Dynamics Communities’ 2017 Summit in Nashville, T.N. was one of the best conferences we’ve attended (and we’ve attended many)!
What made this conference so special? The attendees.
Some of the brightest and most curious representatives from a variety of industries found us at Summit. (It wasn’t just the free stress balls and candy we gave out.) Key decision makers were vocal about their pursuit for the best and smartest planning solution for their business.
Our chief operating officer, Anthony D’Anna hosted “Modeling, the deFacto Difference,” an hour-long conversation with conference attendees during with D’Anna reviewed the difference between model-based and non-model-based corporate planning solutions.
D’Anna pointed out that there are a number of reasons why models can have a profoundly positive impact on your organization. With model-based solutions like deFacto Planning, the model sits on top of your database (for Microsoft shops, SQL Server), which allows for:
- Consistent results across all users throughout your organization.
- Versioning and data security.
- Virtually unlimited data analysis, performance and model sophistication.
Anthony’s entire presentation on the value of modeling is available as a PDF, which you can request here.
A Bright Future
Later in the evening, deFacto Global CEO and President, Bob Bedard spoke about the future of corporate planning. Bedard acknowledged that many corporate planning solutions have stagnated since corporate planning solutions were first introduced, which is evidenced by the fact that so many devices around us (such as a smart “nest” thermostats) operate on smarter technology than the software on which we run our organizations.
To give businesses the most advanced planning solutions, Bob declared that deFacto Global is committed to incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) agents and bots into future generations of the deFacto Planning platform. Incorporating AI, Bedard explained, will result in more personalized user experiences, as well as faster and more accurate planning.
The direction Bob described aligned well with the goals outlined by Microsoft in the opening session; that there’s good reason why this event has grown over the past 11 years, and solution providers need to better support the ever-changing business landscape with the best user experiences, as well as broader, seamless capabilities.
A Great Race for a Great Cause
Of course, one of the biggest highlights of the Summit for the deFacto 5K, an annual 5k charity race through which all proceeds are donated to ending hunger locally. Eric Taft, the Community Engagement Manager for Rise Against Hunger in Nashville opened the event with kind and gracious remarks before walkers and runners set out on the 3.14 mile course.
The race was a great success, raising enough to feed 700 families of four. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all the runners, donors and partners who made the event a success, with a big shout out to deFacto 5K partners: GU, TrueCommerce, GreenShades, Socius, iNecta, Altec, MSDynamicsWorld.com, and Blue Moon.
Registration for the deFacto 5K in Phoenix will be available soon, so sign up for our 5K newsletter for all the latest news and updates!
Thank you Dynamics Community for hosting a wonderful event – we look forward to another exceptional experience in Phoenix in 2018!
