Tag: artificial-intelligence

  • Upcoming Deprecations in Copilot for Dynamics 365 Sales

    Microsoft has announced two upcoming changes to Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales, both taking effect in September 2025. These deprecations are being rolled out on a region-by-region basis and represent a shift in how sellers will engage with Copilot capabilities.

    1. Emails That Need Follow-Up in Copilot

    Currently, sellers can rely on a “Show emails that need follow-up” prompt in Copilot to quickly surface important emails that may require attention. Beginning September 2025, this prompt will be deprecated.

    After this change, the dedicated prompt will no longer be available, meaning sellers won’t see a curated list of follow-up emails inside Copilot.

    What to use instead:

    • Copilot’s in-flow summarization features will continue to provide intelligent insights directly within emails and threads.
    • Natural language prompts can still be used to identify follow-up needs, giving sellers flexibility without relying on a fixed shortcut.

    The change aligns with Microsoft’s broader push to make Copilot more conversational and adaptive, encouraging sellers to use open-ended queries rather than fixed commands.

    2. Full-Screen Copilot View in Dynamics 365 Sales

    Another change affects how sellers launch and interact with Copilot. The full-screen view—accessible from the site map in Dynamics 365 Sales—will be deprecated in September 2025.

    This means sellers will no longer be able to open Copilot as a dedicated immersive experience.

    What to use instead:

    • Copilot will remain available in the side pane, embedded directly into grids and forms.
    • Sellers will see contextual banner summaries without leaving their current workspace.

    This adjustment reduces context switching, ensuring Copilot is always present where sellers are working, instead of requiring them to step out into a separate canvas. It reflects Microsoft’s strategy of weaving AI into the flow of work rather than making it an isolated destination.

    Why These Changes Matter

    Both deprecations highlight Microsoft’s direction for Copilot in Dynamics 365 Sales:

    • From fixed prompts to flexible natural language.
    • From separate experiences to embedded assistance.

    For sellers, the practical takeaway is simple: Copilot isn’t going away—it’s becoming more integrated, context-aware, and aligned with daily workflows.

    ✅ Next steps for organizations:

    • Review any sales training or adoption materials that reference the deprecated prompt or full-screen Copilot option.
    • Encourage teams to practice using natural language queries and side-pane Copilot features ahead of the September 2025 change.
    • Stay tuned for additional updates as Microsoft continues to evolve Copilot’s capabilities.

  • 2025 Release Wave 1 – Row Summaries in Model-Driven Apps (Preview)

    Microsoft’s 2025 Release Wave 1 introduces a powerful new feature: Custom Row Summaries for model-driven apps (preview). This enhancement expands upon existing AI-driven capabilities, allowing users to summarize records for virtually any table, both native and custom.

    Check it out in my new video below!

  • Visualizing Data with Copilot Preview: A Game-Changer for Efficiency

    In the ever-evolving landscape of data analysis and visualization, Microsoft’s Copilot Preview introduces a groundbreaking feature that simplifies data representation. The latest release, part of the 2025 Wave 1 update, enables users to visualize data in a view with a single click, minimizing manual configuration while enhancing accessibility and efficiency. This article explores the functionalities, benefits, and potential applications of this feature.

    What is the Copilot Visualization Feature?

    The Copilot visualization feature allows users to generate dynamic charts based on the columns displayed in their view. Instead of manually creating static charts, Copilot intelligently selects relevant data fields and visualizes them automatically.

    This feature, currently in preview, is accessible through a dedicated button in the UI, streamlining the process of creating meaningful data visualizations.

    How to Enable the Feature

    To start using the Copilot visualization feature, follow these simple steps:

    1. Access the Admin Portal: Navigate to your environment settings.
    2. Enable AI Features: Under the ‘Features’ section, ensure that both ‘Natural Language Grid and View Search’ and ‘Allow AI to Generate Charts’ are activated.
    3. Start Visualizing Data: Once enabled, the visualization button appears within the grid interface, allowing users to generate charts instantly.

    Key Features and Benefits

    • Automated Data Visualization – Reduces manual effort by dynamically generating relevant charts.
    • Enhanced Natural Language Processing – Users can refine visualizations by using natural language queries, such as filtering accounts by populated city fields.
    • Interactive and Customizable – Provides options to change chart types, copy visualizations, and share them via emails or Teams.
    • Improved Data Insights – Helps users quickly interpret data trends, such as geographical distribution of accounts, without needing advanced data analytics skills.

    Practical Use Cases

    1. Business Analytics: Sales and marketing teams can leverage this tool to identify high-performing regions or product trends.
    2. Project Management: Teams can visualize project progress dynamically, tracking key performance indicators.
    3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Users can segment and analyze customer data efficiently without extensive dashboard configurations.

    What I’d like to see from future iterations:

    • Smarter field selection algorithms.
    • Expanded integration with external datasets.
    • More sophisticated natural language processing capabilities.