Introducing the D365 Estimator Cowork Skill: Automate Your Dynamics 365 Cost Estimates
Estimating a Dynamics 365 implementation stalls on gathering the inputs, not on the math. So I built a Cowork skill that runs the interview and writes the estimate data file for you.
The September Licensing Guides Were Nothing to The Tool!
The September Licensing Guides... Microsoft published the September 2026 licensing guides for Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Copilot Studio. I pointed Claude at the PDFs and asked it to update the pricing catalog inside the D365 F&SCM Cost Estimator. Surprisingly the overall pricing did not change at the estimate level, [...]
A Free Cost Estimator for Dynamics 365 F&SCM That Shows Its Work
For the past 8 years I have helped IT leaders understand the total cost of ownership for Dynamics 365. I've been using Excel, but that is old fashioned now. I've felt like this information and data has not been easily obtained, although it could be ascertained. So I've made a [...]
Your ERP Could Be Automated More Than Today
Last week I polled my network: would you let a Dynamics 365 AI agent post a journal entry or release a purchase order without human review? 46% said yes, with guardrails. 31% would allow it only for low-risk items. 23% said a human is always needed. Small sample, 13 votes, [...]
Everyone Is Demoing Agents. Almost Nobody Is Running One in Production.
Agent demos are everywhere. I do them! And yet I find that people say, "that's interesting, can you do X instead?". The common ones: an agent that reads invoices, answers customer questions, or drafts purchase orders. The demos are genuinely impressive. Then I ask how many are running in production, [...]
AI Is Your New Compiler (on Agentic X++ Development)
Nobody writes assembly anymore. We write C# or X++, a compiler turns it into MSIL, and the runtime turns that into processor instructions. Several abstractions away, registers get managed and memory gets allocated, and almost none of us think about any of it. We trust the compiler. We haven't validated [...]
When does the “ChatGPT moment” hit Dynamics ERP?
The MVP Summit left me chewing on one question: when does the "ChatGPT moment" hit Dynamics ERP? ChatGPT wasn't a faster search engine. It changed what users expected from their computer. They stopped formulating queries and started stating intent. The approach changed from "how do I get the system to [...]
ERP Implementations Are Still Failing. AI Won’t Fix That by Going Faster.
The September 2025 lawsuit filed by Zimmer Biomet against their implementation partner seems like a case study in how ERP projects go wrong. A $172 million claim for a premature SAP S/4HANA go-live. Fifty-one change orders totaling $23 million beyond the original baseline. This is not a new story. National [...]
When AI Cuts Headcount, It Usually Cuts Quality Too
Several clients have asked whether AI justifies itself in an ROI conversation through headcount reduction. Honest answer: it can pencil out that way. But if that's your primary goal, you're optimizing for the next quarter, not the next decade. Here's why headcount reduction is the wrong North Star for AI [...]
AI vs. Experience – The Unmatched Value of Human Dedication in Manufacturing
Why Skilled Workers Will Always Be Essential in Manufacturing, Even with AI Impressive Talent Every week I meet people who have been at a company for 26 years, and held 80% of the job titles. You might think of them as a jack of all trades, but I see them [...]
AI and Automation Can Transform Your Manufacturing Processes
With manufacturers facing so many pressures, the need to optimize operations and enhance productivity is more intense than ever. As a mentor and advocate for innovation in manufacturing, AI, and Microsoft technologies, I often encounter organizations grappling with repetitive tasks and inefficient workflows. “Too much clicking.” “We have to [...]
Top Five Things You Should Know About AI Agents
The top five things you should know about agents on the Microsoft platforms. AI Technology is Capable I think many of us are aware that large consulting and tech companies will make announcements of products and capabilities before they are truly viable for a business. Sort of like academics believing [...]
Reflections on Agents and Pricing
My opinion, subject to change, on how AI is being priced today. Value-based pricing involves setting prices primarily based on the perceived or estimated value of a product or service to the customer, rather than solely on the cost of production or historical prices. This is what we should expect, [...]
Which Product Configurator is best with Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management?
Determining which product configurator to use is a major decision point for any business with configurable products to make. There is no correct decision. In my experience, any choice is a hard choice, and no action is also a choice. Throughout this article I will cover different approaches I have [...]
Modernizing Your ERP Is Preparing for AI
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have long been the backbone of companies with the value being integrated finance, inventory, supply chain, and customer management. Conversations with C level leaders have revealed an understanding that legacy ERP systems are barriers rather than enablers. AI is generally cloud-first because of the scalability [...]
Hidden Costs with Dynamics 365
With One Platform and One Admin initiatives of Microsoft, we are getting many benefits which are simplifying the way we maintain environments. I'm very much looking forward to these changes! Yet several times now people have asked me about "hidden costs" of owning Dynamics 365. Typically I am the one [...]