Sep 6, 2018
As I was writing my
last post on Re-Thinking, I got an email from some off-shore
developer, offering to assist us with any "Dynamics CRM
Online" projects we may have. Based on this pretty big clue, I
put on my pompous know-it-all hat, and blasted him for offering his
ancient skills to a cutting edge partner. His apologetic reply
included, "there is just so much to get up-to-speed on, I don't
even know where to start". Then I felt like an asshole. But he did
give me the idea for this post.
Skills Deprecation
In many of my recent posts I have been preaching that you need to
get current to stay relevant. What has served you for years, is in
jeopardy. Your past ability to keep up with the conveyor belt of
changes, and still get work done, is failing now that the belt is
moving 50 times faster. It seems that this "concept" might be
resonating with a lot of people. But work will always take
priority, and today, the more you focus on work, the faster and
father behind you get. It is a viscous cycle with a bad ending.
The Conveyor Belt
Changes are coming way too fast for even the most ardent watchers
to keep up with, much less while trying to keep food on your table.
But among that non-stop stream are a few things that will be key to
your longevity as
DynamicsBusiness Applications
Developer. I am fortunate to have a greater than average amount of
time to digest these things. I try and pick up each piece as it
goes by and study it. Many of them are like "Huh, that's
interesting", and some are like "Huh, that changes everything". But
you continue to... Wait... back up... "changes everything"? So I
thought I would create a cheat sheet for those that can't possibly
review everything, of the things they must make time for.
Unified Interface
This one has a laser lock on you that you cannot evade. The
honeymoon is over. Unified Interface is now the default UI for new
deployments. Your trusty ole Web Client (Classic UI) is still
available in the background for a limited time. You need to get on
this one. I have written about this one
here.
PowerApps
PowerApps is the crabgrass in the Dynamics 365 lawn... and it is
taking over. Its seeds have already taken root, leading to more
seeds. You might have first noticed it in the Solution Designer,
but that was just a visible manifestation on the surface.
Underneath, it has already taken over the entire platform you work
on every day. PowerApps is not a name change, it is a philosophical
change to how Microsoft is moving forward in Business Applications.
Bit by bit, PowerApps is gradually replacing everything you always
knew. The way you design views for example is changing with a brand
new view designer, forms are next, and it will continue. Should you
freak out? If you have designed views the old way, you will be able
to pick up on the new way in about five minutes... once you make
the time.
Common Data Service
Under the hood, Dynamics 365 has very little in common with
Dynamics CRM Online. The separation of the Apps from the platform
may not be obviously apparent, but the changes are profound. Any
developer who plans to continue their career, will need to get
their arms around this concept. I have already written about this
at length, so I'll just refer you to
this
post,
this
post or
this
post.
Microsoft Flow
You may have thought about Microsoft Flow as some kind of "If this
then that" competitor that you can safely ignore. But the crabgrass
seeds have spread. Once all the wiring is in place, Microsoft Flow
will actually replace the workflow designer you currently use in
Dynamics 365. Do you think you might want to bone up on that one?
Power BI
One of Microsoft's key differentiators in Business Applications is
Power BI. Really analytics in general, but Power BI is your door
in. While there will still be a place for native charts in Dynamics
365, they do not set Microsoft apart, like Power BI can. To be
honest, this is one of the areas that I acknowledge that even I am
behind on, but I also know I can't be.
Power Platform
Thankfully, the "Power Platform" is not a separate thing, but
rather a concept of using PowerApps, Microsoft Flow and Power BI
together. So if you understand those three, you understand the
Power Platform.
Extra Credit
The items above, are really what I consider table-stakes, for
having a future in this business as a developer. Consider those as
getting your head out of your ass and wiping your face off, but if
you really want to get the crap out of your teeth, then here are
some items that will allow you to further stand out in the crowd.
PowerApps Control Framework
PCF is like crabgrass in the crabgrass. It has already taken over
many things without your even knowing it. For example, the out of
the box charts have all been converted to "Controls". The Editable
Grid is a "control". Many of the things you are looking at right
now, have been quietly converted to controls, and it is the way
forward. To be fair, this is still in private preview, so you may
not be able to get to it yet, but once you can, you will want to
understand how this works.
Dynamics 365 for Marketing
Some of you may know that I have written a few posts on Microsoft's
new marketing application, Dynamics 365 for Marketing. Some of you
may have even stayed away as a result of those posts. But, as I
recently wrote about
here, the water is fine now, and you can feel free to jump in
Connectors
Connectors are
going to be a bigger part of the picture as we move forward. As the
name implies, these are bits of code that connect to some other
application's API. Using the Dynamics 365 connector and any other
connector, you can link the applications together. They are the
cornerstone of Microsoft Flow and Canvas PowerApps. They are also
not difficult to build. If you are a third-party application
wondering how you might "connect" with the Microsoft ecosystem,
"Connectors" could be the ticket.
Summary
This was just the tip of the iceberg, and while it might be awesome
to stand on the peak of the iceberg, you at least need to be
clinging onto the side of it, or you will drown under it. My posts
tend to be about things you should be thinking about, but for the
next level of how to actually get there, I highly recommend a
fellow MVP, Jukka Niiranen's excellent blog
http://survivingcrm.com/