In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organizations must make fast decisions and embrace agile practices to reshape their operations while ensuring stability and continuity. Inflexible, outdated, and disconnected systems often pose risks that hinder their ability to respond promptly, seize new opportunities, and minimize disruption. 

In the recent Microsoft Dynamics 365 Future of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Survey, we discovered that 93% of business leaders advocate the benefits of adopting flexible and integrated ERP systems. However, only a mere 39% expressed confidence in their current ERP system’s flexibility and integration capabilities to effectively leverage resources for business model transformation.¹ This insight is crucial, particularly for organizations with legacy on-premises solutions that may struggle to meet new business demands. 

Businesses relying on on-premises ERP and business management systems face challenges including: 

•  Slow responsiveness and delayed decision making due to disconnected data and lack of real-time information. 
• Greater vulnerability to security threats and challenges in meeting compliance due to a lack of advanced capabilities and resources.
•  Difficulty competing with peers that embrace new AI-powered technologies dependent on cloud solutions. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss how the shift to cloud solutions empowers organizations to tackle challenges and thrive in a demanding era. We’ll also explore Microsoft’s Accelerate, Innovate, Move (AIM) program for a smooth cloud transition. 

Make the cloud work for your business

Realize AI-guided productivity in the cloud

Learn more

Meet new demands with cloud innovation 

The importance of business agility in today’s quickly shifting economy can’t be emphasized enough. With economic volatility and swiftly changing consumer preferences, 77% of business leaders acknowledge that these conditions are the most critical factors driving the need for agile business operations.² Prioritizing agility enables organizations to respond effectively to evolving market conditions and gain a competitive advantage. 

One customer that capitalized on the opportunity to meet new business challenges by moving from on-premises to the cloud was Ullman Dynamics, a world-leading provider of highly sophisticated suspension boat seats that serves organizations in more than 70 countries, including the United States Navy.  

Serving customers is Ullman’s highest priority, but as the company grew, outdated technology kept it from meeting customer demands in key markets. With a recent surge in growth, experiencing up to a 50% annual increase, Ullman required warehouse expansion every two years. Concurrently, its products had to evolve to meet customer demands. This escalating scale and complexity strained its legacy business solution. 

“Our traditional, on-premises ERP solution wasn’t able to handle the complexities of our modern business. We needed to consolidate our data into a more powerful system that could provide a full overview of our operations.” 

Carl Magnus, Chief Executive Officer, Ullman Dynamics

In selecting a new business solution, Ullman had exacting criteria. It sought a solution that could scale and support its expanding global enterprise while also demanding exceptional flexibility. 

By implementing cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Ullman has enabled flexibility, efficiency, and access to valuable insights needed to improve quality service to its expanding client base.

“We’re number one in the world everywhere except for the United States. Now that Dynamics 365 Business Central has removed the barriers to growth, we are fully integrated into the US market, and Ullman Dynamics USA is poised for great success.” 

Carl Magnus, Chief Executive Officer, Ullman Dynamics

Improve security when moving to the cloud

Another vital benefit that organizations gain by migrating to the cloud is the rapid innovation of security and compliance capabilities. The cloud helps protect business continuity, streamline IT operations, and navigate challenging compliance obligations as businesses grow. 

Microsoft invests heavily in security measures and has the resources and expertise to implement and maintain higher levels of security than an individual organization could achieve on-premises. This is particularly important for small to medium-sized businesses, which often lack the resources to keep pace with evolving security threats. 

A recent Microsoft study shows that 70% of organizations with under 500 employees are susceptible to human-operated ransomware attacks³, with these attacks becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. They often target unmanaged devices, which lack proper security controls, and 80 to 90% of successful ransomware compromises originate from such devices.³ This poses a significant security risk for on-premises organizations that lack the advanced security available in the cloud. 

Microsoft customers benefit from 135 million managed devices providing security and threat landscape insights and utilize advanced threat detection with 65 trillion signals synthesized daily using AI and data analytics.⁴ Moving to the cloud enables organizations to rapidly innovate and simplify the implementation of essential security practices, threat detection, and device management, granting them better protection. 

While cloud technologies offer enhanced cybersecurity, they also help simplify compliance with regulatory standards, which is equally important. Managing complex certifications independently is challenging, with 65% of firms struggling with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance.⁵ Microsoft assists customers in assessing data protection controls and offers solutions for compliance, including GDPR, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), International Organization for Standardization 27701 (ISO 27701), International Organization for Standardization 27001 (ISO 27001), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), and more, enabling rapid and scalable compliance. 

With Dynamics 365, organizations can confidently improve the security of their business systems when they move to the cloud. With access to advanced technology for scaling and managing security, as well as a network of thousands of specialized security experts, Microsoft provides tools and resources to ensure your migration goes as smoothly as possible.

Unlock AI and productivity with the cloud  

One compelling reason for business leaders to transition from on-premises to the cloud is the potential for enhancing daily work and productivity with collaborative applications and AI. With 73% of business leaders emphasizing the importance of productivity improvements and 80% acknowledging the transformative role of AI, the cloud offers the means to establish hybrid work models, harness automation, and leverage artificial intelligence, resulting in a significant boost in overall productivity.⁶  

With the recent introduction of Microsoft Copilot, businesses can use transformative AI technology that offers new ways to enhance workplace efficiency, automate mundane tasks, and unlock creativity. At a time when two in three people say they struggle with having the time and energy to do their job, Copilot helps to free up capacity and enables employees to focus on their most meaningful work.⁷ 

While productivity can be enhanced with Copilot and AI, the combination of these tools with other cloud capabilities, such as collaborative applications, transforms the way work is conducted. By seamlessly connecting Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Excel) with Dynamics 365, businesses can swiftly make strides in improving productivity through cloud adoption. This connection between employees, data, and applications reduces context switching, centralizes workflows, and promotes efficient actions. 

According to Harvard Business Review, the cost of switching between applications is just over two seconds, and the average user toggles between different apps nearly 1,200 times per day.⁸ This translates to spending just under four hours per week reorienting themselves after switching to a new application. Annually, this adds up to five working weeks or 9% of their total work time. The opportunity to connect employees to data and collaborative tools with the cloud will save valuable time and enable organizations to achieve more.  

Move to the cloud with AIM 

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower organizations to embrace cloud technologies and help enable a smooth transition. To accomplish this goal, we have introduced AIM, which stands for Accelerate, Innovate, Move. 

AIM is a comprehensive program designed to provide organizations with a tailored path to confidently migrate critical processes to the cloud. This initiative helps organizations optimize their systems for enhanced business agility, security, and AI technology integration. AIM offers qualified customers access to a dedicated team of migration advisors, expert assessments, investment incentives, valuable tools, and robust migration support. 

With AIM, customers gain access to a range of licensing and deployment offers aimed at reducing costs and maximizing their investments. On-premises customers can take advantage of discounted pricing when transitioning to the cloud, allowing them to optimize their investments as their businesses continue to grow. 

When moving from on-premises to the cloud, customers can anticipate a positive ROI. Comprehensive studies reveal that over a three-year period, Dynamics 365 ERP solutions demonstrate strong customer ROI: 

• Dynamics 365 Business Central with an impressive 172% ROI⁹
• Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management yielding a solid 90% ROI¹⁰ 
• Dynamics 365 Finance demonstrating 122% ROI¹¹

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, organizations can confidently embrace cloud migration, equipping themselves with essential capabilities to excel in a rapidly changing economy. 

Start your journey today.

Sources:

• 1,2: Future of ERP: Empowering businesses and people with AI-guided productivity, Microsoft 2023 
• 3,4: Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023 (MDDR) | Microsoft Security Insider, Microsoft 2023 
• 5: Managing compliance in the cloud, Microsoft, 2019 
• 6,7: Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, May 2023, Microsoft 2023 
• 8: How Much Time and Energy Do We Waste Toggling Between Applications? Harvard Business Review, 2022  
• 9: Total Economic Impact™ of Business Central, Forrester, 2023 
• 10: Total Economic Impact™ of Supply Chain Management, Forrester, 2021 
• 11:  Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Forrester, 2022 

The post Embrace cloud migration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Across industries and around the world, field service leaders face any number of challenges in areas including digitalization and modernization of traditionally paper-based processes, rising customer expectations, and employee training and retention. With these challenges top of mind, we have continually invested in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service as a solution to meet the growing requirements of field service management (FSM) operations. That’s why we take great pride in sharing we’re the only vendor positioned as a Leader in the following four IDC MarketScapes:

• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Applications 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US49989523e December 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Service Life-Cycle Management Platforms 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US49989623, October 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Utilities 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US50036223, October 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Oil and Gas 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US50040023, November 2023)

Field service management applications

According to the 2023 report “Product Innovation and Aftermarket Service Survey,” IDC notes that “the top metric prioritized by service leaders as determining success in service was customer satisfaction (46.2%), followed by customer retention (39.0%).” This means frontline worker roles such as service agents and field technicians are absolutely critical to ensuring the best possible customer experience. That’s why we’re continuously developing Dynamics 365 Field Service so that organizations can equip those workers with modern digital tools to make them more responsive and efficient.

Microsoft was positioned as a Leader in the 2023-2024 IDC MarketScape for worldwide field service management applications based on two strengths: “innovation at scale and pace” and “infusion of AI into field service processes.” The IDC MarketScape notes that “Microsoft’s end-to-end service experience capabilities aid field service companies in a continuous transformation journey. As customer expectations evolve, frontline workforces shift, and business models get disrupted, Microsoft leverages its platform to incorporate technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), mixed reality, industrial metaverse, and digital twins.” In addition, the IDC MarketScape says that in the areas of AI and generative AI, which would include Copilot in Field Service, “Microsoft is enabling service organizations to realize near-term and long-term strategies around this innovative technology.”

The IDC MarketScape suggests that organizations consider Microsoft field service solutions “if they are looking for a vendor that can incorporate end-to-end capabilities with innovative technologies for transformation and growth.”

Service life-cycle management

IDC has noted that service is no longer something that happens only after a sale is complete. More and more, organizations are aligning services and sales to help drive greater revenue through better alignment and new service offerings. This IDC MarketScape report highlights two key Microsoft strengths: an integrated platform supporting the front and back office, and innovation accelerators that enhance experiences.

From an integration standpoint, the IDC MarketScape notes that “the service team can no longer operate in a silo and requires tools that allow it to connect to other business functions, customers, and the wide network of partners. Microsoft’s integrated platform of back-office, midoffice, and front-office applications aids customers across their digital journey and not just within a single function.” The integration of Dynamics 365 Field Service with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams is key. Dynamics 365 Field Service integrates with Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft Viva Connections so that frontline workers and managers can create, view, and manage work orders within Outlook and Teams. This integration enhances collaboration between dispatchers, frontline technicians, and managers by enabling work order data to sync automatically between Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. Additionally, frontline technicians can quickly start their day with access to key workday information at a glance, with work orders visible from the Viva Connections homepage in Teams. Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 empower technicians with the right information to resolve issues the first time, which is key to creating a positive customer experience.

When it comes to innovation, the IDC MarketScape explains, “Microsoft through its AI, GenAI, IoT, and mixed reality capabilities and tools allows service organizations to deliver enhanced experiences for the service team and the customer. Microsoft customers value this level of shared innovations, which has cemented partnerships for shared growth.” Dynamics 365 Field Service can be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist on Microsoft HoloLens, Microsoft HoloLens 2, Android, or iOS devices to enable technicians to collaborate more efficiently by working together from different locations. This means service technicians can find and connect with technical experts working at other locations to share what they’re seeing, receive remote assistance, and quickly resolve customer issues. Dynamics 365 Field Service can also be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides to attach mixed reality guides to Field Service tasks. Overall, the integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, Dynamics 365 Guides, and tools like HoloLens helps to elevate field service operations by enabling them to optimize processes and deliver unparalleled customer experiences.

The IDC Life-Cycle Management report suggests organizations “consider Microsoft when searching for capabilities that will enable continuous exploration of innovation across the service life cycle and partner networks. Microsoft has enabled a broad set of innovation capabilities, which support collaboration, co-innovation, and prescriptive service at speed and a global scale.”

Field service management for utilities

For customers in the utilities industry, the IDC MarketScape explains that a key strength for Microsoft is that “[customers] recognize Dynamics 365 Field Service as a well-engineered, flexible FSM solution, offering a solid user experience in terms of usability, configurability, ease of integration into complex landscapes, and extensibility thanks to the Microsoft portfolio.”

The IDC MarketScape also notes, “Microsoft is putting considerable resources behind the product, including significantly increasing the engineering budget this year.” It also states that “[the] ability to instantly access this innovation through a pure-play SaaS ultimately results in good value for money.” Many Field Service customers experienced this with the addition of the Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service Outlook add-in, which streamlines work order creation with relevant details pre-populated from emails and optimizes technician scheduling with data-driven recommendations based on factors such as travel time, availability, and skillset. Frontline managers can see relevant work orders and review them before creating new work orders, and they can easily reschedule or update those work orders as customers’ needs change.

Field service management for oil and gas

For customers in the oil and gas (O&G) industry, the IDC MarketScape stated, “Microsoft’s FSM solution comes in an integrated and comprehensive portfolio catering to core O&G field services and asset operations. By seamlessly integrating FSM with Mixed Reality, Microsoft 365, AI, IoT, and Azure, it provides customers the flexibility to tailor solutions, enhancing efficiency, driving innovation, and boosting productivity in a highly customizable manner.”

“Drawing on its long-established customer base, Microsoft works with major O&G players addressing a wide range of field service challenges. Typically, these collaborations focus on enabling frontline workers and optimizing planning and service workflow automation in vast scale operations spanning large assets such as refineries, petrochemical plants, LNG facilities, renewable gas plants, and the extensive network of gas stations.” For service technicians on the frontline, a primary benefit of Dynamics 365 Field Service is the Field Service mobile app which enables technicians to see their workdays at a glance so they can view and update work orders, customer assets, accounts, and more, no matter where they are working—even in areas with limited connectivity. Technicians can also easily access up-to-date inventory information, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual inventory checks and reducing delays caused by missing parts. The Field Service mobile app also incorporates safety checklists and real-time reporting, helping to ensure compliance with safety regulations and to improve the well-being of service technicians who often work under hazardous conditions.

We invite you to read the following IDC MarketScape report excerpts for full details:

• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Applications 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment
• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Service Life-Cycle Management Platforms 2023–2024 Vendor Assessment
• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Utilities 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment

Learn more about how Microsoft customers are optimizing service operations with Dynamics 365 Field Service:

• G&J Pepsi optimize field operations, exceed service expectations while maximizing revenue and cost savings with Dynamics 365 Field Service
• Phillips Corporations modernized its service operations and increased revenue using Dynamics 365 Field Service
• Vattenfall streamlined service operations to help employees become more efficient and improve customer service and engagement.
• XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, tapped into IoT and the cloud to optimize operations and drive growth with Azure and Dynamics 365 Field Service.

Source: IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the circles.  

The post Microsoft named as a worldwide Leader in four IDC MarketScapes for Field Service Management & Service Life-Cycle appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

During the 1^st quarter of 2024, D365 Sales conversation intelligence data will migrate from its current storage location (Microsoft provided storage) across to each customer’s Dataverse organization. This blog post describes this change and provides answers to questions raised by admins when preparing their organizations for this data migration.  

Sales conversation intelligence data is the general term for any outcome of the processing of phone calls made through the embedded Teams dialer within Dynamics 365. This includes files, such as the audio recording file or transcript file, as well as all the insights collected during a call. Examples include: 

• Sentiment 
• Tracked keywords 
• Asked questions  
• Summary suggestions 

Important: during the migration, no data will be transferred outside of your tenant.  

Moving the data into Dataverse allows you to meet the highest data management standards, such as data encryption using Customer Managed Key (CMK) – and management of customer data using Lockbox.  

The migration also allows for granular control over the conversation intelligence data: orgs can now allow access to specific types of data only for specific security roles. For example, the admin can assign privileges to the ‘sentiment’ entity in Dataverse only for sales managers. This granular control also allows for deletion of specific types of data while retaining others. For example, the admin can store sentiment data for only 1 month, while storing the transcript of the call for 1 year, and by this maximizing the Dataverse storage capacity. 

Having conversation intelligence stored in Dataverse also allows organizations and 3^rd party apps to consume the data per the organization’s needs. For example, organizations can create tailored dashboards and visualizations based on the data. Furthermore, the admin can allow third-party apps to access the conversation intelligence data and to provide extensible services based on it. 

Storage location by type

The following table describes the storage location of conversation intelligence data before and after the change: 

¹ After the data is successfully migrated, it will be deleted from the Microsoft-provided storage. 

² No change. This data is not migrated. 

After the successful migration of existing data, data from new calls will be automatically saved to Dataverse. 

Action required by admins:

For all organizations: 

1. Check the solution version (mandatory): 
   Make sure you have the latest version of the conversation intelligence solution (msdyn_Conversation_Intelligence version 9.0.1.1139 or higher) installed in your organization. 

2. Provide access to new Dataverse entities (mandatory): 
   Make sure the relevant security roles have read and write privileges to the new Dataverse entities (see below a list of entities). 

3. Make sure you have sufficient storage space in Dataverse (mandatory): 

Calculate the amount of storage space required: 

Note: The above numbers are based on average call duration and number of insights per call. Actual sizes may vary. 

4. Set a retention policy (optional):  
   Previously, conversation intelligence data was automatically deleted according to the retention policy set by the admin in the conversation intelligence settings. By default, data saved into Dataverse does not have an automatic retention policy like this. If you wish to set a retention policy for your conversation intelligence data in Dataverse, you can do so by following this documentation. 

For organizations currently using own Azure blob storage: 

1. Set up Service principal (mandatory): 
   To allow conversation intelligence access to your blob storage in a more secure way. See this article to learn more on this setup. 
    

Opting out of migrating the existing data into Dataverse 

By default, your existing data will be migrated to Dataverse. If you wish to opt out of the migration, (because your organization is no longer using conversation intelligence or you don’t want to migrate the existing files or insights for example), you will need to send an email, containing your first and last name and the organization ID to this email address: CI-data-migration@microsoft.com before January 31^st 2024.  
The data of organizations which opted-out of the migration will be permanently deleted by April 1^st 2024. 

Frequently asked questions

Here are some answers for questions you might have on this process: 

What will happen to my organization’s saved data? 
The data will be transferred from where it is stored today (Microsoft provided storage) to your organization’s Dataverse database. After verifying the transfer and customer confirmation, the data will be permanently deleted from the previous storage location (data will not be automatically deleted from your Azure blob storage). Note that data older than 90 days will not be migrated. 

What type of Dataverse storage will be used? 
Conversation intelligence uses 2 types of Dataverse storage: File storage will be used for storing the recording and transcript files (unless stored in your org’s Azure blob storage), while DB storage will be used for storing the conversation intelligence insights.  

What are the expected implications of moving the data into Dataverse? 

Migrating data into your Dataverse will require free Dataverse storage space. See above on how to calculate the required storage space. 

Who will have access to the transferred data? 

Out-of-the-box security roles (such as Salesperson and Sales Manager) will automatically receive privileges to the new entities where the data is stored. If your org uses custom security roles, make sure you assign them with the required privileges for the new Dataverse tables as listed below. You can do this prior to the migration of the data. 
List of new Dataverse entities: 

• Conversation Action item 
• Conversation Aggregated Insights 
• Conversation Comment 
• Conversation Participant Insights 
• Conversation Participant Sentiment 
• Conversation Question 
• Conversation Segment Sentiment 
• Conversation Sentiment 
• Conversation Signal 
• Conversation Subject 
• Conversation Summary Suggestion 
• Conversation System Tag 
• Conversation Tag 
• Ocrecording 
• Recording 
• SCI Conversation 
• Sci Environment Settings 
• Sci User Settings 
• Transcript 

Will users in my organization be able to continue using the conversation intelligence app? 

Once the data is migrated into Dataverse, the conversation intelligence app will no longer work. The aggregated conversation intelligence data will be available through a new Power BI based dashboard. 

How to opt-out of moving my organization’s existing data into Dataverse? 
You can opt-out of moving the existing data by sending an email to: CI-data-migration@microsoft.com before January 31^st 2024. If you chose to do so, the existing data of your organization which is currently saved in the Microsoft-provided storage will be permanently deleted by April 1^st 2024. 

What’s next? 
If you don’t choose to opt-out, your organization’s conversation intelligence data will be transferred to Dataverse between February 1^st 2024 and March 30^th 2024. You will receive an email with a confirmation of successful data migration. After the moves to Dataverse, all new conversation intelligence data will be saved to Dataverse as well. 

Learn more

Understand the new conversation intelligence entities in Dataverse 

The post Prepare your organization for conversation intelligence data migration into Dataverse appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Introduction:

The start of the new year has brought a wave of exciting enhancements to the Demand Planning module in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. We’re thrilled to introduce you to five groundbreaking features that will redefine the way you approach demand planning. In this blog post, we’ll look into each feature, highlighting their benefits and showcasing live demos hosted by the expert, Anders Girke.

Feature 1: Edit on Total Level

The new feature in our January release is the revolutionary “Edit on Total Level” functionality. This empowers planners to expedite their planning workflows through effective edits on a broader scale. Let’s swiftly explore the advantages:

• ✨ Edit on Total Level: Accelerate planning with efficient edits on a larger scale.
• ? Date Filters: Navigate and analyze data effortlessly.
• ? Distribute Proportional Over Time: Streamline workflows with proportional changes.
• ? Allocate Proportional Amongst Dimensions: Optimize precision in planning.

Watch the video here  Edit on Total Level

Feature 2: Filter in Transformation

The second feature in our January release series is “Filter in Transformation.” This powerful tool allows precise data transformation for enhanced what-if analysis and forecasting on a focused dataset. Here are the key benefits:

• ? Perform What-if forecasts on a filtered sub-set of data
• ? Filter staging data prior to transformation
• ? Ensure secure performance
• ? Experiment with Dimensions to refine your planning

Witness the possibilities unfold as you perform What-if forecasts, filter staging data, ensure secure performance, and experiment with dimensions to refine your planning. Your demand planning just got a whole lot smarter!

Watch the video here: Filter in Transformation

Feature 3: Comments

The third installment of our January release series introduces “Comments.” This feature is set to transform collaboration and communication within the demand planning application. Key highlights include:

• ? Enhanced Communication: Provide detailed explanations for changes, fostering transparency.
• ? Real-time Collaboration: Facilitate consensus-building among team members.
• ⏪ Retrospective Analysis: Analyze changes retrospectively, identifying key decision points.
• ?️ Organized Communication: Dedicated section for structured and organized discussions.

Watch a live demo hosted by Anders Girke to see “Comments” in action and discover how it will elevate your team’s collaboration to new heights.

Watch the video here: Comments

Feature 4: System Administrator Role for Demand Planning

In this release, we introduce the pivotal role of the System Administrator for Demand Planning. This role is responsible for installing the app, assigning roles, managing teams, and overseeing critical operations. Highlights include:

• ? Role Level Access for Contributors: Empower limited users with the ability to view shared worksheets, create personalized views, and edit data within their permissions.
• ? Row Level Access Rules: Define conditions for specific tables, columns, and operators for unparalleled flexibility.
• ? Editing Demand Plans with Flexibility: Highlighting the power of role level access, added experience, and disaggregation in editing demand plans.

Get a sneak peek into the upcoming February release, emphasizing the balance between limiting filters for optimal performance and ensuring an exceptional user experience.

Watch the video here: Role Level Access

?How to Get Started?

Ready to experience these game-changing features? Follow these steps to get started:

1. Go to Power Platform admin center.
2. Choose the specific environment to access the details page.
3. Click on “Dynamics 365 apps” under Resources.
4. Navigate to the apps list, find the Demand Planning app marked with “Update available” status.
5. Select the respective row and click on “Update” in the top ribbon.

Watch the video here: Getting Started

Conclusion

In conclusion, the recent January release of Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Demand Planning has brought forth a wave of transformative features, including “Edit on Total Level,” “Filter in Transformation,” and “Comments,” redefining the landscape for planners with tools that enhance efficiency and collaboration. The incorporation of the System Administrator role, Role Level Access for Contributors, Row Level Access Rules, and advanced security features positions the platform as a robust and secure solution for demand planning needs. With increased flexibility in editing demand plans and promising additions in the upcoming February release, Dynamics 365 is shaping a future of more streamlined and user-friendly demand planning experiences. This release marks a substantial leap forward, promising organizations worldwide a future characterized by smarter and more precise demand planning. As we embrace this evolution in demand planning, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management stands as a pioneer, leading the way with innovative features. Stay tuned for ongoing updates and enhancements that will continuously elevate your planning processes to unprecedented heights!

?North America Demand Planning Workshop?

Join us at the forthcoming Demand Planning Workshop, hosted at Microsoft’s state-of-the-art facility – Microsoft in Redmond, WA (98052). This event is tailored to introduce the innovative Demand Planning application to both our valued Customers and Partners.

✍ Register here : Demand Planning Workshop

The post Revolutionizing Demand Planning: Unleashing Cutting-Edge Features in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management’s January Update appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Starting January 19, 2024, Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service will be automatically installed and enabled in your Dynamics 365 Customer Service environment. This update will install the case summarization and conversation summarization features. These features are available to all users with a Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise license, and/or digital messaging or Voice add-on license for conversation summary enablement.

If your organization has already enabled Copilot in Customer Service, there will be no change to your environment.

Key dates

• Disclosure date: December 2023
  Administrators received a notification about the change in the Microsoft 365 admin center and Power Platform admin center.
• Installation date: January 19 – February 2, 2024
  Copilot in Customer Service is installed and enabled by default.

Please note that specific dates for messages and auto-installation will vary based on the geography of your organization. The date applicable to your organization is in the messages in Microsoft 365 admin center and Power Platform admin center. Copilot auto-installation will occur only if your organization is in a geography where all Copilot data handling occurs “in geo.” These regions are currently Australia, United Kingdom, and United States. Organizations where Copilot data handling does not occur “in geo” must opt in to cross-geo data transmission to receive these capabilities.

What is Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

Copilot in Customer Service is a key part of the Dynamics 365 Customer Service experience. Copilot provides real-time, AI-powered assistance to help customer support agents solve issues faster. By relieving them from mundane tasks such as searching and note-taking, Copilot gives them time for more high-value interactions with customers. Contact center managers can also use Copilot analytics to view Copilot usage and better understand how it impacts the business.

Why is Microsoft deploying this update?

We believe this update presents a significant opportunity to fundamentally alter the way your organization approaches service by quickly improving and enhancing the agent experience. The feedback we have received from customers who are already using Copilot has been overwhelmingly positive. Generative AI-based service capabilities have a profound impact on efficiency and customer experience, leading to improved customer satisfaction. This update applies only to the Copilot summarization capabilities, which integrate with service workflows and require minimal change management.

Learn more about Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service

For more information, read the documentation: Enable copilots and generative AI features – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn

The post Announcing automatic Copilot enablement in Customer Service appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Introduction:

You’re in for a treat! The world of e-commerce has undergone a massive transformation over the past few years, and it’s all thanks to the revolutionary concept of composable commerce. This approach has taken the industry by storm, and it’s not hard to see why. Composable commerce is versatile, scalable, and innovative approach, allowing businesses of all sizes to provide exceptional customer experiences across various platforms and devices.

In this article, we’ll look closer at the intricacies of composable commerce, exploring its core benefits and examining how it’s changing the game for the e-commerce industry. Get ready to be blown away by the possibilities of composable commerce!

Many organizations have started adopting Dynamics 365 Commerce, a composable commerce engine to enable customers to unify back office, in-store and e-commerce channels. While also serving as the single integration point for third-party channel solutions. This gives customers the key advantage of using a variety of best of breed commerce solutions to engage and deliver goods and services to their customers.

Composable commerce is a contemporary approach to e-commerce that separates the front-end (presentation layer) and back-end (commerce logic) of an e-commerce platform. Unlike traditional e-commerce systems, where changes to one component can affect the other, composable commerce decouples these two layers, enabling independent development and greater flexibility. This separation allows for greater agility, faster innovation, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market demands.

In contrast, traditional e-commerce systems often have monolithic front and back ends, leading to certain limitations. Modifying the underlying codebase to change the front-end design or user experience can be complex and time-consuming. Additionally, traditional systems are not easily scalable across different devices or channels. Composable commerce addresses these challenges by allowing businesses to easily update their website’s design or incorporate new features without disrupting the core e-commerce functionality.

What options do companies have:

Businesses have two powerful options to customize their e-commerce experiences: headless commerce and composable commerce. Headless commerce allows companies to develop and update front-end and back-end components independently, enabling quick adaptation to market changes and experimentation with innovative features. Composable commerce takes flexibility and customization to the next level by enabling businesses to select modular components from different vendors, providing the ultimate flexibility to create an e-commerce ecosystem that is tailored to their unique needs.

Benefits of Composable Commerce:

To start with, the flexibility and agility of a digital environment is continuously evolving, thus using a decouple architecture business can quickly adapt to customers changing preferences. Separating the front-end from the back end ensures that branding, user experience, and functionality stay consistent across various channels. By having cohesive experience across web, mobile, social, media, voice assistant and other Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Voice Commerce, based emerging technologies lead to higher customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty.

In addition, scalability and performance are also greatly enhanced because businesses can independently scale each layer resulting in better resource allocation. Websites can now handle increased traffic, sales volume, and complex operations leading to faster page upload time and better user experience.

End-user Benefits:

Whether customers interact with your brand through a website, mobile app, voice assistant, marketplace, or social media platform, composable commerce ensures a seamless and tailored experience. In addition, faster loading times and improved website performance reduce the long wait time for the entire page to load, resulting in a smoother and more responsive user interface. More importantly customers are browsing via desktop, smartphone, tablet, or using voice assistants to access your products and services seamlessly. This omni-channel capability enhances convenience and accessibility for customers, meeting their expectations for a seamless cross-channel experience. Dynamics 365 Commerce enables businesses to build this experience.

Customer Image: Front page ABBY Site  Easy, online contact lens ordering | Doctor Trusted | Patient Approved | Free Shipping | HelloAbby

Customer Story:

Empowering Vision: ABB Optical Group’s Intelligent Contact Lens Ordering Platform with Microsoft Dynamics 365″

Embarking on a technological evolution, ABB Optical Group introduces its Intelligent Contact Lens Ordering Platform, a game-changer crafted in collaboration with Visionet Systems Inc. and Microsoft. This innovation involved the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, Azure Cloud, and Data Lake, providing a solid technological foundation. ABB Optical aimed to transcend its legacy Patient Ordering Platform, yourlens.com, seeking a modern, intelligent, and scalable user experience. This vision materialized through the development of a robust Minimum Viable Product(MVP), introducing a microservices headless experience and harnessing the capabilities of Microsoft D365 Retail and HQ APIs, alongside Proof of Concepts.

The outcome was nothing short of transformative. The MVP’s successful pilot garnered positive feedback, propelling the rapid development of additional customer-demanded features. In just six months, Visionet spearheaded the launch of phase two of the Abby Platform, seamlessly integrating a data analytics component through Data Lake with Dynamics 365 F&O and Power BI. ABB Optical Group now stands at the forefront of innovation, offering eyecare providers and patients an intelligent, forward-thinking ordering system.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the emergence of composable commerce signifies a pivotal shift in the digital marketplace. This approach, distinguished by its modular structure, cloud-native integration, and technology-independent capabilities, provides businesses with unparalleled flexibility and adaptability. It enables businesses to customize their digital experiences, integrate seamlessly with best of breed solution providers for individual capabilities, and respond swiftly to market changes and complexities.

Learn more

Dynamics 365 Commerce delivers a comprehensive, yet composable, set of capabilities for both consumer and business-facing organizations seeking to expand beyond traditional digital commerce limitations and improve customer engagement, build brand awareness, streamline purchasing, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

To learn more about Dynamics 365 Commerce:

Visit our website on commerce today.

The post The Composable Commerce Revolution, the Future of E-Commerce, Dynamics 365 Commerce has arrived! appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.