CRM Trends & Tutorials (2021) - FMT Consultants Inc.

Have you ever tried to connect to CRM Online using a Java Application? Turns out it’s much simpler than you would expect. By leveraging the Azure Active Directory Library, you can easily authenticate any user for your external application to perform any CRM Operation through the Web API. Here are the required components: CRM Online (Trial will still work) Azure Active Directory OAUTH 2.0 Authorization Endpoint Application ID A Java IDE (Maven project is recommended for the dependencies) Here’s a quick summary of how this actually works: Obtain the access token, by using the OAUTH 2.0 Authorization Endpoint. Build the connection with your Dynamics CRM URI, and set the request method and properties with the access token. Finally, depending on the Request type, you build the JSON Object and write it to CRM or save it to view. Let’s dig deeper and get into the details: First, you need the […]

Have you ever wondered who in your organization is utilizing your Dynamics CRM application most effectively?  On the other hand, have you ever wondered who is NOT using the system?   If your organization is on Dynamics 365 (online) or Dynamics CRM online, then you have the metrics that you need to target your Power Users and those users that may need additional training.  This is particularly useful information when first implementing a CRM application within the organization and measuring adoption rates.    The Organization Insights dashboard has six charts that provide the metrics that are viewable by three different slices of time from the past i.e. 2 hours, 48 hours or 30 Days. 1.Unique Active Users (chart below shows 2-hour increments) that have performed an operation (e.g. Retrieve, Create, Update) 2. Most Active (unique) Users that performed a Read operation.    This chart shows the top 10 users that […]

Easily create seamless mobile applications without typing a single line of code! Included in Microsoft's latest Dynamics 365 solution and Dynamics CRM 2016 Online, Microsoft PowerApps and Flow allows you to easily design your app, connect to a variety of business solutions you are already using, and create workflows in just a few clicks. In this video, we will be building a custom mobile application from scratch to show you just how simple it is to create a solution that can help you work less, and do more. If you want to get started on your custom mobile application today, let us know by filling out the contact form below, we'd be happy to help!

By now, most everyone is familiar with CRM applications. In fact, most companies, large and small, use a CRM tool, module, software or platform for customer information tracking and reporting. Certainly, the majority of companies only ever consider CRM as an internal use system but what about CRM portals? Using CRM as an internal “System of Truth” has many business benefits such as: Grow sales with your potential customers Segmenting and targeting your customers specifically Drive referrals from satisfied customers Use reporting features to make better decisions for: Forecasting Marketing communications Contact campaigns All of the above is largely known today but there are many more advantages with CRM portals. With CRM portals, there is potential to create an information hub to bridge the connection between partners, customers and you. Typically, this is accomplished with a webpage frontend that interacts with only those parts of your CRM system you want […]

It all begins with an email, phone call or physical meeting.  You scramble, trying to make sure you write down every single detail, but let’s face it!  We can’t possibly write as fast as people talk. I used to think of myself as more of an “old-school” type when it came to notetaking, document management, calendaring, and especially to-do lists.  I had a notebook for essentially everything.   In recent years, I have learned how to ditch the pen and paper and become better acquainted with Microsoft and friends. Here are three ways to save a tree and some time.   Creating the Opportunity in CRM Setting Tasks Setting tasks ensures there is always a future action item to follow through the sales process. Set Reminders Setting reminders allows you to complete follow-ups, document revisions, and deadlines. Calendar Invites/ Appointments Creating these are helpful in that they synchronize to your phone […]

Testing is an important part of every application. Even if a company does not have a dedicated testing team, it is imperative to ensure that any custom development or custom solution is working properly before deployment. Black box testing is a process that involves testing an application from a high level, without any access or knowledge of the code. If you are familiar with creating black box test cases, then you are probably familiar with Microsoft Test Manager and the functionality that it provides. If not, then this blog should help break it down for you and give a few reasons why it can be so useful. What is Microsoft Test Manager (MTM)? MTM is an application that provides the ability to test a solution or a product before deployment. MTM integrates with Team Foundation Server enabling increased visibility within a project. Because of this, it is possible to create […]

 As of the December 2016 update for Dynamics 365 (online and on-premises), Dynamics CRM functionality is now included as a part of Dynamics 365. In order to enhance the CRM user experience whether to make it more user-friendly for mobile clients or to enrich the ease of use for web clients, the CRM 2016 spring wave includes many new and interesting features for end users.      Editable Grids in CRM 2016 Spring Wave In the older Dynamics CRM releases, the users were not able to enter any data directly into Grids (like form views) or subgrids on the forms. They had to click each record individually, open its form, edit it and save it. Users complained that this function required too many clicks.  With the new editable grids, the users can do the following: Inline editing of any type of field in any row. Group and sort by any […]

Rollup fields are a great addition to Dynamics CRM. Rollup fields are calculated by Asynchronous System Jobs which runs in background. By default, Mass Calculate Rollup Field job runs every 12 hours after a Rollup field is created or updated. This delay is needed to assure that Mass Calculate Rollup Field job runs during the non-operational hours of an organization. But in some business scenarios, users need this calculation in real-time and on demand. Dynamics CRM has an option available, called Online Recalculation. If a user hovers over the rollup field on the form, one can see the last time this field was updated, plus a Refresh icon to recalculate a rollup field. The following figure shows Online Recalculation: Limitations with Online Recalculation The Online Recalculation option is only available in Online Mode. You can’t use it while working offline. The Maximum Hierarchy Depth is limited to 10 for the source record. This […]

One of the most common requirements that I’ve encountered across all of my CRM implementations is the need for automatic e-mail notifications. That is, upon the trigger of various events, such as creation, status change, or deletion of an Account, Contact, or Opportunity, appropriate users in the organization need to receive an automatic e-mail notification. With all the emails already sent back and forth cluttering up the Inbox, I know I personally could do without the extra ones generated by a Dynamics CRM System. But what if you could just receive a push notification on your phone instead? Well, using Microsoft Flow—Microsoft’s new cloud-based workflow engine—you can! Not only that, you can do it quickly, and simply without a single line of code. Microsoft Flow Just released to the public on November 1st, using Microsoft Flow’s connection to Dynamics CRM Online is easy as pie. The authentication is automatically handled […]

Just when you thought you had your work life organized, a new quarter starts and you’re buried with new leads, ongoing tasks with current clients, and the grueling search for new opportunities. Sloppy Sales Syndrome strikes again. On top of dealing with your own workload, the pains of postponing the sales cycle while waiting for deliverables from other resources on your team can be frustrating. But why wait for other people to assist you when you can be proactive and speed up the sales cycle on your own? In this blog, we’ll share 3 tricks that will help you take control of your opportunities using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. 1. DocuSign: Automated Document Delivery How often do you hear a client use the excuse, “My boss is out of the office and can’t sign your agreement until he returns?” With the new DocuSign CRM add-in, you can leverage automated templates […]

Do you deliver a complex product or service utilizing several team members or simply want to execute internal projects? If so, the right software solution can help improve the management and delivery of your projects. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides a complete end to end solution with Project Service. From project creation and team allocation to deliverable execution, everything is integrated into Project Service for unsurpassed collaboration and visibility. In this blog, we will take a brief look at the features that will be explored in our Project Service nVerge session and how they can be combined with business processes such as marketing activities, sales opportunities, and service calls, or can run independently through the creation of standalone projects. Project Management Once a project is created, tasks are listed within a timeline to organize the activities needed for a successful delivery in the work breakdown structure. Attributes specific to each task are included […]

Are you required to dispatch teams into the field in order to perform operations efficiently? If so, you could greatly simplify the process of managing your field operations easier with some help from Microsoft Dynamics CRM  Field Service. From product installations to routine maintenance, field operations require a complicated web of systems just to function. Often times, with these complications comes lost data, additional manual effort, and reduced visibility. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. By bringing everything under one roof with Dynamics CRM, your organization can effortlessly track anything from initial marketing activities to a service call for field service, all on one platform with effortless up to the minute reporting on each piece. This insight can lead to a powerful competitive advantage in the market. In this blog, we will preview some of the features of Dynamics Field Services that we’ll cover in depth in the […]