MVP Insights: Amanda Mayer on Favorite Product Functionality, Relationship Building Through Community Events

Welcome to “MVP Insights,” a podcast that explores the universe, ideas, and opportunities of the brightest stars in the Microsoft business applications ecosystem. 

In episode 39, John Siefert hosts Amanda Mayer, Director of Finance, LIDD Consultants, Microsoft MVP, to discuss her favorite functionalities of Business Central as an end-user, and what sessions she’ll be leading at Community Summit NA 2025.

Community Summit NA is the largest independent Microsoft AI & Business Applications User Conference on the planet. Register today for four days of big ideas, education, training, networking, and more to define your relevance in the AI era.

Key Takeaways

• End-user POV: As an end-user of Dynamics 365 Business Central, Amanda shares her favorite product functionalities. First, Microsoft has significantly enhanced its currency functionality in Business Central over the past few years, benefiting companies that handle transactions in multiple currencies. Specifically, these improvements include better posting of exchange gains or losses into financial statements, the addition of dimensions, and the ability to have GL accounts with different currencies.
• Manufacturing enhancements: “I’m really looking forward to all of the changes and improvements that are happening in manufacturing,” which will soon be available for preview, explains Amanda. These new features will address significant roadblocks for accounting teams, such as the ability to correct production order errors within the same period.
• Product addressing gaps: Announced at last year’s Summit NA, Microsoft’s push for out-of-the-box Power BI reporting aims to increase efficiency and accessibility, making it easier for departments like accounting and manufacturing to visualize data without IT support. Additionally, new templates for Power Automate and improvements in sales order processing are designed to enhance workflow efficiency, addressing challenges in filling specialized roles.
• Reporting capabilities: The architecture of Business Central allows for more flexible and complex reporting compared to other products, thanks to its dimension functionality, explains Amanda. As a result, users can move away from rigid Charts of Accounts and significantly reduce the number of accounts needed. Amanda notes that “I really encourage my customers to reimagine their Chart of Accounts,” explaining the potential to simplify data management and improve reporting capabilities.
• Community Summit 2025: At Summit NA 2025, Amanda will lead an Academy Class with MVP Kim Dallefeld, focused on Business Central for beginners. Additionally, she expresses her interest in sharing her knowledge in sessions and engaging with the community to discuss new features for accountants and solve various challenges together.
• Strengthened relationships: Attending events like Summit and engaging in forums has helped Amanda build some of her longest professional relationships, leading to fulfilling experiences and unexpected opportunities. In closing, she notes how “a single software product can open up your life in a way that you don’t expect.”

Stream the audio version of this episode here: