Lubricant Marketers, are you struggling to find out which of your customers are buying other products from your competitors, and how to get them to switch to you?

You aren’t the first person in the Oil and Gas industry to report this problem, and you probably won’t be the last, but, luckily there is a solution with CRM!

Share of Wallet in CRM, specifically, allows you to look at many things as a Lubricant Marketer. 

When you think of Share of Wallet (SOW), think about how you don’t just want to sell a “piece of your pie”, so to speak, to your customers, but “the whole pie”.

So, while one of your customers may currently be buying fuel from you, but you know they could be buying antifreeze from you too, but aren’t, you can see this information in CRM with Share of Wallet.

More specifically, with Competitor Share of Wallet, you can see who your customers are currently buying the products they could be buying from you, from someone else.

Get ahead of the competition, and stay on top of your customers.

We dive deeper into this topic, which leads to Upselling and Cross-Selling through Suggestive Selling in CRM, in our NEW eBook for the Oil and Gas industry.

With Share of Wallet in CRM, Lubricant Marketers can track opportunities to gain business, see customers are buying from the competition, identify product needs, and more.

Whether you’re talking to an active prospect or current customer as a Lubricant Marketer, you want to know which competitors have your current customers’ business today, and how to give them a one-stop-shop with your business.

Share of Wallet in CRM helps you do this exactly! Discover the benefits when you read “11 Ways Lubricant Marketers are Using CRM to Drive Success”.

Download the eBook here.

Some housekeeping before we dig in. Firstly, the tip is from Mohamed “iProperty” Mostafa but since I was instrumental in rejecting all of his ideas, I’m taking part-credit for it. Secondly, the full title should be

Automatically Track All Incoming and Outgoing Email Messages in Dynamics 365 without opening Outlook and across any device :: Pure Exchange and Dynamics 365 Server Side Synchronisation

but SEO is not my strength plus it won’t fit in the margin. (“I” below belongs to Mohamed, it could have been me, but was not).

Sometimes organisations want to track all incoming and outgoing emails for a number of users at Server Side without having the user to do anything manually and across all devices. The requirement here is to save the user time from clicking on “Track” emails when they are sending them or having to manually move incoming emails into a tracked folder to be tracked. They also want this to work on every email sent from any device and every email received even if Outlook is not open. This what I call “pure Server Side Synchronisation”.

As the name gives it away, Dynamics 365 Server Side Synchronisation and Dynamics 365 App for Outlook can help us achieve this requirement with some help from Exchange Mail Flow Rules that uses the transportation layer directly. Just to re-iterate, we are here using Dynamics 365 App for Outlook (not the client). If you are not sure what is the difference between Dynamics 365 App for Outlook and the Dynamics 365 for Outlook (also known as the Outlook Client), you can refer to this comparison.

My approach is using Server Side Synchronisation between Dynamics 365 Online Cloud and Exchange Online but the same approach may work with other setups to achieve the same requirement: Track all incoming and outgoing emails automatically from any device. I’m also applying all of this on 1 single “test user” but you can apply this on as many users as you want. My test user is called “sales test”.

tl;dr

The abridged version of the process is here. If you are after exhilarating step-by-step instructions, go straight to Mohamed’s original post.

1. Configure server-side synchronization
2. Set up tracked folder
3. Create the following email flow rules
   1. Outlook rule to copy all incoming email messages to the tracked crm folder except if the message has “crmtrack” in the message header.
      
   2. Exchange Online Mail Flow rule that works at the transportation layer to “Bcc” every single email sent from the user to themselves and adds the “crmtrack” header value to the sent email message header
      
   3. Outlook Rule to move all incoming email messages that has the “crmtrack” header to the tracked folder.
      

The result of all of the above complicated approach is that ALL incoming emails are tracked in Dynamics 365 automatically as “Received” emails and ALL outgoing emails are tracked in Dynamics 365 CRM automatically as “Sent” emails. As this approach is using Exchange Online transportation layer, this is a pure Server Side Synchronisation of Email messages with Dynamics 365 which means it will work with “ALL Emails” sent from ANY Device and any app as the synchronisation happens at the server side and not on the client side. So if you sent an email from the Outlook for the Web (Web Mail), sent it from an Android device email client, iPhone Mail app, Outlook app on iPhone, Office Outlook or any other medium, all emails sent and received are tracked in Dynamics 365.

This is how it looks like in Dynamics 365: Tracked emails sent from any device and emails received while Outlook is closed:

(Facebook and Twitter cover photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash)

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 was released on the 2^nd October. In this series of posts, I’ll be going hands on and installing the majority of the components; some of them, such as Analysis Cubes for Excel, which are little used, I won’t be covering.

The series index will automatically update as posts go-live in this series.

In the last post, I installed eConnect on the client to make the eConnect adaptors available to Integration Manager; in this post, I am going to install Integration Manager.

To do this, launch the setup utility and select Integration Manager from under the Additional Products heading:

Accept the terms of the License Agreement and click Next:

Ensure that the three features are all selected and click Next:

Click Install to begin the installation:

Once the installation is complete, click Exit:

Click to show/hide the Hands On with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 Series Index

Read original post Hands On with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2: Install Integration Manager at azurecurve|Ramblings of a Dynamics GP Consultant

Disclaimer: I’m hopeful this is right, it’s a very confusing area of Licensing. Please contact me and let me know if you have knowledge this is incorrect in any way! This is not legal advice, and I am not a lawyer. I do not represent Microsoft and cannot be used as an authority for legal purposes. This is review and interpretation of a Microsoft “Information Purposes Only” document.

We’ve had a lot of discussions in house about how the Licensing changes will affect our customers. An area of particular focus came up: If everyone is a Named User, then how do we license things as a Partner so we can access the customer’s system? Do we have to tell them to buy one for us?

In the October 2018 Dynamics 365 Business Central On-Premise Licensing Guide, we can find some answers:

For on-premise Subscription Licensing, if you buy Subscription Licenses (SALs):

Yes, that clearly says users get one SAL for a partner if you are running under the Subscription license.

Further down, when we talk on-premise Perpetual Licensing, we have this matching text about the CALs:

So, in theory, according to the current documentation, if a customer licenses 365 Business Central under either the Perpetual or Subscription Licenses, they are supposed to have two extra licenses:  one for an auditor (an External Accountant User), one for their NAV partner (a System Administrator User).

This can be easily confused with licensing about External Users, which is a different thing entirely:

With an External User, you cannot use the Windows, Web, Mobile, or Tablet Clients. You can only touch Dynamics 365 via various APIs that are available.

What this document does NOT clarify is how those External Accountant User and System Admininistrator User licenses will appear in the available sessions, nor does it clarify how we must set them in the User Setup:

If you set them to External User, they will not be able to access the Clients, so presumably they will be set to Full Users.

Microsoft Staff: If you are reading this, please please consider this:

• If clients get logically assigned SALs and CALs for an External Accountant User and a System Admininistrator User, please make
  those
  options in the License Type Drop-down. Zero confusion that way.
• Rename “External User” to “Data Access User” or “API Access User”.

Power BI is a power analytics tool that allows us to visualize our data. We can create reports in Power BI using Dynamics 365 data. In this blog I will walk through the steps to create a connection between a Dynamics 365 instance and make a simple report using it.

I will be using Power BI desktop app, and to connect to Dynamics 365 to retrieve tables and data, click on “Get Data”  >>  Dynamics 365  >>  Connect.

Then you will be asked to enter Web API URL of your instance.

This can be retrieved from Dynamics 365 in developer resources.

Once you click on OK, you will be taken to an authentication screen. In my case I selected “Organisational Account” and signed into my Dynamics 365 account.

Once we click on connect, a dialog will allow us to select the Dynamics 365 tables we want to connect to. In my case I just wanted to use Opportunities table. Once entities have been selected, click on Load.

That’s all it takes to connect to Power BI using Dynamics 365. The following screenshot shows a simple chart I created. It shows opportunities closed by month.

As we work with companies seeking to digitally transform their business, we regularly hear questions about how they can best get started. How to evaluate risks and rewards. What can they actually gain from the process.

We believe that to reap the rewards from digital transformation, each business must embrace the “what” first and then the “how”. What are the objectives? What does your business hope to achieve?

It’s the biggest reason why we decided to take on a live webinar event with our CEO and founder Rahul Maheshwary (Wednesday, November 14^th, 11:00 AM Central). During the 45-minute (or so) live webinar, he’ll tackle topics such as:

• Understanding what true digital transformation is and how it can benefit your business
• Learning where to begin to get the largest return
• Uncovering the top activities you should do first

We’ll also be doing two demos to show how integrated systems can help with your digital transformation initiatives. The first demo shows you how your ERP system can easily integrate with mobile technology. The second demo is a plugin that connects your ERP system with WooCommerce – an industry standard platform for eCommerce.

So join us on Wednesday, November 14^th / 11:00 AM Central. Remember, the true benefits of digital transformation do not lie in the strength of technology but in understanding how your business runs now and objectives for future growth.

See you there.

Following a simple set of clear principles can put you on the path to project success.

Whether you’re a seasoned CIO or you are engaging in your first international ERP implementation project, there is a wide range of pitfalls waiting for you. These projects can be costly, lengthy and laden with risk. They often reach into all aspects the business and can impact operations at every level. The stakes could not be higher.  But there are proven ways to reduce risk at each phase of the project and clear a path toward ERP success.

Be strategic when structuring your process

Thanks to local language and regulatory requirements, international ERP projects are inherently complex. That’s why it’s important to create a firm structure for your project before you even begin. When setting priorities, place process above functionality. Get an understanding of the entire value chain and its process first and prioritize according to where you will gain most from simplifying and automating processes.

Take a flexible approach: best practice or best fit?

In an international organization, it’s important to know when to apply processes uniformly and when to adapt to local needs. This requires a means of identifying which processes will work across the organization as best practice, when it is time to adopt a process locally as best fit, and when you should drop an existing or desired process altogether. A good rule of thumb is if you cannot formalize a process as best practice or best fit, throw it out.

Communication is king!

During an ERP implementation, communication across the organization and with partners and vendors can make or break the project. Users on the front lines of your organization should be your top priority. People can be resistant to change, but openness and dialogue can change this. Turn users into ambassadors of the new system by involving them in the process and training them early. You’d be surprised how far this can go in building project momentum and gaining organizational backing for the change.

These are just a few of the principles outlined in Pipol’s whitepaper on the shortest path to success with ERP implementations. You are able to download your copy right here. Or reach out to Pipol to discuss your project challenges. 

Why did I use a Common Data Service Connector in the Flow I created to update Child records from a modified Account Record?

The answer is pretty simple – Common Data Service Triggers and Actions are a lot more powerful than the Dynamics 365 Connectors.

And per my MVP friend David Yack and I paraphrase ” Why didn’t you do this Flow with CDS?”

For Example. In the trigger event for the above referenced Flow, when you use the CDS trigger you are able to set the  Scope and Attribute Filter. Now you can specify, whose records it looks at and which fields to filter on. Features we have in the traditional workflow engine.

In the Dynamics 365 Trigger there are no advanced options so you can’t control the scope or the attributes

The only reason today (November 2018) you would not use the CDS trigger is when you are in an Environment and need to reference another Environment in your Tenant.  You can see other Enviroments (Orgs) from the drop down in the Dynamics 365 trigger but not in the CDS trigger. This is will be changing in the future I am told.

The post Dynamics 365 vs Common Data Service Triggers and Actions appeared first on CRM Innovation - Microsoft Dynamics 365 Consulting and Marketing Solutions.

Whether your customers are at the exploration stages of their digital transformation journey or are already well down the path with established cloud services, it can be difficult to know exactly where to start or focus your conversation with your customers. This is why the One Commercial Partner team developed the Partner Play-in-a-Box (PiB), a toolkit that provides Microsoft partners with information, tools, and resources to help identify opportunities, build pipeline, and close deals for each solution area: Modern Workplace, Apps & Infrastructure, Data & AI, and Business Applications.

Unpacking the Play-in-a-Box

• Each solution area has sales plays (sales scenarios) that provide a programmatic approach to monetize a specific solution capability
• Each sales play contains a framework for building a pipeline:
  • Value proposition – the differentiators and selling points of a solution area or play
  • Criteria to be co-sell ready partners
  • Customer targeting scenarios specific to the play to help you identify the opportunity
  • Investments/Offers – funding options available for qualifying partners
  • Marketing assets for the sales play
  • Customer Reference – case studies on successful engagements with customers
  • Enablement - In-person, virtual or programmatic training available for partners
  • Target outcomes – key performance indicators to help you measure success

The Play-in-a-Box is the reference tool that will help you close deals and build valuable relationships with customers.

Since conversations can vary based on the size of a customer’s business, the PiBs are customized for small and mid-size businesses (SMB) and enterprise corporations.

For SMBs

The PiBs consist of a 6-point framework for building and executing sales plays for each of Microsoft’s four solution areas, and can be downloaded here:

1. Modern Workplace
2. Business Applications
3. Applications & Infrastructure
4. Data & AI

For Enterprise corporations

The PiBs consist of an 8-point framework for building and executing sales plays for each of Microsoft’s four solution areas, and can be downloaded here:

1. Modern Workplace
2. Business Applications
3. Applications & Infrastructure
4. Data & AI

Keep an eye out for additional info about Play-in-a-Box resources coming soon!

Microsoft’s continued commitment and development of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) has resulted in the release of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

​​Business Central is a modern digital end-to-end robust business management solution designed to help organizations achieve greater efficiency, streamline business processes, and empower employees to react quickly to changing business needs with intelligent insights-anywhere and on any device.

With modern business solutions, it is extremely important to start quickly and have a system in place that can grow and adapt as your business needs change.  Dynamics 365 Business Central allows customers to tailor their business to their specific needs, get started quickly utilizing a new modern and refreshed user experience.

Business Central allows you to tailor your user experience to your particular personal work style and your particular needs.  In the system, there are many “pre-defined” roles which are already optimized for your particular job function in the organization such as Accountant, Business Manager, Project Manager, President, ect. Once in your determined Role Center, there is much information already displayed; however, you can boost productivity further through personalization.  This is easy to do in Business Central:

Go to Settings:

Then, look for the drop-down menu and click:

“Personalize”

In “Personalization" Mode you can enhance and tailor your user experience by utilizing the following:

Drag and Drop Information:  You can “Drag and Drop” entire sections of information on the role center to fit your particular needs and how you would like things to look for your everyday work.  By having the ability to shuffle around and display the information that you would like to see that is the most relevant helps in getting to the task that are most helpful to your particular job.

Determining Freeze Pane:   Also, you can go into the “Items List” and make further changes such as determining where to set your “Freeze Pane” to make it easier to view information. This is done by simply clicking on “Set Freeze Pane”.  Another option is to hide the Freeze Pane as well.  You will find that there are many customization in Dynamics 365 Business Central to help you stay productive.

Adding Additional Information Fields:  In addition, you can add fields of information to enhance your user experience by clicking on “More” and then to the right select “Add Field To Page”.  There are several options here.  Simply select which information field of information you would like, such as Standard Cost for example, into the item list and select done.

These quick changes can greatly optimize your Business Central role center to bring about better productivity to an employee’s particular needs.  You can further personalize the solution by using the In-App Designer.

Go to Settings:

Then, look for the drop-down menu and click:

Designer

In-App Designer:  The Designer functionality allows you not to only create personalization for your personal needs, but to create customization for everyone across the organization. In the Designer Mode, for example on a customer card, you can drag around fields along with re-naming areas.  When you are done making the changes, Business Central will take these changes and convert them into an Extension. You can even take an Extension and perform code changes and integration work with the Extension.  Extension are important in Business Central as this is the way in which you can customize your business solution.  It is important to mention that this new Microsoft Dynamics 365 cloud solution is a modern business platform you can easily and quickly tailor, extend, and build applications so they fit your specific needs — with little to no code development.

Microsoft AppSource: 

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, there is an ever-growing availability of business apps which are Extensions that are professionally created by thousands of partners.  These Extensions can by integrated to the Microsoft “Power Suite” such as Power App for creating business applications across devices or Microsoft Power BI for robust business intelligence reporting and smart decision making. Another example is Microsoft Flow for creating workflows and integration across different systems.

Since it is possible to extend the solution with apps from Microsoft AppSource, customers can choose to work with the global network of partners that have deep industry knowledge and expertise and help customize the business solution individual organization needs.

Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Posted by iCepts Technology Group, Inc. A Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Partner in Pennsylvania.