Extending Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Apps with Power Platform: Integrate Power Platform solutions to maximize the efficiency of your Finance & Operations projects Paperback – 19 Jan. 2024

I really enjoyed reading the book "Extending Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Apps with Power Platform". Adria has shown his great experience and provided an overview of the most important technologies that a technical consultant working with D365FO needs to know about the latest technologies around Power Platform.The book goes through all important components, Dataverse, Flows, Power Apps, Power BI, AI, and provides relevant scenarios with step-by-step instructions on how to get started with a piece of technology and when it would be appropriate to use it.It was good that Adria mentioned from the very beginning that the book should be seen not as a threat to developers but as an additional tool. That's because development is not only about writing code, which is what low-code mostly targets, but also about knowing how to design code that follows non-functional requirements like security, performance or reusability.In the part about Dual-write, Adria made a great mention, which should be printed in 200pt font, about the requirement for functional design since the two Dynamics 365 flavours, F&O and CE/Dataverse, use different concepts. Although technically it's nowadays much easier to sync data, cross-app processes require serious design.I've also appreciated the relevance of the example used to illustrate flows since, as Adria mentioned, for some interfaces you can just write code. But, when you need to integrate various services, SFTP, SharePoint, Teams, Email approvals, a flow improves debuggability, error handling and reduces the coding effort massively,In chapters 6,7 enjoyed the practical examples for PowerApps for illustrating how to work with D365FO data. The example chosen to illustrate the necessity was maybe not the best functionally (sales person in a meeting not having laptop but needing to check on hand inventory) but it was good from a technical perspective to show the capabilities of PowerApps.Adria went a bit into the ALM story at the end of the book and went maybe as far as possible, knowing that at the time of writing Microsoft is in a transition away from the antiquated LCS but not very clear when and how it will be replaced by the Power Platform Admin Centre. There was an example of exporting and importing unmanaged solution which could have been improved by a step for versioning the code and some DevOps work for CI/CD.Another improvement I would recommend is adopting a citation scheme (like APA) for the ability to reference Microsoft documentation close to the recommendation made or bit of text that uses it.One last positive thing to mention is the small section at the end of each chapter with questions (answers also provided) which helps to solidify the knowledge.

I’ve been working with F&O since the first SaaS version, and with Power Platform since 2019. I view primarily through a user-focused lens, and I’d definitely recommend this book to both functional and technical users interested in extending the functionality of D365 F&O.The book starts with a solid introduction to all components, ensuring freshers are brought up to speed, whilst aligning understanding for the more experienced among us.Part 1 concludes with a chapter covering deployment and configuration. It does so in sufficient detail to make it easy to follow, with relevant screenshots, and important considerations clearly highlighted out in callout boxes. Later on, Part 4 does a great job of building on this area, exploring the necessary elements of Applicated Lifecycle Management, i.e. keeping the lights on!Some users may be tempted to skip past these sections for the “good stuff” in Part 2, but it’s important background knowledge to understand or consolidate. Even if you’re not involved in these aspects of deployment, it will always help if, for example, you need to signpost system administrators to fix underlying configuration.As alluded to, Parts 2 and 3 are where the exciting bits happen, especially for those of us that really enjoy fixing our customer’s challenges – seeing the smiles on their faces when (i) you tell them that you can fix a problem they have, and (ii) when they see that fix working for real!Adrià gives us some great practical examples, all detailed step-by-step, and covering use cases such as augmenting workflow approvals; embedding Power Apps; and applying custom AI models. There is lots of food for thought, and the selected examples offer a great baseline for solving other problems in equally creative ways.--Generally, the content is well broken down, with plentiful screenshots, code boxes, lists, and callouts. The author avoids extensive prose and maintains an approach throughout that us easily digestible to the modern reader. There are a couple of proofreading errors – I spotted maybe one every 15 pages or so – but I do have a keen eye for that sort of thing. The important thing is that this does not detract from the content itself.The test your knowledge sections struck the right balance between consolidating knowledge and making you feel like you haven’t been listening.The risk with anything MS-related in print is their penchant for frequent name changes. Case in point, Virtual Agents has already been renamed Copilot Studio since publication. Hopefully there aren’t too many such changes to come.To wrap up, I would reiterate that this book is invaluable for those starting out or those looking for a prompt on how to approach certain challenges. Although much of the content can inevitably be found online with a lot of digging around, the structure makes it a very handy reference guide and especially in print, it provides a welcome break from the screens we are all otherwise glued to, day in, day out.All F&O consultants need to learn Power Platform – for a long time it has not been the sole preserve of CE consultants and as Microsoft’s road map ticks on, it will gain more and more precedence.TL;DR? This is a well-structured book, with accurate and relevant content, presented clearly and concisely. Highly recommended for any D365 F&O user with an interest in customisation.