In contact centers, a voice conversation does not end when the call disconnects. That’s when critical work begins – logging outcomes, updating systems, triggering workflows, and ensuring compliance. Yet today, post-call actions are often delayed, inconsistent, or dependent on manual or external processes. 
 
With caller hang-up event support in Dynamics 365 Contact Center and Copilot Studio, we are changing that. 

This capability enables real-time, event-driven post-call automation by raising precise caller hang-up events to voice agents. Post-call actions happen immediately, reliably, and at scale. 

Why this matters 

Post-call actions today often require custom implementations and are not always easy to configure or consistently reliable. 

Organizations frequently depend on external orchestration or complex workflows, which can leave gaps, especially when a caller disconnects unexpectedly in the middle of a flow. 

For example, when a caller hangs up mid-flow, records can remain locked or reflect stale or incomplete data in downstream systems. 

As a result, organizations face: 

• Missed or delayed post-call actions  

• Inconsistent or stale data updates  

• Gaps in reporting and operational workflows  

This creates friction across automation and downstream operations. 

What’s new 

Voice agents can now listen to end-of-conversation events and take action based on how the call ended – directly within their Copilot Studio flow. 

For example, you can trigger workflows specifically when: 

• The customer hangs up  

• The call is transferred to an external phone number  

• The call is escalated to customer service representatives in Dynamics 365 Contact Center  

This capability is exposed through activity-based triggers in Copilot Studio, enabling makers to configure post-call logic within their voice agent flow in Copilot Studio. 

How it works 

At the end of every conversation, the platform emits a structured event: 

• Activity type: End of conversation  

• Context: Conversation.EndReason (for example, CUSTOMER_HANGUP)  

Makers can configure triggers such as: 

• When activity = End of conversation  

• AND EndReason = CUSTOMER_HANGUP  

• Execute post-call workflow 

This creates a deterministic and reliable event model for post-call automation. 

Key benefits 

• Immediate and reliable execution: Post-call workflows trigger as soon as the caller disconnects, eliminating delays and missed actions.

• Foundation for governance and insights: Accurate call termination signals enable organizations to implement compliance, auditing, and data policies while building custom telemetry, reporting, and customer experience insights.

Real-world scenarios 

• Automated record updates and follow-ups: Update or unlock CRM records and trigger SMS, email, or callback workflows immediately after the customer disconnects, ensuring the latest state is captured and acted on without delay.  

• Drop-off detection and recovery: Identify when customers exit during critical flows (such as payment or authentication) and initiate appropriate recovery or risk handling actions.  

• Operational insights and optimization: Leverage precise end-of-conversation signals to improve data accuracy, escalation tracking, and overall customer experience. 

Learn more

To learn more about post-call actions, read the documentation: Configure post-call action topics – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn 

The post Trigger post-call actions using caller hang-up events  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Growth is exciting—but it introduces complexity. 

As small and midsize businesses scale, finance and operations become harder to manage. Transactions increase, reporting requirements expand, and disconnected systems start to strain visibility and margins. What once worked becomes a constraint. 

A newly published Forrester Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study helps quantify what many organizations are already experiencing: modernizing on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers measurable financial impact.

Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate the potential return on investment organizations may realize by deploying Business Central. Based on interviews with four business decision makers, which were aggregated to model a fictitious composite organization¹, the study projected that the composite organization could potentially realize: 

• More than 200% return on investment (ROI) over three years 

• An estimated $460K net present value (NPV) over three years 

• Potential payback in six months 

Across finance productivity, enterprise resource planning (ERP) consolidation, improved profitability, and reporting efficiency, the composite organization modeled by Forrester realized more than $680K in three‑year, risk‑adjusted present value benefits. 

These outcomes reflect the potential impact of modernizing finance and operations on a single, integrated cloud ERP platform—while also establishing the foundation for AI‑powered experiences like Microsoft 365 Copilot and intelligent agents. 

Where the value comes from 

The Forrester TEI study highlights several areas where organizations can potentially realize tangible, risk‑adjusted benefits when using Business Central. 

Support faster, more efficient finance operations 

Manual processes often slow growing organizations. Interviewed customers reported meaningful efficiency gains across accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR), billing, and financial close. 

By year three, the composite organization was projected to potentially achieve: 

• Up to 30% reduction in monthly close time 

• Up to 50% time savings for AP, AR, and billing activities 

These improvements translated to more than $215K in present value over three years in finance productivity alone for the composite organization—allowing teams to shift focus from reconciliation to higher‑value analysis. 

Standardizing data and workflows in Business Central also creates the conditions necessary for AI‑enabled automation. While AI benefits were not independently quantified in this study, interviewees noted that unified processes accelerate the adoption of Copilot‑supported approvals, variance analysis, and exception handling. 

Lower total cost of ownership through ERP consolidation 

Interviewees reported operating aging on‑premises ERP systems alongside spreadsheets and disconnected point solutions. Consolidating onto Business Central reduced infrastructure complexity and IT overhead. 

The study projected the following potential benefits for the composite organization over three years: 

• More than 10% reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) 

• More than $170K in present value savings from retired systems and reduced maintenance 

Beyond direct savings, simplification can reduce operational risk and improved scalability—allowing organizations to grow without layering on new systems to compensate for gaps. 

Enable improved profitability through better visibility 

Unified, real‑time visibility across finance and operations enables faster, more informed decisions. 

By year three, the composite organization was modeled to potentially experience: 

• Up to 3% improvement in net profit margins 

• More than $245K in present value from improved profitability 

Better insight into costs, projects, and performance enables earlier course correction. AI‑powered experiences such as Copilot can further assist by surfacing cost variances, project overruns, or unbilled work sooner. While AI alone does not drive margin improvement, modern ERP data and standardized processes strengthen an organization’s ability to act with precision. 

Fast reporting and audit readiness 

Business Central’s integrated data model and native Microsoft Power BI capabilities streamlined reporting and audit preparation. 

Based on modeling by Forrester, by year three, the composite organization was projected to potentially reduce: 

• Audit preparation time by up to 30% 

• Time spent creating internal and executive reports 

These projected improvements were valued at nearly $50K in present value, while also enabling increased confidence in data accuracy and consistency. 

Beyond the numbers: Building an AI-ready foundation

In addition to quantified financial outcomes, interviewees highlighted broader operational improvements, including enhanced customer experience, reduced days sales outstanding (DSO), better warehouse management, and a more intuitive user experience. 

Just as importantly, Business Central provides an AI‑ready ERP foundation. 

By unifying finance and operations data and aligning processes to best practices, organizations are better positioned to leverage Copilot, Power BI, and intelligent agents to: 

• Help reduce time-to-insight—not just report creation
• Surface anomalies and trends quickly 
• Enable more proactive, data‑driven decision‑making 

While AI‑driven outcomes were not directly measured in this TEI, the study reinforces a critical principle: realizing AI value at scale depends on clean data, integrated systems, and standardized processes. Business Central delivers that foundation. 

Read the full study 

For SMB‑focused organizations and partners evaluating ERP modernization, the full Forrester TEI study provides a detailed financial framework to help quantify potential projected value—grounded in customer interviews and risk‑adjusted modeling. 

Join us at Directions North America 2026 

The Forrester TEI study highlights the potential value organizations may realize with Business Central—from faster financial processes to improved profitability and lower total cost of ownership. 

We’ll continue these conversations at Directions North America 2026, where partners, Microsoft engineering, and product leaders come together to discuss what’s next for the Business Central ecosystem and the future of AI-powered ERP. 

Join me for the keynote, where I’ll explore how Business Central is evolving into an AI-powered system of action with Copilot and intelligent agents. 

Attendees will: 

• Gain insight into the Business Central roadmap 
• Prepare for upcoming AI-powered capabilities 
• Connect directly with Microsoft engineering and product experts 
• Engage with partners across the Business Central community 

1. Composite organization assumption: Results are based on a Forrester modeled composite organization derived from customer interviews, with $50M in annual revenue, 300 employees, 15 core finance and accounting users, and 100 light users, using Dynamics 365 Business Central in a cloud deployment. All quantified benefits represent the three-year, risk-adjusted present value for the composite organization.

The post Enable accelerated growth with confidence: A Forrester TEI study projects more than 200% ROI over three years and six-month payback using Dynamics 365 Business Central appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

We’re excited to announce the general availability of proactive voice engagements in Dynamics 365 Contact Center, delivering enterprise-grade outbound calling for service scenarios. We want to thank everyone who participated in the preview and shared valuable feedback. This release introduces key capabilities customers asked for during preview, including Answering Machine Detection, SIP based call outcomes, and the predictive dial mode. These will enable organizations to operationalize proactive voice scenarios with greater accuracy, consistency, and reliability. 

Answering Machine Detection (AMD) 

Customers can enable AMD through the answering machine detection system topic in Copilot Studio. When a machine is detected, the system automatically follows the predefined flows, like playing a customized message or ending the call. This improves predictability across outbound engagements by helping teams avoid nonproductive connections.  

SIP Based Call Outcomes 

Proactive engagement now captures detailed call outcomes using SIP codes. This allows every outbound call to be classified with results such as LiveAnswer, AnsweringMachine, Busy, NoAnswer, InvalidAddress, and other states. These outcomes are logged automatically and provide clear insight into how each call concluded without requiring additional configuration. This classification supports more accurate reporting and helps teams determine appropriate next steps. 

Predictive Dial Mode for Service Scenarios 

The predictive dial mode places calls ahead of CSR availability by estimating when CSRs will become free. By using metrics like abandonment rate and average wait time, it can pace how quickly calls are initiated. Organizations can begin managing higher volume service operations efficiently by increasing the likelihood a customer connects at the moment an CSR becomes available. This improves both throughput and customer experience.  

What’s Next 

As proactive engagement continues to mature, we are focused on expanding channel coverage and strengthening dialing performance. This will deliver more flexible options for connecting with customers at scale. 

• Conversational SMS: Support for proactive engagement in SMS channel now in preview. Organizations can reach customers using their preferred medium while maintaining the same routing, outcome tracking, and compliance standards established for voice. 

• Improvements to preview dialing: Preview dial mode enhancements give representatives more context prior to each call. Reviewing customer details and deciding when to initiate the connection gets simpler.

• Native campaign management capabilities: Native support of contact chaining, outcome based retries, consent management, and configurable calling windows, file upload etc.  
  [Run voice outbound campaigns with proactive engagement | Microsoft Learn] 

Learn more about proactive engagement

To learn more, read the documentation: Configure proactive engagement | Microsoft Learn

Try the preview and ensure your organization stays ahead of customer expectations. Send your feedback to pefeedback@microsoft.com.

The post Announcing General Availability of Proactive Voice Enhancements in Dynamics 365 Contact Center  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

https://aka.ms/IgniteMCPBlog

At Microsoft Build 2025, the Dynamics 365 ERP Model Context Protocol (MCP) server was introduced as a foundational step in connecting AI and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems through a shared, governed protocol. The MCP server provides a standardized way for AI agents, applications, and services to securely access ERP data and execute business actions within Dynamics 365.

That first release represented a milestone. It made ERP data and logic discoverable and callable through a standard set of tools, paving the way for agentic innovation across finance and operations.

Now, Microsoft is extending that foundation with two major advancements:

• The Dynamics 365 ERP MCP server is evolving from static to dynamic. This unlocks hundreds of thousands of ERP functions for secure, real-time use by agents, developers, and applications. The new dynamic server is now in public preview.
• A new Dynamics 365 ERP MCP server for analytics is being introduced. It applies the same model-context principles to business intelligence and insights, with public preview of the server coming this December.

Together, these capabilities advance how ERP systems, data, and AI agents connect: simplifying extensibility, supporting accelerated development, and enabling consistent governance across business processes.

The Model Context Protocol: A shared foundation for ERP and AI

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) defines a common language for how agents, applications, and services interact with enterprise data and business logic. MCP provides a unified framework, instead of relying on custom APIs or point-to-point integrations. MCP standardizes access to ERP operations, helping ensure consistency, context, and control.

In practical terms, MCP enables developers to:

• Build once and reuse across multiple ERP applications and environments.
• Expose new ERP actions or data endpoints dynamically to the agent framework.
• Maintain consistent data access, permissions, and auditability across all integrations.

This framework helps simplify how partners and customers create and extend agentic experiences. An agent built to reconcile accounts or process supplier invoices can use the same MCP standards to trigger journal entries, validate transactions, or retrieve KPIs across Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Project Operations–without custom code or repeated integration work. Adding the MCP server to your agent provides access to data, operations, and analytics in the server for the agent’s security role.

As organizations move from systems of record to systems of action, MCP provides the connective tissue. It brings ERP data, analytics, and AI together under a single, trusted framework. The evolution from static to dynamic MCP—and the addition of MCP for analytics—marks a significant step in making ERP systems more adaptive, extensible, and aligned with how businesses operate today.

From static to dynamic

The initial ERP MCP server launched at Build 2025 as a static implementation with a curated set of 13 tools for Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. These tools exposed high-value ERP operations through MCP, helping early adopters test and validate real-world agent scenarios.

However, static systems, have natural limits. The set of available tools was fixed, updates required code changes or redeployments, and extending functionality took time. As developers began building more complex agents that span processes and applications, a new level of flexibility became essential.

The new dynamic ERP MCP server, now available in public preview, addresses that need. It transitions from a fixed catalog of tools to a dynamic framework that adapts as business needs evolve. You can now build agents that can work with data and perform nearly any function available to a user through the application interface, without the need of custom code, connectors, or APIs.

How it works

The tools in the new server work by enabling the agent to navigate server forms to complete tasks. Agents work with the application data and business logic through server APIs just like humans perform tasks in the application client. Static tools with very specific actions, like Find Approved Vendors or Release Purchase Requisition Lines, have been replaced. The agent uses the new tools to open forms, set field values, and click actions available on the form.

This evolution unlocks hundreds of thousands of ERP functions across tens of thousands of forms. These forms—in Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Project Operations—are instantly accessible through MCP. Each function inherits ERP’s existing controls for permissions, auditing, and security, allowing IT to scale innovation while preserving compliance.

The context provided to the agent through the MCP server dynamically updates with each tool call based on the agent’s security permissions and application configuration, extensions, and personalization. This helps ensure the server is working with an accurate view of available actions and data for the given context. Additionally, it automatically makes available in the MCP framework the ISV extensions and customizations in the environment.

Consider an agent that performs supplier selection for purchase requisitions. When submitting the requisition, the agent gathers and analyzes price and supplier performance information from the ERP applications. It then reasons over the data to select the appropriate supplier for the requisition. The agent updates requisition record with the selected supplier by opening the form, populating the appropriate fields and saving the record. The agent then submits the document to an approver for review by selecting the available workflow action on the form. The native capabilities of the MCP server support these interactions between the agent and ERP data and business logic, among many others.

Extending MCP to analytics

The new Dynamics 365 ERP MCP server for analytics extends the same model-context approach to data, metrics, and insights. It provides governed access to the ERP analytics data available in Business Performance Analytics (BPA)—including measures, dimensions, reports, and semantic models. AI agents and analytics tools can reason over consistent, trusted definitions.

This new server creates a bridge between ERP transactions and business intelligence. It ensures that agents and users reference the same definitions for revenue, margin, or cash flow when generating insights or forecasts—reinforcing trust and mitigating discrepancies between analytics systems.

By aligning analytics and operations under one protocol, ERP data becomes agent-ready and explainable. Access AI-driven analysis, forecasting, and variance detection with natural language prompts and surface results directly into the applications people use every day, including Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Teams.

The MCP server for analytics also creates new opportunities for the partner ecosystem. Developers can build analytics extensions that plug directly into ERP data models while maintaining full governance and auditability.

Why this evolution matters

This announcement is not just about new APIs—it’s about creating a governed, extensible foundation for innovation across ERP.

For IT organizations, the dynamic ERP MCP server simplifies extensibility and accelerates delivery. MCP standardizes how these capabilities are published, managed, and secured—allowing IT to focus on innovation rather than maintenance.

For business leaders, the analytics MCP server connects insight to action. Forecasts, reconciliations, and recommendations produced by AI are grounded in ERP’s trusted definitions, helping to ensure accuracy and supporting compliance. This helps finance and operations teams shift from retrospective reporting to proactive performance steering.

Together, the servers create a single, unified model where data, analytics, and process automation operate in sync. This helps reduce friction, increases visibility, and accelerates the time from signal to action.

By making hundreds of thousands of ERP functions accessible through a dynamic, governed model, and by extending that same model to analytics, Microsoft is building the foundation for ERP systems that evolve continuously with the business—securely, intelligently, and at enterprise scale.

Partner innovation and ecosystem impact

These changes also expand opportunities for Microsoft’s partner ecosystem. ISVs and system integrators can now build and deliver agents faster. Know that MCP provides a consistent integration and governance layer across all ERP workloads.

The dynamic MCP server enables partners to:

• Create reusable, compliant ERP agents that can be deployed across multiple tenants.
• Publish agents that tap into hundreds of thousands of ERP functions, including extensions and customizations, without deep code dependencies.
• Deliver analytics and insight-driven applications powered by the new MCP for analytics.

Early partner adoption is already demonstrating the potential of this architecture. These examples highlight how MCP can reduce integration overhead, standardize access, and help partners deliver new business value faster, while maintaining enterprise-grade trust and compliance.

• RSM: Shop Floor by RSM empowers manufacturers to operate as frontier firms by minimizing downtime, improving quality. It enables teams to resolve production issues in real time, driving greater resilience and growth. This intelligent agent transforms the shop floor with automation, actionable insights, and seamless collaboration to set a new standard for operational excellence in manufacturing.
  
• HSO: The PayFlow Agent enhances invoice payment efficiency in accounts payable by automating payment inquiries and delivering real-time status updates. PayFlow streamlines payment processes, minimizes manual intervention, and accelerates resolutions. Empower finance teams and project managers to manage “pay when paid” terms with transparency. This intelligent automation enhances supplier relationships and ensures vendors receive timely, accurate information about their payments.
  
• Fellowmind: From inbox to Inbound Load in seconds. The Inbound Load Agent transforms emailed delivery notes into inbound loads in Dynamics 365, eliminating repetitive data entry, reducing manual error and accelerating and streamlining workflows.
  
• Cegeka: The Quality Impact Recall Agent identifies product quality failures and traces their downstream impact across inventory and customers. It orchestrates potential recall efforts, ensuring timely notifications and corrective actions to safeguard safety and brand reputation.
  
• Crowe: AP automation is table-stakes today, and ERP automation shouldn’t end there. From sales orders and contracts to customer and vendor interactions, Crowe’s AI Agents handle the unstructured, high-touch processes that traditional automation can’t reach.
  
• KPMG: KPMG’s Supplier Performance Insight Agent automates critical finance workflows by integrating internal ERP data with external market signals to give leaders a complete view of supplier relatability and risk. This showcases how AI can make ERP faster, smarter and more connected for organizations.
  
• Annata: Annata’s Autonomous AI Agents automate and accelerate complex service processes—turning multi-day breakdowns into minutes of coordinated action. By connecting directly to enterprise data and workflows through the MCP server, the solution secures parts, creates appointments, and orchestrates the entire service chain to maximize equipment uptime. 
  
• SignUp Software: The Axtension Downtime Agent steps in when a machine fails in a production environment or a resource becomes unavailable. The Downtime Agent suggests resolutions and generates alternative production plans, factoring in constraints like promised delivery dates and capacity. Multiple simulation scenarios can be validated and published, enabling organizations to maximize production efficiency.

Building the foundation for adaptive ERP

Building on MCP is a strategic priority for Dynamics 365 applications. ERP teams across Microsoft are aligning on a unified approach to help ensure all agents and applications share this common foundation:

1. All new ERP agents will be built using MCP.
2. Existing agents will migrate to MCP by December 2025.
3. All tools hosted on the static ERP MCP server will transition to the new dynamic framework.

This alignment helps ensure that every ERP agent—whether developed internally or by a partner—operates with shared context, consistent governance, and interoperability across Dynamics 365 and the broader Microsoft ecosystem.

What’s next

The dynamic Dynamics 365 ERP MCP server is now in public preview! The MCP server for analytics will enter public preview in December 2025. Over the coming months, Microsoft will continue validating new features with early partners and enterprise customers, gathering feedback to guide the next phase of development. MCP will continue to be a strategic priority in the agent foundation for Dynamics 365 ERP.

Customers and partners interested in joining the preview can contact their Microsoft representative or explore the latest documentation: Use Model Context Protocol for finance and operations apps

Join us in San Francisco, November 18 –21 at Microsoft Ignite for a deep technical dive into Agentic ERP during the Reinvent Finance & Operations with Agentic ERP session. Discover what MCP means for extensibility and learn how to build an ERP roadmap that enables adaptive, intelligent operations.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue the conversation at Convergence in Miami, December 9–11. Explore how AI and MCP are reshaping the future of ERP, secure your spot today.

The post Evolving the Dynamics 365 ERP Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

We are thrilled to announce the General Availability (GA) of the new User Experience (UX) in our Field Service Mobile (FSM) application! We heard your feedback during the preview period and are excited to mark this milestone with key enhancements and changes. 

When we started this journey, our goal was to deliver an intuitive, modern user experience for frontline workers to streamline workflows and increase user satisfaction. We reduced the number of clicks taken by technicians to accomplish tasks in the app and enabled access to rich step by step instructions for troubleshooting. At Ignite, we announced the addition of Copilot capabilities to help technicians prepare for and document work easily, through Copilot Work Order Summarize and Update. Now, with GA, we have added several admin controls to allow for progressive enablement, new enhancements to the agenda and lists, and several performance and reliability improvements. Read on to learn the details!

GA Highlights of the New UX 

1. Updated Agenda view with easy Copilot access 

Customers loved the new Agenda experience in preview, which offers intuitive access for service technicians to view and update their bookings, featuring several handy shortcuts. In the GA version, we have introduced several enhancements. These include infinite bidirectional scrolling for quick access to past or future bookings, and visual updates to make it easier to distinguish between different statuses and bookings. Technicians need key information at their fingertips while on the job. Now, makers can customize and display additional information on the agenda based on specific scenarios. Lastly, Copilot (Preview) is now accessible on every booking. All it takes is a simple swipe gesture, allowing technicians to easily summarize or update a work order. 

2. Modern configurable lists on mobile 

Users spend a lot of time reviewing data in lists (or grids). We’re excited to announce all top-level lists in the mobile app are now part of the new UX – with the ability to configure and display 10 columns per row! With additional at-a-glance information available right in the list, users can avoid navigating into the form, improving clicks to complete the job and perceived performance. The new lists control also supports searching, sorting and landscape and portrait modes (which our tablet users love)! 

3. Admin controls for progressive enablement 

A key preview ask from makers was enabling gradual deployment of the new UX for their workforce for effective change management. We heard and delivered! The new UX for technicians works in the existing FSM app (no new app installs, or migration needed). Via the new FSM settings page, makers can quickly deploy this to a pilot group of users using security roles. And makers can turn on or off specific features such Copilot based on their organizational requirements. 

4. Additional user settings 

Besides look , feel, and navigation enhancements, users can also update their time zone and language settings within the app. They can also select their preferred maps app to use for navigation. 

5. Fundamentals 

Most importantly, with this release we’ve greatly enhanced performance and reliability of all new features. Whether scrolling in various lists to handling issues with actionable error messages, we’ve ensured users have a robust and delightful experience.

Closing thoughts 

As with any technical milestone, we must also callout things that lie ahead of us. We’re looking forward to releasing the view selector inside the list control for users with multiple views. The Guides and Copilot features accessible from the new UX continue to be in preview (and can be turned off if desired).

As part of this GA, we are discontinuing the streamlined booking experience introduced during preview. Form-based experiences will continue to leverage the classic UCI experience in the app, which supports layout and business logic customization. And at present, users enabled for the offline mode will be taken directly to the classic UCI experience as well. 

The launch of the new UX in Field Service Mobile marks a significant milestone in our mission to deliver the best tools and technology for frontline workers. We are confident that these innovative features and user-centric design will greatly enhance your daily operations, making your work more efficient and enjoyable. 

Enable these features today and share your thoughts with us! We eagerly await your feedback and stay tuned for more updates! 

The post Announcing the General Availability of the New UX in Field Service Mobile  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

[NOW AVAILABLE FOR BOTH iOS and ANDROID]

If you already have a Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 Guides, and/or Dynamics 365 Remote Assist license, you can access the new remote assistance capabilities in your mobile Teams app automatically upon release at no additional cost.

Previously, Remote Assist capabilities required a standalone mobile app or a HoloLens 2 device. Now frontline workers can benefit from using the Spatial Annotations feature inside their Teams mobile app.  

Turn any mobile device into a mixed reality collaboration platform

Today, frontline workers use Teams within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Guides applications to collaborate with spatial annotations. The Remote Assist mobile app is a popular choice for workers on the go because it’s fast and easy to get anyone on a call, show the task in front of you, and ink your space.

Now, those same workers can quickly access this core functionality directly from the Teams mobile app as long you have Dynamics 365 Field Service license. For workers who are often on the move, having all their core collaboration capabilities in a single app makes the job easier. It eliminates the need to switch apps, while making sure all your collaboration capabilities from Teams are at your fingertips.

No more context switching—stay within the flow of work 

Using this feature is as straightforward as joining a Teams meeting or making a call. With the front-facing camera, users can share their view with remote participants. This allows real-time collaboration relying on 3D annotations overlayed on physical objects to enhance comprehension.

Just like with the Remote Assist app, users can move and change angles without losing track of annotations anchored to their environment. This advanced level of interaction empowers Teams mobile users to share insights and reduce miscommunications that could lead to rework.

Reduce app sprawl by eliminating the need to manage another app

If your company already leverages Teams to facilitate communication and collaboration, why not make it cover more collaborative use cases for frontline workers too? IT administrators don’t need to manage another app to enable remote assistance capabilities for their mobile workforce. 

Bringing Spatial Annotations to the Teams mobile app means fewer apps for IT teams to provision, update, and audit. Companies can benefit from Teams’ ability to support end-to-end encryption, data loss prevention, and compliance certifications, adding additional security measures protecting against unauthorized access to confidential company information. 

How can I access Spatial Annotations on my mobile Teams app? 

Infusing mixed reality capabilities into apps workers are already using, on devices they already have in their pockets, is just one way we’re working to bring mixed reality to frontline workers. We’re excited with this next step democratizing mixed reality and bringing leading-edge mixed reality solutions to more people across industries. 

Copyright © 2024 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. 

The post Enable Spatial annotations for your frontline technicians using Dynamics 365 Field Service & Teams appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Leaving the schedule board today can be cumbersome because you have to re-enter your preferred settings every time you come back. You may also find it frustrating that your admin has the power to override your choices and reset the board to the default settings. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could save your personal preferences and have them ready when you need them? The schedule board now boasts improved navigation patterns to help YOU manage your schedules more efficiently!

Remember my board

The schedule board now works with your computer’s local cache to reload with the last accessed parameters as chosen by you, no configuration necessary! That means you can leave the schedule board to check on your resources, update requirements, or even grab a hot cuppa, all while your board stays the way you left it.

 The cache will save and reload the following parameters automatically: 

1. Last accessed tab: Save time by not having to reload the tab its relevant resources and bookings 

2. Map panel open/closed: Map remains in the state that you left it in 

3. Viewtype: Gantt/list view – Schedule board  

4. Viewmode: hourly/daily/weekly 

5. BoardStartDate: Continue with the last accessed date range, resets to today’s date after 15min 

6. Columnwidth: zoom level of the board stays the way you want it 

Many of our users have told us about their struggles trying to return to today’s date when switching between date ranges. We’ve thus added a new “Today” button next to the date range control, that helps you quickly return to today’s date range, wherever you may be. 

Shareable links, as Easy as 1 2 3 

What if you want to share your settings with others or add a bookmark of your settings to your browser? We’ve added a new one-click button that helps you generate a URL link that captures all the following schedule board parameters: 

1. Last accessed tab 

2. Map panel open/closed 

3. Viewtype: Gantt/list view 

4. Viewmode: hourly/daily/weekly 

5. Columnwidth: zoom level of the board

Saving and sharing your favorite board setup has never been easier! 

Step 1: Click on the “…” more button at the top right of the schedule board 

Step 2: Click on “Copy link” button 

Step 3: The generated link has been saved to your clipboard.

The use cases are numerous, for example:

1. Add the copied link to a bookmark in your browser. Whenever you click on this bookmarked link, the browser will launch the board with your preferred parameters 

2. Share the link with your colleagues/team to share a setup that works for you, and teach them optimize their workflow  

You can also configure Schedule Board URLs manually: Open the schedule board from a URL | Microsoft Learn 

More details on schedule board caching and URL addressability can be found here: Learn more about schedule board

The post Your Board, Your Way – Optimize schedule board navigation patterns in Universal Resource Scheduling appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, efficiency and speed are key to staying ahead. That’s why we’re excited to preview* a new feature for Model Driven applications (Canvas application support coming soon) which is designed to improve your mobile applications offline sync performance, saving valuable time and bandwidth.

Offline table column selection brings a significant enhancement to the offline capabilities of your mobile app. Now, Dynamics customers have the power to customize their offline data sync by selecting specific columns within a Dataverse table to download. This granular control means that only the most relevant data is downloaded to the offline device, reducing the overall volume of data that needs to be downloaded.

An example of how this preview feature can be used is shown with the standard Contacts table. This is a standard out of the box Dataverse table which typically includes 240 columns. By leveraging offline table column selection, you can now reduce the number of columns downloaded offline by **greater than half.

User Benefits:

• Reduced Download Time: By downloading only the necessary columns, the time required for offline sync is significantly decreased. 
• Improved User Experience: Faster offline sync times will lead to less waiting for the mobile application to be ready to go offline, and large updates to the device will happen even faster. This will lead to a smoother and more efficient user experience. 
• Optimized Data Usage: This feature helps in managing data consumption, especially in areas with limited connectivity or data plans. 
• Enhanced Performance: With less data to process, the mobile app will use less battery and bandwidth, allowing for quicker access to critical information. 

The offline table column selection feature is a testament to our commitment to providing solutions that not only meet but exceed the needs of our customers. By enabling enterprise users to tailor their offline data access, we’re empowering them to work smarter, not harder. Experience the difference today and take your field service operations to the next level. 

* Offline table column selection is currently in preview only, please refer to the release plan for general availability

** Required columns may be different by organization and unique business scenarios. Be sure to review your custom business logic to ensure all columns required are selected.

Additional resources

• Learn more about this feature and how to enable for your organization
• Field Service Release update: Select table columns to include in mobile offline sync | Microsoft Learn
• Power Apps Release update: Select columns downloaded on mobile devices | Microsoft Learn

The post Improve Mobile Offline performance with Offline Table Column Selection appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

In Dynamics 365 Customer Service, agents use Copilot to resolve issues based on the corpus of data in their organization’s knowledge base or SharePoint. Additionally, we are introducing prompt plugins, enabling agents to securely access Dataverse data such as customers, products, and cases, through Copilot. This enables agents to gain a better understanding of customer needs, preferences, and history, which empowers them to provide more personalized and effective support. 

With Copilot Studio, we enable customers to build and manage their prompt plugins to address various types of customer scenarios based on the organization’s needs. Plugins reduce the need for customer service representatives to switch to other tabs and tools to do their work. The result is improved resolution time and customer satisfaction. Organizations can build a single plugin and use that plugin in all copilots. So, regardless of where an agent asks a service-related question, they benefit from a consistent experience. 

Create prompt plugins

You can create a prompt plugin using Copilot Studio and choose the data from Dataverse based on your needs.  

Once you generate prompt plugins, the Customer Service administrator can manage plugins in the Customer Service admin center.

Administrators have the following capabilities:

• Turn on and turn off the plugins
• Provide access to all Copilot users or manage user access by roles
• Map data field input parameters for the plugin, reducing how much context agents have to manually add to the prompt during plugin use
• Manage the plugin data storage in Dataverse

Use prompt plugins

Empower agents to access solutions from multiple entities through Copilot, offering unified and enlightening experience. Agents can use targeted phrases in Copilot to get responses from plugins to quickly gather information about a case.

Copilot automatically identifies the plugin based on the agent’s question. With deep understanding of the user’s intent, Copilot can select the right plugin to help the agent, resulting in better experience for customers who have their issues addressed faster.

When the agent clicks Check sources, they can see the plugin used to generate the response. They can also click the Learn about plugins documentation link to understand how plugins work and their use in Copilot.

If Copilot didn’t identify a plugin, it falls back to the knowledge source to create a response to the agent.

Coming soon: Other types of plugins

Connector plugins extend Copilot’s value by connecting to a variety of external data sources and applications that agents rely on to answer customer queries. The plugins let your agents securely access data from those systems through Copilot without juggling multiple different systems to deliver service. For example, the agents can retrieve information like purchase orders and shipping details via Copilot without logging in to order management systems. The agents simply ask for what they need, and Copilot responds, resulting in decreased time to resolution.

Learn more

Below are the detailed steps to create and configure prompt plugins for your organization.

1. Create prompt plugins in Copilot Studio
2. Configure plugins in Customer Service admin center
3. Use targeted phrases in Copilot to get responses from plugins

The post Extend Copilot capabilities with plugins    appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

We are excited to announce that summary configuration for work order recap with Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service is now available in public preview. It builds on the work order recap feature released last year, which provides an AI-generated summary of the work order for service managers and technicians.

What is summary configuration?

Customers loved our work order recap feature and wanted to configure the summary to reflect their business-critical information. With summary configuration, admins can now specify the data used by Copilot in Field Service, whether in web or mobile. They can select specific columns from the base or related tables based on their organization’s business needs. You can also preview the summary using real data from Dataverse to ensure that it contains the right information.

Enable the summary configuration

To use the summary configuration, you need to be an administrator of the environment, and have the Work Order Summary feature enabled in your Dynamics 365 Field Service settings. Go to Field Service > Settings > Field Service Settings > Features. Find the Copilot in Field Service section, then turn on Copilot for work order.

Then, navigate to Summary Configuration on the site map. In public preview, you can choose between Work Order summary and Bookable Resource Booking summary. After selecting the table, turn on the Configure summary toggle to start configuring the table and columns to include in the summary.

Add columns to the summary

Now we are ready to start adding columns. For example, you want to add Primary Incident to the Work Order summary.

1. Open the Table list.
2. Select the Work Order table.
3. Go to the Column list and select Primary Incident Description.

You can also add a field from a related table. For example, in the Work Order summary, you want to include the Account Name column from the Billing Account associated with the Work Order.

1. Select + Add data to add a new row.
2. Open the Table list. Related tables are marked with chevrons (>).
   • Either type in the search box or scroll down to find the Billing Account table and select it.
   • Once it becomes the current table (first item in the list), select it.
3. Then go to the Column list and select Account Name.

Preview the summary

When you are done configuring, you can test your configuration using any record from Dataverse and preview the summary that Copilot would generate for that record. You can be confident that your service managers and technicians will have the relevant information in the summary to perform their job.

Once you have finished testing, select Save to publish this summary configuration.

Enable this feature today and learn more about it through the feature documentation and FAQ. We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback.

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