Our commitment to operating a sustainable business is strong and only grows stronger as we experience severe weather events impacting our region, country, and the world at large. The need to stay focused on decarbonizing our business operations and supply chain becomes more important each year. At RedCloud, we believe that sustainable business practices are not only essential for the health of our employees and their communities but for the long-term success of the company as well. We're proud to be a consulting firm that values sustainability and is dedicated to doing our part to ensure that future generations benefit—as we did--from a healthy planet. In that spirit, we’re sharing a quick update on RedCloud’s sustainability journey to inform and inspire others to act, too. 2023 Sustainability Update Having committed to sustainability several years ago, we’re working to reduce the impact of our business on the world around us. Some of our ongoing sustainability activities and initiatives include: Carbon Reductions We commit to reduce our emissions by about 55% by 2030. This aligns with the goals of a major client, Microsoft, which is a leader in corporate sustainability ambitions and practices. This goal will continue to be our North Star, guiding our decisions and investments in sustainability. Engagement with Emissions Data Specialists Over the last year, we have engaged with Rye Strategy, an independent assessor specializing in emissions data collection, analysis, and reporting, to help us verify that our emissions data is accurate and actionable. This investment will help demonstrate clear emissions reductions. Annual Collection and Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data We continue to collect and disclose GHG emissions data related to RedCloud operations, including our supply chain, to measure the impacts of our actions and investments. This data includes office leasing and energy use, receipts for purchased goods (such as laptops), and travel itineraries and expenses. Identification of Additional Mitigation Strategies We’re investigating and assessing the feasibility and potential impact of new sustainability strategies, including: Sourcing products from “greener suppliers” Using more energy-efficient products in daily operations Reducing overall business travel and investing in “sustainable aviation fuel” Expanding our hybrid work model for our employees Encouraging our commercial landlord to purchase renewable energy Continuous Improvement We regularly review our practices, set new sustainability goals, and seek innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact. As a professional service firm, our carbon footprint is smaller than those of manufacturing, transportation, and other industries, but we still have work to do. Sustainability is an ongoing commitment

Chris is back with us today! We were excited to track him down for a special RedCloud Alumni Q&A session so we could share updates on his career path and his whereabouts since his time working at RedCloud. Chris is the consummate professional. He was always detailed and caring, however, what made him so successful in his client engagements was his ability to relate and empathize with everyone. He’s someone our team would consider a true friend. After his time with us assisting our clients with key IT projects and honing his craft, he’s moved on to impressive projects and is here to share some reflections with us today. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Chris. What was your role at RedCloud, and what position do you hold now?  As a senior consultant at RedCloud, I was a Project Manager….a role I continue today in my current role at Savers, specializing in IT Retail.  What kind of projects/client service did you work on at RedCloud?   I worked on Microsoft projects in the Marketing groups with Avanade and Accenture, focused on driving Azure sales. The last engagement I had was at Savers (also known as Value Village), where I worked as a Project Manager on the IT Retail Team, driving the software updates to the Point of Sales systems, Registers and Self-Checkouts. This project led to my full-time role with Savers, and I am now part of another great group of people. I really miss seeing my RedCloud family. But we still stay in touch, grabbing coffee and lunch when our schedules allow.  What is your favorite part about the RedCloud team members? Or some specific memories about a project or collaboration?  The RedCloud team truly cares about everyone. (Managing Partners) Brett Clifton, Brett Alston, and (Account Director) Scott Ekman are always there to listen and offer advice. Benny Swedberg (BS&I Practice Lead) is always there to help you figure out and understand any technical issues. Emily Barber (HR Manager) is always available with a smile and an immediate fix for any HR or hardware issues. When I had a project end, the team was quick to find me another engagement.  I am in my 40s, and RedCloud is the first place I have worked where I felt like I was part of a family. I am lucky to have these people as friends. What were some skills or best practices you learned during your time with RedCloud that you took with you to your next job? I learned the basics of PowerApps and definitely strengthened my PM skills.  ​ What would you say to someone who was thinking about working for RedCloud?   Engage with the other team members. Ask for help when you need it. Be a part of the family!

There are often ad hoc needs that go beyond what is possible with a human clicking on their computer, or should be possible for productivity’s sake. For example, a need we ran into was capturing a datetime in a SharePoint list for when an item was approved. Done manually, this meant looking through the history version. That would be fine if it were for a few items. ​ The Concept We needed to detect when a SharePoint item was approved. At first you may think that could be found with the earliest version where the Status column was equal to ‘Approved’. However, what happens when something is then set back to ‘In Review’ before being set to ‘Denied’ or ‘Approved’ again. That means we need to find the most recent time the Status column was changed to ‘Approved’. ​ Building the Utility Flow At its most basic level, this utility flow only consists of three actions, which I’ll outline below. Before that, I’d like to show how we made the flow a true utility with the 5 required parameters: ​ SharePoint Site URL: the base URL for the specific SharePoint site that holds the List SharePoint List Name: the name of the List to be queried Field Schema Name: the schema or logical name of the column, which may be different than the display name Target Value: the value of the field you are interested in determining when it became that value ID: the ID of the SharePoint item These are all critical to composing the SharePoint http requests that respond with version history information. So now let’s get to the more exciting part of building the actions. As described above, we need to find the most recent version where the specified column does not equal the target value. ​ Following that step, you then find the most recent version where the specified column is equal to the target value but is also a later version than the version returned in the first http call. ​ Code snippet for the VersionId gt comparison: first(outputs('Get_first_non_target_version')?['body/value'])?['VersionId'] With that, you have all the information you need! The final step is responding back with the datetime of the change. This makes it possible to call this flow as a child flow and run it for numerous items! Suggestion: make a Utilities Solution that holds these types of Flows and share them with your team. ​ Response snippet: first(outputs('Get_last_target_version')?['body/value'])?['Modified'] ​This isn’t a complicated build, but it is incredibly useful when backfilling data. It can also be tweaked to restore information while not being able to restore an actual version. If you’d like to use the Flow yourself, you’ll find the file below. You’ll also find a more thoroughly built out flow that takes into consideration many of the potential failure points. For example, what happens when the column isn’t found or when the item has never been set to the target value?

It's incredible how quickly time flies - we're already more than halfway through the year! While it may signal the end of summer, there's still so much to look forward to, especially with the exciting new releases from Microsoft Power Apps. Let's dive into the highlights of the upcoming features in the 2023 release Wave 2, which will be rolling out between October 2023 and March 2024. ​Power Apps is making significant investments in multiple areas as part of the Microsoft Power Platform 2023 release wave 2. Here are some highlights: ​ Copilot for makers and users This innovative feature harnesses the power of AI and natural language to expedite app development. By leveraging Copilot, makers can build and modify apps more efficiently, work with data seamlessly, and enhance overall functionality. Users, on the other hand, can explore data and navigate apps using natural language, greatly enhancing the user experience. Building modern apps Power Apps is introducing updates that will modernize apps by default. These updates will lead to higher developer productivity and user satisfaction. Developers will have access to modern controls, responsive templates, and offline app capabilities. Users can look forward to a refreshed and modernized interface, simpler sharing options, and improved collaboration tools. Enable enterprise scale Power Apps is dedicated to empowering makers and administrators to implement low-code solutions at an enterprise level. Upgrades to Power Apps Studio will enhance monitoring and code management tools, providing makers with better visibility and control over their solutions. These improvements will streamline app development for larger and more complex projects. These investments in Copilot, building modern apps, and enabling enterprise scale demonstrate Power Apps' commitment to delivering cutting-edge features and empowering users to create powerful and scalable solutions. Some of our favorite upcoming features Below are some of our favorite features to look out for. The full list of upcoming features is at the bottom! Power Apps Canvas App Makers can easily unlock a wealth of useful and captivating layouts designed for common scenarios and enhanced with data-connected components. These layouts effortlessly adapt to different window sizes, ensuring a stunning experience for app users on any device. Accessing these immersive designs is just a few clicks away for makers. With the latest update, screen layout templates come pre-configured with layouts for multiple form factors, empowering makers to swiftly create stunning apps for any device. Public Preview: October 2023 Experience the enhanced look and feel of model-driven Power Apps. Power Apps has been updated the user interface to align with Microsoft Fluent Design System, offering makers a stunning range of controls and experiences to captivate users. Revitalize your model-driven app with fresh layouts, themes, and colors. Users can opt-in by selecting "Try the new look". Once enabled, your app will incorporate the latest Microsoft Fluent Design-based elements. And remember, users can switch back to the previous version anytime. ​ Microsoft Fluent is a powerful, open-source design system that enables engaging product experiences, encompassing accessibility, internationalization, and top-notch performance. Public Preview: August 2023 / General Availability: October 2023 Monitor is a widely used debugging tool that helps makers diagnose and resolve app issues. Gain insights into your canvas apps through its user-friendly interface. Microsoft is enhancing Monitor to streamline usability and empower makers to quickly identify and address problems. Key areas Microsoft is focusing on to enhance the Monitor experience: Improved discoverability: We'll make it easier to find and launch Monitor within Power Apps Studio. Data quality enhancements: We'll consolidate duplicate log entries for easier troubleshooting. Enhanced data relevance: We'll establish guidelines to ensure relevant and actionable data in Monitor. UI improvements: Streamlining navigation in Monitor's tabular grid with sorting, highlighting, filtering, and search capabilities. This will be an amazing elevated debugging experience for optimizing canvas apps with ease. Full List of New & Upcoming Features Building Modern Apps Feature Enabled For Public Preview Early Access General Availability Quickly create dataconnected apps with rich, responsive layout templates Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically Mar 2024 - - Enjoy the new look and feel for model-driven Power Apps Users by admins, makers, or analysts Aug 2023 - Oct 2023 Copilot for Power Apps makers and users Feature Enabled For Public Preview Early Access General Availability Write formulas from natural language or examples using Copilot Users by admins, makers, or analysts Oct 2023 - - Use Copilot to build and edit apps in Power Apps Studio Users by admins, makers, or analysts Oct 2023 - - Enable enterprise scale Feature Enabled For Public Preview Early Access General Availability Set the solution context for customizations Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically Oct 2023 - - Debug canvas apps more quickly and efficiently with Monitor tool improvements Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically March 2024 - - Debug canvas apps more quickly and efficiently with Monitor tool improvements Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically March 2024 - - Experience improved named formula browsing in Power Apps Studio Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically March 2024 - - Resize and reposition the Power Fx editor within Power Apps Studio Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically March 2024 - - Resize and reposition the Power Fx editor within Power Apps Studio Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically March 2024 - - Direct new makers to their own developer environments Users by admins, makers, or analysts Aug 2023 - Oct 2023 Power Apps can make direct calls to SQL Server stored procedures Users, automatically - Jun 11, 2023 Oct 2023 ​To learn more about the entire set of capabilities being delivered during the release wave, check out the release plan for Power Apps HERE .

As we excitedly announced last month , Lou Hazim has re-joined RedCloud as an Account Director for our Privacy & Security Practice! Lou adds a valuable set of skills, insights, and an engaging personality based on his more than 20 years of consulting experience. In fact, Lou helped start our Privacy & Security Practice five years ago and is looking forward to expanding on its success so far. He has a passion for helping clients defend and improve their Cyber Security Posture.  Read on to learn more about Lou and his role at RedCloud, as well as a tool he’s added to his belt since we last spoke with him - his work as a volunteer firefighter! What was it like to return to RedCloud? Coming back to RedCloud felt like I never left. Seeing familiar faces and talented teammates is a highlight for sure. Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud?  I would say the transparency of the management team and the level of talent of this firm is unparalleled. What originally drew you to RedCloud? The feeling of trust and integrity through the initial discussions made it clear that RedCloud was a top-tier firm. Tell us more about the Privacy & Security practice. How are you helping clients?  The importance of improving cyber security posture cannot be overstated for any sized business, no matter their sector or industry. It is crucial for businesses to prioritize and invest in robust cyber security measures to protect their digital assets, mitigate financial losses, preserve reputation and customer trust, comply with regulations, reduce downtime, stay ahead of evolving threats, and safeguard business continuity. Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud? The stellar reputation RedCloud has and its dedicated, talented people will lead to tremendous growth. Tell us something unique you do in your time away from RedCloud. I decided to become a volunteer firefighter in my new hometown of Manson, WA.  It is so important for a small town to have a dedicated team of firefighters, especially during the hot summers. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? Aside from my iPhone, I would have to say our Sonos system,  We love music! What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud? Landing new key clients and growing the team!

We are thrilled we found time to sit down with our 2023 summer intern, Siqi. With her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, we can already tell that she’s a self-driven and ambitious individual with a bright future ahead. Read on to learn more about her experience thus far and what app she can’t live without (it may surprise you)! What were your main tasks and projects during the internship? I have primarily focused on conducting background research on the consulting industry and our client base. My research involved utilizing platforms like LinkedIn, Google, and Glassdoor to collect data that will help RedCloud continue to provide our clients with top-notch service and unique and rewarding opportunities for our consultants.  What did you use the most from school in your internship? During my internship at RedCloud, I primarily utilized the soft skills I acquired during my education. These skills included interpersonal skills, data organization skills, and a basic understanding of business concepts. A significant aspect of my internship involved actively and regularly communicating with Account Manager Scott Morton to better understand RedCloud’s current position in the market. Additionally, my expertise in data organization, stemming from my background as an industrial engineering major, allowed me to effectively consolidate seemingly unrelated data and present it coherently and structured. What is it like working with the RedCloud team? I decided to join RedCloud primarily because of its inclusive and supportive atmosphere. Despite being a short-term intern, I have experienced a strong sense of respect and integration within the team. I greatly appreciate Scott for providing me with this opportunity and emphasizing the importance of my learning experience during the internship rather than merely focusing on completing mandatory tasks. What were the biggest takeaways you had from your internship? The most significant lesson I learned is to go beyond the minimum requirements when approaching tasks. I view my internship as a stepping stone from academic life to the professional world, encompassing both skill development and a shift in mindset. In school, I often focused solely on completing assigned tasks without fully grasping the broader significance or ultimate objective of the assignment. However, RedCloud has taught me the value of working backward. This approach involves identifying the desired end goal and then meticulously planning and implementing all the necessary steps to accomplish that goal. By adopting this proactive mindset, I have learned to take ownership of my work and actively contribute to the overarching objectives of the organization. What do you think will translate most to your next job that you learned? The internship provided me with valuable experience, particularly in terms of the web tools I became proficient in and the work mindset I cultivated. One key aspect of this experience is that having prior knowledge or exposure to similar tasks enhances my ability to complete assignments successfully.   Where do you see the future of RedCloud? Based on my current understanding, I think RedCloud has the capacity to become the top technology consulting firm in Washington. This is due to its comprehensive consulting services, which combine various aspects. Moreover, RedCloud has received an impressive rating of 4.9 (out of 5.0) on Glassdoor, indicating that it is highly regarded and has a welcoming environment for both clients and employees.  Name a piece of tech you can’t live without or your favorite app? An important piece of tech that I can’t live without is LinkedIn since it’s an efficient tool for me to not only connect with and learn the experiences of people around me but also search for companies’ information, background, and recent activities.

Meet Tugcem Kurbanzade, a Senior Consultant on our team who joined RedCloud last year. She’s quickly become a valuable member of our team, leveraging her expertise in Microsoft Power Platform technologies to help our clients. Read on to learn more about Tugcem, how she envisions the future of consulting, and what piece of technology she can’t live without!​ Briefly describe your role and how long you've been at RedCloud. As a Senior Consultant at RedCloud, where my main area of expertise is Microsoft Power Platform technologies, my job involves designing and implementing creative business solutions for our clients, which help to enhance productivity and streamline processes. This is achieved through the development of customized business applications, automation tools, and analytics dashboards. I have been a part of the RedCloud team since October 2022. What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)? My experience of becoming a part of RedCloud was seamless, thanks to their well-organized onboarding process. I was offered a thorough orientation program, which included meeting fellow colleagues, getting acquainted with the work culture, and learning about different projects and resources. Our BS&I Practice lead, Benny Swedberg, was always approachable, and he ensured that I never felt lost or uncertain about what to do. This was a refreshing change from other companies where confusion is common during the onboarding process. Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud? What stands out to me about RedCloud is its dedication to innovation and the collaborative work environment. The company constantly invests in the latest technologies and encourages employees to develop new skills. At RedCloud, we work on a diverse range of projects for a wide variety of clients. The team at RedCloud is also very diverse, which means that everyone brings something unique to the table. This diversity creates an environment that fosters growth and development, allowing team members to learn new skills and expand their knowledge base. Moreover, RedCloud offers an abundance of support and resources to its team members, treating them with utmost respect and trust. This approach ensures that team members can lead their work without feeling unable to make decisions or suggestions. What originally drew you to RedCloud? Initially, I was interested in RedCloud due to its established reputation as a top-notch technology consulting company that specializes in Microsoft Power Platform technologies. Moreover, the firm's dedication to assisting clients in enhancing their business procedures and productivity was in line with my career objectives. Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud? I see the future of consulting being driven by the increasing importance of digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. RedCloud is well-positioned for this future, as it is at the forefront of leveraging new technologies and methodologies to deliver cutting-edge solutions to its clients. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? One piece of technology I couldn't live without is my smartphone. It enables me to stay connected with colleagues and clients, manage my calendar and emails, access important documents, and utilize various productivity apps that help me stay organized and efficient. What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud? This year, I'm most looking forward to working on some exciting new projects at RedCloud, where we will be utilizing the latest Power Platform features and innovations to assist our clients in staying ahead of the competition and driving their businesses forward.

Meet Marco, a valued senior associate on our team who recently returned to RedCloud to join our Business Solutions and Intelligence team. With deep consulting experience and previous RedCloud experience, he has a bright future ahead. Read on to learn more about Marco and his role at RedCloud, what attracted him to our team, and hear about his goals for 2023. ​ Briefly describe your role and how long you've been at RedCloud My current role at RedCloud is Senior Associate. At the moment, I am on the business solutions and intelligence team over at our clients Savers. This is my second stint with RedCloud.  What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)? Given that this is my second time around, onboarding was very simple. Previously knowing all the people that helped me onboard made a considerable difference. Scott, Benny, Sean, and Emily made it a very enjoyable experience for me. Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud? The people at RedCloud are amazing, they truly view you as a friend, and they make your success their success. Having worked at several companies in tech, I can honestly say that RedCloud attracts the very best people. It is a pleasure working with such talented and invested individuals. What originally drew you to RedCloud? What originally drew me to RedCloud was the work and the learning opportunity that I could see with this group. When I first started here in 2020, I was fairly new to the Power Apps platform, and I certainly wanted to get more experience. After interviewing with Benny (Practice Lead), I knew I wanted to learn as much as I could from him. Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud? I see an extremely bright future for RedCloud, I think the company benefits from great leadership at multiple levels, is well-positioned in the market, and employs some of the best talent in the area. You can see the fruits of that in just how much the company has grown in the last few years. It is a very exciting time to be a part of RedCloud Consulting, I am very excited to be part of this team. Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why? I hate to admit this, but I would have to say my iPhone, one of my goals for 2023 is to cut back on my screen time, so perhaps by this time next year, I will have a different answer. Unlikely, but that is my hope! What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud? Getting settled in and establishing myself within both RedCloud and Savers, I look forward to adding immediate value to our teams and helping meet the goals of the company.

Junior Achievement of Washington (known as “JA”) has been a partner of RedCloud for many years, with our consultants volunteering in classrooms around the Seattle area to teach JA’s business and finance curriculum to elementary students, and to help support JA’s “BizTown”, a unique marketplace where students operate a micro-economy for a day. Those experiences provide important hands-on opportunities for our team to volunteer in the community at the nexus of RedCloud’s community program: children and education. But this year we’re taking things up a notch in RedCloud’s support of JA. While our consultants can roll up their sleeves and teach during a “JA Day'', we also saw the opportunity to keep our “consulting” hats on and dive into the operations and broader strategy of the JA organization. Kicking-off in the spring of 2023, we’re beginning a set of pro bono consulting services to help JA achieve one of its largest strategic goals: attract, retain and generally increase volunteer participation - the lifeblood of their programs. To that end, our RedCloud team of experts led by Senior Account Manager Scott Morton and Business Services & Intelligence Practice Lead Benny Swedberg have begun engagement with JA’s team to help in two specific areas: ​ Bolstering JA’s volunteer marketing strategy to drive awareness and engagement with potential volunteers. Auditing and evolving JA’s volunteer marketing technology and toolset to improve efficiencies and support marketing efforts. Ultimately these efforts are leading the development of a go-to-market (GTM) plan that will help JA: Increase number of contactable volunteers in the organization’s database. Increases the number of volunteers per each JA event (i.e. “JA Day”, “BizTown”). Expand social media reach to a broader audience through like, shares, and follows. On the tech side, the RedCloud team identified the need to improve the tools and platforms associated with JA’s Volunteer Lifecycle, and specifically the JA event check-in experience for their volunteers. Our team is currently developing a set of recommendations for an online platform or application for volunteers to: Manage their profile. Sign up for events. Check-in at events. Access live chat for support. Receive push notifications. Additional features that will help streamline the entire volunteer process. Lastly, our tech experts are assessing the reporting needs of JA, and how a revamped set of business intelligence reports can help leadership make decisions about volunteering needs. ​ Giving back through our Community program is a core value at RedCloud and believe it’s up to each one of us to extend a helping hand when we can, whether the gesture be big or small. We’re honored to partner with JA and look forward to reporting back on the outcomes of this project!

Today in our ongoing Learning Series, Senior Associate Matt Little dives into the technology and strategy behind the use of chatbots driven by artificial intelligence. Matt is a member of our skilled Data & AI and Digital Solutions Team teams, who has previously shared his thoughts on RedCloud and the industry in our 10 Minutes With profiles. AI Chatbots have quickly become an integral part of our digital lives, and more and more businesses are adopting them as an enhancement to their user’s experience every day. We already see Chatbots serving many purposes. They can be a virtual assistant/co-pilot, sales/lead generator, customer support agent, self-service portal for IT troubleshooting or HR questions, and much more. However, not all Chatbots are created equal. As a new adopter of Chatbots, you may be asking yourself “How do I ensure that my Chatbot is becoming more efficient and effective over time?”. ​ In this blog post, we will explore important concepts you need to know to analyze the performance of a Microsoft Power Virtual Agents Chatbot, so that you can feel confident you’re getting a great return on your investment in this new and exciting space. Why Microsoft Power Virtual Agents (PVA)? ​​ We chose to focus specifically on PVA for this post because it’s a quick, easy, and cost-effective application through which AI Chatbots can be built. The pace and sophistication of these Chatbots are improving all the time, as Microsoft continues to integrate functionality from Chat GPT’s large language model, many of which are already available in the preview version of PVA today. If your organization already uses Microsoft 365, you can sign up right now for a Free 30 Day Trial of Power Virtual Agents and get started on your Chatbot journey. ​ Intro to Chatbot Terms & Metrics We’ll begin by defining the most critical words you’ll see when evaluating your Chatbot’s performance: Session - when a user interacts with your Bot or the Bot sends a proactive message to the user. Topic – a designation that determines how a Bot will respond to a user’s question, assigned based on the Bot’s understanding of the user’s intent or their use of specific trigger phrases. Engaged Sessions – a Session where an in-scope Topic for the Bot has been triggered (i.e. the Topic is something the Bot can answer), or an escalation to a live agent has occurred. Once begun, this can result in 1 of 3 potential outcomes: Resolved – User confirms the interaction was a success and/or that the conversation can end. Escalated – The conversation is transferred to a live agent or support ticket. Abandoned – The conversation times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, without being Resolved or Escalated. ​ Total Sessions – a count of the number of Sessions within a period of time. Engagement Rate – Engaged Sessions divided by Total Sessions, expressed a percentage. Resolution Rate – Resolved Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Escalation Rate - Escalated Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Abandoned Rate – Abandoned Sessions divided by Engaged Sessions, expressed a percentage. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) – Score(s) provided by the user via a survey at the conclusion of a Session. Impact Score – how much a particular Topic contributes to a Rate, based on volume. Optimizing Bot Performance Over Time Now that we’ve got a baseline understanding of how a Chatbot’s performance is evaluated, let’s move on to how you’ll recognize trends in these metrics and start to drive them in the right direction. Accuracy of the Bot’s Responses ​Indicated by increasing Resolution Rate and/or decreasing Escalation Rate, while controlling for Abandonment Rate over time. Taking a more granular look at the Topics with the highest Impact Scores for these measures will give you a starting point for where the biggest improvements can be found. Accuracy will be improve over time if you are: regularly training your Bot on new/updated information that’s relevant to its purpose iterating on the paths & nodes the bot will follow once a Topic has been identified ​​​optimizing the trigger phrases used by the Bot to determine the Topic of the conversation use Microsoft 365’s Copilot to allow the AI to write new Topics, nodes, and responses for itself based on your inputs of what is missing Speed of the Bot’s Understanding and Response ​User expectations for Speed will be most clearly indicated in CSAT responses, and can be compared against the number of prompts needed to understand the user’s question, and the time spent by the Bot once it does generate a response. In cases where the Bot has do things like make calls out to trigger Power Automate Flows, you can also compare the duration of these Flow Runs against User expectations for Speed. Speed will improve over time if you are: optimizing the trigger phrases used by the Bot to determine the Topic of the conversation simplify the Conversation Path and/or the variables & calculations the Bot needs to perform to generate its response ​pre-filtering/loading less data in Power Automate flows, returning Flow Outputs to the Bot in earlier steps, or running Flow actions in parallel branches rather than sequentially User Satisfaction & User Engagement ​CSAT responses typically serve as a proxy for overall User Satisfaction. This data can be gathered in the form of an end of conversation survey, a prompt for the user to leave a rating, and/or by performing a sentiment analysis of the user’s tone and word choice while conversing with the Bot. User Engagement can be evaluated by sampling the behaviors of a representative group of users of the Bot. How are their Session counts changing over time? How much time are they spending with the Bot per Session before Escalation or Resolution? Are they returning to use the Bot as it gets trained on new information? Are the questions they ask evolving to take better advantage of the Bot’s full range of capabilities? ​Improving User Satisfaction and User Engagement over time will be highly contextual for each Bot. Most importantly though, the data gathered for these measures should be paired up with anecdotal evidence in order to gain a deeper understanding of specifically how the Bot can offer a better user experience in the future. ​Regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics will give you a solid understanding of your Chatbot’s current level of performance, how to identify areas for optimization, and how to continuously refine the conversational abilities of your Bot. Now, go enjoy unlocking the potential that AI Chatbot’s have to offer!

Office Scripts in Excel and more The final breakout session of the weekend for us was on Office Scripts in Excel. This is a relatively new feature that helps automate tasks, both inside Excel, but also outside of the context of an Excel file. In our opinion, these Scripts are an underutilized capability.  ​ These Scripts are like VBA scripts in many ways but do have differences. As noted by the speaker, they are not yet on parr with the capabilities of VBA but are tracking to reach parity in the near future. Where they really shine is in integration with Power Automate. A common example would be formatting an Excel based report that is generated every week. The Automation detects when the report was received via email, saved to the proper SharePoint folder, and then runs the Office Script to properly format, filter data, and even generate pivot tables and charts.  ​ There were a couple of other exciting improvements. First was the general release of Power Automate buttons within Excel. This will run very similarly to the instant flow triggers that can be found on a SharePoint list. We think this will be useful, but once again, it will temp everyone to create Excel files that really should be replaced with a Power App.  Another exciting one is a new Power Automate Excel automated trigger. This trigger would be activated when a particular range in an Excel file is modified! It will use a named range, and there are some things to still be figured out by the engineering team. Powerful? Yes! Tempting to turn Excel into an app again? Yes! ​ Closing Keynote The Conference closed out with a fitting keynote that provided tangible advice on change management, adoption, and engagement. Dan Holme, the Microsoft product leader for Viva Engage, led the keynote with grounded advice that unified best practices that any business could benefit from, with the Viva platform. ​ Before the conference we were not as excited or informed about Viva as we are now. Yes, it is a newer service that is still maturing, but it is clear that internal company communications, community, and culture can be cultivated with its help. We’d encourage you start exploring Viva one module at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. For example, start with Viva Connections  or Viva Engage . Get to know it and share with others what you think is actually helpful.   Other links we think you’d find helpful  Microsoft Adoption Learning   M365 Champions   Community Days

Day 2 at the Microsoft 365 Conference focused on two main themes: Copilot and Viva announcements. Below is a recap of some of our top announcements and notes.  All new sharing dialog All new sharing dialog in Microsoft 365 with a better UX design and updated UI that is simplified and makes external sharing prompts more obvious. VIVA Las Vegas! Viva announcement highlights! ​ Custom Topic Types for Viva Topics ​Knowledge Managers can define and edit custom topic types that can offer important context on the nature of the topic entity. Viva Pulse Viva Pulse is a feedback tool that empowers managers to get day to day feedback on projects and team dynamics, resulting in quicker action. Using smart templates, research-backed questions, and analytics, Viva Pulse enables teams to use their voice so they can help managers pinpoint what's working well and which areas to focus on over time Answers in Viva Find answers and experts from across your organization. Ask questions and gather knowledge and expertise for all employees. Upvote crowdsourced responses or questions to get your voice heard and get your questions answered.  Search for answers, assign experts to route questions to the right place, and crowdsource solutions in Viva.   Viva Amplify Microsoft Viva Amplify empowers leaders and communicators to elevate their message and energize their people by meeting employees where they are. Communicate easier - Centralize communication processes in a single space, so you can save time and focus on what matters. Communicate better - Write messages that stick with writing guidance and reporting from your organization. Be heard - Drive engagement with your message by meeting employees where they are. Viva Goals + Copilot Copilot in Viva goals recommends goals, summarizes progress for check-ins and dashboards, and conversational assistance. Goals everywhere - Live people cards, share goals via Outlook and Teams, and even export to PowerPoint. Goal Outcomes - Connect outcomes to the flow of work. Connectors from MS Project, Dynamics 365, and ServiceNow.