Last week we held the first ‘in person’ DynamicsPact CEO Conference since before the pandemic. Our members travelled from all four corners of the globe to meet in the beautiful Vilamoura in Portugal. Our venue, the Crown Plaza Hotel, was made even more pleasant by the constant sunny, warm climate.
SHARING EXPERIENCE
Since covid struck, we have had to content ourselves with virtual meetings, our last proper conference was way back in Autumn 2019 where we all gathered in the vibrant city of Amsterdam, so it was fantastic to all meet up in person once again.
The delegates, all CEO’s and business leads enjoyed sharing their experience, knowledge and current challenges within the Microsoft Dynamics marketplace. The aim, as always, is to help each other to be successful and grow their respective businesses. #microsoftdynamics365
WELCOME BACK!
DynamicsPact Chairman, Michael Blatherwick, and Development Director Paul Blatherwick opened the conference welcoming everyone to Portugal, each delegate introduced themselves. As you can imagine, there was a lot of news and updates after 3 years apart and a very different world post pandemic!
Michael then went through the key findings from a recent members survey which delved into the most relevant topics affecting our work with Microsoft and D365 FO #d365 #d365fo.
D365 FO.
The survey results also prompted some healthy discussion and debate. Most importantly the results showed that DynamicsPact members were delivery some very significant D365 FO projects and the ability to work together on multinational implementations was of great benefit for their clients’ projects. Everyone was extremely positive about the future.
HOT TOPICS
Prior to meeting in Portugal, we asked our members to nominate the key topics they wanted to discuss, here are a few of the highlights:
The New Way of Working (Home v Office). Keith Dunkinson (Managing Director of SIS Global UK) led a discussion around the impact of the pandemic on the way we all work. We explored the positives and negatives of mobile working and virtual delivery. We also discussed the implications of working from home and the effect on employee focus and mental well-being. Several delegates shared their experience, and it was interesting to learn how we can make the balance work for all involved: employee, employer and of course, the customer. #mobilework #workhome
The Changing D365 Landscape. Next up was Marco Arndt (Director Alliances & International Business at Arineo Group) who promoted a discussion about the current D365 marketplace. We explored the drivers, expectations, and vision for the next few years, and this prompted some very interesting discussions on a variety of subjects including keeping up to speed with Microsoft and the partner channel requirements.
Resourcing – Finding and Keeping Great People
After a beautiful lunch on the terrace by the hotel pool, the dreaded post lunch slot was the responsibility of Ian Herlevsen (CEO Prodware) and Michael Blatherwick (Dynamics Pact Chairman). Along with the expresso’s, they managed to perk up the audience with a presentation around probably the biggest challenge facing our members, finding good resources to deliver the demand for D365 FO projects.
Microsoft Licencing and Incentives
Ian then shared some valuable insights into the latest developments around the Microsoft licensing and subscription model. This is an ever-changing, sometimes complex topic, and can be time consuming to keep up to date with and sharing knowledge his invaluable in the group. Ian also shared his latest experience on maximising the value members could get from the various forms of Microsoft incentives both pre-sale and post-sale.
Working with Microsoft
The day finished with a special guest, Bertrand Launay who spent over 20 years working for Microsoft in senior roles. His last Microsoft position was General Manager of the commercial partner operation for Western Europe.
Bertrand has now joined our member, Prodware, as their Chief Revenue Officer based out of their offices in Paris.
With such a rich history and knowledge of the ‘inner workings’ at Microsoft, Bertrand was able to share his passion for the business applications marketplace and, most importantly, how Dynamics Pact and its members could optimise our relationship with Microsoft.
‘OLD SCHOOL’ IS STILL A WINNER!
The pandemic has certainly changed our marketplace and the way we do business; however, this event was a welcome reminder of how you can never replace the value of meeting your colleagues in person.
Now in our 18th. Year, DynamicsPact has stood the test of time, and we continue to grow from strength to strength. Our members help each other solve problems, share opportunities, win customers, and deliver brilliant international D365 FO projects.
This conference reminded us that whilst virtual tech is brilliant and very much a part of how we now work, you can’t beat an old school, get together in ‘real life’ to build relationships.
#erpimplementation #microsoftdynamics365 #microsoftpartner #microsoft