Tracking Set Free - New CRM App for Outlook Coming

Update August 2016

The Preview program for Dynamics CRM App for Outlook has ended. Please see this article for more: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn946901.aspx

Update July 2015

The App is now in Preview. Please see "The new Microsoft Dynamics CRM App for Outlook now available as a Preview feature" - link

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***  

We are planning to enable Outlook users to track, convert to and set regarding emails from any device.

With Exchange 2013, we have a way of showing Dynamics CRM information in line with a new extension infrastructure, Apps for Office.


Fig. 1 - New CRM App for Outlook (conceptual)

In the conceptual example below I'll walk you through screenshots which are part of the vision we have for the app. A vision we shared  at Convergence 2015 last week in Atlanta, GA.

A simplified app is expected to be made available in the "Apps for Office" store with the release of "CRM Online 2015 Update 1" (aka Spring Release) or shortly thereafter. The simplified app is expected to include:

  • Track
  • Set Regarding to an existing record
  • Convert to (create a new record)
  • Create Contact
  • View Contact/Lead information, activities, and related records
  • Open in CRM web

Further down the line we are looking at supporting Compose Mode and allow the user to attach sales literature, related documents, email templates, and Articles.

Example (conceptual)

Below is a screenshot of my Outlook Web App in which I've clicked on a mail from Maria Campell

Note the top bar in which I can click the blue command "Dynamics CRM"...


   Fig. 2 - email opened in Outlook Web App

...and the systems looks at the properties of the email (recipients and more) and tries to match those against the information already in my CRM system

If the sender Maria Campell already is in my CRM system I'll be presented with relevant information

  • my activities (previous and future) with her
  • open cases with her (could be helpful information before replying to her)
  • opportunities I have with her

With all this information at hand I can avoid unfortunate scenarios like me calling her if one of my collegues already did, book her for a meeting if one of my collegues already booked her a.s.o.

I can track the email by clicking the command "Track"….


   Fig. 3 - CRM App for Outlook with track email option

…and I'm presented with relevant records (top 3) I can track the email against

  • Opportunities
  • Contacts
  • Accounts
  • and more

The suggested records are based on

  • Email recipient contacts
  • Most Recently Used records
  • Pinned records

(99% of the time I'll probably end up tracking against one of those records)

Note also the search bar - if I need to search for a record to track against

If I choose to track the email against the top most opportunity in the left column ("Contoso needs 10…) I just click that opportunity…


   Fig. 4 - records to track against

...and the opportunity opens. Note that the email now has the status "Tracked Regarding "Contoso needs 10 orders". I can untrack and change the tracking if I prefer so.

I can see 'everything' about this opportunity  – what sales stage its in a.s.o - even update the steps (if eg. the mail content gave me new information needed for one of the steps in the current sales stage)


    Fig. 5 - tracked against opportunity

Lets look at another scenario - if I click "Track" like in figure 3 above - and there are no relevant record suggestions I can then click the command "New" …


   Fig. 6 - create New record

...to track the email against a brand new record based on built-in entities or custom entities

I can eg. click Opportunity….


   Fig. 7 - Track against new opportunity

… and I'm presented with a dialog in which I can create the new opportunity (note that relevant information from the email is prepopulated in the opportunity)


   Fig. 8 - Create Opportunity

I could also have chosen to create a new contakt – once again prepopulated with relevant information from the email


   Fig. 9 - Create Contact

I hope you'll agree with me that this app will make our lifes easier by enabling app based tracking, suggesting records, prepopulating fields and more

Note

  • Apps for Office (Exchange catalog) is a private catalog that is managed by an Exchange administrator for mail apps that are available to users of the Exchange Server on which it resides. It enables publication and administration of corporate mail apps, such as internally created apps and apps that are available in the Office Store and licensed for corporate use. To see what mail apps are installed on your Exchange Online server: https://outlook.office365.com/ecp/?p=installed
  • The app must be installed on the Exchange Server by an admin (from https://store.office.com/appshome.aspx?productgroup=Outlook) and made available to users
  • CRM App for Outlook requires a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online subscription. Also, an administrator needs to enable the “CRM App for Outlook” privilege on any user roles that need access to this app.

See also

  • Add and enable the CRM App for Outlook - link