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CRM: Working with Accounts

Accounts are a foundational entity within Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, so it is extremely important to understand how to work with accounts.

Accounts are one of the entities that will appear across any of the Customer Engagement apps that you have purchased. They also come with a parental hierarchy out of the box, which means any activity on an opportunity, case, or project will be visible on the account page as well.

Let’s review some account basics.

General

Accounts are designed to be organizations that you work with, whether they are customers, vendors, partners, competitors or anything else you want to track in CRM.

Parent Accounts

Parent accounts allow you to set-up a hierarchy within accounts. This is helpful with companies that have multiple locations.

  • Parent accounts can have multiple child accounts.
  • Create parent accounts first and then create the child accounts with the name of the parent account placed within the parent account field.

Relationship with Contacts

Contact records are individual people that can be related to an account. An account can have multiple contacts associated with it. To associate a contact to an account, place the account name in the company section of the contact record.

A primary contact for an account can also be identified. Select from the list of associated contacts that have been created.

Configuring Default Fields

There are quite a few default fields available out of the box that are option sets ready to be configured. Generally, I do not recommend using all of them as a few can overlap on usage. Let’s review them and identify some common uses.

  • Account Rating: Identify high priority customers or give your accounts levels of importance.
  • Business Type: Use instead of industry if you want a smaller option set or use to identify what they may want from you.
  • Category: Use to identify relationship you have with an account.
  • Classification: This is another way you could identify high priority customers or levels of importance.
  • Industry: A default list is within the system, but you can change, add or delete the list to fit the industries you want to see.
  • Relationship Type: Identify if an account is a customer, vendor, partner, competitor or other type of relationship.

Customizations

Beyond the basic set-up there are a few things you can do to make the account entity work better for you.

  • Forms
    • There are a lot of default fields available that are not on the out of the box forms. Take some time to custom the form and add-in some of those other fields that you will want to use.
  • Custom Fields
    • If you have more data that you want to enter within the system that are not available out of the box you can create a new custom field. Custom fields can be simple entry or calculated based on other fields within the form and can include option sets, date and time, numbers or text entry.

Accounts are a high priority when setting up your CRM system and generally one of the first things you begin entering. I highly recommend spending some time reviewing what is available out of the box and comparing that to the data you want to track to determine what needs to be configured, what needs to be created and how you want the form to look.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

 

CRM: How to have a successful implementation

Too often I hear managers stating what a mistake it was to implement CRM or end-users complaining about how much of a hassle it is to use the system. This leads to people only partially using the system and then the data is not completely accurate causing the system to become even more problematic to use.

Many times when this is happening it is not because the system does not work for the business, it is that the implementation was not well planned out or did not address the actual issues that created the need for a CRM system.

Here are some tips to help you have a successful CRM implementation:

  1. Make a clear plan and share it with everyone.

It is important that there is a clear reason why and how the CRM system will be used and it needs to be shared with everyone. Everyone moving forward with the same vision and understanding of why will make the implementation and overall adoption of the system smoother.

  1. Select the right project champion.

Oftentimes, the person selected to oversee the project will be an IT person or mid-level manager that is responsible for several other tasks. Whether you select a single person or a team to champion this project it is important that they fully back the plan to use CRM and that they have the time necessary to invest in implementation and support of the system.

  1. Design the system from the end user perspective.

I cannot stress this enough, do not design the system based only on what an executive wants to see. Generally, executives will not be the ones entering data on a daily basis. If you do not design your system to work best for the end users that will use the system frequently there will be a low adoption rate. The goal of CRM should always be to make it easier for your end users to do their job while gathering the data required for effective reporting.

  1. Provide sufficient training and support.

Providing training, outlining expectations and post implementation support will help keep adoption rates high. When designing your system take the time to write a manual describing how your company will use CRM and the expectations of the end users. After implementation or when onboarding a new employee it is also important that there is a resource available to provide support for questions and issues that arise as they work within the system.

  1. Plan for continuous improvement.

CRM is not a one-time project and if you treat it as such you will soon find yourself shopping for new software. Regularly scheduled meetings to discuss improvements and changes needed with representation and feedback from all departments utilizing the system will help keep the system aligned with current business processes.

A successful implementation will help drive high end-user adoption and that will determine the success of your CRM system. If you have already implemented your CRM system it is not too late to go back and take these steps to improve usage. If you need any assistance or would like a more guided approach please reach out and we would be happy to help you!

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

 

Why should you use a CRM system?

CRM, stands for customer relationship management, and if you have customers you definitely should be using a CRM system. Let’s take a look at a few benefits of using a CRM system.

Data Organization

When data is housed in different locations it can be a hassle to piece together the current status of a company. With a CRM system you can store data in one location reducing the need to chase down bits and pieces of information.

Analytics

With data in one location you can quickly perform analysis, set goals and measure performance against those goals. Trends can be quickly identified and effective reporting can help drive business decisions.

Target Marketing

Effective marketing requires two things, getting your information in front of the right people and a seamless transfer of potential leads to the sales team. With a CRM system you can group customers and prospects easily to create custom marketing campaigns. Tracking this data within the system means potential leads can be easily transferred to the sales team.

Well-Defined Sales Pipeline

A CRM system allows you to prioritize leads and opportunities and helps with tracking activities to prevent potential sales from being neglected. Allowing the system to handle juggling all the data will keep your sales pipeline flowing. As you build up historical data forecasting sales will also become easier.

Better Customer Service

Customer retention lives on product value and customer service. If you track data within a CRM system you can view all the interactions a customer has had with your company and they are not forced to explain everything they have purchased or work they have done with you. High customer satisfaction can become an invaluable marketing tool for any company.

Employee Efficiency

Often overlooked, but extremely important, a CRM system can help with employee efficiency. Your employees will not have to spend time looking through multiple systems for information and they can get up to speed on customers quicker. A well-thought out system should always be designed for how it can best serve your employees to make their jobs easier and faster to complete.

Here at Implementation Specialists we work with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and we have found it to be a system that can suit any type of business. Between what is available out of the box and the abundant customization capabilities it can be made into a personalized system that will help your business perform better and grow with your company.

If you are interested in looking at this CRM system browse through our blog posts, view historical webinars, or reach out for a personal demo.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

 

Join Jerica an upcoming CRM Webinar. If you can’t attend, still register and we will send you a copy of the recording.

February 10 – CRM: How to have a successful implementation 

March 17 – CRM: Working with Accounts

 

 

XRM: Managing Time Off Requests Through Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement

Time off requests can cause a lot of headaches and it’s an important subject for your employees. Having a simple and efficient process for requesting and responding to time off is a huge benefit.

An out of the box time off request and calendar exists within the field service app and you can bring this over to the other sections if you have access to the field service app. In our example today we did not have access to the field service app as we only utilized the sales and service sections, so we created a new entity and process directly within Customer Engagement.

Here are the steps we took:

Created a new entity called “Time Off Request”.

For the entity we made it available under sales and service as those are the two areas the employees used. This entity was set up to allow for notes, but does not require activities or document management. Queues are not used in our example, but as a process you could utilize time off queues versus an email notification directly to the manager.

Created custom fields and designed the form.

Here are the fields we created/updated:

  • Employee
    • This was set up as a look-up field and was pointed to users.
  • Department
    • Created as an option set with different team names. This allows us to track how many requests we have by team and manage staffing levels.
  • Start Date
    • Included both date and time so requests could be full days or just a few hours.
  • End Date
    • Set up the same way as the start date field.
  • Time Off Reason
    • Another option set where employees could choose PTO, Unpaid or Other time off reasons. If you have other reasons such as bereavement or jury duty those could be added to the list.
  • Status Reason
    • This field already exists but we did make a couple changes. Under the active section we changed active to requested. Under the inactive section we added two and renamed one so we have approved, denied and cancelled, with the default being approved.

Once we had all our fields created we designed the form. Here is what our form looks like:

Set up workflows.

We determined a couple different workflows were necessary to keep this process flowing smoothly.

  • Upon new time off request.
    • When a new time off request is saved the workflow gives the record a proper name based on the employee name and start date of request, then an email is sent to the manager alerting them to the time off request. The manager can access the record directly from the email. Here is our email set-up:

  • When the request is approved or declined.
    • A manager approves or declines our record by deactivating the record and then choosing the reason. Once the record is deactivated it triggers a workflow to send an email to the employee notifying them.

Updated/Created Views

We updated the default view to use our new custom fields to allow for easy filtering.

Here is what the active time off request view looked like:

A custom view was also created to show all approved and requested dates.

This view enables a manager to see all requests for their department so they don’t approve too many people off on the same day.

This process was fairly simple to set up but was very beneficial. This resulted in time savings and prevented negative morale issues due to problems or delays with time off requests.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

XRM: Other Ways to Use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CRM)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CRM) is a powerful CRM system. It has many capabilities that can help streamline your sales, service and marketing processes. This makes Dynamics 365 CE one of the most popular CRM systems out there.

But wait, there’s more!

What is XRM?

XRM is a term that means you can use your CRM system for things way beyond normal CRM functions. Dynamics 365 CE can be customized easily which opens the door to using the system for pretty much anything you might need.

Custom Fields

Many needed fields already exist within Dynamics 365; however, there is the ability to add in custom fields so you can track data specific to your business.

Custom Entities

While there are quite a few out of the box entities sometimes they may not fit exactly what you want to accomplish. Dynamics 365 gives you the ability to create brand new custom entities that can be used for whatever purpose you need.

Workflows

Workflows help automate things within your system. You define what will trigger the workflow, what conditions need to be met and what actions will be taken depending on those conditions. Automation helps to cut down on time spent by employees or to ensure things do not fall through the cracks.

Business Processes

Setting up a business process leads your records through a series of steps to make sure nothing is missed within the handling of that record. These can be used like check lists for your end users or to help track where the process is lagging if records are not being handled in a timely manner.

Throughout this series of blog posts we will be taking a look at a few different customizations others have used to track things outside of the typical sales and service functions that Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement is known for. These are meant to serve as platforms to use as you begin to brainstorm more ways that you could utilize this amazing system.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

 

CRM: Customizing Forms Tips

In a past post we covered the mechanics of customizing forms within Dynamics 365 CRM. Today I want to share a few tips and tricks I’ve learned as I have created forms.

1. Charts help spot trends.

It can be easier to spot trends or overall usage through charts versus reading the data. In our example we have added a chart showing total cases active and resolved by month they were created. This helps spot trends in how many cases each account has and how many are still being worked on.

To add a chart to a form choose to add a sub-grid and then within the formatting options select to show chart only. This will allow you to select from published charts for the entity.

2. Avoid using too many sub-grids

Although you can add in sub-grids of related entities into a form these can take up a lot of room and add a cluttered feel to your form. Related records can still be accessed by selecting the down arrow next to the entity name that appears in the top black toolbar. In our example below you can see quite a few related entities to choose from; however, this list can be customized so less entities appear.

Use sub-grids only when necessary and train end-users to view related records as described above. This will keep forms looking cleaner. A common sub-grid I’ve seen used on forms is the contact sub-grid within an account so contacts can be added easily through the account form.

3. Quick view forms can be beneficial

I like to use quick view forms when some pieces of information from a related entity would be beneficial. Here is an example of a quick view form for the account added into an opportunity form.

Necessary data, such as phone numbers or primary contacts allow end users to quickly find what they need to work on a record without having to access another record type.

4. Use tabs for navigation

When laying out the design for a form remember that tabs provide a navigation point within a form where a section is added within a tab.

In our example we have five different tabs on our opportunity form and you can navigate directly to that area versus having to scroll down through the whole form.

Use tabs when you have a lot of data to enter, shorter forms with limited fields most likely will not need separate tabs.

5. Use headers

Up to four fields can be placed within the header of a form and these fields remain visible when scrolling. Here is an example of the fields we have visible on an opportunity form.

Headers are not required, but if you have important pieces of information you want to be easily accessible no matter where you are within a form this is a great option.

When customizing forms always think about the overall function of the form. Fields should be placed in the order they are needed or the order they will be entered. Data should be grouped together in ways that are easy to find, read or enter. There is no one right way to set-up a form so take some time and experiment with different placements to see what will work best for your end users and if you need help or run into problems achieving what you want reach out for assistance.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant