Support parallel working with multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales 

Support parallel working with multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales 

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

A guide for sales managers and sellers who want to improve their customer engagement and collaboration with multiple sequences now available across Dynamics 365 Sales. 

Productivity and efficiency are important to sales teams. Improving customer engagement, as well as collaboration when multiple team members work on an account, can be key to securing deals faster, and bringing better business results. With the support of multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales, this now becomes easier than ever. 

In this blog, we will show you how you can streamline parallel sales processes, coordinate your sales efforts, and optimize your customer interactions. You will also learn how to create, manage, and monitor multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales. Whether you are a sales manager or a seller, we will cover some useful tips and best practice to make the most of this powerful feature. 

Ready to boost your sales performance with multiple sequences? Sign up for a free trial of Dynamics 365 Sales today and discover how it can transform your sales organization. 

What are sequences and why do you need them? 

Sequences are a series of steps that sellers can follow to engage with customers and prospects in a consistent and effective way. They help sales managers provide guidance on best practices and ensure that every customer interaction is aligned with the sales strategy. Sequences can include various types of activities, such as emails, phone calls and tasks. In addition, sellers can utilize sequences as well, to automate their successful selling formulas and reduce manual work.

But what if you have multiple team members working on the same record (for example an account)? How can you ensure that they are not stepping on each other’s toes or sending conflicting messages to the customer? How can you leverage the expertise and skills of different sellers to create a better customer experience? 

This is where multiple sequences come in handy. Multiple sequences allow you to connect more than one sequence to a record, so that different sellers can work simultaneously on the same record with different sequences. For example, you can have an account manager and a solution architect working on the same opportunity, each with their own set of activities. This way, you can optimize your customer engagement and collaboration to drive better business outcomes. 

How to connect multiple sequences to a record? 

There are two ways to connect multiple sequences to a record: manually and automatically. 

  • Manually connecting a record to a sequence: Connect a record to a sequence by using the connect sequence button on the record page to launch the connect sequence dialog. You can connect multiple sequences to a record at the same time, as long as the record owner or the sequence owner has the relevant permissions to do so. You can also disconnect a sequence from a record manually, by selecting the disconnect sequence button on the record page. 
  • Automatically connecting a record to a sequence: Connect a record to a sequence by using the segmentation feature. Segmentation allows you to define criteria for a group of records that qualify for a sequence. For example, you can create a segment for all the opportunities that have a high probability of closing in the next quarter. You can then associate a sequence to that segment, so that whenever a record meets the criteria, it is automatically connected to the sequence.
Manually connect record to sequence

How to assign a sequence to a different user than the record owner? 

By default, when a record is connected to a sequence, the sequence is assigned to the record owner. However, you may want to assign a sequence to a different user, depending on their role and responsibilities. For example, you may want to assign a sequence to a specialist role for a record, such as a solution architect or a technical consultant. 

To do this, you can use the sequence assignment feature. Sequence assignment allows you to select a field in the record entity or a related entity that can be used to assign the sequence. For example, if you have a field called opportunity_rep in the opportunity entity, you can assign the sequence to the user who is specified as the opportunity rep for that record. You can also use the properties pane to assign the sequence to the account owner, or owner/access team with capability to assign the sequence to a user with a specific role in the respective team. 

graphical user interface, application
Automatic assignment of Sequence

How to view the connected sequences and users for a record? 

Once you have connected multiple sequences to a record, you may want to view the connected sequences and the users who are working on them. This can help you get a better understanding of the customer engagement and collaboration happening on the record and what work is left to execute. 

To see the sequences and users that are linked to a record, you can select the sequence title from the Up next widget which will take you to the preview pane that shows all the sequences that are related to the record. The sequence preview gives you a full overview of the sequence, including the progress and activities for different paths. To see a sequence, choose the name of the sequence in the Up next widget. The sequence opens in a pane showing the list of activities that have been set up within it. 

You can also use the sequence stats report to see status, progress, and performance of each sequence. In addition, you can see the number of completed, overdue, and upcoming activities, as well as each email’s open rate, click rate, and conversion rate in the sequence.  

graphical user interface, application
View sequences connected to a Record.

How to view sequence steps in a record using the Up next widget? 

In cases where a record is associated with multiple sequences, you may want to efficiently plan the execution by accessing all the available steps of these sequences. The new enhancements empower you to achieve precisely that! Now, the sequence name showcased on the Up next widget transforms into a clickable link. Upon clicking, it reveals a comprehensive list of all steps associated with that specific sequence. This feature facilitates the simultaneous viewing of both executed and upcoming steps in a single pane, streamlining the planning process for the subsequent steps. 

graphical user interface, text, application, email
View all sequence steps in preview pane by clicking on Sequence name in Up next widget

Conclusion 

Multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales are a powerful capability that can help you improve your customer engagement and collaboration:

  • By connecting multiple sequences to a record, you can optimize your sales process and leverage the skills and expertise of different sellers.
  • By assigning a sequence to a different user than the record owner, you can ensure that the right person is doing the right activity.
  • By viewing the connected sequences and users of a record, you can get a better insight into the customer communication and collaboration happening on the record.

With multiple sequences, you can drive better business outcomes and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. 

Next steps

Learn how to Improve Sales process efficiency using sequence insights – Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog  

Learn more about sequences and how to create them:  
Sequences in sales accelerator | Microsoft Learn  

Learn more about segments in sequences:  
Create segments and connect them to sequences | Microsoft Learn 

Explore our getting started templates to quickly create sequences and try them for yourself:  
Sequence templates | Microsoft Learn  

Don’t have Dynamics 365 Sales yet? Try it out now: Sales Overview – Dynamics Sales Solutions | Microsoft Dynamics 365 

The post Support parallel working with multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.

Announcing HCIBox support for Azure Stack HCI 23H2

Announcing HCIBox support for Azure Stack HCI 23H2

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.


Since HCI 23h2 was announced, HCIBox users have been asking me and the Jumpstart team, “when will HCIBox be ready?” Some are interested in the new cloud deployment features, others are curious about a refreshed AKS on HCI. The wait is over. At last, HCIBox 23H2 is here and ready for you to get hands-on. :cool:

 

HCIBox now supports Azure Stack HCI 23H2 and is ready to offer the latest capabilities of Azure edge environments with native Azure Arc and AKS integration in a self-contained sandbox. This sandbox deploys easily into an Azure subscription, and uses nested virtualization to emulate an HCI cluster inside an Azure VM. This allows users to experience many Azure Stack HCI 23H2 features like the new cloud deployment feature with minimal manual effort. HCIBox automatically generates a ready-to-go ARM template that can be used to deploy a new HCI cluster. The cloud deployment also automatically provisions Arc resource bridge and AKS components, and HCIBox comes with additional modules to showcase cloud VM management and AKS on HCI.


 



As part of this release, most aspects of the HCIBox codebase were refactored to simplify and streamline the deployment experience. The network configuration has also been redesigned, with dedicated subnets for both guest VM management and AKS.



In response to user feedback the HCIBox documentation has also been revised and simplified, with dedicated guides for deploying with either Azure Developer CLI (azd) or Azure CLI. This is a direct continuation of our investment in azd, following the release of azd support in Jumpstart Agora and the Retail industry scenarioBut we aren’t stopping here! There is much more in store for HCIBox in the coming months. Join the discussion on the Azure Arc Jumpstart Github repository to contribute!

 

Many aspects of the HCIBox provisioning process have changed with this release and we encourage all users to thoroughly review the updated documentation. Be sure to also check out our new Jumpstart Lightning video where we discuss the new release. Get started with HCIBox today!

 



Translating Dynamics 365 Products with Dynamics 365 Translation Service 

Translating Dynamics 365 Products with Dynamics 365 Translation Service 

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

In today’s global marketplace, translating applications is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. Providing native language versions of your software not only enhances user experience but also ensures compliance with regional laws and regulations, including language requirements. For select products, partners have the flexibility to create their own translations in countries where Microsoft does not provide a translated or localized version. 

Dynamics 365 Translation Service (DTS): Your partner in localization 

If you’re a partner or an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) looking to expand your reach through localization and translation, look no further than Dynamics 365 Translation Service (DTS). Hosted within Dynamics 365 Lifecycle Services (LCS), DTS is a comprehensive solution that enables end-to-end translation workflows. With DTS, you can create and manage translation projects with ease. It also provides seamless integrations with Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Azure DevOps, and Power Platform. Trusted by over 1,800 companies worldwide, DTS is your reliable partner for all your Dynamics 365 translation needs. 

High-quality translations with DTS 

What sets DTS apart is its use of product-specific machine translation models. These models are custom trained with Microsoft-produced translations, ensuring high-quality outputs that match the style and terminology of the original product. For those seeking a more personalized touch, DTS offers the option to create a custom-trained machine translation models using your own translation memories. This feature allows you to obtain translations that are tailored to your business’ existing content, providing a truly customized experience. 

Web Portal 

The DTS web portal is the primary means for interacting with the service. Through the friendly interface, you can create and manage translation projects. Once a translation request is completed, DTS provides the translated native file along with an XLIFF translation memory (TM). This TM can be used to revise the machine translation output and regenerate translations with the updated content. You can also use those TMs during future requests. Matching strings will be recycled, alleviating the need to edit the known translation again whilst maintaining consistency across product versions.  

Extensibility  

DTS offers a range of extensions and an API to enhance accessibility and enable automation. With the IDE extensions, translations can be performed directly within the respective workspaces. These offerings save you time by bringing the DTS experience to your development environment along with allowing for automated translation workflows.  

VisualStudio Visual Studio Extension – Translate Finance and Operations solutions from the developer environment​.  Marketplace listing 
iconVSCode Visual Studio Code extension – Translate Business Central AL projects from developer environment.   Marketplace listing 
AzurePipelineLogo Azure Pipelines tasks –  Automated translations workflow against Azure DevOps repositories.   Marketplace listing 
icon Power Platform Connector  – No-code automated translation workflow.    Connector Reference   
icon API – Design and implement custom translation solutions.   Documentation 

Supported Products 

DTS supports the following Dynamics products: 

Product  Supported format for user interface files  Supported format for documentation files 
Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations   .label.txt  .docx, .html 
Dynamics 365 Business Central   .xlf  .docx, .html 
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce  .label.txt  .docx 
Microsoft Dynamics CRM  .resx  .docx 
Microsoft Dynamics NAV  .etx, .stx, .resx, .txt, .xml, .xlf  .docx 

Onboard to DTS today 

In the realm of translation project management, the Dynamics 365 Translation Service (DTS) prioritizes ease of use and efficiency. The DTS web portal, along with its API and extensions streamline your translation workflow. With DTS, you can deliver fast high-quality translations with ease and at no additional cost. This service is available to Dynamics partners and ISVs. To get started, or learn more visit these pages: 

The post Translating Dynamics 365 Products with Dynamics 365 Translation Service  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.

Best practices in moving to cloud native endpoint management

Best practices in moving to cloud native endpoint management

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

This blog is the second of three that details our recommendation to adopt cloud native device management. Understand the lessons from various Intune customers in their journeys and how they achieved greater security, cost savings, and readiness for the future through their cloud transformations.

The post Best practices in moving to cloud native endpoint management appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.

Customer review: AnnounceBot connects teams by celebrating birthday and work anniversary events

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

AnnounceBot Automated and Personalized Greetings, a solution published to Microsoft AppSource, helps companies celebrate special occasions like birthdays, work anniversaries, and welcoming new hires. With minimal setup and no calendars or manual work, AnnounceBot increases engagement, collaboration, and retention.


Microsoft interviewed Stephen Cornell, Service Director, Protected Trust, to learn what he had to say about the app.


 


What do you like best about AnnounceBot?
We absolutely love how easy AnnounceBot is to use! It is user-friendly, and setting it up was quick. Before using AnnounceBot, social media was our only way to track birthdays, which means some folks got left out. And work anniversaries were out of the picture. Since we started using AnnounceBot, we have never missed a birthday or work anniversary. It’s all automatic now.


How has AnnounceBot helped your organization?
Keeping the team engaged became challenging when we transitioned into working remotely. AnnounceBot helped us rebuild team connections by providing a centralized system to celebrate special events. Now, everyone engages in birthday and work anniversary posts, makes jokes, and tells stories about times we were all together in an office. It is a small gesture that has made a big difference in our company culture.


How is customer service and support?
I wanted to know how to check birthdays that are getting tracked. The support team responded within an hour and provided the information I needed.


Any recommendations or insights for other users considering AnnounceBot?
My suggestion would be to set it up in a small team first, just to get the hang of it. Test it out there before you go big and use it for the whole organization.


On a scale from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), what is your overall rating for this AnnounceBot?
I would give AnnounceBot a 4.5 only because I think they should support Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) integration to make birthdate and joining date collection even smoother.