Amazing Apps - learn how to build agile Dynamics 365 and Power Platform business apps using Scrum

#160. Hamish Sheild is a Microsoft MVP and Power Platform consultant specialising in applying Design Thinking practices to our apps and projects to make them more human-centred. Hamish and I discuss the different activities and artifacts we've experimented with before starting the delivery phase of our Power Platform and Dynamics 365 projects.

Join us as we discuss:

03:43 Design thinking exercises and goal setting

08:45 Inclusion of ...

#159. Should you use a traditional, waterfall approach to build Power Platform apps?

In this episode, I break down six situations when you might be tempted to use a waterfall method and share my thoughts on whether that's really the best approach.

Highlights

00:11 Everyone should try waterfall at least once.

02:18 When to adopt a waterfall approach

02:53 #1 Predictable and well-defined requirements

04:19 #2 Regulated industries

...

#158. It's 2025, and I still meet Power Platform and Dynamics 365 professionals that don't know what Scrum is or have an incomplete understanding of what Scrum is. Especially in job interviews!

In this short episode, you'll learn:

• What Scrum really is
• Why it's a framework and not a methodology
• A simple hack for remembering the 18 components of Scrum

🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps: Learn the basics and ben...

#157. Rethink the role of the scrum master. Two recent events—a thought-provoking article by agile coach Maarten Dalmijn and a leave of absence by Matthew, a beloved scrum master in my team—prompted me to question if scrum masters might be overrated.

Comparing scrum teams to sports teams like Ultimate Frisbee, where players self-regulate without referees. Imagine a world where your scrum team operates the same way, holding each othe...

#156. Drawing on the book "Mastering Professional Scrum" by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl, I outline critical areas for team success, such as creating valuable products and understanding organizational influences. I emphasize five core capabilities needed for continuous improvement: teaching, facilitation, coaching, technical excellence, and servant leadership.

I discuss the continuous improvement process recommended by Ockerm...

#155. Explore the importance of rethinking our approach to building business applications. Discover the benefits of questioning our assumptions and adapting to new information in the dynamic landscape of app development.

• Unpacking the concept of "thinking like a scientist" and its impact on creating agile business apps.
• Understanding cognitive entrenchment and how it can hinder our progress in app development.
• Examining how embrac...

#154. Neil Benson takes us on a journey of learning through experimentation. Starting with the historical origins of smallpox inoculation, Neil discusses the importance of conducting experiments to drive innovation and problem-solving.

Sharing personal experiences from his biochemistry studies to his current work in building applications with Power Platform and Dynamics 365, Neil emphasizes the value of agile software development a...

#153.  Keith Atherton is a proper pro developer. Keith shares his journey from developing custom apps using .NET, C# and SQL Server to embracing and mastering the development of enterprise business applications using the Power Platform.

• What do developers lose and gain using Power Platform compared to developing an app from scratch with .NET and SQL Server.
• The power of rapidly prototyping applications in Power Apps even com...

#152.  Host Neil Benson is joined by the talented Dani Kahil for an insightful discussion on managing backlogs and enhancing user stories in Azure DevOps and Jira. Neil shares his experiences with Jira, highlighting some configuration challenges, while Dani expresses a strong preference for Azure DevOps.

They dive into the hierarchy of backlog items, including epics, features, user stories, and tasks, and explore different app...

#151. Amazing Apps host, Neil Benson, dives into a case study from one of his team's own projects: "Member Super", a financial services organisation in Australia. With over a million members, they needed a CRM application that could handle their complex stakeholder relationships and provide exceptional service to their customers.

Member Super's existing CRM app was limiting their capabilities and hindering their ...

#150. What does it take to have a successful go live event for your Dynamics 365 or Power Platform application. Neil Benson sat down with Andrew Bibby, a seasoned expert in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform business applications. In this episode, Andrew shares his insights on the crucial process of preparing for and executing a successful go live. From addressing technical difficulties to promoting user adoption and measuri...

#149. Andrew Welch is the Chief Technology Officer at HSO. Andrew is an expert in IT strategy and has a wealth of experience advising customers on their big strategic technology decisions. He is also an author, Microsoft MVP, and a regular presenter at conferences. Joining us today, Andrew shares valuable insights on the importance of IT leadership, cloud ecosystems, data platforms, artificial intelligence, and the future of innova...

#148. Get ready for another captivating episode of Amazing Apps! In this episode, Neil Benson engages Shawn Tabor, Director of Consulting Services at Hitachi Solutions, in an insightful conversation about the dynamic realm of Microsoft Business Applications and its role in the manufacturing and service industries. Explore Hitachi's product landscape, investment strategies, and the art of identifying patterns to create accelera...

#147. When should you use Power Platform pipelines and when should you use Azure DevOps pipelines to deploy your Power Platform or Dynamics 365 applications? That's the question that Benedikt Bergmann answers in this episode of Amazing Apps.

Benedikt is a Power Platform consultant known for his expertise in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). Neil and Benedikt delve into the world of ALM, discussing its importance for small and ...

#146. In this episode, we're thrilled to have Martin Hinshelwood from naked Agility join host, Neil Benson. Martin shares his perspectives on improving the success of agile engagements through the role of a consulting product owner, and why you should build your own business applications rather than buy Dynamics 365 if you're looking for competitive advantage. Hit the play button and dive into this insightful conversation...

#145. We're back with another incredible episode of Amazing Apps, and this time we have an amazing guest on board. Neil Benson is joined by the Low Code Lead & Platform Evangelist at ANS Group, Chris Huntingford. Chris spills the beans on citizen developers, he talks about the concept of ecosystem enablement, the potential of low code platforms, the importance of enabling everyone to build apps and flows, hackathons, and m...

#144.  Neil Benson is joined by Matthew Venamore, a scrum master with extensive experience coaching Dynamics 365 teams. Matthew shares valuable insights into the challenges faced by new scrum masters when joining existing teams and emphasizes the importance of empowering the team. He advises taking a standoffish stance initially, observing the team and their work before making any changes or adding value.

Matthew shares h...

#143. On this episode of Amazing Apps, we discuss resourcing agile teams using the Scrum framework. Neil Benson talks about who we should have on our teams as product owner, developers and scrum master. Should Microsoft partners offer to provide a consultant for every role on the team? Listen in to find out.

Timestamps

(02:04) Product owner maximizes value, sets goals.
(03:02) Product owner orders backlog, ensures focus.
(07:...

#142. Neil Benson discusses the challenges of organizing a large Scrum team to maximize efficiency. He suggests rotating developers between teams and organizing teams around specific components or external systems they need to integrate with. Neil also recommends self-organizing teams and coaches teams to create their own code of conduct and establish expected behaviors. He shares his experience of organizing teams by components in...