New ways to drive your business forward in today’s digital landscape

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You don’t have to look far to find companies that are disrupting their industries by applying software and technology to transform customer experiences, improve operations and create new opportunities.

 

As the rate of disruption increases, customers are looking to transform the very nucleus of their companies – the business processes and systems used to run operations, connect with customers and manage teams – to drive better business outcomes. But many of those systems, particularly the CRM and ERP systems of the past, are siloed, complicated and outdated. The result: Customers are slowed down by fragmented, disconnected and unintelligent business applications that don’t give them a holistic view of their business.

 

We believe there is a better way. Last July we introduced Dynamics 365, powered by Microsoft Azure, turning what was rigid and disconnected into a set of intelligent cloud services that allow any business to start small with just what it needs, scale on demand as its needs grow and add additional solutions as its needs change. With Dynamics 365 we deliver modern, intelligent experiences and services that connect all the data across your enterprise to help you make better, faster decisions and achieve optimal outcomes.

 

Since then we’ve seen customers like HP, AccuWeather, Ecolab, Helsana and the Renault Sports Formula One Team transform their businesses using Dynamics 365. Today we’re excited to share the new capabilities our teams have been working on and how they can help you transform your business.

 

Improving sales with Dynamics 365 + LinkedIn Sales Navigator

 

Dynamics 365 for Sales is already helping salespeople with improved experiences. For instance, they can already work on sales data and surface actions directly within Office 365 to more quickly close a deal. Quotes can be created using customer insights, accurate pricing and inventory data, and then recorded in the appropriate system, including any custom discounts offered, and sent to the customer – without ever having to leave Outlook.

 

Today we’re announcing with LinkedIn new integration that will help salespeople deliver better outcomes using insights from LinkedIn Sales Navigator and LinkedIn’s 500 million professionals. Sales Navigator with Dynamics 365 will dramatically increase the effectiveness of salespeople by tapping into their professional networks and relationships, giving them the ability to improve their pipeline by:

 

• Leveraging signals across email, CRM and LinkedIn to get contextual recommendations for the next best action within Dynamics 365 for Sales, facilitating introductions directly through the company’s network, and sending InMail, messages and customized connection requests
  
• Engaging buyers with tailored content throughout the account lifecycle, and getting account and lead updates including news mentions and job changes
  
• Building strong relationships with existing contacts through access to LinkedIn profile details including photos, current roles and work history.
  

 

We’re making it easier for customers to take advantage of this solution by introducing a single offer that brings together LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Dynamics 365 for Sales at about half the cost of competitive solutions in the market, available in July. Details about the offer can be found here.

 

Modern talent solutions for a modern workforce

 

Employees are the heart of every company, and talent is without question the most scarce and expensive resource. To help companies better manage and nurture that precious resource, we’re introducing a new application for HR organizations called Dynamics 365 for Talent.

 

From sourcing and recruiting, to onboarding and retention, Dynamics 365 for Talent provides a 360-degree view of your workforce with modules that empower an organization to:

 

• Access the best talent, more quickly, with LinkedIn Recruiter integrations that enable dynamic candidate profiles to give managers and interviewers the most up-to-date information
  
• Deliver personalized onboarding experiences that accelerate employees’ ability to deliver impact with targeted activities and learning resources, along with access to relevant contacts
  
• Maintain an up-to-date view of employee experiences through a consolidated HR profile spanning Office 365, Dynamics 365 and LinkedIn profile information
  
• Drive operational excellence, measure business impact and improve program effectiveness with integrated intelligence that lets you maximize your human resources.
  

 

The new Dynamics 365 for Talent with LinkedIn integration will bring together the place companies find talent and the world of work in Office 365 in a new, modern HR experience designed to make companies and employees more successful, available starting in July.

 

Customer-centric retail experiences designed for an omni-channel world

 

Modern retailers face many challenges, from managing daily operations at their stores to transforming their businesses for future growth. Dynamics 365 for Retail, a new intelligent cloud service we are announcing today, provides retailers with an Integrated end-to-end view of their operations with centralized management and clear visibility across stores, employees, customers, inventory and financials. In today’s competitive environment, we’re helping retailers get ahead and improve their bottom line with:

 

• Modern, mobile-optimized, point of sale experiences that empower front line employees to deliver exceptional customer service and improve sales
  
• Powerful omni-channel capabilities that allow shoppers to engage with retailers on their terms and to buy, fulfill and return anywhere
  
• Data driven retail experiences that enable customer engagement at every touch point
  

 

Additional updates across Dynamics 365 include:

 

• Empowering small to mid-size organizations with Dynamics 365 Business Edition apps for Sales and Marketing, available in preview July 1
  
• New industry-specific solutions available in Microsoft AppSource – the place you can discover, trial and evaluate finished SaaS solutions. Learn more here.
  
• Plans to deliver Dynamics 365 from local datacenters in the U.K. and Germany. These new Dynamics 365 regions adhere to our Trusted Cloud principles – including security, privacy, compliance and transparency. They also help customers meet the unique data and regulatory needs of their country and geographic area along with the needs of their business, industry and customers.
  

 

Learn More

 

On Wednesday, May 3, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (UTC-4), we invite you to join Microsoft Business Forward to learn more about Dynamics 365, these new solutions and how they can help you and your employees from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Corporate Vice President James Phillips and Executive Vice President Judson Althoff. You’ll also hear from leaders in a variety of industries about the steps they’re taking to reimagine how they operate, innovate and compete.

 

Visit the virtual event site here to receive event updates and attend this live web event.

 

The post New ways to drive your business forward in today’s digital landscape appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

 

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