Convergence 2012 Houston

Worldwide Microsoft Dynamics Academic Preconference

Convergence 2010 Atlanta

Microsoft Dynamics Academic Preconference

Presentation Abstracts and PowerPoint Slides

(Click this link for Agenda)

Day One: Saturday, March 17, 2012

Embassy Suites Downtown Houston

Room: Discovery A&B

1515 Dallas Street

Houston, TX, USA

Time	Location	Presentation Title and Abstract	PowerPoint Link	Full Paper Link
8:30- 9:00 am	Discovery	Welcome to the Worldwide Microsoft Dynamics Academic Preconference Katie Hasbargen, Program Lead, Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance, Fargo, ND, USA
9:00 – 9:30 am	Discovery	Opening Plenary Session: Outreach and Research Dr. Jerry Flatto, Professor, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA; and Todd Schultz, Professor, Augusta State University, Augusta, GA, USA
9:30 – 11:00 am	Discovery A	ERP in Curricula Using Microsoft Dynamics NAV Hans van der Hoeven, Senior Lecturer, Avans University of Applied Sciences, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands In Europe Dynamics NAV is used very often in an educational setting. In this presentation the difference in zooming in on processes rather than using buttons is explained. The curriculum of Business Economics and Accountancy with ERP/Dynamics NAV is discussed, Avans University OAS has created an own admin tooling kit to reduce the effort of creating/copying databases and users each ten weeks. The minor Business Management (ERP) is explained. Students work in a virtual company to experience the use of business processes to keep the business running as needed. Students work in departments and in projects and are also virtually buying and selling products to students (virtual companies) from other universities abroad (Finland, Austria, Norway, Estonia).
		Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Case Study in the Classroom Mike Canniff, Faculty, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA This presentation will provide an update of using Microsoft Dynamics SureStep in the classroom. The focus will be on the Tailspin Toys case materials provided by Microsoft. The author has updated the materials and sequence of the existing case. The original case was used in an Accounting Information Systems class during Spring 2011. The updated materials are currently being used in Spring 2012. This presentation will also provide case study alternatives that other faculty are using within business classes. Ultimately, this session could be presented as a panel discussion with Jerry Flatto and Todd Schultz.
		The Impact of Video Clip Instruction on Understanding Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software for Brand Management Dr. Faye Kao, Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA, Dr. Kuo Lane Chen, Associate Professor, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA, and Dr. Huei Lee, Professor, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA The purpose of this research is to discuss the use of customer relationship management. Non-profit organizations include government agency, schools, charity organizations, and churches. Traditional CRM systems are not designed for non-profit organizations. However, some of the functions or features of CRM can be used for non-profit organizations. (CRM) software for nonprofit organizations. First, the presentation introduces the purpose of CRM software and the differences among CRM, ERP and SCM systems. Second, this presentation discusses the features and functions of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Third, this presentation presents a case for using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for a non-profit organization. Finally, the pros and cons of CRM software for a non-profit organization are discussed.
		Microsoft Dynamics Adds to the Students’ Experience Rehan Bhana, Senior Lecturer, Birmingham City University – Faculty of Technology Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdo The academic sets to present Microsoft’s involvement in the UK education space. With the growth of analytical and intelligent business systems being adopted by organizations sets the demand on academic curricular and research. The study critically reviews the shift from Microsoft Navision 4.0 to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 with in the Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment. The pedagogy of business information technology at Birmingham City University incorporates Dynamics professional roles. The study includes insights of curricular design, the student experience and indentifies the opportunities of DynAA in the education space.
9:30 – 11:00 am	Discovery B	Agile Software Development Applications to ERP: Discussion and Illustration Using Microsoft Dynamics AX Bojan Jovicic, Augusta State University, Augusta, GA, USA Todd Schultz, Professor, Augusta State University, Augusta, GA, USA Dragan Djuri, Augusta State University, Augusta, GA, USA This paper analyzes the technical aspects of ERP systems and their connection with agile methodologies, a crucial combination especially in times of economic crisis. ERP system deployments demand resolution to thousands of business process questions and the supporting databases and code base usually have huge numbers of tables and related classes. The complexity is clearly a challenge to manage especially when applying customizations and configurations. We describe how an ERP system’s technical components can be classified from several viewpoints to identify the ones most worthy of investing our time in improving. An upgrade can be worth as much as one-thirt of the initial investment and this agile approach has helped us achieve a productive ERP system development environment, and it has enabled us to perform an ERP system upgrades effectively sometimes skipping an entire version. This provides that an effective connection between ERP deployemnt and agile software can be made to work.
		ERP Implementation: Examining Interdependencies among Pre-implementation, Implementation and Post-implementation Phases Muhammad A. Razi, Associate Professor, Western Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI, USA Mohammad Mobashar Hossain, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals This research investigates organizational strategic alignment and managerial decisions during pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Knowing that each phase has its inherent complexities, we investigate substantial interdependency between these phases and try connecting the dots of decisions and actions of a phase with the results, decisions, and actions of the next phase. We present four cases of ERP implementation by companies in Saudi Arabia. The case results are compared with ERP implementation results in Europe, USA, and Asia. The comparison framework takes factors like management style, organization type, culture, and organizational structure in to consideration.
		Microsoft Dynamics NAV Reference Model Dejan Pajk, Researcher, Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia The past decade has seen the rise of business process management as a general approach to improve business processes. Meantime, companies all over the world use enterprise resource planning systems to automate and enhance their business processes. The capabilities of enterprise resource planning systems can be described by best-practice reference models. Although the use of reference models brings many positive effects for business, they are still rarely used in practice. In the paper a reference model based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV is suggested. The reference model is designed using Business process modelling notation with additional objects, which help to describe the models in more detail way. In addition, paper demonstrates the business process redesign approach with the use of reference models.
11:30 – 12:15 pm	Discovery A	(Microsoft Dynamics Partner Demo Sessions) Jet Reports Demo and Hands-on Session Joe Little, President; and Jim Andrews, Vice President of Sales, Jet Reports, Portland, OR, US Management reporting is crucial for aligning behaviour and decision-making with company objectives. However, the way management reports are actually used often is far from ideal. Companies tend to report what can be easily measured and make decisions based on what can be easily reported. Most reports are focused on looking backward and do not provide insight to key performance indicators in a timely, comprehensive and meaningful way. Jet Reports offers our suite of reporting and business intelligence systems to develop a better way to provide management with the right information, in the right way, at the right time.
	Discovery B	(Microsoft Dynamics Partner Demo Sessions) myGPcloud Demo and Hands-on Session Doug Pitcher, Cloudster, myGPcloud/Rose Business Solutions, Inc., San Diego, CA, US
1:15 - 2:45 pm	Discovery A	Microsoft Dynamics in Education Working Session Facilitator: Dr. Jerry Flatto, Professor, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
	Discovery B	Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance Resources Jane Birkegaard Thomsen, Senior Program Manager; and Bethany Eighmy, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance
3:00 - 5:00 pm	Discovery A	SimulationAX – Presentation and Hands-on Game François Paré, Executive Consultant, Laboratoire ERPsim - HEC Montréal, Montréal, Canada
	Discovery B	Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online – Overview and Hands-On Exercise Jesse Geiken, CRM Technology Specialist, Microsoft

Day Two: Sunday, March 18, 2012

Embassy Suites Downtown Houston

Room: Discovery A&B

1515 Dallas Street

Houston, TX, USA

Time	Location	Paper Abstract	PowerPoint Link	Full Paper Link
8:30 – 8:45am	Discovery	Opening Remarks Katie Hasbargen, Program Lead, Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance, Fargo, ND, USA
8:45 – 9:30 am	Discovery	Business of the Future Mike Ehrenberg, Microsoft Technical Fellow, Redmond, WA, USA
9:30 – 10:00 am	Discovery	Advisory Council Report Dr. Jerry Flatto, Professor, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA Hans van der Hoeven, Senior Lecturer, Avans University of Applied Sciences, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
10:00 – 11:00 am	Discovery	Microsoft Dynamics Partner Panel Doug Pitcher, Cloudster, myGPcloud/Rose Business Solutions, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA Dwight M. Specht, Chief Operating Officer, I.B.I.S. Inc, Norcross, GA, USA Traci Shaw, Senior Manager, Interactive Intelligence, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Yameen Ali, Consultant, Avanade, Portland, OR, USA Oliver Norton, Account Manager, Nigel Frank International, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
11:00-11:15 am	Discovery	Closing and Thank You Katie Hasbargen, Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance, Fargo, ND,

Presentations in blue were chosen through the call for papers and presentations process.