Épisodes

  • Transforming Mid-Market ERP: Customer Service, AI, and Business Central Insights

    Transforming Mid-Market ERP: Customer Service, AI, and Business Central Insights
    Jan 14 2026

    Unlock smarter ERP migration: scale confidently with Business Central and proven strategies.


    Show Notes:

    Thinking about moving to a modern ERP? This episode makes sense of ERP migration by focusing on what truly works for mid-market leaders. Join Admiral Consulting Group’s experts as they break down how to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and harness the power of Business Central and AI. Empower your team with clear strategies for transformation, process review, and customer service that delivers lasting value.


    Guest:

    Dominick Zappia, Partner at Admiral Consulting Group

    Personal LinkedIn: Dominick Zappia

    Ben Lane, Business Central Practice Manager at Admiral Consulting Group

    Personal LinkedIn: Ben Lane

    Host:

    The Navigator, brought to you by Admiral Consulting Group

    Mike Lordi, Partner at Admiral Consulting Group

    Personal LinkedIn: Mike Lordi

    Company Website: Admiral USA | Website


    Key Discussion Points:

    1. Process Review Drives Success: Comprehensive analysis upfront ensures accurate scope, cost, and phased implementation, reducing risk.

    2. Business Central Advantage: Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft tools to boost productivity and simplify migration.

    3. AI Integration—Practical Gains: Use AI and Copilot for faster reporting, data insights, and workflow automation without complexity.

    4. Customer Service Matters: Long-term partnerships and transparent communication are essential for ERP project success.

    5. Future-Proofing Operations: Invest in clean data and continuous improvement to maximize the long-term benefits of AI and ERP.


    Notable Quotes:

    • “Most ERP failures have nothing to do with technology.”

    • “Transparency is important. It’s not just doing what the client wants—you have to challenge and guide them.”

    • “AI helps reduce manual effort and spot trends, letting you focus on what matters most.”

    • “Start with clear tasks, keep humans in the loop, and always validate your data.”

    • “Customer service is the most crucial thing—not just in our business, but in any business.”


    Chapters:

    00:00 – Welcome & Episode Overview

    01:01 – Customer Service Philosophy at Admiral

    03:22 – The Power of Process Review in ERP Migration

    06:50 – Key Questions for Successful Process Analysis

    10:10 – Standardization vs. Customization Strategies

    12:00 – Real-World AI Use Cases in Business Central

    16:09 – Mitigating Risks When Adopting AI

    20:36 – Client Examples: Data-Driven Decisions with AI

    21:44 – The Future of ERP: Trends and Predictions

    25:26 – Closing Thoughts: Service and Transformation
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    25 min
  • Demystifying Tax Compliance: How Automation and ERP Integration Transform Sales Tax for Businesses

    Demystifying Tax Compliance: How Automation and ERP Integration Transform Sales Tax for Businesses
    Nov 4 2025
    In this episode of the Admiral Navigator, host Dominick Zappia is joined by Stephen Park, Sales Executive, and Jon Csaszar, Senior Strategic Alliance Manager at Avalara, to explore how Avalara automates tax compliance and reduces audit risk. The conversation simplifies sales tax automation for investors and business leaders, highlighting how Avalara’s seamless ERP integration and AI-driven solutions enhance decision-making and drive efficiency for growth-focused organizations.Key Discussion Points:1. Sales tax rules vary by state, creating compliance challenges for businesses that are growing.2. Avalara’s ERP integration automates tax calculations and reporting, reducing manual workload.3. Automated exemption certificate management helps minimize audit risk and avoid costly penalties.4. Economic nexus laws, particularly following the Wayfair decision, increase liability for remote sellers and e-commerce companies.5. AI-powered solutions and real-time tax updates enable businesses to stay ahead of rapidly changing regulatory environments.6. Utilize tax and accounts payable automation to address overlooked liabilities, thereby protecting margins and ensuring compliance.7. Partner-led implementations streamline onboarding, support, and ongoing compliance for investors and operators.Notable Quotes:• "Sales tax gets so complex because it's left up to the states, right? So every state has their own rules and regulations, taxability laws, you know, regarding sales and use tax. And really that opens up to every state doing their own thing, right?"— John Csaszar, on the complexity of sales tax across the U.S. • "The landscape around tariffs, as you know, and I'm sure you've seen, is changing every week, every day sometimes. And so these rates are differing, the tariffs are changing. And so it's really hard for companies to keep track of that."— Stephen Park, on the complexity and pace of tariff changes.• "We have over 2,000 pre-built connectors for various ERP systems, right, from the Microsoft ecosystem, SAP, Acumatica, as well as a number of different shopping carts, right, like a Magento and a Shopify, as well as e-commerce marketplaces as well."— John Csaszar, on Avalara's broad ERP and platform integration.• "Avalara helps in those situations as well. If you have a company that feels like there's a lot of risk or they're in trouble with a specific state, we can actually go to that state on their behalf and we would keep the client anonymous...it's about making a deal with the state."— Stephen Park, on Avalara's advocacy and negotiation with states. • "With us having the power of attorney handling those returns, if the state were ever to issue a tax notice, Avalara takes care of that for the customer."— John Csaszar, on Avalara's role in managing tax notices and state communications. • "The two main points is number one, where do they need to register and how are those rules affecting them? And number two is what are my products and how are they taxed? I think that's really the two main stumbling blocks that a lot of these companies have and Avalara helps both of those issues."— Stephen Park, on the biggest sales tax compliance challenges for businesses. Chapters1) Introduction & Guest Backgrounds (00:01–06:18)2) Why Sales Tax Is Complex (06:18–08:49)3) Business Challenges & Audit Risk (08:49–11:19)4) Automation & ERP Integration (11:19–13:48)5) Economic Nexus & Remote Selling (13:48–15:27)6) Tariffs, AI, and Tax Research (15:27–19:55)7) Exemption Certificates & Use Tax (19:55–26:03)8) Subcontractor & License Management (26:03–30:18)9) Implementation & Support Models (30:18–34:56)10) Tax Implications & Closing Thoughts (34:56–39:07)Guests:Jon Csaszar, Senior Strategic Alliance Manager at AvalaraConnect on LinkedIn at: LinkedIn | Jonathan CsaszarStephen Park, Sales Executive at AvalaraConnect on LinkedIn at: LinkedIn | Stephen ParkCompany Website: Avalara | WebsiteHost:The Navigator, brought to you by Admiral Consulting GroupDominick Zappia, Partner at Admiral Consulting GroupCompany Website: Admiral USA | WebsitePersonal LinkedIn: LinkedIn | Dominick Zappia
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    42 min
  • The GP to BC: Lessons Learned from CFO Amit Nihalani of Vaswani

    The GP to BC: Lessons Learned from CFO Amit Nihalani of Vaswani
    Oct 9 2025

    In this episode of the Admiral Navigator, host Dominick Zappia sits down with Amit Nihalani, CFO at Vaswani, to discuss the company’s journey from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central. Amit shares the motivations, challenges, and wins from their migration, offering firsthand insights for finance and IT leaders considering a similar move. The conversation explores why Business Central has become the platform of choice, the importance of process analysis, the role of implementation partners, and how embracing change has led to greater efficiency and user satisfaction. Tune in for practical advice and lessons learned from a real-world digital transformation.

    Key Discussion Points:

    • Organizations are moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Business Central due to Microsoft's increased investment in Business Central, the growing need for cloud-based, remotely accessible solutions, and the advanced AI capabilities shaping the future of finance technology.

    • Before migrating, it’s vital to thoroughly analyze and understand current processes, identify potential gaps or red flags, and address them to ensure a smooth transition.

    • Evaluating alternative ERP options, such as NetSuite, is important, but Microsoft’s cost incentives and trust in experienced partners like Admiral play a key role in the decision to choose Business Central.

    • The migration can present challenges, such as adapting to new tools (like dimensions versus analytical accounting), replicating custom forms, and navigating user adoption hurdles—making effective training and internal champions essential.

    • Business Central provides more granular and powerful reporting through dimensions, streamlines invoicing and warehouse operations, and replaces legacy tools (e.g., bill.com) with native functionality.

    • Integrations with Power BI and third-party tools to further extend Business Central’s reporting and automation capabilities.

    • Successful migration relies on working with knowledgeable partners who understand both technology and accounting, remaining open-minded to new processes, and actively engaging with the Business Central user community for ongoing support and learning.


    Notable Quotes:

    • “With GP, we were hosting it in our office. That was fine, 15 years ago when we were all in the office. But now our team is throughout the country and actually throughout the world... The idea of moving to a platform in the cloud was appealing to us.”

    • “Once people saw the tool and got a little bit used to it, they didn’t want to go back. The simplicity, the efficiency—it just moves so much quicker.”

    • “You really need to have an open mind and don’t get stuck thinking, ‘GP did it that way.’ Most of our processes, we found BC is actually superior.”

    • “One of the biggest improvements is the ability to use dimensions in Business Central. The reporting is much more powerful and granular than in GP.”

    • “The forms and the look and feel in Business Central is much better than in GP. But take the time to understand what you need before you start, because that was more challenging than I expected.”

    • “Complexity is navigable with the right partner.”
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    39 min