Gareth Edward Jones

“Why not make the offer available to all BC Deployments?” That makes sense. A Business Central Needs Assessment is good for most customers considering Business Central, an AIM Assessment is good for current GP/NAV/SL On Premise clients considering moving to Business Central, and now there is a Dynamics 365 Business Central Deployment Plan offer that works for both Net New and Cloud Migration Clients. A Microsoft Partner Solutions Designations for Business Applications provides a Dynamics 365 Business Central Partner a competitive advantage to SCALE BUSINESS OPERATIONS. MCI FY25 GUIDE IS LIVE: https://lnkd.in/gBABy4NX Connect with Stratos Cloud if you want to learn how $23K in FY25 Microsoft funding PER DEAL can help you build a Profitable Dynamics 365 Business Central Practice!

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😟 Struggling to secure funding for your #Dynamics or #Powerapps implementation? 🎉 Need to show what they can do? ❤️ Trying to bring your business case to life? Then read on.... With money tight for #housingassociations you need to quickly reassure decision makers that #powerapps/#dynamics365 is right for you. E&F Solutions Ltd have developed a proof of concept pack to do just this. follow the link below to find out how.... https://lnkd.in/emE9WxFy

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🚨New #VRT Alert🚨 Sarah Jones will be joined by Sunil Kumar for his event "Simplifying Power Platform Licensing!" Sunil is a dynamic Low Code Lead & Architect with expertise in Power Platform technologies including Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Copilots, and Power Pages. He also shares valuable insights and tutorials around Power Platform development and administration under the handle @PowerTrainer. Power Platform unlocks app-building magic, but licensing can be a headache. Fear not! Sunil will help to break down the complexities, making it easy to find the right fit for your team, saving you time, money, and frustration. Get ready to unleash your app potential! Sign up through the link below👇 https://lnkd.in/eXhbRBNG #powerplatform #app #lowcode #powerapps #powerautomate #powerbi #powerpages #copilot #upskillyourself #learnfromexperts

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📢#ITAMtakeaway📢 I found a great use of LinkedIn and a celebration of the community. Great work 👏 Chris Allen, Rich Gibbons, Alexander Golev, and Floris Klaver 🤓 sharing their thoughts on a #Microsoftlicensing query. 🎯https://lnkd.in/eC_WJm8C This support and collaboration is a goal of my #ITAMSAMSLC group and the wider community. Keep sharing the love and knowledge 😍 If you find yourself in a similar position, why not ask for help from the community? 🎯🎯 #ITassetmanagement #Softwareassetmanagement #softwarelicensing #microsoftlicensing #ITAMSAMSLC

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My latest blog post for itSMF UK. If you're wondering how Douglas Bader and ITSM are linked...read on. If you're not but want to read about practice ownership then crack on anyway. https://lnkd.in/eZyGXu26

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Increasing user adoption or poor user adoption. I see the above or variations on the theme on a number of boutique firms and even some of the larger partners in relation to Workday. They plan on helping you 'fix' this problem. I have to ask myself why we think there should be a certain level of adoption or that a certain % of usage is a good thing. If we are with clever business processes and announcements and custom dashboards making something easier to do in Workday than in whatever system prefaced Workday (maybe a third party vendor) then sure...usage should trickle up. If we are merely replacing what was done somewhere else with it now being done in Workday that is only a WIN if Workday does it cheaper, better, faster, all three? I worked at Workday...yeah back in the day when Workday was practically giving their software away and we were a small shop on top of a gym...literally. I almost never went into MY Workday. Why would I? What could I do there once I had been onboarded? I could look at my pay slip and I could request time off. That was about it. I might have accessed my own Workday 3 or 4 x a year. Now I know times have changed. There are many more things to do in Workday such as LEARNING. But still...you either need to do something in Workday or you do not. What enticements are you going to give employees to increase usage of Workday and really the question is...why do you care? Was the usage of UKG or SAP or Oracle of Success Factors or Ultimate Software really high? Were folks logging in due to some cool gamification? HR needs to be in Workday all day every day, same as Payroll, and Benefits and Managers should be in Workday with some regularity but John Q Worker...why does he need to be in Workday with some arbitrary frequency? I've been asked to work on this before as well. And what I told my customers was...let's think about WHY. Why do we want employees to be logging time in Workday. What is the advantage they get by accessing Workday. What can they learn or do more efficiently? Why when we pay them to build widgets or design Mars bound space vessels...why do we care how often they are in the Workday tenant? There are many things someone can do in Workday depending on everything that has been purchased and implemented. Make your employees aware of everything they can do. Provide necessary job aids. Get out of their way and let them decide how often they need to be in Workday. There really is no right answer to that question. If you build it they WILL come...if you build it right and make it worth the journey. the puppy on the right was often in Workday...just poking around. The puppy on the left almost never signed in to Workday. Both puppies could sleep the sleep of the righteous dog because it absolutely did NOT matter.

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Salesforce World Tour London report: The Salesforce platform has been central to our recent digital improvements, so it was important for some of the St Albans City & District Council transformation team to go to the Salesforce World Tour today to see what’s new. Answer: a lot, not least a very slick demo of how Aston Martin use Salesforce to promote and personalise their cars for individuals https://lnkd.in/eGikr-kX. The scale of the event is quite dizzying, and while we went to a lot of stuff we couldn't do it all. AI was of course central, with the message being that you can trust our version (subtext: not to swear at your residents, or repackage their personal data for other customers). We heard a really good presentation from Eastleigh (James Battle) and North Lincolnshire Councils about how they had used Salesforce to bring their various data sources together to enhance services and reduce the number of different systems they have. There were lots of goodies here that we could use for better services for our residents and businesses, depending on the affordability and value for money for a district council like ours. Well done to our team Billy Senior Monique F. Harry Graham and Charlotte Aspinall for all the hard work, and also for the obligatory pose with the crazy Salesforce-type creatures.

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I am preparing a presentation for a set of clients, showcasing the differences between #DynamicsGP and #D365BusinessCentral. What points do you think are the most important? The target audience are mostly end users, with a few technical people sprinkled in there

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❗ Shocking statistics from the ONS via IT Now, the magazine from the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, reveal the concerning gender gap in the UK IT workforce. The number of female IT specialists has seen slow growth over the past 5 years: - 380,000 in 2022 (20%) - 356,000 in 2021 (20%) - 312,000 in 2020 (19%) - 249,000 in 2019 (17%) - 226,000 in 2018 (16%) Female representation in IT also varies by job type, from 1 in 20 IT engineers to 1 in 3 IT project or programme managers. While the recent trend predicts gender parity in 19 years, the longer trend (from 2005 to 2023) suggests it will take around 280 years.😲 These statistics underscore the urgent need for initiatives supporting women in tech. It's crucial for both men and women to work towards increasing female representation in the IT workforce without waiting decades. Let's take action now to create a more inclusive and diverse IT industry! #WomenInTech #GenderDiversity #ITIndustry

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I am considering putting together a free short online course. What subject related to Dynamics 365 and Power Apps would you like to see as a brief course with videos and guides? And would you prefer an AI voice or a real monotone Cornish/Welsh mix to present?

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👋 I'm back from holiday! Only two weeks this year but the Azores was incredible. Here's some blog posts I wrote while I wasn't on LinkedIn... (if you haven't come across the Soft Systems Methodology before you might want to read the 'overview' post as it's worth knowing about!) Character is a thing you do every day - https://lnkd.in/esAYvNTT Weeknote 30/2024 - https://lnkd.in/eqrxYVR9 An isosceles triangle of wind and racism - https://lnkd.in/efAkZ7Bx TB871: Reflections on TMA02 and looking forward to Block 5 (SSM) - https://lnkd.in/ewu6H6Dk TB871: Perplexity and Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - https://lnkd.in/e8uAMMHi TB871: Exploring Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - https://lnkd.in/e32grqpK TB871: An overview of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - https://lnkd.in/eKEsyv_t Weeknote 31/2024 - https://lnkd.in/ehye82CT

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Is there an Identity Crisis in Enterprise Architecture??? I speak to many architect leaders who constantly have to argue the importance of enterprise architecture. In the race to modernise and streamline operations, the role of enterprise architects and legacy IT skills remains crucial. Despite the push towards new technologies, legacy systems continue to underpin day-to-day business functions. In a recent article, I read a quote; "Legacy technology — usually enterprise applications such as ERP — are responsible for running the business. There is no way that companies can give up on these applications immediately." These legacy technologies are becoming a hindrance to agility and innovation. This shift is creating an identity crisis within enterprise architecture. On one hand, the foundational role of legacy systems is undeniable. On the other, the pressure to modernise and integrate AI capabilities is reshaping the landscape. For IT leaders, striking the right balance is key. Embracing the value of legacy systems while navigating the demands of modernisation requires a nuanced approach. It's about leveraging existing strengths while positioning the organisation for future growth and agility. In this evolving landscape, enterprise architects play a critical role in guiding organisations through this transition, ensuring that legacy systems continue to support business operations while paving the way for innovation. The value of these skills and the expertise they bring cannot be overstated. The importance of both preserving and evolving our technological foundations becomes clear. Legacy tech and enterprise architecture are not relics of the past but essential components of a dynamic and forward-thinking IT strategy. #solutionarchitect #enterprisearchitecture #ITarchitecture

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Sometimes, it's amazing how something you write in a blog is proven very quickly afterwards! Let me explain. I recently wrote this blog https://lnkd.in/eZyGXu26 for itSMF UK. Since then I've been interviewing Problem Managers around the UK for a rewrite of my 2015 itSMF UK white paper on the "State of Problem Management." Already, in the first three interviews, one Problem Manager has said that moving forward will benefit greatly from implementing their draft problem management strategy. Point 1 in my blog "Develop and maintain the strategic roadmap for your practice". Two have said to me how the more education they do and guidance they give the more their practice is gaining credibility. Point 4 from the guidelines say "Conduct training sessions, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions to promote awareness and proficiency." Point 5 adds "Provide guidance and support to IT services teams and suppliers to ensure effective implementation and adoption of your practices." Finally, one relayed how practice forums and are helping to drive consistency in adoption of the problem practice. Point 8 in the guidelines is "Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders to solicit feedback and input that ensure alignment with business needs and expectations." I love it when a plan comes together :-) #forzaproblemmanagement

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Looking to cut costs as a business / employer after the budget? Here’s an excellent concept … Self Service BI in the cloud with Astrato… https://lnkd.in/e8Dzc8UV #budget #BI #Astrato #data #dataefficiency #BusinessIntelligence #BusinessInformation #CloudComputing #Enterprise #Analytics

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£6,800,000,000. That is the modelled monthly cost to UK organisations of employee's time spent dealing with complaints, problems, and service failures. The results of analysis completed by the Institute of Customer Service in their UK Customer Satisfaction Index report for 2024 demonstrates there is an enormous cost associated with correcting issues with customer experience. It is amazing to see so many of our customers listed in the Top 20 rated organisations for customer satisfaction 2019 - 2024, but I know even those who are already doing an awesome job will be looking to further improve. This is topical for many industries and not just retail. Any organisation with a B2C or D2C channel should be conscious of the impact their customer journey and customer experience has on the overall health of the business. I would encourage you to read the report for yourself as it contains a huge amount of insight, analysis, and guidance. It is available via the institute's website: https://lnkd.in/guadysDr Section Four: Recommendations for organisations, and specifically the guidance on achieving the appropriate balance and the right approach to technology and people within customer service. That is a standout section and such an important subject, technology alone is not the answer. Analysis of your customer journeys must be holistic and encompass both the transient aspects of Customer Experience and the associated Journey Maps, and the controlled, measured aspects of Service Blueprints and the Master Process Lists. This analysis is often disjointed with the exercises and workshopping required taking place within discreet, siloed teams. Organisations will benefit greatly by harmonising the approach and creating multi-disciplinary teams and by utilising a combination of tools. Teams should consider using online whiteboarding to support design thinking. Data origination and analysis tools such as task mining and process mining to surface and visualise data, and process analysis with simulation to discover and ideate end-to-end processes and journeys. #CX #CustomerService #Leadership #ARIS

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