In just a few weeks we’ll be gathering in Amsterdam for Summit EMEA. This three-day experience is designed to help Dynamics users discover new ideas, learn about Microsoft Dynamics 365 and connect with peers. With a track dedicated to CRM, there’s a wealth of practical information—and inspiration—every day of the event.

A look to the future

I will be joined by Siegfried Leiner, Jeff Comstock and Francois Rof to kick off the CRM sessions by talking about Microsoft Dynamics 365, the next generation of CRM. We will talk about what this means to our CRM customers, as well as what’s new as we continue to provide solutions to help you engage your customers and empower your employees. We’ll also share and discuss the future of Dynamics 365 business applications.

Dedicated CRM sessions

You can also attend dedicated breakout sessions designed to deepen your product knowledge and gain experience from experts and peers. Each day has a full slate of CRM content, including how-to sessions, roundtables, and deep dives into product capabilities.

Experts from the Microsoft Dynamics 365 team will be hosting sessions to delve into topics, such as:

• Increasing sales effectiveness with Dynamics 365.
• Delivering great customer service with Dynamics 365.
• Transforming customer engagement with Field Service.
• Building integrated solutions with PowerApps, and Microsoft Flow.
• Harnessing the power of social media to achieve real business results.
• The new Project Service Automation.
• Taking action with Customer Insights.

View the full schedule of CRM content.

We also look forward to meeting you in person in the Expo Hall.

Intelligent business applications

Mike Ehrenberg, CTO for Microsoft Business Solutions, keynotes the entire event with Microsoft’s strategy for intelligent business applications. You’ll get the inside scoop on Dynamics 365 and how it unifies CRM and ERP capabilities into purpose-built applications to help you meet the changing needs of customers.

The post Learn from the CRM community and Microsoft at Summit EMEA appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

On November 1, we announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics 365, our next generation of intelligent business applications. Feedback from customers, partners, and the industry as a whole has been extremely positive. Early adopter customers are excited about Dynamics 365’s embedded intelligence which allows them to create better experiences for their customers and empower their employees. They also love the seamless integration with Office 365 which enables employee productivity, and the user experience which makes it easy to move between applications, as well as the mobile experience.

Our customers can’t wait to start using Dynamics 365.  The great thing is that the update is easy, flexible and minimizes impact our customers’ businesses!  Processes and policies for updating to Dynamics 365 are no different than they have been in the past.  Customers get to choose when they update and we have made the process easier than ever before.  Dynamics 365 is compatible with existing customizations and we have made significant investments that allow our customers to test integrations and processes before their update.

For Dynamics CRM customers:

• Dynamics CRM Online customers will seamlessly transition to Dynamics 365 via the Customer Driven Update (CDU) process which starts scheduling in December 2016.  Customers will transition to Dynamics 365 for Sales, Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation and Dynamics 365 for Field Service based on their current licenses (see update policy).
• Dynamics CRM on-premises customers can move to Dynamics 365 at any time, once the update is available in December 2016. You can find more details about the update here.  Microsoft will continue to support existing versions of Dynamics CRM according to our support lifecycle policy.

For Dynamics AX customers:

• Dynamics AX online customers will seamlessly transition to Dynamics 365 for Operations via the December 2016 update. If you’re using an older release, upgrade and migration paths will be available when you’re ready, along with tools to streamline the path to Dynamics 365. Learn more about moving to Dynamics 365 for Operations here.
• Dynamics AX on premise customers will have the option to deploy Dynamics 365 for Operations in their own data centers, while benefiting from the intelligence and flexibility enabled by the cloud, giving them the best of both worlds. Learn more in our blog. Microsoft will continue to support existing versions of Dynamics AX according to our support lifecycle policy.

Participants in Project “Madeira” preview will seamlessly transition to Dynamics 365 for Financials.

Dynamics 365 is an exciting step for Microsoft in business applications. As customers get ready to update and use Dynamics 365, please share your feedback on the process and results so we can ensure you are getting the most from the next generation of business applications!

The post The Path to Dynamics 365 appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

On June 7, Microsoft hosted Customer Driven, a virtual event examining the changing technology landscape and the impact of digital transformation on customer engagement in the new service economy.

Speakers Scott Guthrie (Executive Vice President, Microsoft Cloud and Enterprise Group), Jujhar Singh (General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM), Paul Greenberg (Managing Principal, The 56 Group; author, CRM at the Speed of Light), and Nick Farrant (Senior Vice President, Rolls-Royce) shared insights, stories, and tips, while Sven Haynes (Director of IT, Blendtec) and Paul Spruiell (Vice President of Operations, NAVCO) sat down for a pair of enlightening interviews.

These conversations delivered a clear message: organizations that embrace digital transformation will be empowered to engage customers in deeper and more effective ways. Here are five key takeaways for any business that wants to run an intelligent, 21st-century organization.

1. Digital services are transforming customer engagement

“In many ways, the progression of customer engagement is a reflection of technology’s ever-increasing presence in our society. Access to digital services is redefining our opportunity to reach customers at an even deeper level.” —Scott Guthrie

Look no further than your own digital life and it’s clear that apps, devices, social media, modern POS systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices empower you to connect with your favorite brands in any way you desire. In this connected world, business doors are open to you 24/7.

Just look at the numbers:

• 2 billion active social media accounts

• 2.4 billion smart devices by 2018

• 3 billion active Internet users

• 80 billion connected IoT devices by 2025

For businesses that embrace digital transformation, this evolution presents a tremendous opportunity. While technology becomes more innovative, predictive, and accessible, it enables companies to create more responsive, personalized experiences than ever before. 

2. Every employee can and should be more empowered

“Empower your employees: behind every amazing customer experience are employees who deliver them.” —Jujhar Singh

Equipping sales, marketing, and service organizations, including mobile resources, with a unified CRM technology is essential to next-generation intelligent customer engagement. When employees have the right tools, resources, and information at their fingertips, they are not only more productive, but are also empowered to deliver exceptional customer experiences—and inspire brand loyalty in return. Every customer-facing resource should have the information and guidance they need to serve their customers according to their unique needs and preferences.

3. The Internet of Things cannot be ignored

“We’re excited about the predictive nature of the data we can get from IoT.” —Paul Spruiell, NAVCO

The business world has long anticipated the promise of how IoT technology will revolutionize customer service. This is no longer a dream; the intersection of IoT with core business strategies is a reality that many companies are leveraging with remarkable success. While greater numbers of smart, connected products are produced and deployed in multiple industries, the ability to transform the explosion of data from these devices will lead to even better products and customer experiences.

For NAVCO—the largest privately held security integrator in the US and emerging thought leader in the area of IoT—that could mean predicting hard drive failures and opening new revenue streams. As Paul Spruiell predicts, “We’re going to go to your location and fix something you didn’t know was broken.”

Blendtec, which designs and manufactures “the last blender you’ll ever need,” is equally bullish on the power of IoT. “The personalization of our devices is very important to us,” says Sven Haynes. “Right now, we have some gamification … but where we really want to go is to connect that blender to the Internet of Things.” He imagines a blender that helps you crowd-source recipes, get nutritional data, give the company feedback, and more. 

4. Customer experience will eclipse product and price

“If you think that there’s been a business revolution over the last decade plus, you’re wrong. What we’ve had is a digital communications revolution, which has transformed not only how we communicate … but also the expectations of that communication and whom we trust. It’s also transformed how we create, distribute, and consume information. It has impacted every single institution on the planet.” —Paul Greenberg

To purchase or to walk away? In sales interactions, the customer has always had complete control. Yet the factors motivating those sales decisions today are far different from the motivators of even 10 years ago. Traditionally, products and services were sold separately. Employees did most of the work. And the sale took place in one transactional moment through one human interaction.

Today, 86 percent of customers will pay more for a better customer experience. In fact, customer experience is expected to overtake product and price as the key brand differentiator. In today’s service economy, businesses sell services, experiences, and outcomes in addition to products. This has transformed stand-alone transactional experiences into lifetime customer relationships, which translates into greater brand loyalty and higher lifetime value.

5. Customer engagement is an ongoing commitment

“Customer engagement is the ongoing interactions between company and customer, offered by the company, chosen by the customer.” —Paul Greenberg

When we talk about building loyalty, advocacy, and lasting relationships, customer engagement sure sounds like a marriage. But true customer engagement isn’t determined by the amount of time and effort a customer makes; it’s not unidirectional. It’s something altogether different because engagement levels vary from moment to moment, from casual to intense, and from infrequent to frequent.

And here’s why you should care about engaging your customers: fully engaged customers spend more and continue spending. When compared to average consumers, fully engaged customers represent a 23 percent premium of wallet share, profitability, and revenue. The flip side is just as striking: disengaged customers spend 13 percent less than an average consumer.

The takeaway: customers want to feel valued. They want you to know who they are. They want you to give them convenient options and products and experiences that prove you understand their behaviors and needs.

To thrive in the new service economy, organizations must leverage all the technology, data, and innovation available—and provide customers with nothing less than the personalized, proactive and predictive experiences they demand and deserve.

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