MVP Insights: David Laster on Bridging the GP to BC Gap 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 63, Pam Misialek hosts David Laster, Director, Software Solutions, Gravoc, Microsoft MVP, for a conversation on how users are benefiting from the latest Microsoft innovations, bridging the GP to BC gap, and his sessions at Community Summit.

Agents & Copilots are defining the future of Dynamics, CRM, Power Platform, Azure, Fabric, and more. Register for Community Summit NA 2025, running October 19-23 in Orlando, FL, to explore and discover what this means to you.

Key Takeaways

• Exciting innovations: With the continued developments by Microsoft, David notes that it’s getting easier to talk Business Central with GP people. “It’s easier for us to draw the transitions because their functionality has gotten a lot more rich, so those conversations are a lot easier than they were before,” he reports. He’s also looking forward to updates with Power BI reports and the apps that Microsoft built for Business Central.
• Valuable outcomes: Users are benefiting from the quality of the technology. Once users learn to plug in different aspects and rethink workflows, jobs become more fluid. There are fewer clicks, distractions, and context switching. “When you rethink with the technology, it helps everybody do a little bit more,” he says. Users are also able to access information faster. With Copilot embedded in the applications, users can find information, determine next steps, and ultimately aggregate and report on data.
• Summit NA: At Community Summit North America this year, David is eager to help people bridge the gap from GP to BC. The sessions he will be presenting include:
  • “Dynamics GP Ask Us Anything – Reporting” on Tuesday, October 21
  • “Power BI Reports You Need For Your Dynamics GP Users” on Tuesday, October 21
  • “New to BC – Ask the Experts” on Wednesday, October 22
  • “Breaking into the Benefits of Telemetry for BC” on Thursday, October 23
  • “20 Tips and Tricks for Maximizing the Power BI Apps for Business Central” on Thursday, October 23

• Dynamics Mindset: David’s catalog of his thoughts on Power BI, Business Central, making the GP to BC transition, and more on his Dynamics Mindset website. He provides references and free resources to help users make better decisions.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: