Steve Endow's Business Central Podcast

I Need Coffee - Episode 183 - Weekly BC Review!

Steve Endow Episode 183

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).