Directions EMEA was back for its sixteenth year—this time in France. Missed it? Don’t worry. Here’s a recap of the five top takeaways from the premier conference for Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners and ISVs. These include:
- The launch of the ReSKILL program for Business Central
- Copilot latest releases for Business Central and Power Platform
- Business Central Developer certification launch (MB-820)
- How Business Applications partners can obtain the Solution Partner designation
- New incentives for partners coming in FY24
- Date of Directions EMEA 2024 and how to register
This year’s Directions EMEA 2023 was hosted in Lyon, France. Between 1 and 3 of November, it brought together almost 3,000 attendees from 800+ organizations and 70 countries.
With a total of 247 presenters, delivering 3 keynotes and 248 sessions, round tables, and Q&As, the event was packed with insights for designed for SMB-focused Dynamics partners as they prepare for the year ahead.
In this article, we’ve summarized these into 5 top takeaways (so you don’t have to).
Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023 takewaway #1:
All the facts and figures, in one place
Among other things, cloud events and conferences are a great place to get all the latest data insights for your industry from a trusted source (and if you’re starting to plan your event schedule for next year, be sure to check out this guide).
Here’s an overview of some of the key facts and figures, shared at Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023.
FY23 was a breakthrough year for Business Applications:
- Dynamics 365 saw a 29% revenue growth, now available in 155 countries
- Business Central now has over 30,000 customers globally
- Power Platform has almost 33 million monthly active users, growing at a 50% rate year-on-year
- The ecosystem is strong, with over 4,000 Microsoft partners
- Business Central is the best cloud platform for ERP with 40+ microservices
- SMB is the fastest-growing segment among business apps
- Microsoft reported a 105% year-over-year customer growth for customers that have more than 100 paid users (offering Microsoft Partners who work with large organizations a great cross-selling opportunity with special incentives)
- Nearly 9 out of 10 workers hope to use AI to cut down on repetitive tasks in their day-to-day roles (and with the new releases for Dynamics 365 Copilot, they can!)
Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023 takeaway #2:
Launching the ReSKILL program for Business Central
Despite this success, it’s clear that the talent and skills gap is still prevalent across the Microsoft Dynamics 365 community. 77% of Microsoft partners say they cannot achieve their business goals due to a talent shortage with 1 in 3 Business Central job postings remaining unfilled. Meanwhile, salaries for experienced professionals continue to rise putting organizations that use Business Central products in a difficult position.
According to recent research by Nigel Frank, 46% of hiring managers believe that the skills gap in the Microsoft Business Applications space has gotten worse in the last 12 months. What’s more, 87% of hiring managers say this issue is having a moderate to severe impact on their organization’s strategic objectives. No doubt, the ongoing skills gap will remain a hot topic well into FY24.
Thankfully though, help is at hand. Together with a set of Workforce Development Partners (including Revolent), Microsoft has created a brand-new program to help you with recruiting, training, and coaching net-new talent with transferable skills at low-risk and with an affordable price tag. Find out more by watching the video below.
As an authorized Microsoft Learning Partner, we’re proud to be bridging the talent gap together with Microsoft.
In the words of our Global Head of Success and Enablement, Belinda Orphanou: “I had an incredible time at Microsoft Directions 2023! Revolent was there to talk about the Microsoft ReSKILL program for Business Central, and it was an absolute privilege to witness the impact it has had on both candidates and clients who participated in the initial pilot. Meeting the candidates who have already joined the program was truly inspirational. We’ve not only changed their lives by offering this unique opportunity, but we’ve also provided Microsoft partners with a pool of extraordinary talent enriched with industry experience. This diversity of thought and fresh perspectives will undoubtedly elevate their offerings to their own customers.”
So, if you’re looking for ways to solve your Business Central hiring challenges, find out how we can help you access the skills you need to grow with our brand-new talent initiative.
Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023 takeaway #3:
Copilot AI for Business Central and Power Platform
AI is the word on everyone’s lips, from AWS to Google Cloud, Salesforce and, of course, Microsoft. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot is groundbreaking in its application, helping its users reduce the number of repetitive and ‘soul-destroying’ manual tasks in their day-to-day roles by relying on the assistance of this cutting-edge AI. This means getting more done by using less effort (working smarter, not harder) and without the need to learn coding or other tech-heavy skills. Here are some of the most exciting news in the arena of AI Copilot, revealed by Microsoft at Directions EMEA 2023.
Copilot assistant for bank reconciliation in Business Central
Among the many product launches and demos revealed over the course of the conference, some features stood out more than others, including the brand-new “Reconcile with Copilot”. This nifty feature allows users to import a bank statement, leaving the time-consuming job of reconciliation to Copilot. For any fields and lines where an exact match isn’t possible, Copilot will propose a match the user can either verify or reject, which is a significant improvement on having to match each line manually.
7 new languages for Copilot
Copilot is now available in seven additional languages—Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish, and Japanese. This enables its users to generate a description in one language, while translating it into any required language semantically (rather than using a word-for-word literal translation).
More features coming soon
Of course, AI and Copilot would be nothing without continuous evolution. Microsoft’s Business Central 2024 wave 1 release is close at hand. Among other innovative features, expect to see Copilot chat for Business Central. More than just a chatbot, this feature will offer a whole range of capabilities, including replacing certain menu navigation attributes, changing patterns used for search, and assistance with new user onboarding which includes helping them discover new features and tools. There are also plans for easy integration between generative AI and your AI solutions (enabling partners to deliver a wide range of AI-powered extensions for Business Central, using just a few lines of code. Other features include Dev tools for Copilot, additional standardized reports and other improvements to the report explorer, Power BI dashboards for core ERP, and much more.
Find out more about the full spectrum of Copilot and AI features for Dynamics 365 on this page.
Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023 takeaway #4:
Announcing a new Business Central Developer certification (MB-820)
Microsoft has officially announced the launch of the long-awaited Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate certification along with its associated exam MB-820: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer (beta).
Although this new associate-level certification doesn’t have any pre-requisites and is, in theory, open to anyone who wants to sit the exam, it is best suited to Business Central Developers who want to gain an accreditation that validates their expert skill sets, especially those working for Microsoft Partners.
For partners in particular, getting their team members certified by passing both MB-800 and MB-820 exams is a great way to meet the Advanced Skilling requirements to earn the Solution Partner designation.
Up until now, Business Central partners had no option to achieve this designation, so the continued evolution of Solution Partner designations and specializations for Business Applications will be music to the ears for many.
If you want to get ahead of the game and become one of the few certified Business Central Developers as soon as the new cert is launched, here are some study resources to help you get started on your learning journey:
- Free course. Take this free, self-paced learning course from Microsoft, designed to get you started (or refresh your existing knowledge) on development in Dynamics 365 Business Central. Comprised of 6 modules that can be completed in just over 4 hours, this course is a great way to start prepping for the beta exam now.
- Applied Workshops. These hands-on workshops are led by qualified instructors via Microsoft’s extensive network of Training Service Providers. Project-based, these workshops explore different aspects from design to implementation. You don’t need any prior experience to join. For more details on how to join, head over to this page.
- Microsoft ReSKILL program for Business Central. As a Microsoft Learning Partner, we’re passionate about enabling people from all walks of life to launch an incredible career in Dynamics 365. So, if you have experience with object-oriented programming, and a passion to learn new skills to become a sought-after Microsoft specialist, simply get in touch and we’ll tell you all about the brand-new Microsoft ReSKILL program for Business Central, and how you can take part.
Microsoft Directions EMEA 2023 takeaway #5:
New incentives for Microsoft Partners and customers
Great news for Dynamics 365 Business Central partners! Microsoft has announced a number of incentives, designed to help Microsoft’s end-users adapt to the new releases and benefit from its groundbreaking AI-powered technologies.
New low-cost attach license to help partners cross-sell Business Central
If your customers are looking to migrate additional operations over to Business Central, there’s now a fantastic and cost-effective way to make that a reality for them. If they have an existing Business Central premium account, they will be able to attach the following licenses to their existing integration for a small additional fee:
- Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise
- Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise
- Dynamics 365 Field Service
If they already hold any of the licenses mentioned in the list above, paying a small fee would also get them Business Central Essentials.
New AIM Deployment Offer for FY24 announced
Be sure to keep checking the Microsoft Partner incentives page. Microsoft will be launching a new AIM Deployment Offer in January 2024, designed to offer end-users funding towards their migration to Microsoft. And the best part? Although the incentive won’t officially kick in until January, it can be back-dated to as far back as November 15. Plus, you won’t have to do all the hard work yourself, as more AIM support will be coming over the next few months, including marketing and training collateral to help you generate demand and interest, ROI calculators. and simplified migration services. Expect to see further incentives announced too, including a 40% discount via Bridge to the Cloud 2, as well as an offering users can benefit from post-deployment.
These are all no doubt compelling reasons to tell your customers about Power Platform and Business Central, just in time to make the most of any leftover budget spend from FY23…
Business Central Concierge Service for larger clients
Are you working with large clients? Do they have 100, or perhaps even 1,000 paid users? Then make sure you’re taking full advantage of the Business Central Concierge Service, endorsed by Microsoft VP for Business Central, Mike Morton. Not all partners are aware of this service, but it could be a game-changer for your cross-sell opportunities. During the early stages of signing a deal, Microsoft can nominate its own expert Solution Architects and product whizzes to help you evaluate what Dynamics 365 features might be the right fit for your customer.
