MVP Insights: Belinda Allen Describes Benefits of Unified Data Platform, Details Summit NA 2024 Academy Class

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

In this episode, John Siefert is joined by Belinda Allen, Director of Enablement, iLink, Microsoft MVP. The two discuss Belinda’s journey to becoming a Microsoft MVP, her current role and associated responsibilities, the power of Microsoft Fabric as a unified data platform, and she shares details on her upcoming sessions at Community Summit NA 2024.

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

• MVP overview: Currently, Belinda is the Director of Enablement at iLink. Her role involves empowering clients with the necessary tools and skills to effectively use Microsoft Fabric, including Power BI. She provides training, content, presentations, and collaborates with teams for services like change management and coaching. She reflects on her journey to becoming a Microsoft MVP. Belinda began working with Dynamics products – starting with GP – in the mid-90s, and has been a Microsoft MVP for the last 12 years.
• Toughest project: Belinda describes a tough project. During an implementation of Dynamics GP at a South Carolina manufacturer, challenges arose due to weekly system crashes with no apparent cause, despite thorough checks. The issue was eventually traced to a server that was faster than the tested ones, causing a slight increase in data during EDI transactions. The combination of more orders on a specific day and a faster machine than tested led to system crashes every week. This was resolved by GP support.
• Microsoft Fabric for data sources: Belinda, who works closely with Microsoft Fabric, explains Investigating Fabric for data sources is highly recommended due to its cost-effectiveness and the advanced AI capabilities it brings to a unified data platform.
• Summit NA sessions: Belinda Allen will be at Community Summit North America 2024. She will be leading an Academy class on October 12-13, “Introduction to Power BI, Data Modeling, and Data Analysis for ERP data,” as well as three other sessions. She will also be monitoring the Tech Medic desk and encourages attendees to stop by and chat.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: