Microsoft to customers: Cloud continues to transform Dynamics 365

Microsoft's embrace of the cloud has already changed the Dynamics product line in fundamental ways. For example, Dynamics 365 for Operations, formerly known as Dynamics AX, is now seeing go-lives at a rate of four to five per week, says Microsoft Technical Fellow and Business Solutions CTO Mike Ehrenberg.

Thanks to Dynamics 365, "we have a digital connection to our customers all the time," Ehrenberg said today in his keynote address to the Summit EMEA 2017 audience in Amsterdam. Cloud delivery is changing how the company builds and updates Dynamics solutions today. Whereas the on-premise enterprise software business measured success in terms of shipping software and collecting revenue, today's Microsoft business solutions group looks at other metrics for measuring the product's success.

"More than revenue, we focus on usage," he said. "We get together as a team weekly to review two things about every cloud service: usage and net promoter score. We have never had access to these before, and it drives engineering." These reviews include a running list of the worst-performing screens in the solutions - a list that developers do not want to show up on too often .

In setting the tone for this week's Dynamics 365, AX, CRM, and NAV user-focused event, Ehrenberg explained a range of ways that Microsoft technology is enriching Dynamics solutions.

Microsoft's Common Data Service (CDS) is maturing rapidly and will soon drive a pre-built and integrated "prospect to cash" process between Dynamics 365 Enterprise Sales and Operations apps. It will account for managing the lead, opportunity, quote, sales order, fulfillment, and invoice activities. Microsoft will deliver this integrated flow this spring as a sign of its ability to provide ...