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Code Wizards vs Business Savants: Debunking the Stereotypes of Software Developers and ERP Developers

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An enterprise resource planning (ERP) developer plays a critical role in the success of an organization's digital transformation journey. They are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the software systems that manage and automate various business processes such as finance, human resources, and manufacturing. The ability to understand common ERP processes, maintain technical aptitude, and understand customer needs are essential characteristics that separate an excellent ERP developer from an average one. One of the most important characteristics of an excellent ERP developer is their ability to understand common ERP processes such as order-to-cash and procure-to-pay. These processes are integral to the functioning of any organization and an in-depth understanding of them is crucial for an ERP developer to design and develop effective software solutions. An excellent ERP developer sh

Managing the Monster: Taming Technical Debt for a Better Bottom Line

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Technical debt is a term that is widely used in the corporate world to describe the ongoing costs and challenges associated with maintaining and upgrading technology systems and applications. The concept of technical debt refers to the trade-off between short-term gains and long-term costs that organizations make when they prioritize speed and agility over technical excellence and maintainability. In its most basic form, technical debt is any cost associated with technology that affects profit and loss. This could include the cost of hardware and software upgrades, maintenance and support, and staffing for various technology initiatives. For organizations that rely heavily on technology to drive their business, these costs can quickly add up and impact their bottom line. However, technical debt can also be associated with a large footprint of best-of-breed applications that require diverse skillset

ERP Support Model: Billable Hours, Broken Promises, and Lost Opportunities

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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have become an essential tool for organizations looking to streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. However, the ERP support model that many organizations have adopted to maintain their systems is fundamentally broken, and it is leaving them vulnerable to partner resources that are more interested in creating billable hours and securing contract renewals than the best interests of the organization. The ERP support model has evolved over the years, with organizations outsourcing the management and maintenance of their systems to external partners. On paper this approach suggests that it allows organizations to focus on their core competencies while leaving the technology-related tasks to the experts. Unfortunately, this approach has created a dependency on partner resources, which has had unintended consequences, many of which

The Cloudy Path to Development Bliss: Balancing Simplicity, Scalability, and Visibility in D365

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (D365) is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that enables businesses to manage their financial operations efficiently. The system is known for its robust features, including its development capabilities that allow developers to extend the system's functionality to meet the unique needs of their organizations. However, there have been concerns about the developer experience of D365, with some arguing that it has been trending downwards while others believe that it has improved. It is worth exploring the pros and cons of the D365 development experience, focusing on the use of Visual Studio, the challenges of not having a dedicated development environment, and the slow and painful process of migrating code. One of the significant concerns of developers regarding the D365 development experience is the use of Visual Studio to develop packages. While