Technology Solutions & IT News Blog | FMT Consultants

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 […]

While many businesses are quick to laud the benefits of cloud computing, file-sharing, and data analytics, the fact remains that so many businesses and organizations are unable to take full advantage. Though ERP and cloud solutions are transformative tools to reshape the way you do business, too many companies are still limited--fighting through data silos, hampered by structural confines, or simply hindered by growing pains. “Although the power of analytics is common currency, it’s spoken of far more often than it’s practiced,” according to Edd Wilder-James at the Harvard Business Review. Wilder-James’ quote here can extend beyond just data analytics, but to the transparency and visibility that’s at the core of effective resource planning. Usually, managers don’t simply neglect resource planning, but instead, it stems from a result of simply growing fast, trying to manage the growing tension between scaling internal processes to meet a growing demand. Symptoms Behind Silos […]

Have you tried to synchronize a Microsoft Project file or other list to a SharePoint Task List but got an error? This is a little known feature of Microsoft Project and SharePoint. It allows you to synchronize a full Microsoft Project Plan directly into an existing SharePoint task list in order to view and manage the individual project tasks within SharePoint. However, you might run into this error when you try to synchronize the project plan: “We can’t write task %SharePoint URL% to the SharePoint site. This is either because the tasks list is in read-only mode or because this task has a column that requires a unique value” The first thing that you will want to do is check the site columns and look for a column named “Name”. Navigate to SharePoint site Select the list task you are having issue with Go to list setting from the ribbon […]

Companies live and die by their sales team’s ability to execute. Sales team members have unique challenges especially because of the high volume of travel – whether it is to meet with potential and current clients, attend industry events or networking. This work away from the office brings unique challenges to an IT department that needs to keep information flowing to their travel heavy sales champions.     Here are some common challenges facing your sales teams as they hop into their cars, and how SharePoint Online can help: How does your sales team access Information on the road? 1.      Access to latest files without being on-site at the company/VPN Your sales team needs to be supported everywhere in today’s world. Customer’s needs and wants change and develop as conversations get going. Sales teams find it a challenge to grab any and all informational and marketing materials that are available […]

In November 2016, Microsoft announced Teams, their chat-based workgroup solution, and made Teams available in the Preview programs.  Teams includes some integration with Skype for Business and is intended to compete with Slack. For Preview customers, Teams is included in Office 365 and can be enabled in the Office 365 Admin Center.  Microsoft Mechanics produced a great video detailing the enabling and usage of Teams.  Microsoft has also published a handy Teams Quick Start with an overview, setup, first steps, next steps, and an introduction to T-Bot, the Teams Bot.   Office 365 Integration Teams is an Office 365 application, which results in instant integration with other Office 365 applications.  In addition, Teams also uses your Office 365 user ID and password for authentication.  Teams is built upon Office 365 Groups to enable chat based communications as well as integration with Skype, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, etc. Teams is included in […]

Slowly but surely, the maturation of Skype for Business Online Cloud PBX is occurring. Later in 2017 when Auto Attendant and Cal Queues graduate from Preview, Cloud PBX will be competing to be your phone system. Cloud PBX is included in the Office 365 E5 plan and can be added to the Office 365 E1 and E3 plans. Skype for Business Online PSTN Calling adds local, long distance, and international calling to your Cloud PBX service. The combination of Cloud PBX and PSTN calling enables the following features in your Office 365 Skype for Business apps and phones: Local phone numbers Call answer, initiate, forward, simultaneous ring, delegation, history, DND, music on hold, team calling, voicemail and more See Cloud PBX Features for more details Pricing Adding Cloud PBX and PSTN Calling to existing Office 365 subscriptions is very affordable. The best value is the Office 365 E5 subscription, which […]

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 […]

Who doesn’t love shortcuts? Did you know that there are a bunch of hidden shortcuts in NetSuite that can save you a few extra clicks? Our NetSuite experts have come up with a few tips and tricks for all the NetSuite users out there. Use record type prefixes followed by colon (:) or carat (^) in global search keywords to narrow search results Examples: Cu: or Cus: or C^ to bring up Customer records Some prefixes will prove better filters than others (for example, inv: could bring up inventory items or inventory adjustments where as ite: more clearly indicates a search for an item) Language preferences / record-renaming (for example, if Vendors are called Suppliers) will impact global search prefixes Capitalizing the first letter of the search prefix will open the record in ‘Edit’ mode – entering the prefix in lower case will open the record in ‘View’ mode Cu: […]

Tired of manually sending customer statements every time? Here is how you can easily set up a workflow in NetSuite that will allow you to automatically send customer statements. Create a Custom Field that will act as a flag This field will be used to act as a flag.  If this check box is checked, then this customer wants to receive a statement email on a recurring basis.  If this field is not checked, the customer will not receive an emailed statement. Navigate to Customization -> List, Records, Fields -> Entity Fields -> New Change Type to Check Box and apply it to Customer  Check this box on the customer records of the customers that want to have a balance email sent Create a Saved Search for Customers with Open Balances The results of this search will be the list of customers that need to be emailed Navigate to Lists […]