The Intelligence Age

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This episode dives into why large CRM and ERP projects keep failing and how AI is reshaping consulting, software delivery, and platform decisions. The core insight is simple. Organisations fail when they buy software instead of outcomes. With AI, experienced teams can move faster, strip away legacy complexity, and build only what the business actually needs. The conversation explores outcome-based thinking, flawed RFP processes, and why AI is accelerating the gap between great and average practitioners. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/836   

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• How to frame technology decisions around outcomes, not vendors or features 
• Why traditional RFP processes drive cost blowouts and failed projects 
• The four core business problems most systems are really trying to solve 
• How AI tools are changing the speed and shape of consulting work 
• When building custom solutions now beats buying off-the-shelf software 

✅ Highlights 

• “So many people are still buying software like it’s a software decision rather than a business decision.” 
• “You’re really only trying to solve one of four business problems.” 
• “Most organizations aren’t even thinking in terms of what is the root of what I’m trying to solve.” 
• “Your highest qualified people are not even in the game because you’ve already excluded quality.” 
• “AI is now to the developer what Visual Studio was in the 90s.” 
• “It made the good developers really good and the bad developers a lot faster.” 
• “Low code was developed because we couldn’t get enough developers.” 
• “There’s a third option now, and that is vibe code your own add-on.” 
• “I think we’re less than 18 months away from this changing enterprise software.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft Power Platform: https://learn.microsoft.com/power-platform  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Dynamics 365 CRM):
  https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/solutions/crm  
• Microsoft Business Central:
  https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/products/business-central  
• Microsoft Finance and Operations (Dynamics 365 Finance):
  https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365/products/finance 
• Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google  
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator 
• DynamicConsultantsGroup.com: https://dynamicconsultantsgroup.com 

✅Keywords   
ai in consulting, outcome-based software, crm failures, erp projects, power platform, low code vs pro code, vibe coding, rfp process, enterprise software, applied ai skills, digital transformation, consulting strategy

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 
 
AI is shifting from a tool to an operating system, enabling individuals to move faster, build bespoke solutions, and dramatically increase productivity. The biggest advantage now comes from curiosity, not technical depth. Those who experiment, learn a few tools deeply, and treat AI as a collaborator can compress hours into minutes and unlock new business models. Meanwhile, large organisations risk falling behind due to governance, inertia, and slow decision-making. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/835    

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• Use AI as an operating system to replace and create software 
• Move from idea to working solution in minutes, not hours 
• Build capability by mastering a few tools, not chasing every new model 
• Apply curiosity-driven workflows to unlock better AI outcomes 
• Avoid common enterprise pitfalls around governance and tool sprawl 

✅ Highlights  

• "This software rewards the patient and the curious." 
• "Learn two or three of these tools really well." 
• "Are you using these tools to improve your quality of life or aren’t you?" 
• "This is the last software that I’ll ever train." 
• "We can create bespoke applications through any of these tools." 
• "It’s eating other software." 
• "People who choose to be left behind." 
• "From idea to iteration in 30 minutes." 
• "I feel like I’m becoming a bionic person." 
• "The barriers to entry are just gone." 

🧰 Mentioned 

• ChatGPT – https://chatgpt.com/ 
• Bing (Copilot Search) – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/copilot-search 
• Google – https://www.google.com 
• Gemini – https://gemini.google.com/ 
• Claude – https://claude.ai/ 
• Copilot – https://copilot.microsoft.com/ 
• Perplexity – https://www.perplexity.ai/ 
• Stability AI (Stable Diffusion) – https://stability.ai/ 
• Ethan Mollick (Wharton profile) – https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/emollick/ 
• Co-Intelligence (book) – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/ 
• Suno (AI music generator) – https://suno.com/ 

✅Keywords 
ai tools, generative ai, chatgpt, ai productivity, solopreneur ai, ai governance, llm workflows, ai operating system, automation, business ai, ai adoption, digital transformation 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM
 
This episode explores why data governance must come before enabling Microsoft 365 Copilot, with insights from Khurram Hafeez. It breaks down how sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, and Microsoft Purview reduce the risk of unintended data exposure. You will hear practical guidance on preparing your environment, protecting sensitive information, and managing AI use across Microsoft tools and third‑party AI sites. The focus is on real‑world decisions organisations must make to safely adopt Copilot at scale.

🎙 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/834

👉 What you’ll learn     

• Why Copilot increases the impact of poor data governance 
• How sensitivity labels affect what Copilot can access and summarise 
• When to use DLP versus inline DLP for AI risk management 
• How organisations can limit data sharing with third‑party AI tools 
• What licensing choices matter for Copilot and Purview governance 

✅ Highlights     

• “With the intro of the AI, the importance of the data governance compliance has much increased.” 
• “The first defense layer that you should be apply, that is the sensitivity label.” 
• “If a user doesn’t have permission, Copilot can’t actually extract the data.” 
• “Standard policy actually is not sufficient these days.” 
• “Users copy and paste or upload a sensitive file to third‑party AI sites.” 
• “Inline DLP policy is one step ahead of endpoint DLP policy.” 
• “Microsoft focus not to block something, to protect something.” 
• “Before enabling the copilot, they ensure that their environment is ready.” 
• “Copilot certainly honors the permissions the user have.” 

 🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot/ 
• Microsoft Entra Suite: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/microsoft-entra-suite  
• E5 licence: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/enterprise/e5  
• Pay‑as‑you‑go Purview licensing: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/purview-billing-models 
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ 
• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/ 
• DeepSeek: https://www.deepseek.com/  
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords 
microsoft copilot, microsoft purview, data governance, sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, inline dlp, endpoint dlp, ai security, m365 e5, third party ai, information protection, enterprise ai 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

A practical rethink of how teams use Power Platform and Dynamics 365 to reduce technical debt, improve governance, and build sustainable solutions. The discussion centres on shifting from tech-first thinking to business outcomes, balancing low-code and pro-code principles, and preparing for AI and Copilot. The key insight is that long-term success comes from disciplined governance, reuse, and choosing when to adopt versus adapt. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/833

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• Shift from technology-first to outcome-first solution design 
• Decide when to adopt vs adapt to reduce complexity 
• Apply coding principles inside low-code environments 
• Manage technical debt through governance and architecture 
• Evaluate where AI and Copilot add real value today 

✅ Highlights 

• "taking a step back and looking at business need and use a process rather than technology first." 
• "a term we're using in the department more and more is kind of adopt versus adapt." 
• "the more you’re restricting yourself off from these possibilities." 
• "it's treating it as a tool, a set of tools we can use rather than the default." 
• "governance to me means more preventative." 
• "it's really difficult to then stay on top of things like the Wave releases." 
• "it’s more a matter of time than anything." 
• "it's not the same thing as code, but it's not meant to be." 
• "there's still a level of maturity that we need to get to." 
• "what does Power Platform mean really and what is it there for?" 

 🧰 Mentioned 

• Power Virtual Agents (now part of Copilot Studio): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/copilot-studio/microsoft-power-virtual-agents-now-part-of-microsoft-copilot-studio/ 
• AI Builder: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ai-builder/overview 
• Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

This episode explores how AI is accelerating both productivity and cyber risk. As attacks become faster and more automated, traditional perimeter security no longer holds. The conversation focuses on why organisations must assume compromise, adopt zero trust thinking, and build visibility before scaling AI. It highlights practical steps to govern AI use, reduce insider risk, and modernise access models beyond legacy VPNs. The core message is clear: embracing AI without security foundations can move your business backwards.

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/832   

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• Why AI has shortened breach timelines from days to minutes 
• How to shift from perimeter defence to a zero trust mindset 
• Practical ways to gain visibility over AI tools and data use 
• Where unplanned AI adoption creates insider risk 
• Why VPN-only security models struggle in cloud-first work 

✅ Highlights 

• “From the time of compromise to data exfiltration, we’re seeing 30 minutes.” 
• “Cybercrime is doing the same thing with AI that businesses are.” 
• “You can’t protect what you can’t see.” 
• “You can’t govern what you don’t know about.” 
• “We almost have to assume we’re going to get hit.” 
• “Security by obscurity doesn’t work anymore.” 
• “AI is introducing far more risk when there’s no planning.” 
• “Once you’re in with a VPN, there’s zero control on the inside.” 
• “The volume and scale and speed is what really concerns me.” 

🧰 Mentioned  

• Zero trust: https://learn.microsoft.com/security/zero-trust/zero-trust-overview 
• VPN (virtual private network): https://www.cisco.com/learn/topics/security/what-is-a-virtual-private-network-vpn.html  
• SASE (secure access service edge): https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/security-101/what-is-sase  
• Booz Allen: https://www.boozallen.com/  
• Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/en  
• Anthropic Claude: https://claude.ai/  

✅Keywords 
ai security, cybersecurity, zero trust, ai risk, data governance, cybercrime, vpn security, sase, insider risk, cloud security, ai adoption, threat landscape 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

This episode explores how business leaders are actually using AI inside organisations, and why adoption of tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot remains low. Chris shares practical insight from the frontline, covering Copilot strategy, Work IQ, agentic thinking, and how AI now enables teams to build internal tools faster than buying SaaS. The focus is not hype, but how to reimagine business models, reduce cost, and unlock new value with applied AI capability.

🎙️For full Show Notes  
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/831 

👉 What you’ll learn     

• Why low Copilot adoption is an opportunity, not a failure 
• How to think beyond productivity to AI-enabled business models 
• When building internal AI tools beats buying SaaS 
• What Work IQ enables that other AI systems cannot 
• How agentic systems change OKRs, dashboards, and execution 

✅ Highlights     

• “AI is transformative, it is expensive, and it requires several years of exposure to capital budgets” 
• “It’s not just about doing things better, but doing things you never could do before” 
• “Microsoft is the largest commercial AI company on the planet” 
• “Copilot can orchestrate over your information in a way that other AI can’t” 
• “Work IQ would be a little bit better than the word graph” 
• “I love the term vibe coding” 
• “It would have been a couple of hundred thousand dollars two years ago” 
• “I’ve taken over two thousand dollars of subscription costs out of my business” 
• “They do exactly what I needed to do and no more” 

🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot 
• Host - Polaris podcast: https://polaris.synozur.com 
• Co-Host Microsoft’s Intrazone podcast: https://aka.ms/TheIntrazone 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords      
ai adoption, microsoft copilot, work iq, agentic ai, internal tools, ai strategy, okrs, vibe coding, business transformation, saas replacement, applied ai, enterprise ai 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

This episode with Christian Segurado explores how agentic AI is reshaping ERP and enterprise delivery. The discussion covers deploying Copilot Studio agents in Teams, reducing ERP UI friction, accelerating fit gap and requirements work, and why multi agent orchestration matters. It focuses on where AI delivers real operational value today, the foundations required to unlock it, and what this shift means for people, process, and technology decisions in 2026. 

 👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/830   

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• How agentic AI changes how users interact with ERP systems 
• Where Copilot Studio and Azure Foundry fit in real implementations 
• How AI accelerates requirements gathering and fit gap analysis 
• Why clean data foundations are critical for agentic scenarios 
• What multi agent, multi model AI means for enterprise teams 

 ✅ Highlights 

• “ERP being actually more the layer on the back where the agent inquires knowledge” 
• “It is probabilistic, not deterministic” 
• “We are deploying is on Teams” 
• “It will fundamental change how we interact with the ERP” 
• “You cannot start with the roof if you don’t have the foundation” 
• “We have an agentic driven methodology” 
• “Consistency creates predictability” 
• “It does have a soul” 
• “Multi agent, multi model will be the norm” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Dynamics 365: https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics-365 
• Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot  
• Copilot Studio: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio  
• Azure Foundry (Microsoft Foundry): https://ai.azure.com  
• Microsoft Fabric: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-fabric  
• Medallion architecture: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/databricks/lakehouse/medallion  
• Azure DevOps: https://azure.microsoft.com/products/devops  
• Microsoft Learn: https://learn.microsoft.com  
• Microsoft Mesh: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-mesh

✅Keywords   
agentic ai, erp, dynamics 365, copilot studio, microsoft teams, multi agent systems, enterprise ai, ai governance, fit gap analysis, microsoft power platform, azure foundry, digital transformation 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/829   

This episode explores why AI and innovation fail without culture change. Drawing on decades of innovation experience, the discussion breaks down common myths around productivity, frameworks, and lone heroes. The core insight is simple but hard to execute. Sustainable AI adoption starts with leadership alignment, psychological safety, and recognising that everyone is creative. Real change happens bottom‑up, reinforced by long‑term discipline, not hype or short‑term fixes. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• Why AI does not automatically improve productivity or innovation 
• How leadership behaviour shapes innovation culture 
• What psychological safety enables in teams and organisations 
• Why every employee is creative in practical, everyday ways 
• How to build long‑term innovation habits that actually stick 

 ✅ Highlights 

• “If it’s that easy, everyone will be doing it.” 
• “Sometimes I think AI makes me more unproductive.” 
• “There is no lone hero that is going to save the company.” 
• “Everyone knows at least one thing how they can improve something.” 
• “Innovation is much more complex than one framework.” 
• “Psychological safety is a property of a group, not an organisation.” 
• “Everyone is creative, not just artistic people.” 
• “Changing behaviour is one of the most difficult things.” 
• “You cannot trick people, they will see if you walk the talk.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• AI adoption: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ai/ 
• Innovation frameworks: https://www.deloittedigital.com/us/en/offerings/customer-led-marketing/customer-strategy-and-applied-design/applied-design-and-innovation/ten-types.html 
• Design thinking: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-design-thinking 
• Business Model Canvas: https://www.strategyzer.com/library/the-business-model-canvas 

✅Keywords 
ai adoption, innovation culture, psychological safety, creativity at work, leadership, organisational change, productivity myths, design thinking, innovation frameworks, applied ai, business innovation, technology change 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 
 
This episode explores how Microsoft Planner is evolving into a practical, AI-assisted project management tool for modern teams. Cindy Lewis explains how Planner fits into daily work through Microsoft Teams, how AI agents support planning, reporting, and risk assessment, and why small usability improvements matter. The discussion also covers Copilot, Dataverse, Power BI, and the shift from automation to agent-style AI that actively helps manage work. 

🎙 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/828 

👉 What you’ll learn     

• How Microsoft Planner fits into modern, collaborative project management 
• Where AI adds value in planning, reporting, and risk management 
• Differences between Planner basic and premium plans and why they are merging 
• How Copilot supports everyday productivity beyond automation 
• Why data, feedback, and adoption timing matter for real-world AI impact 

✅ Highlights     

• “Everybody starts with a plan, whether or not you’re trained in project management.” 
• “The future is collaboration and artificial intelligence, not desktop-only tools.” 
• “We need to be able to ask a question of my plan and get the answer back.” 
• “AI is doing a really nice status report that used to take hours of work.” 
• “The average person doesn’t even know enough to know what it could do.” 
• “They’ve made it so you can’t make the most common project management mistakes.” 
• “Power BI is the winner if you want resource capacity across portfolios.” 
• “Most companies are not ready, even though the future is already here.” 
• “A lot of what people call AI is really automation.” 
• “It’s the little annoying things that Microsoft is fixing that people don’t notice.” 

🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft Planner: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/planner  
• Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams  
• Microsoft Project: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/project/project-management  
• Microsoft To Do: https://to-do.microsoft.com 
• Microsoft Copilot: https://www.copilot.com  
• Planner Agent: https://support.microsoft.com/office/access-planner-agent-86bf60a1-239d-4c37-b7b6-9a4111e1cc02 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords      
microsoft planner, project management, ai agents, copilot, microsoft teams, dataverse, power bi, task management, productivity, automation, collaboration, planning

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

In this episode, Ricky Lawson explains why Copilot adoption is not a technology problem but a cultural one. He shares how enterprise value comes from governance, security, and meeting people where they are, not from forcing tools. From leadership led behaviour change to agents, licensing, and Copilot as core infrastructure, the conversation reframes AI as everyday electricity for modern work.

👉️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/827 

🎙️ What you’ll learn  

• How to drive Copilot adoption through culture, not training courses 
• Why Copilot works best as the enterprise interface for AI 
• How governance and data protection change AI adoption decisions 
• Why agent creation is moving from technical to accessible 
• How to introduce AI through small, habit forming use cases 

✅ Highlights 

• “It got me maybe 60% there, right?” 
• “Things are getting so much more natural.” 
• “Copilot really does well that other tools don’t is that it’s agile.” 
• “You’re not training the model.” 
• “It’s a perfect enterprise work solution.” 
• “Copilot adoption is not necessarily a technical motion.” 
• “It’s almost a habitual motion, a cultural motion.” 
• “Why do you need to see ROI on electricity?” 
• “This is exactly the type of thinking of a frontier firm.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ 
• Microsoft 365: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365 
• Copilot Studio: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio/  
• Agent 365: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-agent-365 
• Microsoft Cowork (Copilot Cowork): https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/blog/2026/03/09/copilot-cowork-a-new-way-of-getting-work-done/  
• Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams 
• Slack: https://slack.com/ 
• OpenAI: https://openai.com/ 
• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/ 
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ 

✅Keywords 
copilot, microsoft copilot, ai adoption, enterprise ai, ai governance, copilot studio, ai agents, microsoft 365, frontier firm, generative ai, ai culture, agent 365 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith