IT Skills

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Basics




This simple Dynamics 365 guide will help you get the most out of this powerful CRM and ERP platform.

1. Basics of Microsoft Dynamics 365?

What Is Dynamics 365?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. It helps businesses manage sales, customer service, marketing, finance, operations, and more.

Core Modules and Capabilities:

  1. CRM Applications:
  2. Sales: Manage leads, opportunities, and customer accounts.
  3. Customer Service: Provide case management, service-level agreements (SLAs), and knowledge bases.
  4. Marketing: Campaign management, email marketing, and lead nurturing.

  5. Field Service: Schedule field technicians, track work orders, and monitor assets.

  6. ERP Applications:

  7. Finance & Operations: Manage financials, supply chain, and inventory.
  8. Human Resources (HR): Handle employee records, benefits, and payroll.

  9. Commerce: Manage e-commerce, retail stores, and point-of-sale (POS) systems.

  10. Customization Options:

  11. Power Platform Integration: Use Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI for custom workflows, automation, and reporting.
  12. Dataverse (Common Data Service): Centralized database for Dynamics 365 applications.

How to Access Dynamics 365:

  1. Web App: Access via a web browser.
  2. Mobile App: Download the Dynamics 365 mobile app for on-the-go usage.
  3. Integrations: Works seamlessly with Microsoft 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Excel).

Navigation Tips:

  • Work Areas: Choose between apps like Sales Hub, Marketing, or Customer Service.
  • Dashboards: Get an overview of key metrics and KPIs.
  • Advanced Find: Use Advanced Find to filter and search data with precision.
  • Settings and Admin Center: Customize workflows, security roles, and business rules.

2. Examples of Microsoft Dynamics 365 in Action

Use Cases:

  1. Sales Pipeline Management:
  2. Track leads from inquiry to closure using the Sales module.

  3. Automate follow-ups and reminders for sales reps.

  4. Customer Support:

  5. Log and resolve cases using Customer Service.

  6. Use SLAs to prioritize and escalate issues.

  7. Marketing Campaigns:

  8. Create email campaigns with Dynamics Marketing.

  9. Track campaign performance with lead scoring.

  10. Inventory Management:

  11. Use Finance & Operations to monitor stock levels.

  12. Set up low-stock alerts for automatic reordering.

  13. Field Technician Scheduling:

  14. Assign field technicians to work orders based on skill, location, and availability.
  15. Track equipment using IoT integrations.

3. Formulas and Calculations in Dynamics 365

While Dynamics 365 doesn’t use “formulas” like Excel, you can define calculated fields, business rules, or use Power Automate for advanced logic.

1. Calculated Fields:

Used for real-time calculations in forms.
- Example: Calculate a discount percentage.
- Field 1: Amount
- Field 2: Discount (%)
- Calculated Field: Discount Amount = Amount * Discount (%).
- Steps:
- Go to Settings Customizations Fields Add Field Data Type Calculated Field.
- Add a formula in the Field Editor.

2. Rollup Fields:

Aggregate data across related records (e.g., total revenue from opportunities).
- Example: Calculate total sales revenue from opportunities for a specific account.
- Field: Total Revenue = SUM(Opportunity Amount).

3. Business Rules:

Set conditional logic without coding.
- Example: Show/Hide a field based on a condition:
- If Lead Status = Qualified, display the "Close Date" field.

4. Power Automate for Custom Workflows:

Automate processes by linking Dynamics 365 with other apps.
- Example Workflow:
- When a lead is created Send an email to the sales team Schedule a follow-up task in Dynamics 365.

4. Specific Scenarios and Walkthroughs

Scenario 1: Managing a Sales Pipeline

Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

  1. Create a Lead:
  2. Go to Sales Hub Leads New.

  3. Fill in details like Name, Company, Contact Info, and Source.

  4. Qualify the Lead:

  5. Click Qualify to convert the lead into an Opportunity.

  6. The system automatically links the lead to an Account and Contact.

  7. Track the Opportunity:

  8. Use the Opportunity Form to update deal stage, probability, and estimated revenue.

  9. Attach notes, emails, or phone call logs.

  10. Close the Deal:

  11. Mark the opportunity as Won or Lost.

  12. Dynamics 365 automatically tracks reasons for lost deals.

  13. Report Progress:

  14. Use Dashboards Sales Pipeline Dashboard to view opportunities by stage or revenue.

Scenario 2: Automating Customer Follow-Ups

Goal: Automate a follow-up email when a new lead is created.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

  1. Create a Power Automate Workflow:
  2. Go to Power Automate Create Automated Flow.

  3. Trigger: When a new lead is created in Dynamics 365.

  4. Add an Email Action:

  5. Action: Send an email (use Office 365 Outlook or SMTP).

  6. Personalize the message with lead details using dynamic content (e.g., First Name, Company).

  7. Test the Workflow:

  8. Create a test lead in Dynamics 365.
  9. Verify the automated email is sent.

Scenario 3: Customer Support Case Escalation

Goal: Set an SLA to ensure high-priority cases are resolved within 24 hours.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

  1. Define SLA Settings:
  2. Go to Customer Service Hub Settings SLA.

  3. Create a new SLA:

    • Define the target (e.g., Case Resolution).
    • Set the timer to 24 hours.

  4. Apply SLA to High-Priority Cases:

  5. Add a condition: Priority = High.

  6. Configure the escalation path (e.g., Notify Manager if SLA is breached).

  7. Monitor SLAs:

  8. Use SLA KPIs to track cases nearing breach.
  9. Add SLA metrics to the Customer Service Dashboard.

Scenario 4: Field Service Management

Goal: Assign a technician to a work order based on skill and proximity.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

  1. Create a Work Order:
  2. Go to Field Service Work Orders New.

  3. Add details like Customer, Problem Description, and Priority.

  4. Schedule the Technician:

  5. Go to the Schedule Board.

  6. Use the drag-and-drop interface to assign a technician based on availability and proximity.

  7. Track the Technician:

  8. Use GPS tracking to monitor the technician’s location.

  9. Close the Work Order:

  10. Once the job is complete, mark the work order as closed and capture customer feedback.

Scenario 5: Building a Sales Dashboard

Goal: Create a real-time dashboard to monitor sales performance.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards:

  2. Go to Sales Hub Dashboards New Dashboard.

  3. Add Visuals:

  4. Add components like Charts, Lists, and KPIs.

  5. Examples:

    • Pie Chart: Opportunity status (Won, Lost, In Progress).
    • Bar Chart: Revenue by Sales Rep.

  6. Share the Dashboard:

  7. Share the dashboard with team members using Share Dashboard.
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