When Your ERP Support Clock Hits Zero: Now What?

by James Wood | Jan 15, 2026| ERP, Composable ERP, IT Strategy

At some point, every ERP system reaches an uncomfortable milestone: the support clock hits zero. Suddenly, the system that has been quietly powerin...

Why Business Transformation Isn't DIY

by James Wood | Jan 08, 2026| Business Transformation, Digital Transformation, IT Strategy

There’s a natural temptation for leadership teams to treat business transformation like weekend home projects. With all the recent advances in tech...

The Hidden Costs of Just Making it Work

by James Wood | Jan 05, 2026| Power Automate, Business Transformation, Process Optimization

For decades, that classic American can-do attitude has helped U.S. organizations push through obstacles and deliver results against the odds. It’s ...

Our Year in Ideas: A Blog Review Countdown for 2025

by James Wood | Dec 16, 2025| AI, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Copilot

Over the course of 2025, we published a lot of content exploring the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping modern business technology. As we...

10 Ways to Turn Everyday Data into Uncommon Value

by James Wood | Dec 03, 2025| Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Data Strategy

Whenever we talk to customers about data strategy, we often find that they have a tendency to equate “doing something with data” with building more...

Is Microsoft Copilot Worth It? A Reality Check for 2025 and Beyond

by James Wood | Nov 21, 2025| Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, AI

We’re coming up on the two-year anniversary of Microsoft’s unified Copilot announcement at Ignite 2023 — the moment when “Copilot” stopped being a ...

Low-Code Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Getting Smarter

by James Wood | Nov 07, 2025| Power Platform, Low-Code / No-Code, AI

Ever since I embraced low-code development platforms (LCDPs) back in 2016, I've had my fair share of debates about their merits. This includes ente...

Power Platform Community Conference 2025 Recap

by James Wood | Nov 02, 2025| Power Platform, Power Apps, Microsoft Copilot Studio

Last week, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Microsoft Power Platform Community Conference (PPCC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is my 4th strai...

When Data Stops Sitting Still: A New Era of Actionable Analytics

by James Wood | Oct 23, 2025| Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Data Strategy

For a long time, dashboards have been where the data journey stops. Data is collected, cleansed, visualized, and then those insights are sent off t...

Data Fabric: A Smarter Approach to ERP and Shop Floor Connectivity

by James Wood | Oct 05, 2025| BrightOps Labs, Manufacturing, Composable ERP

For years, manufacturers have lived with a digital disconnect: ERP systems designed for structure and control on one side, shop floor systems optim...

Bowdark & Backburner Join Forces to Launch BrightOps Labs

by James Wood | Oct 03, 2025| BrightOps Labs, Bowdark, Manufacturing

BrightOps Labs Launches to Power the Next Era of Smart ManufacturingTwo leaders in digital transformation and operational engineering have joined f...

The Digital Manufacturing Imperative: Why American Manufacturers Must Become Software Companies

by Andy Gikling | Oct 03, 2025| BrightOps Labs, Manufacturing, Digital Transformation

American manufacturing companies with revenues between $20 million and $400 million face a critical inflection point. After decades of success buil...