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Dynamics 365 Project Recovery
Dynamics 365 is one of the most powerful and versatile CRM and customer engagement platforms available. Its level of customisation means it can be tailored to any industry and function.

That means Dynamics can evolve with your business, rather than requiring a new solution or a separate solution to accommodate a new area of interest.

It takes specialist Dynamics 365 developers with in-depth knowledge; to get the platform working the way you want it to.

While Dynamics can be deployed as an out-of-the-box solution, you would lose out on a huge amount of functionality. And have the added headache of trying to make a closed CRM system fit with your existing tech stack.

The level of customisation offered by Dynamics, while complex, allows for a CRM solution customised to your business needs. This frees you to focus on your work without worrying if your CRM captures data correctly.

That is unless something goes wrong.

Mistakes happen and most of the time they are easy to fix. However, there are times when Dynamics 365 projects fail. It’s more common than you might think and is usually down to a combination of, or all, of the same 10 factors:
- No clear vision and/or objectives
- Lack of planning
- Technical issues with existing or legacy platforms or data warehousing
- Mismanaged data migration
- Poor user adoption
- Poor communication
- Insufficient resources
- Inadequate change management
- Scalability issues
- Vendor Management
But often these challenges aren’t identified until the project is already off the rails.

Signs you need Dynamics 365 Recovery

While it may not be easy to identify the challenges listed above, there are some telltale signs that your Dynamics 365 project is in trouble. The most obvious sign all is not well is your Dynamics project is missing more deadlines than it’s hitting. Missed deadlines mean things are not going to plan, whether that’s problems with configuration, integrations, migrations or whatever.

Something, somewhere in the process is struggling to deliver and there’s a good chance at least one of the problems listed above is behind it.

A knock-on of missed deadlines is budget overruns. This shouldn’t be a surprise as the team working on the deployment still want to be paid. Therefore, if the project overruns, the budget will explode along with your hopes of delivering the CRM anything close to on time.

Budget overruns however have wider implications and can kill you Dynamics 365 project before it’s ever finished. This is simply because the more money something costs the harder it needs to work to generate a meaningful ROI for the business.

This is problematic for CRMs as the ROI isn’t always immediately obvious so when the project becomes a money pit. It’s at this point an out-of-the-box solution that the business can make do with starts to seem like the easier option.

Tied to both missed deadlines and budget are technical issues. Unforeseen technical issues can plague any project but when it comes to something as large as a Dynamics CRM deployment, it’s usually down to poor scoping and planning.

Bugs, crashes and shoddy integrations are signs that something is badly wrong. This could be because the team deploying the CRM are out of their depth, lacking specialist knowledge. Or it could be the groundwork wasn’t done before the project began.

Which leads us to scope creep. It’s hard to avoid scope creep in its entirety as inspiration can strike at any time. However, it becomes a problem when the scope and requirements change regularly. It’s impossible to run a project like that, let alone something that will sit at the heart of your organisation.

The cause of Dynamics 365 recovery projects

Whether your project has experienced all or some of the problems outlined above, the root causes are the same and centre around a lack of understanding or bad planning.

All other issues stem from these two original sins of Dynamics 365 CRM deployment.

Poor communication, inadequate training or problematic integration with systems and processes all start with bad planning.

Before you can deploy a CRM, you need to understand the objectives and what the platform needs to do to achieve them. And no, ‘because everyone else has one’ doesn’t count.

A tool like Dynamics 365 is immensely powerful when used correctly. Not least because modules like Customer Journeys Insights (formally Dynamics Marketing) allow you to interact with your audience in highly personalised ways. Providing you’ve got your Dynamics configured correctly.

But this ties back to the planning. You need to know what you want to do with Dynamics on a functional level to take that feature into account.

This can be easier said than done because you don’t know what you don’t know. If you do not know the potential of the tool you’re deploying, it’s impossible to take full advantage of it.

This is where collaborating with specialist developers can prove beneficial as they possess the knowledge and insight to come up with suggestions and use cases you may not have considered.

But only if you know what your objectives are.

All roads lead back to these two points.
- Define your objectives – what do you want your CRM to do and how will the benefit the business in terms of:
  - Efficiency
  - Process streamlining
  - Cost savings
  - Profitability
  - Increased capacity
  - Utilisation of skills
  - Worker morale
  - Customer engagement
  - Marketing and outreach
  - Sales and the sales cycle
- Create a detailed plan including:
  - Stakeholders – who do you need to get involved?
  - Existing solution
  - Current tech stack
  - Legacy tools that need sunsetting
  - Data warehousing
  - Data migration – how it would work and any issues.
  - Required integrations.
  - Budget
  - A realistic assessment of internal resources
  - Potential external resource
  - Potential deployment partners/vendors
  - Internal communication strategy
  - Training programme
  - Current processes (and what you want to streamline)
  - New processes
  - Documentation
These are not exhaustive lists but a starting point for your internal conversations to carefully plan a successful Microsoft Dynamics 365 deployment.

How to Recover your Dynamics 365 project

The extent to which your project has gone awry will determine the level of intervention needed to put things right. It’s also time to be honest with yourself and your business about the resources you currently have at your disposal.

If you’ve been trying to deploy Dynamics internally, it may be worth looking at outside help. Similarly, if your external consultants have dropped the ball, don’t throw good money after bad; look for an alternative supplier.

Regardless, it’s time to get a handle on things starting with a ‘warts and all’ assessment of where you are. Note that this isn’t a witch hunt or a blame exercise, it’s not helpful to look for fault as it doesn’t allow for solution-based thinking.

While accountability is important, for now, let’s focus on getting you out of the hole you’ve found yourself in.

Assessment and Diagnosis

To understand the scale of the problem you need to carry out a comprehensive project audit. This includes reviewing emails, scoping documents, project plans, agreements with third parties and any other material you have about the project.

This process can be difficult, especially if you aren’t clear on what you really wanted in the first place. A third-party consultant can be useful in these situations as they will know what questions to ask. This will help you to crystalise what your Dynamics CRM needs to do for your business.

With that objective in mind, it becomes much easier to identify where the gaps in your planning and execution lie.

Stakeholder Re-engagement

Once you’ve identified the critical issues and started to redefine the scope of the project, it’s important to re-engage with stakeholders. Transparency is key, especially if things haven’t gone to plan. No one benefits from obfuscation.

Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure:
- Potential problems are recorded.
- There is a complete understanding of the current tech stack and configuration.
- Any potential integration issues have been highlighted.
- The redefined objectives are both correct and clearly defined.
- Roles and responsibilities are clear.
- A revised timeline is deliverable.
- The skills exist within the project team (both internally and externally) to deliver.
Revise the Plan and Allocate Resources

Once you have gone through both information-gathering stages you will need to create a new project plan factoring in the areas of the CRM that require attention.

Triaging the project will help you to identify the worst affected elements and give you direction on what needs to be fixed first.

Equally, your consultations with team members may have highlighted new functionality that will need to be added to the plan.

At this stage, any plans must be realistic and achievable. There is no point in over-promising to save time and save face. The focus needs to be on delivering a successful Dynamics 365 recovery project.

Similarly, as part of your planning, make sure that any milestones and deliverables set out are relevant and provide a genuine measure of the project’s progress. Recognise that some stakeholders are likely to feel frustrated so it’s important to recover their confidence in the project and the value it can add to the business.

As part of this stage, you should also be looking at resources in terms of capacity and the skills you need to get this project over the line.

Improved Communications

Correct any communication issues and streamline communication processes. Create dedicated communication channels and a mechanism for regular and concise updates.

Where collaboration has been lacking, address these issues through regular inter-team meetings or even an offset so the teams can get to know each other better.

Testing

Establish testing protocols for each milestone of the project. No part of the project should progress beyond the testing stage unless it passes the testing stage. This may seem obvious but the desire to deliver a project on time, especially when there is an incentive, can mean projects deploy with errors.

You will also need to establish a bug reporting and resolution process, so snags are raised and resolved quickly.

Training

Even a fully functioning Dynamics 365 project can fall flat if no one uses it. Implement a comprehensive training programme for all users. But don’t wait until the CRM is ready. Develop the training programme in advance so you have the time to produce something of real value.

Understand, that regardless of how excited the business may be about adopting Dynamics 365, learning a new solution is hard.

Make sure that the training is as much about taking them on a journey as it is about showing them how to use it. Dynamics is there to make your business operate faster and smoother and, hopefully, take some of the heavy lifting off peoples’ shoulders.

Approach the training with energy rather than a perfunctory box-ticking exercise. Furthermore, training should be an ongoing activity as there will be new features and changes rolled out by Microsoft and internally regularly. By helping the business to stay up to date you will sustain long-term user engagement.

Best Practices for Dynamics 365 Projects

No project is perfect, no matter how well planned out it might be. There will always be issues of one form or another. However, the more rigorous you are in your planning, the more successful you will be in your execution. Here are some things to consider when planning a Dynamics 365 project or recovery:
- Set Clear Objectives: Define the project scope and goals from the outset.
- Engage Stakeholders Early: Involve all stakeholders early and throughout the project.
- Comprehensive Planning: Invest time in detailed project planning.
- Ongoing Training: Provide continuous training and support to users.
- Regular Reviews: Conduct regular project reviews and audits.
If you can get these elements right, then your chances of successfully deploying your Dynamics CRM significantly increase.

Dynamics 365 Recovery

Dynamics 365 is an immensely powerful and customisable CRM platform which, some could argue, is the best and worst thing about it. Setting up Customer Journeys Insights can take hours, purely because Microsoft went to incredible lengths to make the tool as comprehensive as possible. Because that’s what Microsoft do.

With so many features and functions available, careful planning and expert knowledge are essential when building and deploying a Dynamics CRM. Without it, mistakes will naturally occur, or reoccur.

If you’re concerned your Dynamics 365 project may require recovery, we can help.

Talk to a member of the team today to discover how QGate can help you through your Dynamics 365 recovery project.

Let’s Talk

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.

Learn more
August 8, 2024
Elevating Customer Experiences through CRM Personalisation

Personalisation is the key to customer engagement. It’s how you build trust, deliver value, and ultimately convince customers to spend their money with you. Without personalisation, marketing is frustrating for both sides. Customers are tired of receiving generic communications from the companies they choose to engage with. Whether it’s from a department store or professional services, generic communications guarantee that only a small proportion of the email that individual receives will be relevant to them.

Meanwhile, businesses achieve minimal returns on marketing campaigns and customer relationships fail to get off the ground.

Fundamentally, without personalisation, messages can only ever be generic which makes them either irrelevant or annoying. Let’s not forget, that while a 25% open rate for an email may seem good, 75% chose to ignore you.

The absence of reliable data makes it next to impossible for a marketing function to improve its odds of success. For prospects and customers, generic messaging makes them feel ignored or unseen, which undermines trust and harms the working relationship.

The absence of reliable data makes it next to impossible for a marketing function to improve its odds of success. A CRM that houses a single source of truth for each prospect and customer enables you to create personalised experiences. What’s more, you can personalise communications at scale.

How personalisation transforms customer experience

Personalisation cuts to the heart of what’s important to the customer. In that sense, it’s an extension of customer-centric marketing – where you focus not on your offer, but on the customer’s need. Take, for example, a customer who has been browsing wallpaper designs on a DIY superstore’s website. With that data to hand, the store could email them offers on relevant products. The wallpaper. The paste. The tools. They could send ‘how to’ guides or direct them to relevant social media content. In short, they can make the journey from decision-making to buying to enjoying much simpler for them. Compare this to the DIY superstore that highlights whichever products are the flavour of the month – a lawnmower, perhaps, or taps. Generic, impersonal marketing doesn’t help the customer progress their purchase. And if you can’t help them, they will go to a seller that can.

Personalisation doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. For example, event planners might target return customers – particularly if they’ve conducted feedback surveys and received positive results. Those customers will appreciate the opportunity to return. Gyms might note which classes members usually attend and reach out if they haven’t been in a while. Done well, this signals to members that their gym cares about them and wants them to succeed. Overcoming the generic barrier is transformative. Consider the effect an email with generic summer lines would perform compared to one that features products that match a customer’s purchase history, right down to size and colour choices. Not every product will be right but the relevance of that email is powerful.

When personalisation makes a customer feel valued, the result is a strengthening of the relationship between buyer and seller. A stronger relationship leads to shorter sales cycles, repeat business and a greater likelihood that your customer crosses the line to a loyal customer. Then, in time, an advocate.

How to personalise communications

The key to a personalised CRM approach is collecting and storing relevant information about every customer. Some of this data can be gathered during discovery, while some will only come out through interactions with the customer. However, without a CRM within which to centralise your data, aggregating this information can be tricky.

Customers can range from industrial scale or enterprise size to SMEs. While the products they purchase might be the same, the size of the order and their requirements will be fundamentally different. For example, delivery times, frequency of orders and payment terms may all change. Understanding the basic needs of each customer and categorising them accordingly will enable you to present each customer with the most relevant information. Relevance keeps customers engaged and reduces churn.

Every data point can be used to create a personalised and engaging customer experience. Something as simple as market segmentation allows you to focus on the kind of content you share. Another critical area of understanding is your customers’ pain points. Understanding and codifying specific issues allows you to provide solutions – a far more effective approach than the hit-and-hope hard sell.

The more data you have at your disposal and the deeper the segmentation, the easier it is to become a relied-upon and trusted supplier to your customers.

Personalised emails are a mainstay of most CRM tools; however, this goes beyond just using the customer’s name. Anyone with a database and free email tool can achieve this. Personalisation requires a deeper level of understanding and the processes to capture that crucial data.

With a good CRM, your options for recording relevant information are vast and no information should be considered extraneous. The focus is on building a long-lasting, trusting relationship.

Use the data you have to engage with your audiences in the way that matters most to them. If a company has a big sports culture, tailor your communications to ‘speak their language’. There’s nothing to stop you from creating a fun fact campaign to drop every day of a tournament if you think it will get you the outcomes you want.

Strategies for effective CRM personalisation

Building out this data can be challenging, especially if your organisation has data scattered across disparate systems. Data consolidation is key to both successful CRM deployment and personalised customer engagement. You also need robust processes in place, so your account managers or salespeople know what information to collect and how to record it.

These systems rely on your people having those key discovery conversations and building the rapport so that information can be gathered. This in turn relies on a business-wide approach to sales that is highly customer-centric and detail oriented.

Collect and analyse customer data

When you’re adding a new customer to your CRM, do your due diligence. You need the basics: the right name, contact details, industry segment, etc. All of this is foundation-level personalisation. Once you start having conversations with that customer, you can assign categories according to their needs and pain points. Capture data where you can, including how your audience interacts with your emails. You need to know how often they opened the email, what they clicked on and whether they converted off the back of that click.

Segment customers to tailor communications

The more data you have the deeper you can segment your audiences. Remember, your customers can sit in multiple buckets, which means they can be in multiple campaigns. And when it comes to data segmentation almost nothing is off limits. Record everything, you never know when it might come in handy. Once you know what your customer is interested in, you can – and should – tailor your communications.

But segmentation is only part of the process; you need to adopt a customer-centric mindset to go with it. That means sending them the content, offers and products they’re interested in. Not the ones you want to sell.

Automate communications based on customer actions or milestones

If you’re able to track a customer’s engagement with specific resources from across your digital estate, you could follow up with a personalised message. This could be a straightforward ‘I see you’re interested in X, would you like to know more?’ or you could look at ways to add value by anticipating their needs. ‘As you read XYZ, you might also be interested in ABC’. Remember to keep these automated messages personal – no one wants to feel like a cog in a machine.

Measure and refine

Customers, businesses, challenges – none of these are static. Circumstances change, and your personalised approach needs to keep up or you risk once again making that customer feel unseen. Use the analytics at your disposal to evaluate whether customer behaviours align with the data you have. Simple things like average order value, products purchased and order frequency. This is in addition to channel performance like email open and click-through rates. Analysing these behaviours can show where interests have shifted or if the customer is at risk of churning. We’d also suggest that you use the time freed up by business process automation to connect with customers one-to-one. Give them a call and have a conversation about their business, their needs, etc. Think of it as rediscovery. The effort you put in around your personalised communications allows you to move the relationship away from purely transactional.

CRM tools for personalisation

There are many ways that an advanced CRM like Microsoft Dynamics 365 can enable you to personalise your relationship with your customers. Here are just a few:

Name check – You can automate emails from your CRM to include things like your contact’s name, their business name, a reference to your last communication or their last purchase. All of these details can be completed automatically, and you can also select customers by market segment, region, past purchases, etc.

Power Automate Flow – This Microsoft tool can be integrated with Dynamics 365 to automate a customer journey based on conditional logic. For example, if a customer clicks on a resource on your website, automations can be triggered, such as a popup or a customer email, or an email to a salesperson suggesting they call the customer to follow up. Each action has a pre-programmed reaction, reducing missed opportunities and increasing sales and marketing efficiency.

Copilot – Another Microsoft tool, Copilot is an AI assistant that sits within the Microsoft ecosystem and can draw on your CRM, emails, documents, etc. to provide insights that help you develop a highly personalised approach to every interaction.

Integration – One of the best ways to maximise personalisation within a CRM (and increase user adoption) is to ensure it integrates with your existing platforms. That way, it’s easier to copy information from one place to another – sometimes as simple as one or two clicks – and requires far less effort on the user’s part to reap maximum reward.

When choosing a CRM, these are the kinds of capabilities you should be looking for. Add to this, the potential to add more as they are developed. If you’re already using an advanced CRM and don’t have all these tools, talk to your CRM partner. You should be able to enhance your system to create more potential for personalisation.

Don’t get left behind

Personalisation is a way to differentiate yourself from the competition and provide a superior customer experience. Significantly, it’s what your customers expect. From a sales perspective, it’s the difference between a trial-and-error approach and a data-driven, customer-centric strategy. You’re specifically targeting customers with information that is relevant to them. The result will be more sales, happier customers, and fewer missed opportunities.

Strategies like these are only possible now because of advances in digital technologies and AI-driven tools. The more these take off, the more customers will expect a personalised approach, and the more your business will suffer if you’re not personalising the customer experience.

If you feel like you’re barely scratching the surface of your CRM strategy, we can help. Speak to a member of the team to assess your current CRM usage and develop strategies to improve personalisation.

Let’s Talk

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.

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July 15, 2024
What is Data Integrity and Why does it Matter?
Data integrity refers to the consistency and accuracy of the data in your organisation. Within the context of a CRM system, maintaining robust data integrity ensures your customer records are current, accurate and free from duplication. The greater the number of errors that exist within a CRM, the less effective it is as a business tool and ROI starts to decline.

Maintaining data integrity ensures all departments has access to the same up-to-date information, allowing for better decision-making and project coordination. It makes it easier to create timely, relevant and personalised interactions between you and your audiences, fostering trust.

Accurate data enables businesses to segment that data to better understand their audiences and create tailored solutions to meet their needs.

Inaccurate data could mean that communications go awry or don’t get through. It could also mean that your personalised customer experience is based on a false understanding of who that customer is. Reliable data helps to get the messages to the right people at the right time. Maintaining data integrity should therefore be a focus for every business.

Defining data integrity in a sales context

The purpose of a CRM system like Microsoft Dynamics 365 is to record all the critical details for every customer. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Business name
- Contact names
- Website
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Business address(es)
- Market vertical
- Contact history
- Purchase history
You might also categorise them by pain points. You could even include personal details that support your relationship with that customer. But if any of that data is inaccurate, the entire entry becomes unreliable.

If emails bounce your ability to communicate has been significantly reduced – especially if the rapport with that contact would make a phone call unlikely.

Similarly, if your contact has changed position within the company you may have to start building a relationship with someone entirely different. Who, significantly, may not see your product or service as the best option.

Small details can equally have big consequences. A single incorrect digit on a postal or zip code can mean a piece of direct mail never arrives. Or, worse still, the client refuses to pay an invoice because the details are incorrect. Cash is king and when clients refuse to pay because you’ve made mistakes with paperwork, that king is little more than a hostage.

Fundamentally, bad data leads to bad outcomes, resulting in wasted time, effort and lost revenue. On the other hand, strong data integrity strengthens customer relationships and empowers your sellers to maximise the potential of the CRM.

Managing data integrity

The truth is, it’s all too easy for mistakes to be made that reduce data integrity. Especially as often fields are populated manually. Combine that with a fast-paced environment or a team member who doesn’t see the value in maintaining data integrity and your business is on a slippery slope.

Manual errors

If users are inputting data manually, errors will naturally start to creep in. Manually double checking will catch some mistakes but not all, and that is assuming users can be bothered. Data entry in a CRM rarely feels like an important part of the job, right up until it stops working.

To reduce manual errors, automate as much as possible. CRMs like Microsoft Dynamics 365 have integrations allowing data to move seamlessly between tools. It also frees up time. Where integrations aren’t available or manual entry is unavoidable, dropdowns, tick boxes and other pre-populated fields can help to offset errors.

Duplicate records

Associated with manual errors are duplicate records. This usually occurs when a name is entered incorrectly, the wrong title is added, or they have an alternative email address. Automation can help to offset this by linking your email tools with your CRM. This can help to reduce duplications, but your CRM should have de-dupe functionality.

Platforms like Dynamics 365 have de-duplication detection rules baked in as standard. This should catch most duplicates, but you should still practice good data discipline to minimise potential errors.

Keeping accurate records

If you’re fortunate enough to have the kind of rapport with your clients that they notify you of internal changes, your data becomes much easier to manage.

However, that won’t always be the case and personnel changes can often catch team members off guard. This is understandable; however, everyone needs to be clear on the procedure when a contact moves on.
- Confirm who the new point of contact is
- Double-check the title and spelling
- Capture email address
- Capture phone number
- Confirm if they are operating out of the same office
This information needs to go into the CRM immediately. Both creating a new contact and ensuring it has attached to the business profile as well.

Try to reach out to the new contact early on to understand what their objectives are moving forward. Or, if they’re not yet a client, if their requirements have changed. Establishing this early and giving the business time to pivot as needed will help to retain that opportunity. Because customers don’t always make you aware of a change in circumstances, it’s up to you to keep on top of them. That means making a habit of regularly checking contact details – for example, against email signatures – and having periodic conversations with the customer to ensure all the other information in your records is accurate.

How to sustain data integrity

Maintaining data integrity is part of a wider philosophy around the free flow of information. It can’t be one person’s responsibility to look after the data the business runs on. It, along with any other aspect of business sustainability, is a shared responsibility.

Culture

Data integrity needs to be woven into the fabric of the business. The culture of your business needs to reflect the company’s attitude towards data integrity. If the senior leadership team does not take it seriously then chances are no one else will.

The only way to maintain data integrity is for everyone to understand both the importance and need to proactively manage data. Rather than assuming it can wait or that someone else will do it.

Without a shared ethos around data integrity the CRM can’t work properly. If the CRM isn’t working properly, sales suffer. Make data integrity part of your induction process for new starters and hold regular training sessions to ensure everyone is fully up to speed. Both in terms of the platform and what’s expected of them.

This will also make it easier to spot anyone who is struggling with the CRM or has picked up bad habits.

Audit and clean-up

Task account managers with the job of auditing and cleaning up their accounts in the CRM. Depending on the state of your data integrity, you might need to do this monthly, quarterly or twice a year, but we wouldn’t recommend leaving it any longer than that. Check that the contact details are up-to-date and make sure you’ve acted on any new information that has been sent through. If the account managers are in regular contact with their clients, this information should be in a healthy state.

Consistency is key

Data consistency is an essential component of data management. That means standardising how fields are completed. Full country names rather than abbreviations or phone numbers with the country code or not, etc.

Establish the status quo and enforce it. Have a process in place to fix errors as they arise, whether it’s the person who owns the relationship with the client/contact or the last person who accessed the record.

You can also use your CRM to be specific about formatting, either using drop-down lists for things like regions or countries or insisting that mobile numbers all begin with a country code. Where customers are providing their own data, you can also take extra steps to secure data integrity by sending an email to confirm the information you hold on them is correct. You must be careful here as you can only contact an individual within an organisation about the data you hold for them, not anyone else. To do so could be a data protection breach.

Data integrity matters because people matter

We have established in other articles that people buy from people, and that the more personalised the customer experience, the more valued they feel. Data integrity is critical to personalisation and aids user adoption by making the CRM more reliable and more valuable to sellers. An advanced CRM system, data integrity and user adoption go hand-in-hand – just like the fire triangle, you need all three to create a flame. So, if you are in any doubt as to the integrity of your data, we would strongly advise you to audit and clean up your CRM and instil a culture of data quality as soon as possible. It’s in everyone’s interests to maximise data integrity, and with new tools and integrations, it doesn’t need to be a labour- or time-intensive task.

If you need help implementing a new data integrity strategy, get in touch.

Let’s talk!

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.

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July 8, 2024
The Role of User Adoption in Maximising CRM ROI
Like any tool, the CRM can only provide value when it is well used. User adoption is integral to a CRM deployment’s success or failure. Low user adoption is almost always why CRMs don’t deliver the expected return on investment (ROI). Acknowledging this risk enables you to prepare accordingly and eliminate those issues that obstruct or dilute a successful CRM deployment.

Equally, so is understanding the human factor behind low user adoption. Some team members may fear the technology, and others may fear for their jobs. In most cases, the reluctance to adopt any new solution usually comes from a lack of understanding.

This is entirely forgivable considering how broad the term CRM has become and how complex a platform like Dynamics 365 can be.

While it may seem straightforward to state the benefits of a CRM, the reality is getting to grips with Dynamics CRM takes time, support and training.

However, before you can consider training you first need to establish what you hope to gain from deploying a CRM. Defining what success from your CRM project is fundamental to its success from the perspectives of user adoption and ROI.

How to calculate the ROI of a CRM

Return on investment, or ROI, is a simple measurement to evaluate how well an investment has performed. For something like an ad campaign, this is straightforward: the cost of the campaign versus the revenue it generated. Calculating the value of your CRM can be harder to quantify. It’s not easy to put a price on better customer service. Similarly, it’s not always apparent how many opportunities would be lost by team members not being able to collaborate via a single platform.

As with other SaaS platforms, establishing a means of measuring performance will indicate how your CRM is performing. For example:
- Time to close – With a stronger customer relationship and a better-informed approach, it should be easier to close deals, reducing the time spent on each sale.
- Increased deal size – As above, a CRM supports sales and should help increase the value of every deal.
- More sales – With a smarter sales approach, you should also be able to increase the number of deals closed.
- More repeat customers – Happy customers return for more, so if you’re using the CRM to strengthen the customer relationship you should see customers returning and referring.
There are, of course, additional benefits that may be harder to monitor. Closer collaboration across departments results in an improved work environment. Happier staff stay in their jobs for longer, meaning your team gains experience. It must be said, though, that a good CRM tool alone cannot achieve all these things. It’s just a tool – designed to make the job easier, not to replace people or the relationships they form. So, the number one key to CRM success is user adoption.

User adoption – the make or breaker

The success of any software deployment hinges on both the rate and duration of user adoption. The faster your team picks it up and the longer they use it, the more successful that deployment is.

In our experience, low user adoption is the main reason CRM systems fail to deliver the expected ROI.

Despite the sophisticated capabilities of modern CRM systems, you have to think of them as a tool, just like any other. Any tool used incorrectly will, over time, degrade or even break.

This is true whether you’re using a hammer, machinery or sophisticated software. But rather than blame our poor adoption or lack of training, we usually blame the tool, replace it and the whole thing starts again. The frequency and severity of the misuse will directly correlate to the speed at which it becomes unusable.

User adoption is a journey; it cannot be forced, although many try. In WalkMe’s annual report State of Digital Adoption 2022, 60% of decision-makers are concerned about whether digital projects will provide the expected ROI because end-users aren’t adopting the technology quickly enough.

Low user uptake results in poor performance and poor performance results in lower user uptake. It becomes a vicious cycle that’s hard to break. The key, therefore, is understanding what obstacles exist in your organisation that could hamper adoption.

This is something of a hard look-in-the-mirror conversation, as those obstacles can be anything from capacity to budget to individuals.

Failure to Adopt

There are many reasons why users don’t engage with new software. The first and most obvious is resistance to change. People may not be entirely happy with the status quo, but at least they know where they stand. Introducing new software, especially something as vast as a CRM, can be intimidating. Not least because it can often mean a change in process, or a formalisation of processes when historically team members have been free to operate as they saw fit. Some may perceive the CRM deployment as an unnecessary change – especially if they haven’t understood the benefits.

Be under no illusions, you need to get your deployment right. Bad software deployment can cost time and money to remedy or replace. In extreme cases, they can be an existential threat when you factor in the potential data loss that can ensue.

To make your deployment successful, you must treat your team like customers. Take them on a journey of the new CRM and get their buy-in.

Another common reason for low user adoption is poor communication around the new system. This encompasses both the ‘why’ – the reason for bringing in a new CRM – and the ‘how’. If users aren’t properly trained to use the CRM, they won’t understand how to maximise the benefits. It’s unreasonable to expect users to ‘have a play’ and ‘come back to us if you have any questions’. Especially with something so complex and feature-rich as a CRM like Microsoft Dynamics 365. Take a user-centric approach to both CRM design and rollout to ensure maximum adoption.

Anything that stands between your CRM and user adoption also stands between your CRM and ROI.

It’s critical to think about CRM rollout and onboarding while you’re choosing which CRM to go with. Not only the functionality and how quickly it can be deployed but how quickly it can be adopted.

How to improve user adoption

The best way to improve CRM user adoption is to help users understand the WIIFM (what’s in it for me). Communication is key, and it must start before you introduce the new system.

Involve users in the selection process

Talk to users about what they like or don’t like about the current way of working. This will allow you to build a picture of what they need from a new CRM system. Make sure they understand the change is to benefit them, so you need their feedback on what ‘better’ looks like. Of course, they won’t necessarily know all the capabilities a CRM can offer and what those benefits could be. Take the time to introduce the options fully before making a decision.

Talk up the benefits

You know the pain points from both a business and user perspective. Use this information to communicate the benefits of the chosen CRM – and communicate them widely. Don’t rely on sporadic updates to get the message across. Think about what channels are available to you and how they can be used to get your message out. Put posters on the wall if that’s what it takes.

Build a pilot team

Often when new software is rolled out across a business, you start with a core team who are committed to the project and willing to be the guinea pigs. Starting small doesn’t enable you to get the full benefit of the CRM, but you can hope to develop an evangelical group of ‘experts’ who have familiarised themselves with the system enough to help communicate those benefits to the wider team. These evangelists will help boost adoption.

Streamline and customise the CRM to meet user needs

As a result of that earlier work liaising with and seeking feedback from users, you should have a good idea of what you want to achieve with your CRM and how you can tailor the system to meet your usage. Customising the interface to directly align with those needs demonstrates that you’ve listened to and understood your users’ WIIFM and ensures they can get maximum use out of the CRM.

Provide comprehensive training and support

If people don’t know how to use the CRM, they won’t use it. Or they’ll use it poorly, which amounts to the same thing – a low ROI. We would suggest training is offered on both a mandated, regular basis during rollout and on-demand long term. Easy-to-access resources allow users to solve issues as they arise. Long, information-heavy, webinars are unlikely to inspire anyone; you’re better off with a little-and-often approach, such as weekly ‘lunch and learns’ that break down the CRM’s capabilities piece by piece.

Establish clear expectations The less people use a CRM, the less effective it is. Make it clear from the outset that this tool is not optional; it is mandatory – not just for the individual user’s benefit, but for the entire business. Be strategic about the rollout and set clear goals. Your CRM provider should be able to help define those with you and set out ways to measure progress so that you can assess how successful your rollout has been.

Pulling the Trigger

An advanced, customised CRM system can transform your business through effective management of customer relationships throughout the sales and after-sales process. But this is only made possible by people using it properly and often. Low user adoption is the number one reason CRM implementation fails, so getting users onboard from the outset is critical.

Think about this as a sale – you’re selling users on the concept of CRM, so you need to pull out all the same tools you would ordinarily deploy to close a deal. Understanding their pain points; refining the solution; talking up the benefits and supporting them once the deal is done to ensure you end up with a happy customer. This is how you guarantee a good ROI.

If you want to ensure a successful CRM implementation, talk to us about how we can help you maximise your ROI.

Let’s Talk

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.

Learn more
July 1, 2024
Microsoft Copilot for Sales – A Summary

Sellers are constantly seeking ways to enhance their productivity and engage more effectively with customers. Microsoft 365 is stepping up to the plate by incorporating advanced AI capabilities that are set to transform the sales landscape. Let’s dive into how these features are making a significant impact.

Streamlining Operations

Imagine being able to work smarter, not harder. That’s exactly what Microsoft 365’s AI features offer. By streamlining processes and crafting personalised sales content, these tools enable sellers to maximise their productivity. No more getting bogged down by repetitive tasks. Instead, sales reps can focus on what truly matters – making meaningful connections with customers.

Personalising Customer Interactions

In a world where a one-size-fits-all approach no longer cuts it, AI-generated insights and recommendations come into play. These tools help sales teams to tailor their interactions with customers, ensuring a more personalised and satisfying experience. Whether it’s suggesting the next steps or generating insights, AI has got it covered.

Enhancing Communication and Collaboration

Efficient communication is the backbone of any successful sales strategy. Microsoft 365’s AI capabilities facilitate seamless sharing of information between apps and CRM platforms, making it easier than ever to stay in sync with your team and up-to-date on customer needs. From drafting emails in Outlook to setting up meetings with ease, AI assistance is revolutionising the way sales teams operate.

Generating and Summarising Content

Gone are the days of spending hours on content creation. With AI assistance, sales reps can generate emails, summaries, and even pitch decks in a fraction of the time. This not only simplifies task management but also ensures that all communications are tailored and relevant. Furthermore, AI-generated summaries of meetings and emails can be directly saved to your CRM platform, keeping everything organised and accessible.

Preparing for Success

Preparation is key to nailing those sales meetings. AI helps surface relevant past interactions and content, making it easy to get up to speed and stay on top of opportunities. And when it’s time for a call, AI-generated sales tips and insights are right at your fingertips, enabling you to address customer queries confidently and effectively.

Streamlining Workflow

Microsoft 365’s AI doesn’t just stop at improving individual tasks – it enhances entire workflows. By enabling seamless information sharing and updates across apps and your CRM platform, it ensures that everyone is always on the same page. Collaboration becomes a breeze, whether you’re sharing contact cards in Teams or creating deal rooms that sync with your CRM data.

Microsoft 365’s introduction of AI capabilities is a game-changer for sales teams. By streamlining processes, personalising customer interactions, and enhancing communication, these tools empower sellers to work more efficiently and build stronger relationships with customers. Welcome to the future of sales, where AI is your trusted partner in achieving success.

Links to case studies

Microsoft Customer Story-Avanade puts people first, accelerates sales productivity with Microsoft Copilot for Sales

How Netlogic Computer Consulting is Boosting its Sales Performance with Microsoft Copilot for Sales – Microsoft Community Hub

Link to video on Microsoft YouTube channel giving an overview

How Copilot for Sales Works & How To Set It Up (youtube.com)

April 11, 2024
Understanding Sequences in Dynamics 365
Sequences within Dynamics 365 Sales offer a powerful tool to refine your sales operations by establishing a structured regimen for managing leads, opportunities, and customers. This structured approach ensures that sales activities are executed with uniformity and accuracy, leading to more efficient and effective sales processes.

Sequences help sales teams follow a predefined set of actions tailored to various stages of the sales cycle. By automating these sequences, you can ensure that no crucial steps are missed, reducing the risk of human error and enhancing the overall customer experience. This not only improves the reliability of your sales operations but also provides clear guidance to your sales team, making their workflow more predictable and manageable.

Moreover, sequences allow for better tracking and analysis of sales activities. Managers can easily monitor the progress of each lead and opportunity, identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This level of oversight helps in making informed decisions and adjustments to strategies, ultimately driving better sales performance.

Using sequences also promotes best practices across the sales team. By standardising processes, you can ensure that all team members are following the most effective methods for engaging with customers and closing deals. This consistency leads to improved results and a more professional approach to sales.

Guidance for Sales Personnel

Sequences provide clear, step-by-step instructions, aiding sales representatives, particularly in areas where training or documentation may lack consistency.

Task Automation in Dynamics 365

By mechanising monotonous tasks, sequences free up time for salespeople to concentrate on sales, thus elevating productivity.

Standardisation of Best Practices

Managers can mandate adherence to best practices through sequences, aligning sales efforts with organisational processes.

Activity Prioritisation in Dynamics 365

Sequences assist salespeople in identifying and focusing on high-priority tasks, enhancing the chances of successful engagements.

Minimisation of Errors

The systematic nature of sequences aids in reducing mistakes and ensuring vital tasks are completed promptly.

Incorporating sequences into the sales workflow facilitates a more streamlined and effective customer engagement, significantly bolstering sales performance.

Understanding Sequences

In Dynamics 365, sequences are prearranged sets of actions guiding sales representatives through the sales cycle. These actions, triggered automatically in a designated sequence, may include email sending, phone calling, or task scheduling. Sequences aim to:

Streamline Sales Processes

Offering a clear task roadmap, sequences improve operational efficiency and minimise errors.

Uphold Best Practices

They ensure consistency in sales processes by enforcing standard practices.

Boost Productivity

Automating routine tasks allows sales staff to dedicate more time to strategic selling.

Enhance Customer Interaction

By covering all potential customer engagement points, sequences can improve customer relations and potentially increase sales conversions.

Sequences are crafted to optimise sales operations, aligning them with strategic sales goals.

Sequences vs. Workflows in Dynamics 365

Sequences and workflows within Dynamics 365 serve distinct objectives:

Sequences

Focus on guiding sales representatives through predetermined sales steps, triggering specific actions in an ordered fashion. Primarily used in sales to streamline activities and enforce best practices.

Workflows

Aim to automate business processes without requiring user intervention, capable of running in the background to execute a variety of actions based on certain conditions. Workflows are adaptable across different Dynamics 365 applications, extending beyond sales.

Sequences cater to a sales-centric, user-driven approach, whereas workflows automate complex, broader business processes independently of user input.

Implementing Sequences

To initiate a sequence in Dynamics 365 Sales, follow these steps:
- Login: Access your Dynamics 365 Sales application.
- Navigate: Move to Sales Insights settings via the Change area in the page’s lower-left corner.
- Access Sequences: Within the Sales accelerator section, choose Sequence.
- Create a New Sequence: Click on New Sequence, then specify your sequence’s properties, including name, description (if needed), and the targeted entity type.
- Design the Sequence: Utilise the sequence designer to incorporate steps, conditions, and actions. Remember, appropriate licenses and security roles are essential for sequence creation and management.
Sequence Management

Editing or deleting sequences is manageable via the Sales Insights settings:
- To Edit: Access the Sales Hub, navigate to Sales Insights settings, and select Sequences. Open the active sequence, edit as necessary, and reactivate.
- To Delete: Follow a similar path to find the sequence, then select Delete permanently.
Assigning sequences involves choosing the sequence, selecting Assign, and inputting the relevant user or team information. Necessary permissions are required for these actions.

Optimising Sequence Management

Effective management of sequences can significantly uplift sales efficiency and customer engagement. Planning, leveraging templates, monitoring performance, adapting to feedback, and training are essential. Common pitfalls like overcomplexity, resistance to change, and neglecting feedback should be avoided.

Wave 1 Updates 2024

The 2024 Wave 1 update introduces enhancements like sequence step previews, multitasking capabilities, improved teamwork functionalities, and a detailed sequence panel, further advancing the efficiency and user experience of sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales.

Enhancing Dynamics 365

Sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales are instrumental in revolutionising the sales process. They offer a systematic framework for managing customer engagements, ensuring consistent and efficient sales activities. With ongoing advancements, sequences are set to offer even deeper insights and greater adaptability, catering to the unique requirements of businesses.

If you’d like to know more about how you can enhance your Dynamics 365 CRM or you’re interested in moving your CRM to Dynamics, we can help.

Let’s Talk!

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments. Learn more
April 11, 2024
How AI is Revolutionising CRM Strategies and Operations
The better you know your customers, the more you can offer them. For SMEs in particular, the value of this resource should not be underestimated.

But just because the tools exist to mine this data gold, it doesn’t mean businesses know how to use them. One of the core challenges QGate helps people deal with is rescuing CRMs that are underperforming – either through low user adoption or a lack of understanding around the features and opportunities on offer. One way QGate can help address these challenges is through AI-based tools that help create efficiencies, generate insights, and generally leverage your data for improved sales performance.

The AI revolution in CRM

CRM systems contain some of your most vital and valuable data, ripe for AI-driven efficiencies.

AI can save you precious time and put you in a great position to increase sales, from aggregating and sorting relevant customer information to help you decide on marketing strategies or even product development to providing insights and sales forecasts that would previously have taken you days to write up.

Some examples of how AI can help your business succeed include:

Talking the talk

Many businesses use chatbots to help answer customer questions and act as a triage to direct questions to the most appropriate respondent.

Chatbots have come a long way in recent years, and the availability of AI-powered chatbots with natural language abilities ensures you can provide personalised service 24/7/365. And of course, your CRM can record all these conversations for further analysis and follow-up.

From the customer side, receiving a quick, helpful and ‘human’ response will help ensure customer loyalty.

AI prompts

The kind of data analysis offered by AI goes beyond what most people would be able to manage themselves.

It’s possible to analyse everything from customer interactions, like clicks on your website, to customer sentiment, such as on social media or chatbot conversations, to empower salespeople to make the right offer at the right time. These nudges might include specific products or offer recommendations that help drive sales.

Sales forecasts

Gone are the days of spending hours – if not weeks – of your life trying to build a detailed sales report, including a forecast for the next quarter. AI-powered algorithms can analyse historical data and relevant market trends, providing comprehensive reports that enable you to plan and ensure you’re well-placed to meet demand.

AI can massively streamline some workflows and replace others altogether. However, to make the most of this opportunity, businesses must have a joined-up strategy that connects the dots across all CRM-based workflows.

It’s also vital that AI tools are provided with good, accurate data to help them work more accurately and efficiently. Implementing AI-powered CRM tools to improve the performance of a system full of inaccurate or incomplete data won’t bring the desired results.

Addressing common CRM pain points with AI

In our experience, there are five core pain points with CRM systems:
- disappointing ROI
- lack of strategic alignment
- operational inefficiencies
- low user adoption
- deteriorating relationship with the current CRM partner
AI can help address many of these challenges and support end users to get more from their system.

Disappointing ROI

A disappointing ROI is often the result of low or inefficient use of the system. AI-powered CRM automation helps reduce workloads – making the sales process more efficient – but also opens up new opportunities by delivering customer insights and prompting salespeople to create the right offer at the right time.

Strategically using these tools will empower salespeople to make data-driven decisions that increase ROI.

Lack of strategic alignment

When a CRM isn’t meeting its potential, it’s often because there’s no alignment between CRM use and business goals. Are you mining the CRM for relevant data to help meet those goals? Did you use CRM data to help inform your strategy?

If the answer to these questions is no, then you have, if not a problem, a missed opportunity. AI-powered CRM tools analyse your data to provide insights that can shape your strategy. Plus, they can automate many processes that help you reach your targets.

Operational inefficiencies

If people don’t know how to use the CRM fully, or they’re not aware of all the available functions, then they won’t see the value of it. They might even see it as just another job on their list – when, in fact, the AI-powered CRM tools within an advanced system like Dynamics 365 could reduce their workload.

Automating repetitive tasks and using AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot, which integrates with Dynamics, enables you to automatically input data with a simple click – for example, updating contact information or copying across meeting summaries or task lists. These features streamline workflows, enabling you to gain efficiencies.

Low user adoption

Low user adoption is usually a side-effect of other challenges – when users do not see the benefit of a system, they won’t use it.

Every CRM implementation should begin with a good roll-out plan and ongoing training. You can also utilise AI to support this process with personalised data-led recommendations, such as those prompts mentioned above, which increase user engagement and adoption rates.

Deteriorating relationships with current partner

If you have lost faith in your CRM supplier due to poor results, talk to our team. We can help rescue your CRM and empower you to achieve the performance you hoped for – or even better – using all the functionality (AI and otherwise) of your CRM system.

QGate’s approach to AI-powered CRM recovery & optimisation

We have a four-phase approach to helping customers rediscover the value and potential of their CRM, including AI-powered CRM recovery and optimisation. It begins with a system audit, where we seek to understand your business, goals and ambitions and how you currently work. We then conduct a thorough review of your CRM setup to identify the performance gap between where your usage currently sits and where you need it to be to meet your business goals.

At this stage, we’re looking at the quality of your data, how it’s structured, to what extent you’re using the features included in your CRM and your business processes. This leads us to phase two, in which we gather user feedback to understand pain points from the end user’s perspective, as well as areas for improvement. This helps us understand priorities as we move forward with fixes and enhancements.

Phase three is where we customise and optimise your CRM based on the information gathered in the first two phases. Depending on your priorities, this might include adjusting workflows, improving data quality, or integrating with other systems to enhance functionality.

Finally, we reinforce user training and support to ensure everyone is empowered to use the system to the best of its ability. We can offer ongoing training sessions and a helpdesk for CRM-related queries if required.

The future of AI-powered CRMs

Looking to the future, it’s easy to imagine a time when you will have an AI assistant managing many of your tasks. You might come into your office in the morning and ask your assistant – is today a good day to approach X company? – and rely on your assistant to draw on what they know of a contact’s calendar, business and market context, plus history with your own company, to give you an answer. Better yet, they will probably be able to trawl your CRM to tell you (without waiting for you to ask) which customers should be on your target list for the day. With AI tools developing at speed, all of this will be on the radar sooner rather than later.

For SMEs, this means less time wasted and more time selling, shorter sales cycles and more personalised, higher-value deals.

Of course, just as with existing CRM technology, availability does not necessarily equate to a good user experience. It remains important to align CRM use with business strategy, to take the time to communicate both things to end users and to support people to get the most from their CRM. Also, bear in mind that not every system will suit every business, so take your time before investing to ensure you have selected the CRM and integrated tools that work for you.

If you have questions, we’re always happy to advise. Get in touch with our team today for further advice and information.

Start the Revolution

AI and CRMs are natural partners: one a data mining and analytics superstar and the other a hub for all your customer-related data. Their co-evolution will bring tremendous benefits to businesses – but only if businesses are both open to and aware of the value on offer.

We’re excited about the transformative potential of AI and highly focused on providing a kind of ‘translation service’, bridging the gap between the two and empowering businesses to make the most of the services and solutions available to them. If you’d like to talk about how AI-powered CRM can transform and supercharge your business performance, get in touch.

Let’s Talk!

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments. Learn more
April 3, 2024
Unlocking Business Potential: The Benefits of Software Financing

Staying ahead in terms of technology is crucial for success but the cost of acquiring and maintaining cutting-edge software and equipment can be a significant challenge for many businesses. This is where software financing steps in, offering a strategic solution to help businesses thrive.

Software financing is a credit agreement that allows you to spread the cost of your investment in a new CRM with QGate through affordable monthly payments spread out over a period of between one to five years.

Arranging finance for your business software provides your business with the purchasing power of a cash buyer, enabling you to make strategic investments in technology without depleting your cash reserves. This financial flexibility allows for agile decision-making and quick adaptation to market trends.

Cost-Efficient Cash Flow Management

Financing offers a structured approach to paying for capital purchases with low fixed monthly repayments. This method allows businesses to budget effectively and manage cash flow efficiently, providing stability and predictability in financial planning.

Obsolescence Management

One of the significant challenges in technology is the rapid pace of obsolescence. Financing addresses this issue by allowing you to upgrade outdated items as needed. This ensures that your business is always equipped with the latest technology without the burden of paying out or writing off large capital sums.

Optimised Capital Employment

Financing frees up capital that would otherwise be tied up in equipment purchases. This liberated capital can then be strategically invested in areas where a higher return on investment is achievable, enhancing overall business profitability.

Access to Tomorrow’s Technology Today

Financing bridges the gap between what your business needs and what it can afford. With a finance arrangement, you can have access to tomorrow’s technology today, staying competitive and future-proofing your operations.

Tax Efficiency

Finance payments are fully allowable against taxable revenue, providing a tax-efficient way to acquire and use essential equipment. This advantage makes financing an attractive option compared to similar outright purchases that may not offer the same tax benefits.

Flexible Terms

Financing provides flexibility in lease terms, ranging from 12 to 60 months. This ensures that businesses can choose a duration that aligns with their specific requirements and financial goals.

No Upfront Deposit

Unlike traditional financing options, there’s no requirement for an upfront deposit. The first payment is due in accordance with your purchase terms, simplifying the acquisition process and easing financial strain on your business.

Upgrade Options

QGate understands that technology needs evolve. With an upgrade option available, businesses can seamlessly adapt to changing requirements within the term of the lease, ensuring continued access to state-of-the-art equipment.

In conclusion, financing offers a comprehensive and strategic approach to acquiring and managing essential software and equipment for businesses, from unlocking the purchasing power of a cash buyer to providing tax-efficient solutions.

Whether you’re an existing QGate client or not to find out more about how flexible payments can help you accelerate the investment and deployment of software in your business please contact us.

February 16, 2024
Microsoft Copilot for Sales – what is it and how can it help you?

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful AI assistant within the Microsoft ecosystem and can work with and draw from your existing applications and documents. Copilot for sales brings the power of artificial intelligence directly into the tools that businesses use daily. This integration allows Copilot to seamlessly interact with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft applications, enabling users to generate content, analyse data, create presentations, and manage communications more efficiently.

Copilot is designed to understand context and user intent, making it an invaluable tool for enhancing productivity. In the case of sales and marketing, Copilot can be a significant driver of engagement with the added benefit of integrating with Dynamics 365.

Large enterprises such as Pfizer, PwC, and Visa are already leveraging Copilot to streamline their operations, enhance collaboration, and drive innovation. These companies use Copilot to manage vast amounts of data, create detailed reports, and maintain consistent communication across global teams. The AI assistant’s ability to learn and adapt to each organization’s unique workflow further amplifies its effectiveness, making it a crucial component of modern business strategy.

So what’s the big deal about Copilot for Sales?

It’s hard to overstate just how much potential Copilot holds. It’s a game-changer, not just in terms of productivity – because it carries out those routine repetitive tasks in seconds, not hours – but also in terms of diligence, accuracy, and efficiency. However, Cameron Male from Infinigate Cloud recently joined us on a webinar and made the point that Copilot can’t do everything. “It’s called Copilot for a reason. It’s not autopilot; it’s not lead pilot. It’s not here to replace people. It’s here to strap a rocket onto what we’re already doing.”

Cameron compares Copilot to the equivalent of having an intern for everyone in the business. You can talk to it in natural language – asking questions or giving instructions in the same way you can with a person, pointing towards relevant resources, requesting document summaries, etc. But, just like an intern, you can’t assume everything it produces is ready to go. You need to work with the material, shape it, and add to it until you’re happy with it. Even so, you’re still saving significant time compared to doing the full task by yourself.

Copilot for Dynamics 365

For salespeople, the easiest way to understand the benefits of Copilot is with examples.

Makes email easier

When your inbox is piling up, it’s difficult to keep track of conversations. Copilot summarises email threads, saving you time trailing back through your emails. It also helps draft new emails, drawing on your CRM and existing resources to gather relevant information such as product prices, timelines, etc.

Enables more productive meetings

Copilot helps you prepare for meetings by bringing up notes from previous discussions, email threads, proposals, etc. It can provide sales tips, and competitor insights and even propose answers to questions raised during the meeting. After the meeting, it can provide a summary and create tasks from action points raised during the meeting.

Continuously updates CRM

Copilot syncs with Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce, making it easy to share and save relevant conversations, update contacts, and record progress with just a few clicks.

Generates reports and presentations

One source can generate any number of documents. For example, a single product might require a customer proposal, web page, product brochure, pitch deck, instruction manual, and more. A lot of these documents have considerable overlap. As a generative AI tool, Copilot can save you the effort of reproducing the same information in different formats – easily drafting PowerPoint presentations from brochures, for example, or creating sales forecasts from Excel spreadsheets.

What are the biggest benefits of Copilot for Sales?

By far the biggest benefit of Copilot for sales and Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the time saved on repetitive, routine tasks. This enables sellers to get on with the business of selling, without neglecting any of those important ‘background’ tasks that facilitate and support sales conversations. By adding AI into the mix, you’re effectively increasing the capacity of your salespeople.

Workflows aren’t just speeded up – they’re also more productive and more efficient because they’re backed by data. Decisions can be made based on evidence and known connections, rather than assumptions and fallible human memory. Effectively, we’re moving towards a workplace where we use the human brain for the things it does best – creating relationships, navigating personalities, understanding emotional context – and use AI where it makes sense to do so.

Want to learn more about Copilot?

We’ve recorded a couple of videos about Copilot, where we discuss how this tool can be used across departments within an organisation. You can find those here. Alternatively, email info@qgate.co.uk and we can set up a time to talk through how Copilot might benefit your business.

Let’s Talk!

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.

Learn more

February 5, 2024
Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365

February 2, 2024