Despite significant headwinds in 2020—a global pandemic, economic downturn, and technology budgets clipped—customer data platform (CDP) growth is booming. Businesses are charging full steam ahead on digital transformation efforts as their customers have dramatically moved toward online channels. According to a McKinsey Global Survey of executives, organizations across sectors and geographies are likely to report Read more
Retail used to look different. It was local; it was a relationship. But new technology brought change. Trains opened the door for the Sears catalog, offering a wide array of products to distant customers. Henry Ford’s automobile led to suburbanization, malls, and department stores, changing the face of retail. And now, enabled by digital technology Read more
The pandemic has profoundly impacted educators across the world. Video calling technology has enabled millions of classes to continue at a distance but, it has shortcomings when it comes to teaching hands-on skills. This fall, the School of Nursing at the University of Michigan turned to mixed reality and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides for an Read more
It’s no secret that fully embracing digital sales experiences is increasingly necessary to stay in the sales game. By 2025, this shift will be business as usual. What does this mean for sales organizations? Gartner analysts breaks it down in a recent trend insight report, “The Future of Sales in 2025: Why B2B Sales Needs Read more
While we may not have adequate measurement, one of the lasting repercussions of shutdowns, closings, quarantines, and widespread work-from-homes due to the pandemic will be to propel a shift toward a B2C-type experience within B2B impacting how customers expect to be understood and communicated with. It will also compel chief marketing officers (CMO) and marketing Read more
Today, we published the 2021 release wave 1 plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, a compilation of new capabilities that are planned to be released between April 2021 and September 2021. This first release wave of the year offers hundreds of new features and enhancements, demonstrating our continued investment to power digital transformation Read more
Truly engaged, always connected The events of 2020 have left a lasting impact on the retail industry and retailers are fueling rapid innovation with development and rollout of new technologies. The global pandemic has shifted how customers buy, as well as renewed recognition of the critical value of technology to customers. Convenience, flexibility, and personalization Read more
Truly engaged, always connected At this year’s NRF, many retailers are taking the time to reflect on the learnings from 2020 and the road ahead for 2021. It’s hard to believe that only 12 months have passed since we disclosed the general availability of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce, which was the evolution of our proven Read more
Truly engaged, always connected The past year has brought complex challenges for retailers of every size, and in response many have quickly pivoted their businesses to adjust. With store closures during lockdown, retailers leveraged Microsoft Dynamics 365 to facilitate new purchasing options for their customers, such as shipping from stores and click and collect. Once Read more
“It was March 13 at noon. I think that’s when we announced in the company that we were hard stopping,” said John Pence, president and founder of Sunrise Technologies. “I don’t think any of the executive team will ever forget that lunch.” Like John, I’m sure you remember where you were in March of 2020, Read more
With NRF Chapter 1 starting this week, many retailers are looking to 2021 with one prominent thought: what’s next? Microsoft Dynamics 365 will again play a prominent role in Retail’s Big Show with new announcements and showcasing customer agility and innovation amidst a very disrupted market. It’s clear that 2020 was a year where the Read more
Setting up or overhauling a supply chain operation has traditionally been an arduous, complex process. Now, by deploying modern, intelligent cloud applications like Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, organizations are demonstrating just how rapidly one can transform operations, especially when guided by the right experts. Invitalia, the Italian national agency for economic development, provided a Read more