by Bob McAdam
Yours truly attended my very first Directions EMEA this year, in Vienna. It was a magnificent week, and I was lucky enough to spend it with 20 Tasklet colleagues!
Directions EMEA 2024, held from November 6 to 8 attracted over 3,200 participants (largest ever), and focused on innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) within Microsoft Dynamics. As we’ve heard for many months now at various events, AI is transforming business operations, and excellent examples within Business Central were on display from the get-go! AI-powered features like Microsoft Copilot were showcased as integral tools to boost productivity and streamline processes. Notably, Copilot now includes functions such as creating sales orders via chat and enhanced AI capabilities for tasks like sales line proposals, e-document matching, and goods replacement. Copilot Studio was also introduced, allowing businesses to build custom AI agents to automate and manage processes tailored to their needs. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with Copilot spearheading all of these tasks on my behalf just yet, but the practical examples shown off in Vienna certainly caught the attention of all delegates present.
Another key topic was the introduction of AI-driven “Agents” in Business Central. These virtual assistants, designed through Copilot Studio, can autonomously perform tasks and adapt to unexpected situations. Currently in private preview, these agents are expected to be publicly available in December 2024 (but US only, which I’m sure did not make my European friends very happy). The conference also emphasized the ongoing integration of Power BI with Business Central, enabling businesses to leverage data more effectively, which is always important. Looking ahead, the upcoming Business Central 26 release, slated for April 2025, will continue expanding AI functionalities to further enhance business operations. There is a lot to uncover with AI & BC, needless to say.
Tasklet uncovered our new License Plating functionality during our partner showcase solution. Our CEO, Peter List, built a license plate with the greatest of ease in front of a room of 300+ partners. It’s functionality we are asked about a great deal, and our booth was quite full afterwards with additional questions and related excitement.
Vienna was magnificent, to say the least. The #Team Tasklet hotel required a train pass to get to, and while all the names were lengthy, I enjoyed leveraging public transportation to get around town. Much to my delight, I found plenty of American partners in attendance at Directions EMEA 2024! We have our own NA version in the US each spring, but the European version was much larger. My European friends rolled out an excellent event in a beautiful city, filled with numerous sites!
I can’t wrap up without mentioning that Microsoft threw a very big bash on the final evening, which was very well attended. I had quality opportunities to hang with my Danish colleagues and meet several European partners while there, which really made this unique trip special for me as I am still relatively new to Tasklet but appreciating my colleagues more & more as time goes by. Next year’s event is slated for Poznan, Poland, and I hope to find myself there with my teammates as this event site, like Vienna, is quite unique!
