#162. Unlocking hidden Microsoft partner benefits? Now that’s my kind of secret!

In this episode, I spill the beans on how Dynamics 365 and Power Platform partners can get their teams Scrum trained and certified — on Microsoft’s dime, without touching your training budget, thanks to Microsoft Incentive co-op funds.

I walk you through what co-op funds are, how to check your eligibility, and exactly how to claim full reimbursement for my Successful Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps course.

The course is tailored specifically for your teams building Microsoft business apps, not just any software project. I share stories from the trenches, like $4 million Dynamics implementations and global customer service transformations, to show the practical impact of genuine Scrum on delivery teams, customer satisfaction, and project profitability.

You’ll hear testimonials from consulting partners and students who have used these tactics to become Microsoft Partner of the Year winners—and happier, lower-stress teams as well.

There’s even an Exam Pass Guarantee (so your team can certify with confidence), plus step-by-step instructions on using those mysterious co-op funds before they expire.

Curious if it really works? Microsoft themselves give it the green light—and I’ll show you how to make it happen. Listen to this episode to discover how to turn unused partner benefits into highly skilled, adaptable delivery pros, and set your practice apart. Ready to build amazing apps, supercharge your team, and let Microsoft foot the bill?

• Book a call with Neil
• Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps
• How to get your training investment reimbursed

👋 LET'S CONNECT

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🟦 Follow on LinkedIn

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🦋 Neil Benson on BlueSky

⭐ RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW

👍 Rate Amazing Apps

👨‍💻 MY ONLINE COURSES

🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps

🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps

📐 Estimating Business Apps

#161. Whether you’re an internal developer working for a Microsoft customer or a consultant working for a Microsoft partner: every Power Platform or Dynamics 365 project you have ever worked on has been underestimated.

Because no one wins overestimated projects...

#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 developers in the discovery phase

09:48 Importance of day in the life sessions

11:59 Exploration of design sprints

17:10 Creating customer and user journey maps

18:48 Utilizing user story maps for clarity

24:21 The role of prototyping in projects

25:11 Developing solution blueprints with Dynamics 365

30:18 Size and refinement of initial product backlog

32:02 Establishing environments

32:48 Business process maps

35:35 Crafting stakeholder maps for project success

HAMISH SHEILD

• Hamish Sheild on LinkedIn
• AppRising
• Designing Business Applications

RESOURCES

• Avion for user story mapping
• StoriesOnBoard for user story mapping
• Miro for visual collaboration

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

• 130 Sprint 1 is Done!
• 120 Defining Requirements for Complex Power Apps with Hamish Sheild

👋 LET'S CONNECT

🌐 Subscribe to Customery Academy newsletter for new episode announcements and special offers

🟥 Subscribe on YouTube

🟦 Follow on LinkedIn

🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn

🦋 Neil Benson on BlueSky

⭐ RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW

👍 Rate Amazing Apps

👨‍💻 MY ONLINE COURSES

🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps

🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps

📐 Estimating Business Apps