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Tariffs have eaten $35 billion in industry cost. Dealer profits are forecast to drop 12 percent. The DMS alone was never built to carry the customer experience, and the CDK outage made that impossible to ignore. This white paper lays out where CRM, data, and AI are actually paying off at dealer groups, and a four-phase sequence to build the CX layer your DMS was never going to be.

What This Guide Covers:

• The 2026 margin squeeze: tariffs, affordability, 12 percent profit decline, 300K returning EV leases
• Why the DMS can't carry the customer experience, and what sits on top of it
• Six use cases paying off: unified sales/BDC, service and fixed ops, inventory, retention, F&I, parts
• Forrester ROI data (315% for D365 Customer Service, 324% for Customer Insights) in dealer context
• Why fixed ops is now 48 to 59 percent of gross profit at the major groups
• A four-phase sequence dealers can execute without ripping out the DMS

Written for dealer principals, GMs, CFOs, and IT leads at rooftops and dealer groups who need a defensible modernization plan.

Tariffs, memory allocation, and shorter product cycles are squeezing electronics firms from every side, while AI has moved from pilot to operating plan. This white paper lays out six places AI and Copilot are paying off in electronics and a four-phase sequence to get there, with the data readiness work that keeps AI pilots from stalling.

What This Guide Covers:

• The margin squeeze electronics leaders are navigating in 2026 (tariffs, memory pricing, supply constraint)
• The shift from AI assistant to agent, and why it matters for operations
• Six use cases that pay off: quote-to-cash, demand forecasting, aftermarket, supply chain, customer service, engineering documents
• Forrester ROI data and manufacturer case studies including LG Electronics and named Bosch and Siemens examples
• Data readiness: the quiet reason most AI pilots stall at 34 percent adoption
• A four-phase sequence electronics firms can execute

Written for CFOs, COOs, CROs, and CIOs at electronics firms who need a defensible plan for AI and Copilot investment.

AI tools do not replace your business processes, they amplify them. This white paper shows how Microsoft Power Platform and AI capabilities work together to eliminate manual work, surface insights faster, and build agents that actually fit how your organization operates.

What This Guide Covers:

• Why intelligent automation is the next step after Power Platform
• The four layers where AI augments Power Platform (AI Builder, Copilot in Power Apps, Copilot Studio, Power BI)
• Practical use cases by role and department
• Governance requirements before scaling AI
• A five-phase sequence for AI and Power Platform rollout

Built for IT, operations, and finance leaders who are tired of AI pilots that stall out.

Copilot is no longer just a "brilliant assistant." In 2026, it is an agentic AI layer that can research leads, respond to cases, process payables, and manage inventory without waiting for a human to initiate. This guide lays out exactly what changed, why, and what it means for your Dynamics strategy.

What This Guide Covers:

• The impact of AI and Microsoft Dynamics 365 in 2026
• AI-driven customer insights and real-time unified profiles
• Copilots for every role, updated for 2026 Release Waves
• Work IQ: the new convergence layer between M365 Copilot and Dynamics
• Optimizing operations with agentic AI
• Current Copilot pricing and upcoming changes

If you are planning your Dynamics strategy, the Copilot convergence should factor into your training and rollout decisions now.

Manufacturing is at an inflection point. After years of incremental automation, the next phase of value comes from connecting fragmented systems, data, and workflows into a more intelligent operating model. This white paper shows what that looks like in practice.

What This Guide Covers:

• The shift from isolated digital projects to connected intelligent operations
• AI in manufacturing: predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, inventory, and scheduling
• Core opportunity areas including production visibility and field service
• Digital twins, smart factories, and simulation
• Supply chain resilience and agentic AI
• Sustainability as an efficiency driver
• Microsoft's role: Dynamics 365, Fabric, Azure, Power Platform, and Copilot
• Why transformation initiatives stall and how to avoid it

Practical guidance for manufacturers who want to modernize without defaulting to rip-and-replace thinking.

Banks are being asked to deliver more personalized service, tighter compliance, and faster decisions, all on infrastructure that was never designed to work together. This white paper lays out a four-layer modernization path anchored on Dynamics 365, with governance built in for the rising regulatory bar.

What This Guide Covers:

• Why the bank tech stack is overdue for modernization
• The four layers of a modern banking stack (Unified CRM, Connected Data, Workflow, AI)
• Practical use cases across commercial, retail, lending, compliance, and marketing
• Forrester ROI data: 315% for D365 Customer Service, 324% for Customer Insights, and more
• Governance and compliance in a regulated AI environment (Colorado AI Act, OCC, CFPB)
• A four-phase sequence banks can actually execute

Written for banking technology leaders who need a defensible modernization plan, not another vendor pitch.

A high-level overview of where Copilot and Dynamics 365 are heading, what leaders should prepare for, and how to position your organization to take advantage of AI as it becomes embedded into everyday business applications.

Released April 2024. Best paired with the 2026 Ultimate Guide for current-state detail.

A role-by-role look at how Microsoft's Copilots layer across the Dynamics 365 suite. Useful context for understanding the foundation Copilot is built on, even as the capability set continues to expand.

Released February 2024. For the most current capability set, see the 2026 edition white paper.

Copilot licensing is confusing, and the wrong pick can mean paying for features you already have, or missing the ones you actually need. This guide cuts through the options with a clear visual breakdown, and pairs with our Copilot for Sales Licensing Explained article.

Released June 2024. Verify current licensing details with your Microsoft partner before budgeting.

Each month, TrellisPoint publishes Monthly Vine to keep business and technology leaders current on what is actually changing across the Microsoft ecosystem, what matters for your business, and what you can ignore. Delivered via email and on LinkedIn. Practical takes, real examples, no filler.

Published monthly on LinkedIn and by email.