Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us. In many ways, it feels like the year has blown by, and in other ways, it feels like the longest year ever. Nevertheless, it is here, and I LOVE IT! Perhaps because there are so many lists to be made! I love a good list! (yeah, I know, I have problems) You know: the menu for thanksgiving, the gift lists and who can forget the naughty and nice list?! But there is also decorating and the music… and the food. Special time with family, making memories, thinking of loved ones, helping others in need – this time of the year is certainly filled with so many emotions. It’s a rollercoaster ride like no other… and then sprinkle in a little 2020 and it will make for the most unique holiday season ever. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve been reflecting on some of the things I’ve been thankful for – shocking, I know. It won’t surprise you to know that my family, friends, and health certainly come to mind immediately as my top 3 things I am most thankful for. What was next on my list – well, it surprised me, so of course I had to think about it a bit more… #4 – technology. Crazy, I know, technology. But why – I mean, it came to my mind so quickly – I have always loved technology but why do I feel a different kind of appreciation this year? Below are just a few examples of some of my experiences this year – you probably have a similar list. Yes, I would prefer to do each of these in person, sure, but it’s great to still be a part of them, even from a distance.
- I get daily videos on Snapchat of my granddaughter It makes my day – we do not get to see her as much as we would normally, but technology brings us “closer” together.
- I watched my nephew get married on Facebook Live.
- I attended a memorial over live stream that I would otherwise have not been able to attend.
- Appointments with our family doctor – over the phone with video share.
- Helping my mom hook up her new digital home assistant using video chat. (I wish I could have recorded this conversation – sorry Mom!)
These technologies are not necessarily new, but the reason we are using them certainly has changed. In a time where we would have been otherwise far apart, we managed to stay connected, and stay close. So yeah, it’s definitely a different time, but different does not have to mean bad. Sure, I want COVID-19 to disappear as quickly as possible… but as for some of the technology changes made to get through this time… they have been super helpful, and I am #thankful for them. In fact, technology has helped with the first three items on my ‘thankful for’ list: family, friends, and health. Wow – I just put all that together. #chills So YES, the holiday season is here – and it will be different – but let’s make the most of it! I know we are all anxiously hurrying 2020 to get behind us but let us not forget to slow things down a little and find a few things to celebrate throughout the last few weeks of the year. Thanks for reading! Shawn Dorward, SMB Practice Manager
News You Should Know
#MSDyn365FO: Learn more about Change Management Capabilities in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management here! #MSDyn365CE: Connect with our new Dynamics 365 CE Practice Manager Ryan Redmond on LinkedIn or Twitter! #MSDynGP: Year-End update releases 11/20/20 for GP 2016 and Modern Client (2018 18.X). Find updates from Microsoft here. #MSDyn365BC: Version 17 has been released! Schedule your tenant upgrade today! With plenty of new functionality, you can be sure to find something that helps you and your organization! For a complete list of new features, visit the “What’s new and planned” page today! #PowerPlatform: Power BI has announced the “Premium Per User” trial program. It unlocks Premium features such as Paginated Reports, advanced Power Automate report distribution, and Machine Learning using a per-user pricing SKU (price TBD). #Microsoft365: Microsoft has been nominated for #GooglePlayBestOf Users’ Choice of 2020! Vote for Microsoft #Office and help them take home the gold here! If you have any questions or would like to have a discussion with us about any of the topics above, please reach out to your Practice Manager, or fill out the Contact Us form.
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