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Community Summit North America 2026 offered Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform customers a chance to get product updates, learn from other customers, and get the latest guidance from subject matter experts.  It's one of the biggest Dynamics-focused events in the world, and to learn more about the themes that drove the conversation this year, MSDW spoke with four veterans for the community about what they learned from Microsoft's presentations, what they heard from audiences in their own sessions, and other observations on both technology and ecosystem themes that will have an impact through the next year. We discuss: Headline messages from Microsoft that showed up across the event Work IQ's progress as a foundational AI service Other AI progress from Microsoft Other real concerns of customers at Summit like traditional user adoption, security, and business process The breadth of product and service updates from both Microsoft and other vendors in the space Our guests in this episode are: Elif Item, CEO at Item by Item Susana Ramos,  Director of Marketings Services at Coffee + Dunn Asif Rehmani, CEO at VisualSP Frank Vukovits, Chief Data Scientist at Delinea

This episode is sponsored by insightsoftware. Not everyone approaches the use of AI the same way, and when it comes to building and running critical reporting against a Dynamics ERP solution, business users need an approach that they can believe in. Our guest on this episode, Jason Carter of insightsoftware, is a veteran of Microsoft's ERP ecosystem and has been thinking a lot recently about how conversational AI can positively impact typical reporting work. We discuss the range of experiences he has had, from working with commercial AI tools on their own to the purpose-built capabilities that insightworks has incorporated into their solutions for Dynamics customers. Jason discusses the workflows that are proving useful for him today in terms of running reports, setting alerts, and retrieving data. And he offers advice for anyone who want to start adding some of the same techniques into their own reporting process. More from insightsoftware: MSDW Webcast on Oct 22 - https://msdynamicsworld.com/event/beyond-buzzwords-live-look-ai-finance Reporting Intelligence Flyover Video:  https://www.insightsoftware.com/resources/reporting-intelligence-ui-flyover/?utm_source=partnermarketing&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=2026-10-07_GBL_MDSW_Podcast_1&partnerref=MDSW

This episode is sponsored by PayTrace. Accountants working with Dynamics 365 Business Central face a unique set of challenges related to receivables. Corey Green and Sam Johnson from PayTrace join us on this episode to share both real-world experiences and the role of embedded payments, both in terms of the technology and the merchants who use it.   We discuss recent enhancements to PayTrace's Trace AR for Business Central and guidance that Corey brings to the team based on his years in the Microsoft community serving in various customer and partner roles, including as an accountant. And with Summit North America 2026 coming up, Sam and Corey share details about PayTrace's presence and activities. More from PayTrace: Visit PayTrace at Community Summit in Nashville, October 11-15 in booth 1408, or contact Corey at [email protected] to discuss how PayTrace can help simplify monthly reconciliation and collections for your business.

This episode is sponsored by AlfaPeople. Global Dynamics 365 ERP projects face unique challenges as teams work across varying locales with unique characteristics and requirements. Our guests on this episode, Craig Shaneck and Marcel Ruf from AlfaPeople, have seen the realities and challenges of global ERP rollouts. They tell us about some of the underlying challenges that any international project can face, such as cultural and operational differences. But other factors like language, terminology, and management styles should also be factored into a plan, they advise. Craig and Marcel tell us the importance of focusing on business process alignment and the use of a global template with Dynamics 365 F&SCM. And they advise that execution plans can expose unexpected risks, like assuming the complexity of any one locale when attempting to harmonize processes.  They also offer guidance on balancing the push for global consistency with the need for regional flexibility, the realities of negotiating on process details, and the importance of cultural understanding. Show notes: AlfaPeople's new eBook on ERP and international growth: https://msdynamicsworld.com/white-paper/your-erp-quietly-limiting-your-international-growth If your organization is planning an international ERP rollout, visit alfapeople.com/us/contact to connect with AlfaPeople's international implementation experts.

As we wrap up MSDW's coverage of Directions for Enterprise 2026, we are joined for a recap podcast with Microsoft MVP Dag Calafell. Dag attended the event in Copenhagen, and we in this episode we discuss some of the core themes of the event including Microsoft's product plans, outlook on the partner opportunity, and how AI could change the nature of Dynamics 365 ERP projects and partner teams. Dag tells us that one of his hopes is that as AI matures it will allow partners to accelerate project work so they can achieve more of their desired goals more quickly rather than focusing on launching minimal viable products. But he believes partners also have questions about the future, like how a focus on AI will impact talent development and how it will be reflected in customer perspective on ERP investment outcomes. More information: •        MSDW's Directions for Enterprise 2026 coverage: https://msdynamicsworld.com/directions-enterprise-2026 •        Dag on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagcalafell3/ •        Dag's blog: https://www.calafell.me/

This episode is sponsored by Plauti. The tech world's focus on AI and agents has helped illuminate a longstanding question for Dynamics 365 CE customers - how strong is the data underlying your CRM? As the pressure to embrace AI and agents grows, customers have a range of concerns about their data. In this conversation, we look at how CRM teams are meeting core goals around sales efficiency and the overall value of their D365 tools while also considering the implications of AI in the near term. Our guests on this episode are Plauti's Nico Miedema and Rob Griffin, as well as Microsoft MVP Heidi Neuhauser. They tell us how new AI readiness pressure is forcing leaders to ask new questions, especially in situations in which no one may have actually measured data health before. Heidi, Rob, and Nico tell us about some of the ways they help customers approach this challenge, whether the organization has been living with Dynamics 365 solutions long term or they are moving from another CRM. Customers can and should start by knowing the tools that D365 gives them to manage and control their data, the guests agreed, but that is often not enough when it comes to duplicates, inaccuracies, and old information that could reduce the value of reporting, automation, and of course, AI and agents.  More from Plauti: Meet the Plauti team at the Nashville Community Summit. We will have chocolate and more giveaways, and we're happy to continue the conversation on AI readiness.  📍 Booth #1934 We will also host a session that expands on the podcast topic, so don't miss it.  🎤 AI Doesn't Fix Dirty Data. It Multiplies It. An inside look at how to make Dynamics 365 CE data actually ready for Copilot and agents. → https://www.summitna.com/browse-sessions/?q=AI+doesn%27t+fix+dirty+data&sessionid=2371 And lastly, feel free to visit the Marketplace to explore the new Monitor features in our Data Management app.  🛠️ Plauti Data Management on Microsoft Marketplace → https://marketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/product/DynamicsCE/plautibv1633354680268.duplicatecheck If you can't make it to Nashville, feel free to connect with us by viewing our other content on the MSDW page or connecting with us on LinkedIn.  ·         Plauti on MSDW: https://msdynamicsworld.com/vendor/plauti ·         Rob Griffin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgriffinct/ ·         Nico Miedema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-miedema-a6a976129/

This episode is sponsored by Mekorma.   ERP implementations and AP automation initiatives are well-known for introducing meaningful change into organizations. Veterans of ERP consulting learn quickly that change management is easy fto minimize during project planning but hard to ignore when deployments run into go-live challenges. Our guests on this episode are Don Anderson, a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and co-founder of SC&E Partners, and Brendan Coffey, director of revenue at Mekorma. Both Don and Brendan are students of organizational management and we begin the discussion by examining some of Don's research that relates specifically to modernizing technology on finance teams. Don shares some of the surprising findings of his own research in this field, including the balance that leaders must find when working to improve processes while keeping staff engaged. And we discuss how AP teams adapt to the introduction of modern AP automation capabilities. The reaction can vary widely depending on the legacy approach and factors like team size, industry, geography, and more. We also explore the concept of openness to change, what the research tells us about team success, and the advice that Don and Brendan would give to a team embarking on a new AP technology project today. More from Mekorma: Why does change feel different in Accounts Payable?   The conversation doesn't end here. In our whitepaper, AP Resistance Isn't Pushback. It's Pattern Recognition, we take a closer look at why AP teams may approach system changes with caution, and what their questions can reveal about risk, control, and readiness.   Read the whitepaper.

Long-running Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environments are at risk for becoming complicated and causing pain for users. But don't rush to blame such issues on bad decisions or mistakes. A BC system can easily accumulate a mix of inefficiencies, workarounds, and issues as a result of many small and innocent-seeming decisions that accumulate over time, say our guests, Microsoft MVPs Cynthia Priebe and Cari Corozza. More often, the reasons for such user pain are related to a lack of clear ownership or a clear vision that considers the downstream impact of changes. When a system does reach a breaking point, experts like Cari and Cynthia are there to help, and they have both seen their share of BC customers dealing with systems that have gone from inconvenient or inefficient to problematic. In this episode they share stories of real world patterns they have observed in areas including permissions, reporting, month-end, and data ownership and how they lead to disruptions. They also offer suggestions on how to identify and avoid potential problems as part of the ongoing upkeep of a BC solution. Connect with Cari and Cynthia on LinkedIn: Cari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-corozza-cpa/ Cynthia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-priebe-dcp/ Business Central Strength Training Network LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14822015/ The Righter Way LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14295297/

EPPC 2026 begins soon, and MSDW is a media partner of the event with on-site coverage planned. To prepare, we talked to one speaker who will be presenting two sessions at the event, Microsoft MVP Sean Astrakhan. Sean tells us about his two session, one on building accurate AI with Azure tools, and another focused on building better integrations with Power Automate and more advanced tools. We discuss our expectations for the event, the experience of an attendee vs a presenter, and picking sessions that can fill in knowledge gaps. Sean's next free workshop: https://www.untethered365.com/freetraining Save €200 with the code MSDynamicsWorld. Book now! EPPC 2026 on MSDW: https://msdynamicsworld.com/eppc-2026

This episode is sponsored by Stratos Cloud Alliance. As Microsoft expands the capabilities of M365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and surrounding tools, partners must work to understand the updates and translate them into meaningful guidance for their clients. That ability to mature AI skills in a rapidly evolving marketplace requires partners to bring a combination of skills to bear, according to our guests, David Buggy of Velosio and Scott May of Stratos Cloud Alliance. Customers expect partners to bring a practical but also forward-looking approach to Copilot and AI agent capabilities. But often, those partners are still working to help their teams understand the latest changes so they can provide the right guidance to clients. David and Scott break down some of those challenges for us and share some of the ways partners are adapting. We discuss what it means to be customer zero today, learning from other partners, and introducing new monetization options. They also share some of the go-to-market motions that are shoing promise, including messaging that they believe is resonating with customers as everyone races to stay current with the AI landscape. If you would like to continue the conversation on how you can use AI in your org, book time with Scott May: Meet with Scott May | Stratos Cloud Alliance

Steve Mordue joins us to talk about the AI landscape that SMBs are facing today and how that led to his team's launch of a new AI offering, RapidClaw, an OpenClaw-based agent framework that made it to market before the reveal of Microsoft's latest autonomous offering category, Autopilot, and the first of its agents, called Scout.   Steve explains how he has made sense of some of the big choices today in the enterprise IT space like pre-built services from hyperscalers, the rise of AI agents, different user interface options, and a variety of billing models. He also explains how his team made some of their decisions, like the use of OpenClaw as an agent harness that each organization can host with full control.  We also discuss how Steve sees AI costs shifting, some of the qualities of effective agents, and the importance of natural language-driven interfaces. Show notes: 6:45 - How are customers should be calibrating their AI priorities vs what many are doing so far 9:50 - Copilot Studio and Power Automate co-existing 4:30 - Boring successes 24:00 - How costs are shaking out for clients 30:15 - How partner billing will change with AI 34:00 - Are we moving away from user-based license model, and what does that mean for partners

This episode is sponsored by Velosio. Organizations are feeling increasing urgency to make decisions about the future of their legacy solutions. Demands around security and sustainability become more challenging to meet over time, and as cloud solutions continue to evolve, IT and business leaders may see uncertainty in their path toward modernization. Our guests on this episode are Velosio's Carolyn Norton, Practice Director for Cloud Services and Cloud Solutions Specialist Brian Williams. They help us explore why decisions around legacy systems may feel more urgent now than in the past, and how increasing risk is moving conversations forward across industries. We discuss how Microsoft's cloud and AI strategy is changing buyer expectations, and how that in turn is changing their assessment of the value of legacy systems. Some of the factors customers are discussing with Velosio go beyond security to the latest governance demands and the impact of their investments on cyber insurance, Carolyn and Brian explain. They also offer some perspective on the importance of business outcomes and the way they believe executives should be helping to champion and prioritize the most important modernization efforts. More from Velosio: Not sure if your cloud environment is actually helping your business move faster? Schedule a cloud modernization strategy session to identify risks, reduce inefficiencies, and map your next step. Additional Resources Start with your numbers: Compare on-prem vs. cloud costs with the TCO Calculator Explore your modernization path: Explore your next steps with the Dynamics Modernization Roadmap Go deeper on strategy and decision-making: Why Simplification Must Come Before Transformation  Turning Legacy ERP Friction Into a Modern Growth Engine Why Legacy ERP Systems Are a Board-Level Liability The Right Path: Maintain, Fortify, Bridge, or Transform

In this episode we are talking with Jeremy Vyska, he's a Microsoft MVP as well as a solution architect, developer, and community leader who recently started an article series with MSDW, Field Notes on Agentic Development. The first piece discusses BCQuality, a community project focused on Business Central development best practices.   We discuss some of Jeremy's experiences and observations from DynamicsMinds, including his session, his upcoming event plans, other community projects around AI-accelerated development that he is watching, and how it all fits together with his outlook on the channel.

In this episode we look back at DynamicsMinds 2026 with two guests representing a new sponsor of the event, Loveable. Olof Hedin joined Loveable's go-to-market effort, and if you recognize his name, it's probably because he was an executive in the Microsoft partner channel until quite recently. He also has an interesting family connection to the startup, which he explains. You'll also hear a bit from Joe Corigliano, a past podcast guest who has deep roots in the Microsoft ecosystem and is taking on a role with Loveable in their efforts to engage the Microsoft partner ecosystem.   Olof hosted a session at the conference about Loveable's work in this space where he shared the company's outlook, answered questions from Dynamics and Power Platform experts and, explained more about their existing relationship with Microsoft. Olof and Joe also discuss the opportunities they foresee in engaging more with the Microsoft partner ecosystem.

This episode is sponsored by XPLUS. In this episode, we explore how teams can move from reactive firefighting to proactive, evidence-based control. We cover why SQL, AOS, and Batch need to be seen as one correlated system, how custom metrics bridge the gap between technical data and real business activity, and what a structured performance optimization cycle actually looks like in practice - from the first alert all the way to a verified fix. Whether you're dealing with regressions after a One Version update, unexplained batch delays, or just the nagging feeling that your system could perform better - this episode gives you a clear framework for taking back control. More from XPLUS: ·         Curious how this works in your environment? Book a 30-minute call with our D365 performance team - https://xplusglobal.com/book-a-demo/  ·         D365 Partner Day: Observability, Testing & Performance: https://xplusglobal.com/event/d365-partner-day-observability-testing-performance/