What’s Next for the CRM Vendor?

A word of advice: when searching for an enterprise software vendor, pay attention to their update release notes. Vendors have a responsibility to provide their clients with continuous improvements and patches, ensuring their systems run seamlessly and include the innovations necessary to stay on top of the competition. 

One vendor that takes this responsibility seriously is Microsoft Dynamics 365. With each CRM update, the provider expands its functionality and advances its technology to equip users with the latest and greatest features to maximize their productivity. Below, we drill into some of the features on the way for the April ’19 release of Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM.  

More Sales Functionality

No CRM update is complete without enhanced sales functionality. Microsoft Dynamics 365 has some exciting new sales tools lined up for the April ’19 release, improving your organization’s ability to capitalize on opportunities and personalize customer experiences. Below are a few of the sales developments on the way:  

• Sales Forecasting: Accurate forecasts are a must for effective planning. Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables users to easily populate existing forecasting data from Excel or CSV files into the Dynamics 365 for Sales app. The upcoming release will also include new dashboards and reports to provide more forecasting trends and data.
• Third-Party Insights: The April ’19 release will give users the opportunity to leverage third-party providers such as InsideView and Versium to enrich customer data. The seamless in-app try-and-buy experiences will help sales teams explore new avenues for increasing their insight into consumer demands.
• Microsoft Relationship Sales: By combining the capabilities of Dynamics 365 for Sales and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Microsoft Relationship Sales supplies sales reps with easily accessible, up-to-date customer insights from LinkedIn. The Live Org Chart experience will also allow users to curate a customer’s organization structure and receive updates from LinkedIn when contacts leave their positions.

Artificial Intelligence

In the world of enterprise software, CRM vendors have been at the forefront in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize business processes. Microsoft is a major player in AI technology, designing intelligent applications and machine learning functionality to transform how users interact with their digital platforms and do business. The April ’19 release will include the following AI applications to generate insights and promote better decision making: 

• AI for Customer Service Insights: The vendor’s latest AI tools are designed to enhance customer service. Built-in dashboards and interactive charts make it easy to track and respond to customer issues. Use case resolution insights, historical comparisons and backlog trends reveal problems impacting customers, so you can deliver excellent service.
• AI for Sales: The upcoming release will include predictive forecasting and more call-intelligence capabilities to fuel proactive decision making in your sales department.
• AI for Market Insights: This application analyzes buying practices and preferences, such as what consumers say about brands and which products they search for. The new update will include the ability to suggest related topics while creating searches and correlate Bing search data with information on social media.

Omni-Channel Engagement Hub

Customers crave consistency, no matter which channels they use to seek support. That’s why Microsoft Dynamics 365 made its Omni-Channel Engagement Hub to create a truly omni-channel customer experience. This feature improves responsiveness by giving agents the tools and real-time insights to effectively address customer concerns across multiple channels. Generally available in the April ’19 release, the hub will include the following functionality: 

• Routing and Work Distribution: The routing and work distribution engine automatically directs the flow of work to specific agents based on their availability, ensuring the right task is allotted to the right person. This helps service agents respond efficiently to requests across various channels.
• Live Chat: Live chat serves as a simple method for customers to instantly reach out to support agents. The vendor’s live chat functionality will include configurable tools that enable agents to share documents with customers, modify the widget appearance and route questions to the appropriate agents.
• SMS Channel: SMS channels enable two-way texting between agents and customers, making support more timely and convenient. The SMS channel can also send automated responses, such as appointment reminders and use case progress, to keep customers in the know without taking up additional time from your service department.

Wrap Up

Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides front offices with an ever-growing arsenal of advanced sales, marketing and customer service tools to help businesses drive revenue and optimize customer experiences. A preview of the April ’19 release capabilities will be available February to assist clients in preparing for the update. 

At Datix, our CRM consultants have the expertise to execute a range of projects, from getting your business ready for updates to implementing your first CRM instance. We also facilitate CRM and ERP integrations through our Unity integration application. Unity seamlessly connects your software to streamline operations from end to end of your enterprise. As certified partners of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce as well as experts in multiple manufacturing and distribution industries, we have the skills to align your CRM to your specific business needs. 

Update your enterprise with an up-to-date CRM platform. Learn more by reaching out to Datix today!  

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