This year’s Directions North America conference marked a major milestone for TMC as we officially launched our AI-First Microsoft Partner initiative. From thought-provoking keynotes to hands-on discussions with our ISV partners, one thing was clear: AI isn’t just a tool—it’s the foundation for how we move forward.
The Mindset Shift – From “What AI Can Do” to “What We Can Do With AI”
If there was one takeaway that echoed through the halls of Directions NA, it was this: AI success starts with a shift in mindset.
From Donna Sarkar’s keynote on “sparkling automation” to Mike Evans’ powerful talk on leadership and adaptability, we were reminded that embracing AI isn’t just about adopting tools—it’s about transforming how we lead, work, and collaborate.
Donna Sarkar: Driving AI Adoption Starts with Leadership
Donna Sarkar, Microsoft’s Chief Troublemaker – Microsoft Copilot and AI Extensibility, brought her signature energy and practical wisdom to the stage, sharing how leaders must go first in AI transformation. Her talk centered around “sparkling automation“ and the cultural shifts needed to make AI successful in your organization.
Here are her top three takeaways:
- AI adoption must be driven top-down.
Host bi-weekly AI Demo Days where team members share how they’re using AI—and make sure leaders are the first to present. - Map your workflows and test AI against them.
Write down a common workflow, then test each step using AI. Grade the results. This hands-on approach makes AI real and usable across the org.
3. Make your business discoverable in AI results.
As more users turn to AI agents for discovery, your content and services need to be optimized to show up in AI-generated outputs.
That’s a message we’ve been passionate about at TMC—and Directions NA validated that we’re moving in the right direction.
Mike Evans: Leadership and Management in the Age of AI
Mike Evans inspired the crowd with a keynote focused on mindset. His message? To succeed in this era, leaders must embrace change—and lead with both curiosity and structure.
He emphasized the evolving roles of leadership and management and how both must grow together. Innovation thrives when leaders shift their focus from managing tasks to enabling transformation—by giving teams space to explore and iterate with AI.
Key Announcements from Microsoft
The Microsoft ecosystem is evolving fast, and this year’s Directions brought major updates to Business Central and the Dynamics 365 suite, including:
Copilot Enhancements
Instantly summarize data, automate sales order creation, chat with Copilot to understand add-ons, and even get sustainability journal suggestions.
Copilot Studios
A new end-to-end toolkit for developing, deploying, and managing Copilot experiences—designed to help developers and business users iterate with AI faster.
AI Agents
Integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot, these agents are designed to automate routine tasks like document creation and email summarization—boosting productivity and enabling more human creativity.
Business Central Test Toolkit
Automation tools to test Copilot extensions, improving quality control and reliability for partners and developers.
New Field Service Integration
Business Central now integrates with Dynamics 365 Field Service to offer a more unified experience for service teams.
TMC’s AI-First Commitment
We didn’t just attend Directions—we made a bold statement. This year, we launched the TMC Global Project, our company-wide commitment to becoming an AI-First Microsoft Partner.
But what does AI-First actually mean for us (and our clients)?
- Training Our Teams – We’re empowering every team member to think AI-First—from delivery to marketing to client support.
- Embedding AI in Daily Use – We’re already using Microsoft Copilot and developing internal AI agents to streamline our business processes.
- Innovation Roadmap for Clients – We’re building an AI Innovation Roadmap to help our customers define their own AI path, identify automation opportunities, and visualize new growth possibilities.
- Creativity, Unlocked – AI is helping us finally tackle those “we’d do it if we had time/resources” ideas—transforming wish lists into action.
Collaborating with the Microsoft Ecosystem
We spent the week connecting with ISV partners like Yooz, Binary Stream, Cosmos, TrueCommerce, Tipalti, Avalara, Data Courage, and so many more. The energy was high, the conversations were forward-thinking, and the shared excitement around AI-fueled solutions was contagious.
To cap off the week, we proudly sponsored the Partners Celebration Party—an unforgettable night of great conversations, new connections, and a sneak peek into what’s next for TMC.
So What’s Next?
We’re home from Vegas inspired, recharged, and ready to lead.
AI isn’t coming—it’s here. And our job as partners, leaders, and innovators is to embrace the possibilities, empower our teams, and help our clients imagine what they can do next.
Let’s stop asking what AI can do.
Let’s start deciding what we want to do—and use AI to get there.
Want to learn more about our AI roadmap or how we’re reimagining the Microsoft stack?
