Steve Endow's Business Central Podcast

• I Need Coffee - Episode 183 - Weekly BC Review!

  Show Notes: Episode 183 - I Need Coffee (oct 3, 2025)1. Introduction and Weather:   - Episode 183, Friday, October 3rd; 97% humidity in Los Angeles County, described as steamy.2. Viewer Interaction:   - Encourages questions via YouTube, Twitch, X/Twitter; simulcasting through global production studio.3. Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC Updates:   - YouTube channel has 48-49 new videos for Business Central 2025 release wave 2 (version 27), released October 1st.   - Features like excise taxes framework; some rollout over next 6 months.4. Weekend Activities:   - Dealt with a cold; experimented with Gajuino (Arduino-based controller for Gaggia Classic Pro espresso machine).   - Wired Gajuino, booted successfully; turns $500 machine into $4,000 equivalent with touchscreen, profiles, Bluetooth scale.   - Beach trip to Seal Beach; $7.45 small latte (disappointing, watered down).   - Advocates home espresso: $1,000 setup breaks even in 9 months at $5/shot, vastly superior quality.   - Watched "Fletch" (Chevy Chase) with wife; revisited Fetzer valve, ball bearings, antifreeze references.5. Work and Projects:   - Team Updates (ERP Center of Excellence, El Salvador):     - Joselyn: GL account categories, financial reports expertise.     - David: Report layouts, custom fields, SOD fire-fighting.     - Ronald: McCormma super check/overflow remittance learning; data testing.     - Franklin: Excel file import AL completion; Tenant Admin Dashboard resumption.     - Fatima: PMI PMP training progress; 3 hours/day English; El Coyolar Christmas Festival management (toys, food, supplies; Tanya/Speaker attending December).   - New project: 18-month delay; kickoff call revealed uncertainties (invoicing system, cash receipts, BC-Salesforce data direction).   - McCormma Payment Hub: Learning curve (Cronus defaults, bank setup, remittance advice, overflow printing); support tickets needed.   - Contract lawyering: Hates it; paying lawyer for review.   - Weird PTE: 50+ companies → MEM → back to 50+ companies; proposing unusual integration design.   - Job queues: Failed revalue inventory (January) caused unit cost issues; BC silently stops without notification.6. Technical Challenges:   - BC Word add-in: Hides empty rows/columns/tables, zero fields; clean reports.   - Aider tool: Feedback on challenges; not ideal for small projects.   - Dimension restriction: Restrict dimension values by user (non-MEM); possible customization.   - MCP hype: Jeremy's BC knowledge server, Stefan Marone release; watching cautiously, practical use cases unclear.   - Terminology confusion: Partner email mixed entity/company/environment; demands precision.   - Wrong emails: Copied on confidential financials (invoices, bank details); wrong sensitive meeting invite; AI bots threaten privacy.7. Cybersecurity and Privacy:   - Data brokers: Removed info after ransom demands (incorrect co-owner listing); recommends Aura services.8. Personal Tech Experiments:   - Minecraft server: Hostinger setup ($60/year, 4GB Debian, 20 users, auto backups); cross-platform play for intern's daughter.9. Hobbies and Interests:   - Mechanical keyboards: r/mechanicalkeyboards subreddit; custom keycaps, 3D sculpted (Pokemon), collectors' setups. 10. Professional Development:    - Berlin team: Medium/long-term goals vs. fire-fighting; Joselyn's financial reporting/PowerBI payoff (12-18 months).

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• I Need Coffee - Episode 182 - Weekly BC Review!

  Show Notes: Episode 182 - I Need Coffee (sept 26, 2025)1. Personal Updates and Weekend Activities:   - Received Gajuino kit after 6-month group buy (Hong Kong); upgrades $500 Gaggia espresso machine to $2,000–$5,000 equivalent with electronic controls (boiler temp, pump control, pre-infusion, pressure curves, scale integration).   - Picked up wife at LAX Saturday night; airport unusually empty, easy parking.   - Harvested three dragon fruits from backyard (one overripened, split); yields tripled from last year.   - Discovered yellow dragon fruit at Amazon Fresh ($8/lb, individually wrapped).2. Work and Projects:   - Team Updates:     - Ronald: Learning McCormma Payment Hub, focusing on supercheck/overflow remittance for US check printing (beyond 10–13 line limit).     - David: Handling Word/RDLC report layouts; found multiple fields in one grid space.     - Joselyn: Tackling Word report layouts, learning hidden tricks.     - Franklin: Refining Excel file import prototype via code review; working on Tenant Admin Dashboard for internal multi-tenant management.     - Fatima: Completed 8–10 hour PMI PMP video series; seeking next course; aiding El Coyolar Christmas Festival planning.   - Bill.com MEM Integration: Successful go-live after complex project (started February); managed multi-entity/company setup with bill.com API (version 3 incomplete, used version 2).   - Statement of Work Improvements: Added prerequisites (50+ record sample files, field screenshots); explicit scope (anything unlisted is out); assumptions (BC online US v26.5, English, no multi-currency); error handling; no intercompany/APIs; BC update warnings.3. Technical Challenges and Discoveries:   - BC Word Add-in: Discovered Dynamics 365 Business Central Word Add-in (~1.5–2 years old); features hide empty tables/rows/columns, zero fields; SOD-compatible after import error fix.   - AppSource Region Bug: El Salvador team faced app install issues (SV vs. US region); resolved via company info change or PowerShell/AL code.   - Aider Tool (Jeremy Howard): Tested AI code intelligence with 14 "agents" (e.g., architect, coder); heavy setup (Node.js); not suited for small projects; better for test-driven development; provided feedback.4. Cybersecurity and Industry Insights:   - MITRE Evaluations: Microsoft and vendors withdrew from MITRE ATT&CK evaluations, deemed low-value; akin to meaningless firewall certifications.   - Social Engineering: Viewed Rachel Tobac (hacked Jeffrey Katzenberg via Aura) and Erica Zelik (Teams impersonation for wire transfers) videos.   - Privacy/Data Brokers: Removed personal info from brokers after ransom demands tied to incorrect listing (co-owner of "Blue" company); recommends services like Aura; bad data fuels phishing.5. Professional Engagements and Conferences:   - Vibe Partner Conference: Jan 28–30, 2026, South Padre Island, TX (partnerin.io); remote, 4-hour drive from San Antonio.   - Summit NA Road Shows: Houston Dec 9, Fort Lauderdale Dec 11.   - Contract Negotiations: Rejected removing liability cap ($5M proposed for small project); viewed as red flag.6. Technology Preferences:   - Keyboards: Sticking with Filco Ninja Majestouch MX Brown (14 years); rejected Cherry MX Board 3.0; found Norbauer Senica ($3,600–$8,000, custom, no numpad); Ducky cheaper but Filco preferred.7. Coffee and Experiments:   - Ordered Dera Brazil coffee (Passenger Keystone favorite); experimental cherries ripen/dry on tree; interesting but not enjoyable; shared with Gabe in El Salvador.

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• I Need Coffee - Episode 181 - Weekly BC Review!

  Show Notes: Episode 181 - I Need Coffee (sept 19, 2025)1. Personal Updates and Multitasking:   - Managed live stream while arranging express courier for daughter's forgotten science project (thermal capacity/insulation experiment).2. Weekend Activities:   - Visited El Tazumal, a Salvadoran restaurant, for pupusas ($5 each, $40 for 8, shocked El Salvador team).   - Performed pool maintenance with cybersecurity intern, prepared for fall/winter.   - Smoked a 14.8 lb brisket for 14 hours, shared with neighbors; daughters made brisket sandwiches.   - Watched F1 movie on Amazon with Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, exceeded expectations.3. Work and Projects:   - Team Updates:     - Joselyn: Working on BC financial reports, categorizing GL accounts for row formats/layouts.     - Tanya: Provided PowerBI billable hours report for weekly team utilization tracking.     - David: Finalizing report layout changes.     - Ronald: Handling McCormma Payment Hub, troubleshooting permission set issue; testing bill.com MEM integration.     - Franklin: Completed E4CC and English conversational classes, improving BC development discussions; conducted code review.     - Fatima: 70% through 10-hour PMI PMP training, tracking BC27 pipeline errors and El Coyolar Christmas Festival planning.   - Bill.com MEM Integration:     - Go-live scheduled today; complex project started in February, using bill.com API (version 3 incomplete, relies on version 2).     - Ronald tested end-to-end; published for internal AppSource testing.4. Technical Challenges:   - RDLC Report: Joselyn fixed negative top property error (-0.00001 inch) in US check report by editing RDLC in Notepad.   - Documentation: Perplexity generated prompt for Cursor to create 10-page user guide for AppSource app in 1 hour.   - BC Issue: Perplexity confirmed unit cost variances in lot-controlled item process as expected BC behavior (FIFO/LIFO/average cost).5. Cybersecurity and Industry Insights:   - Microsoft Entra Vulnerability (CVE-2025-5241): Actor tokens granted global admin access across tenants via Azure AD Graph API; fixed by Microsoft.   - SonicWall Breach: My Sonic Wall portal breach exposed <5% firewall backup files, likely via brute force/credential stuffing.   - GP Partner Issue: Partner stored passwords/license keys in plain text on customer’s SQL server, refused assistance due to being "too busy."6. Professional Engagements:   - Attended Aropa Academy webinar on AL code for SQL performance (youtube.com/aroposewebinars).   - Signed up for MVP Summit, March 2026, Redmond; hotel costs $200–$300/night vs. $37/night in El Salvador.   - Reconnected with college friend in cybersecurity, discussed potential El Salvador cybersecurity center.7. Conferences and Events:   - Summit NA: Oct 20–23, 2025, Orlando; sponsoring BC Bash, Oct 21, 9:00 PM, Cuba Libé (steveendo.link/bc-2025).   - Directions EMEA: Nov 4–6, 2025, Poland.   - Partner in Vibe: Jan 28–30, 2026, South Padre Island, TX (partnerin.io); remote location, 4-hour drive from San Antonio.   - Dynamics Minds: May 25–27, 2026, Porto Rose, Slovenia.8. Statement of Work Challenges:   - Custom PTE SOW requires foresight; excluded code structure updates, non-functional fixes, saved scope creep on unit cost issue.   - Struggled with SOW for custom PTE due to complex, poorly detailed Excel field mapping.

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• I Need Coffee - Episode 180 - Weekly BC Review!

  Show Notes: Episode 180 - I Need Coffee (Sep 12, 2025)1. Episode Milestone and Greetings   - Celebrates 180 episodes, a significant milestone despite irregular periods.   - Technical hiccups: dying keyboard, Stream Deck issues.   - Shoutouts: Moardes, Tanya (RSM), Ola RSM, Eric Hogard, Christian Lais, DF, Demani.2. Community Poll on BC Features   - X poll: "What relatively new BC feature should functional consultants/developers learn?"     - Responses: Queries (older), Copilot/Text/AI (newer), CI/CD (older), interfaces (years old), price calculation engine (~2 years), performance profiler (~2 years), data transfer/audit fields (underused, e.g., system modified on/by).  3. Personal Anecdotes and Blog Revival   - Tanya (RSM) resurfaces host’s 2021 blog solving Chrome autofill overlay in BC—enjoys “artisanal” blogging but notes time cost; dislikes AI-generated content. 4. Weekly Projects: PTE Nightmare   - PTE Disaster:** Adding one report field took 4 weeks due to:     - Wrong field (duplicates across record types; hidden dataset issue).     - Stuck pull request added MEM dependency, forcing redo.    5. Sandbox and Tenant Chaos   - Team of 5 in Berlin juggled shared sandboxes for reports, imports, ISVs—disrupted by upgrades/MEM installs.   - Solution: Host assigned 9 personal demo tenants (some from 2019); new free demo creation method (custom domain/email, kept low-key).   - Issue: Browser profile overload (9+ tenants, manual setup across devices).6. Technical Deep Dives   - OData Deprecation: Marcel Schab’s blog warns of 2027 Wave 1 (v30) removal; urges Web API v2.0 migration (despite flaws). Simple Object Designer as alternative.   - AL Upgrade: Fixed v26 issues (duplicates, old number series); v27 deprecations loom (200+ objects). Deferral possible to March 2026, but Nov 2025 urged.   - Import Design: Staging tables for file imports (Excel/CSV/JSON) enable set-based ops (validation, history). BC list pages add UI polish. Exploring generic fields for multi-customer flexibility.7. Cybersecurity Highlights   - NPM Attack: Phished dev added malicious code to 15 packages (2B weekly downloads); caught in <1hr but exposes open-source risks (no audits, obfuscated code).   - AI Coding Risks: Adds fictional deps, secrets, misconfigs (XKCD 2347 Jenga tower). Useful for explaining complex code.   - M365 Breaches: Weekly partner compromises—enable Defender, conditional access, geo-locks.8. Integrations and Events   - Bill.com + BC/MEM App: Complex, over-budget, nearing go-live (next Friday).   - Corporate ACH Debits: B2B auto-withdrawals (e.g., fuel suppliers) unsupported in BC NA; scoping paid design (CCD format).   - Events:     - Summit NA (Oct, Orlando): BC Bash party (700 cap last year).     - Directions MIA (Nov 4–6, Poland): Christian Lais session.     - Dynamics User Group: Dallas (Sep 17, 200+), other regions.     - Summit Roadshows: Houston (Dec 9), Fort Lauderdale (Dec 11).   - Webinar: Aropay (Sep 15): AL code’s SQL performance impact.9. Team Updates   - Joselyn: PowerBI, RDLC; speedrunning check layouts (<2hr goal).   - David: Report layouts; paused data migration.   - Ronald: McCroma Payment Hub (super checks).   - Franklin: Excel imports, staging tables.   - Fatima: PMP course; shadowing AL/PM tasks.

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• I Need Coffee - Episode 179 - Weekly BC Review!

  I Need Coffee - Episode 179 - Weekly BC Review!1. ERP System Challenges & Solutions:   - Code cleanup for Business Central (BC) upgrade (BC26/BC27 issues, deprecated fields, code cop warnings).   - Report extension PTE struggles (field addition, pipeline issues).   - Data migration complexities (item imports, deletions, VLOOKUP for sub-records).   - PowerBI performance bottlenecks (slow refreshes, proposed dataset consolidation, custom API endpoints, Azure SQL mirroring).2. cummunity Engagement & Events:   - El Coyolar Christmas Festival planning (Dec 12, El Salvador; 210 attendees, $2K budget, corporate sponsors needed).   - Industry events: Summit NA (BC Bash, Orlando), Directions EMEA (Poland), Dynamics Minds (Slovenia), DynamicsCon Regionals (Copenhagen, Dallas), Summit NA Roadshows (Houston, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte).3. Professionalism & Communication:   - Avoid saying "I have no idea" in client interactions; use proactive responses like "I'll check" or defer to experts.   - Critique of overly scripted webinars (stiff, buzzword-heavy); recommend rehearsed bullet points instead.4. Technology & Process Insights:   - System integration issues (double shipments from manufacturer due to duplicate POs).   - Gift card complexities (third-party platforms like FirstServe; API-heavy, fraud prevention challenges).   - Inventory chaos at China Depot (El Salvador’s “AliExpress warehouse”; ERP nightmare for low-value items).5. Personal Productivity & Efficiency:   - Power bill reduction (25% energy, 24% cost savings via server shutdowns, peak-hour avoidance).   - Word document font glitch (Arial 10pt misrendering; unresolved despite experience).6. Team Development & Training:   - ERP CoE team tasks: PowerBI, RDLC/Word report layouts, Document Capture, Mercurius Payment Hub, Continia Expense Management, Excel imports, project management.   - Berlin English Academy: Multitasking training (call center sims, typing at 60 WPM, computer skills) beyond English proficiency.7. Cultural & Fun Elements:   - Matrix movie night to teach geek references (red pill, code rain) to Berlin team.   - HMart Ramune shelf (diverse flavors); pricey in El Salvador.   - Classic childhood movie tease (obscure, unspecified).

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