Microsoft Inspire 2018 wrapped up on Thursday (7/19) with a Bruno Mars concert. But, before the music there were a bunch of very useful sessions on Microsoft Business Applications (i.e., Dynamics 365, PowerApps, Flow, PowerBI, etc.)
Yes, I know the marketing/branding still a bit unclear but hopefully that will be cleared up by James Phillips next week at the Microsoft Business Applications Summit in Seattle.
You can find all the session videos from Microsoft Inspire 2018 on the web site. I’ve curated a handful of sessions that would be top of list in prioritizing. I still recommend going through the site and finding other sessions that may be of interest.
Full Disclosure
These are the session that I recommend, and are driven by my biases. My world is all about building applications that automate business processes (the more complex the more fun) for enterprises and governments. So I generally do not spend much time working with and thinking about the ERP side (Business Central/Finance and Operations) while I spend a lot of time with PowerApps and newer Dynamics 365/CDS platform capabilities.
And, as always, although I work for Microsoft this blog is purely my personal opinion.
Lastly, as a reminder, these sessions are from Inspire, which is a partner oriented event. They are focused on bringing information to partners and enabling those partners to support customers in solving their challenges. I still believe a lot of this information is just as relevant and useful for end-users, but it is not presented directly for end-users.
Favorites for Business Applications
These first four are my favorite sessions and really get you into PowerApps and Flow, what are going to change the approach to delivering applications.
BA138t – Build a full business app in 10 minutes
Join this fast-paced overview and hear how to leverage Microsoft PowerApps and the Common Data Service for Apps to create rich and comprehensive apps, leveraging a custom data model, forms and tools to guide users through your business processes.
BA137 – Accelerate your business with PowerApps and the Business Application Platform
Turn your business expertise into solutions with ease and transform your business with the Business Application Platform. PowerApps, Microsoft Flow, the Common Data Service and Power BI enable rapid development of web and mobile business apps, standalone or across Office 365 and Dynamics 365. Together they help combine data across business solutions for richer insight, new business opportunities, and competitive advantage. Learn about the current state of platform and our vision for the future.
BA153 – Business process digital transformation with Microsoft Flow
With Microsoft Flow – Microsoft’s workflow and business process management platform – it’s now easier for every business to transform how they work. Used by end-users and developers alike, Flow has deep integrations into Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, the Common Data Service for Apps, and over 200 other services. Learn how you can leverage Flow to drive an automation culture across organizations. This session covers both the current state of platform and our vision for the future.
BA114 – Driving action from Azure IoT: Connected field service
This is all about Dynamics 365 Field Service. If you are not active in Field Service you are missing out on a huge opportunity, whether for your own business or (if you are a partner) for your customers. Automating field service operations and deploying connected devices to make proactive field service a reality is a requirement for everyone – or you will eventually be passed by your competition.
Welcome to the new connected world. We are rapidly moving from reactive to proactive, designed to delight our clients. Harnessing the power of Azure IoT Suite and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service, you can help your customers transform the concept of “everything as a service” with predictive maintenance to reduce costs, improve customer service and open new revenue channels. Join Ben Vollmer, WW Field Service Lead, to learn more about bringing connected field service to your market.
Good To Know
These sessions are all really well done and present valuable information that everyone – customers and partners – should know.
BA001 – Accelerate your digital transformation with business applications 60 minutes
A great overview of how Microsoft Business Applications can be used to drive digital transformation in a variety of organizations.
Learn about Microsoft Business Applications and see innovative solutions that are helping our mutual customers on their digital transformation journey. Join us to get a 360 degree view of how leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI provide a robust platform to support continued growth, while providing customers with intelligent solutions that connect people, products and ideas, deliver exceptional customer experiences, unify and optimize operations.
BA106t – Having Dynamics 365 customer engagement security/compliance conversations
You will have these conversations. Security will keep coming up. And the answer of the cloud is more secure than most private data centers isn’t going to cut it. Learn to talk about cloud security.
When customers come to Microsoft Dynamics 365 cloud services, there are some common discussions and concerns they wish to raise. In this session we share experiences of having security/compliance discussions with customers as they make the move to Dynamics 365 and the information and approaches that can be used to reassure and confirm to customers that Dynamics 365 is a secure and compliant service that they can rely on.
Join this session as we explore the current market opportunity, the pains that compel organizations to evaluate customer service solutions, and how to position Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service as the hero over competing offers.
OFC403t – Microsoft Visio: Business insights at a glance
Visio lives and it makes PowerBI even better!
Help customers bring their ideas to life with Visio. Microsoft Visio integrates with other powerful tools, such as Power BI, to update or add real-world visualizations to diagrams.
Industry
These are not necessarily about Microsoft Business Applications but they focus on government, where I spend a lot of my time. Plus, you often find some of the most interesting and challenging use cases in government. The solutions to those use cases can then be a driver for solutions outside of government.
IND32 – Empowered by innovation in Civilian and Local/Regional Government
