Discussing Microsoft Power Platform with Enterprise Architect, Michael Megel

Many organizations and IT executives worldwide are transitioning from outdated on-premises systems to flexible, cost-effective cloud computing options. This will tremendously assist businesses by cutting IT costs and accelerating innovation.

In our segment, Influencer Insights, we invite leading industry professionals to discuss new technological trends, P2P relationships, and Microsoft Business Solutions.

To learn more about how Microsoft is redefining the industry and the most cutting-edge technological trends, we spoke with Enterprise Architect and DevOps Engineer Michael Megel.

Let Us Quickly Get To Our Expert's Point Of View.

Question 1- What according to you are some of the top Microsoft technology trends to watch out for in 2023?

I have seen a lot of enhancements to Power Platform and Microsoft Dynamics Business Central over the past year. The Power Platform got some fundamental improvements in 2022. Some examples are ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) for citizen and pro developers and managed environments. Furthermore, the Center of Excellence starter kit and its idea has become increasingly important.

Additionally, Microsoft has also improved the overall collaboration for Business Central. My highlights are the Microsoft Teams integration, the virtual tables integration in Dataverse, and creating and running Power Automate Flows directly from Business Central.

Accordingly, I expect partners will use these techniques much more stronger in the next years. Furthermore, we will see that Business Central is more often used only to implement core ERP processes for customers. Microsoft Teams will be the business collaboration tool. Finally, the Power Platform features, such as automation and connectivity to other systems, will become more relevant to us.

Question 2: What are some opportunities you would be looking at the next year?

I would focus on two things. Firstly, the Power Platform (ALM, components) enhancements will offer us a much more professional development process. I expect this would lead to better and improved solutions. Therefore, we need to offer a clear governance strategy to our customers.

Second, there are huge opportunities for new integration scenarios between Business Central, Power Platform, and MS Teams. For example, this will be driven by enhancements of virtual tables.

Question 3: Would you like to share some tips on Power BI implementation?

Well, I have learned a good architecture and data quality is always the key to good and sustainable results.

Question 4: What is the potential for Microsoft Partners in Germany?

Oh, there are a lot of possibilities for partners. We are no longer limited to selling or customizing an ERP for customers. In my opinion, we can offer much more as partners. We can help customers organize their governance process for Power Platform, build a Citizen Developer strategy and community, and we can step in as an architect or a pro developer when needed. In other words: We cover the entire spectrum of digitization for our customers.

Question 5: How can we leverage Microsoft 365 and Power Apps for improved collaboration?

The key to this is obviously the collaboration within Microsoft Teams. This is driven by Dataverse for Teams. Furthermore, we can use Power Automate to automate processes and workflows across the main products, like ERP systems. Think about the power of Adaptive Cards.

Get to Know Our Influencer

What is the best event that you attended recently? What were your key takeaways?

I attended several conferences this year. It's hard to say if there is a single winner because each event was different in terms of audience and content. Some examples are Dynamics-Con Virtual, Days of Knowledge, BC Tech Days, Directions EMEA, Azure Developer Community Day, Dataverse Summit, and more. But my favorites are still the in-person events.

My key takeaway from BC Tech Days and Directions EMEA is the changed mindset in our community. Power Platform is no longer recognized as a “pink fluffy unicorn.” Everyone has understood Power Platform is the key pillar of future business applications.

What's your success mantra?

I always preach: It's never too late to learn something new now. For this reason: Never stop learning.