June 2016 Blog Review

Clearly summer schedules got the best of me this year. So let's quickly get caught up on all the CRM news.

I always recommend you stay up to date with CRM Tip of the Day, here are a few to start with:

•  Don't give users and teams the same role - spoiler alert: this can cause unexpected consequences
• You may be an Enterprise - understand the nuances of licensing and changes
• If Activities disappear, take the pill - some solutions to odd Outlook issues

Sonoma Partners shared Get ready, Dynamics is about to get "Linked" in. This talks about the Microsoft acquisition of LinkedIn and what it could mean for the future.

PowerObjects shared tips for dealing with workflow email errors in Workflow Generated Email stuck in "Pending Send" - Get it sent!

EMEA Dynamics CRM Support posted a great overview of Workflows in Dynamics CRM. This talks about the different kinds of processes and what you need to get started.

Workflows were very popular this month and Ledgeview Partners also shared Using Dynamics CRM Workflows to Create Tasks Automatically. Follow along in their example to better understand automating activities via CRM.

One of the cool new features in CRM 2016 is Excel Templates! To learn more reach Hitachi Solutions' 5 Tips for using Excel Templates in Dynamics CRM.

That's all for June!

April 8 Blog Review

Let's jump right in to the CRM news that was shared this week.

As you probably know, Microsoft Envision was going on this past week. This replaced Convergence in some ways as a business focused Dynamics conference. Ledgeview Partners shares their quick recap and some helpful links in Microsoft Envision 2016 Sessions Available On-Demand.

CRM Tip of the Day shared two tips about Server Side Synchronization. First read User Experience Differences between Outlook and Server-Side Synchronization. This will give you some things to keep in mind as you decide if you want to take advantage of this feature. Then you can read Duplicate Activities in Outlook with Server Side Synchronization. If you have issues with Server Side Synchronization this gives you some ideas on where to begin your troubleshooting.

Finally, EMEA Dynamics CRM Support shared Dynamics CRM Document Generation. This shares the functionality available, quick details on how to set up and answers some common questions.

Also keep in mind that the CRMUG Summit early bird deadline is quickly approaching! You can also check out these tips for convincing your boss to let you go. I hope to see you there!

That's all for today folks!

January 8 Blog Review

Welcome back! It is time to recap all the CRM blogs and such that were missed while so many of us were enjoying time with family and enjoying over-eating.

Most importantly of course is the upcoming CRMUGDC Chapter Launch Party on January 21. This is going to be a casual event for people in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to meet other CRM users and learn about the local CRM User Groups. Check out this blog for more information and then register!

If you didn’t get enough presents this holiday season, make sure you check out CRM Tip of the Day’s CRM Christmas Presents. This gives several tips about gamification, business rules, and Server Side Synchronization. Make sure you also review all of the CRM Tip of the Day posts you might have missed while on vacation.

EMEA Dynamics CRM Support posted about Dynamics CRM SML Schema Validation. This talks you through how to use Visual Studio to edit your customizations.xml file to prevent or find issues before importing your solution back into CRM.

PowerObjects shared CRM and FieldOne: Solutions for Field Services. This gives you a look into the FieldOne acquisition and what it will mean for CRM service module users.

PowerObjects also posted New Year, New Mobile Experience: Mobile Controls in CRM 2016. This describes some of the features designed to improve user adoption of mobile CRM users while also improving data quality.

Finally, Hitachi Solutions shared Great CRM Training is more than Keeping the People Awake (but that’s a good start). This talks about the top training tips to keep your listeners engaged and learning.

That’s all for today. Have a great weekend!

October 30 Blog Review

Happy Halloween!

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I do not have any spooky CRM Stories for you other than users saying they didn’t do something the system says they did. Instead I have a quick blog review touching on the highlights of the last few weeks while I was busy with Summit and such. Let’s jump right in.

PowerObjects is working on a series about CRM Upgrades. Check out this installment – Upgrading CRM: Reimplementation vs. Upgrade – Choosing What’s Right for you. This talks about what the options of reimplementation and upgrade mean along with the reasons you might select one or the other.

EMEA Dynamics Support posted a helpful troubleshooting article, Dynamics CRM Bulk Delete – General Support Questions. This works through the common questions and issues that they deal with and how to respond.

A little bit ago we talked about the CRM 2016 Release Preview Guide. This is a very long document, so if you don’t have time to read it you should check out Leon Tribe’s slightly shorter summary – Review of the Latest Dynamics CRM Release Preview Guide. There are lots of great new features centered around Microsoft’s themes for Productivity, Intelligence, Mobility and Unified Service.

Sonoma Partners shared the Negative Effects of a Disjointed CRM Environment. This touches on the importance of ensuring your CRM supports and aligns with your business as it grows and integrates with all the necessary systems. Some of the impacts of a disjointed CRM environment include customer satisfaction, employee productivity and retention and company performance.

Lastly, I will put all of you in charge of reviewing the recent posts of CRM Tip of the Day. What was your favorite tip? Anything that can help your business?

Have a great weekend and a happy Halloween!  

P.S. Make sure you come out to the Washington, DC Chapter Meeting on November 4^th get more details and register here. 

September 11 Blog Review

We have lots of CRM tips and news to catch up on from the last 2 weeks. First of all, the big news is the CRM 2016 was officially announced. Check out the press release, video and release preview guide for all the information. This is scheduled to be available at the end of the year as a new version for online and on-premise. It appears that Microsoft is working hard to improve the integrations with other Microsoft offerings like Outlook, Excel and Cortana. It will be exciting to see what is to come!

Ledgeview Partners posted about Using Calculated fields in CRM 2015. This walks through the different formulas available for different field types and how to set up the calculation.

In the last blog I shared the Outlook Synchronization in CRM 2015 white paper. If that was too long to read, check out the EMEA Support Blog’s Recap of Outlook Synchronization. This talks about what happens when you hit Track or Set Regarding, what happens if you delete an email or appointment, etc.

The CRM Team shared my favorite feature of TechNet – Finding you way around CRM topics on TechNet and MSDN or how to be a CRM Technical Documentation Zen Master in 5 minutes. This was one of my top takeaways from CRMUG Summit last year. When viewing an article there is a version drop down you can use to switch between versions. So if your search takes you to 2015 but you need the 2011 article you can find it in just a few clicks!

The CRM Lady tackled the Easy and Hard Questions to consider as we think about Managed and Unmanaged Solutions. Understanding how different solutions interact is one of the hardest parts of CRM. This blog is a great way to build the foundation for that understanding.

PowerObjects talked about Customizing Entity Icons in CRM 2013 and 2015. This goes through step-by-step how to update your icons and everything you need to know.

PowerObjects also walked through Expanding the Field Label Widths in CRM 2015. This is something to look into if your field labels are being cut off on the form.

Finally, there are always great tips on the CRM Tip of the Day. Check it out this week to learn more about Unified Service Desk and OneNote integration.

That’s all for today folks. Have a great weekend!