Dynamics 365 Industry Training Series - Oil & Gas

Meeting notes:

• Introduction to Industry Tech Talk: Carrie Sanders introduced the session, explaining that it is part of a series of industry tech talks focusing on different industries every Friday. Today's session is about project-based organizations, which include companies with various project requirements such as construction, event management, consulting, R&D, and software development.
• Introduction: Carrie Sanders welcomed everyone to the industry tech talk session, mentioning that it is part of a series held every Friday. She introduced herself as the Dynamics 365 Practice Manager at Massive IT.
• Focus: Today's session focuses on project-based organizations, which include companies with various project requirements such as construction, event management, consulting, R&D, and software development.
• Series: She explained that the series aims to cover different industries, helping participants understand industry-specific terminology and software applications.

• Terminology for Project-Based Organizations: Carrie Sanders discussed key terminologies related to project-based organizations, including project life cycle, scope, project management office (PMO), milestones, Gantt charts, critical path, risk management, agile projects, stakeholders, resource allocation, and work breakdown structure (WBS).
• Project Life Cycle: She explained the project life cycle, which includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, tracking, controlling, and closing of a project.
• Scope: The scope encompasses all deliverables, goals, tasks, costs, and deadlines of a project.
• PMO: The Project Management Office (PMO) is the governing body overseeing all projects, including tools, methodologies, and techniques used.
• Milestones: Milestones are significant points in a project with specific start and end dates, often used for milestone billing.
• Gantt Charts: Gantt charts are visual schedulers showing the start and finish dates of a project, including resources and items involved.
• Critical Path: The critical path is a sequence of stages with minimum operation times required for project completion.
• Risk Management: Risk management involves identifying and mitigating various risks such as resource constraints, budget constraints, legal liabilities, errors, accidents, and natural disasters.
• Agile Projects: Agile projects use a sprint process, allowing iterative development and adjustments, unlike the linear waterfall approach.
• Stakeholders: Stakeholders are individuals responsible for the project on both the client and company sides, ensuring project delivery.
• Resource Allocation: Resource allocation involves assigning resources to specific tasks and steps within a project, as seen in Gantt charts.
• WBS: The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) includes all tasks and steps related to a project, providing a detailed layout for planning and execution.

• Gantt Charts and Visual Schedulers: Carrie Sanders explained the use of Gantt charts as visual schedulers to show the start and finish dates of a project, including resources and items involved. She demonstrated how Gantt charts help operation managers track project timelines and make adjustments as needed.
• Gantt Chart Use: Gantt charts are used as visual schedulers to show the start and finish dates of a project, including resources and items involved.
• Operation Managers: Operation managers use Gantt charts to track project timelines and ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Adjustments: Gantt charts allow for adjustments to be made to the project schedule, ensuring that all components are completed in the correct order.
• Example: She provided an example of a Gantt chart, showing project tasks, resources, and timelines, including dependencies and required actions.

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Carrie Sanders provided an example of a work breakdown structure (WBS) using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. She showed how WBS includes phases, tasks, start and end dates, and project task types, and how it helps in planning and executing projects.
• WBS Example: She provided an example of a WBS using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, showing phases, tasks, start and end dates, and project task types.
• Planning: The WBS helps in planning projects by breaking down tasks and steps, allowing for detailed scheduling and resource allocation.
• Execution: Once the WBS is created, it is used to allocate resources and execute the project, ensuring all tasks are completed as planned.
• Integration: The WBS integrates with other systems, such as warehousing and SharePoint, to manage inventory, documents, and project-related data.

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Project Management: Carrie Sanders discussed the different project management modules available in Microsoft Dynamics 365, including project operations, business central, and finance and supply chain. She explained how these modules cater to different levels of project management needs and integrate with AI capabilities.
• Project Operations: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations is designed for companies with existing ERP systems but lacking strong project management capabilities.
• Business Central: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central includes a projects module for mid-sized companies, offering comprehensive project management features.
• Finance and Supply Chain: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain provides a deep project management module for enterprise clients, integrating with other business processes.
• AI Integration: All project management modules in Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrate with AI capabilities, enhancing project planning, execution, and reporting.

• AI and Microsoft Copilot: Carrie Sanders highlighted the role of AI and Microsoft Copilot in project management. She explained how AI can assist in task plan generation, risk assessments, project status reports, health and safety updates, and more, helping companies streamline their project management processes.
• Task Plan Generation: AI can assist in generating task plans by analyzing project requirements and past projects, creating detailed work breakdown structures.
• Risk Assessments: AI can review project contracts and task plans to identify potential risks and provide assessments for review and mitigation.
• Project Status Reports: AI agents can generate project status reports, including KPIs, dashboards, and financial activity, comparing budget versus actual costs.
• Health and Safety: AI can assist in updating health and safety rules, preparing checklists, updating documents, and drafting emails for new safety measures.

• Conclusion and Next Steps: Carrie Sanders concluded the session by summarizing the key points discussed, including project-based organization terminologies, Gantt charts, WBS, and the power of AI in project management. She encouraged participants to reach out to her or Chris Wolff with any questions and invited them to the next Friday call.