Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0
Works the Way You Do
Integration with the familiar tools users already use and the automation of everyday tasks should be key goals of any software solution. Microsoft has gone beyond the minimal level of compliance by delivering native integration with the Microsoft Office System and Microsoft XP or greater, as well as with new wizards that help users increase productivity for sales, service, and marketing functions.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM adds a toolbar to Outlook and adds Microsoft CRM folders to the Outlook folder list.
Integration with the Microsoft Outlook Toolbar
Many companies continue to face obstacles in fully integrating CRM into their organizations. Because Microsoft designed Microsoft CRM to integrate natively with Microsoft Outlook, however, employees gain access to tools that are already familiar, enabling them to easily update all of their important sales, marketing, and customer service data without ever leaving Microsoft Outlook. Not only does this reduce overall training costs, it minimizes the ramp-up time required for end users, specifically customer-facing personnel. Native email, task, contact, and appointment forms in Outlook include a CRM command bar; with a single click, a user can create a connection to CRM during or after record creation. The "Track in CRM" button then becomes the "View in CRM" button, which enables direct access to the related CRM record.
Extensibility Inside of Microsoft Office System for Automation of Everyday Tasks
In addition to integration with Microsoft Outlook, customers are looking for ways to effectively integrate their CRM system with other desktop applications. Right out of the box, Microsoft CRM uses the direct functionality within the Microsoft Office System to complete common tasks. For example, to complete a direct-mail campaign using data from Microsoft CRM, Version 3.0 allows the user to implement the Microsoft Word mail-merge utility directly from Microsoft CRM, without needing to start Microsoft Word. Further integration can be achieved through the Microsoft CRM Software Development kit (SDk). With the release of Microsoft CRM 3.0, a series of solutions built with the CRM SDk will be available to download at http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/crm/using/downloads/default.mspx . Solutions will include task pane functions that allow users to view Microsoft CRM data in a side-by-side window while simultaneously working in an Office software program such as Word or Excel.
Cleaner & Simpler User Interface
In evaluating the successes and failures of CRM solutions currently used by customers, the CRM product team quickly learned that user interfaces are often overdeveloped to the point of irrelevance; with so many tools and functions to choose from, users are routinely left dumbfounded. For Microsoft CRM 3.0, a priority for the product team was to simplify the screens, related mouse clicks, and windows so that users could focus on managing the customer rather than wrestling with the data. At the same time, users required a certain level of flexibility to capture specific exceptions and ad-hoc requests that come with any one customer.
Improved Notes Pane
The notes pane provides users with a more flexible and intelligent way to record free-form information about customers and opportunities. Now requiring fewer clicks and windows, the notes pane improves the user experience by automatically attaching date and user stamped tags to create a chronological record of information during a customer interaction, meeting, or case resolution, among other situations. By leveraging the notes pane, users can quickly scan and share all the notes related to a specific exchange. Not only does this approach reduce the amount of time and effort required to capture information in real time, it also instantly provides a mechanism to communicate and deliver customer information across the organization. Finally, this approach ensures that an accurate activity history is recorded, tracked, and stored for future interactions.
Streamlined note-taking in Microsoft CRM.
Multiple-Record Editing
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 gives users the ability to edit multiple CRM records at once from a variety of views including Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities, Orders, Invoices, and Contracts.
