Get rid of the annoying popup when you copy a link in MS CRM

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

When you want to send an email to someone in your organization asking them to take a look at a particular account or opportunity or contact record, there's an easy way to do it in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, MS CRM.  You simply open the record you want to refer to and click the button on the ribbon that says "Copy a Link".  Now you can paste the URL into an email and the recipient, assuming they are a CRM user, can click the link to open the record.  Simple and easy.

Most of our clients get an annoying popup that asks their permission to allow MS CRM to copy data to the clipboard.  I did a video for a client today where I had to use the copy a link option several times and the popup became a real pain.  You've seen it.

You can change a setting on your internet options that makes this popup disappear.  It's simple to do and saves you a bunch of extra clicks if you use this feature in MS CRM or through any program that wants to save data to the clipboard.  Here's what you do.  Open a browser, I'm using IE 9. Click on the Tools | Internet Options menu and open this screen.  Click on the Security tab.  Then click on the Customize button.

When you click on the Custom level, you will see the following screen.  This is the security settings for Internet Explorer.  Scroll down to the Scripting branch and look for the "Allow Programmatic clipboard access option.  Under that you will see the choice to Enable the option.  Click Enable and then click Ok to save your changes.

You have told your computer that any time a program wants to copy data to the clipboard that it is okay with you.  You don't have to click the nag screen to make this happen.

For those of us who are using MS CRM to be able to get more done in a day, this simple change will lower the number of clicks per day.  Let me know if you like this tip.  Thanks.

Demystifying MS CRM 2011 Synching Contacts to Outlook Contacts

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

In MS CRM version 4 we regularly used marketing lists to define which CRM contacts to sync to Outlook contacts.  When dynamic marketing lists were introduced in MS CRM 2011 we didn't think twice about continuing to use these new marketing lists, but they don't work.  The Outlook filters for contact sync don't trigger CRM to evaluate the condition, to the dynamic marketing list appears empty.

The solution, of course, is very simple.  Instead of defining a marketing list in the Outlook contact filter, you use the condition that you would have used to build the dynamic marketing list.  Way simple and it works flawlessly.  As I worked with getting my contacts to sync to Outlook contacts I discovered some other things that impact your ability to sync the contacts you want from MS CRM to Outlook contacts.

I setup a new field on the contact form called "Ron's Contact" and made it a checkbox.  If the checkbox is checked, I want it to sync to my Outlook contacts.  When I uncheck the field, I want the contact removed from my Outlook contacts.  Simple and easy to use.

I setup my Outlook filter for contact sync to check the Ron's Contact field and sync contacts where the value is true.  I manually ran the sync and everything worked perfectly.  My CRM contacts were copied into Outlook contacts and were being tracked.

I next unchecked one of the contacts in CRM and ran the sync but I got unexpected results.  The contact stayed in Outlook contacts, but was no longer being tracked in CRM.  Turns out that if I am the owner of the contact record in CRM, the Outlook contact is not removed.  The way to fix this is to change the owner to another user or team, set the Ron's Contact field to yes and then sync again.  Unchecking the Ron's Contact field will now remove the contact from Outlook contacts.

I could have deleted the contact manually from Outlook but that has its own issues.  I discovered that if I delete a contact from Outlook, that it would not sync back into Outlook if I later changed my mind about having that contact record in my Outlook contacts without taking another step.  You need to find the contact record you deleted in your deleted items folder and permanently delete it.  Once it is permanently deleted, the sync process will bring it over into Outlook contacts again.

I bring over the contacts from CRM into my Outlook contacts so that when I am out of the office and need to reach a prospect or client I have the information available.  When one of my contacts call me on my cell phone, the caller ID match shows who is calling.  There are lots of reasons to sync contacts to Outlook contacts.  If I update a contact in Outlook contacts or on my phone, the information I update or add is automatically updated in CRM.

We have one other rule that probably fits most organizations and that is "Keep your personal contacts personal".  Do not sync personal contacts in Outlook to CRM.  Resist the temptation to do that or you may find that you are sending marketing materials to your auto mechanic or dentist.

Using MS CRM with Multiple Email Accounts

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Let's say your are using MS CRM 2011 inside of Outlook and you need to manage email from more than one email account.  You have your primary email account (you@yourcompany.com) and then you have an email account assigned to you by your largest client (you@yourclient.com).  You want to use MS CRM to manage both accounts, but you discovered that email that goes into the you@yourclient.com inbox can't be tracked in MS CRM.  You get the "Only items in the default Microsoft Outlook store can be promoted to Microsoft Dynamics CRM" message when you try to track a message.

You are able to manage multiple accounts pretty easily in MS CRM by using an Outlook rule to move messages from the you@yourclient.com inbox to the you@yourcompany.com.  If you are familiar with creating rules, you setup a rule to run when you receive messages through a specified account.  Here are the steps:

1. Open Rules and choose Manage Rules & Alerts.
2. Choose New Rule.
3. Choose "Start from a blank rules" and pick "Apply rule on messages I receive".  Click next.
4. Select the condition "through the specified account" and put a check in the box.
5. Click on the hyperlink in the rule description and choose the you@yourclient.com email address.  Click next.
6. Put a check next to "move it to the specified folder" AND a check next to the "delete it" option.
7. Click the "specified folder" hyperlink and choose the inbox for inbox associated with the you@yourcompany.com email account.  Click next.
8. If you have exceptions to this rule, enter them on this panel.  Click next.
9. Name your rule "Move messages from you@yourclient.com to you@yourcompany.com". 
10. Make sure the check box to turn on the rule is checked.  Click finish.

 This is a client-side rule and runs whenever Outlook is open.  When Outlook is running, the messages sent to the you@yourclient.com will be moved to the you@yourcompany.com inbox and be deleted from the you@yourclient.com inbox.  You can now use MS CRM 2011 track in CRM to record your communications from your client.

When you reply to a message sent to the you@yourclient.com Outlook will default to sending the message from the you@yourclient.com email address.  If you are in your you@yourcompany.com inbox and compose a new message it will use your default email account to send the message.  If you need to send the message from you@yourclient.com you need to click from button on the email message and choose the correct from address.

You can manage any number of accounts in this fashion.  You simply setup an Outlook rule for each account.  Since the messages are deleted by the rule, you don't have any messages remaining in the you@yourclient.com inbox, unless you set some exception rules.

I hope this information helps you make the most from your use of MS CRM.  Thank you.

Suppress the "Getting Started" Pane in CRM 2011

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

A new feature of CRM 2011 is the “Getting Started” pane.  The “Getting Started” pane is a great way for new users of CRM to get accustomed to the CRM system and developers can add custom help to this pane for even greater help to end users.

The problem I have with the getting started pane is it appears on ALL lists in CRM.  This means the user has to collapse it on each view they access in CRM.  Once the user collapses the “Getting Started Pane” in CRM, they won’t be bothered with it again unless they choose to expand it.

But what if you really do not need the additional help the “Getting Started” Pane provides and would like to see it hidden on all lists in CRM?  Fortunately there is an easy way to accomplish this task.

You will need to access the Personal Options page in CRM to make the setting change.  In the browser client, click on the blue “File” tab in the ribbon and choose options.  In the Outlook client, click on the orange File tab, choose CRM from the menu and then click on the “Personal Options” button.

(Browser Client)
 

(Outlook Client)
 

When the page opens up, deselect the “Show Get Started panes on all lists” on the General tab.  Click OK.  That’s it!  The “Getting Started” pane will be removed from all lists in CRM.  Now…please note that the user will not be able to access any “Getting Started” pane on any list with this option turned off as it is completely removed from the system.  If the user wishes to have access to this feature again, they simply follow these directions in reverse order.

Until next time, happy coding!!!

Suppressing Address 2 Field in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Mail Merge

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Frequently in Microsoft Dynamic CRM mail merges that involve addresses, there is a second line for the street address. This second line is normally used for a suite or apartment number. But what happens to our merge when no data exists for that merge field? We need to eliminate the blank line from our mail merge if the field is empty.

Let's walk through the steps of creating a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (Outlook client) mail merge template and we will suppress the Address 2 field if the data is empty. We are using Microsoft Office Word 2010 in this example.

First let's start with creating a basic mail merge template:

1. In the Microsoft Dynamics CRM folder list, expand the Settings folder, and click Templates. Select the option Mail Merge Templates.

2. In the grid toolbar, click New to create the new mail merge template.

    

3.  The Mail Merge Template:New form opens. Enter a "friendly" name and description if needed.

4. In this example we would like this mail merge template to be available from the contact record. From the drop-down list in the Associated Entity field, select Contact.

   

5.  Before we can continue, we are required to Save.

   

6.  Once you select Save, you will see the warning that no document has been attached and this record can not be used for mail merge unless it has a Microsoft Word document saved as an XML file. Also notice we now have the option on the toolbar to Create Template in Word. But let's add some additional data fields before we go into Microsoft Word.

   

7.  In the bottom left hand corner of this form, select the Data Fields button.

   

8.  You can have a maximum of 62 data fields for your mail merge. The Record Type by default is displaying the fields available from the Contact entity. In this example we have selected the contact's first name and last name.

   

9.  Once all the fields have been selected for your mail merge, click OK and from the toolbar click the Create Template in Word.

10. Microsoft Word launches.

11. In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, you will need to select the OK to confirm the data source for your mail merge.

    

12. A blank document is now available for you to create your letter.

13. Under the Mailings tab, click the Address Block field.

    

14.  Using the Address Block field we can specify address elements for this template and Correct Problems with Match Fields.

    

    

15. Continue inserting fields using the Insert Merge Field.

    

16. All the inserted data fields in your document will be highlighted as shown below:

    

17. Once you have completed your letter, from the File menu, click Save. You must save your letter as a XML document.

    

18. Close Microsoft Word. You will be prompted to stop the current mail merge. Select OK.

    

19. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, browse for the newly saved document and attach it to the record.

    

20. Click Save and Close. The template is now ready for use.

Now let's merge the template for a contact record. In this example, the contact's address only has data in the Street 1 field, the 2nd line is empty.

1. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM browse to a contact record.

   

2. Click on the Mail Merge button.

   

3.  The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mail Merge for Microsoft Office Word dialog box opens. In the section "Start with a:" select the option Personal mail merge template and browse to select the template name. By default the templates are individually owned unless you publish it to the organization.

   

4.  Select the OK.

5. Microsoft Word launches and the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box opens displaying the list of recipients that will be used in the mail merge. Click the OK button.

6. To preview the merge, click Finish & Merge.

   

7. You have a couple of options once you merge: Edit Individual Documents or Print Documents. Notice below the 2nd Address line has been suppressed.

   

8. Close Microsoft Word after completing your merge and printing the letter.

We know training takes time...valuable time from your busy day. We are excited to offer at NO CHARGE micro-training sessions on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. These sessions are never longer than 30 minutes and focus on one or two practical tips. For more information on these sessions, click here.

Rollup 18 for CRM 4.0 has been released!!!

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

We would like to announce that Microsoft released Rollup 18 for Dynamics CRM 4.0 was released on June 30, 2011. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Sustained Engineering (SE) team typically releases rollups approximately every 6 to 8 weeks to address bug fixes and occasionally add new features to the product.

The links below will take you to the necessary information about Update Rollup 18.

• Microsoft Download Center: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26662
• Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2477777

If you have any questions about this update, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

Until next time, happy coding!!!!  

With a Little Help From Your Friends!

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Have you been looking for a networking group to help your business grow?  Let me introduce you to the Houston Business Cabinet (HBC), a networking group in Houston that has been helping its members develop new business since 1978.  The HBC is different.  Take a look at this short video we did to show you what makes this group different from other networking groups.

Do you recognize some of the other groups in the video?  Have you attended a meeting where everyone was interested in getting your business card?  Or, how about the competition from clubs where there were more than one member in the same business.  Have you been to a club that requires you to bring leads to every meeting?  The HBC is different from these groups.

As Dennis Long, the CPA in our group said in the video, in HBC the relationship between members is everything.  As founder of this group I know that "Business follows relationships" so the activities we plan are intended for members to get to know other members better.  From our weekly breakfast meetings to our monthly happy hours or lunches, to our annual retreats, the idea is to get to know the other members better and be in a position to help each one.

We are always looking for quality members to join us, people who are tired of traditional "drive-by" networking groups.  If you would like to learn more about our group, please visit our website.   Visit the directory when you arrive on our site to see if your category is open.  If it is, please contact the board member responsible for membership at the email or phone number provided in their profile.

Thank you for taking the time to check us out.  We really hope to see you at one of our breakfast meetings.

SalesLogix 7.5.4 Released

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Sage SalesLogix 7.5.4 has been released! In addition to containing a great number of bug fixes, the new release offers exciting new features and usability enhancements. The new service pack is designed to enable higher user productivity, mobile workforce enablement, streamlined ERP integration, and a simplified install and upgrade experience.

Web Client Enhancements

• Duplicate checker for Web Administrator
• Notes/History Tab – The new service pack offers the combined Notes/History tab users have previously enjoyed in the LAN client, offering the ability to filter records, and even send any selected items to Word or e-mail.

• Editable Sales Order data grid
• Larger Notes field on Activity and Note dialogs
• Configurable What’s New
• Create Secured actions to secure elements in the Web Client
• Manage qualifications for Leads entity
• Manage resources for activities
• Manage standard problems and resolutions

Mobile Client Enhancements

• Calendar View – graphical Day/Week/Month view
• Complete activities and schedule follow-up activities
• Opportunity Products now visible

Other Notes of Interest

• Improved logging and notifications for Desktop Integration
• Added support for Microsoft Outlook 2010

For more information on any of the enhancements with the new service pack, or to discuss an upgrade, please contact your Harris Technology account manager.

Integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Dynamics ERP Systems

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Many clients want to integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM (MS CRM) with their accounting or ERP systems.  It's very logical to do so if you think about it.  Sales or any MS CRM user can now create quotes and orders and when the prospect is ready to buy they can create the account in the accounting system and push the order into the system with just a few keystrokes.

If the order, invoice and payment information from the ERP system is brought back into MS CRM, any CRM user can see the status of a sale.  Workflows can be setup to alert CRM users to follow up on unpaid invoices older than 30 days beyond the invoice date.  Reports can be run from inside of CRM that combine CRM data and accounting data into one report.

Microsoft has released a new version of their connector for MS CRM and Microsoft GP, AX, and NAV.  The great thing about this link is that it works.  It's straightforwad to implement and modify its maps.  And, it's a free add-on.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Here is a video demonstration put on by Rich Beliveau one of Microsoft's technical specialists for the Dynamics product line.

I hope you enjoyed this short demo and see the power of connecting your CRM system to your accounting system.  What this shows is that 1 + 1 > 2.  You have best of breed CRM plus best of breed ERP which gives you a powerful combination.

Thanks for watching this demo.  Please let us know if we can help you in any way with your CRM system and making it work with your ERP or accounting system.

Don’t forget to get the salesforce.com Security Token!

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

  

  

 delicious  

  

Today I had my first opportunity to work with the new Scribe template that migrates data from Salesforce.com to Microsoft CRM online.  During the importation of the template into the Scribe console, I was required to populate a login panel with the username and password of an administrative SFDC user. 

When I put in the username and password to Salesforce.com, I would get the following error:

Error opening data source SFDCAdapter.Database (https://login.salesforce.com/services/Soap/u/18.0).

...and if I clicked next, I would see…

Login Failed.  Response is not well-formed XML.

After scouring the help file in the Scribe Salesforce.com adapter, I saw a comment that I needed to append the Salesforce.com security token to the end of my password.  Not being terribly proficient in Salesforce.com, I found a link that I could use to reset the security token for my account.  Apparently the security token is needed when an application is going to use the Salesforce.com SDK from outside the company network (like Scribe).  This was the case for me since I was working on behalf of my client.

I clicked on the link to send me a new token and moments later I had the token in my email.   Once I appended the token to the end of my password in the login dialog, I was finally able to get connected and begin to work on the migration.

I hope this helps someone else as this was not very apparent to me when I started.  Lessons learned!

Until next time,
Happy Coding!