Barret Blake
#MicrosoftMVP, speaker, husband, father, solutions architect, manager, developer, gamer, Buckeyes fan, model railroader
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Microsoft MVP, husband, father, solutions architect, manager, developer, gamer, Buckeyes fan, model railroader, board member of JavaScript & Friends conference. When I'm not doing all that other stuff I also occasionally develop applications.
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Revolutionizing Business Processes with Power Automate RPA
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming the way businesses operate, and Power Automate RPA is at the forefront of this revolution. In this talk, we'll explore the features and capabilities of Power Automate RPA and show how it can be used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. From reducing errors to increasing efficiency, we'll cover the benefits of RPA and demonstrate how Power Automate RPA can be used to improve business processes. Whether you're a business leader, IT professional, or developer, this talk will provide valuable insights and best practices for leveraging Power Automate RPA to drive innovation and growth in your organization.
Leveling Up the Power Platform With Custom Connectors
The Power Platform offers hundreds of connectors to various systems, but sometimes those pre-built connectors may not meet your needs. This talk will introduce attendees to creating custom connectors for the Power Platform to take their workflows to the next level. We'll cover the basics of creating custom connectors and how to use them to improve their Power Platform solutions and meet your business requirements.
Blazor Client-Side: SPA/PWA Apps for C# Developers
Single-Page Applications (SPA) and Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are all the rage these days. For the most part, these have largely remained the realm of JavaScript frameworks such as React and Vue. Now, through the magic of Blazor and WebAssembly, .NET developers have an easier way to join the SPA/PWA fray.
Join us as we walk through creating a Blazor PWA RPG Dice Roller application from the ground up and learn how easy it is for C# developers to create client side web applications, complete with offline capabilities.
Moving Massive Mountains of Magnificent Data
Data over here. Data over there. These days there are massive piles of data everywhere. Companies use many different systems. Those systems need to interact and share data to be useful. But how to get that data from place to place? Most of the time, what's built in to these various systems doesn't make it easy to move that data between them. Enter ETL. ETL stands for "extract, transform, load". ETL systems make it easier to move and manipulate large amounts of data between various systems. Using examples from Azure Data Factory, we'll gain an understanding of how ETL systems can make these complex interactions easier.
Using AI To Save Customer Relationships
I'm a developer, I just make apps. Customers are an annoyance that happens with level 1 support can't fix the problem. They're not my problem, right? Wrong.
Anyone who runs a business will tell you that it's far less expensive to keep an existing customer happy than it is to win a new customer to your product or service. This is a fact that many companies get wrong. And when that relationship starts to go wrong, it can go wrong quickly. The longer it takes a company to respond to a negative customer experience, the less chance there is of saving that customer relationship.
In this session, using Power Automate and Azure Cognitive Services as our guide, we're going to walk through how to use AI to analyze and prioritize online customer interactions so that you can respond quickly and efficiently to customers that are at risk of being lost.
Effective Application Logging for Maximum Success
Writing info to the console is fine, for a little while. Once your app reaches a certain stage, those print/writeline statements no longer do the job. Even before your app achieves that MVP state, you must ensure that it has effective logging in place.
Logs play a crucial role in the application development and support process. Effective logs can mean the difference between a quick 30-minute hotfix and hours or days of production downtime tracking down a problem.
In this session, we'll talk through strategies for effective application logging and demonstrate some of the tools available to help you achieve maximum success in tracking, tracing, and fixing your applications.
Finding Your Next Developer Job: A Guide to Navigating the Job Market
You never know when you'll find yourself needing to find a new position. And finding the right developer role can be challenging, especially in uncertain times when the market is suddenly filled with thousands of workers all looking for a position. In this talk, we will learn tips and strategies for finding your next developer job. This talk will cover effective job search strategies, how to showcase your skills and experiences, networking, preparing a strong resume, and what to look for in a potential employer. We will talk about the current job market's impact on the industry and how to gather the information you need and use it to your advantage. This talk is targeted at both entry-level and experienced developers and aims to provide you with a roadmap to guide your next job search.
The Low Code Revolution: Transforming the Way We Build Software
Low-code platforms are revolutionizing the way software is developed. It enables organizations to build and deploy applications faster and with less effort. In this talk, we'll examine the benefits and limitations of a low-code approach to software development and how it is changing the face of the industry.
Whether you're a developer, analyst, or IT professional, this talk will provide valuable insights into the future of software development and how you can take advantage of the low-code movement to empower your next project and drive innovation and growth in your organization.
A Hands-On Overview to Building AI Solutions with AI Builder
Whether it's generating automated interactive chat experiences or automating business processes, AI is the future of business software. AI Builder is a powerful tool for organizations looking to incorporate the power of AI into their business processes. In this talk, we'll explore the key features and capabilities of AI Builder and demonstrate how it can be used to build and deploy AI models quickly and easily. From automating tedious tasks to enhancing customer experiences, we'll examine the various use cases for AI Builder and show how it can help organizations drive innovation and growth. Whether you're new to AI or looking to expand your knowledge, this talk will provide valuable insights and best practices for using AI Builder to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence.
Maximizing the Potential of ETLs: Best Practices for Moving and Manipulating Data
Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) is a crucial process for organizations that need to move and manipulate large amounts of data. In this talk, we'll discuss best practices for designing and implementing effective ETL workflows, from data extraction to loading into target systems. We'll explore the different tools and techniques available for ETL, including the pros and cons of each, and demonstrate how they can be used to meet specific business requirements. Whether you're new to ETL or looking to expand your skills, this talk will provide practical insights and tips to help you get the most out of this essential data management technique.
Soft Skills for Developers: The Key to Success in Tech
As technology and the modern work environment evolve, the importance of soft skills for developers is growing. In this talk, we'll explore the critical soft skills that every developer needs to succeed in today's dynamic workplace. From effective communication and problem-solving to collaboration and organizational skills, we'll discuss how to cultivate the critical skills required to build relationships with co-workers, leaders, and clients. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting in your tech career path, this talk will provide practical insights and advice to help you develop the soft skills that matter most to help you grow, survive, and thrive in the modern tech industry.
Building Powerful Business Websites Quickly With Power Pages
For most potential customers, a website is the first impression your company will have on them. Power Pages provides a new way to quickly create a powerful, dynamic, and engaging web presence to draw those customers in to your business. In this session, we'll introduce how to use Power Pages to rapidly build websites that meet your unique business requirements. Whether you're a developer, designer, or business owner, this talk will provide you with the knowledge you need to get started and help your business stand out from the crowd.
Building a Contact Reminder App with the Power Platform
We come in contact with a lot of different people over the course of our careers. It can be overwhelming to keep track of who we've talked to and when. It doesn't have to be much--an email, a tweet, a comment on LinkedIn every so often--but maintaining those relationships can be key to finding that next opportunity. In this session, we'll learn how to use the Power Platform to create a simple contact reminder app to help remind us to reach out and maintain those relationships on a regular basis.
Barret Blake
#MicrosoftMVP, speaker, husband, father, solutions architect, manager, developer, gamer, Buckeyes fan, model railroader
Columbus, Ohio, United States