Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Partners have started adopting AI, but struggle to monetize it.
That was one of the themes coming out of Directions North America 2026, according to Amy Homan, president of Directions North America and president of All Your Ducks, Inc.
Homan told PartnerTalks the Business Central channel has evolved from how to follow Microsoft’s AI roadmap to comparing use cases.
“I saw this shift between last year’s show and this year’s show,” Homan said. “The sidebar conversations last year were, ‘Well, Microsoft’s telling us about AI, and we’re kind of looking at AI, and do I have to do it yet?’”
Now, the conversation has evolved.
“This year, the partner sidebar conversation was really about, ‘What are you doing? How is that working?’”
Partners have built their businesses around implementation, customization, support, managed services and industry expertise. AI may help them deliver work faster, create new services or package more repeatable IP. Still, it also raises a commercial problem: customers may not value AI work by the hour if the result is faster delivery, better automation or improved business outcomes.
“I think that’s the biggest challenge we’re facing today is how do we start doing projects for customers that generate revenue for us and how do we change our pricing models to be outcome or value-based?”
Owners are now part of the AI discussion
The AI discussion is no longer limited to developers and consultants, Homan said. Sales, marketing and ownership teams are also using AI inside their own firms.
“I would say not just are the developers and the consultants out there doing it, but I see the sales and marketing team certainly adopting AI and even the owners,” she said.
That makes the owner track more important. Technical enablement can show Partners how to build AI-driven solutions. Owners still need to decide how those services are packaged, sold and supported.
Directions NA drew just over 1,400 attendees this year, Homan said. It also included a stronger focus on Microsoft Dynamics GP Partners, who are facing a defined timeline for product support and security updates. That transition creates another layer of urgency as customers consider Business Central, cloud migration and AI readiness together.
Homan said Directions also brought in students from the University of Central Florida, giving Partner owners a chance to meet potential new entrants to the ecosystem.
But the central issue from the conference was Business Central AI pricing. Partners are successfully adopting AI. The next year will test whether they can turn that adoption into revenue models customers understand.
Directions North America 2027 is scheduled for April 18 to 20 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
