New! Microsoft Dynamics 365 Version 9.0
Microsoft releases 2 major updates to Dynamics 365 each year. The latest version, Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 9.0. offers many enhancements for Customer Engagement (Sales, Marketing, Service) users. The most obvious is a new design philosophy that improves overall usability and provides consistency for users that bounce from desktop to mobile versions of the solution. If you buy Dynamics 365 online today, you get version 9.0. Current users will see version 9 in a future update. Interested in a deep dive? Click here to register for the Dyn365Pros webinar - New: Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 9.0.
One Big Thing: Unified Interface Framework
Microsoft has introduced a new design concept called the “Unified Interface framework”. This is somewhat analogous to what responsive design has done for websites—improved the user experience regardless of whether they access the site on a desktop, tablet or phone. There’s a more consistent experience for users jumping between desktop and mobile versions of the solution which I, for one, welcome. The old mobile and desktop apps didn’t resemble each other which I found confusing as a user.
New Look to Forms
Love this. Your forms have been redesigned to improve readability and data entry. Gone is the border-less white-spaces. Now fields are grouped in well-defined sections with more consistent spacing between. Empty fields are easier to spot. New text wrapping makes it easier to read information on your form. Tabs eliminate the annoyance of scrolling down to find the data you need.
Take a look at a sample Lead record in both the old version (first image) and the new (second image):
New Sales Hub
In addition to the Sales app UX as pictured above, there is a new Sales Hub built on the United Interface framework (there are Hubs for other user roles as well). The Sales Hub concentrates on presenting the data sales users typically need the most and provides an experience that easily adjusts to a user device, be it desktop or mobile. Here’s another version of the Lead record from above from the Sales Hub interface.
I’m digging this new Sales Hub experience. Call me lazy, but I hate having to scroll down to look for quotes, details, activities, etc. Just click on the tabs on upper left above Contact info. Check it out:
Sales Hub makes use of left-side navigation as opposed to top-down navigation used in the non-Hub experience. This comes most handy when you’re using the system on a mobile device. There’s also a streamlined look to the Business Process Flow that cleans up the overall look of the form. The ribbon stays minimized but I can still enter data related to pushing this Lead through my sales process:
If you’re interested in a deep dive into what’s new in Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 9.0, click here to register for the Dyn365Pros webinar - New: Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 9.0.