Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is helping our Human Resources team reinvent how they support our employees here at Microsoft. The built-in, AI-powered capabilities of Dynamics 365 Customer Service are dropping support resolution times, injecting intelligent automation into our support workflow, improving the support experience for our employees, and raising the bar for AI-powered service and support at Microsoft.
It’s a common sentiment for large enterprises to say, “we need to customize our software,” and we’re no different internally here at Microsoft. Out-of-the-box (OOB) software often struggles to meet the unique and complex needs of enterprises like ours, requiring extensive customization to align with organizational processes.
At Microsoft Digital, the company’s internal IT organization, we’re familiar with customizing software to fit the needs of our employees and our business partners like HR. For years, we’ve customized third-party software, integrated custom-built features, engineered our own tools, and even customized Microsoft software and services to meet our needs.
AskHR has been a perfect example of this. AskHR is our internal employee engagement platform used by Microsoft HR to manage interactions with our employees. It handles more than 600,000 inquiries per year. Initially, it relied heavily on email, but over the last decade it has evolved to use Dynamics 365 Customer Service and the Microsoft Power Platform.
However, like many of our internal solutions, AskHR has undergone a lot of customization over the years. While these tailored features improve overall capabilities, they’ve also led to technical debt and deprecated functionalities. Approximately 80 percent of AskHR’s functionality is customized with only 20 percent coming from the OOB capabilities of the product.
As Dynamics 365 Customer Service has evolved and improved, AskHR fell behind. The accumulated technical debt of heavy customization made it more difficult to adopt new Dynamics 365 Customer Service features, including AI-powered capabilities like Automatic Case Creation, Unified Routing, Knowledge Creation and Management, and Omnichannel Support.
Transforming to match the pace of modern software development
A lot has changed in software development since AskHR was created. Cloud-based services and rapid, iterative development cycles have created an unprecedented pace of feature development and release.
Software customization in this new wave of modern products is no longer a necessity for large enterprises, and the AskHR team at Microsoft Digital is going back to Dynamics 365 Customer Service’s out-of-the-box roots.
“Dynamics 365 Customer Service now has the features we’ve built customizations for in the past, plus the AI-powered capabilities provide huge benefits,” says Sam Gullane, a senior technology solution manager in Microsoft HR. “By moving to a standardized version of Dynamics 365 Customer Service, we’re improving and modernizing what AskHR can do for Microsoft HR Advisors and moving away from a customized solution.”
Gullane and her team are responsible for modernizing AskHR—migrating the customizations of the platform to built-in features and building a new version of AskHR that takes advantage of the latest advancements in Dynamics 365 Customer Service to enable AI-powered support for Microsoft HR advisors.
The vision for the next iteration of AskHR is a modern, scalable, and user-friendly platform that supports the evolving needs of Microsoft HR Advisors and enhances their productivity and satisfaction. The main goals of the project are to:
- Reduce customization and align with the OOB functionalities of Dynamics 365 Customer Service wherever possible. We’re removing unused custom fields, deleting or inactivating unused metadata, and removing deprecated features along with their dependencies.
- Implement generative AI wherever possible. Implementing AI features helps us enhance efficiency, accuracy, and user satisfaction. By integrating Dynamics 365 and Copilot, we are transforming how HR support is delivered by streamlining case handling, automating routine tasks, and providing advanced routing mechanisms
- Ship new features more quickly. To ensure seamless Dynamics 365 Customer Service upgrades, the modernization team is implementing robust testing protocols and providing intensive hyper care support through the upgrade process.
The AskHR development team recognizes that replacing customized capabilities with OOB features is not a simple swap and go.
“Re-architecting is a challenging task, but our modernization efforts mean that we won’t need to invest in further customization,” says Gayatri Garapati, a principal software engineer manager in Microsoft Digital. “The time we spend transitioning away from customized features will be recaptured in reduced testing and customization throughout the lifetime of the modern version of Ask HR. Our HR advisors will get a modern, efficient, AI powered AskHR that is always up to date with new features.”
The team is busy refactoring code and integrating new features, but they’re also demonstrating the effectiveness of those features with proof-of-concept (POC) engagements that confirm feature completeness and usability in complex use cases. These POCs test capabilities in the new version of AskHR and ensure that the features meet the needs of Microsoft HR Advisors.
Supercharging the HR Advisor experience with Copilot and AI
AI features are at the center of the new experience in AskHR.
Natasha Fattedad, principal product manager on the Dynamics 365 Customer Service product team, understands the value of AI-assisted decision making and content retrieval in the support process.
“Dynamics 365 Customer Service can identify the caller’s intent, ask clarifying questions, and provide accurate information,” she says. “Features like automated case creation and closure are enhancing efficiency and making things easier for support employees.”
AI-powered knowledge management tools to pull information from the Microsoft 365 tenant and 3rd party sources ensure comprehensive support. These advancements rapidly accelerate the AskHR team’s efforts to modernize and streamline their customer service operations. Here are some of the key AI features in the Dynamics 365 Customer Service toolkit that we’re using in AskHR:
Case Summary gives HR Advisors a quick overview of everything that has happened in a case. Instead of reading through long notes or message threads, the HR Advisor sees a short summary that highlights the most important actions, updates, and outcomes. This helps them understand the situation right away even if they weren’t involved from the beginning. In the AskHR process, this feature is especially useful when cases are passed between team members or when there are a lot of requests coming in at once. It saves time and helps ensure nothing important is missed. For example, if an employee has contacted HR several times about a leave of absence, the HR Advisor can quickly see what’s already been discussed and what still needs to be done.
Email Drafting helps HR Advisors write emails faster and more accurately. It uses Copilot to pull in relevant information from the knowledge base and the case history, so the HR Advisor doesn’t have to search for it manually. The system can suggest content, recommend templates, and even help with formatting, all within the email editor. In the AskHR process, this feature is especially useful when responding to common employee questions—like those about leave policies, benefits, or onboarding. Instead of starting from scratch, the HR Advisor can use the suggested draft as a starting point and make quick edits before sending. This not only saves time but also helps ensure that the information shared is accurate and consistent across the team.
Customer Knowledge Management Agent helps HR advisors create new knowledge articles based on real case data. When a case is resolved, the system uses AI to look at the notes and resolution details and then suggests a draft article that could be added to the knowledge base. This makes it easier to capture useful information from everyday support work and turn it into helpful content for future use. Instead of relying on a separate team to write articles, HR advisors can contribute directly through their daily work. This shortens the time it takes to publish new content and ensures that the information is accurate and based on real employee needs.
Ask a Question lets HR advisors type in questions using natural language to quickly find answers. Instead of searching through multiple systems or documents, they can simply ask a question—just like they would ask a colleague—and the system will pull the most relevant information from the knowledge base or case data. The feature also supports follow-up questions, so if the first answer isn’t quite right, the HR Advisor can ask for more details or clarification, reducing the time spent switching between systems and digging through documentation.
We’re also planning to integrate additional AI capabilities from Dynamics 365 Customer Service into future iterations of AskHR:
Intent Assist uses AI to understand what an employee is asking for even when the question isn’t perfectly clear—like whether the employee is asking about vacation time, a leave of absence, or how to update their benefits. Once the system identifies the intent, it can suggest follow-up questions to help the HR advisor get more details and provide the right answer. Intent Assist also helps with routing. If the system recognizes that a request is about a specific topic—like payroll or time off—it can send the case directly to the right team or person. This reduces wait times and ensures that employees are connected with someone who can help them right away.
Case Management Agent uses AI to handle routine case-related tasks. When an employee submits a request, the system can automatically create a case without the HR Advisor needing to do anything manually. It fills in the basic details, assigns the case to the right queue, and sends an acknowledgment to the employee. After the issue is resolved, the system can also close the case automatically. For example, if the employee confirms that their question has been answered or if there’s no response after a few follow-up messages, the system can suggest closing the case. This helps keep the case queue clean and ensures that HR Advisors can focus on active issues.
AI Suggestions uses AI to collect and present information about similar cases that were previously resolved successfully to help HR advisors find the right solutions to new cases quickly. When a case is opened, the system can suggest relevant articles or documents based on the topic and content of the case. These suggestions are powered by AI, which looks at the case details and matches them with similar past cases or helpful resources. This helps HR advisors respond more confidently with up-to-date information, increase productivity, and provide better and faster service to employees. The system also learns over time. As more cases are handled and more articles are used, the AI gets better at recommending the right content. This helps reduce repeat questions and improves the overall quality of support. It also supports self-service by making it easier to surface helpful content directly to employees.
Unified Routing ensures each employee request is sent to the right HR advisor as quickly as possible. It uses AI to look at the details of the request—like the topic, urgency, and the employee’s location—and then matches it with an advisor who has the right skills and availability. This helps reduce wait times and improves the chances that the employee gets the right answer on the first try. Unified Routing is especially useful for managing high volumes of requests across different HR service areas. For example, if someone asks about parental leave, the system can automatically route that case to an advisor who specializes in benefits. If the request is urgent or sensitive, it can prioritize it and send it to someone who’s available right away. This avoids delays and makes the support process more personal and responsive.
“With Dynamics 365 Customer Service, AI capabilities such as intent recognition and case automation are transforming how we support employees,” Fattedad says. “AI enhances efficiency and makes things easier for support staff and users throughout the support lifecycle.”
Unifying the support experience with omnichannel and Dynamics 365 Contact Center
The game-changing AI capabilities in AskHR go beyond individual features in Dynamics 365 Customer Service.
Dynamics 365 Contact Center is a Copilot-first, cloud-based tool that uses AI to make working with employees easier and faster. We’re using it to connect employees to HR advisors through different channels, like email, chat, and voice. Contact Center simplifies and enhances employee interaction with features like AI-powered summaries, interactive voice systems, and live translations. It improves how HR advisors communicate with employees, including empowering employees to solve problems on their own, saving time and cutting costs.
Embedded AI-driven insights and analytics provide valuable tools to improve customer satisfaction and refine support strategies. Collaboration with HR advisors is facilitated through Microsoft Teams while performance and productivity can be monitored through detailed reports and dashboards, offering visibility into operational metrics.
“We’re using Dynamics 365 Contact Center to provide an omnichannel experience and transform the way we handle customer interactions,” Gullane says. “By integrating multiple communication channels into a single platform, we ensure a seamless and consistent experience for both customers and HR Advisors, regardless of the channel used.”
This integration allows HR Advisors to view all interactions in one place. By consolidating all customer interactions and relevant information into a single view, Contact Center enables agents to provide more informed and efficient support. These capabilities are a win-win for the HR advisor and the employee.
“Employees are looking for a more seamless experience across different channels,” Fattedad says. “We want to meet their expectations and provide an experience that allows them to connect and communicate in the best way for them.”
It’s about building for the future with agentic AI.
“The modernization of AskHR is about future proofing our capabilities,” Gullane says. “This is a work in progress for us, and our main goal is to continue to use OOB features, reducing the need for custom code and solutions.”
Gullane expects Copilot-based, autonomous agents to be a big factor in upcoming capabilities.
“Making AskHR more autonomous benefits everyone,” she says. “These agents are trained to autonomously learn to address new and emerging issues via self-service, improve the quality of issue resolution across channels, and help drive time and cost savings.”
For example, the Customer Intent Agent enables continuous improvement of self-service capabilities by discovering new intents from past and current customer conversations across all channels, mapping issues and corresponding resolutions maintained by the agent in a library.
The Customer Knowledge Management Agent helps ensure knowledge articles are kept perpetually up to date by analyzing case notes, transcripts, summaries, and other artifacts from human-assisted cases to uncover insights.
As the AskHR team continues to integrate OOB features of Dynamics 365 Customer Service such as these AI agents into the platform, Gullane shares her enthusiasm for the future of Ask HR and its potential.
“The future of AskHR will be built on continuous improvement and using AI to automate and optimize support processes,” she says. “Ensuring a better support experience for our Advisors and Microsoft employees is the vision and we’re excited to get there.”
Here are five actionable insights to help you build a modern support experience for employees:
- Empower HR advisors with AI-driven tools. Use AI features like unified routing to connect employee requests with the right advisor quickly and efficiently.
- Create a seamless omnichannel communication platform. Integrate tools like Dynamics 365 Contact Center to provide consistent support across email, chat, and voice channels.
- Use AI for self-service solutions. Implement autonomous agents to allow employees to resolve common issues themselves, saving time and resources.
- Keep knowledge management current. Use tools like the Customer Knowledge Management Agent to ensure help articles and resources are continuously updated and relevant.
- Focus on continuous improvement. Regularly evaluate and optimize support strategies using analytics and feedback to meet evolving employee needs.
