InfoStrat's Townsend Report

Microsoft continues to release new Dynamics software offerings at a rapid pace.  This post is to introduce Microsoft solutions for human capital management. Future posts will provide more product comparisons. 
The flagship Microsoft Dynamics product is Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (Enterprise Edition): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/fin-and-ops/  It is a full fledged enterprise resource planning solution which competes with SAP and Oracle.  It includes financials as well as HR benefits, employee development and training, recruiting and payroll.  This product was derived from Dynamics AX, a mature product with a wide global user base.  
Microsoft has recently created a related product called Dynamics 365 for Talent  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/talent/index
The functions offered by Dynamics 365 for Talent overlap with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (Enterprise Edition) but it does not contain some …

My company InfoStrat has developed grant management systems for federal, state, and local governments as well as non-profits for nearly twenty years.  I have noticed a new emphasis on the requirement for flexibility in creating a system which can be easily modified to handle new grant programs and changes in business rules.

Here are my top dos and don'ts from our experience and that of our customers:

Whether you are a grantor or a grantee, don't develop a new system for every program.  When a new program is created, it may seem simpler to start from scratch and spin up a new system in order to avoid changes to your existing system.  This approach is an easy trap to fall into, but later you will end up with multiple systems which separately need to be maintained, upgraded, and enhanced.  Creating reports that combine data from multiple systems is needlessly difficult compared to using a centralized, integrated approach from the beginning.Consider your enterprise architecture. Do…

Social selling is a fast growing category for sales force automation.  Since Microsoft acquired LinkedIn, the leading professional social network in the United States, it has been adding features and improving the user experience in order to support social selling for business-to-business companies.  For most companies, the central repository for sales information is the customer relationship management (CRM) system.  Microsoft is one of the leaders in CRM with its Dynamics 365 (formerly Dynamics CRM) product, so integration with LinkedIn is a natural extension of CRM and a solid platform for anyone interested in social selling.
The primary social selling tool in LinkedIn is Sales Navigator. Dynamics 365 integration with LinkedIn Sales Navigator offers many features: Log Sales Navigator activity directly into CRMAutomatically import accounts, contacts, and lead records that your team is actively working from CRM into Sales NavigatorAutomatically log InMails, Messages, and Notes direct…