Blogs

The Face Behind the Subject Matter Expert: Meet the User Group Summit Medics

By Delaney Freer
The Doctors are in, October 15-18! They'll fix you right up! Do you and your co-workers have a long list of issues on any version of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Dynamics CRM that you face every day and would love to have answered? For example... After installing the upgrade to versions 365 2.2 we are getting bombarded with an error message. What gives? As part of our 365 upgrade, how can I change the color of these System Icons that don't have the same functionality as entities in customizations? Another example would be most anything in the "Administration" section, like the icon for "Administration". We are in the midst of an ...
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Summit 2018 is SO CLOSE!

By Malcolm McAuley
​Are you getting excited?! I am. I've been taking time to review the session calendar - so much good stuff!   This will be my third UG Summit, and I've attended several other conferences like this in the past. I recall the first time I went - I was utterly overwhelmed. There was so much goodness that I felt like I was running from session to session grasping everything I could. Alas, much leaked out of my brain because I was taking in information on so many different things. I recall flying home thinking, "What the heck just happened?!".   The next time I went in with a plan. The overall goal was to learn - that's inevitable at these things. There is literally ...
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Are you looking to learn more about extensibility and developer concepts?

By Delaney Freer
Join fellow Developers this October at CRMUG Summit Phoenix! Developers working in Dynamics 365/CRM need passion.  You don't want to do enough to just "get by" and meet the minimum criteria. In order to hone your skills and create code to be proud of, it's important to receive regular training. Where's the best place to learn new and improved developer tips?  CRMUG Summit Phoenix  is happening October 15-18 in Phoenix, AZ and there is an entire track dedicated to Development, alongside  Pre-Conference Academy classes . 13+ Hours of Developer Training The Development track is focused on beginner and advanced custom extensibility ...
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Are you responsible for Dynamics 365/CRM upgrades and implementations?

By Delaney Freer
Join fellow Project Managers this October at CRMUG Summit Phoenix! Being a project manager in the Dynamics 365/CRM world means your job has many moving parts. The business requirements you need to gather for maintaining and upgrading systems are highly important, but when you lack the training and information you need, the task becomes very difficult.  While we can't solve all your challenges in a day, we can provide you with the knowledge you need to tackle them head-on when you return to the office.  CRMUG Summit Phoenix  is happening October 15-18 in Phoenix, AZ and there is an entire track dedicated to Upgrades & Implementation, alongside  ...
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Announcing James Phillips as User Group Summit Phoenix Keynote Speaker

By Delaney Freer
User Group Summit is extremely excited to announce our keynote speaker, James Phillips! James Phillips is a Microsoft corporate vice president and leader of the company’s Business Applications Group – a product development organization with over 5,000 team members spanning the globe. His teams build and operate Microsoft’s business applications and services; and the application, integration and intelligence platforms beneath them – collectively powering the digital transformation initiatives of some of the world’s largest organizations. James is a highly sought-after speaker and looks forward to seeing you at the Microsoft Business Applications ...
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Are you responsible for your company’s Dynamics CRM environment?

By Delaney Freer
Join fellow Administrators & IT Managers this October at CRMUG Summit Phoenix! Configurations, customizations, and automation - oh my! All laughs aside, we know the above are some of your biggest pain points as an Administrator or IT Manager.  While we can't solve all your challenges in a day, we can provide you with the knowledge you need to tackle them head-on when you return to the office.  CRMUG Summit Phoenix  is happening October 15-18 in Phoenix, AZ and there is an entire track dedicated to Administration, alongside  Pre-Conference Academy classes . A is for Admin Designed to help all administrative or IT owners who ...
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Evolution of Maps in Business - Past (Part 1)

By Sam Inogic
Evolution of Maps in Business - Past (Part 1) By definition, Business is an activity that allows us to make our living by either producing, buying or selling goods and services. The way we interact and exchange goods with others evolved with the growth of our species. With the evolution of our civilization, the business evolved, and it was not just buying or selling goods with nearby people, we needed to explore and expand our reaches. The explorer instinct in us allowed us to spread our species throughout the world and to get from point A to point B was always a challenge that we needed to overcome. For several millennia, we used stars, mountains, ...
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Altec Partner Spotlight

By Tonya Anderson
Altec is a leading provider of integrated document management and process automation solutions.  What began in 1985 as a small forms company has evolved into a world-class business solution provider focused on helping companies run their organizations better, operate more efficiently, and build stronger bonds with their customers, suppliers, and employees  The company’s flagship product, DocLink, a document management process automation solution, helps companies connect people, processes and data for competitive advantage.  Companies looking to make a digital transformation can implement DocLink, which effectively eliminates the need for paper while automating ...
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Vote Today for your 2018 All-Stars!

By Laurie Gramer
​ Hello everyone,    The CRMUG All-Star Award program recognizes CRMUG members who have a passion for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and have made significant contributions of their time and expertise to educate, connect, and participate in the greater CRMUG community. Criteria: CRMUG All-Star Award candidates are determined by criteria associated to participating, volunteering, and sharing across all areas of CRMUG: Leadership  – has dedicated significant time and expertise to educate the CRMUG community. Passion  – has demonstrated their passion for "paying forward" their CRM knowledge and experiences. Resolve  – has shown willingness to help others ...
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Back to School

By Kenzie Jenson
What do you mean, Back to School ?   With August in sight, back to school is on everyone’s mind. Feel like you’re missing out? Have no fear – new Academy courses are here! The Academy team has been working hard to add additional and NEW courses to the 2018 schedule. With all the upcoming training opportunities, you can be certain you won’t feel out of the loop on the back to school vibe. So what exactly is Academy? Academy offers a variety of virtual – that is, online – classes that provide training on different business applications that people like yourself use every day. How does it work? You choose a class and time that works in your schedule, ...
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CRM software is not just for customers – Realise its potential

By Debbie Perry
According to Gartner , global CRM software revenue reached $39.5 billion at the end of 2017. Its market dominance is set to continue in 2018, predicted to reign as the largest and fastest-growing software market at a growth rate of 16%. With the evolution of IoT and forthcoming GDPR, it’s no wonder more businesses are looking to benefit from new CRM technology that will drive maximum value – as well as keep the business compliant. Let’s take a look at what can you do to extend the life of your Enterprise CRM system and drive even more opportunity for your business. A Broader Reach Beyond Sales and Marketing Traditionally, CRM use has been ...
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Using Office 365 Security Groups with Dynamics 365

By Todd Mercer
Let's assume that we have multiple instances, production, and two sandbox instances for QA and development.  Without a security group applied to each of those instances, all active users in Office 365 with a Dynamics 365 license assigned to them will sync into each one of those instances.   These users will appear in your instances as active users, but you will still have to give them at least 1 security role to allow them access to the D365.       Add a Security Group   Adding a Security Group to your instances acts as a filter so that only the users that are part of that security group will be active users in the target instance.   Any user who ...
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“Joining Forces” – The Benefits of CRM and ERP Integration | Matt Gibson | Dynamics 365/CRM Solutions Consultant | HSO

By Debbie Perry
In the past, many large enterprises have felt the need to choose between ERP and CRM. They didn’t feel they could justify the expense of implementing both, let alone integrating them together. Often, the choice of which system to implement came down to whether the organisation saw its profit drivers as being internally or externally-driven. A sales-focused organisation might have decided it would gain a greater advantage from an external-looking system like CRM. The differentiator for these kinds of organisations, after all, is external relationships – and that’s where a CRM system comes into its own. An electronics manufacturer, on the other hand, might have ...
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An Easy Way To Manage Purchases in Dynamics CRM

By Maulik Shah
A business isn’t just about selling and sales. For the smooth functioning of a business’s day to day sales, their purchases need to be aligned first. As a business owner, if you aren’t able to manage your purchases, all other functions succeeding it can be affected adversely. The job of managing purchases within your business can be very messed up at times with bulk purchases being handled manually. It also makes it more prone to mistakes and hence more time and efforts to rectify it. To your relief, there is now an easy way available to manage purchases in Dynamics CRM. You can complete your purchasing process and make it more efficient with better inventory ...
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3 Ways to Access the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook

By Aaron Back, MCP
Before We Get Started... Microsoft made the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook available just a few months ago, and many folks have written excellent articles on the topic. I would recommend you review the Microsoft Documentation site for these articles " Deploy Dynamics 365 App for Outlook " and " Dynamics 365 App for Outlook User Guide ". Once you understand how the app is deployed and how it works, the rest of this article will make more sense.... READ MOR
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Don’t Miss: Upcoming Dynamic Communities and Microsoft Events

By Janet Lampert
Dynamic Communities and Microsoft are working closely together to bring you a series of great learning opportunities in the coming months. Here are two events we want to make sure are on your calendar:   CRMUG Summit Phoenix Join us October 15-18 in Phoenix for  CRMUG  Summit Phoenix.  Attend this event for over 175 dedicated sessions to Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement, legacy Dynamics CRM, and complementary Microsoft technologies like Power BI, PowerApps, and Flow. At   CRMUG  Summit , you’ll team up with user group peers, All Stars, and MVPs to turn your online support network into real-life connections! You’ll dive in to share your knowledge… ...
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Summit EMEA’s Pre Conference Academy is Complete! Hear what 60+ attendees had to say…

By Kaylie Verhagen
Summit EMEA , just like our other user group conferences and events, is packed with opportunities to learn skills that will support you in your day to day so you can be at your best. A great example of that is the Pre-Conference Academy programme, which happened earlier today at Summit EMEA in Dublin, Ireland. Besides filling their agenda’s with inspiring breakout sessions, attendees had the opportunity to enhance their Summit EMEA experience by joining Pre-Conference Academy. With over 60 attendees participating in eleven classes, it was a great success! Not familiar with Pre Conference Academy? Pre-Conference Academy is a focused, instructor-led classroom ...
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Final Reminder: Only 6 Days Until Summit EMEA, Registration Closes Soon!

By Kaylie Verhagen
Summit EMEA is about to happen, but we don’t have you on the list of attendees yet! Join nearly 1,500 Dynamics users and partners from all over Europe at the Convention Centre in Dublin from 24-26 April. At the moment there are still some seats left, claim yours today before they run out! Register Now Some Fast Facts Here are some fast facts that will show why Summit EMEA is a can’t miss event. Did you know that…. ….Summit EMEA offers 81 D365UG/AXUG sessions and 72 D365UG/CRMUG sessions across 16 tracks ….12 Academy classes are offered within Summit EMEA’s Pre-Conference Academy ….Summit EMEA also offers an Executive Programme specifically ...
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement vs NAV CRM

By Cory Johnson
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement vs NAV CRM The key factor in determining whether to deploy Dynamics NAV or Dynamics 365 Sales to meet your needs will depend on where the data is held that the CRM processes need to access. If sales & marketing is mainly transactional or   draws heavily on data in an ERP system,   then Dynamics NAV CRM is likely to be the better choice. If sales & marketing is longer duration, with more complex Customer interactions, then Dynamics Customer Engagement will work better. Unique System Features Dynamics 365 Sales NAV CRM Dynamics 365 App for Outlook Outlook Add-in ...
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How to Compare CRM Options for the Employee Benefits Broker Industry

By Ryan Plourde
Insurance benefits brokers know that using a good CRM system can make them more productive. But, finding one can be easier said than done.  A good CRM system can help any business quickly identify new sales opportunities, manage follow-through from lead to close, and nurture existing customers. But the methods and terminology used in the insurance industry for employee benefits brokers are unique.   Not using any system is ineffective. Just choosing an off the shelf CRM system can prove to be disappointing. But building a custom solution written just for your company can be prohibitively expensive. Let’s compare the options and the solution.  Managing ...
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