The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

5 WE LCOME : AUTUMN 2 0 2 0 Ongoing recovery W ith the year progressing, senior personnel from the enterprise and public sectors are taking stock of how their organisations have weathered the first wave of a global pandemic, whilst preparing themselves for the challenge of ongoing recovery and growth within operating environments that have probably changed for good. Despite the obvious issues that communities across the globe have encountered over recent months, what remains clear is the innate ability of leaders from industry, retail, entertain- ment, government, healthcare and education to constantly innovate. With restrictions upon the physical location of workers and the consequent impact upon their operational capacity, coupled with serious curtailment of public mobility and access to marketplaces, businesses and civic organisations alike have been forced to rapidly evolve their activities simply to stay afloat, let alone to deliver year-on-year growth. This edition of The Record is packed with examples of how Microsoft and its ecosystem of partners have worked tirelessly to extend their customers’ reach throughout this uniquely difficult period. From the delivery of essential healthcare services to ensuring that super- market shelves remain stocked, Microsoft and its leading partners have been extending the reach of customer communities to overcome problems that few could have foreseen even at the start of the year. In the first of a new series of product focus articles we take a closer look at the rapid and sustained growth of Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 offering across all sectors. Along with con- tributions from a broad range of leading partners to showcase the potential of Dynamics as a tool for transformational innovation, we speak with Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Dynamics 365, Muhammad Alam. Our Dynamics 365 special feature starts on page 36. A key area for any healthy economy is a successful manufacturing base and on page 48 you’ll find our interview with Microsoft’s global industry general manager Çağlayan Arkan, who tells us more about the work that he and his team have been engaged upon within the sector. Elsewhere in the magazine we hear from Microsoft IoT advisor Sally Frank with the second in her series of healthcare perspectives, this time looking at the ways in which both practi- tioners and providers can use IoT technologies to reduce cost and improve patient outcomes, whilst at the same time keeping workers safe. You’ll find Sally’s article on page 158. Turning to the world of retail, our ‘Last Word’ interview comes from Bill Thorne, executive director of the National Retail Federation Foundation and global vice president of commu- nications at NRF, who looks at the challenges being faced by retailers in the current climate whilst offering examples of recent innovation that have enabled retailers to move forward positively in these uncertain times. Something for everybody in this packed edition of The Record . I hope that you enjoy the read. ANDY C L AY TON - SM I TH : E X E CUT I V E ED I TOR