Table of Contents

Introduction 1 Part I: Introduction to the Business Use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM HOUR 1: What Is Microsoft Dynamics CRM? 3

Overview of CRM and the CRM Industry 3

Department Roles: Different Perspectives 13

Business Applications, Functions, and Fundamentals 17

A Closer Look at Business Processes 17

Capturing Processes 22

Summary: Key Points to Remember 24

HOUR 2: The Basic Vocabulary of CRM Functionality 29

Key Building Blocks 29

Core Entities 30

Other Selected Entities 33

Other Important Components 36

Other Components 38

HOUR 3: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011: What's New 43

The New User Interface, Dashboards, and Charts 43

Entity Architecture Areas of Change 47

Small yet Important Enhancements to Dynamics CRM 2011 49

Processes: Workflow and Dialogs 53

Special New Features for the Microsoft CRM Developer 55

HOUR 4: Infrastructure Choices 61

Application Placement: Choices and Implications 61

Tenant Architecture and Its Implications, Including Multitenant Options 64

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Infrastructure Components 65

Asynchronous Services and Microsoft Workflow Foundation 70

Diving into Development 71

Integration Options 72

Big Business Versus Small Business 72

Part II: The Structure of Microsoft Dynamics CRM HOUR 5: Security 77

How It All Comes Together 81

Business Units 83

Users 85

Security Roles 95

Maintaining Security Roles 98

Sharing Records 105

Teams 109

Field Security 111

HOUR 6: Managing Leads 121

A Little History 121

What Data to Capture and the Import Process 125

Distributing Leads 132

A Deeper Look at Leads 133

From Lead to Account: Conversion 135

HOUR 7: The Account Entity in More Detail 143

Entering Data: The Account Form 143

Account Data 147

How the Account Entity Relates to a Few Other Entities 154

What the Account Entity Can Impact 155

How the Account Entity Can Be Redefined 156

HOUR 8: The Sales Funnel 161

Sales Styles and Choices 161

Automating the Sales Process with Workflow 167

Editing an Existing Workflow 175

HOUR 9: Marketing Campaigns 179

The Marketing Campaign 179

Creating and Tracking a Marketing Budget 195

Capturing the Results 196

Tracking the Steps, Activities, and Tasks 199

Part III: Getting Started Using the Software HOUR 10: Entering Data as a Salesperson 205

A Month in the Life of a Salesperson 205

Capturing a Lead and Entering a Lead 206

Converting a Lead to an Account and Contact 211

Final Planning 218

HOUR 11: Configuring Your Interaction with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 223

Basic Configurations 223

Web Resources 235

Default Fields 236

HOUR 12: Contacts and Activity Capture 249

Capturing Contact Information 249

Related Contacts 257

Leveraging and Using Activities 260

HOUR 13: Sending E-mail from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 271

Capturing E-mail 271

Sending One Quick Message 272

Sending Multiple E-mail Messages 274

CAN-SPAM Act Compliance 281

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook Address Book 281

Configuring E-mail Based on Your Preferences 282

HOUR 14: Microsoft Word Mail Merge 285

Mail Merge Templates 285

Creating a Template Using an Existing Word Template 288

Managing Templates 290

Managing Data Fields 291

Enabling Macros in Microsoft Word 2010 or 2007 294

HOUR 15: Outlook Integration 309

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Options 309

The Synchronizing Architecture 310

Synchronizing Data 311

Mobility 319

What to Watch Out For: Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook 319

HOUR 16: Workflows: Creating Simple Workflows 323

What Is a Workflow? 323

Internal Alerts Based on Specific Criteria 329

Using a Workflow to Automate a Process 332

Part IV: The Support Department HOUR 17: Support Management 341

Creating and Using Contracts 341

Maximizing Support Profitability and Effectiveness 346

Leveraging the Subject Line in a Case 348

Utilizing the Knowledge Base 349

HOUR 18: Contracts, Cases, and Capturing Time 355

Why Use Cases; What's in It for Me? 355

The Hierarchy of Contracts, Cases, and Time 356

Working with Cases and Activities 358

Proactive Versus Reactive Capturing of Time 365

Distributing Work: Users, Teams, and Queues 365

Adding a Workflow to Close a Case 371

HOUR 19: Scheduling 377

Scheduling in General 377

Getting Started with Scheduling 378

Viewing and Managing Scheduling Conflicts 382

Setting Up Scheduling 382

Part V: Reporting HOUR 20: Utilizing the Power of Microsoft Excel with CRM Data 395

Key Concepts and Caveats 395

Exporting the Right Data: Using Advanced Find 398

Exporting a Static Worksheet 403

Exporting a Dynamic Worksheet 405

Exporting Data for PivotTable Analysis 406

Adding Outside Data 408

Reusing and Sharing Your Spreadsheets 408

Using a Dashboard 409

Using Excel to Edit and Clean Up Records 409

HOUR 21: Reporting and Query Basics 415

Getting Started with Reports 415

Using Reports 416

Creating Your Own Reports with the Report Wizard 423

Sharing a Report with Other Users 428

Adding a File or Web Page as a Report 429

Creating Report Snapshots (On-Premises Only) 431

Tips for Keeping Reports Organized 432

Creating Custom Reports Without the Report Wizard 433

Part VI: Expanding the Application HOUR 22: Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 into Other Applications 437

Bridge Software 437

Points of Connect 438

Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM with External Web Sources 439

Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM into Accounting Applications 440

Integration-Independent Software Vendors 441

Integration Risks 443

Data Migration 444

HOUR 23: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Tools and Utilities 449

Enhancing Contact Information 449

Business Intelligence in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 452

Enabling Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Mobile Devices 455

Database Tools and Utilities 458

Compliance and Auditing Tools 459

HOUR 24: Microsoft Dynamics CRM as a Development Framework 465

Options: What Can Be Changed? 465

When Microsoft Dynamics CRM Is a Good Fit 478

When the Core of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Might Need Additional Architecture and Design 480

Skills Required: Who Can Make the Changes 481

Index 485

About the Author

Anne Stanton started her career in the 1980s, as a programmer working with ancient languages such as Fortran 77, Basic, Turbo Pascal, and Cobol. She then built out her expertise as a master of software applications, consulting, marketing, sales, social media, and grassroots marketing and customer relations. Anne has spent 27 years working with technology and is still passionate about all that it can do to help businesses achieve efficiency and growth. Her most recent focus has been working with the Microsoft Dynamics xRM platform and Microsoft Dynamics CRM software. She was awarded the seventh Microsoft MVP for CRM and has a long-running blog (www.crmlady.com) and Twitter feed (crmlady) on the subject. She has worked with Microsoft Dynamics CRM as a customer, partner practice leader, consultant, and enterprise user since version 1.2, released in 2004.