#Dynamics 365 Territory Management

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The reverse-centaur apocalypse is upon us

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

In thinking about the relationship between tech and labor, one of the most useful conceptual frameworks is "centaurs" vs "reverse-centaurs":

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

A centaur is someone whose work is supercharged by automation: you are a human head atop the tireless body of a machine that lets you get more done than you could ever do on your own.

A reverse-centaur is someone who is harnessed to the machine, reduced to a mere peripheral for a cruelly tireless robotic overlord that directs you to do the work that it can't, at a robotic pace, until your body and mind are smashed.

Bosses love being centaurs. While workplace monitoring is as old as Taylorism – the "scientific management" of the previous century that saw labcoated frauds dictating the fine movements of working people in a kabuki of "efficiency" – the lockdowns saw an explosion of bossware, the digital tools that let bosses monitor employees to a degree and at a scale that far outstrips the capacity of any unassisted human being.

Armed with bossware, your boss becomes a centaur, able to monitor you down to your keystrokes, the movements of your eyes, even the ambient sound around you. It was this technology that transformed "work from home" into "live at work." But bossware doesn't just let your boss spy on you – it lets your boss control you. \

It turns you into a reverse-centaur.

"Data At Work" is a research project from Cracked Labs that dives deep into the use of surveillance and control technology in a variety of workplaces – including workers' own cars and homes:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work

It consists of a series of papers that take deep dives into different vendors' bossware products, exploring how they are advertised, how they are used, and (crucially) how they make workers feel. There are also sections on how these interact with EU labor laws (the project is underwritten by the Austrian Arbeiterkammer), with the occasional aside about how weak US labor laws are.

The latest report in the series comes from Wolfie Christl, digging into Microsoft's "Dynamics 365," a suite of mobile apps designed to exert control over "field workers" – repair technicians, security guards, cleaners, and home help for ill, elderly and disabled people:

https://crackedlabs.org/dl/CrackedLabs_Christl_MobileWork.pdf

It's…not good. Microsoft advises its customers to use its products to track workers' location every "60 to 300 seconds." Workers are given tasks broken down into subtasks, each with its own expected time to completion. Workers are expected to use the app every time they arrive at a site, begin or complete a task or subtask, or start or end a break.

For bosses, all of this turns into a dashboard that shows how each worker is performing from instant to instant, whether they are meeting time targets, and whether they are spending more time on a task than the client's billing rate will pay for. Each work order has a clock showing elapsed seconds since it was issued.

For workers, the system generates new schedules with new work orders all day long, refreshing your work schedule as frequently as twice per hour. Bosses can flag workers as available for jobs that fall outside their territories and/or working hours, and the system will assign workers to jobs that require them to work in their off hours and travel long distances to do so.

Each task and subtask has a target time based on "AI" predictions. These are classic examples of Goodhart's Law: "any metric eventually becomes a target." The average time that workers take becomes the maximum time that a worker is allowed to take. Some jobs are easy, and can be completed in less time than assigned. When this happens, the average time to do a job shrinks, and the time allotted for normal (or difficult) jobs contracts.

Bosses get stack-ranks of workers showing which workers closed the most tickets, worked the fastest, spent the least time idle between jobs, and, of course, whether the client gave them five stars. Workers know it, creating an impossible bind: to do the job well, in a friendly fashion, the worker has to take time to talk with the client, understand their needs, and do the job. Anything less will generate unfavorable reports from clients. But doing this will blow through time quotas, which produces bad reports from the bossware. Heads you lose, tails the boss wins.

Predictably, Microsoft has shoveled "AI" into every corner of this product. Bosses don't just get charts showing them which workers are "underperforming" – they also get summaries of all the narrative aspects of the workers' reports (e.g. "My client was in severe pain so I took extra time to make her comfortable before leaving"), filled with the usual hallucinations and other botshit.

No boss could exert this kind of fine-grained, soul-destroying control over any workforce, much less a workforce that is out in the field all day, without Microsoft's automation tools. Armed with Dynamics 365, a boss becomes a true centaur, capable of superhuman feats of labor abuse.

And when workers are subjected to Dynamics 365, they become true reverse-centaurs, driven by "digital whips" to work at a pace that outstrips the long-term capacity of their minds and bodies to bear it. The enthnographic parts of the report veer between chilling and heartbreaking.

Microsoft strenuously objects to this characterization, insisting that their tool (which they advise bosses to use to check on workers' location every 60-300 seconds) is not a "surveillance" tool, it's a "coordination" tool. They say that all the AI in the tool is "Responsible AI," which is doubtless a great comfort to workers.

In Microsoft's (mild) defense, they are not unique. Other reports in the series show how retail workers and hotel housekeepers are subjected to "despot on demand" services provided by Oracle:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/retail-hospitality

Call centers, are even worse. After all, most of this stuff started with call centers:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/callcenter

I've written about Arise, a predatory "work from home" company that targets Black women to pay the company to work for it (they also have to pay if they quit!). Of course, they can be fired at will:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

There's also a report about Celonis, a giant German company no one has ever heard of, which gathers a truly nightmarish quantity of information about white-collar workers' activities, subjecting them to AI phrenology to judge their "emotional quality" as well as other metrics:

https://crackedlabs.org/en/data-work/publications/processmining-algomanage

As Celonis shows, this stuff is coming for all of us. I've dubbed this process "the shitty technology adoption curve": the terrible things we do to prisoners, asylum seekers and people in mental institutions today gets repackaged tomorrow for students, parolees, Uber drivers and blue-collar workers. Then it works its way up the privilege gradient, until we're all being turned into reverse-centaurs under the "digital whip" of a centaur boss:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/25/the-peoples-amazon/#clippys-revenge

In mediating between asshole bosses and the workers they destroy, these bossware technologies do more than automate: they also insulate. Thanks to bossware, your boss doesn't have to look you in the eye (or come within range of your fists) to check in on you every 60 seconds and tell you that you've taken 11 seconds too long on a task. I recently learned a useful term for this: an "accountability sink," as described by Dan Davies in his new book, The Unaccountability Machine, which is high on my (very long) list of books to read:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/02/despotism-on-demand/#virtual-whips

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[subtlystoiceon]

Enhancing Sales Processes with Dynamics 365: A Complete Guide to Transformation

Sales teams today face unprecedented challenges. Customer expectations continue rising while competition intensifies across every industry. Organizations that rely on outdated processes and disconnected systems find themselves falling behind competitors who have embraced modern technology solutions. Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive platform that transforms how businesses approach sales management, customer relationships, and revenue generation.

The Modern Sales Challenge

Traditional sales processes often involve multiple disconnected tools, manual data entry, and time-consuming administrative tasks that pull sales representatives away from what they do best: selling. Sales teams juggle spreadsheets, email chains, and various software applications while struggling to maintain accurate customer records and track opportunities effectively. This fragmented approach leads to missed opportunities, inconsistent customer experiences, and reduced productivity across the entire sales organization.

Many companies recognize these problems but hesitate to implement comprehensive solutions due to concerns about complexity, cost, and disruption to existing workflows. However, the cost of maintaining inefficient processes far exceeds the investment required for Dynamics 365 Implementation, especially when considering long-term productivity gains and revenue growth potential.

Streamlining Lead Management

Dynamics 365 revolutionizes lead management by creating a centralized system that captures, qualifies, and nurtures prospects throughout the entire sales funnel. The platform automatically scores leads based on predetermined criteria, ensuring sales teams focus their efforts on the most promising opportunities. Advanced analytics provide insights into lead sources, conversion rates, and customer behavior patterns that inform strategic decision-making.

The system integrates seamlessly with marketing automation tools, creating a unified view of each prospect's journey from initial awareness through final purchase. Sales representatives can access complete interaction histories, including website visits, email engagements, and previous conversations, enabling more personalized and effective sales approaches.

Automating Administrative Tasks

One of the most significant benefits of Dynamics 365 Implementation involves reducing administrative burden on sales teams. The platform automates routine tasks such as data entry, follow-up reminders, and report generation, freeing up valuable time for relationship building and deal closing activities. Automated workflows ensure consistent processes across the organization while reducing human error and improving data quality.

Custom business rules can be configured to handle specific organizational requirements, such as approval processes for large deals or automatic assignment of leads based on geographic territories or industry verticals. These automation capabilities scale with business growth, maintaining efficiency even as sales teams expand.

Enhanced Customer Relationship Management

Dynamics 365 provides a 360-degree view of each customer relationship, consolidating information from multiple touchpoints into a single, accessible record. Sales representatives can quickly understand customer preferences, purchase history, support interactions, and current opportunities without switching between different systems or searching through email archives.

The platform's collaboration tools enable seamless communication between sales, marketing, and customer service teams, ensuring consistent messaging and coordinated efforts throughout the customer lifecycle. Real-time updates keep all stakeholders informed about account developments, preventing miscommunication and duplicate efforts.

Advanced Analytics and Reporting

Data-driven decision making becomes possible through Dynamics 365's robust analytics capabilities. The platform generates comprehensive reports on sales performance, pipeline health, and forecasting accuracy, providing managers with actionable insights for strategic planning and resource allocation. Customizable dashboards display key performance indicators in real-time, enabling quick identification of trends and potential issues.

Predictive analytics features leverage artificial intelligence to identify patterns and suggest next best actions for individual deals. These insights help sales representatives prioritize activities and optimize their approaches based on similar successful scenarios from the past.

Mobile Accessibility and Remote Work Support

Modern sales teams require access to customer information and sales tools regardless of location. Dynamics 365's mobile applications provide full functionality on smartphones and tablets, enabling productive work whether representatives are in the office, traveling, or meeting with clients. Offline capabilities ensure continuity even in areas with limited internet connectivity.

Implementation Success Factors

Successful Dynamics 365 Implementation requires careful planning, stakeholder buy-in, and ongoing support. Organizations should begin with clear objectives, realistic timelines, and comprehensive training programs for all users. Change management strategies help teams adapt to new processes while maintaining momentum toward improved sales performance.

The investment in Dynamics 365 Implementation pays dividends through increased sales productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and sustainable revenue growth. Companies that embrace this transformation position themselves for long-term success in increasingly competitive markets.

[inogictech]

Boost Sales Efficiency with Dynamics 365 Sales Territory Alignment

With dynamics 365 sales territory alignment, Maplytics makes it easy to organize and realign your sales territories visually. You can drag and drop to reshape zones, assign sales reps accurately, and avoid overlapping territories. This means every rep has the right number of accounts, which boosts productivity and customer reach. The mapping inside Dynamics 365 helps managers make fast decisions, keeping sales balanced and focused. Say goodbye to messy territory issues with dynamics 365 sales territory alignment.

[inogic]

Maps for Dynamics 365 CRM

Maplytics is a geospatial mapping and analytics solution built for Microsoft Dynamics 365. It is designed to enhance the capabilities of Dynamics 365 by integrating mapping and location intelligence features. Maplytics allows users to visualize and analyze their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) data on a map, providing a geographical perspective to their business data.

Key features of Maplytics may include:

Map Visualization: Users can view their Dynamics 365 data on an interactive map, making it easier to understand the geographical distribution of customers, leads, or other relevant information.

Route Optimization: Maplytics may offer route planning and optimization features, helping sales and service teams plan efficient routes for their field activities.

Spatial Analysis: Users can perform spatial analysis on their CRM data, uncovering insights based on location-based patterns and trends.

Geo-Analytics: The solution may provide tools for geo-analytics, allowing users to perform various analytical tasks on their mapped data.

Territory Management: Maplytics may assist in defining and managing sales territories based on geographical parameters.

Proximity Search: Users can conduct searches based on proximity to a location, helping them identify nearby opportunities or customers.

[johnklok]

Overcome Common Field Service Challenges with Dynamics 365 Map

Imagine having to work magic to keep tabs on what’s happening outside while you sit in your office. Sales managers often find it challenging to manage their onfield teams while they are in the office.

We identified some common challenges faced by companies and how a geolocation mapping tool like MappyField 365 can help you overcome these challenges.

Identifying Common Field Service Challenges

Field service businesses often encounter a wave of customer complaints when their on-field services fall short.

When customers are disappointed with inefficient services, you would want to fix this issue as soon as possible. Because failure to address such issues can directly impact sales, brand reputation, and customer loyalty. All of these factors are crucial for business growth.

Well, to keep customers happy, businesses must go beyond just solving issues. They must enhance the overall experience of their customers.

Efficient field service processes lead to better customer service. Here, the focus is not solely on customer happiness, but it also involves keeping field resources happy.

Your employees spend their entire day on the road to ensure all the inquiries are fulfilled properly. But visiting one place to another is exhausting and loaded with surprises like traffic, road closures, personal or vehicle emergencies, and whatnot.

Due to this, businesses face challenges in field service management, especially in monitoring field teams effectively. It’s impossible to oversee on-field staff activities from the office, making it challenging to detect process flaws. This lack of insight into execution can hinder the realization of planned strategies.

Sales representatives encounter various daily challenges, and their efforts to manage their schedule, despite that, often go unnoticed due to the absence of digital records.

For instance, a sales rep may face delays caused by unexpected roadblocks. These situations can lead to missed appointments, even though the reasons are valid. Hence, addressing scenarios is essential for improving service quality.

Overcome Challenges Only with MappyField 365

1. Route Optimization

MappyField’s Route Optimization feature is a valuable tool for businesses with field sales teams. It intelligently calculates and displays the most efficient route that connects all the client locations sales reps has to visit.

The primary goal is to minimize unproductive time and mileage. When sales reps don’t have to backtrack or zigzag across the same area, they can spend more time with clients, which is crucial for building strong relationships and closing deals.

Dynamics 365 map also considers real-time traffic data and road conditions, avoiding congested roads and roadblocks. This proactive approach helps prevent delays, ensuring that sales reps arrive at their appointments on time.

2. Territory Management

MappyField’s Territory Management feature simplifies the task of creating and optimizing sales territories. Businesses can define territories using various methods, such as drawing custom shapes on a map or specifying geographical regions.

Effective territory management is not just about evenly distributing the workload; it also helps with targeted marketing campaigns. When accounts are organized into logical territories, businesses can direct their sales efforts more effectively.

This feature also streamlines the process of managing sales territories. By ensuring that accounts within a territory are in close proximity reduces the time and effort spent on traveling between clients.

3. Live Tracking:

MappyField provides real-time tracking capabilities, allowing businesses to monitor the location of their field resources as they move about. This feature offers several advantages

Users can view the live location of their sales reps on a map, along with the routes assigned to them. This helps confirm that sales reps are following the prescribed routes and are on track to meet their appointments.

Live tracking is particularly beneficial when a new lead or opportunity arises. With real-time location data, businesses can quickly identify the nearest available sales rep to seize the opportunity and respond promptly to potential clients.

4. Auto Check-in/out:

When a sales rep arrives within a specified radius of a client’s location, the system automatically checks them in for the appointment.

If the sales rep is required to perform a manual check-in, they must provide a reason for the delay. This information is then sent to their respective manager for approval.

Managers can access this information in real-time, which enables them to keep a close eye on appointment punctuality and make informed decisions. The feature also allows sales reps to add attachments, notes, or other important information, enhancing transparency and record-keeping for future strategies and improvements.

Testimonials

“From the moment we engaged with Biztech, it was evident that their collaboration was built on trust, innovation, and a shared commitment to customer success. With our combined expertise and deep understanding of Dynamics 365, we are able to deliver tailored solutions that meet the business requirements for our customers. This partnership has truly elevated our digital transformation journey and positioned us for continued success in the ever-evolving business landscape.”                                                                                                                                                                                         – Franck AMIZET

Awesome application allowing both sales representatives and sales managers to have an overview of the different sectors they manage. User-friendly configuration panel and easy to use as mapping tool. At last not the least, a competent and helpful support team and developers quick to answer.                                                                                                                                                                                           – Cindy KOST

For more testimonials and information about MappyField 365, visit www.appjetty.com/dynamics365-mappyfield-365.htm

You can also book a personalized Demo with our product experts. It will give you a better understanding of the product as per your use case and requirements. Email us at sales@appjetty.com or visit our website www.appjetty.com.

All product and company names are trademarks™, registered® or copyright© trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

This Article is originally published on: https://www.appjetty.com/blog/field-service-challenges-dynamics-365-map/

[diiipanshu]

Top and best CRM Software services provider in Delhi NCR

In today's competitive business landscape, customer relationship management (CRM) software has become an indispensable tool for businesses in Delhi NCR. With the increasing need to effectively manage customer interactions, streamline sales processes, and enhance overall business efficiency, finding the best CRM software provider in Delhi NCR has become crucial. In this article, we will explore the top CRM software providers in Delhi NCR, highlighting their key features and benefits.

Best CRM Software services provider in Delhi NCR

1. Salesforce: When it comes to CRM software, Salesforce undoubtedly stands out as the industry leader. With its comprehensive suite of CRM solutions, Salesforce offers a range of functionalities tailored to meet the diverse needs of businesses in Delhi NCR. From lead management and sales forecasting to customer service and marketing automation, Salesforce provides a robust platform that empowers businesses to drive growth and build lasting customer relationships. With its cloud-based architecture, Salesforce ensures seamless accessibility and data security, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes.

2. Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM is another top-notch CRM software provider in Delhi NCR. Known for its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing, Zoho CRM caters to small and medium-sized businesses. With features like lead management, contact management, and sales automation, Zoho CRM enables businesses to streamline their sales processes and enhance productivity. Additionally, Zoho CRM offers integration with other popular business tools, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive CRM solution.

3. Microsoft Dynamics 365: Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a powerful CRM software provider that offers a wide range of features and functionalities. With its seamless integration with Microsoft Office tools and other business applications, Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides businesses in Delhi NCR with a unified platform for sales, marketing, and customer service. Its AI-driven capabilities enable businesses to gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions. With flexible deployment options, Microsoft Dynamics 365 caters to businesses of all sizes, making it a popular choice in the Delhi NCR region.

4. HubSpot CRM: HubSpot CRM is a renowned CRM software provider that offers a free, user-friendly CRM solution. With its intuitive interface and robust features, HubSpot CRM enables businesses to manage their contacts, track deals, and automate tasks effectively. It also provides seamless integration with HubSpot's marketing and sales tools, allowing businesses to create a unified customer experience. HubSpot CRM's affordability and ease of use make it an attractive choice for startups and small businesses in Delhi NCR.

5. SAP Sales Cloud: SAP Sales Cloud is a comprehensive CRM software provider that offers end-to-end sales management solutions. With its advanced features like lead and opportunity management, sales forecasting, and territory management, SAP Sales Cloud empowers businesses in Delhi NCR to optimize their sales processes and drive revenue growth. Additionally, SAP Sales Cloud's integration with other SAP modules provides businesses with a holistic view of their operations, enabling them to make informed decisions.

In conclusion, finding the best CRM software provider in Delhi NCR is essential for businesses aiming to enhance customer relationships and drive growth. Whether it's the industry-leading Salesforce, the user-friendly Zoho CRM, the versatile Microsoft Dynamics 365, the affordable HubSpot CRM, or the comprehensive SAP Sales Cloud, each of these providers offers unique features and benefits.

Businesses in Delhi NCR should carefully evaluate their requirements and choose a CRM software provider that aligns with their specific needs and goals. By implementing the right CRM software, businesses can streamline their operations, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead in today's competitive market.

[dynatechconsultancy]

Definitive Guide of Dynamics 365 Field Service [2021]

https://dynatechconsultancy.com/dynamics-365-field-service-guide/

Launched in 2016, Microsoft Dynamics is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and Customer Relationship Management solution. Dynamics 365 Field service is a popular Microsoft Dynamics application for mid-range companies that need to provide exceptional on-site service on customer locations. This definitive Dynamics 365 Field service guide will convey the benefits of integrating this application into your business.

What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service?

Dynamics 365 Field service is a business application that automates workflow, scheduling, and various other day-to-day applications for companies that provide on-site services. The application is prominently used by companies that provide on-ground services, including installations, maintenance, or repairs. This can simplify the day-to-day operation of a business, allowing the business to provide exceptional customer service to the clients.  

What are the features of Dynamics 365 Field Service?

Dynamics 365 Field service is a regularly updated application used by manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, or maintenance companies. Some of the promising features of field service Dynamics 365 include:

Preventive and breakdown services

Automated scheduling options

Tracking field agents

Intelligent inventory management tools

Remote access tools (for technicians and in-field operatives)

Communication tools

Automated invoice generation

Customizable KPI-based smart analytics

Embedded Internet of Things (IoT)

What are the benefits of D365 Field Service?

Their benefits of integrating Dynamics 365 field service are as follows:

Simple deployment: Unlike various applications that require specific training, Field Service Dynamic 365 is easy to use and deploy. It can be implemented into any business model without any loss in productivity or data. Furthermore, it can be customized and deployed remotely.

Reduce fix times: The dynamics 365 field service provides detailed reports on the maintenance required. This ensures the on-field operative knows the tools and skills required to complete the maintenance and can come prepared. This improves the first-time fix rates.

Easy resource planning: The communication tools provided in Dynamics 365 field service ensures dispatchers know which operative is closest and available to the job site. This ensures better human resource planning and improves the response time of the business.

Contract and warranty management: The business application can be used to keep track of which customers call regularly for service. This data is often displayed as analytics, and businesses can then use these to sell contracts or warranties.  

A real example of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service

An HVAC company based in the U.S. provides a wide variety of services – installations, maintenance, tune-ups, repairs, etc. They have several contractors on call during the week, each with different working hours or schedules. Implementing Dynamics 365 Field Service in such businesses can improve their working efficiency. The communication and automated scheduling tools can be used to find technicians who are closest to the job site. The technician can use their mobile device to find which service is required and which tools they have for the job. If they lack any tools required for the service, they can use D365 to update the inventory. This allows the business to reduce response time for their clients while providing the best person for the job.  

How to Implement D365 for Field Service?

Dynamics 365 field service can be implemented in a few simple steps:

Consideration: Field service consideration involves assessing the business’ current tactics. How are orders received? How are schedules for each employee made? This involves assessing each area of the business, from receiving orders to invoicing creation.

Organizational units: Creating organizational units and territories will help the business understand their effect on schedule. This involves understanding how tasks and requests are classified.

Defining products: The second step involves finding tools and products in D365 that can be implemented for the business. This involves selecting the right inventory, communication, automation, and other tools that the business needs.

Customizations: The application needs to be customized according to the business’ services. The customization revolves around the types of orders the business receives and their statuses.

Population: The final step involves populating the application with the business’s data. This includes adding customer information, employee information, etc.  

Takeaways

D365 Field Service is the ultimate solution for businesses that aim to provide exceptional customer service. DynaTech Systems, an official CMMI Level 3 & Microsoft Gold Partner, and D365 field service partner provide you with easy implementation and customization services. You can get an application tailor-made for your services. Simplify managing customer demands, schedules, and invoices with our expertise consider dropping in an email to sales@dynatechconsultancy.com

FAQs  

1. Which businesses can use D365 field service?

Dynamic 365 field service can be used by any business that provides on-site service for customers. Popular users of D365 include manufacturing, utility, healthcare, and maintenance providers.

2.  Is D365 and Dynamic 365 field service the same application?

No, D365 is a business ERP and CRM solution. Dynamics 365 field service is a D365 solution built specifically for businesses that provide service at customer locations.

Source: https://dynatechconsultancy.com/dynamics-365-field-service-guide/

[dailyaudiobible]

09/22/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 39:1-41:16, Ephesians 1:1-23, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 23:25-28

Today is the 22nd day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I’m Brian. It is my joy and honor and privilege to be here in my seat around the Global Campfire and it is so good to be here with you around this Global Campfire that we call home. This little oasis in the thick of the world and the craziness of it all. This one place that we go and take deep breaths and let them go and allow God's word to speak in a safe and serene place. And so, let's dive in, we’re continuing our journey through the book of Isaiah. When we get to the New Testament, we have some new territory to move into; the letter to the Ephesians and we’ll talk about that when we get there, but first Isaiah chapter 39 verse 1 through 41 verse 16.

Introduction to the Book of Ephesians:

Okay, that brings us here to the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians, which is going to take us into some new territory and some new ways of thinking. Ephesians is different than any of the other letters that we've read so far, which leads and has led certain biblical scholars to wonder who wrote this, clearly, its Paul line, clearly, it comes from his theology and from his way of thinking, but some wonder like, is this his style or did this come later, or are there developments that are later? Did Paul actually write this? And that's been up to…for debate for…for a long time. But then other Biblical scholars would be like, look, these letters were being passed around and copied and sent to each other all over the places, there would be nuances. There's no way to nail this down and that's equally fair. And Ephesians, well Ephesus is not a place that Paul wasn't familiar with. So, the people receiving this letter knew Paul and he knew them, which could explain some of the differences in the ways that he speaks. I guess if you're writing a letter to people you don't know to introduce yourself or to a church, maybe that you’ve founded and you know the leadership but it has grown and there are new people involved. That’d be different than if you're writing a personal letter to a group of people that you knew them all. Paul had spent about three years in Ephesus in the community that was established there, that he had established there. Ephesus was an important city in the Roman Empire. It was a port city. So, imports and exports are coming in and out of there as well as people from all over the place, arriving by ship, which would obviously make it a melting pot of different customs and different spiritual ideas. Ephesians is a little different, because Paul's not writing to correct a bunch of stuff and we've seen that in the letters so far where he's correcting things because of others who have come in and taught differently. He's correcting things that he's been asked directly about; he’s correcting things that he's heard are going on. Rather, he's writing to people he knows and he's been arrested at this point. So, he's writing this from prison. That's really compelling, like, once we start reading this, to imagine that this was written from an incarcerated person that was up for capital punishment, like, a life-and-death case is pretty remarkable because Ephesians gives us a glimpse into who we are because of what Jesus has done and where this is all going and it gives us a glimpse of the good news that, if you really just stop and think about some of the things that are being said, it's almost like, how can that, that is to good, that is so good that it makes you think how do I, that's the world I want to live in, like that, yes how do I get there? So, for Paul to be in prison and sending along this encouragement is really compelling to read. And you can imagine, Paul gets arrested as a ringleader of those who are now following Jesus. Those who are now known as Christians. If you're in the Roman Empire near a Gentile, and you’ve heard of Paul and you’ve kind of, you’re in the culture and you kind of know that there's some things stirring around this, you’re not necessarily, I mean like, if he’s in jail and he could be executed. You probably not looking for how you can sign up to be part of this club and if you have found Jesus and now Paul's in jail and could be killed. It's hard to think about how you would navigate the marginalization and how you would navigate what you’re going to do, how you going to manage with the culture turning against you. So, for Paul to write such grand views of the faith. Such hopeful things to contemplate is really beautiful on a lot of levels. So, let's dive in, it's a letter, it's not a superlong letter but let's drink every drop and let it lift our spirits and lift our eyes to the horizon that we might see what's really going on here instead of just trying to cope and survive. And with that we begin Ephesians chapter 1.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for this new territory that we are moving into in the letter to the Ephesians. Holy Spirit come, reset our vision, reset our attitude and our convictions as we contemplate what is in this letter over these next few days. Come, Holy Spirit, and lead us into all truth. This is a promise and we need the Spirit of truth to guide our steps, so come, Jesus we pray in your mighty name, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base that’s the Daily Audio Bible website. And that’s where you can certainly find out what's happening around here. If using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can find everything within the app as well. Check out the different sections, check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop. There are a lot of resources there in the Shop that are, that are for our community around the Global Campfire. It’s specifically for our journey through the Bible together in a year, whether that be Global Campfire apparel or things to carry around or whether that be the Daily Audio Bible journal and the black wing pencils and all of the writing instruments that go along with journaling. That's all been created for the, for the journey. It's remarkable to Journal your way through the Bible in a year. Amazing, the things that happen and the things that become clear and the things that are challenging that God gets us through to have that documented, that’s a beautiful thing and so, and it's a biblical thing so we…we encourage that. Or other resources like The God of Your Story, which is 365 days of written commentary like what we talk about every day on the Daily Audio Bible leading us through the Bible in a year and that is a fantastic resource every day. Actually, it’s a great resource every day may be each morning or each night, whatever. Like if you listen to Daily Audio Bible in the morning and kind of just glance through God of Your Story at night you just kind of lock some things in or see them from a different perspective because what we talk about at Daily Audio Bible each year, that's always very dynamic to what's going on and how it's hitting us on that particular day. So, there are many resources for the journey and you can find them in the Daily Audio Bible Shop whether using the app or the web.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, humbly, humbly, thank you. We would not be here. We would not be here if we were not in this together and we have been in this together for a lot of years now and I’m deeply humbled and deeply, deeply grateful. There is a link at dailyaudiobible.com on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is Asia from the City of Angels. And I just had to call in and pray for our sister Vicki from Northern California. Vicki, we hear, we hear the fragility in your voice as you tell your DAB family what happened to your son but yet we hear the strength of your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in the glory of God, even in your child and you’re suffering. I just want to give it up to you and my heart goes out to you, our arms are lifted to hold you during this time, our sister, and to give you the love of Jesus right now, through your fellow DAB family for what you're going through with the loss of your son. And, I do pray right now also Father God, please protect all of our medical care workers, our caregivers and workers in these environments Lord, in these current COVID times we’re living through. We just pray for them. We pray for their protection. We pray for their courage and we pray for their own health in this season, Father God. And, I just wanted you say thank you to the DAB Family for just your love, just showing everyone the love of Jesus Christ. Thank you.

I just want to praise God. And I want to thank you all for your prayers. Today, is September 18th and I am a little behind on my, on my, on listening to the Daily Audio Bible. I just…just finished listening to September 14 and at the end Cam in California had requested prayer for rain out here in the West. And I just want to tell you, I am driving on Highway 58 through the mountains in Oregon and it is raining. It started raining yesterday. We haven’t had rain for a long time and it has been so smoky and so dry, there’s been so many fires out here. It's just been really, really, really a rough summer. But it is raining and everything is wet. Everything is crisp and the air is clean and I just want to tell you that God is so awesome. And He’s heard your prayers. The prayers that have been prayed since Cam’s request aired on September 14th, four days before it started raining. God has heard your prayers and He has answered. And I just wanted to praise Him and I just want to thank you all for praying for us out here. We are so grateful for this rain, praise You God. You are so awesome, praise You.

Hello, Jermain here, new to the DAB community. And, I’ve been pretty moved by the different prayer requests and praise reports at the end of these talks and I wanted to request some prayer for a good friend of mine, his name is Bill. He has…he has done a lot of work for the Lord and he's brought a lot of, exposed a lot of people to Jesus since I’ve met him. A very strong soldier for the Lord. And, he, in the past couple years, he…he got schizophrenia and his relationship has been very, very rocky with God since then. At times, it appears he's an enemy of God. And I know it's has a lot to do with his mind, but I want to pray, I want to ask that we could, if you would pray for his healing. But in addition to that, pray also for everyone who is…who his around him, and help us to, pray that we would receive divine assistance in loving him the way that he should be loved cause it has been very hard since…since he's changed in this way, it’s like he’s a, almost like a completely different person. But that is my, that is my prayer request and I appreciate the existence of this community and I'm looking forward to getting more involved. Hopefully meeting…meeting some of you. Bye bye.

Hey Daily Audio Bible family. It's James no longer the teacher in LA after 11 years with our fine school district. I actually moved to a school district north of Los Angeles and been there for little over a month now and honestly spent a lot of those first weeks questioning the wisdom of my decision, finding out that benefits weren’t gonna be as good, a lot of things weren’t gonna be as good but you know what, I met another teacher there who was just reminding me that working for the students like this can be ministry and that's the word they used was ministry. And boy if that didn’t re-light a fire that's been inside me for a long time that made my last few months really crushed. So, in the last week, seven days, I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to four students already, but the good news, in one form or another, like one a day. And I went over to thank this teacher for just their kind words and they said this past Friday, they shared the news with three students in a day and this is not normal for either of us so please be lifting up our high school. Also, my therapist is really sick actually worried for his well-being so you can lift up my therapist John too. So, thanks family love you guys and I don't know if I could do this without you guys. Bye.

Dear sister, I hope I get your name right I think it was Vicki from California. That’s the lady whose son passed away on, I believe August 18, he took his own life. As soon as I heard this story that you told I texted my own son and told him I love him and we talked briefly on the phone. He had PTSD for other reasons but never been in the heroic position that your son has been in for such a long time. And we are so grateful to him and to all the medical people who’ve been right there on the front line, struggling in this battle. Lord, would you uphold this dear mom, thank You for her testimony of faith in You Lord. And, thank You for her son, who ministered really to all of us, day-in and day-out as we fight in this battle against the COVID virus. I pray it would go away soon. That we would find even more and new ways to cooperate to get this to just not be part of our lives anymore. Bless this dear mom in Jesus name I pray.

[theredherb]

The Red Herb’s Top 10 Games of 2020

Hey, fuck 2020. You might notice that many of the “Best Of” lists you read this year and last can’t help but mention how terrible 2020 was. That’s because every day was like hitting a new, splinter riddled branch on our 365 day plummet off a shit-coated tree. The year brought with it a viral pandemic that served as a pressure cooker for the societal and systemic issues boiling beneath the surface of our every day life. And we’re not out of it. 

At least one positive holds true of 2020: the games were pretty darn good. One has to wonder, though, if 2020 was the last year of what can be called “normalcy” for the video game industry. Now that the remainder of titles brewed in pre-Covid times are out in the wild, what will the future of gaming look like as studios shift to work-from-home and distribution models migrate to digital as the primary bread winner? What will games look like going forward?

I have no fucking clue. We’ll get there when we get there. But looking back, I’m glad to have had such solid distractions from the stress and strife. If 2020 is any indicator for the industry going forward, then my takeaway is that games will continue to grow in prominence because of their ability to help us cope and, more importantly, stay connected.

Anyway, here’s video games:

10. MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Oh, Marvel’s Avengers. I know you expected to be on more prestigious Top 10 lists than mine. Truthfully, I debated whether or not you should be here. But I had to search my soul (stone) on this one. Really assemble my feelings. Tony Stark my thoughts (?). Here’s the short of it: Marvel’s Avengers has a great story campaign with a surprising amount of emotional weight thanks largely to Kamala Khan’s quest to reassemble the heroes of her youth. Once the final cutscene ends, though, players were expected to take their play box of Marvel heroes, jump online, and duke it out against hordes of villains for the privilege of precious loot and level gains. It would be impossible to get bored because Crystal Dynamics was going to continually Bifrost in new quests, cosmetics, and heroes -- for free!

Except, after fans blasted through the campaign (took me a solid weekend), they found a multiplayer mode filled with repetitive fights against non-descript A.I.M Bots, a handful of dull, un-Marvelous environments (the PNW?! In a video game?! Wowwee!), and a grind for gear that became useless minutes after it was equipped. Oh, and bugs. Tons of bugs. It must be hard for A.I.M. to take earth’s mightiest heroes seriously when they’re falling through the fucking earth every other mission.

So why the Kevin Accolade™? Of all the mistakes and underbaked ideas, Crystal Dynamics got the most important thing right: they made me feel like I was a part of the Avengers. Cutting through the sky as Iron Man; dive bombing, fists-first as the Hulk; firing gadgets at cronies as Black Widow; cracking a row of skulls with Cap’s shield… Avengers is a brawler on super soldier serum.

The combat is crunchy and addictive, and surprisingly deep once you unlock your character’s full suite of skills and buffs. The gear matters little. But choosing a loadout that works for you -- like ensuring enemy takedowns grant you a health orb every time or turning area clearing attacks to focused beams of hurt -- does matter. When it comes to games with disastrous launches, Avengers is the most deserving of a triumphant comeback story because, if you clear the wreckage, I think there’s a solid game here. If I was able to spend hours playing it in its roughshod state, I can see myself digging in for the long-term once it’s polished up and given a healthy dose of content. You know...if Square Enix doesn’t outright abandon it.

9. STREETS OF RAGE 4

Here’s a fact about me: I love beat ‘em ups. From Final Fight to X-Men to The Simpsons, I prioritized my quarters for the beat ‘em up machines (and House of the Dead simply because House of the Dead fuckin’ owns). Unfortunately, Streets of Rage wasn’t in arcades, and I didn’t own a Genesis growing up, so I didn’t get around to the series until Sega re-released as part of a collection. Though my history with the 29 year old brawler is shorter than some, the basics stand out out right away: it’s an awesome side-scrolling brawler filled with zany character designs and high octane boss fights.

SoR4 nails that simple spirit while adding an electric soundtrack, buttery smooth animations, and an art style that looks like a comic book in motion. You can button-mash your way through the game or master your timing to combo stun the shit out of bad guys. Same screen co-op is a requisite for the beat ‘em up genre but I have to call it out nonetheless given that it's next to obsolete these days. The story campaign is, of course, finite but a stream of unlockables and a Boss Rush Mode pad out the package nicely.

I really don’t have to go on and on. I’m on board with any game that captures the arcadey high of classic beat ‘em ups, and Streets of Rage 4 does it with flare.

8. RESIDENT EVIL 3 REMAKE

Resident Evil 2’s remake was my game of the year in 2019. It’s a pitch perfect revision that captures the pulse-pounding fear of the original while beautifully updating its graphics and gameplay for modern audiences. The most striking aspect of RE2’s remake is how it expands and reconfigures the classic game’s environments and set pieces. Capcom managed to recontextualize, and even improve on, the original’s design while staying faithful to its tone and atmosphere.

Resident Evil 3’s remake is less successful in modifying and improving on its source material. If the game feels like it was handled by a different team than RE2R, your gamer hands have good eyes (roll with it). It was developed by a separate internal team (three different teams, in fact), but that’s actually one of many choices mirroring its 1999 forebear. Just like the original, RE3R is a tighter (i.e. shorter) experience that launched less than a year after its predecessor. And just like the original, the game skirts away from survival horror in favor of action horror.

Unlike last year’s remake, however, RE3R paints in broad strokes with the original material much in the same way that 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake shared a vague resemblance with Romero’s ‘79 classic. Capcom at least nails down what matters: you play as Jill Valentine, beaten and discredited after the Arklay Mountains incident, during her last escape from the zombie besieged Raccoon City. Her exit is complicated by Nemesis, a humanoid missile that relentlessly pursues her from minute two of the game. Her only chance of making it out alive is by teaming up with a gaggle of Umbrella dispatched mercenaries, including an overly handsome fellow named Carlos Oliveras that you control for a spell. But fans struggled to get over what Capcom didn’t remake. Several enemies, boss fights, and a “divergent path” mechanic that had you choose how best to escape the Nemesis in a pinch were omitted from the remake. Even an entire section set in a clock tower was cut. But, let’s be honest, the biggest omission is a secret ending where Barry Burton saves the day using only his beard. For real, YouTube that shit.

If you look at what the remake does instead of what it doesn’t, you’ll find a lightning paced action game highlighted by tense, one-on-one fights against the constantly mutating Nemesis. The tyrant’s grotesque transformations evoke the mind-rending, gut turning creature designs found in John Carpenter's The Thing. It’s sad that Nemesis doesn’t pursue you through the levels as diligently as he did in the original, or as Mr. X had in last year’s remake, but these “arena fights” end up being harrowing and fun, culminating in a memorable final encounter. The remake also treats us to the best incarnation of Jill to date. She’s a cynical badass, exasperated at how Umbrella upended her life, and can take a plunge off of a building yet still muster enough energy to call Nemesis a bitch. RE3R also shines thanks to its snappy combat, including a contextual dodge that feels rewarding to pull off, less bullet-sponge enemies than RE2, and an assortment of weapons to get you through Jill’s Very Bad Night(s). It makes for a necessary, though shorter, companion to last year’s stellar remake.

7. HADES

I’m experiencing a new type of shame including a title that I haven’t beaten on my Top 10 list, but I can assure you that I’ve dumped hours into its addictive death loop. It’s probably because of my resistance to looking up any tips, but given the skill-check nature of the difficult boss fights, I’m almost afraid the top shelf advice will amount to “die less, idiot.”

My failings aside, Hades is brilliant. It’s the perfect merger of gameplay and storytelling. You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, and your entire goal is to escape your father’s underworld domain. You pick from a selection of weapons, like a huge broadsword or spear, and attempt your “run,” seeing how far you can make it before an undead denizen cuts you down. It’s familiar roguelike territory, but where Supergiant separates their game from the pack is in the unique feeling of constant progression, even as you fail. With each run, not only is Zagreus earning a currency (gems or keys) that unlock new skills that make the next go a little easier, you’re also consistently treated to new lore. The fallen gods and heroes that line your father’s hall greet you after each death and provide a new insight into their world. The writing is bouncy and hilarious, the voice acting ethereal and alluring, and the character designs could make a lake thirsty.

Supergiant’s stylistic leanings are at their peak here. They’ve managed the impossible feat of making failure feel like advancement. Sure, it totally fucks up other roguelikes for me, but that’s okay. None of those games have Meg.

6. DEMON’S SOULS

Whereas Capcom takes liberties with their remakes, Bluepoint took the Gus Van Sant approach and made a 1:1 recreation of the 2009 title that launched the “Soulslike” genre. The dividing difference is a 2020 facelift brought to us by way of the PlayStation 5’s next-gen horsepower. There’s been online arguments (surprise) regarding the loss of Fromsoftware’s visual aesthetic in translating the PS3 original in order to achieve a newfound photorealism. It’s true, some beasties lose their surreal weirdness -- a consequence of revisiting designs without the worry of graphical or time constraints -- but the game’s world is still engrossing, morbid, and bleakly gorgeous.

That’s not to say all Bluepoint did was overhaul the graphics and shove this remake out the door. No, their improvements are nuanced, under-the-hood changes that gently push the genre into the next-generation. For one, the loading times are incredible. You could hop between all five archstones in under a minute if you wanted. And this game is a best DualSense controller showcase outside of Astro’s Playroom. You can feel a demonstrable difference between hitting your sword against a wall compared to connecting it with an attacking creature. Likewise, the controller rumbles menacingly as to let you know enemies are stomping across a catwalk above you. “Better rumbles” was not on my wish list of next-gen features, but the tactile feedback goes great lengths to make you feel like you’re there.

Granted, sticking so closely to the original means its pratfalls are also carried over to the next-gen. The trek between bonfire checkpoints is an eternity compared to the game’s successors, and Fromsoftware hadn’t quite mastered the sword ballet of boss fights prevalent in Dark Souls. Instead, a handful of bosses feel more like set pieces where you’re searching for the “trick” to end it versus having to learn attack patterns and counters. Still, it’s easy to see the design blueprint that bore a whole new genre. From having to memorize enemy placements to hunting down the world’s arcane secrets in the hopes of finding a new item that pushes the odds in your favor. Bluepoint’s quality of life improvements only make it kinder (not easier) to plunge into the game, obsess over its idiosyncrasies, and begin to master every inch of it. That is until you roll into New Game+ and the game shoves a Moonlight Greatsword up your ass.

5. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON

Here’s a fact about me I’m sure you don’t know: I love beat ‘em ups. Streets of Rage 4 had an easy time making it on this list because it can be classified as both a “beat ‘em up” and “good.” Here’s another fact about me: I’m not the biggest fan of JRPGs. I’m told this is not because of any personal preferences I harbor, but rather due to a distinct lack of culture. I’ve made peace with that. At least my uncultured ways are distinctive.

But my disinterest in JRPGs is notable here because it illustrates how very good Like A Dragon is. Transitioning the Yakuza series from a reactive brawler (entrenched in an open-world SIM) to a full-blown turned-based RPG was risky -- especially 8 entries into the mainline series -- but it pays off explosively for Like A Dragon. Not only does the goofiness, melodrama, and kinetic energy translate to an RPG -- it’s improved by it. Beyond a new protagonist -- the instantly likable and infinitely affable Ichiban Kasuga -- we’re finally treated to an ensemble cast that travels with you, interacts with you, and grows with you. Their independent stories weave into Ichi’s wonderfully and end up mattering just as much as his.

The combat doesn’t lose any of its punch now that you’re taking turns. In fact, it feels wilder than ever and still demands situational awareness as your enemies shift around the environment, forcing you to quickly pick which move will do the most damage and turn the fight in your favor. RGG purposefully made Ichi obsessed with Dragon Quest (yes, specifically Dragon Quest) as an excuse to go ham and morph enemies into outlandish fiends that would populate Ichi’s favorite series. It’s a fun meta that never loses its charm.

This is the best first step into a new genre I’ve ever seen an established franchise make and I hope like hell they keep with it for future outings -- and that Ichi returns to keep playing hero. There’s plenty of callbacks and treats for longtime fans, but RGG did a masterful job rolling out the virtual carpet for a whole new generation of Yakuza fanatics.

4. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Sucker Punch’s dive into 13th century Japan doesn’t redefine the open-world genre. But like Horizon: Zero Dawn before it, Ghost of Tsushima takes familiar components of the genre and uses them exceptionally well, creating an airtight experience that can’t help but stand out. I can tell Sucker Punch mused on games like Assassin’s Creed and Breath of the Wild, tried to figure out what makes those games tick, and then brought their own spin to those concepts. You can feel it in their obsession to make traversal through the environment as unobtrusive as possible, letting the wind literally guide you to your destinations instead of forcing the player to glue their eyes to a mini-map. You can feel it in how seamless it is to scale a rooftop before silently dropping on a patrol, blade first. You can feel it in the smoothness behind the combat as your sword clashes against the enemy’s. Every discrete part is fine-tuned yet perfectly complements the whole. The game is silk in your hands. 

The mainline story can be humdrum, though. It mirrors the beats of a superhero origin story, which isn’t surprising when you account for the three Infamous titles and satellite spinoffs under Sucker Punch’s belt. But Jin Sakai’s personal journey outshines the cookie-cutter plot. His gradual turn from the strict samurai code to a morally ambiguous vigilante lifestyle (to becoming, eventually, a myth) is a fascinating exploration in shifting worldviews. This is bolstered by the well-written side-missions dotting your quest, some of which play out in chains. It’s these diversions about melancholy warriors and villagers adjusting to life under invasion that end up being the essential storytelling within the game. Whatever you do, don’t skip a single one.

Before GoT can overstay its welcome with collectible hunting and stat-tree building, the ride is over. If you find exhaustive open-world titles, well, exhausting, Sucker Punch coded enough of a campaign to sticking the landing and not more. But if you were looking for more, the game’s co-op Legends mode is the surprise encore of the year. It strikes its own tone, with vibrant, trippy designs, and a progression system that embarrasses other AAA titles in the space (I mean Avengers. I’m talking about Avengers).

3. THE LAST OF US PART II

The Last of Us is widely regarded as a masterpiece. It’s a melancholic trek through a realistic post-apocalypse, driven by the budding bond between a world-weary survivor and a would-be teenage savior. The fungal zombies and violent shootouts with scavengers were scary and exciting, but ultimately just window-dressing compared to the level of complicated, and honest, human emotion on display throughout the tale. While a segment of detractors helpfully pointed out that The Last of Us’ story isn’t unique when compared to years of post-apocalyptic books, comics, and movies, that argument seems to forget that a narrative more concerned with the human protagonists’ connections to one another instead of saving the world or feeding into a hero complex is pretty unique for games -- especially a high profile, AAA budgeted game.

Still, fans made heroes out of Joel and Ellie because of their own connection to their journey. And that connection is almost instantly challenged in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part II to heartbreaking effect. But I’m here to tell you that any other sequel would have been dishonest to the legacy of the original game. To be given a hero’s quest as a continuation, an imagined sequel where Joel and Ellie do battle against the viral infection that’s swept the earth, would have been a despicable cash-in. It would have been a mistake to follow-up the original’s careful examination of human nature just to placate an audience that seems to have missed the point Naughty Dog made. The Last of Us Part II hurts. But it has to or else it wouldn’t have been worth making. It’s a slow-burn meditation on the harmful ripples revenge creates, how suffering begets suffering, and how, if we don’t break the cycles of violence we commit to, suffering will come for us.

To drive this point, we’re given two distinct perspectives during the meaty (and somewhat overlong) campaign, split between Ellie Williams, the wronged party seeking revenge, and Abby Anderson, an ex-Firefly whose actions set the sequel into motion. The greatest trick Naughty Dog pulls off isn’t forcing us to play as a character we hate, it’s giving us reasons to emphasize with them. It was gradual, and despite some heavy-handed moments meant to squeeze sympathy out of the player (how many times do I have to see that fuckin’ aquarium?!), I eventually came to love Abby’s side of the story. The obvious irony being that she unwittingly walks the same path Joel did in the original.

My love for the narrative shouldn’t distract from how well designed the world is. Being a King County local, the vision of a ruined Seattle strikes an uncomfortable note -- it was eerie seeing recognizable buildings overgrown with vegetation but otherwise devoid of life. Maybe the heart-wrenching story also distracts from the fact this game is, by definition, survival horror. Exploring toppled buildings in the dark, hearing the animalistic chittering of the infected, defending yourself with limited resources… It manages to be a scarier entry into the genre in 2020 than even RE3R. There’s a particular fight in a fungus covered hospital basement that easily goes down as my Boss Fight of the Year. Human enemies make for clench-worthy encounters, too, with incredibly adept AI that forces you to keep moving around the environment and set traps to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Admittedly, the subject matter -- or more to the point, the grim tone -- was tough to stomach during an actual pandemic which has happily treated us to the worst of human nature. Still, The Last of Us Part II is absolutely worth playing for its balance of mature themes and expertly crafted world, and the way it juxtaposes beauty and awfulness in the same breath.

2. SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES

The most impressive thing about Miles Morales is that, despite being a truncated midquel rather than a full-blown sequel, it’s a better game than 2018’s Spider-Man. It’s not because of the instantaneous loading times or the fancy ray-tracing techniques used on the PS5 version of the game. Rather, it’s how it takes the joyride of the original game and hones it into a laser focused experience filled to the brim exclusively with highs. Like Batman: Arkham Asylum going into Arkham City, Miles starts the game off with his mentor’s best abilities and tools. From there, he discovers his own powers, his bioelectric venom strike, which ends up feeling like the missing ingredient from the first game’s combat.

Your open-world playground -- a locale in the Marvel universe called “New York City” -- is exactly the same size as the previous installment, which helps avoid making the game feel “lesser.” But Insomniac wisely consolidated the random crimes Peter faced into a phone app that Miles can check and choose which activity to help out with. Choices like this really trim the fat from the main game and help alleviate “the open-world problem” where the story’s pacing suffers because players are spending hours on end collecting feathers. This is great because Miles’ story is also great. The narrative kicks Peter out pretty early on, focusing on how Miles assumes the role of city protector, primarily focused on his new home in Harlem. Insomniac avoids retreading the same path paved by Into the Spider-Verse by telling a relatable tale where Miles defines his identity as Spider-Man. With a strong cast led by Nadji Jeter as Miles, the game lands an impactful story that weaves its own new additions to Miles’ mythos (light spoiler: I loved their take on The Prowler).

Miles Morales was pure virtualized joy from start to finish. A requirement of the platinum trophy is to replay the entirety of the game on New Game+. I didn’t hesitate to restart my adventure the minute the credits were over. Everything I loved about 2018’s Spider-Man is here: the swinging, the fighting, the gadgets, the bevy of costumes. But it gave me a new element I adore and can’t see Insomniac’s franchise proceeding without: being Miles Morales.

1. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

I love subversive media, I do. And Square Enix’s “remake” of one the most beloved video games ever made subverts expectations by openly acknowledging that, yes, the original story you love exists and is consistently referenced in this game. But this is not that story. This is something..else. Because the truth is, SE could never have recreated FFVII and delivered a title that matched the Sacred Game fans created in their heads. That impossible standard is like an imagined deity, given power by feeding on raw nostalgia reinforced by years of word-of-mouth and appearances on Top 100 lists. I’m not saying FFVII is a bad game or that fans give it too much credit. Not at all. There’s a reason it’s so influential -- it’s good! But memory works in a funny way over time. We have a tendency to codify our perception of a thing over the reality of it. The connection we make to certain media, especially when introduced at a young age as FFVII had been to a whole generation of fans so long ago, creates a legend in our heads. Unfortunately, it’s a legend no developer could achieve when tasked with remaking it.

So Square...didn’t. Final Fantasy VII Remake has the same characters, setting, and plot beats as the first third of the original game but it’s not the same game, nor is it a remake of it in the traditional sense. It’s something new. And I fucking love that about it.

Everything is reconfigured, including the combat. After years of trying to merge RPG mechanics with more approachable (and marketable) real-time action (see FFXV and the Kingdom Hearts games for examples), Square Enix finally landed on the perfect balance. You fully control Cloud on the battlefield, from swinging your impossibly huge buster sword to dodging attacks. The ATB gauge (no one knows what the acronym stands for -- that information has been lost to time) gradually fills up, letting unleash powerful moves. But best of all, you fight in a party, and you can switch who to control on the fly.

That may not sound revolutionary, let alone for a Final Fantasy, but each character has a completely unique feel and suite of moves. At times, it feels like playing a Devil May Cry game where you can switch between Dante, Vergil, and Nero on the fly (that’s a free idea, Capcom. Hire me, you cowards). You can soften up an enemy with Cloud’s buster to increase their stagger meter, switch to Barret for a quick gatling barrage, and finally switch to Tifa to crush them with her Omnistrike. You can accomplish this in real-time or slow down the action to plan this out. It’s a great mix of tactics and action that prevents the game from feeling like a mindless hack n’ slash.

What really, really works here is the character work. Each lead walks in tropes first, but the longer you spend with the members of your party, the more their motivations and fears are laid out. You end up having touching interactions with just about the whole main cast. There’s a small segment, after Cloud saves Aerith from invading Shinra guards, that the two make an escape via rooftop.They make light conversation -- small talk really -- but it’s exchanges like this that feel genuine, perfectly framing their characters (stoic versus heartfelt), and grounding an otherwise larger-than-life adventure.

Many bemoaned the fact that FFVIIR only revisits a small portion of the original game, but I think it was a brilliant choice -- to massively expand on areas we only got to see a little of in the original. I honestly didn’t want to leave Midgar. It’s a world rife with conflict and corporate oppression, sure, but Midgar is beautifully realized, from the slums below the plates, populated with normal people trying to make the best of life, to the crime controlled Wall Market, adorned with gaudy lights and echoing honky tonk tunes. It very well may be years before FFVII’s remake saga comes to a close, but if each entry is paved with as much love and consideration and, yes, storytelling subversion as this introductory chapter… It’ll be worth the wait.

[subtlystoiceon]

How to Optimize CRM with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services

Customer relationship management has evolved far beyond simple contact databases and basic sales tracking. Today's businesses need sophisticated CRM solutions that can adapt to complex workflows, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, and provide actionable insights that drive revenue growth. Microsoft Dynamics 365 services offer a comprehensive platform for transforming your customer relationship management approach from reactive to proactive.

Understanding the Foundation of CRM Optimization

Before diving into specific optimization strategies, it's crucial to understand what makes a CRM system truly effective. Many organizations make the mistake of focusing solely on features and functionality without considering how these elements align with their unique business processes and customer journey.

Effective CRM optimization starts with a clear understanding of your customer lifecycle. Map out every touchpoint from initial awareness through post purchase support. Identify where prospects typically enter your sales funnel, what information your sales team needs at each stage, and where bottlenecks commonly occur. This foundational work ensures that your Dynamics 365 implementation addresses real business challenges rather than creating sophisticated solutions for non existent problems.

Consider how different teams within your organization interact with customer data. Sales representatives need quick access to opportunity details and contact history. Marketing teams require segmentation capabilities and campaign tracking features. Customer service agents must efficiently access case histories and resolution documentation. Your CRM optimization strategy should account for these diverse needs while maintaining data consistency across all user groups.

Leveraging Automation for Enhanced Efficiency

One of the most powerful aspects of Microsoft Dynamics 365 services is the platform's robust automation capabilities. Business process flows can guide users through complex procedures, ensuring consistency and reducing the likelihood of missed steps. Workflow automation can handle routine tasks like lead assignment, follow up reminders, and data updates without manual intervention.

Start by identifying repetitive tasks that consume significant time from your team members. Lead qualification processes, appointment scheduling, and status updates are prime candidates for automation. Create workflows that trigger based on specific conditions, such as automatically assigning leads to sales representatives based on geographic territory or product interest.

Power Automate integration takes automation even further by connecting Dynamics 365 with other business applications. You can create flows that automatically update project management tools when deals close, send personalized email sequences based on customer behavior, or synchronize data between Dynamics 365 and accounting systems. These integrations eliminate manual data entry and ensure information consistency across your entire technology stack.

Data Quality and Management Best Practices

Your CRM system is only as valuable as the data it contains. Poor data quality leads to missed opportunities, inefficient processes, and frustrated users who lose confidence in the system. Microsoft Dynamics 365 services provide several tools for maintaining high data quality standards throughout your organization.

Implement data validation rules that prevent users from entering incomplete or incorrectly formatted information. Required fields ensure that critical data points are always captured, while format restrictions maintain consistency in phone numbers, email addresses, and other standardized fields. Duplicate detection rules help prevent the creation of redundant records that can confuse users and skew reporting.

Regular data cleanup initiatives are essential for long term CRM success. Schedule periodic reviews to identify and merge duplicate records, update outdated contact information, and archive inactive accounts. Create standardized naming conventions for accounts, contacts, and opportunities to improve searchability and reporting accuracy.

Consider implementing data governance policies that define who can access, modify, and delete different types of information. Role based security ensures that sensitive customer data remains protected while allowing appropriate team members to perform their duties effectively. Regular audits of user permissions help maintain security standards as your organization grows and changes.

Customization for Business Specific Needs

While Dynamics 365 offers extensive out of the box functionality, true CRM optimization often requires customization to match your unique business processes. The platform's flexibility allows for significant modifications without compromising system stability or upgrade paths.

Custom fields capture industry specific information that standard CRM systems might overlook. Manufacturing companies might need fields for product specifications and technical requirements. Service organizations could benefit from custom fields tracking service contracts and maintenance schedules. Professional services firms might require project tracking capabilities integrated directly into their customer records.

Custom entities extend Dynamics 365 beyond traditional CRM boundaries. Create entities for products, projects, or any other business objects that relate to your customer relationships. These custom entities can have their own forms, views, and business processes while maintaining full integration with standard CRM functionality.

Business process flows guide users through multi step procedures specific to your industry or organization. Design flows that reflect your actual sales methodology, customer onboarding process, or support ticket resolution procedures. These visual guides help ensure consistency across your team while providing clear progress indicators for complex processes.

Analytics and Reporting for Informed Decision Making

Data collection means nothing without proper analysis and reporting capabilities. Microsoft Dynamics 365 services include powerful business intelligence tools that transform raw customer data into actionable insights. However, optimization requires more than just generating reports; it demands a strategic approach to identifying key performance indicators and creating dashboards that drive behavior change.

Start by defining what success looks like for your organization. Sales teams might focus on conversion rates, average deal size, and sales cycle length. Marketing departments could prioritize lead quality scores, campaign return on investment, and customer acquisition costs. Customer service organizations often track case resolution times, customer satisfaction scores, and first call resolution rates.

Create role specific dashboards that highlight the metrics most relevant to each user group. Sales representatives need visibility into their pipeline health and upcoming activities. Sales managers require team performance summaries and forecasting data. Executive stakeholders want high level trends and strategic indicators. Tailored dashboards ensure that each user sees information that directly impacts their daily responsibilities.

Advanced analytics capabilities within Dynamics 365 can identify patterns and trends that might not be immediately obvious. Predictive analytics can help identify which leads are most likely to convert, which customers might be at risk of churning, and which products or services generate the highest customer lifetime value. These insights enable proactive decision making rather than reactive responses to problems.

Integration Strategy for Seamless Operations

Modern businesses rely on multiple software applications to manage different aspects of their operations. CRM optimization requires seamless integration between Dynamics 365 and other critical business systems. Microsoft's extensive integration capabilities make it possible to create a unified technology ecosystem that eliminates data silos and improves operational efficiency.

Email integration ensures that all customer communications are automatically captured and associated with the appropriate records. This eliminates the need for manual email filing while providing complete visibility into customer interactions across your entire team. Calendar synchronization keeps activities updated in real time, preventing scheduling conflicts and missed appointments.

Financial system integration provides real time visibility into customer payment history, credit limits, and outstanding balances. This information helps sales representatives make informed decisions about credit terms and payment arrangements while enabling customer service teams to address billing inquiries more effectively.

Marketing automation platforms can share lead scoring data, campaign responses, and behavioral tracking information with Dynamics 365. This integration enables more personalized sales approaches and helps identify the most effective marketing channels for different customer segments.

Conclusion

Optimizing your CRM with Microsoft Dynamics 365 services requires a strategic approach that balances technological capabilities with business requirements. Success depends on understanding your unique customer journey, implementing appropriate automation, maintaining high data quality standards, and creating integration points that support seamless operations.

The key to long term success lies in treating CRM optimization as an ongoing process rather than a one time project. Regular reviews of system performance, user feedback sessions, and business requirement assessments ensure that your Dynamics 365 implementation continues to evolve with your organization's changing needs. By focusing on these fundamental principles, you can create a CRM system that not only manages customer relationships but actively drives business growth and competitive advantage.

[inogictech]

Visualize Your CRM Like Never Before with Maps in Dynamics 365

Turn your CRM data into clear, interactive maps with Dynamics 365 maps integration using Maplytics. Whether you need to plan sales visits, manage territories, or analyze service coverage, maps Dynamics 365 makes it easier. This powerful tool brings mapping right into your CRM dashboard, giving you real-time insights with every pin drop. With maps integration Dynamics 365, teams stay aligned and decisions become crystal clear.

[maplyticsbingmap-blog]

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Territory

Maplytics is power-packed with features that simplify the process of managing territories within Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides visualization on the Detail map to allow users to create territories on a map using Shape files and Excel files. Users can also create territories by region or by drawing. Creating territories can be optimized by aligning them and balancing territories right on the map to improve territory effectiveness within Dynamics 365.  it is more flexible and easy to implement Territory Management in business scenarios using new and smarter ways. If a record lies in more than one territory multiple territories can be assigned to it. Multiple territories lead to deeper visualization into the locational behavior of a record.

[charterglobal]

How to Use Universal Resource Scheduling With Dynamics Field Service | Charter Global

Universal Resource Scheduling (URS) is a Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement solution. In essence, it enables organizations from many different industries with different scenarios to assign resources to jobs and tasks.

URS can be used to assign the best resources to tasks and projects based on:

Availability of resources

Required skills

Promised time-frames

Business units

Geographical territory, etc

Universal Resource Scheduling (URS) are very useful to field service organizations that often use it to schedule mobile resources to location-specific jobs and tasks (or work orders) as their resources travel to various locations. Next, URS schedules the resources with closest proximity to work orders, as work orders are generally performed onsite. So, this eventually reduces travel time and costs.

URS schedulers are very effective for finding and assigning the most relevant resources for a job or requirement. From simple maintenance, repair work, installations to anything else, URS finds the best people for the job with ease and speed.

Creating Work Orders

One of the most important components of field service are the work orders. This helps define the kind of work that needs to be performed. With URS, it is possible to find the best hands to perform tasks at a given time.

Below are the major components of Field Service and URS:\

Bookable resources (URS)

Resource requirements (URS)

Work orders (Field Service)

Resource bookings (URS)

Schedule tools – schedule board, schedule assistant (URS)

Resource Scheduling Optimization (installed separately) (URS)

For More Information, Please visit our website:

https://www.charterglobal.com/universal-resource-scheduling-urs/

URS Uses

There are several ways to use URS for scheduling. One is by using work orders and requirements, and then clicking on the book button on the top ribbon. This kick starts the URS assistant, which shows the available resources for the work. The resources listed are based on their characteristics for the specific work and their availability.

Other ways to book a work order is through the schedule board which gives a drag and drop option. Now, here you can even reschedule or reassign a work order if needed.

In addition, the resource scheduling optimization is a fully automated way to book appropriate resources. It runs on predefined criteria and can be activated with the run now button on the ribbon (but it needs to be installed and configured first to be used).

Charter Global

In conclusion, good resource management involves an understanding of how much effort a task requires and assigning the right person for the job. So, the Charter Global team also offers a resource management solution that empowers global project teams to make the best out of project scheduling optimization, workload balance, and a general increase in productivity.

Reference –

https://charterglobal.com/enterprise-solutions/microsoft-solutions/

https://charterglobal.com/enterprise-solutions/microsoft-dynamics-365/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/field-service/universal-resource-scheduling-for-field-service#scheduling-work-orders-with-urs

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/field-service/schedule-work-order

Get in touch with our team to discuss IT staffing and software development solutions that can supersede your existing solutions on mobile and web applications.

[inogic]

Territory Management feature in Maplytics helps users to add geographical boundaries (be it shape or a region) for Dynamics 365 CRM Sales Territory on a Bing map. This feature of Maplytics allows managers to create territories in Dynamics 365 for Sales Reps. Territory management enables you to view shapes, regions or uploads shape/excel files that can be plotted on map to create territories. User can further align the territories in Dynamics 365 to get proper distribution. Managers can even auto create the territories and save territories as drafts to rework on them later.