AI for Dummies

AI doesn't have to be complicated. This session breaks down artificial intelligence in plain English — what it is, how Microsoft is embedding it into the tools you already use, and practical ways your team can start using AI today without being a data scientist.

Agenda

· What is AI, machine learning, and large language models (in plain English)

· How Microsoft Copilot brings AI into Office, Teams, and Dynamics 365

· Real examples: summarizing emails, analyzing data, drafting documents

· AI in Business Central: bank reconciliation, marketing text, chat

· AI in CRM: meeting prep, lead scoring, opportunity insights

· How AI keeps your data secure inside your Microsoft tenant

· What AI can and can't do today (setting realistic expectations)

· Getting started: free tools, paid tools, and where to begin

by Doug Heaton

Copilot 101

Microsoft Copilot is your AI assistant built into the Microsoft tools you already use. This session introduces what Copilot is, how it works across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Business Central, and how it can boost productivity for every role in your organization.

Agenda

· What is Microsoft Copilot and how does it work

· Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams

· Copilot in Business Central: bank reconciliation, marketing text, chat

· Copilot in Dynamics 365 CRM: meeting prep, email drafts, opportunity summaries

· How Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to ground responses in your data

· Free vs. paid Copilot: what's included and what requires a license

· Security and data protection with Copilot

· Getting started: setup, licensing, and first steps

by Doug Heaton

Copilot Agents

Microsoft is moving beyond AI assistance into autonomous AI agents that can perform tasks, make decisions, and execute workflows on your behalf. This session explains what Copilot Agents are, how they work across Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365, and what this means for your organization.

Agenda

· What are Copilot Agents and how do they differ from Copilot

· The three patterns: assistant, teammate, and operator

· Prebuilt agents in Business Central (Sales Order Agent, AP Agent)

· Prebuilt agents in Dynamics 365 CRM and Customer Service

· Building custom agents with Copilot Studio

· Knowledge-based agents using SharePoint and company data

· Agent governance, security, and responsible AI

· Pricing: autonomous agent licensing and interaction models

by Doug Heaton

Copilot 101 Training (AI)

This session provides a cross-Microsoft view of what’s new for 2026, highlighting the most important platform shifts across Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, security, and cloud services, with a focus on how Microsoft is reshaping productivity, business applications, and automation for the next phase of digital work.

Agenda:

· Microsoft’s 2026 platform direction

· AI-first strategy across the stack

· Copilot evolution from assistant to agent

· New agent capabilities and automation

· Microsoft 365 productivity updates

· Teams, Outlook, and collaboration changes

· Office apps and content creation advances

· Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM advancements

· Business Central and CRM innovation themes

· Power Platform and low-code expansion

· Data, analytics, and Power BI direction

· Security, compliance, and identity updates

· What this means for organizations in 2026

· Key takeaways and next steps

by Doug Heaton

Roadmap for Copilot/AI

This session outlines the roadmap for Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft AI, showing how Microsoft is evolving from AI assistance to AI-driven execution across Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Power Platform, and Azure, with a focus on agents, automation, security, and how organizations should prepare for an AI-first way of working.

Agenda:

· Microsoft’s AI strategy at a high level

· From Copilot as assistant to Copilot as operator

· Copilot across Microsoft 365 apps

· Copilot across Dynamics 365 and ERP/CRM

· Rise of autonomous and task-based agents

· Copilot Studio and custom agent creation

· Data grounding and context across the tenant

· Security, privacy, and responsible AI controls

· Governance and admin visibility for AI usage

· Integration with Power Platform and workflows

· What changes for users, managers, and IT

· How organizations should prepare and adopt

· Key takeaways and next steps

by Doug Heaton

Copilot 101

This Copilot 101 session introduces the fundamentals of Microsoft Copilot, explaining what Copilot is, how it works across Microsoft applications, and how users can safely and effectively use natural language to get answers, generate content, and take action using their own business data.

Agenda:

· What Copilot is and what it is not

· How Copilot works at a high level

· Copilot vs traditional search and reports

· Where Copilot shows up in Microsoft apps

· What data Copilot can access

· Security, permissions, and data boundaries

· Writing effective prompts

· Common everyday use cases

· Limitations and expectations

· Key takeaways and next steps

by Doug Heaton

Copilot with Microsoft Office

This session provides an overview of Microsoft Copilot across Office 365 (Microsoft 365), focusing on how Copilot works within everyday productivity tools like Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help users draft, summarize, analyze, and act on information using their own organizational data securely.

Agenda:

· What Copilot for Microsoft 365 is

· How Copilot uses your tenant data and context

· Copilot in Outlook for email drafting and summarization

· Copilot in Teams for meetings and chat insights

· Copilot in Word for document creation and editing

· Copilot in Excel for analysis and insights

· Copilot in PowerPoint for presentations

· Prompting basics and best practices

· Security, permissions, and data boundaries

· Real-world productivity scenarios

· Adoption considerations and next steps

by Doug Heaton

Microsoft Copilot in Business Central

This session is on Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Business Central, focusing on how Copilot enhances day-to-day ERP workflows, improves decision-making, and reduces manual effort across finance, operations, and reporting using built-in, Microsoft-delivered capabilities.

Agenda:

· Recap of Copilot in Business Central

· Where Copilot is available in the product today

· Copilot for finance and accounting scenarios

· Copilot for sales and customer insights

· Copilot for purchasing and vendor management

· Natural language interaction with Business Central data

· Using Copilot for explanations, summaries, and variance analysis

· Security, permissions, and data boundaries

· Key takeaways and next steps

by Doug Heaton

Microsoft Spring Releases (Business Central, Copilot, CRM, and Office)

Event Details:

Title: Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft Spring Releases: Business Central, Copilot, CRM, and Office

Date: April 29^th 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST – Breakfast will be provided

Location: Mississauga Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts Dr, Mississauga, Ontario, CA, L5B 4B8 in the Mississauga Room

Join Microsoft & VOX ISM for a fast-paced look at Microsoft Spring Releases (Copilot, Business Central, CRM and Office) in person. The session will cover new and upcoming features in Copilot, AI, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 CRM, and Business Central, with a spotlight on the shift from Copilot-as-assistant to autonomous agents-as-operators. We’ll also share key takeaways from AI Agent & Copilot Summit NA 2026 (Mar 17–19) and what Microsoft’s strategic direction means for real-world adoption.

· Welcome & context: Wave 1 2026 overview

· Top Business Central enhancements (Wave 1 preview highlights)

· Recap: AI Agent & Copilot Summit NA 2026 — key takeaways for business leaders

· Top Microsoft 365 (Office/Teams/Outlook) enhancements

· Top Copilot enhancements (agentic experiences + execution)

· Top Dynamics 365 (CRM) enhancements

· Strategic direction: Copilot → Agents (assistant → operator / AI ERP)

· Adoption plan: readiness, governance, and “what to pilot first”

· Q&A / networking

by Doug Heaton