MVP Insights: Peter Ramer on Problem-Solving Through Community, Mentorship and Training Opportunities, FO/AX Education at Summit NA

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 32, John Siefert is joined by Peter Ramer, Director of Managed Application Services, Consumer Products Senior Analyst, RSM, Microsoft MVP. The two discuss Peter’s journey and involvement with the Dynamics 365 ecosystem, the value of problem-solving with the community, and he details his sessions at the upcoming Community Summit North America 2024.

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 journey: Peter’s journey began right out of college, focusing on Dynamics as a developer, filling in gaps with customizations needed to sell the product. Over the years, he accumulated valuable lessons and eventually contributed code to the AX product, which led him to the MVP journey. He encourages others to leverage their accumulated knowledge and experiences to achieve similar success.
• Teaching and mentoring: A few years ago, Peter started teaching new hires and interns technical knowledge for Dynamics, which helped him grow my career and expand his brand within RSM. This led him to create articles and YouTube videos on development extensions, and with mentorship from MVPs, he was able to make a significant impact in the larger community.
• Coding contributions: Peter, who has contributed code to the AX product, notes that he’s worked on various components in the retail space, including the order recap screen, price override logic, and upsell/cross-sell operations. Additionally, he contributed to both static and programmable fraud rules within the system.
• Impactful projects and challenges: Peter explains that within projects, he works on many individual, smaller issues, often involving break-fix problems or system enhancements. Through this, he’s learned to appreciate problem-solving and the resilience it builds, as well as the value of gaining diverse perspectives from the community. The Dynamics community allows users to come together to solve challenging problems and create amazing solutions, highlighting the importance of collaboration and mutual support.
• Summit NA session previews: At Community Summit North America 2024, Peter will be participating in four education sessions and one Academy class:
  • “D365FO Administration & Developer Overview,” on Sunday, October 13
    • This class willl cover the administration of D365 through LCS, core development tips like creating tables, forms, batch jobs, and writing X++, and finish with tips and tricks,
  • “D365 FO MVP Panel – New Features, Tips, and Tricks,” on Monday, October 14
    • In this session, MVPs will share what they’ve learned and provide hints about upcoming Microsoft updates, while also listening to people’s questions and struggles.
  • “Conquer Your Workload: Unleash the Power of Multithreading in Microsoft Dynamics 365 FS&C Batch Jobs,” on Tuesday, October 15
    • Peter notes that he’s been working on multi-threading batch jobs to speed up processes that take a long time or require a lot of processing power. He looks forward to sharing this topic with a wider audience, as there’s limited information available.
  • “Learn The Art of Crafting SSRS Reports for Enhanced Insights and Strategic Decision Empowerment,” on Wednesday, October 16
    • SSRS reports are challenging due to the combination of design, query, performance, and data considerations. In this session, Peter will help users feel more comfortable building these reports and discuss what makes a report truly valuable and effective.
  • “Maximize Your X++ Mastery: Learn the Ultimate Tips and Tricks for Development Success,” on Thursday, October 17
    • This session is packed with tips that can save developers significant time on repeatable tasks, allowing them to focus on the more exciting aspects of developing great solutions.
• Final tips for the community: While on-site at Community Summit NA, Peter advises that attendees engage with people and have real conversations, as the relationships you build now will benefit you in future events.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: