Join us for the first annual West Michigan’s M365 Community Day, hosted in downtown Grand Rapids, a city increasingly recognized as a tech hub. This event brings together super users, IT managers, and organizational leaders to explore co-authoring, collaboration, and ways to create efficiencies with Microsoft 365. Discover the latest tools and features, including Microsoft Loop, and learn to integrate tools for real-time collaboration and productivity.Based on content submissions so far, we anticipate the day to include two tracks. The IT Security track will cover topics such as ransomware first principles and defending the digital gate with passkeys and conditional access. The Productivity track will feature Microsoft Copilot, showcasing how to enhance your workflow.This event is free, and lunch will be provided. Come fill your stomach with food and your brain with useful knowledge. Network with peers and revolutionize your approach to modern work. This event promises to be an invaluable opportunity to stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

West Michigan M365 Community Day

PRODUCTIVITY TRACK BREAKOUTS

introduces Microsoft Copilot, an AI tool designed to enhance efficiency across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and the Power Platform. The session covers the distinctions between Copilot and ChatGPT, highlighting Copilot’s strong security, seamless integration with Microsoft applications, and its ability to offer personalized AI experiences. The session explores Copilot's features, architecture, and the significant benefits it brings to tasks across M365, D365, and security operations. Copilot Studio’s customization and multi-channel deployment capabilities are also showcased. The session concludes with a live demonstration, illustrating Copilot's practical applications in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Dynamics 365 Sales, and the Power Platform.

Microsoft Copilot in Action

Sessionize

A deep dive into Microsoft Teams phones, how Teams phones compare to traditional on-premises PBX systems, and how Microsoft is continuing to improve on the Phone experience for end users through Microsoft CoPilot.

Microsoft Teams Phones - Business Voice Communications Simplified

Company Website

Join us for an insightful session on Microsoft Loop, the innovative tool designed to seamlessly connect and enhance the Microsoft ecosystem. Discover how Microsoft Loop acts as the "new glue," integrating various applications and services to improve productivity and collaboration. In this session, we will explore:

⭐Copilot AI Integration: Learn how Microsoft Loop leverages Copilot AI to provide intelligent assistance, automate tasks, and deliver personalized insights, making your workflow more efficient.
⭐Enhanced Meeting Management: See how Microsoft Loop revolutionizes meeting management by centralizing agendas, notes, and action items, ensuring that every meeting is productive and outcomes are clearly tracked and followed up.
⭐Collaborative Workspaces: Understand the power of Loop workspaces, where teams can co-create, share, and collaborate in real-time across different Microsoft 365 applications.
⭐Cross-Application Collaboration: Discover how Loop connects seamlessly with other Microsoft tools such as Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and more, creating a cohesive and integrated work environment.

This session is perfect for professionals looking to optimize their use of Microsoft tools, streamline their workflows, and enhance team collaboration. Join us to unlock the full potential of Microsoft Loop and transform the way you work.

Intro to Microsoft Loop: The New Glue Across the Microsoft Ecosystem

How can developers give users what they want and need, rather than what the developer or the AI tool THINKS the users need? I answer this question with a case study from Fall 2024. A group of farm credit banks requested an AI-driven app, built with Copilot Studio, that would save employees time, effort, and frustration when they needed to search in FCA.gov for regulations that impacted bank policy and practice.

The answer, in short, is (1) to listen to users and (2) take no shortcuts in the development process. I came into the project primarily as a long-time UX researcher who was asked to design, develop, test, and launch this "FCA Website Agent" project. In my spare time I had learned how to build custom chatbots using Copilot Studio, and the client was a M365 company that wanted to dabble in AI.

The session will begin by describing the initial problem to be solved, and then focus on two separate challenges with my early "solution": (1) these "super-users" of the government website asked for consistently correct answers to their advanced questions, along with reliable source links, and (2) Copilot initially was providing answers that sounded good and links that looked correct, but in many cases the answers were not sound or the AI-improvised links went to empty pages.

The session will conclude with a demonstration of the final product, which took me a total of 8 weeks from start to finish. During this demo I will show how I overcame those challenges, and answer any questions from the audience.

Brief recording from today: https://youtu.be/ItwIxHJluh8