Why Now?

Back in September 2019, Microsoft announced that on October 1, 2020, the Classic UI for Dynamics 365 would no longer be available.

Another important thing to note is that you may already be scheduled for an upgrade and not know it! Fellow Microsoft MVP, Gus Gonzalez, posted a great video tackling this topic. I encourage you to check it out and then check your environments.

With this information in mind, it becomes more imperative to make the move to the Unified Interface.

Why Bring This Up?

In chatting with folks in the community, and by reading through many forum posts, it's clear many companies have not made the move. And, it's clear there are many things they haven't discovered about the Unified Interface, and the Power Platform.

So, this post is intended to surface some basic, but important, areas of the Power Platform that you need to be aware of.

Power What?

The Power Platform enables citizen developers and real developers the ability to create no-code/low-code apps quickly. The Power Platform includes Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents.

But why mention this? Well, if you aren't aware, Dynamics 365 is built on the Power Platform. Dynamics 365 is essentially a model-driven Power App. So, if you are using Dynamics 365 Sales, for example, then you are using a model-driven app.

Ok...Now For The Good Stuff

Now that you have a background on things, let's dive into the good stuff. However, you need to know this post is not meant as a "how-to" article, but it's meant to provide an overview of each area.

First, if you need to know a visual difference between the sites, then compare the two screen shots below.

This is the Dynamics 365 Classic UI home page.

This is the Dynamics 365 Unified Interface home page.

As you can see, the appearance is quite different. But, it's a quick way to determine what you are currently using.

Power Platform Admin Center (PPAC)

The next area you need to get yourself familiar with is the new Power Platform Admin Center (PPAC). This is the new Admin Center to:

• Manage environments (instances)
• See analytics of capacity, Common Data Service, Power Automate, and Power Apps.
• Submit support tickets
• Set up Data Integration
• Manage Data Gateways
• Configure Data Policies
• Access Admin Centers for Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI

Are you used to navigating to Settings menu in the Classic UI? then you should start now getting used to the new interface. As you can see below, the Settings area is available in PPAC.

As an example, ff you drill into the Users area in Settings, you will see a familiar looking screen.

Power Apps Maker Site

The Power Apps maker site (https://make.powerapps.com) is where you:

• Create and manage Canvas Apps, Model-Driven Apps, and Portal Apps
• Create Power Automate flows
• Set up AI Builder models
• Create Solutions
• Set up Dataflows
• Set up Connections

Power Automate Site

Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow - announced here) provides a way to automate business processes. If you have ever built workflows in the Dynamics 365, you understand it's purpose. However, Power Automate is much more powerful and provides connections to 250+ services, even on-premise data. Additionally, you can utilize Power Automate for an approval process. This can allow you to route notifications to individuals who can approve and comment directly from the email!

Power Automate flows can be:

• Triggered automatically
• From a button (on-demand)
• I covered this in my post called: On-Demand Microsoft Flow for Dynamics 365 and PowerApps
• Scheduled

Also, Business Process Flows (BPFs) are under the Power Automate umbrella.

In Closing

What does this all mean for you? It means that the "tools" have changed, the capabilities are greater, and users can now have (and may expect) a richer experience. For admins, the "tools" still support the Dynamics 365 app(s) and extend the possibilities.

Some of you may feel overwhelmed as the landscape has broadened dramatically. For others, you may have already started on the journey to the Unified Interface. So, this information may have provide tidbits of information you weren't aware of.

If you still have questions on any of this, ACE Microtechnology is here to assist in your journey. Reach out to us and let us know how we can help.

Aaron Back is a Microsoft MVP with many years' experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM), Power Apps, Power Automate (Flow), and Power BI. He is actively involved with the Microsoft Dynamics 365 UG (D365UG) (User Group) Community. His involvement includes: Serving as Chapter Leader for his local D365UG Chapter, serving on the D365UG Board of Advisors, and speaking at the annual D365UG Summit conference.

ACE Microtechnology, Inc. is a professional services firm committed to delivering Dynamics 365 (CRM) business solutions to small and medium sized organizations. Our focus is on delivering products and services that improve our clients’ business operations. ACE has developed specialties in serving the lite manufacturing, distribution and the hospitality industry.

Rather than just building technology or implementing software, we deliver real business value through industry knowledge and understanding each client’s business. We make it our business to know your business.

For more information or assistance with Dynamics 365 (CRM) contact ACE!