This article discusses the several mini applications that make up Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement and explains how you can best configure the software to meet your organization's unique needs.
Originally published in H1 2019 CRMUG Magazine
Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been a leading software platform for many years. Starting with on-premises installations, Microsoft moved its CRM offering to a cloud-based software as a service system. It was one of, if not the, industry leading CRM software platforms on the market.
But as with many of Microsoft’s products over the past year, Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been updated and rebranded to Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement. The software will assist organizations improve their sales, manage their customers, and get the best out of their marketing efforts. Much like Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations, Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement is made up of several different mini applications. Each of these applications allows you to configure the software to best support your organization’s configuration.
The applications that are included are:
» Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales
» Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service
» Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation
» Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service
» Microsoft Social Engagement
» Microsoft Power Apps
The streamlining of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement implementation lets companies and their employees communicate with existing and potential clients via several collaboration features.
The Important Parts
As with the previous CRM version, knowing how to get around the software is important to keep your Users working in the most efficient way possible. These items include system navigation, use of built-in and customized dashboards and charts via Power BI, and data entry.
Customer Relationships
Being able to find information in a simple, intuitive manner is the best way to make any organization more efficient. Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement takes care of that. Not only does the solution keep information on existing customers, but it can also track all potential customers via prospect management. Collaboration features allow multiple Users in your organization to work and manipulate that data. Once you have recorded data about your customers into the system, there is the ability to gain insights on those clients, which enable your team members to better plan their days and on whom or how to focus their sales efforts. The key to customer relationships is to further nurture them to create long-term relationships.
The apps that are available for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement work just as well on your mobile device as they do on your desktop. With offerings for Windows, Android, and Apple, you can work on any device, anywhere.
Business Apps for Customer Engagement
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement uses role-based business apps, allowing organizations to get up and running quickly. It also allows for an organization to grow at a pace that best suits it. The apps are built in a method that allows for simple and intuitive use, making it easy for Users to find the stuff they need to easily do their jobs.
The new version of the solution takes the old configuration of having all of sales and marketing out of the single environment to a small and more focused, role-based app that makes it simpler for Users to focus on the tools that best suit their job tasks. The key to making these apps simple and efficient is the use of role-based security. Role-based security allows system administrators to create rules that enforce restrictions on what the Users can access, based on their role in the organization, thereby making the data that the Users see more relevant. This leads to more efficiency from end Users.
There are several default apps available. Access to these apps is based on your security roles and can be accessed from the Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement landing page:
SALES – Customizable relationship management is an app that automates sales. These processes let you monitor performance of the customer relationship and help your organization achieve more consistent sales interactions by following the sales processes that your organization has. These automated processes can be mapped directly to your organization’s manual business processes. Sales is connected to the marketing lists and campaigns that are maintained in the marketing work app. These lists and campaigns are used by the sales teams to contact and work with potential leads.
CUSTOMER SERVICE – The Users of this app assist customer service reps to manage cases. The managers also have visibility and the ability to create service levels, terms of service, and the rules used to automate the conversion of conversations to cases.
FIELD SERVICE – This app allows organizations to manage field services, including the service workforce. The app also includes the capability to complete smart scheduling of resources. This can assist managers to better utilize and assign resources based on available skills or travel distances.
PROJECT SERVICE AUTOMATION – This app gives managers the capability to automate the creation of project quotations and contracts. There are also a number of analytics available to let project managers validate whether their projects are not only feasible, but also profitable.
The Cost
The big question that most organizations want to know relates to cost. That, of course, depends on the features that you wish to use. There are lots more features and apps appearing daily that can make your customer engagement system easier to use and more efficient while giving you greater system configuration capabilities. In future articles, we’ll look at other tools such as Live Assist, Versium Predict, and Voice of the Customer.