DynamicsCon Virtual 2023 & Microsoft Customer Success Day Preview: The Dynamics ERP customer journey

Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform customers planning for the long-term future of their systems will have a chance to hear Microsoft's latest guidance at the first-ever, global Microsoft Customer Success Day on March 16. Microsoft has teamed up with Dynamics User Group (DUG) to sponsor the event as part of DynamicsCon Virtual 2023.

Microsoft Customer Success Day is free to attend and features an extensive lineup of Microsoft's technology experts and product leaders. The day will kick off with keynotes from Microsoft CVPs Charles Lamanna and Emily He. Attendees will then enjoy a full day's agenda of sessions across four tracks featuring Microsoft product managers, customer success managers, solution architects, industry thought leaders, and more. Sessions will include live question and answer panels, as well as “ask the expert” breakout sessions. To learn more about what attendees can expect, MSDW spoke with presenters from Microsoft about their product focus areas and the messages they plan to deliver at the event.

Microsoft Supply Chain Platform: Why it matters for Dynamics customers

Plans for the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform are still relatively new, and Customer Success Day will provide Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management customers with an opportunity to understand the key concepts and benefits.

Microsoft product management leader Barnali Mukherjee's session, Supply Chain Re-Imagined With The Microsoft Supply Chain Platform, will explore the platform's architecture and integration strategy, and how organizations can use it to bring together data from a range of operational systems. And, she tells MSDW, Dynamics 365 F&SCM is well-suited to integrate with the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform.

"A customer with D365 can take advantage of the transaction and execution capabilities within D365 and augment it and pair it up with other elements of the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform to better serve their users," she says.

Because the platform works with an organization's current systems, there is no heavy investment initially, she added. That means organizations can learn how to get started with Microsoft Supply Chain Platform and the related Microsoft Supply Chain Center, a ready-made command center that is now in preview, "to bring the important data points together in one place and help them with overall visibility, insights, decision making and collaboration."

The future of Dynamics AX solutions

One track at Customer Success Day will be dedicated to getting Microsoft's latest guidance on successful cloud migrations. For Dynamics AX customers, sessions will dive into Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management project management, technical tools, and partner engagement strategy.

"Change Management is just as critical when moving from AX to D365 as if you were implementing a new ERP system," says Jennifer Mazza, senior customer success manager at Microsoft. She and Jila Yadav will be presenting the session Dynamics AX Migration Journey to Success at the event. AX environments often carry a lot of custom code, Mazza says. The session will make the case for why customers should take the time to identify and document those legacy customizations before migrating.

"D365 is a platform that will continue to evolve and improve on a consistent basis and it is important to plan for how as a company you will manage the application to fit your business needs," she added.

The Dynamics user journey to the cloud, with partners

Microsoft will also be featuring the role of partners in Dynamics customers' journey to the cloud. Monique Hayward, Microsoft senior director and ecosystem lead for Business Applications marketing, will be hosting a panel discussion for enterprise and SMB customers who want to learn more about the role that partners can play in a successful migration journey. Hayward's session, Partnering To Drive Successful Dynamics Migration, will feature two Microsoft partners, Chad Sogge of Enavate and Hanumanth Tenneti of Sonata "to discuss the unique value and expertise they bring to Dynamics migrations, key considerations for customers when choosing migration partners, and best practices for success," Hayward said.

Since partners' expertise is such a key element of migration projects, Hayward explained that the session will show customers how Microsoft and partners work together to deliver these services. She identified four key areas of discussion at the event:

• Training/Resources:  Help partners develop the skills and knowledge they need – i.e., technical training, sales and marketing training, and access to a wide range of resources such as documentation, product roadmaps, and best practices – to support Dynamics migrations.
• Migration Tools:  Data migration services, code conversion tools, and automated testing tools assist partners and customers migrate to Dynamics 365 from older versions of Dynamics or other systems.
• Collaboration Among Partners:  We encourage collaboration among our partners to share knowledge and best practices – i.e., peer-to-peer learning opportunities, providing forums for partners to ask questions and share information, and fostering a sense of community among partners.
• Investing in Partners’ Success:  We provide financial incentives and rewards for partners who help customers migrate to Dynamics 365 to motivate partners to focus on this area and ensure that customers receive the support they need.  The Dynamics 365 Migration Program is a key example.

Microsoft Customer Success Day is open to all community members, customers, partners, and enthusiasts, globally. Across the four tracks, Implementation, User Adoption, Optimization and Expansion, and Migration, attendees can connect directly with Microsoft experts, learn new skills, and hear from thought leaders and customers.