Author Archives: admin

1. Embracing Innovation and Empowering a Connected Tech World

   August 14, 2023 12:56 pm Comments Off on Embracing Innovation and Empowering a Connected Tech World

   Driving technology and AI Excellence: Unveiling at Microsoft Inspire

   Microsoft Inspire, the tech giant’s annual partner conference, never fails to unveil fascinating announcements and present new perspectives concerning how business and technology will collaborate in the future. The event gained new heights with the launch of innovative tools in 2023, uniting executives from businesses, peers, and innovators from all over the world to explore an intense focus on technology and AI cutting-edge solutions, business partnerships, and the revolutionary possibilities. Let’s explore the key highlights that left a lasting impact on attendees and set the stage for a brighter and more connected future.

   

   Microsoft Cloud – Empower every person and organization to achieve more with technology and AI:

   At the heart of Microsoft’s mission lies a commitment to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

   • Support inclusive economic growth
   • Protect fundamental rights
   • Create sustainable future
   • Earn trust in technology

   Bing Chat Enterprise – Elevating team communications

   Bing Chat Enterprise gives your organization AI-powered chat for work and helps to elevate team communications with commercial data protection. With Bing Chat Enterprise, user and business data are protected and will not leak outside the organization. What goes in — and comes out — remains protected.  It’s a collaborative platform that offers seamless integration with Microsoft 365 plans and Microsoft 365 Co-pilot adds a whole new way of working. Additionally, the availability of Microsoft Sales Copilot and Power Automate Process Mining aimed to enhance sales productivity and process optimization.

   

   Microsoft Sales Copilot – Technology and AI to boost front-end productivity

   Microsoft Sales Copilot is a seller experience application that uses Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to automatically capture, access, and register data into any customer relationship management (CRM) system. It eliminates manual data entry and gives sellers more time to focus on selling.

   Microsoft and OpenAI Extend Partnership

   Microsoft and OpenAI deepen their collaboration, expanding the Azure OpenAI Service’s availability, and unlocking new horizons in AI accessibility and innovation. Increased availability in North America and Western Europe and in Asia for the first time.

   Meta’s Llama 2: Transforming content safety on Azure and Windows

   Meta’s Llama 2 takes a transformative step forward as it integrates with Azure and Windows ecosystems. This collaboration promises to elevate content safety by leveraging the power of these platforms. Through this synergy, Meta’s Llama 2 aims to create a safer digital environment for users across the globe.

   Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: AI Excellence Unleashed for Innovators

   The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to build upon the robust Azure AI platform and the cutting-edge Copilot stack. Through this program, partners can gain a competitive edge by obtaining AI certifications and comprehensive enablement resources. Leveraging substantial investments and incentives, participants can confidently scale their AI solutions and go-to-market strategies.

   

   Microsoft Inspire extended a partnership with Epic

   At Microsoft Inspire, a significant partnership extension with Epic was announced, reflecting a commitment to transformative collaboration. The integration of Azure OpenAI Service into Epic Workflows stands as a testament to advancing technological capabilities. Additionally, the introduction of DAX Express for Epic amplifies ambient documentation, streamlining workflows. This partnership also promises a highly scalable public cloud, catering to the evolving needs of Epic’s customer base, ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation.

   Example: DAX Listening, it’s an AI application that is used to listen to the conversation between a doctor and a patient and then create a summary according to it. And also highlighting the issues of the patient.

   Industrial Metaverse offering: Transforming Sectors with Innovation

   The Industrial Metaverse offering unveiled an immense significance as AI takes center stage in the minds of business leaders. It promises to revolutionize sectors by enhancing productivity, driving efficiency, and lowering costs. Microsoft’s platform accelerates AI transformation across IP, Services, Value-added services, and Edge, injecting AI into diverse areas like Business applications, Data & AI, Digital & app innovation, Cloud infrastructure, Modern work, and Security. Microsoft’s commitment to AI is further evidenced by its support for AI platform start-ups, offering a transformative vision for a future marked by innovation and intelligence.

   Guiding AI Security: Advisory Council Insights

   The Security Co-pilot Design Advisory Council plays a pivotal role in the realm of AI security. It delivers a range of AI services, from moderation and development to integration, migration, automation, and unification. By building novel AI value-added services, the council enhances AI-infused experiences across diverse platforms, amplifying application capabilities, enriching user interactions, and providing actionable insights for a more secure digital landscape.

   Conclusion:

   Microsoft Inspire keynotes were a testimonial to the company’s dedication to empowering partners and customers with AI-driven solutions and innovation. By fostering strategic partnerships, investing in sustainability, and offering advanced tools like the Copilot Stack, Microsoft continues to shape a connected world, driven by technology that places people and organizations at the forefront.

   For more details on how Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help your organization with the right technology and AI, feel free to reach out to us.

   To know how the latest technology and AI for Real Estate is used in Property-xRM: CRM software for Property Management, click here.

   

   As a Gold Microsoft Partner, Metadata Technologies is a 100% CRM-focused company with 20 years of experience providing Customer Relationship Management solutions for business enterprises across the globe. Metadata has been the recipient of the Best Industry Partner Award in 2014 by Microsoft and is committed to delivering quality solutions to ensure peak customer satisfaction.

   Learn more about Metadata Technologies

2. Metadata Expands Operations with New Office

   June 27, 2023 2:25 pm Comments Off on Metadata Expands Operations with New Office

   Metadata Technologies inaugurated its fourth office at Silicon Oasis, Dubai

   At Metadata, our vision is very much intertwined with our Customer Relationship Management software offering because we believe in delivering the best for our customers and building long-lasting customer relationships.

   

   Our new office in Silicon Oasis was inaugurated on 21^st June 2023. Mr. Premchand Kurup, CEO – of Paramount Computers felicitated Mr. Rasheed Mohammed, Managing Director of Metadata. We were also joined by Mr. Sajid Madathil who was kind enough to say a few words about his pleasant memories with Metadata.

   Mr. Rasheed Muhammed on Metadata expanding Operations:

   

   “We appreciate everyone’s time and support here at the opening of our new facility in Dubai. For the past twenty years, we have been perfecting a Microsoft Dynamics Solution for Real Estate in the region. We have an amazing team of professionals who are experts in Microsoft Technology and the Property business. So, I thank you all once again for your presence.”, said Managing Director, Mr. Muhammed.

   The inauguration was attended by the Dubai Team along with some key stakeholders from the Center of Excellence in India. The event was covered live through a Microsoft Teams call with the rest of the team members joining in via video call from the Development Center.

   What our guests had to say:

   “Metadata is a pioneer in CRM in the middle east. And I am really amazed by how they have grown over all these years and serving many of the Middle East Real Estate Companies. I wish them all the best in their new office in the Silicon Oasis.”

   “I want to take this opportunity to wish Rasheed and the Metadata team – the very best. Congratulations! I think this is a very good move, to have a new office in Silicon Oasis. And I am sure that from here, they will grow in leaps and bounds. CRM and Dynamics 365 are great places to be in, and I wish them the very best.”

   

   With a specialized focus on CRM solutions and domain expertise in real estate with Property-xRM, we look forward to tapping the growing potential in the market.

   Learn more about Property-xRM

3. Alef Group Partners with Metadata and Microsoft

   May 19, 2023 11:29 am Comments Off on Alef Group Partners with Metadata and Microsoft

   Leading Real Estate Developer takes a giant leap towards offering an enhanced customer experience

   Alef Group, the leading real estate and retail developer in the Emirate of Sharjah, has partnered with Metadata Technologies to implement a world-class Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. The group selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Property-xRM, a Real Estate CRM Solution to streamline customer management, boost operational efficiency, and improve productivity.

   

   “We were on the lookout for an intuitive CRM solution with functionalities that met and enhanced our daily operational requirements. Metadata’s ready-to-use industry-standard solution helps in addressing those requirements and allows quicker implementation with customization capabilities,” Alef Group stated.

   Alef Group’s expedited growth will benefit greatly from the automation and digitalization features of the solution. This will significantly decrease the duration needed for tenant onboarding and documentation, ultimately enhancing efficiency and productivity. The system-generated lease contract eliminates the need for manual intervention and can now be completed with just a few clicks of a button.

   “This solution will empower our front-end sales executives to have more visibility into their day-to-day client interactions with updated information to drive meaningful conversations with an emphasis on improving customer service. Our customers also stand to benefit immensely from this initiative,” stated a spokesperson for Alef Group.

   The primary objective of the leading Real Estate Developer is to harness the potential of its fully automated system and utilize its robust reporting capabilities to produce pertinent reports for management purposes. By doing so, the workload on sales support staff will be reduced significantly.

   Property-xRM for Sales and Retail Management are equipped with advanced functionalities, including property shortlisting, booking & document management, unit sales management, and post-sales management such as transfer and cancellation, which enable efficient usage.

   “We are thrilled to work with Alef Group and look forward to contributing to their digital initiative. With a powerful Microsoft-based solution, Alef will have more insights into their business, and will be able to scale rapidly“– said Mr. Rasheed Muhammed, Managing Director of Metadata Technologies.

   

   The maturity of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Property-xRM helps to cater to all the major revenue-generating aspects of a real estate company’s operations. As Gold Microsoft Partners, Metadata Technologies, a CRM company has been providing solutions to large Real Estate Developers and Property Management companies for over 20 years.

   Reach out to us to schedule a free demo for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Property-xRM.

   Get a Free Property-xRM Demo Today

4. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Seminar

   March 29, 2023 8:27 pm Comments Off on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Seminar

   A first-hand experience – Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Property-xRM for Real Estate Seminar

   -By Sanjeev S Nair

   The past few months have seen ground-breaking innovations in technology with AI, ChatGPT, and other business enablers. Over the years, Microsoft has made significant additions to its technology in its biyearly releases to streamline business processes and provide innovative solutions for organizations all around the world.

   I was not surprised when I raised the question about the buzzword in recent times and got a unanimous response around AI and ChatGPT. Generative AI in Microsoft has truly been a game-changer. Being closely associated with Microsoft technology, the recent developments are fascinating. The sheer thought of how technology would present itself in the years to come amazes me!

   The Latest in Microsoft Dynamics 365

   On March 15, 2023, Metadata Technologies hosted the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Technology Summit for Real Estate at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in Dubai. Conducted for real estate professionals in the GCC region, the seminar focused on the latest in Microsoft Technology and how it can help them work smarter and more efficiently.

   It was a pleasure to be part of the session, not just as a host, but also as an attendee simply because it presented an opportunity to connect with real estate professionals and seasoned industry leaders.

   

   Metadata’s annual event was led by its Microsoft-certified consultants, highly experienced in the field of Real Estate Technology. The seminar covered a range of topics, including the latest updates to Microsoft AI, Dynamics 365, and our real estate flagship solution, Property-xRM.

   One of the highlights of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 seminar was a live demonstration of Viva Sales in Microsoft Teams, an AI-powered collaboration tool that provides a platform to accelerate sales. Attendees were shown how Teams can be used to manage tasks, automate data entry, generate key talking points, and share files and documents.

   

   The core agenda of the session was the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service functions. Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that provides companies with a comprehensive set of tools for managing their business operations. Attendees were shown how to use Dynamics 365 CRM to manage the customer-facing functions, as well as how it natively works with other Microsoft tools like Outlook and Excel. They also learned about the benefits of leveraging Conversational Intelligence during phone calls and automating the recursive tasks done by a sales or service executive while using the CRM solution.

   Property-xRM for Real Estate

   The real estate segment of the event focused on the capabilities that Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Property-xRM bring in for Real Estate Developers, Property Management, and Facilities Management Companies. We also demonstrated the latest capabilities of Property-xRM’s Community Management, Owner Association, and Retail Management modules that cater to the various markets within the real estate industries.

   As real estate continues to flourish in the UAE, leaders in the industry have realized the need for a scalable and flexible solution to meet the requirements of the market. Property-xRM combines the best of both worlds – The powerful Microsoft technology platform and Metadata’s 20 years of real estate domain expertise.

   

   Overall, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Seminar was a great success, leaving attendees with a better understanding of how Microsoft technology can help them work more efficiently and effectively. By providing real estate professionals with the tools and resources they need to succeed, Metadata Technologies and Property-xRM are helping to drive innovation and growth in the industry.

   For more details on how Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help your organization, feel free to reach out to us. Follow Metadata Technologies and Property-xRM on LinkedIn for the latest updates.

   As a Gold Microsoft Partner, Metadata Technologies is a 100% CRM-focused company with 20 years of experience providing Customer Relationship Management solutions for business enterprises across the globe. Metadata has been the recipient of the Best Industry Partner Award in 2014 by Microsoft and is committed to delivering quality solutions to ensure peak customer satisfaction.

   

5. Generative AI in Microsoft Dynamics 365

   March 23, 2023 6:19 pm Comments Off on Generative AI in Microsoft Dynamics 365

   Generative AI in Microsoft Dynamics 365

   With all that’s been happening around AI in Microsoft, everyone wants to know how technology is transforming. In this article, we bring to you a quick overview of updates to watch out for with special emphasis on AI in Microsoft Dynamics 365.

   A recent Microsoft survey found that 9 out of 10 workers hope to reduce their workload by getting AI to do repetitive tasks at work. In today’s world that’s digitally transforming at a rate like never before, businesses are looking to bring higher levels of efficiency at scale into daily operations.

   Over the years Microsoft has proactively leveraged AI in Azure Cloud, in Dynamics 365 business applications across CRM & ERP, and on the Low-code Power Platform. This includes key automation and insights along the lines of conversational intelligence, lead scoring, predictive analysis, forecasts, the AI Builder – the list just goes on.

   However, the groundbreaking headline in recent times has been the buzz around OpenAI’s generative AI – The ChatGPT. In a record advent-to-implementation plan, Microsoft partnered with OpenAI to bring GPT capabilities natively into the Microsoft Ecosystem. If you’re a Microsoft user, it certainly is exciting news! And if you’re not, it’s time to explore what this is really about.

   Building on the GPT capabilities, Microsoft recently announced the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot. With this update, the conversation on AI is no longer “How can I use ChatGPT?“.

   It’s now a much broader question: “What all can AI do for me?”

   The AI Timeline for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

   2023 has already been ground-breaking and we are only 3 months in. With all that’s been going around, one thing is clear – the future of technology is here. While the likes of Google and Salesforce have come up with their AI technology releases, the extent of Microsoft’s AI adoption is what makes it stand out.

   Not just on the cloud, the AI capabilities extend across business applications, Office 365, and the Power Platform. Here’s a quick look at the AI timeline across Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform.

   

   What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot?

   Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot is the world’s first AI Copilot that is natively built into CRM and ERP. Here’s a quick overview of how CoPilot works for CRM:

   • Sales: Use Copilot to make Dynamics 365 for Sales faster and smarter. Automate emails, appointment booking, and meeting summaries on Teams and Outlook with generative AI capabilities.
   • Marketing: Use Copilot in Dynamics 365 for Marketing to personalize communications and segment the target audience using the query assist feature. Prepare new email campaigns on a mere request to the powerful AI.
   • Service: Use Copilot in Dynamics 365 for Service and get AI to draft contextual service chats, messages, and emails. With access to the knowledge base, CoPilot can also prompt the appropriate solutions to service queries.

   It brings the next generation of AI capabilities and natural language processing to every line of business – ranging from sales and marketing to service and supply chain.

   Genie in a Bottle

   Business professionals can now generate ideas and content with the help of AI in Dynamics 365. They can easily transfer mundane and time-consuming tasks and let AI do the work. The tool can also obtain deep insights in addition to suggestions on the next best actions. In short, a user can describe his needs, and the AI gets it done. A little bit like a genie in a bottle, your wish is the AI’s command.

   Here, we leave you with a powerful example of generative AI already incorporated in Dynamics 365 Copilot. This will give you a preview of work in the future, created by Microsoft.

   Viva Sales, one of Microsoft’s earlier AI functionality, can now generate content suggestions based on customer emails. Importantly, it can populate it with data that is directly relevant to the recipient of the email. This can include pricing, promotions, or upcoming deadlines.

   The Viva Sales – A Seller Experience with AI

   A seller experience platform by Microsoft, that’s what Viva Sales is. An AI-powered tool to automate a lot of the recursive and mundane tasks performed by the front-end team. Viva Sales plugs in as an app to Outlook and Teams, while leveraging CRM data to suggest intelligent next steps and actions. Viva Sales can also summarize meetings, transcript calls, highlight key points of discussion, and much more.

   Now, how this tool works is, first and foremost, the seller gets to choose from a set of AI-suggested reply options to communicate with a prospective buyer. Next, he/she can make minor edits to the generated content to add any level of hyper-personalization. And that’s it, the user can quickly copy out the content to email and send them out.

   Today, the same task is being done manually by a seller. At first, the user sifts through tons of data to find relevant details. Then comes the manual crafting of emails one by one, incorporating personalization. And finally, the user has to double-check the information going through the CRM record.

   According to Microsoft Research, everyday sellers spent 66 percent of their time at work managing emails.

   The impact of AI on just one task at work is disruptive. Then what would the whole future of work created by Microsoft look like? 

   CoPilot in Power Platform

   Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the AI Builder on the Power Platform. It is a capability that allows users to build AI Models to design and optimize business processes. Leveraging Power BI and Power Automate, the AI functionality enables organizations to gain critical business insights and automate workflows with custom or pre-built models.

   Mid-March 2023, Microsoft announced the AI Copilot in Power Apps – an absolute game-changer. This update aims to take the already existing low-code/no-code approach to the next level. Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, and human capabilities will now work hand-in-hand toward leveraging natural language for app development.

   What does this mean?

   For example, as a user, you can simply type in a prompt like “Build a flow to automatically save attachments from an email into SharePoint”. Now, the Co-Pilot takes over and gives the user a Power Automate workflow to make the necessary adjustments that your app needs. All through a natural language prompt. Literally, no codes – How amazing is that!

   It doesn’t stop there. You can now also leverage CoPilot in Power Virtual Agents to build ChatBots using prompts in natural language and have conversational dialogues ready in no time.

   CoPilot in Microsoft 365

   Simply put, this is all of your day-to-day applications, supercharged. Be it creating a PowerPoint presentation in minutes using mere prompts or getting suggestions and critical insights automatically from Excel – CoPilot will accelerate your work with a few clicks. Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself below:

   While this is just the beginning, the focus now would be on making these functions work as responsibly as possible. The idea is to empower users with smarter automation on mundane tasks with AI.

   To learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and how it can be deployed for your organization, please feel free to reach out to us.

   As a Gold Microsoft Partner, Metadata Technologies is a 100% CRM-focused company with 20 years of experience providing Customer Relationship Management solutions for business enterprises across the globe. Metadata has been the recipient of the Best Industry Partner Award in 2014 by Microsoft and is committed to delivering quality solutions to ensure peak customer satisfaction.

6. What is CRM?

   October 27, 2022 5:16 pm Comments Off on What is CRM?

   Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as the name suggests, is how your business interacts with customers. A detailed record and analysis of your past, present, and future customers and their interactions with the company. This is the beauty of CRM as it journeys with the customer from lead to sale and beyond. 

    A CRM presents and identifies customers based on their lifetime value. It is the operational engine running the company’s customer philosophy. This is why it is inevitable for companies to have a CRM embedded into their day-to-day business functioning.  Now, there’s been a lot of talk about CRM being a software. What is CRM really about? Let’s find out.

   Customer Satisfaction and CRM

   The concept of CRM arises from the need to answer a simple question – Is the customer satisfied?  

   The 1970s: The answer first sprouts up in the form of annual customer surveys and direct interactions. The technology at the time allowed them to categorize customers using spreadsheets and lists.  

   The 1980s: The concept adds database marketing and contact management to the mix– popularly named as Sales force automation.  

   The 1990s: CRM finds identity in the hands of Tom Siebel of Siebel systems when he designs the first CRM product. From there began the gold rush of CRM.  “

   “CRM is Software”

   The default view is that ‘CRM is just software.’ So let’s start there for now. A basic ‘software’ definition – It is a technology that helps companies to manage their relationship with customers, both current and prospective. 

   A CRM system is designed with one clear goal in mind: Improving business relationships, which eventually leads to satisfied customers. Technology transformed the concept of CRM from ‘understanding if the customer is satisfied’ to figuring out ‘how to keep the customer satisfied.’  

   CRM systems simplify customer relationships by defining raw customer data into organized racks and providing actionable insights. It helps companies provide a wide variety of functionalities ranging from:

   a. Sales force Automation: Lead management, Deal Management, Contact Management, and Workflow Automation.

   b. Omni-Presence: Integrate email, social media, and customer portals.

   c. Analytics: Reports, Dashboards, and Visual decision making.

   d. Marketing Automation: Targeted email campaigns, Predictive customer intents, Customer segmentation, and Lead nurturing. 

   But, knowing about these functions are not enough. “CRM is the world’s most powerful tool for customer retention, but you must also learn how to wield it”

   CRM is not just Software

   Well, somebody had to say it!

   The approach on the other end is – software does not matter. It states the importance of having the correct organizational setup way before implementing a CRM software. Mike Walters, a CRM consultant with over three decades of experience doesn’t like the word CRM, he likes to call it CVM – Customer Value Management!

   It is about Value

   Mike’s CRM philosophy is that it is all about Value – finding, investing, building, and retaining value. A business has to find the customers or prospects that will value the company and its products the most. It’s then about finding ways to retain those clients, or in other words – make them satisfied.  

   Finding the right CRM

   Even today, 30% – 70% of CRM implementations fail. So it is vitally important to understand which is the right CRM for a company. The first step is to have effective customer-centered business processes before adopting a CRM. Also having a clear idea about what you need from a CRM before implementation seems obvious, but is sadly not always implemented. Mike believes this is a ‘sure shot recipe for CRM failure’. 

   “CRM is a business strategy, executed by the client-facing team”

   Here’s a scenario. Let’s say an organization intends to choose a CRM solution. It chooses a system based on ‘market research’ and ‘the best-ranked’ software. The IT team is very excited about the technology and convinces the business to implement it. They spend months together to put the software in place. Unfortunately, a year later, the project turns out to be a failure. Guess, what went wrong?

   
   Perhaps this short clip can give you a hint.

   It’s not the best software that reaps results. It’s the right solution and the right strategy that helps an organization collectively in the long run. Learn more about CRM as a strategy and explore our services.

   A clear business plan to approach CRM goes a long way in the success of the eventual project. Identifying the key areas of CRM success and focusing on the ‘human aspect’ of CRM will determine how well the strategy is accepted by the end-users.

   To learn how Metadata Technologies can help you in exploring Microsoft Dynamics 365 to help your organization, click here.

   As a Gold Microsoft Partner, Metadata Technologies is a 100% CRM-focused company with 20 years of experience providing Customer Relationship Management solutions for business enterprises across the globe. Metadata has been the recipient of the Best Industry Partner Award in 2014 by Microsoft and is committed to delivering quality solutions to ensure peak customer satisfaction.

7. Ellington selects Metadata and Microsoft

   September 22, 2022 7:52 pm Comments Off on Ellington selects Metadata and Microsoft

   Ellington Properties, Dubai’s leading and award-winning design-led boutique developer, has signed up with Metadata and Microsoft to upgrade its systems and technology in order to enhance support for customers and further enable the company’s growth.

   Over the years, Ellington has built its reputation for developing beautifully designed homes with impeccable architecture and incredible artistry. So it comes as no surprise, that a customer-oriented developer has invested in the world-class Microsoft-based Real Estate CRM solution, Property-xRM.

   This digital initiative will provide impetus to Ellington’s aim of automating its operations with a heavier focus on managing relationships with its stakeholders.

   Nitin Bhatnagar, Co-Founder, and President of Ellington Properties, said: “We have made phenomenal progress in recent years, increasing the number of launches and handovers of projects. Our digital transformation is the next step in accelerating our growth and enhancing the level of service we provide to our customers.”

   Ellington Properties will implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE (CRM) and Property-xRM with the support of Metadata Technologies, a Gold Microsoft Partner. This initiative will boost Ellington’s sales and service features with improved customer-centricity. The property management solution provides complete automation, minimising manual processes and human interference thereby ensuring faster processes and enhanced service for customers.

   Yvonne Chebib, Global Partner Solutions Lead, Microsoft UAE, said: “Our comprehensive solution, backed by the secure and versatile Microsoft Cloud, is specifically designed for the real estate industry. We are delighted to be working with Ellington Properties, supporting their needs to achieve faster growth and increased customer satisfaction.”

   The avant-garde Real Estate Developer’s decision to integrate a customer-focused approach into their routine functions reflects their long-standing commitment to their customers.

   Rasheed Muhammed, Managing Director, Metadata Technologies added: “We are excited about working with Ellington Properties, to enhance their customer-centric strategy and digital transformation. A Microsoft award-winning solution like Property-xRM will streamline the processes, boost productivity, provide better business insights, and hence help in achieving higher growth rates.”

   The maturity of Property-xRM helps to cater to all the major revenue-generating aspects of a real estate company’s operations. As Gold Microsoft Partners, Metadata Technologies, a CRM company has been providing solutions to large Real Estate Developers and Property Management companies for over 20 years.

8. Sales Operations Admin

   August 24, 2022 2:57 pm Comments Off on Sales Operations Admin

   Job Code : MT/SOA//20220824
   Location : Cochin, India
   We are looking for smart sales operations professionals who have a knack for analysing data while researching, processing, and managing procedures to facilitate a smooth sale.

9. 5 Ways to Improve CRM Success

   June 13, 2022 8:54 pm Comments Off on 5 Ways to Improve CRM Success

   5 Ways to Improve CRM Success

   ---

   What is Customer Relationship Management?

   Sales and marketing teams use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to automate and manage the client lifecycle. CRM software consolidates client information into a single database, allowing users to better organize and manage relationships. A CRM helps automate common operations, while measuring performance and productivity. But, what are the essentials to improve CRM success?

   Customer relationship management (CRM) is a collection of approaches, methodologies, and technologies used by organizations to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout their relationship. The goal is to strengthen customer service relationships, increase sales, and encourage client retention. 

   Customers give data to CRM systems through a range of channels, including the company’s website, phone, live chat, direct mail, marketing materials, and social media. CRM systems may also provide a wealth of information on a customer with a 360-degree view of data. A CRM implementation helps companies financially as well as in terms of overall performance over a period of time.

   Why Use a CRM?

   • Systematic Lead Management
   • Streamline Sales and Marketing Activities
   • Improve Customer Service 
   • Relationship building with Customers
   • Real-time data and Reporting capabilities

   Challenges with CRM and how Strategy Consulting can help to improve CRM Success

   1. Convincing Your People to Change

   While adapting to new technology can be frightening, your people will be the most difficult of all the CRM issues you’ll confront. The shift will be relatively simple for a start-up with a young workforce. However, when it comes to persuading older employees to learn how to utilize a CRM solution and modify their habits, it’s a whole new ballgame. Building trust in your new CRM infrastructure can be a challenge. An unreliable infrastructure could negatively impact the business operations and customer experience.

   • 

   The Solution

   People frequently have difficulty migrating to cloud-based tech solutions because their firm might have a clearly defined strategy for the changes ahead. Managers must foster a culture of learning and digital innovation for this change to succeed. This is a change that must begin internally. With clear communication and value building through strategy consulting, even the most apprehensive team members will realize how CRM adoption can help the organization succeed in the digital era. This must be promoted from the top down. CRM consulting guides and assists in handling the situation by focusing on key areas of distress among users and providing the right course of action. 

   2. Defining a Clear Scope

   Lack of clarity in scope can lead to budget overruns. Many companies might fail to anticipate the amount and nature of data that needs to be migrated to the new CRM because of this. The capabilities and functionalities of a solution you choose may be much more/ much less than what your requirements are. The results? Lack of user adoption, failed implementation, and a constant back-of-the-mind alarm that goes off at the thought of a new CRM.

   • 

   The Solution

   Getting a training or workshop session for your organization in this regard can help dissipate some of the confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page. A one-on-one interaction with the users can yield surprising results. And once those are uncovered, it’s about documenting the requirements and devising a plan to map the same with the most essential features or tools the CRM can offer. Again, the result – improved morale, better user confidence, improved efficiency, and a higher chance of success.

   3. Selecting the Right CRM and the Right Partner

   An obstacle that countless companies have difficulty in overcoming. Many organizations have paid three times as much for a CRM Software, only to be dissatisfied with it. This often happens because organizations, at the back of their mind, believe that if a CRM worked for a similar organization, it ‘would work’ for them too. The result – they might choose the ‘BEST’ CRM in the market, but not the ‘RIGHT’ CRM for their daily organizational requirements.

   • 

   The Solution

   Before deciding on which CRM software to choose, go through a thorough selection process. Define your process precisely, establish all CRM needs in advance, and evaluate who will utilize the system. CRM consulting helps in deciding and finalizing the best way to align organizational requirements with the right CRM. It also immensely helps to understand the implementing partner’s skills and expertise in the organization’s industry. If the partner has proven experience in successful implementations for organizations similar to yours, then the chances for improved CRM success is higher.

   4. Getting the Management on board

   One of the most difficult aspects of CRM deployment is obtaining management approval. Not just the approval, but also their active participation in the deployment phase. The sales and marketing department heads may believe that switching to a fully integrated CRM system will help the organization, but the C-suite may still need persuading.

   • 

   The Solution

   To persuade top executives to give CRM adoption a chance, employees and team leads must express the right message. To put it another way, they must show how a CRM implementation will help the company strategically as well as in terms of overall performance. Once the convincing part is taken care of, the top management should also be involved in instilling the confidence among the end users to improve CRM success through active involvement. Once again, the value proposition and vision can be created with a comprehensive evaluation of the CRM implementation through end-to-end requirement mapping and most suitable suggestions.  

   5. The Investment – Time and Cost Factors

   CRM implementation entails extra costs for training, maintenance, data migration, updates etc. It might also take away from the time required to run a business during the initial setup. Organizations with its existing systems might realize the need for a system upgrade, but the thought of all the investments and the hassles behind the process keep them from taking the step.

   • 

   The Solution

   The best way to tackle this dilemma is to undertake an unbiased evaluation of a CRM and weigh out the costs vs benefits through a comprehensive analysis. This is one of the key outputs of a CRM consulting engagement where subject matter experts interact with the users, identify business gaps and pain areas to lay down most suitable steps to ensure the best ROI. This presents an organization with a vision of what a CRM would bring and what are the benefits that can be derived.

   Improve CRM Success with Metadata

   So, if your organization is in a phase where it’s looking to implement a CRM, or thinking about replacing a CRM system, then CRM Consulting is the way forward. Sometimes, it’s also a case of getting a third-person view on the situation for an unbiased evaluation; an expert advice to get things under control, and have a clear plan moving forward. This is something that Metadata Technologies has successfully done in the past with Transformance Business Solutions Limited and FitBiz 360.

   Metadata Technologies is much more than a CRM software vendor. Metadata’s years of experience in the domain has opened doors to a variety of different situations, be it reviving an organization’s previously failed implementation, or offering custom solutions for specific customer requirements. The team of certified and experienced experts interact with various user groups in your organization from start to end to improve CRM success.

   Connect with Metadata Technologies quickly and easily. To know more, book a session with us.

10. Why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM for your Business?

    April 19, 2022 4:04 pm Comments Off on Why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM for your Business?

    Why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM for your Business?

    Today, a quick web search on CRM will give you a plethora of alternatives, all claiming to be ‘The Best CRM’, or ‘The Most Suitable CRM’ for your business. While chances are that they might not be wrong, there are a few real questions that an organization needs to answer before choosing a CRM software:

    1. “Does the CRM work for the size of my organization?”
    2.  “Are the functionalities customizable according to my requirements?”
    3. “What are the added benefits that come along”?

    Selecting the right software is a step most companies feel is extremely crucial considering the kind of investment that goes into its implementation. There’s a very natural and common ideology that kicks in – the most popular CRM or the one being used by industry leaders ‘must be the best’.

    That’s far from being true. Organizations may have the best resources, but if they cannot handle them correctly, it’s useless. Just facts!

    Let’s not dive too much into philosophy and get back to Microsoft and Dynamics 365 CE (CRM). First up, what’s the Microsoft Platform capable of? And, why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM?

    The Microsoft Platform

    Microsoft, the world’s most valued organization, invests billions of dollars into R&D to make its offerings more relevant to the dynamic business world. Dynamics 365 is a portfolio of business applications that bring together customers, products, people, and data ranging from the front-end to the back-end operations, in a way that helps create impact faster. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE), previously known as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, is a customer relationship management solution that empowers sales, marketing, and service teams to drive an organization’s business.

    With regular updates and improvements, the platform is constantly evolving through innovative ideas and functionalities. Irrespective of the size of an organization, Dynamics 365 CE allows them to manage business relationships, automate sales & marketing activities, and speed up customer service on one centralized platform. Here is a high-level overview of Dynamics 365 CE as a business solution:

    4 Reasons why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

    Sr. No	Functionalities	Microsoft Dynamics 365
    1	Level of Flexibility (Suitability)	Highly configurable based on the organization’s requirements. Flexible pricing, cost-effective, and suits all sizes of business.
    2	Integration Capabilities	Seamless integration with Office365, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ERP systems, and the entire suite of Microsoft Products.
    3	Marketing Automation	Microsoft Dynamics for Marketing and ClickDimensions for a 360-degree unified view of customer data.
    4	Artificial Intelligence	Advance AI for customer and engagement insights along with Chatbots and Machine learning capabilities.

    1. Level of Flexibility

    The basic functionalities of CRM include Lead & Opportunity Management, Report Generation, Dashboards & Analytics, Sales Automation, Customer Insights, etc. It’s no different with Dynamics 365 CE. The distinguishing factor, however, is the level of customizations that can be done on the platform to base it around the requirements of an organization. The Power Platform, including Microsoft Power Apps for development, Power Automate for custom workflows, and Power BI for reporting and analytics, brings in a diverse set of tools that allow users to develop customized solutions through Microsoft’s ‘Low-Code, No-Code’ approach. This gives organizations more power to control all the operations while maintaining and upgrading apps without additional costs.

    

    And while we talk about Flexibility, the Dynamics platform extends beyond features. Being a cloud offering, users make payments only for services that they need. There are multiple options and packages available both on a monthly and user-basis, making it a great fit for small, medium, and large enterprises.

    2. Integration Capabilities

    This aspect is probably the clear stand-out. As the Business Applications facet of the Microsoft household, Dynamics 365 CE leverages the entire ecosystem and integrates seamlessly not just with its own suite of products, but also third-party applications. This ranges from Office365 to SharePoint to the Power Platform to LinkedIn, and even to ERP software like Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Dynamics AX. All these applications connect seamlessly with Dynamics 365 CE, with no connectors required.

    

    For example, with Outlook integration, an incoming lead can automatically be recorded in Dynamics 365 CRM and followed up through automated triggers and AI-powered reminders within Dynamics. One of the most recent developments has been the improved integration with Teams making internal approvals, tasks, and customer communication an absolute breeze.

    Similarly, with LinkedIn’s acquisition, Microsoft has also brought the largest social business networking platform under its ecosystem of applications. Through Sales Navigator integration, CRM users can boost collaborative efficiency, thanks to a seamless mechanism that captures customer information and automatically converts them into leads.

    3. Marketing Automation

    With Microsoft Dynamics for Marketing (MDM), users can create more personalized experiences with real-time customer journey orchestration. By capturing information through mobile devices & channels like email, phone calls, websites, etc., users can address all the major touchpoints and win more customers. MDM acts as a unified platform that aligns members in your team with a centralized 360-degree view of customers, all while being tightly integrated with Dynamics 365 CE.

    

    Another tool that’s recommended for marketing is ClickDimensions. With marketing automation, social media marketing, intelligent dashboards, and customer data solutions, marketers can achieve more with their marketing efforts. Like MDM, the access to customer data and marketing activities are unified and stored in Dynamics 365 CE. ClickDimensions includes multichannel marketing applications that work natively as ‘one solution’ with Microsoft Dynamics.

    4. Artificial Intelligence

    Let’s also address the buzzword doing the rounds in recent times. Artificial Intelligence (AI). Along with Salesforce, Microsoft’s AI functionalities definitely are at the top of the list when looked at from the CRM industry perspective.

    With analytics powered by Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (CI), businesses can unify customer data, create a unified platform, and also make predictions about future customer requirements based on activity trends.

    By capturing interests, clearly laying out customer timelines, and analyzing churn risk percentages, Dynamics AI offers a vast set of proactive tools to optimize customer journeys to win high-value customers.

    As an example, AI ChatBots powered by Azure can help organizations automate the routine interactions and query handlings of customer service agents. The Bots can also be integrated with Omni Channel for Customer Service ensuring responses 24×7.

    Dynamics 365 CRM’s capabilities extend beyond the above-mentioned points, but these are the top 4 points that give a sense of why a business must consider the Microsoft platform for Sales and Marketing automation. Choose the right CRM for your business, not necessarily the ‘Best CRM’ in the market.

    Remember the questions at the beginning? Hope the article answers those through the four main pointers and why Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM!

    To learn how Metadata Technologies can help you in exploring Microsoft Dynamics 365 to help your organization, click here.

    As a Gold Microsoft Partner, Metadata Technologies is a 100% CRM-focused company with 20 years of experience providing Customer Relationship Management solutions for business enterprises across the globe. Metadata has been the recipient of the Best Industry Partner Award in 2014 by Microsoft and is committed to delivering quality solutions to ensure peak customer satisfaction.