Dynamics 365 Automotive Accelerator | Shaping Digital Transformation

With Dynamic 365 under James Phillips, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Automotive Accelerator, a platform that connects your data and provides developers, partners, and end-users. Moreover, it allows for the development of intelligent, data-driven, task-oriented applications.

Enhancing the Power Platform with Industry Solution Accelerators

By introducing Industry Solution Accelerators, the Power Platform and its Data Platform provide a unified way of building data-driven solutions. In addition, as Microsoft supports various industry standards, the D365 Automotive Accelerator allows ISVs and other solution providers to create solutions based on those standards.

You can represent industry-specific concepts in a data schema for the Common Data Model through accelerators. As of now, Microsoft is focusing on delivering accelerators for these industries:

1. Automotive
2. Education, including higher education and K–12
3. Healthcare
4. Media and entertainment
5. Nonprofit
6. Telecommunications

ISV opportunity view

With Microsoft Power Platform and dynamics 365 industry accelerators, ISVs can provide solutions well-tailored to different scenarios and levels of development. Below is a solid view of potential ISV opportunities for building on top of the platform and accelerators. Here is the exact pattern and hierarchy of how solutions are delivered:

1. First Layer (MPP CDM):

1. Microsoft Power Platform – Common Data Model serves as the foundation on which accelerators and other solutions are created or extended.

1. Second Layer (Extend the CDM):

1. Industrial Accelerators expand the Common Data Model
2. ISV solutions expand the base Common Data Model

1. Third Layer (Extend the Accelerator):

1. ISV’s advances the Microsoft Industry Accelerator
2. Industry ISV’s progress the Microsoft Industry Accelerator
3. Microsoft Industry Sample Apps expand the Microsoft Industry Accelerator

• Fourth Layer (Further extend ISV / Microsoft Apps)

1. The industry ISVs enhance the capabilities of the Microsoft Industry Accelerator solutions
2. ISVs extend the functionality of Microsoft Industry Sample Apps based on the Microsoft Industry Accelerator
3. Industry ISV’s expand Microsoft Industry Sample Apps developed using the Microsoft Industry Accelerator

• Fifth Layer (Further extend Industry Apps)

1. These ISVs extend the functionality of Industry ISV solutions developed based on the Microsoft Industry Sample Apps.

• Sixth Layer (Available on AppSource)

1. AppSource makes available three types of solutions: Accelerators, ISV, and Industry ISV

• Seventh Layer (SI Support)

1. Solutions offered by SI’s are built on top of Microsoft Technology Accelerator technologies for customers, integrators, and industry ISVs. In this way, SIs can create industry-specific solutions and practices for their customers, build tools and solutions for consumers, and support ISVs.

Increasing the stack presents ISVs with numerous opportunities to deliver industry-focused applications and solutions. Most importantly, it can happen whether you build directly on Power Apps (CDS) or through Customer Engagement. Every level increases the opportunities for the next.

For example, due to the Dynamics 365 Automotive Accelerator, most companies can rapidly create vertical-research-focused applications, while SIs can help scale and support these new products and solutions.

How Automotive Accelerators Benefit Companies At Large? An Insight

Through Automotive Accelerator, companies can create custom-tailored solutions around the metrics and elements that matter most to OEMs and dealerships. Furthermore, you can use accelerators with or without Dynamics 365.

Aside from informing and directing sales and marketing activities, the Automotive Accelerator uplifts after-sales communications, vehicle servicing, and other factors related to business-consumer relationships. Thus, customer engagement is a crucial part of this upgraded version of the automotive accelerator.

The Automotive Accelerator offers the following benefits:

• Several extensions built on the CDM designed with input from automotive leaders offer a boosted customer experience and strengthen relationships.
• These apps leverage sample models that show you how Dynamics 365 and the Automotive Accelerator can help transform the way you do business and connected field service.
• Power BI dashboards enable insight into services, lead disposition, branding, business operations, and vehicle inventory.
• Solutions made specifically to fit your marketing, sales, after-sales, and other teams, including packages you can deploy easily with optional sample data, integrating the overall setup process.
• During the test drive, you will have access to reference guides, diagrams, documentation, and more to ensure that you can maximize the data model while minimizing your learning curve.

Hence, the main objective is to leverage customer 360-degree view, digital marketing, and B2C portal interactions to create meaningful customer conversations. By doing so, further upsells and cross-sells are discovered, and customer lifetime values get maximized.

MS Automotive Accelerator: A Unified Approach to Building Solutions

In addition to the automotive CDM, the accelerator offers canvas apps, model-driven apps, and Power BI apps, all designed to enhance customer experiences. The following is a list of other features and capabilities associated with Automotive Accelerator:

• Entities & Capabilities

The Automotive Accelerator was built based on the Automotive CDM with the assistance of industry thought leaders. With the accelerator, top-performing OEMs and dealerships worldwide use a set of highly relevant and specialized entities and attributes to streamline internal processes and strengthen relationships. These entities include branding, business, customer relations, fleets, inspections, leads, sales contracts, service, after-sales management, specifications, test drives, equipment, and warranties.

• Site Map Extension

The Automotive Accelerator simplifies back-end operations and optimizes end-user experiences. Get immediate insights from your data by adding the accelerator to your dynamics 365 industry accelerators dashboard for modifying the robust tools into automotive-specific visualizations and apps.

• Forms, Dashboards & Apps

You can use Microsoft Power Platform and the Dynamics 365 Automotive Accelerator to build solutions or combine with standard Dynamics 365 entities. When you combine the Automotive Accelerator with the right partner on your team, your organization can use these powerful tools and insights to leverage the data that’s already at hand, bringing it all into one place for quick analysis and action.

Configuring Microsoft Dynamics 365 Automotive Accelerator: Understanding the Step-by-Step Process

Pre-deployment: Set up a new blank portal

You can deploy the automotive portal only once you have created a new community portal. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Start by logging in to your ‘Microsoft Power Apps’ account.
2. Go to the left pane and click ‘Create.’
3. Move to ‘Start from template page’ and click on ‘Community.’
4. Choose a language from the drop-down list in the ‘Create Portal’ window, then enter a name and address for your website. When you’re finished, click ‘Create.’
5. Configure settings to allow JavaScript (.js) and CSS (.css) files for the automotive portal.

• Click on the Settings (sprocket icon) at the top right side, then Advanced Settings.
• Select the ‘Administration’ option in the ‘System’ area.
• Click on ‘System Settings.’
• In the section, ‘Set blocked file extensions for attachments’ of the General tab, remove the .js and .css extensions.

Post-deployment: Configure your portal

After installing the automotive accelerator, you should perform these steps to update the binding:

• Choose ‘Apps’ from the left pane, locate your newly-created application, and select ‘Settings’ from the ellipses.
• Go to ‘Portal Settings,’ under ‘Advanced Settings’, and click ‘Administration.’
• Scroll down to ‘Update Portal Binding.’
• Replace ‘Select Website Record’ with ‘Automotive Portal.’
• Press ‘Update.’

The website data may not sync for up to five minutes after this change. Try opening the portal URL after a few minutes.

How Can DynaTech Solutions Be Your Guiding Partner for MS D365 Automotive Accelerator?

The Dynamics 365 Automotive & Manufacturing Accelerator aims to accelerate digital transformation and empower businesses to be innovators in the automotive field. Additionally, sales managers can customize the automotive experience of their customers effectively and efficiently. Hence, DynaTech Systems can help you throughout these steps.

For more information or any query regarding the D365 Automotive Accelerator, immediately connect with DynaTech at sales@dynatechconsultancy.com as they are always ready to help with suitable solutions.