Last week was the time for “Directions for Partners”, a yearly conference for Business Central professionals, organized in EMEA and ASIA. There was a lot of attendees like never before!
Leaving out technology, “Directions” showed the world how much the Business Central community is strong and maybe stronger than ever. Simply: the product works great!
I read many posts of enthusiastic colleagues about the new functions of Business Central, mainly about Copilot and AI. But I read few posts 😇 about the increasing duration of BC implementation projects.
In a super fast changing world and with a super powerful product 😅 the question is: are the older and bloated project delivery models still useful?
About project management
At “Directions” many speeches was dedicated to project management:
Consultants vs Developers: Stop the Fight! Round 2
After two years of successful collaboration and invaluable insights, we are back with Round 2 of our popular session, “Consultants vs Developers: Stop the Fight!” This session builds on the experiences and lessons learned from our initial discussion, aimed at fostering better cooperation between consultants and developers.
The Negotiation Advantage for High-Performing Teams
In today’s competitive business environment, success depends not only on technical expertise but also on the ability to navigate complex interactions, both internally and externally. Enhancing the negotiation skills of cross-functional teams in development, consulting, sales, PMO, etc. provides value that extends beyond immediate commercial gains.
10 Tips for successful requirement specifications
Having been around in this world of software development Henrik and Luc “have been there” and would like to share their 10 tips for successful requirement specifications. 10 tips that will help you prevent overdue deadlines, deliveries, and above all frustrations of stakeholders and contributors.
Do Low Code projects need Change Management? Appsolutely!
The Low Code, No Code movement is one of the most exciting movements in our days. Citizen Development is capturing the attention of businesses and industries by democratizing IT processes and access to creative design. But with great power comes greater responsibility; how can we drive meaningful adoption whilst still protecting the delivery ecosystem?
Challenging Assumptions: A Modern Approach to Consultancy
Consultants must go beyond merely delivering what clients request. It is crucial for solution providers to challenge assumptions, grasp the client’s true objectives, and offer expert advice rather than just addressing immediate requests. Balancing short-term needs with long-term strategy and designing scalable, iterative solutions are fundamental to achieving lasting benefits and meeting clients’ true needs.
Round table for consultants in Business Central – How to deal with difficult user
Your customer or better the CEO want to do an update to the latest version of Business Central? But the team behind is not willing to follow? What can you do as consultant to help the enduser losing their fears about a change and how can you help the business managament of your customer to be happy? Let’s talk about the main factor in an ERP-upgrade: the human being! Tipps included!
Who is managing the ERP-Project? – A controversial discussion
Of course, you, as a partner, say, do it! I deliver the best product for the customer! I have a lot of experience that the customer doesn’t have. The customer can’t manage the project. Most projects start with this attitude, and a lot of projects struggle with this attitude.
And so on… in other words project management issues are real.
Oh, when NAV was here…
You have all heard many colleagues say “with NAV I have completed many project alone, in few weeks” 😅
So, how is it possible that now the average project duration has increased? But now:
- No software and hardware setup time
- Pre-packaged software through several APPs
- Easier development environment
- Stronger community and thousands of case studies
Is it partners fault or product fault? 😇
From Innovators to Laggards
Slow projects can turn you from “innovator” to “laggard” 😅
For example, if you choose Business Central now, for Copilot, after 1 year of general availability, maybe you are an “early adopter”. But if your project will end in 2 years… you will be a “laggard” and you will be unaware of that! 🥲
With projects, “Time to market” is not only a product requirement, also the team has to be fast enough.
Rembember the Agile Manifesto: “Responding to change over following a plan”.
Conclusion
Microsoft invests a lot to improve our product.
We are a great and powerful community.
But, in my opinion, to be an enthusiast of the product is not enough. If you want use/deliver the most enhanced ERP available, you have to choose/be the fastest path and fastest team. Methodology makes the difference!