For experienced Business Central professionals, development is not always about moving into a new role. It can be about building greater breadth across the platform, strengthening existing expertise, and becoming equipped to contribute in new areas.
That has been the focus for Aaron Smart, Business Central Support Analyst at BC4.
Aaron already had several years of experience across the Microsoft ecosystem when he joined #BCTalent, including almost three years working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. But having originally experienced Business Central as an end user, he wanted to develop a broader understanding of the platform beyond the areas he encountered day to day.
Supported by BC4, Aaron has used #BCTalent to expand his knowledge across areas including finance and manufacturing, develop his consultancy skills, and put that learning into practice with customers.
We spoke to Aaron about his experience, what he has taken back into his role at BC4, and why ongoing development matters as Business Central continues to evolve.
Can you tell us about your role and your background in the Microsoft ecosystem?
“I started out in standard Microsoft support, covering things like Azure, around four or five years ago. I moved into Business Central after that, in my third job, and I have been working with Business Central for almost three years now.”
What led you to take part in #BCTalent?
“Business Central is a big system, and there is a lot you do not use day to day. My background is as an end user, so I would have used one part of the system while other departments used different parts.
It is good to learn the whole system, so you can apply that knowledge elsewhere and be ready for when a client wants to use a part of the system you have not touched before. Doing the technical certificate and learning through #BCTalent is preparing me for the future.”
What stood out to you most about the learning experience?
“The fact that it is a community. I have done similar programs before that were more instructor-led, where you turn up, work through the book, and then leave.
With #BCTalent, everyone is in a group chat, so people are asking questions all the time, and there is learning in that too.”
How did #BCTalent compare with what you expected going in?
“It was positive, better than other programs I have done before. I did a similar technical program with another provider a couple of years ago, and it was not great, you would turn up, sit through the meeting, and leave. Having that community, along with the structured walkthroughs and support through #BCTalent, made this one much cleaner.”
How have you applied what you learned through #BCTalent in your day-to-day role?
“Developing a stronger understanding of finance in Business Central means I can pick up work I would not have been able to do before, because I did not have the same level of understanding. Having the opportunity to learn something from the ground up means you learn it properly, so you can do more with it.”
Can you share an example where something you learned through #BCTalent made a difference to a customer?
“We had finance tickets from a client that we would not have been able to take on without doing the certificate. It comes back to the same point as before, having the opportunity to learn the system from the start meant we were able to handle more finance tickets than we could before.”
Has #BCTalent helped you support customers, increase delivery capacity, or pursue new opportunities?
“We had a recent demo for a client that used manufacturing, an area we had not really worked in before. Because we had covered it during the #BCTalent sessions, we were able to run the demo with very little help needed.”
Which areas of the learning have been most valuable to you?
“Finance was the most valuable on the technical side. On the consultancy side, it was the requirements document work, which ties back to what I mentioned earlier about considering the business as well as the technical side, getting everyone’s opinion, and working towards a conclusion together.”
What has been your biggest takeaway from your #BCTalent experience?
“The consultancy sessions were really useful, they brought everything together. As an IT person, you can sometimes only see things from a technical point of view, but you need to consider the business side too, and everyone involved.
For example, someone in the warehouse might not view something the same way as someone in finance. Learning to think about it from everyone’s perspective, not just your own, was my biggest takeaway.”
As Business Central continues to evolve, how important is ongoing learning?
“Very important. I have moved from being an on-premise user to SaaS, which is a big jump, and platforms like this are changing all the time.
AI is coming in too, and that is going to change how everything works. It is the same across the industry, you need to keep on top of things because they change, and you do not want to be left behind.”
How did BC4 support you while you were working through #BCTalent?
“BC4 funded my training, and gave me the time and the opportunity to do it properly.”
Has completing #BCTalent changed how you see your career path within Business Central?
“For me, it has been more about building on my existing path than changing direction.”
Looking ahead, what skills or areas are you keen to develop next?
“I have mostly worked on the front end, but #BCTalent has given me a better understanding of how the back end works and how the whole system fits together.
Going forward, I would like to learn more about the back end, Azure, and the network and hosting side, rather than just focusing on the front end.”
What would you say to someone considering #BCTalent?
“Do it, and take advantage of the community and the fun side of it. You will be in a chat with around 200 people where you can ask questions, and people are there to help you and broaden your horizons.”
Building greater breadth within an experienced Business Central team
Aaron’s experience shows that developing Business Central capability is not only about bringing new talent into the ecosystem. There is also an opportunity for partners to help experienced professionals broaden their knowledge, build confidence in less familiar areas, and contribute across a wider range of customer requirements.
At BC4, that investment is already translating into Aaron’s day-to-day work. His increased understanding of finance has enabled him to support customer tickets that previously sat outside his experience, while learning about manufacturing gave him the knowledge to contribute to a customer demo in an area the team had worked with less frequently.
Just as importantly, Aaron’s development has extended beyond technical knowledge. The consultancy elements of #BCTalent have encouraged him to consider Business Central requirements from different perspectives across a customer’s organization, connecting what the technology can do with how people actually need to use it.
As Business Central continues to evolve across SaaS, AI, automation, and new functionality, maintaining that breadth of knowledge becomes increasingly important. For partners such as BC4, investing in the continued development of existing professionals can help create more adaptable teams with the knowledge to support a wider range of customer needs.
Aaron’s experience also highlights the role the partner plays in making that development possible. By investing in #BCTalent and giving Aaron the time and opportunity to take part, BC4 has enabled structured learning to sit alongside the practical experience he continues to gain through his role.
For Aaron, the goal has not been to change career direction. It has been to build on the experience he already has, broaden what he can contribute, and continue developing alongside the Business Central platform.
Develop more from the Business Central talent already in your team
#BCTalent helps Microsoft Partners support the continued development of their people through structured Business Central learning, consultancy development, and access to a wider learning community.