Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM (part 1)

1. What Is Microsoft Dynamics CRM?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a business software application that allows companies of all sizes to track, manage, and report on customer interactions. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is part of the Microsoft Dynamics brand, which offers multiple software products to help businesses automate and streamline various operations, such as financial analysis, customer relationships, supply chain management, manufacturing, inventory, human resources, and so on.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes the following three main modules:

• Sales

• Marketing

• Service

Within each module, Microsoft Dynamics CRM lets you track various types of customer information, as outlined in the following table.

Your company might want to track only some of this data about your customers, and some of these might not apply to your business. Even though Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes only these three modules, many companies extend the software to track other types of related data such as projects, status reports, events, facilities, and so on. The flexibility of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform allows businesses to capture almost any type of data related to their customers. In addition to managing customer data, you can use Microsoft Dynamics CRM to capture information about your prospects, partners, vendors, suppliers, and other related parties.

Tip:

When businesses use Microsoft Dynamics CRM to track non-traditional sales, marketing, and service information, you might hear people refer to the term xRM. This term refers to using the flexible and extensible application framework of Microsoft Dynamics CRM to create line-of-business applications. xRM is not a separate product but rather a description of how businesses might use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system to track non-traditional CRM data.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a web-based application that is built on the Microsoft .NET Framework technology platform. Because of its native web architecture, Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be accessed through the Windows Internet Explorer web browser. In addition to the web user experience (also known as the web client), another possible access point for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is through Outlook, if your administrator installed the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook software on your computer.

Note:

Troubleshooting Because Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook is optional software, you might not be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM through Outlook. If you are not able to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook, contact your system administrator about getting it installed on your computer.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook software comes in two different versions:

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook This version is designed for use with desktop or notebook computers that will remain connected to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server at all times.

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook with Offline Access This version is designed for users of laptop computers who must disconnect from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server but who still need to work with Microsoft Dynamics CRM data when they are offline, just as they use Outlook for email management, contact management, tasks, and appointment management while working with no access to the Internet. The terms used by Microsoft Dynamics CRM to refer to the processes of connecting and disconnecting from the server are going online and going offline. The offline-enabled version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook lets you work with Microsoft Dynamics CRM data offline; the software will synchronize your changes with the main database when you connect to the server again.

Tip:

When we refer to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook in this book, we are referring to both the standard and offline versions. The two clients offer nearly identical functionality except that the version with offline access allows users to work while disconnected from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server.

You can access almost all of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system functionality from either the web client or from Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook. Therefore, you can decide which user interface method you prefer to use to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook also allows you to synchronize your email, tasks, contacts, and appointments from Outlook into your Microsoft Dynamics CRM system.

Beyond the computer, you can also access Microsoft Dynamics CRM from a web-enabled mobile device such as a cell phone, by using the Mobile Express module. Mobile Express allows you to access the same data that you can access from the web and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook clients, but Mobile Express delivers streamlined and simple web pages that are specially formatted for handheld devices. This mobile access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM can prove very handy if you need to perform common tasks such as looking up a phone number or street address of a contact while you are away from your computer.

Note:

In order to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM via Mobile Express, your mobile device must have Internet access and Mobile Express must be enabled for your system.

2. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Deployment Options

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is unique in the world of customer relationship management because it is one of the only applications that offers businesses several choices for installing and deploying the software. The three deployment options for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are:

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online In this deployment, a business uses the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software over the Internet on servers hosted by Microsoft.

• On-premise With this option, a business purchases the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software and installs it on its local network. Depending on the configuration, employees might also be able to access the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system over the Internet.

• Partner-hosted For this option, a business deploys the software at a third-party hosting environment.

In early 2011, Microsoft released new versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM across all three deployment models. This latest release is called Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for on-premise and partner-hosted deployments, but it is simply named Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for the Microsoft-hosted version. The system functionality across all three deployment options is nearly identical, but differences do exist. The examples in this book apply to all three deployment options. If necessary, we will highlight any areas of the software in which the book examples vary by deployment type.

3. Integrating with Other Microsoft Products

In addition to the integration with Microsoft Outlook discussed earlier in this article, Microsoft Dynamics CRM integrates with several other Microsoft software applications:

• Excel You can export your Microsoft Dynamics CRM data into Excel with the click of one button and create Excel files that dynamically update when data in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system changes. After you export the data into Excel, you can also update the information within Excel and then re-import it back into Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Editing large data sets within Excel frequently provides a better user experience, because many users are very comfortable working with data in Excel.

• Word You can use Word to create mailings (such as letters and envelopes) to your customers by performing a mail merge in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This integration also allows you to save copies of the mail merge documents.

• Microsoft Lync (formerly known as Office Communications Server) You can access features of Lync (such as instant messaging and presence information) directly within Microsoft Dynamics CRM to improve team collaboration.

• Microsoft SharePoint Server If your company uses SharePoint Server, you can connect it to Microsoft Dynamics CRM to take advantage of the document library functionality that SharePoint offers. This integration provides a streamlined user experience in which the user can perform common tasks such as checking documents in and out via the Microsoft Dynamics CRM interface (without needing to browse to a separate SharePoint website in a separate window).

4. Logging On to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

Before you can start using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you will need to log on to the software. How you access Microsoft Dynamics CRM will depend on how your company chose to deploy the software. If you are unsure how to access your Microsoft Dynamics CRM system, contact your system administrator. In this exercise, you will practice logging on to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. In the next section, you will log on to the on-premise deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM through the web client. Select the exercise that matches your deployment model.

Tip:

The steps for accessing the partner-hosted deployment model of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are similar to those for accessing an on-premise deployment. If your organization has deployed the partner-hosted model, follow the steps in the on-premise exercise to log on to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

If your company uses the Microsoft-hosted version of the software through Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, you will need to use your Windows Live ID to log on to the system. Many users find that Windows Live ID is a convenient authentication method, because they can use a single logon and password for a wide variety of websites on the Internet. In this exercise, you’ll log on to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

Note:

SET UP Open the Internet Explorer web browser.