Dynamics F/SCM Customer Experience (CRM) Dynamics GP Dynamics Business Central (NAV) Dynamics SL Power Platform Fabric Copilot

[Gregory Alford]

So here are some observations from day 1 of Summit (at least day 1 for me):

1. Again there is no sponsors book. Not even an Expo floor map.
2. A useless bag again. The shoulder bags of the past were so much better.
3. We are located in a building separate from the dining halls. Again? When does our group get a break? There is going to be a lot of walking this week! It makes makes me want to switch to GP.
4. I am very afraid. We are just finishing a wireless warehouse project. Now we want to update to full extensions, but Microsoft has dropped the ball again. They do not have a conversion tool for the data. Therefore, XML Ports or Rapid Start tools are the only choice to move our data when there are custom fields on a table. Those tools are too slow. I didn’t expect a conversion tool last year, but a year later? I am still told it is coming. Now it may be better to wait.

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Gregory Alford
ERP Manager
Tri Star Metals LLC
Carol Stream IL
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[Gregory Alford]

And now for day 2.

The kick off meeting was good, but doing it in a room with round tables was silly. By the way, why couldn’t this have been used for our meals?

In two of my sessions, the room as set up with the screen projecting on the side of the room instead of the front. Now understand these are long and narrow rooms. As a result it was difficult to see at the front and back of the room.

If you wanted a seat, you had to leave your session early to line up at the next session. Every session I attended had people leaning against the walls and sitting on the floor.

Oh – I did find the map in my app. Do you think I could read it on my phone. I don’t think so.

I also found the vendor info in my app. That actually works.

The lunch was actually not bad. Not great, but not bad.

As usual – the presentations make it all worthwhile. Thank you to everyone that volunteered to make useful and informative presentations.

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Gregory Alford
ERP Manager
Tri Star Metals LLC
Carol Stream IL
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[Geovanny Fuentes]

?Thank you, good feedback to hear for people attending.

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Geovanny Fuentes
San Diego CA
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[Gregory Alford]

Summit Day 3

I spent the day learning about extensions and upgrades. Lots of facts and lots of opinions. 

We have choices. Just remember, at some point everyone will have to move to extensions. We will all someday lose the client. However, the web client is gorgeous and is actually ready to be used. Our options are:

1. Merge our code from our 2015 objects to BC. Extend the objects. Create a differences file. Use TxtToAL. Refactor the code. Publish the extension and then install the extension. 
2. Extend the objects in BC.  Create a differences file. Use TxtToAL. Refactor the code. Publish the extension and then install the extension.
3. Create a differences file. Refactor the code (with no help from TxtToAL). Publish the extension and then install the extension in BC.

In all three cases, wherever we have custom fields, we will have to export our data and reimport the data.

There are pros and cons to each proposal. Any way we choose, we will have to refactor our code because the rules have changed. Not dramatically, but there are differences. For example, we will no longer have option fields. Also, the code will be in layers. It was described as onion layers. The good news is that we are on 2015 objects so we have the tool to create a differences file. The bad news is that there is a new export feature in 2018 and BC that prepares the text file for TxtToAL.

Refactoring the code is a good thing for us. We had multiple partners code for us and too many things were done without a clear understanding of where we wanted to go. Time to clean up this mess.

I am still worried about the data. No one seemed concerned, but Microsoft has not provided tools to migrate your custom fields when you create an extension. That may be coming, but it is not available at this time. Oh yeah, your custom fields will no longer be in the base table. Your custom fields will be in a separate tables and joined in SQL. It will be transparent to you, but that is what will be happening in the background. That creates some interesting issues for the design of your extensions so that you don’t take a performance hit.

Do all our VAR’s have extensions? That may be a problem. Once you go down the path of extensions, you will want all your add ins to be using extensions.

There is a lot of confusion about licensing and how many objects will have to be purchased. Keep your fingers crossed that Microsoft comes to their senses.

The bad news is that this will be a costly and painful upgrade. The good news is that this may well be the last time you will have a costly and painful upgrade. Upgrades in the future should be a piece of cake, quick and inexpensive.

The keynote presentation was amazing. It just goes to show me that we are just scratching the surface of what we can do with Microsoft products. Exciting times!

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Gregory Alford
ERP Manager
Tri Star Metals LLC
Carol Stream IL
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[Gino Pack]

Greg, 

Thank you for all of your comments – love the feedback and that you are open to sharing it!

Hope all is well, and we will talk soon!

Gino

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Gino Pack
Modern Optical International | Modern Optical International
BCUG/NAVUG Co-Chapter Leader
BCUG/NAVUG Board of Advisors
gpack@modernoptical.com
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[Gregory Alford]

I will write more about day 4 soon (I left my notes at home – it was rough week).

I need to qualify my remarks regarding options. You can create new fields with options, but you can’t modify the options in a base NAV/BC field.

I wonder how much time I spent waiting for the light to change at cross walks. I hope they never do this to us again.

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Gregory Alford
ERP Manager
Tri Star Metals LLC
Carol Stream IL
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[Gregory Alford]

OK, some final thoughts on Summit.

Couldn’t they have found more uncomfortable seats?

I am going to miss the development environment. Report writing – there is a gap here that I hope someone fills. Page design is OK if you use the web client. Adding custome fields – another gap I hope someone fills. In other words, I don’t really want to learn AL, but I may have to or I will be fully dependent on a partner to write reports and modify tables. Part of that would also mean I have to learn some Powershell.

So now I have expressed my views on what a terrible experience it was to have Summit at the Phoenix Convention Center. I hope the powers that be take it to heart. Quit beating us up at these coventions. It was sooo much better last year in Nashville. Tampa was awful, too. The bar is now set by Nashville.

All that being said, I would not have missed it for the world. The presentations, knowledge shared and networking were all invaluable. If you went, you know what I mean. If you didn’t go, book reservation for next year immediately!

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Gregory Alford
ERP Manager
Tri Star Metals LLC
Carol Stream IL
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[Meenakshi Singh]

Great detailed insightful feedback and comments on Summit. Thanks Gregory!

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Meenakshi Singh
Manager of Business Applications
Home Market Foods, Inc.
Norwood MA
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