In this series, I will show the list of Dynamics CRM Api calls, and their new counterparts in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (v9). The first of this series will focus on the Xrm.Utility, Xrm.Page.data, Xrm.Page.ui and Xrm.Page.context. I will demonstrate the method calls in Dynamics CRM and how to get the same functionality using Dynamics 365 CE.

The following image shows the new Xrm object model in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (v9).

Xrm.Utility

The following table show the most commonly used function in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Utility class, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9.

Click here to access the reference to the Xrm.Navigation properties and methods in Dynamics 365 CE.
 

Xrm.Page.data

The following table show the most commonly used function in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Page.data class, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9.

Click here to access the reference to the formContext.data properties and methods in Dynamics 365 CE.
 

Xrm.Page.ui

The following table show the most commonly used function in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Page.ui class, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9.

Click here to access the reference to the formContext.ui properties and methods in Dynamics 365 CE. For the formContext.ui.navigation reference, click here. For the formContext.ui.formSelector reference, click here.

Xrm.Page.context

The following table show the most commonly used function in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Page.context class, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9. To use the following method your can set the global context by declaring it as a variable as such:
var context = Xrm.Utility.getGlobalContext();
var userId = context.userSettings.userId;

Click here to access the reference to the global context properties, methods and subclasses in Dynamics 365 CE. 

Xrm.Page.data.entity

The following table show the most commonly used function in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Page.data.entity class, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9.

Click here to access the reference to the forContext.data.entity properties and methods in Dynamics 365 CE. 

In the next parts of these series I will cover the attributes and controls collections, properties and methods,

In this second post of the series, we will review the changes between the properties and methods of the attribute based on the getAttributes Collection or the Xrm.Page.getAttribute method. The tables below will show the base methods of the attribute, as well as specific method for specific attribute types.

Xrm.Page.getAttribute

The following table show the most commonly used properties and methods in the Dynamics CRM Xrm.Page.getAttribute and Xrm.Page.data.entity.attribute classes, and the method calls in Dynamics 365 v9.

The next table will show additional properties and methods of the Xrm.Page.getAttribute and Xrm.Page.data.entity.attribute classes, that are specific to particular data types.

Click here to access the reference to the formContext.getAttribute properties and methods in Dynamics 365 CE. 

There are quite a few times when working a Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM project with a customer that they specifically mention that they do not want any custom code, as they don’t have resources to update the code if something changes in the future.

In the past when we needed to create tasks or appointments automatically as part of a lead or opportunity we would have a developer create these with a plugin or JavaScript to allow for updates to the records if anything changed in CRM.

Now, when customers give us the requirement of no custom coding in Dynamics 365/CRM, we need to create these tasks or appointments as well as update them by only using workflows. These can become complex, but once working they can be very effective and can be updated easily once the initial design is in place.

For this example:
We are going to be creating 2 follow up tasks on the Lead when it is initially created and will be auto completing these when the Lead is Qualified or Disqualified.

The follow up dates that were required for this example are:

• 1^st follow up: Created the date the lead is created
• 2^nd follow up: Created 7 days after the 1^st follow up

* Quick note on a best practice– it is generally not a good idea to have workflows in extended “wait” statuses.  There are a variety of issues that could arise to disrupt Dynamics 365/CRM (either online or on premise) that could cause waiting workflows to go in to a suspended status.

Setup Notes:

1. The first thing that we need to do is create two date fields on the Lead in order to allow for modification of the follow up dates. In addition to the date fields, we will need look up fields configured to the task activity in order to link the follow up task record to the lead. The result would look something like the following.  If you needed three, four or more follow-ups, the logic can be easily extended.
   
   

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2. Now that we have created the appropriate fields, we can begin creating the workflows.
   

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3. The first workflow creates the follow up tasks. This workflow can be created as a real time workflow so dates and IDs will appear as soon as you save the record.
   

   ---

   The fields on the Lead form and the Tasks list might look something like this:
    
   

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4. The first workflow handles a date change in the first Follow-Up date.
   
   

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   The revised values would look like the following if the first date was changed to 12/10/17.  In addition, the Tasks themselves would reflect these changes as well.
    

   ---

   The second workflow only needs to change the date on the second Follow-Up Task as this change doesn’t affect the first task.  It is a simple one-step workflow that triggers off a change in the second Task date field on the Lead form.

   ---

5. Now that we have created all of our workflows to create/update Tasks, we need to create two workflows that will complete all of the open tasks if the lead is qualified, disqualified, or deleted. Since we want to handle deleted Leads, this will need to be a separate real-time workflow that runs before the Lead is deleted.Workflow for qualified/disqualified Lead
   

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6. Now that the follow up tasks have been created, we need to account for a user that might want to change one or both of the task dates on the Lead form depending on their specific situation. This will require two different workflows, as we will need to not only update the task that has been changed but we also need to update the subsequent follow-up task. If we had these all within one workflow it could create an infinite loop.
   

   ---

If you would like to learn more about workflows in Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM or find out tips, tricks, and best practices, attend our monthly User Group Webinars– they are open to any users of Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM.

Microsoft has confirmed it will shortly commence the scheduling process for upgrading instances of Dynamics 365 to Version 9.0.

v9 was rolled out in the closing months of 2017 for new instances of Dynamics 365 and Microsoft is now preparing its customer driven update that will invite system admins to run their V9 upgrade from February 2018.

During January, administrators should see a notification in the Office 365 Message Centre and an email will be sent once the update scheduling window is open.

This update is available for Dynamics 2016 (8.0), Dynamics 2016 UPD1 (8.1) and Dynamics 365 (8.2).

In line with Microsoft's update policy, Version 9 will be a mandatory update for customers using v8.0 or v8.1.

This requires customers to be on the current version, or the immediate version prior to this release.

With v9 being the current release, v8.2 is the previous update so system admins can choose not to take version 9.0 but  v8.0 and 8.1 users will be required to update.

Microsoft intends to complete scheduled Version 9 upgrades by August 2018.

Dynamics 365 - v9 features a refreshed web interface, multi-select option sets, new virtual entity capability and it introduces a new unified client interface.

More about Dynamics 365 - v9

• What New in D365 - Version 9.0
• Demonstrating Dynamics 365 Version 9.0
• New Documentation for Dynamics 365

About Preact

Preact is a Microsoft Gold Partner implementing and supporting CRM solutions since 1993.

Check our blog for more information about Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM.

The post Stand By To Schedule Your Dynamics 365 v9.0 Update! appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.

In the fast-moving digital world that we live in, communication is a crucial skill. It is incredibly important that information can be conveyed efficiently and be guaranteed to stick with the recipient. The real question is, how do we convey our information and data in exciting and intuitive ways?

Studies by The Social Sciences Research Network show that around 65% of the population are visual based learners. This means that a considerable percentage of your users won’t get the most out of your solution if you’re presenting them with statistics and spreadsheets. Thankfully Dynamics 365 has features to help you visualize your information, whether built in or provided by PowerObjects through our PowerPack add-ons.

Let’s walk through a few different ways that you can visualize your data and explain how they can benefit you.

Dashboards and Charts

For many organizations, dashboards are what many of your end users will be seeing and interacting with on a daily basis. Dashboards are a customizable and shareable collection of key charts, views, iframes, and graphics to show key performance indicators to make accessing and understanding your data easier.

Above is an example of a typical dashboard, containing a mix of charts and the relationship assistant feature. At a glance, end users can quickly get a feel for the information that is important to them. Specific dashboards can be assigned and shared with users or a team with relevant roles, such as salespeople or service agents.

Individual components, such as charts, can be drilled down into to further explore and analyze the data, revealing the records behind the component. This is also known as inline visualization and can be accessed using the button highlighted above. By utilizing dashboards your end users can move from a high level overview of information relevant to them that are displayed using charts and other visualisations, into specific records to understand their data at a deeper level.

If you would like a more in depth look at dashboards and their components then follow this link to PowerObjects’ The CRM Book.

Power BI

Power BI is a suite of business analytics tools that allow deeper insights into your data throughout your organization. Power BI can be used to produce graphics and charts for use in dashboards and reports, which can be viewed on multiple platforms. Much like charts and views, Power BI tiles can also be embedded into Dynamics 365 dashboards. This means that users no longer need to navigate to Power BI to utilize its analytical tools and can use them from within Dynamics 365. After being embedded into a dashboard, Power BI tiles can be interacted with and drilled down into in a similar fashion to Dynamics 365 dashboard components.

Note that to utilize Power BI you must have a Power BI Office 365 subscription and need to enable Power BI embedding within your Dynamics 365 System Settings.

Below is an example of a Power BI dashboard, and the same tiles embedded into a Dynamics 365 dashboard.

If you would like to know more about connecting your Dynamics 365 data with Power BI then follow this link to our PowerObjects Blog.

PowerMap

PowerMap is an add-on developed by PowerObjects; you can find further details and installation instructions for PowerMap here. PowerMap allows you to choose an entity, choose a view for that entity, and to plot all the records of that entity onto a map in Dynamics 365. This add-on can be useful to any organization that needs to display the geographical locations of records and their location relative to one another, such as contractors or facilities. PowerMap even has a built in heat map feature to allow you to see set radiuses around records or concentrations of records in an area.

Let’s have a quick overview of some of the features of PowerMap and how they help to visualise your data. Keep in mind that in order for records to be mapped they must have a valid address – if they do not then they can’t be mapped!

1. Visual mapping and differentiation of records

The basic functionality of PowerMap allows users to map records from any entity as long as they have a valid address, and to differentiate between records from different entities. Records can be differentiated by assigning them with pins of different colors and types, as well as using other graphics that are specific to the type of record, such as contacts or leads. PowerMap allows users at a glance to see the geographical spread of their records, and what type of record they are.

Below we can see an example of PowerMap mapping various records (left) and the various types of pins and graphics available. In this example, accounts are mapped with a red pin, contacts with a yellow pin, and leads with a blue pin.

2. Heat Maps

PowerMap includes a built in heat map feature, to allow you to create a heat map for any mapped entities. The heat map allows you to see concentrations of mapped records in an area, and can also be used to show an operational radius or area around a record. The colour gradient, intensity, and radius of the heat map can be customized, and several heat maps can be applied at the same time.

Below is an example of what a heat map may look like, in this case when applied to Account records (left). Also displayed is the color gradient options available, and the intensity and radius (miles), all of which can be modified (middle and right).

3. Directions

By utilizing Bing Maps, PowerMap can also provide users with detailed directions, from one address to another. This can be accessed by users within your system on multiple platforms, and can be especially useful for field agents.

Below is an example of what PowerMap directions may look like.

If you would like to know more about PowerMap, or any of our other PowerPack add-ons then follow this link.

Hopefully this blog has provided you with a few ideas on how to better connect with your users and present your information in a more visual way. Be sure to subscribe to our blog so you have immediate updates to all of the new tips and tricks for Microsoft Dynamics 365, and if you would like more in-depth information on any CRM topic check out our CRM Book!

Happy Dynamics 365’ing!

If you are not familiar, nurturing leads (ideally with Marketing Automation and your CRM) allows you to send a series of targeted and timely communications that are intended to inform prospects and move them naturally through the sales funnel until they are qualified and sales ready.

For a quick read, we provided a simple overview of the six campaigns you can add to your tactical road map and also key elements to consider when getting started.

For you visual learners (and infographic fans) – To help you “paint the picture” we put together this infographic that pulls it all together (and then some) and is great quick reference guide you can save.

Here are 6 types of lead nurturing campaigns to try:

(1) Educational Engagement
This type of campaign focuses on providing content that informs prospects. Great for non-sales ready leads.

(2) Product/Service
This type of campaign focuses on the type of product or service the prospect has explicitly stated they are interested in.

(3) Promotional
This type of campaign is focused on moving the lead through the final stages of the sales funnel which may include special pricing, discounts, etc.

(4) Event Engagement
This type of campaign is focused on pre and post event registration communications such as webinars, and in person events.

(5) Re-Engagement
This type of campaign focuses on reengaging leads who have gone “silent” during the sales cycle.

How do you get started?

As you begin to plan your nurtures, keep these key steps in mind

1. Identify the campaign and select your target audience.
2. Align content to your target audience.
3. Identify timing between campaign stages.
4. Build, Launch, and Test your Campaigns.

In this infographic from Ledgeview Partners, we detail out all these options, tips, and best practices.

If timing, resources, or lack of quality data is holding you back from starting your own lead nurturing campaigns, contact us to help you with your strategy and planning.

>> Learn more about Ledgeview Partners Marketing Services. 

There are times when we would like to search the content of our web resources to look for specific unsupported code or to just search for specific content.

Typically, this would be done by searching a source code repository and looking for matching files. While this works, sometimes it would be easier and would save time if we could pass in multiple keywords and generate a file that lists all the web resources with those keywords. This is particularly helpful when you have clients upgrading to newer version of Dynamics 365.

How to Search Web Resources

The approach below describes how we can search by using the Dynamics 365 Service. Alternatively, if you have an On-Premises environment you could request your Administrator to run the SQL query and return the results.

1. Let’s define the keywords we want to search and any web resources we want to exclude from the search. This would usually be third party solutions that we have added, etc.

2. We can now use a Query to retrieve the content of web resources from Dynamics 365 by specifying our criteria to only return the web resources we are interested in. Since we cannot directly query the content of the web resource, we would have to query it after we convert it from the base 64 string.

3. Once we have the web resource content mapped to the name of the web resource, we can use the keywords we have defined to start searching. Since a web resource could match on multiple keywords, we get the distinct one in the last step.

4. Now that we have the list of all the web resources, we can output this information to a file easily.

There you go – a quicker way to search for your custom web resource content. Subscribe to our blog today to start receiving more Dynamics 365 tips and tricks in your inbox!

Happy Dynamics 365’ing!