As a Dynamics 365 CE customizer, I frequently need to work with forms. Now, to create or edit forms, we use a Form editor. This form editor can be accessed from the default solution or an unmanaged solution or command bar.
Access form editor through default solution:
To access it from the Default Solution, you need to go to Settings/Advanced Settings ???? Customizations and then customize the System to open the Default Solution. Under components expand the entity which the form belongs to and click Forms. You will see a list of forms, out of those select the form which you want to edit.
Access form editor through an unmanaged solution:
To access through the unmanaged solution, you need to go to settings/Advanced Settings ???? Customizations and then select Solutions and open the solution that you want to work. Find the entity in the solution or add the entity in which the form belongs to the solution. Expand the entity and click on forms that will show you a list of forms added to that particular solution. In case if you don’t find the form add it using the button add subcomponents and select the forms tab and select the form you want to edit.
Access form editor through Command bar/ Ribbon (not for UI):
To access form editor through the command bar or ribbon, Open record and from the command bar select form top open form editor. Make sure you are on the right form because this option will edit the form which you currently opened.
Missing Form Button in UI
Out of these three options, the easiest way to edit the main forms is by accessing the form editor from the Command bar.
In my experience, the form editor using the command bar is very handy and I use it very often until I started using Unified interface apps. Even though there are so many pros to a Unified Interface, I guess the main disadvantage is that it takes away the option for accessing the Form from the command bar. I wish Microsoft will add this feature soon.
Let me know what you think about this feature. For transitioning from archaic systems to advanced technology like Microsoft Dynamics 365, do connect with us.
We have understood how CRM can be more than just a tool to help sales reps. How it can go beyond optimizing the pipeline and work for a holistic growth of a company. Our ebook15 CRM challengesdiscusses this and a lot more.
At HCL-PowerObjects, we are 100% focused on Microsoft Business Applications, including Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. It’s literally all we do. In the sales process, we are sometimes asked why Microsoft? It’s a question we’ve answered a thousand times in hundreds of different ways because there are just so many reasons. We’ve distilled our why Microsoft? answer to nine key reasons. In last week’…
Project Management is the ultimate juggling act. There are always moving parts, several people involved, complicated project details, and critical accounting to track at every phase of the project at hand. It’s one thing to handle those details in typical checklist fashion and an entirely different scenario when leveraging a robust tool within Microsoft Dynamics 365. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project…
It is important to clean up data in our CRM solution regularly. One of the main reasons is that unwanted data can lead to performance issues. Performance issues include taking too much time for the form load, saving records, random SQL timeouts etc.
When working with applications like Microsoft Dynamics 365, one of the most predominant concerns is, “how do we keep our data clean?” With any enterprise application, this is always a challenge and should be at the top of the list during the implementation plan. There can be a significant impact to the organization if there are no preventative and remedial measures in place related to data that is being used to manage the business.
It is extremely important to have a data management process at hand especially in Production instances where the data could get large. Data cleanup can be done in a variety of ways.
Background:
Let’s say there is a Sales organization that imports leads from a third -party source, weekly. The users of the system follow up with these leads as soon as they are imported and qualify/disqualify them after talking to the leads. Users no longer need the leads which are disqualified and they can be deleted.
Method:
The above lead cleanup can be done through the CRM user interface.
Go to the Data Management page in CRM.
Select the Bulk Record Deletion. Click on New. Click on Next in the newly opened window. You will be directed to define the Search criteria. The search criteria for our example is “Leads which are disqualified”.
Depending upon your needs, you can make the criteria a lot more complex if needed. For example, if you want to keep the historic data for 6 months, you can filter by using the Out-of-the-box “Created On” field in Dynamics CRM. You can add a condition stating “Created on Older than X months” and mention the months as 6.
Once the parameter has been defined, you can click on Next. The window will look like the following:
Here, you can specify the conditions related to when it needs to run. You can run the job immediately or you can schedule it for a later time. You can also specify if it needs to be run periodically like every two weeks, one month, etc. You also have the option to be notified via email once the job is complete.
Once you have verified all the details, click on Submit.
It’s very easy to ignore the data cleanup activity in your CRM and silently allowing it to cause severe damage to your business, but with a little planning and by having the right processes in order, you can turn your Dynamics 365 into your company’s financial heartbeat. Nobody is perfect but it is important to remain vigilant while implementing a scalable CRM to keep the momentum intact.
It’s good to remember that consistency in our data provides a consistent experience to our customers, which leads to a higher customer satisfaction. Happy customers are typically inclined to revisit and purchase more which directly impacts the bottom line. Using an application like Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables this process in an easy to use and collaborate manner within an enterprise.
Are you looking to deploy Dynamics 365 or upgrade to Dynamics 365? Speak with us. We can help.
Your Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is a database packed with invaluable information on your business. Itdeserves the best protection you can provide. From prospects, customers and service issues,purchasing, and so much more, your business can’t function without this information. Asecurity breachthat puts this data in the wrong hands would be nothing short of devastation.
While your everyday CRM usersare probably focused on serving or selling, they’re probably not thinking about their every action as it relates to security. Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with Microsoft Azure AD is a great first step, butthere are other best practices that can maximize your organization’s data security in the cloud while still providing an end user experience that promotes productivity.
Eric Raff, Cloud Practice Director at JourneyTEAM, in a presentation hosted by buckleyPLANET to the Utah SharePoint User Group (UTSPUG) and Microsoft User Group (MUGUT), shared the top 10 security tips and considerations after you’ve rolled out MFA in your Microsoft Dynamics 365 tenant. Raff is a 25+ year expert in Identity and Access Management in Microsoft 365 and Windows Azure.
This is a two-part blog. In Part 1 we cover first five of the top 10 Microsoft Dynamics 365, Windows Azure and Microsoft Cloud Services security tips after you’ve deployed MFA. Many of the security steps involved with these best practices require that you have Azure ADP2 or the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security (EM+S) mobility management and security platform.
1. Azure Portal Settings: Two Suggestions
Log into portal.azure.com andcheck on these two settings:
Go to“User Settings.”You should restrict access to the Azure AD Administration Portal — to do this, make sure this is set to “Yes.”
Also, check out the name of your tenant. This will show up whenever there is a Microsoft OneDrive sync integration. Make sure it is relevant!
2. Set Restrictions on Guest User Access
Do you know how many guest accounts you have in your tenant? If you don’t know the exact number, you should at least be aware of where you can find out. The default External Sharing Setting is “Allow guests to share items they don’t own,” meaning sharing content with anyone can be done anonymously, including guests.Your guests can also invite other guests. This is an ideal area to create some restrictions.Thankfully, “Restrict access to the Azure AD Administration portal” is “no” by default!
The Identity Governance solution in Azure AD P2 can set restrictions on guest accounts with Access Packages and Access Reviews.
Select what happens when an external user that was added to your directory through an Access Package request loses their last assignment under “Manage the lifecycle of external users.”
This allows you to block external users from signing into the directory and will remove an external user after a set number of days. This only works if the guest account came in via an Access Package.
Access Review Policy
From the Azure AD Portal, click “Identity Governance”> “Access Review.”
To create a new Access Review:
Select what to review by “Teams + Groups,” or “Applications.”
Select a specific group, e.g., “All Guests.”
Select a review scope: “Guest Users Only.”
Adjust the settings to your preference. You can set up a policy that ensures guest access only to those that truly need it. Your policy could put the responsibility on the users to review their access. If they don’t respond to a review request in a specific amount of time, they may be blocked from signing in for 30 days, then later removed from the tenant.
At myaccount.microsoft.com you can self-manage your guest account in other directories as well ascompletely delete guest accounts you don’t use. Go to “Organizations” and click “Leave Organization.”
3. Manage Consent and Permissions for Enterprise Apps
Cyber criminals now use fake enterprise apps to gain access by convincing you into consent. New functionality in the Azure Active Directory Microsoft 365 environment allows for greater consent governance.
Head to “Enterprise Apps” > “Consent and Permissions.”
Here you can manage user consent and permissions from verified publishers.
Once an app is a verified publisher and you set up the permissions, users will only be able to consent to those actions.
Next, check the user settings under “Admin consent requests (Preview).”
Change “Users can request admin consent to apps they are unable to consent to,” to “Yes.”
Click “Select users to review admin consent requests”and select an appropriate Admin (should be Global, Application or Cloud Application Administrator) who will be notified andmake the decision to allow or reject consent.
A last note,if you as aGlobal or an Enterprise App Administrator ever see a “permissions requested” box with the option to consent on behalf of your organization, proceed with caution. You will be consenting for everyone in the tenant and should be sure about this decision.
4. Block Legacy Protocols
Hundreds of spray attacks can happen every hour that target legacy protocols such as SMTP, IMAP, POP, Active Sync, Outlook Anywhere (RPC over HTTP), and older Office clients, such as 2010 and 2013.
Identify who is using legacy protocols in the environment:
Log into the Azure AD portal (portal.azure.com).
Click to “Sign-Ins” > “Monitoring.”
Make sure you have the new experience turned on.
Click “Add Filter” > “Client App” > “Apply.”
You can then review the client apps and see a list of Legacy Authentication as well as review the successful and failed attempts.
Now you have what you need to build a Conditional Access (CA) policy to block access.
Navigate to “Security” > “Conditional Access” > “Classic Policies.”
Here you can create a new policy that blocks legacy protocols. Be sure it targets all users (except your “break glass” account).
Go to “Conditions” > “Client Apps” > “Legacy Authentical Clients.
Set access controls to “Block Access”
5. Check Your Security Defaults
Before following this tip, be aware that using Security Defaults is only suggested if:
No Conditional Access policies are enabled in your environment.
You don’t need fine-grained control over access and authentication.
Your organization is relatively small.
Microsoft’s Security Defaults are basic recommendations for identify security mechanisms and provide a great baseline of features, but you should still consult an expert to confirm if Security Defaults is the right choice for your organization.
To turn on defaults:
From the Azure AD Portal, go to “Properties.”
Make sure that Security Defaults is set to “Yes.”
What Security Defaults activate or enforce:
Requires all users to register for Azure MFA.
Administrators must perform MFA.
Blocks legacy authentication protocols.
Users must perform MFA when risky activity is detected.
Access to the Azure Portal and other “privileged” activities will be protected.
Be sure that “Users can use the combined security information registration experience” is turned on.
Click here to continue and read up on tips 6 – 10!
NEXT STEPS:
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Article by:Jenn Alba – Marketing Manager – 801.938.7816
JourneyTEAM is an award-winning consulting firm with proven technology and measurable results. They take Microsoft products; Dynamics 365, SharePoint intranet, Office 365, Azure, CRM, GP, NAV, SL, AX, and modify them to work for you. The team has expert level, Microsoft Gold certified consultants that dive deep into the dynamics of your organization and solve complex issues. They have solutions for sales, marketing, productivity, collaboration, analytics, accounting, security and more. www.journeyteam.com
We are happy to announce that this year several of our ERP and CRM Software Blog Members are spotlighted as speakers and sponsors of the Worldwide Microsoft Technology User Group – WWMSTUG event held virtually on April 14-15, 2021.
WWMSTUG
Why Should You Attend?
No other digital event covers as many Microsoft applications in two days as WWMSTUG.
Join other attendees as they enjoy over 60 educational and professional sessions across more than a dozen Microsoft technologies.
Be a part of the real world again. We’ve all been stuck working from home for a long time. This event provides an opportunity to get in touch with the real-world working environment again, network with fellow professionals, and be a part of the Microsoft community.
We look forward to hearing these members of our ERP/CRM Software Blog community speaking at this year’s event.
ERP Software Blog Members:
CRM Software Blog Members:
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This year’s Worldwide Microsoft Technology User Group isn’t an event you want to miss. With opportunities to network with professionals, advance your Microsoft understanding and abilities, and support our fellow blog members, it’s going to be a Microsoft user group event for the books.
If you haven’t been paying attention to the news recently, we’ll catch you up. Recently, Microsoft fell victim to a Chinese-based group of hackers (they’re calling them Hafnium) who have been targeting US-based companies via their on-prem Exchange servers. Specifically, this group is targeting data from industries like defense contractors, higher education, policy think tanks, infectious disease researchers, and more. It’s unclear exactly how many people were affected by the attack, but some sources have reported more than 250,000 affected users worldwide.
Microsoft has called the group “a highly skilled and sophisticated actor” with very focused and specific attacks. Here’s how the attacks work: “First, it would gain access to an Exchange Server either with stolen passwords or by using the previously undisclosed vulnerabilities to disguise itself as someone who should have access. Third, it would use that remote access…to steal data from an organization’s network.”
Once these skilled actors are inside a network, CISA has warned that Hafnium hackers can easily take control of an entire network—exploiting all of your sensitive and private data.
JourneyTEAM Keeps You Protected
As soon as Microsoft learned of the hacks, they released a number of security patches to help safeguard users’ systems against Hafnium. Microsoft leaders stated:
“Because we are aware of active exploits of related vulnerabilities in the wild (limited targeted attacks), our recommendation is to install these updates immediately.”
Installing these new security patches is just the first step to boosting your security however. Leaders have also stated: “Even though we’ve worked quickly to deploy an update for the Hafnium exploits, we know that many nation-state actors and criminal groups will move quickly to take advantage of any unpatched systems.”
No system is completely immune to a hacker—these groups are extremely crafty and very good at finding even the smallest holes in your system. So how do you shield your network from these groups? How do you find weaknesses in your network? What’s the first step?
JourneyTEAM is your first step. We provide a comprehensive check of your entire Microsoft 365 system as well as cloud migration services to help you build a more secure network.
Is Your Tenant Really Secure?
Your network is an incredibly complex thing—even if you come from a small business. There may be programs, processes, and systems lurking in the outer reaches of your tenant that are potential security risks. The only way to know if they’re there is with a Microsoft 365 health check provided by JourneyTEAM.
Our scan searches through your entire network, looking for any outdated programs, legacy software, and other potential security risks. Specifically, we look at:
Azure AD settings review and update: This includes MFA and SSPR enrollment and registration, app integration for admin consent, and device integration.
Office 365 service settings: An overview of Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, Power Flow, and SharePoint is done as well as an Exchange online service, including retention, archive policies, anti-phishing set up, and more.
Licensing review: We’ll ensure that all your software licensing is current and the best for what you need.
With routine health checks of your Office 365 system, you’ll be alerted to any potential gaps, weaknesses, or vulnerabilities in your system. This enables you to take the necessary steps to resolve them and build a more secure network.
Cloud Security is Best
One of the biggest reasons that more and more organizations are migrating to the cloud is security. And arguably the most secure cloud available is Microsoft Azure. In fact, Azure has been praised by the US pentagon for it’s security measures, including built-in firewalls, consistent software updates, AI and patching tools, data redundancy, third-party testing, and more.
With Azure, security has been built-in to essentially every feature, making it one of the most secure cloud solutions on the market. If cybersecurity is a top priority for your organization, it’s time to leave your on-premise servers behind and make the move to the cloud.
However, deploying your own cloud environment is not a small task. There are thousands of things to consider as you begin setting up a cloud migration strategy, and it can quickly get overwhelming. To ensure a successful migration, contact JourneyTEAM. We’ve helped dozens of teams move successfully into the cloud with little disruption to business processes.
Contact JourneyTEAM Today
With the constant threat of cyber attacks, it’s crucial that your tenant have the best security measures in place. Without them, your sensitive or private data is at risk of being accessed by any number of cyber criminals. At JourneyTEAM, we’ll use our Microsoft 365 health check and customized cloud migration strategy to ensure your network is 100% protected. Don’t wait for an attack to happen—contact JourneyTEAM today to take the first step to a more secure system.
JourneyTEAM is an award-winning consulting firm with proven technology and measurable results. They take Microsoft products; Dynamics 365, SharePoint intranet, Office 365, Azure, CRM, GP, NAV, SL, AX, and modify them to work for you. The team has expert level, Microsoft Gold certified consultants that dive deep into the dynamics of your organization and solve complex issues. They have solutions for sales, marketing, productivity, collaboration, analytics, accounting, security and more. www.journeyteam.com
Do you think that it is better to keep everything in an old-fashioned file system and store all the leads or contacts in an excel sheet? Do you think that it’s an easy job for a salesperson to prioritize work, touch base with existing customers, and follow up with potential clients using these archaic methods of storing data?
No matter which industry you belong to, whether it’s healthcare, government services, hospitality, manufacturing, or others, everyone is thinking about digitalization. Unfortunately, digitalization is not a cakewalk for every company.
Large companies have lots of resources and budgets to invest in digitalization. But what happens when it comes to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) or start-ups. Is it affordable and manageable for them with a limited number of resources and a low budget?
Maybe it is harder for them but still, there are ways for start-ups and SMBs to embark on the path of digitalization.
To understand how Dynamics 365 suits start-ups, we need to know the problems faced by small-sized businesses/start-ups.
Here are a few problems that I would like to discuss:
Instability:
Small businesses mostly try to save money or use the budget on the most important things which they can’t get for free. So, the chances of using purpose-built tools/software are rare.
Instead of spending money to buy those they try to create their solution with the resources they have. But businesses have a vast number of things to deal with, for example, different kinds of software, several programming languages, etc. To build their own solutions, the employees need to learn different tools very often based on needs that affect their overall performance, especially if they have a small team and limited time to accomplish tons of tasks.
Loss of traction:
Startups need to catch every opportunity they get and keep a track of all the potential leads for them. It is also vital to keep in touch with existing clients and at the same time increase the new clients/customer base.
If the startup fails to implement a proper CRM or any in-house system performs the basic functionalities of a CRM system, then it will cost them more than investing in a new CRM system.
Improper implementations:
Even small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are willing to invest in purpose-built tools, most likely there are chances of them ending up buying and implementing a tool that isn’t a perfect match.
In my experience, I have seen clients who had implemented a CRM wherein they bought extra licenses and storage than they needed. And I have also witnessed some clients who had implemented certain tools that served the same purpose but for a different industry, with a few key features missing in the implemented ones.
Benefits of having CRM for startups
Centralized data:
Startups begin with a limited number of resources but when dealing with customers, the amount of data stored and shared, for customers remains the same for both startups and well-established organizations.
This is one of the reasons for startups that they share the tasks between different people. Also, a single task can be performed by multiple people. So, it’s important to keep a track of all the activities and detailed information of a customer. CRM is a perfect system that allows you to keep all the data in one place and giving access to whomever you want.
(Note: CRM will give access to the data only if you have proper permissions. ????)
Customer Retention:
Startups need to gain as many customers as they can and gain their loyalty as long as the company runs. As the company grows, the cost of customer retention is comparatively cheaper than gaining a new customer.
Customer retention indubitably provides a stable foundation for a business. The only way to keep your customers’ loyalty is by providing better customer service.
The more you serve your customers, the more they can be loyal to you. A CRM system will be more suitable for providing top-notch customer service because of its flexibility and scalability and will help you cater to your customers through different mediums as it integrates with those channels easily.
Why Dynamics 365 is an affordable option for startups?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of different cloud-based business applications that can be very useful individually or combined with others. Microsoft had introduced this application to cover most aspects of a business. Here are some of the reasons for choosing Dynamics CRM for startups:
Pay for what you use:
Based on where your business falls, you can purchase that particular solution. And the licensing for Dynamics 365 is also flexible. You can buy licenses whenever you need them.
No infrastructure cost:
There is no need for buying and maintaining servers and systems because Microsoft Dynamic 365 is available online. So, you can manage your data and your team can work from anywhere in the world. Just an internet connection and a device that has browsing capabilities will be enough to use Dynamic 365.
Easy Integration:
Dynamics 365 will integrate with Office 365. This makes it easy to track emails using Outlook, store files using SharePoint and make calls using Skype.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps you make real-time smarter decisions and empower you to take actions that drive your business. With its flexible, scalable, and customizable capabilities, you can unify your data, obtain predictive insights and achieve astounding results. If you are an entrepreneur looking to change the pace of your business operations, connect with us and we will help you grow.
2021 Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing will help you understand the licensing and pricing for Microsoft Dynamics 365. Dynamics 365 has grown into a large business applications platform made up of many modules that can be optionally added to achieve a comprehensive platform to run your business.
Deployment Models
Dynamics 365 offers two deployment models, the cloud or online model and the on-premise model. The cloud model is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) version that is hosted by Microsoft in their Azure platform. In the cloud model, you pay a per-user/month fee for use of the software.
The on-premise model is a “premise hosted” deployment where you purchase perpetual licensing for Dynamics 365 and host the software on servers in your environment or in a co-location data center like Microsoft Azure.
There are significant differences in the costs and capabilities of each deployment model. For more information see our blog article Microsoft Dynamics On-Premise vs Online.
Dynamics 365 Modules
There are quite a few modules available for Dynamics 365. This allows you to tailor the solution to the specific need of your business. Below is a list of the modules and a description of each.
Customer Engagement / CRM modules – The below modules are known as the customer engagement or CRM modules of the platform:
Dynamics 365 for Marketing – a full marketing automation solution offering email, social, and event campaign management. The marketing module also includes landing pages and campaign automation.
Dynamics 365 for Sales – the Sales module is a full, end-to-end sales solution to manage your sales process from lead through opportunity management and ongoing customer account management
Relationship Sales – a combination license that includes Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise and LinkedIn Sales Navigator. This license enables the Dynamics 365 LinkedIn integration.
Dynamics 365 for Customer Service – the Customer Service module provides tools to service and support your customers. The backbone of the Customer Service module is case management. The Customer Service module also offers knowledgebase, portals, omnichannel, service level agreements and more.
Field Service – the Field Service module is a very robust solution to manage field service operations. Full work order management including resource management and scheduling, asset management, and more.
Project Operations – formerly known as “Project Service” is an advanced project management solution offering end-to-end project management.
Accounting & ERP Modules
Business Central – a full accounting and ERP solution for small to medium-size businesses. Business Central includes full finance management, purchasing and payables, inventory, warehouse, and manufacturing capabilities. This was born from Microsoft Navision.
Finance – formerly called Finance & Operations is an enterprise accounting and ERP solution. This was born from Dynamics AX. Finance includes full finance management, purchasing, and payables, inventory, warehouse, and manufacturing capabilities.
Human Resources
HR – a full human resource management application for hiring, managing, and empowering your employees.
Dynamics 365 Professional vs Enterprise
One of the first decisions that must be made in purchasing Dynamics 365 Sales or Customer Service is professional or enterprise licensing. This will dictate the specific functionality and some platform capabilities/restrictions. If you are going with the cloud or online deployment you can easily “upgrade” from professional to enterprise, it is a simple change to the licensing.
About the Author: David Buggy is a veteran of the CRM industry with 18 years of experience helping businesses transform by leveraging Customer Relationship Management technology. He has over 17 years of experience with Microsoft Dynamics CRM/365 and has helped hundreds of businesses plan, implement and support CRM initiatives. To reach David or call 844.8.STRAVA (844.878.7282) To learn more about Strava Technology Group visit www.stravatechgroup.com
Service Update 9.0.25 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premises) 9.0 is now available. This article describes the hotfixes and updates that are included in Service Update 9.0.25.
More information
Update package
Version number
Service Update 0.25 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM (on-premises) 9.0
9.0.25.12
To determine whether your organization had this update applied, check your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online version number. Select the gear icon in the upper-right corner, and then select About.
Update information
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) Update 0.25 is now available.
The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Service Update 0.25 resolves the following issues
Repaired functionality
The following list details items in Dynamics that were not functioning but are now repaired:
Rollup field incorrectly formatted to date in Chrome browser.
Failure time calculation not working intermittently.
Marking list cannot be added to an associated Campaign.
Unable to add notes to old Adoption case records.
Emails from unresolved senders cannot be manually resolved.
Cannot activate OOB workflows
Command bar button stretched when using Chrome browser.
Note: An asterisk (*) at the end of a fix statement denotes that this repair item was incorporated into multiple service update releases.