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How to Write a Modern RFP for CRM Implementation
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Here’s why customers should pay for more for customizations!
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Finding The Limits of Low-Code
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Dynamics 365 Business Central and RapidStart CRM UPDATE!
In my last post, I announced that we (Forceworks) were developing an addon for our RapidStart CRM to connect to Microsoft's wildly popular Dynamics 365 Business Central. I wanted to update you on our progress. BTW, I did not record audio for this post because it has...
A Better CRM for Business Central?
At a recent event, Microsoft executives told me that Dynamics 365 Business Central was flying off the shelves. Over the years, I had occasionally peeked over the fence at Business Central, mostly out of curiosity. But "flying off the shelves" is a reason for me to...
Steve has a Chat with Vahe Torossian
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Steve has a Chat with Jukka
I had the pleasure of having a chat with a Power Platform industry leader, Jukka Niiranen. Listen or Watch below. Enjoy! [podcast...
The New Weapon – Cost Predictability
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The Works Services-as-a-Subscription Model Update
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Power Platform Outside the Bubble
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The Microsoft Partner Dilemma
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Steve has yet another Chat with Charles
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Let’s Talk About Funnels
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It’s Time for a New Services Model for Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform
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The Myth of Single Version of the Truth
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Are you over-paying for Dynamics 365?
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Pay as you Go, Go, Go
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Hit 50K Users? Get ready for the knock-offs.
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Your organization (tenant) is over capacity
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“Even after everything, we still have adoption problems”
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We Upgraded from Dynamics 365 to RapidStart CRM
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Steve has another Chat with Toby Bowers
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Dynamics 365 for Outlook Deprecated Alert
Many of our customers have been asking about the ominous alert that appears in their advanced settings area for either Dynamics 365 or Power Apps Model driven environments. In this short post I will explain it, and show you how to get rid of it. Dynamics 365 for...
Steve has a Chat with Ryan Cunningham
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Power Platform Blind Spots
The Landscape
Leaving Dynamics 365 aside for this and looking specifically at the Power Platform, internally referred to as the “Citizen Application Platform”, we have a pretty broad palette. At the top level, we have the “Power” family, which includes Power BI, Power Apps, Power Pages, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents. It’s a lot of “Power”. The second level adds even more subdivisions of these Power tools, like Power Apps forking off to Canvas or Model-Driven and recently both, or Power Automate forking off to Cloud Flows or RPA and more, or Power Pages forking to internal employee portals or customer-facing websites, and further subdivisions across all the “Power” tools. This is a lot already, but then add to this connectivity to each other, and native connectivity to Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365, Azure, and hundreds of other apps via connectors, and the landscape expands exponentially. In my recent interview with Charles Lamanna, head of Business Applications for Microsoft, he said he had counted 29 different products earlier this year! And they are still building more.
The Journey
Most new users will have “discovered” the Power Platform via one of its Power tools, maybe Power Apps or Power Automate. These are not just widgets you string together; each of these Power Tools has a deep set of capabilities of their own, which get multiplied when combined with each other. Low-Code/No-Code “LCNC” permeates the entire Power Platform, meaning you do not have to be a software developer to create value, which is fantastic, but with so much available, it can feel like a corn maze. This leads to most new “citizens” picking a path to reduce noise. It is not practical to “learn it all”, even if you were engaged throughout the whole evolution. Becoming an LCNC “Expert” on just one of these Power tools will require time and focus.
Blind Spots
This leads us to the “Blind Spots”; things obscured from your necessarily tunnel-visioned viewport. It’s like driving the same route to work every day; it’s comfortable because you have learned that route. You know there are probably other routes, but you have not taken them because you don’t know them. Meanwhile, there is another route that cuts your driving time in half and passes a beautiful waterfall. This was in your “Blind Spot”. This phenomenon is more acute in the Power Platform because each tool takes much focus, time, and practice to master. You may find yourself trying to drill a hole with a Power Saw, unaware of the Power Drill on the shelf just out of reach.
We Can Figure This Out
I am pleased to report that many more customers are coming to me these days with a “We can figure this out” mindset. This is a recent major shift from only a few years ago. But there is a difference between Arrogance and Fact. Arrogance says, “we can figure this out on our own and don’t need any help“. Fact says, “we can figure this out faster, with less back-tracking and better outcomes with some expert guidance“. Not only shining a light on the blind spots but helping you “see”, from an elevated perspective, the most efficient and effective path through the Corn Maze.
Microsoft may have minimized the requirement for code development, but that was never the key to solving business problems, it was a means. Sure, for many it felt like a blocker, but now with that removed, they are realizing that code development was actually a small part of solving a significant business problem. Without a good understanding of all of the tools in the box, what they are for, and how they work, you may actually be better off with Dynamics 365. Yes, I can’t believe I am saying that either.
The only reason you can have a decent, scalable CRM for $5/PUPM is that we built it and gave it to you. Eventually, with enough time, focus, and experience using all of these tools to solve many real issues you may be able to claim that “We can figure this out“. But that plateau is farther than you think. Check out my post on the Dunning-Krueger effect.
Partners Adjusting
We are not the only partners bending to this new reality. Our Service as a Subscription model is a “hard pivot” directly towards it. A new breed of customer is emerging that is seeking self-empowerment. Moving to the cloud may have been a “Technical Digital Transformation,” but this is the “Real Digital Transformation” that the cloud laid the groundwork for. Many customers understand that technology was never just about efficiencies but creating a clear competitive advantage over their slower-moving rivals. All Business is an Infinite Game, and I’m stealing a quote my friend Jukka used from Simon Sinek in a recent post, “There are no winners or losers in an infinite game; there is only ahead and behind.”
How do you get there?
I have frequent conversations with customers who get wide-eyed at the possibilities, then reality washes over them, and they ask, “How can we get there?”. For many customers, their stumbling block will not be with using the tools themselves but rather intransigent IT departments allowing access to them. IT has come full circle; starting as enablers back in the day, they have evolved into walled gardeners, killing anything that attempts to invade their sanctuary. I get it; given their paths, this can all seem very scary to people whose primary focus has been on compliance and security. Job preservation plays a part in some instances, but it feels more like, “How can we allow all of these things to exist if we don’t understand them”. Best to kill it. It is ironic since IT has the first and most significant opportunity to become a profit center instead of a cost center. The “Technical Digital Transformation” felt insurmountable not that long ago, yet most forged a path.
But let’s say you have either an amenable IT willing to explore governance and other issues they need to be comfortable with to enable this or a strong CXO who tells IT to pound sand and “Deal with it”. You can start building toys all by yourself, but that will not move the needle. It would help if you considered a consulting partner. If this is not related to Dynamics 365, this should be a Power Platform consultant. While Dynamics 365 is built on the power platform, much of a Dynamics-only partner’s knowledge will be focused on the first-party applications rather than the underlying platform itself. Today, most Power Platform consultants are still operating under a Dynamics 365 banner, so you should talk to a few to find one who really knows the platform and not just the D365 apps. Many do know both well. (Avoiding shameless plug). In another recent post, I mentioned that you should find one who is “all-in” on your desire to do as much yourself as possible and avoid those who fight you on this. Look for experience and knowledge across the Power Platform. An expert in Power BI only will not get you very far.
The Result
You may be chasing a competitor already ahead of you on this, which means you have to catch up faster. However, in many cases, you may still be a “first-mover” in your circle. With the right attitude from IT, support from the executive suite, a solid expert consultant, an eager and willing internal team of people who understand the challenges, and a focus on outcomes, you could create an insurmountable advantage in your marketplace.


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How to “Do More With Less” with Microsoft
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How to Write a Modern RFP for CRM Implementation
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Here’s why customers should pay for more for customizations!
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Finding The Limits of Low-Code
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Dynamics 365 Business Central and RapidStart CRM UPDATE!
In my last post, I announced that we (Forceworks) were developing an addon for our RapidStart CRM to connect to Microsoft's wildly popular Dynamics 365 Business Central. I wanted to update you on our progress. BTW, I did not record audio for this post because it has...
A Better CRM for Business Central?
At a recent event, Microsoft executives told me that Dynamics 365 Business Central was flying off the shelves. Over the years, I had occasionally peeked over the fence at Business Central, mostly out of curiosity. But "flying off the shelves" is a reason for me to...
Steve has a Chat with Vahe Torossian
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Steve has a Chat with Jukka
I had the pleasure of having a chat with a Power Platform industry leader, Jukka Niiranen. Listen or Watch below. Enjoy! [podcast...
The New Weapon – Cost Predictability
[podcast src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/24026925/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/87a93a/" width="100%" scrolling="no" class="podcast-class" frameborder="0" placement="top"...
The Works Services-as-a-Subscription Model Update
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- 42 – Podcast – Preparing for the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fall 2018 release wave
- 41 – Benefits and process to building ISV solutions with Microsoft PowerApps, Microsoft Flow & AppSource
- 40 – Four MVPs in a Room
- 39 – Dynamics 365 Saturday Atlanta
- 38 – Mary Jo Foley on (Not) keeping up with Dynamics 365
- 37 – Early reaction as Dynamics 365 for Marketing, Sales Professional reach the market
- 36 – So you want to be an Independent Consultant?
- 35 – Dynamics Marketing with Kishan Chetan and Steve Mordue
- 34 – 2018 Dynamics 365 Predictions
- 33 – Unexpected Curves Crash Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Roadmap
- 32 – MSDW Podcast: Talking Microsoft Dynamics platform plays and eclipses with Steve Mordue
- 31 – Microsoft waffles regarding what's next for Dynamics 365 for SMBs
- 30 – Business Edition vs Enterprise Edition: what you need to know (Webinar)
- 29 – Azure App Service Isolated caters to enterprise security concerns
- 28 – Steve Mordue on Microsoft’s sales shakeup, SMB commitment, and partner survival
- 27 – Tip #896: Don’t get blacklisted by blasting emails from Dynamics 365
- 26 – Microsoft FastTrack: Partner Friend or Foe?
- 25 – Tip #856: Modifying disabled users
- 24 – How Can Microsoft (and Its Partners) Leverage LinkedIn?
- 23 – IT Community Champ
- 22 – Microsoft Dynamics CRM SMB Apps
- 21 – Dynamics 365 Pitch Must Reach Channel
- 20 – Dynamics 365 Needs more Cowbell
- 19 – Can Microsoft Make Dynamics 365 Work?
- 18 – Whiteboarding Microsoft Dynamics 365
- 17 – Timing Microsoft Dynamics 365: CRM partners lament 'fuzzy' pre-launch license planning
- 16 – Microsoft Dynamics 365 to start rolling out November 1
- 15 – Dynamics CRM at a crossroads
- 14 – The Reinvention of the Microsoft ISV
- 13 – Microsoft Dynamics 365: New roadmap, licensing details revealed
- 12 – Dynamics Introspective: What Is Microsoft’s Next Big Bet On Dynamics CRM Success?
- 11 – IP assets: Channel companies seek differentiation
- 10 – Add new business offerings for long-term sustainability
- 09 – The gamification platform: Cool toy or CRM partner opportunity?
- 08 – How one of Microsoft's top CRM partners uprooted its business
- 07 – Cloud channel partners, vendors grapple with metrics
- 06 – Building a successful sales team to maximize profitability
- 05 – Cloud Partner Strategy 2.0 – Going Vertical
- 04 – It just works better: Why we made the move to Microsoft
- 03 – Microsoft Dynamics Partner Roundup
- 02 – Escape from Salesforce: Beware lock-in risks when migrating to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, says one partner
- 01 – Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013: More favorite features from the field
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