MVP Insights: Brad Prendergast on Business Central Evolution, ERP Implementations, Community Engagement

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 22, John Siefert welcomes Brad Prendergast, Director of Development, Tigunia LLC, Microsoft MVP. Brad shares his journey and insights on successful ERP implementations, the challenges of tough projects, and the importance of proper planning and understanding customizations. Additionally, Brad discusses his upcoming sessions at Community Summit NA 2024, including an Academy class a session on automated testing in Business Central.

This episode is sponsored by Community Summit North America, the largest independent gathering of the Microsoft Business Applications ecosystem, taking place Oct. 13-17, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Register today to connect with thousands of users across the Microsoft business applications ecosystem at the for user, by user event.

Key Takeaways

• MVP overview: Brad began working with Business Central, originally known as Navision, in the late 90s when it first arrived in the United States. Over the years, he’s worked for both partners and customers, focusing on development, architecture, and technical solutions, which has given him an understanding of successful ERP implementations from both perspectives. Brad received the MVP award in January 2024, specializing in Business Central. Over the past eight months, he has focused on giving back to the community by sharing content, experiences, and knowledge, co-hosting a podcast, and speaking at conferences to promote the application and support its users.
• Toughest projects: What makes a tough project? A project can become challenging due to a lack of planning, understanding, and ownership, which often leads to unrealistic expectations about the implementation process, explains Brad. As such, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand business processes and validate why certain methods are used before making changes, especially when working with a feature-rich application like Business Central.
• Personalization versus customization: Customizations in an application can be necessary, but it’s crucial to understand the application’s features and the potential costs and impacts of these customizations, suggests Brad. Proper planning and understanding upfront can save significant time and money in the long run, as it helps avoid technical debt and ensures that the system can grow with future updates.
• Academy at Summit NA: Brad will be co-leading an Academy class with AJ Ansari at Community Summit NA 2024, “AL Bootcamp: From Zero to Hero in Two Days.” During the two-day Academy workshop, running October 12-13, AJ and Brad will train developers on setting up a development environment and publishing extensions for Business Central. The class will cover extending existing functionality, basic report writing, using queries, creating API pages for integrations, and practical exercises to help participants create a small application and build a solid foundation for further skill development.
• Summit NA sessions: Additionally, Brad will be leading another session at Community Summit 2024, “Introduction to Automated Testing in Business Central.” This session will cover how to develop and implement automated tests in Business Central, highlighting their importance in preventing issues and saving time in the long run.
• Tips for the community: In closing, Brad shares a few tips for Community Summit attendees. There are many great community members speaking at the event, he explains, including both partners and customers. It’s important to plan your sessions ahead of time, wear comfortable clothes, and network with other attendees to share experiences and gain knowledge. Additionally, visiting the Expo Hall can help you find solutions or products that may speed up your implementation process and reduce technical debt.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: