Introduction
Helping you make sense of Power Platform
Are we using the Microsoft cloud technologies in an optimal way for our business? What is the role of Power Platform in connecting Office 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure? Where should we use SaaS apps, what should we build on low-code platforms and where does custom code fit in all this? How can we figure out what licenses we need? What governance options are there? These are examples of topics where I advise our customers.
20 years of experience with customer data management
I've worked with CRM and marketing systems on both sides of the table, as a customer and as a consultant. I haven't yet failed in the delivery of a perfect solution - I've just discovered 10,000 ways that it can't be done. Helping organizations deliver better customer experiences and improve their employee productivity through smarter use of customer data still remains a passion of mine.
Hands-on solution delivery
I don't mind drawing plans of what should be done, but I enjoy building the actual thing even more. What I've always found so fascinating about application platforms like XRM or Power Apps is how they allow the business process experts to create a working solution with little or no dependency on software development. There's no better way to learn what your true business requirements are than by seeing real apps in action.
Community
Microsoft MVP
I have been awarded 7 times as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in the Business Applications category. This award is given out not based on just technical expertise but on community contribution (learn more). It’s about openly sharing what you know and helping others be successful in solving similar problems.
The biggest benefit of the MVP program for me and my customers is the access to a global network of professionals working with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform technologies – as well as the possibility for co-operation with the Microsoft product teams (under NDA, naturally). This has given me perspective on how companies and tech professionals around the world use these tools and what opportunities they offer for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
What I know
My background is in designing and delivering solutions on a platform that was called Microsoft Dynamics CRM way back when. Fast forward to today and you’ll find the same technical foundation under the Power Platform, but with the name Common Data Service (CDS). It runs both the enterprise scale systems of Dynamics 365 and the simple Power Apps for small teams.
I take pride in understanding the broad stack of technology that Microsoft offers and knowing how it can be linked with business applications on Power Platform. CDS gives me the tools to configure data models, business logic, security, administration and data connectivity. Power Apps offers the UI layer where I can then bring this solution to life via Model-driven and Canvas apps.
That’s the geeky part. All this awesome tech will be meaningless if we can’t solve your actual business problems with it. So, let’s not start with the “what” but rather makes sure we’ve covered the “why” and “how” before diving deeper, okay?
How I work
Where business meets IT
Throughout my professional career I’ve always been that guy who can translate business needs & wants into the language of technology that developers and IT professionals understand. Now that every company is becoming a software company, explaining these new opportunities of technology to the business is an increasingly important part of my role.
Deep Dynamics 365 insights
I’ve worked in the Microsoft business applications ecosystem on a daily basis since 2005, both in customer and partner roles. This gives me perspective on the future direction of how these technologies are evolving and what obstacles customers may face when using them to manage their business processes.
Usability and user adoption
Few things in life frustrate me more than seeing the development of advanced technical solutions that are incomprehensible to the end users and deliver an appalling UX. I won’t let that happen on my shift.
No-code first
I’m a Citizen Developer who always explores ways to meet the requirements without resorting to customer specific code. Microsoft Power Platform is an amazing, ever expanding toolkit that can often deliver you the business results via configuration options that won’t limit your agility on future adjustments and system updates.
Find me on social media
Blogging since 2008
In addition to writings on the Forward Forever team blog, I’ve been writing about Microsoft business applications in my personal blog for quite some time. In Thinking Forward I’ve analyzed the strategic direction of Microsoft, covered the latest product announcements for Dynamics 365 and Power Apps, dived deep into the commercial aspect of product licensing – to name a few topics.
Sharing #PowerPlatform insights on Twitter
Want to keep up with the very latest news on Power Platform? Finding it hard to filter through all the content on social media feeds? Let me be your filter! Follow @jukkan and you’ll see a curated feed of the best community content.
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate
Sure, it’s great to have 15+ years of experience on working with Microsoft Business Applications products, but technology doesn’t stand still. I always try to gain hands-on experience from the latest Power Platform tools, be it via building fictional demo scenarios, or studying for and completing certification exams like this latest PL-200.