Implementing Microsoft CRM: setup and configuration ? notes for IT specialist

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is web-based CRM application, deploying all the spectrum of recent Microsoft technologies. We'll try to analyze different needs and implementation scenarios attributed to specific industries and business types, based on our experience.

First we would like to emphasize the increasing role of in-house IT department in the strategic decision making. Looking back to the history ? it is probably fair to say that initial CRM applications market issues, such as low successful implementations percentage could be attributed to traditional Sales style of those years ? selling to the top, when charismatic salesperson was trying to jump over the head of IT people and press business owner or top executive guy. Microsoft in our opinion never used this technique and it's CRM implementation is not possible (except when you host it in hosting centers) without everyday IT department involvement. MS CRM works in concert with MS Exchange, Windows Active Directory, SQL Server, BizTalk (integration with Great Plains and in the close future Navision). Utilizing this broad spectrum of Microsoft servers and technologies leads to easy Microsoft CRM acceptance and adoption by IT department (usually the one, having several MS certified professionals and DB administrators). Microsoft oriented IT group easily understands Microsoft CRM setup, tuning, customization, integration and initial data import.

It is not a secret that rational way to implement new computer business system lays in the method of evolution, suggesting intelligent integration with existing legacy systems and step-by-step old pieces replacement. Microsoft CRM fits to this approach ? it has open to anyone MS CRM SDK and experienced C# or VB.Net programmer should be capable to program the integration or interface to other system.

We are giving you typical setup and integration scenarios, attributed to specific industries below

1. Freight Forwarding / Transportation. Companies in this industry usually already have efficient cargo delivering tracking system. MS CRM links several systems into one and plays the role of the initial order entry and customer order status requests with the interface into above mentioned cargo tracking application. You should program such an interface with MS CRM SDK and ADO.Net programming

2. Distribution and Wholesale. Multiple companies have legacy ASP or JSP web sites with new or existing customers order entry logic. Typical need is transferring these orders to Microsoft CRM in the form of activity, placed in the order taker on duty queue. You can solve this with multiple techniques. Consider HTTP handler, called from ASP/JSP legacy application, reading MS CRM user credentials from INI file and thus penetrating into MS CRM, where you in turn use MS CRM SDK constructions.

3. Pension Funds and Financial institutions. Considering conservative decision making ? there is often the requirement of clear and complete audit to verify past decision making. MS CRM plays this role by automatic logging all the documentation and especially all the incoming and outgoing emails to/from clients. You need MS CRM Exchange connector customization

4. Large Enterprises. You can frequently see different kinds of corporate policies, requiring using such applications as Oracle e-Business Suite, or Lotus Domino document workflow and email server. In the first case you need heterogeneous database integration with MS CRM, he second case can be resolved with combining MS CRM SDK and Java Agents programming (from the side of Lotus Notes/Domino).

Happy implementing! We are always here: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com )? USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, serving clients in Illinois, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally

---

Groupware: What Works the Way Businesses Do?

GroupwareThe internet is full of 1.5 million to 7 million... Read More

Bridging the Gap between Paper and Data

The cornerstone of successful automated office systems is the ability... Read More

Where to Find Free Fleet Maintenance Software

Costs of fleet maintenance software can vary widely. It is... Read More

Huddle Up; Groupware on Three

It could just be me, but my experiences with document... Read More

Integrating Microsoft Great Plains Accounting/ERP: RMS, CRM, eCommerce, Lotus Domino ? overview

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share among... Read More

Microsoft CRM Implementation & Customization: MS CRM Fax Gateway

With this small article we are continuing Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More

Software Engineering: An Introduction

Software Engineering is the Systematic Approach for analysis design implementation... Read More

Causes of ERP Failures

ERP is the acronym of Enterprise Resource Planning. Multi-module ERP... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Jewelry ? Implementation & Customization Overview

Each Industry and market niche has business specific and unique... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains FA: Fixed Assets ? Overview For Consultant

Great Plains Fixed Assets Management module is a robust tool... Read More

Rapid Application Development - Is it Really a Need of Today?

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology. In... Read More

A Simple Computer Software Definition

What is Software?Software is a set of instruction written to... Read More

Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision Customization: C/SIDE, C/ODBC, C/FRONT, XBRL

Microsoft bought Navision, Denmark based software development company, along with... Read More

Cross-Platform Custom Software Development & Integration ? IT Strategy for Large Corporation

Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, MS CRM, Navision, Axapta,... Read More

Free Software: How Not To Get More Than You Bargained For!

I completed an experiment recently. I wanted to find out... Read More

Reporting Tools for Microsoft Great Plains ? Overview For Developers

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

Not All Project Management Software is Created Equal

The purpose of Project Management Software is to provide an... Read More

Microsoft CRM Implementation for Large Corporation ? overview

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is now approaching the phase of... Read More

Microsoft CRM Conversation Gateway: VoIP - Implementation & Customization

Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the... Read More

Defining OLAP Solutions and Data Warehouse design

This tutorial covers OLAP solutions used by Data warehouses and... Read More

Groove Network. Are you in it?

If you are in a business that passes documents around... Read More

C++ Tutorial 1, Introduction to C++

Introduction to C++Why Learn C++?C++ may at first seem like... Read More

Microsoft Axapta, Navision or Great Plains: ERP Selection for Large Corporation

If you would like to pick something from Microsoft, or... Read More

Microsoft CRM USA Nationwide Remote Support

Remember old good days when your company probably had Great... Read More

How to Make Attractive and Effective PowerPoint Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic... Read More

OS 101: Suggestions for Choosing an Operating System

An operating system (abbreviated OS) is essentially the path through... Read More

COSMIC: A Small Improvement on the Symons Method

The COSMIC FP (function point) software quality metric, is no... Read More

Dont Choose Adobe When Working With PDF

While Adobe is the most known maker of PDF tools,... Read More

How To Make Good Use of Spreadsheets

Most computer users use spreadsheets software such as Microsoft Excel... Read More

Navision Attain Database access via C/ODBC in ASP.NET Application

Navision Software was purchased by Microsoft and now it is... Read More

Software For Your Hard-Drive

All your software is stored on a hard-drive. But how... Read More

Freight Forwarding ERP: Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains customization & setup ? overview

Microsoft Great Plains may be recommended for international freight forwarding... Read More

Intro to UNIX Shells

A UNIX Shell is in simplest terms, a command line... Read More