Amazing Apps - learn how to build agile Dynamics 365 and Power Platform business apps using Scrum

#152.  Host Neil Benson is joined by the talented Dani Kahil for an insightful discussion on managing backlogs and enhancing user stories in Azure DevOps and Jira. Neil shares his experiences with Jira, highlighting some configuration challenges, while Dani expresses a strong preference for Azure DevOps. They dive into the hierarchy of backlog items, including epics, features, user stories, and tasks, and explore different approaches to tracking progress on a Kanban board. Throughout their conversation, Neil and Dani discuss the importance of refining user stories, enriching them with acceptance criteria, and prioritising features based on their value to the team or users. They also touch on the significance of releasing value quickly and iterating on functionality. Join us for an engaging conversation packed with practical insights and tips for efficient backlog management. Let's get started!Dani Kahil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danikahil/Dani's blog: https://danikahil.comKahil Consulting: https://kahilconsulting.com/Support the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-NeilMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to my new Estimating Business Apps podcast mini-seriesEstimating Business Apps is a five-part podcast that will help you quickly, accurately and confidently estimate complex Power Platform and Dynamics 365 apps in minutes. Listen now: https://estimating-business-apps.captivate.fm/listen

#151. Amazing Apps host, Neil Benson, dives into a case study from one of his team's own projects: "Member Super", a financial services organisation in Australia. With over a million members, they needed a CRM application that could handle their complex stakeholder relationships and provide exceptional service to their customers.Member Super's existing CRM app was limiting their capabilities and hindering their goal of achieving a single view of their customers. So, they made the decision to take control and build their own CRM application. Superware partnered with them to make it happen, and the results were nothing short of AMAZING!RESOURCESSuperware.ai website: https://superware.aiSuperware on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superware-aiSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-NeilMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to my new Estimating Business Apps podcast mini-seriesEstimating Business Apps is a five-part podcast that will help you quickly, accurately and confidently estimate complex Power Platform and Dynamics 365 apps in minutes. Listen now: https://estimating-business-apps.captivate.fm/listen

#150. What does it take to have a successful go live event for your Dynamics 365 or Power Platform application. Neil Benson sat down with Andrew Bibby, a seasoned expert in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform business applications. In this episode, Andrew shares his insights on the crucial process of preparing for and executing a successful go live. From addressing technical difficulties to promoting user adoption and measuring success, Andrew sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of post-delivery project management. He also discusses the importance of training, involving change champions, and effective communication in ensuring a smooth transition. Don't miss this informative episode filled with practical tips for achieving a seamless go-live and maximizing return on investment!RESOURCESAndrew Bibby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbibby/Proximo3 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proximo3/Proximo3 website: https://proximo3.com/Nordic Summit: https://nordicsummit.info/South Coast Summit: https://www.southcoastsummit.com/TIMESTAMPS03:26 Phased go-live events for Dynamics 36506:06 Effort in successful go-live leads to happiness08:34 Preparation and rehearsal lead to a successful go-live12:39 Prepare and do steps before go-live15:36 Early user involvement is vital for successful projects21:17 Insufficient thought put into IT project training25:45 Change management ensures successful projects and user adoption30:07 Change management enhances project success and communication33:02 Choosing a go-live day38:20 Metrics, monitoring, and justification are crucial42:30 The importance of getting across your message, and change managementSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-NeilMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to my new Estimating Business Apps podcast mini-seriesEstimating Business Apps is a five-part podcast that will help you quickly, accurately and confidently estimate complex Power Platform and Dynamics 365 apps in minutes. Listen now: https://estimating-business-apps.captivate.fm/listen

#149. Andrew Welch is the Chief Technology Officer at HSO. Andrew is an expert in IT strategy and has a wealth of experience advising customers on their big strategic technology decisions. He is also an author, Microsoft MVP, and a regular presenter at conferences. Joining us today, Andrew shares valuable insights on the importance of IT leadership, cloud ecosystems, data platforms, artificial intelligence, and the future of innovation in technology. We dive into the concept of the "Tyranny of the Deliverable" and how it relates to IT organizations organizing themselves into technology-focused teams. Andrew also discusses the need for a holistic approach to digital transformation and the role of a cloud strategist in piecing together various technical components to drive business value. If you're an IT leader, architect, or consultant, this episode is packed with valuable perspectives and tips from Andrew Welch. Don't miss it!TIMESTAMPS02:09 Importance of CIOs leading technology ecosystem integration.04:48 Enterprise architects focus on specific workloads. Another architect, a cloud strategist, is needed for building capabilities and driving business value.07:55 Microsoft's platform is versatile for mix and match.11:11 Lunch with Ana Demeny, discussing Microsoft versus Google.16:09 AI investment: data consolidation for value-delivery.20:26 Tyranny of the deliverable: siloed teams, wrong solutions, budget incentives, counterproductive. Solution: subscription as a service model. Move away from hourly charges and fixed scopes.24:55 Andrew presenting 5 strategies at Nordic Summit.RESOURCESAndrew Welch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdwelchAndrew's blog: CloudLight.House: https://CloudLight.houseDynamics 365 and Power Platform UK User Groups: https://d365ppug.comNordic Summit, 23 September 2023: https://nordicsummit.infoForceworks Services-as-a-Subscription: https://forceworks.com/the-works-from-forceworksSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#148. Get ready for another captivating episode of Amazing Apps! In this episode, Neil Benson engages Shawn Tabor, Director of Consulting Services at Hitachi Solutions, in an insightful conversation about the dynamic realm of Microsoft Business Applications and its role in the manufacturing and service industries. Explore Hitachi's product landscape, investment strategies, and the art of identifying patterns to create accelerators for efficient project estimations. Discover Shawn's podcasting journey, collection hobbies, and upcoming conference plans. Timestamps05:40 Improving customer experience for manufacturers07:36 The power of strategic planning09:56 The challenge of implementing Microsoft ecosystem10:59 Microsoft investment strategies14:06 Simplifying field service applications15:07 Streamlining field service20:59 Significant implementations across manufacturing, services, and healthcare21:37 Integration challenges in the field service business23:34 Power Platform innovations24:55 Agile methodology RESOURCESShawn Tabor on LinkedInHitachi Solutions websiteCommunity Summit NA: 15-20 October in Charlotte, NCSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-NeilMentioned in this episode:Subscribe to my new Estimating Business Apps podcast mini-seriesEstimating Business Apps is a five-part podcast that will help you quickly, accurately and confidently estimate complex Power Platform and Dynamics 365 apps in minutes. Listen now: https://estimating-business-apps.captivate.fm/listen

#147. When should you use Power Platform pipelines and when should you use Azure DevOps pipelines to deploy your Power Platform or Dynamics 365 applications? That's the question that Benedikt Bergmann answers in this episode of Amazing Apps.Benedikt is a Power Platform consultant known for his expertise in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Neil and Benedikt delve into the world of ALM, discussing its importance for small and enterprise teams alike. From tools and environments to testing and components outside of solutions. Whether you're a low code app builder or part of a large development team, this episode has something for everyone. Join us as we explore the intricacies of ALM and discover how to deploy and maintain applications in a secure, efficient, and repeatable manner.Register for Benedikt's ALM Training CourseResourcesOverview of Power Platform pipelinesMore power with pipelines in Power PlatformEasyRepro test frameworkPlaywright test frameworkPower Platform server on DiscordConnect with BenediktBenedikt on LinkedInBenedikt on GitHubBenedikt on TwitterSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#146. In this episode, we're thrilled to have Martin Hinshelwood from naked Agility join host, Neil Benson. Martin shares his perspectives on improving the success of agile engagements through the role of a consulting product owner, and why you should build your own business applications rather than buy Dynamics 365 if you're looking for competitive advantage. Hit the play button and dive into this insightful conversation between Neil and Martin!Timestamps02:46 The importance of unique capabilities in a competitive market06:09 The power of vertical integration11:58 Outsourcing core business practices16:37 Risks and rewards in business21:02 The incompetence of business31:38 The role of a consulting product owner33:44 The role of a scrum master in the professional services world36:56 Using APIs to drive innovation RESOURCESMartin Hinshelwood on LinkedInMartin Hinshelwood on Twitternaked Agility websitenaked Agility on TwitterSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#145. We're back with another incredible episode of Amazing Apps, and this time we have an amazing guest on board. Neil Benson is joined by the Low Code Lead & Platform Evangelist at ANS Group, Chris Huntingford. Chris spills the beans on citizen developers, he talks about the concept of ecosystem enablement, the potential of low code platforms, the importance of enabling everyone to build apps and flows, hackathons, and more. Hit the play button and dive into this insightful conversation between Neil and Chris!TIMESTAMPS00:03:39 The importance of citizen developers00:07:24 The power of fusion teams00:09:09 Building skills with hands-on experience00:13:30 All about hackathons00:16:38 The importance of ecosystem enablements00:18:16 The importance of people in digital transformation00:20:31 Customer shift in app development00:22:09 The future of Dynamics and Power Platform00:26:07 What it’s like to work for Microsoft or a partner00:32:13 The impact of timing on conference attendance00:34:00 Tips for effective learning and building solutions with DataverseRESOURCESChris Huntingford on LinkedInChris Huntingford on YouTubeThat Platform Guy on TwitterANS Group on LinkedInSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#144.  Neil Benson is joined by Matthew Venamore, a scrum master with extensive experience coaching Dynamics 365 teams. Matthew shares valuable insights into the challenges faced by new scrum masters when joining existing teams and emphasizes the importance of empowering the team. He advises taking a standoffish stance initially, observing the team and their work before making any changes or adding value. Matthew shares his personal journey, starting as a software delivery manager and eventually becoming a scrum master. He highlights the importance of coaching and guiding a team towards self-management and offers insights into handling various challenges, such as developers working on product backlog items that are not ready. He discusses the benefits and potential drawbacks of having a definition of done and a definition of ready, emphasizing the need for flexibility and open discussions within the team.Tune in to this enlightening episode of Amazing Apps podcast as Matthew Venamore provides valuable insights and practical advice for both new and experienced scrum masters, shedding light on the importance of empowerment, simplicity, and continuous improvement within agile teams.Matthew VenamoreMatthew Venamore on LinkedInResourcesAmazing Apps 45: Live inside my Daily ScrumScrum GuideSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#143. On this episode of Amazing Apps, we discuss resourcing agile teams using the Scrum framework. Neil Benson talks about who we should have on our teams as product owner, developers and scrum master. Should Microsoft partners offer to provide a consultant for every role on the team? Listen in to find out.Timestamps(02:04) Product owner maximizes value, sets goals.(03:02) Product owner orders backlog, ensures focus.(07:52) From business analyst to product owner.(09:32) Ideal product owners.(14:07) External stakeholders.(16:37) QA pros are devs in Scrum teams.(21:30) Scrum master's role and boundaries in coaching.Support the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#142. Neil Benson discusses the challenges of organizing a large Scrum team to maximize efficiency. He suggests rotating developers between teams and organizing teams around specific components or external systems they need to integrate with. Neil also recommends self-organizing teams and coaches teams to create their own code of conduct and establish expected behaviors. He shares his experience of organizing teams by components in the past at RACQ and why it wasn't the best approach. ResourcesScaling Scrum with Nexus on Scrum.orgRichard Hundhausen, co-creator of Nexus, on Amazing Apps #136Timestamps(02:52) Large team split into component-based teams for Scrum framework. (04:49) Organizing teams by component creates interdependencies and hinders productivity; a better approach is having a team with all the necessary skills. (08:27) Allowing developers to form their own teams empowers and trusts them to be accountable for their work, rather than having a manager organize teams. (11:16) Amazing Apps Retrospective: behind the scenes.Support the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#141. In this episode of Amazing Apps, podcast host Neil Benson is joined by Allan de Castro, a senior technical consultant for the Power Platform at Avanade France.They discuss their experience applying Scrum to recent projects, including the role of an architect in the Scrum framework. The episode covers key challenges such as the importance of ensuring clarity in the backlog, prioritization of sprints, and addressing technical requirements while focusing on business and added value. [00:06:23] Allan, an architect and technical lead, discusses the challenge of finding their place in a team using the Scrum framework for the first time, and navigating discussions related to technical requirements and architecture while also focusing on business requirements and added value. [00:10:15] Focus on delivering continuous testing value during sprints, even if it means sacrificing some business value.[00:11:56] Agile and Scrum framework used for new project, integrating systems and iterating for development. Customer familiarity with Agile important.[00:13:12] Capture project requirements early to avoid issues in development.[00:16:36] Business analyst helps product owner with basic questions on application building, including object lifecycle. Dynamics 365 provides out-of-the-box features, such as bulk edit mode, without development needed. It can be demonstrated in demo instead of user story.[00:19:10] To successfully execute a Dynamics 365 project using Scrum framework, it is important to ensure technical requirements are included in the backlog and fully estimated. It is also important to train the customer on Dynamics 365 and focus on prioritization during sprints. Custom development must fit into the security models provided by Dynamics. Workshops may be needed to refine new business requirements.[00:24:06] Team delivers daily or every two days into the UAT environment, with testing by a quality insurance person and a dual check by the project owner or business analyst before marking as done. UAT phases were conducted initially, but now testing is continuous without UAT phases.[00:26:13] The architecture and requirements were complicated due to unclear data sources and ongoing system construction. Agile methodology requires clear definitions before development, and cultural differences affect analysis phases. Workshop and design are necessary for identifying potential risks and managing sales territory was a major concern.[00:31:14] Ensure clear backlog, communicate dynamics to team and stakeholders, define sprint process, architect advisory role, avoid influencing sprints.[00:32:34] Dev team used Azure DevOps for backlog management, linking work items to pull requests and builds for easy tracking and communication with end users. They also suggest creating automatic task generation for consistent task patterns.Support the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#140. Today, it’s just me, and I’d like to discuss what EMPIRICISM means to teams building complex, enterprise Dynamics 365 and Power Platform applications.In this episode, I’ll break down what empiricism is and its importance in Scrum, provide examples of work that would benefit from an empirical approach, and share insights on how we can use empiricism to build better business apps and improve our processes, tools, and techniques.HIGHLIGHTS[01:45] Why Scrum is based on an empirical process[05:01] Example of how empiricism works[06:21] Why the defined process control is the opposite of empiricism[10:01] The importance of empiricism in Scrum[10:53] Examples of simple work where Scrum is unnecessary[11:42] Examples of more complex work that would benefit from an empirical approach[14:07] What I love most about Scrum[15:50] Lessons that my business apps teams and I learned from our experiments[17:27] My challenge to you RESOURCESWhat is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle? OODA Look by John Boyd explained: the processGrinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in Aquorea Victoria EmpiricismThe Scientific MethodSupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#139. Today’s guest is Emma Beckett, an experienced test professional who runs her own company, Fortitude 17, in London, UK. A professional footballer, Emma pursued a career in software testing, even though her first role in tech was in Desktop Support — hardware, not software!As you’ll hear, Emma is a Certified ISTQB Test Consultant and trained in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM, CE, and HR. She is currently training on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Ceridian Dayforce (HCM) solutions.In this episode, Emma shares how she got into software testing and discusses 1) professional testing, 2) how she approaches business application projects, and 3) what testing at large can bring to Dynamics applications.HGHLIGHTS[01:06] How Emma came to open her own testing consultancy[09:01] Emma’s approach to professional testing[12:48] The qualities that Emma looks for in good test professionals[18:09] The relationship between testing and training[20:00] Approaches to acceptance testing that have worked well for Emma[24:25] How Emma approaches other forms of testing on projects[29:43] How Emma deals with testing challenges[32:28] Other solutions that Emma’s consultancy has worked on[34:22] Emma talks about her recently launched podcastRESOURCESWebsite: Fortitude 17LinkedIn: Emma BeckettLinkedIn: Fortitude 17Check out the elbeckio showSupport Amazing AppsRate this podcastCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil

#138. Our guest today is Malin Martnes, a Microsoft MVP and MCT who runs her own company MaCoTra AS in Oslo, Norway. As you’ll hear, Malin doesn’t have any technical background on Dynamics 365 and Power Platform but she focuses on using these systems.In this episode, Malin talks about how she came to be a CRM consultant and set up her own consulting business.  With years of experience as a user and trainer of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, she also discusses the integration of the HR solution with Finance & Operations, tips for deploying Dynamics 365 Marketing, and the events and training sessions she helped organize. Show Highlights [01:25] Malin’s background and how she got started as a CRM consultant[04:56] The story behind MaCoTra’s unusual name[10:06] Malin talks about the recently concluded Cloud Technology Townhall Tallinn 2023 event[15:16] Malin talks about the Norwegian Marketing Day she co-organized with fellow Microsoft MVP Guro Faller[18:31] Malin discusses the integration of Dynamics 365 Human Resources with Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations[22:53] Who Dynamics 365 Marketing and ClickDimensions cater to[26:02] Malin discusses the projects she’s done with Dynamics 365 Marketing[29:25] How Dynamics 365 Marketing handles deliverability[35:35] Malin shares tips to be aware of when deploying Dynamics 365 Marketing[44:08] What’s next for Malin? Resources Malin's company: MaCoTra ASBecoming a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant by Malin MartnesConnect with Malin Martnes on LinkedIn, Twitter, or via her websiteCustomery AcademySupport the showCONNECT🌏 Amazing Apps website🟦 Customery on LinkedIn🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn MY ONLINE COURSES🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps 🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps 📐 Estimating Business Apps Keep experimenting 🧪-Neil