught up with a few attendees to learn more about their experiences and impressions. In addition to major announcements like reaching 50,000 customers of Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft pushed hard on their AI vision for the ERP solution. For the Microsoft partner audience, that focus is sending strong signals about not just about how they should advise customers but also how they will prioritize their own business initiatives. On this podcast episode, we present interviews done on-site at the Poznan Congress Center during Directions EMEA with Marie Wiese, Andrew Good, and Rick McCutcheon. Our guests shared perspective on how Microsoft's vision will impact customers, the push for greater diversity in the channel workforce, and the priorities of partner marketers in a changing landscape.

Murray Fife, is a true Microsoft ERP veteran, having worked in the partner channel, at Microsoft, and independently. His latest projects include multiple series of educational guides providing a complete view of Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management as a product suite, as well as work with Microsoft on developing their latest official demo database for F&SCM. Murray's work on these projects has also informed his outlook on F&SCM as a product, he says. For anyone looking to become a solution architect, a product owner for a Microsoft customer, or another senior role, F&SCM requires both a broad and a deep education, perhaps beyond one's comfort zone or day-to-day role and responsibiliies. Being an ERP leader today also requires a perspective on the state of AI in enterprise software, and Murray explains why he believes some of the big initiatives from Microsoft, specifically MCP and AI Agents, have the potential to reshape the ERP story in the future. Where to find Murray: https://adnd365.com/startLinkedInBlind Squirrel Publishing

This episode is sponsored by PayTrace. Visa's Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP) goes into effect this month, and there are some key differences from the previous Level 2 and Level 3 interchange program that merchants will need to understand. Jeremy Boogaart and Sam Johnson of PayTrace join us on this episode to help make sense of CEDP's timeline, enforcement model, and other implications for merchants. There are benefits to achieving and maintaining "verified" status under the program, and for non-verified merchants, consequences could include higher costs and downgrades. We discuss data elements of Level 3 transactions under CEDP, different types of data quality management, and how it all relates to payment processing integrated with ERP systems. Jeremy and Sam explain how PayTrace has been supporting its clients through this transition and offer tips on how merchants can understand if they have been affected. More from Paytrace: Summit - booth 1315Visit PayTrace onlineYouTube channelblog

This episode is sponsored by HSO. Attendees at Summit NA 2025 can learn more about the solutions they already use, but the event also offers opportunities to expand their knowledge and perspective on investing in business applications. Our guest on this episode, HSO VP of Managed Services Hilary McLaughlin, works with clients after they go live on Microsoft solutions, and she tells us that she encourages Summit attendees to think about the areas they may be overlooking today. Attendees can use their time to learn the latest in data management and integration capabilities, research complementary technology, and get new insights into support and user management scenarios. HSO will have a major presence at Summit NA 2025, including not just a booth but several educational sessions, a solution showcase, and more. They will be showing off their team's breadth and depth, from solutions to data to support and beyond. Hilary tells us more about one of their sessions looking at hidden gems within Power Platform Admin Center and she shares her advice on how to make the most of your next conference experience, from research to session selection. More from HSO: https://connect.summitna.com/8_0/sessions/session-details.cfm?scheduleid=963https://www.hso.com/event/community-summit-2025-in-orlando#attend-an-hso-speaking-sessionhttps://msdynamicsworld.com/story/event-preview-solving-customer-master-data-challenges-community-summit-2025

On this quick episode we are looking ahead to Community Summit NA 2025 to learn more about how and why to connect with the team at Flywire, the sponsor of this episode. Flywire's Caroline Broms tells us about the team's plans at the event (you can find them at booth 2332), where attendees can learn the latest about Invoiced by Flywire for AR automation and how it aligns with both Dynamics 365 and the company's well-known international payments expertise. The team will also be ready to discuss digital transformation from the perspective of AR automation, with a focus on integration challenges, compliance, customer success stories, and performance metrics. Finally, Caroline offers a few tips on how to get the most out of Summit as an attendee from both a product and community perspective. More from Flywire: https://www.invoiced.com/accounts-receivable-software-msdwhttps://connect.summitna.com/8_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?exhid=460

This episode is sponsored by Mekorma. Vendor management is the foundation of payment processing and a critical step in ensuring your business isn’t exposed to unnecessary risk, but for many teams operating in Microsoft Dynamics GP and D365 Business Central, it’s still manual, time-consuming, and error-prone. In this podcast episode, Mekorma’s Director of Revenue Brendan Coffey explores the realities of vendor management today, the compliance challenges of IRS TIN checks and OFAC sanctions, and what happens when vendor validation is overlooked. Listeners will walk away with a clear framework of "Now → Next → Later" for strengthening vendor management maturity in Business Central and Dynamics GP. From easing year-end 1099 reporting to embedding vendor validation and finally automating compliance checks in the payment run, this conversation shows how AP teams can save time, reduce risk, and scale with confidence. From Mekorma: mekorma.com

This episode is sponsored by SignUp Software. The experience of deploying and managing a Dynamics 365 F&SCM solution can look quite different for the customer compared to their Microsoft partner. But as these two counterparts on an ERP project make decisions to move a project forward, they must contend with a series of key decisions related to ISV solutions including vendor selection, architecture decisions, and user adoption plans. To understand more about ISV selection challenges specific to AP automation for D365 F&SCM, our guests, Rachel Ackerman of Microsoft partner Caf2Code and Josh Torres of SignUp Software join us to talk both real world experiences and recommendations for organizations considering their next move. Ackerman brings a particularly unique perspective, having spent several years working for D365 F&SCM and AX customer organizations to deploy and administer their ERP solutions, including their AP automation add-on solutions. Now working for a Microsoft partner, she is helping a range of D365 customers across industries with both their D365 deployments and their ISV selection. Rachel and Josh discuss what real AP automation selection and deployment looks like including considerations like whether to go with an embedded solution, the importance of reliable and accurate data capture for invoices, and the outcomes customers should expect from their AP automation investments. More from Signup Software: If you’d like to learn more about AP automation in Dynamics 365, visit signupsoftware.com or connect with them on LinkedIn. You can also reach out to their partner Caf2code at caf2code.com for implementation insights and support.

This episode is sponsored by the 365 Leadership Summit, taking place September 18-19, 2025 On this episode we are discussing the business leader's perspective on AI transformation, including a theme that people aren't talking about as much: failure. Our guests on this episode, Prachi Mishra of Microsoft and Geoff Ables of C5 Insight, talk both the risks and the potential benefits of the AI offerings that are emerging almost in real time from Microsoft in 2025. Prachi and Geoff both explain their reasons for viewing AI as key to the future of business, and the conditions that will lead organizations to successful investments. They share case studies from their own clients, AI adoption advice, and how to build an achievable roadmap. And Geoff helps us understand one of the key risks that he foresees, the emergence of AI shelfware and the loss of excitement or momentum within an organization. More about the 365 Leadership Summit: Taking place September 18-19, 2025 at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, CO the 365 Leadership Summit is THE Non-Technical AI & Digital Transformation Event for Business Leaders & Change Influencers. Learn more at: www.c5in.co/leader

This episode is sponsored by SignUp Software. On this episode we are discussing the opportunity to solve sophisticated finance challenges with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. My guests are Bob Monio of SignUp Software and Morgan Prengler of Sksoft. Their organizations have partnered for years, and they say the newest phase of their alliance will lead to new and improved solutions and programs to address the needs of finance teams in areas like AP, payments, reconciliation, and reporting. Bob and Morgan both share use cases from recent customers and some of the emerging patterns that they have observed in the last twelve months around advanced financial solutions and modernization initiatives. They also explain why they are using the strategic narrative of the CFO stack and the value of bringing audit, spending, and control under one roof. More Resources: • To learn more about embedded solutions for D365 BC, visit signupsoftware.com • To learn more about SKsoft's toolbox, visit sksoft.com