ERP & Business Consulting

The Software Advice blog has started a series of short five minute interviews with Microsoft executives in charge of Dynamics technologies, and today’s one has caught my attention: it’s entitled Can Microsoft Dynamics ERP move to the cloud , and the interview was with Guy Weismantel, director of ERP Marketing at Microsoft.

Yesterday, Panorama Consulting Group has published their new ERP report , and it was a really interesting read. It shows some interesting effects of economic recession on ERP industry, but it proves once again that ERP projects are risky, prone to budgeting and scheduling issues, and still chances to get reasonable benefits are roughly 50:50.

“Are we all in” – asks Hunter Richards on The Software Advice blog in his Monday post , giving a view of Microsoft’s Cloud strategy in perspective of Microsoft Dynamics. He argues that while Microsoft is indeed betting heavily on the Cloud, its Dynamics line of products is not nearly ready for the Cloud.

One of the takeaways from my Microsoft experience will undoubtedly by my attendance of Microsoft Services University, where all Microsoft’s consultants are ramped-up in a 15-or-so days intensive program. One of the things I will never forget, is when a presenter (kill me if I can remember his name) asked the 100-strong audience: – How many of you here work in sales?

Couple of days ago, a blog post from Alex Chow, a fellow blogger and an MVP, caught me off-guard. He blogged about his chat with an unnamed senior Microsoft executive at Directions 2010 , about his concern of what’s going to happen to small partners after the changes in the Microsoft Partner Network get into effect soon.

Years ago, when I didn’t know what consultant was, let alone thought about eventually becoming one, I was sitting in a cafe in Zagreb with then my boss and now my friend Marko, sipping cream with coffee and mostly sharing random thoughts. He then introduced me to a commodity-convenience-solution concept which shaped a lot my customer approach and my work.

Some say that ERP will solve all your problems. A deus-ex-machina which takes you to the promised land and brings you years of prosperity and bliss. Reduced operating costs and administrative overhead, improved inventory, higher customer retention, better profitability.

Are you aware of the Special Offers on Microsoft Learning Products ? Well, you should be: Microsoft Learning website offers many fantastic bargains. There are two specific offers I’d like you to check, which are going to be there for a limited time only.

Nigel Frank International , a UK based niche recruitment agency specializing in ERP/CRM staffing, has just launched the new Salary Survey 2010. Their Salary Survey of 2009 was a very successful initiative, with more than 7000 responses.

Not even a full day after having delivered my presentation about the possibilities of Cloud Computing in the context of Microsoft Dynamics NAV at Decisions 2010 virtual conference by MSDynamicsWorld.com (which by the way you can still access on-demand if you missed it), my friend Steve has…