We were impressed with the November 2011 Service Update (R7) but we wanted to call out some of the anticipated highlights for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Q2 2012 Service Update (R8) release, dubbed “CRM Anywhere”

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobility

This update includes a welcome, but rather surprising announcement, for Microsoft’s answer to a more robust mobile solution.  Interestingly, Microsoft has partnered with CWR Mobility to take advantage of its 3^rd party product and bring its mobility strategy to market much faster than it could on its own.  It seems as though Microsoft is licensing certain aspects of CWR but will be building off the platform – which is great news.  Security role integration and native language localization seems to be Microsoft’s first priorities.  AbleBridge is a CWR Mobility Partner and we do like their solution so we’re excited to see where it goes from here.

Cross Browser Support

Today Microsoft Dynamics CRM is only supported on Internet Explorer.  This update will provide cross browser and cross platform capability for its web client.  Safari running on PC, Mac, or iPad, Firefox running on PC or Mac, Chrome running on PC – this is BIG.   We’re keenly interested to see how well this strategy will play with 1) Outlook integration – will it just work, or what disclaimers need to be considered? And 2) Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution development – will this be a build once deploy anywhere or build twice for cross browser supportability?

Along with a new mobility option and cross browser support, which we feel are the two biggest announcements; this update also includes enhanced Enterprise Scalability, Enhanced Social Capabilities and some other Enhancements around industry templates, business intelligence and an improved portal framework.

We’re going to see a lot more information come out about the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Q2 2012 Service Update but the announcement alone illustrates Microsoft’s continued commitment to their CRM mobility strategy.

AbleBridge is 100% focused on Microsoft Dynamics CRM and we’ve witnessed the evolution of the product for almost a decade.  The latest release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 illustrates Microsoft’s commitment to a long term strategic vision for CRM and we couldn’t be more excited as a Microsoft Partner. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you realize the benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

by AbleBridge, Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Microsoft Dynamics CRM – “CRM Anywhere”, Q2 2012 Update Announced is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile

The next release will include a cloud based mobile CRM service called Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile. This will be a hosted (subscription based) mobile solution that is based on CWR Mobility (it actually is CWR Mobility, but it will be available directly from Microsoft as a Marketplace offering). The mobile clients and service will start at $30 per user, per month and supports the use of up to three devices per user. This is considerably less than $65 for the comparable offering from Salesforce. The supported devices are listed below:

For those that want – or need  – to run the mobile offering on-premise on their own servers, they will continue to purchase CWR Mobile CRM directly from a CWR partner under a perpetual license model. The mobile client and UI are identical to the hosed and on-premises solutions.

Browser Flexibility

In addition to mobile flexibility, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Q2 2012 service update provides the ability for end users to access the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web Client across all modern Internet browsers on various platforms. This includes browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari running on PC, Apple Macintosh or iPad. This is a huge advancement, as the last few years have seen more enterprises becoming client platform agnostic.

Enhanced Social Experiences

This update adds even more social capabilities to the very popular micro-blogging Activity Feeds feature that was introduced last fall. Activity Feeds feature updates in this release:

• Ability to “Like” and “Unlike” Activity Feed posts.
• Improved filtering capabilities, including the ability to filter @names in a timeline.
• Improved following capabilities. You will now be able to filter based on CRM views, meaning even if you don’t follow a particular opportunity or account, if an activity is triggered that would make it visible in your personalized CRM view, then it will appear on your activity wall.
• Update to the Windows 7.5 Activity Feeds Mobile app.

Big News in Dynamics CRM Q2 2012 Update: Mobile iOS and Android Versions, Cross-browser Support, Social Upgrades is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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With the inclusion of activity feeds, Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s journey into social networking is now well underway. What’s more, there’s going to be some major news about social networking and Microsoft Dynamics CRM later in the year (watch this space!).

On the subject of future updates, here’s a really exciting development: coming soon (in the first half of 2012) you’ll be able to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM on a variety of different web-browsers.

Since its inception, both Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online have been built to run on Internet Explorer. That generally hasn’t been an issue, because PCs and Internet Explorer were (and are still) used in a massive number of organisations and businesses throughout the world. However, the internet landscape is changing.

Statistics vary on the popularity of web browsers. Internet Explorer is still generally accepted as the most popular, but others, such as Firefox, Safari and Google’s Chrome, are gaining in popularity. More and more people are accessing the web using tablets, smart-phones, and other mobile devices as well as PCs and laptops. The default or browser of choice in these devices is not always Internet Explorer. So quite simply, being able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM via a range of different web-browsers means you should be able to use it on products like Macs, iPads, and a whole range of other devices.  And if your personal preference is to use a browser such as Chrome or FireFox, you can do so and not have to change to Internet Explorer when you run Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Cross-browser support will be available for both Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. The potential of this change is quite dramatic and opens up a whole new breadth of possibilities. It increases the flexibility of this leading CRM software solution. It means you’ll be able to access it from a massive variety of web-enabled devices, in the method you prefer from just about wherever you are. The result is more choice for everyone, an even better product, and even better user experience.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a clearly defined roadmap setting out its long-term development plans. It regularly provides innovative and enhanced functionality which consistently delivers increased value to its users.  For more information about the impact of cross-browser support, current and future updates of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or advice on how to best harness the power of the product in your business, please contact Concentrix TSG or your local Microsoft Dynamics CRM Business partner.

By Concentrix TSG – independent CRM and Business Software Specialists.

Coming Soon: Use Microsoft Dynamics CRM on Different Web Browsers is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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1) People and process first, software second

The best CRM software doesn’t overcome process or people shortfalls. I continue to be surprised by how many companies fail to understand the impact of getting the people / process / technology mix right. Invest the time upfront to make sure your people and processes are in alignment; then introduce technology to streamline those processes to realize a much higher return on your investment.

2) Executive Sponsorship

The best CRM system in the world will be shelf ware if you can’t secure executive sponsorship for the success of the project. Executive sponsorship is not to be confused with the people managing the project. Executive sponsorship is an individual or set of individuals that have responsibility for the strategic direction of the company and oversight of the people that will be using the CRM system. A CEO or Sales VP promoting CRM to the troops will go a lot further than the CIO or IT Manager.

3) Define CRM Success

Why are you implementing a CRM system? Define, document and communicate the value proposition for each pain point you are trying to address; then structure your CRM project to meet those goals. But remember, there are two levels of success; organizational and individual. The question you will want to ask at each level of the organization is “What’s in it for me?” Reducing burdensome administrative tasks might be very important for an individual; much like having visibility into the sales pipeline is for an organization.

4) Implement Gradually

Change is never easy and you don’t want to overwhelm people out of the gates. Define a project scope that will lay the groundwork for some immediate wins. This will help ensure user adoption and build momentum behind the CRM initiative. As people start using the system they will be able to provide the educated feedback necessary to take on the next phase of implementation. An iterative mindset will develop a culture of continuous improvement.

5) Actively Manage the Implementation

An internal team with a “go to” person(s) for the CRM users is very important. This is the team or individual that will continue the momentum of the CRM system. They will serve as data stewards, trainers / power users, and general overseers of the system to make sure there is continued alignment with business process. Companies who have strong internal CRM stewards will realize the highest return on their investment; and the rewards are great.

AbleBridge has been implementing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for over a decade and we understand the psychology, methodology and “key ingredients” necessary for a successful CRM implementation. Today, from a technology perspective we are solely focused on Microsoft Dynamics CRM because we feel it’s the best CRM technology investment a company can make; however, our CRM implementation methodology has never wavered over the years and is agnostic of technology. Our people / process first, software second approach has been the keys to our customer’s success; and that’s how we measure our success.

Feel free to contact AbleBridge to learn more or request additional information.

5 Key Ingredients for a Successful CRM Implementation is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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The spreadsheets didn’t provide cohesive insight into their distributor chain and really limited their business. They sell to authorized contractors and have different grades of products. So, while one contractor carries just one line of products, another contractor may carry all three. It was extremely difficult to see who sold what, where they were located, and their sales history. This made planning almost impossible and managers were unable to make informed business decisions.

MailChimp also had its problems. When our client sent bulk emails, the recipient’s mail server would automatically flag them as junk mail. So even if they were able to send communications, given their limited view into their distribution channel, it was unlikely the distributors received the emails.

The TM Group is a Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner with dual Gold competencies in ERP and CRM based out of Michigan and came to the rescue with Microsoft Dynamics® CRM. Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows our client to track a lot more information about their business and the distributors with whom they work. This allows them to create targeted emails lists. They can now see what distributors sell what products, what region they’re in, and even the customers they sold the product to. They can also rank their distributors to see how much business they do and track all the different relationships they have with other distributors. If the end customer fills out a warranty card, that gets sent to our client, the manufacturer of the product. Now our client can see which contractor did the work as well as track the end customer to maintain proper communications, increasing customer service and support. For example, they can send an email three years after an end customer purchased their product to see how it’s working. Microsoft Dynamics CRM added visibility into their end customer, helping their manufacturing process. They know what products are hot, as well as which ones are not, so they can effectively plan what to manufacture at what time of year.

 In addition to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, we helped our client implement SalesFUSION, an e-marketing automation tool that works seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. SalesFUSION can be used stand-alone, but when coupled with a customer relationship management tool such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, much greater marketing power is realized.  Unlike MailChimp, SalesFUSION shows up as a recognizable domain and doesn’t get flagged as SPAM. This alone was a huge improvement for our client’s communication with their distributor chain. But because SalesFUSION is fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, it also shows our client a vast amount of information they never had insight to before. The targeted lists created in CRM help our client tailor specific and relevant messages to their distributors. This clearer communication has streamlined their working relationships and improved supply chain efficiency. Our client can also do more sales education with their distributors, making sure they have the right selling points about the specific line of products they sell. This benefit helps our client’s distributors sell more of their product, increasing the profitability for both entities.

 In addition to their existing distributors, our client can now market to potential distributors effectively. SalesFUSION has advanced tracking capabilities that allows them to track how many emails they sent, who specifically opened the emails, how long they had it opened, if they downloaded a whitepaper, or watched educational videos, and more. They can now track all the stats about the email they send out as well as what happened afterward. This insight helps them decide whether something they sent out was helpful or whether they need to change it out.

 Our client has made a huge transition from a non-targeted, ineffective marketing and communication system to a comprehensive tool that tells a lot about how effective they’re being with the information they send. The power of SalesFUSION and Microsoft Dynamics CRM together gives our client measurable results so they can fine-tune their marketing programs and ultimately grow their business.

 By The TM Group, Michigan  Dual Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM Partner for Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SharePoint

The Power of Email Communication and Integrated CRM Creates Optimal Visibility and Marketing for this Manufacturer and Its Distributors is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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OTT, Inc.’s annual Summit delivers a unique educational experience for Microsoft Dynamics CRM clients and prospects, helping them conquer the key challenges facing their organizations, improve their business edge, and discover practical solutions and tools to help them grow their organization. This one-day conference offers 25 concurrent educational and informational sessions, including 5 sessions dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

The 5 Microsoft Dynamics CRM sessions that will be presented at OTT, Inc.’s 2011 Summit include:
o To the Cloud: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
o Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011: What’s New
o Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
o Ask a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant
o Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Project Management

Interested in learning more? To learn more about the 2011 Summit, visit the official Summit website at www.OTTSummit.com (or contact the OTT, Inc. Team at events@OTT-Inc.com or 651.262.2615). On this site you’ll find the most up-to-the-moment information on the 2011 Summit including a conference agenda, a detailed listing of sessions, venue and accommodation information, information on Sponsors of the 2011 Summit, registration information, and more.

By OTT, Inc., a Minnesota Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

5 Hours of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Training and Information is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Some of the updates we can expect include:

•  A Facebook style activity feed – This feature will be similar in design to the Facebook homepage and allow users to easily communicate across the CRM platform. Users will not only be able to follow their colleagues’ activities, but also any activities that are associated with a particular record or account.
• A more robust disaster recovery process – This will be supported by multiple data centers across several different regions.
• Cross browser support – Right now, Microsoft Dynamics CRM only truly integrates with Internet Explorer. However, in the future Microsoft expects to add support for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, giving users greater freedom of choice.
• Improved data management – Microsoft is planning a wide variety of improvements in this area to help users get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, such as enhanced business intelligence, charting and reporting, data duplication, and data cleansing.
• Improving integration between Dynamics CRM and Dynamics CRM online – as anyone who uses both versions of Dynamics CRM on regular basis can attest, these systems already work together well from a user perspective. But, they do use separate interfaces for some back end tasks such as administration and billing. With the next update of Dynamics CRM Microsoft plans to streamline these areas.

So there you have it, a sneak peek at the next round of updates Microsoft has planned for Dynamics CRM. What do you think? Are there additional changes you would like to see? Which of these updates are you most excited about? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

If you’d like to learn more about how Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help your business succeed, please feel free to contact us.

By: Laura Heinbockel Intelligent Technologies, Inc., a Greensboro, NC Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Sneak Peak: Microsoft Plans Exciting Updates for Dynamics CRM is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Customer Service Management

This is a feature that is available to Both the Business Essentials and Advanced Management Editions or as an add-on for you Microsoft Dynamics GP software.  Users will get a 360 degree view of your customers enabling them to assess any problems that arise and reduce waiting time.  Integrating the CRM will save you money and allow you to take care of more customers in a shorter period of time.

Sales Management

This is a feature that is available to both the Business Essentials and Advanced Management Editions or as an add-on for your Microsoft Dynamics GP software. With the CRM integration, this sales management feature will allow you to gain insight into your prospects to turn them into leads.  Users will also be enabled to streamline sales cycles and increase productivity.

Microsoft Dynamics GP can be a powerful tool if used correctly with all the features that fit your needs. So if you have a business plan in mind, contact MIG to help you find the right solutions to drive your business forward.

by MIG & Co. – MIG is a Professional Consulting Firm that specializes in the implementation of business management software solutions including Customer Relationship Management. We automate business processes to ensure our customers work efficiently. We are a New York City based Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner, primarily serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

DRIVE Your Business Forward with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Integration is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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1. Real-Time Operational Insights – Where would we be without dashboards? Take driving for example. “I’m sorry Officer; I had no way of knowing what speed I was going”. We wouldn’t expect this to work at the roadside, so can we really expect it to work with businesses activities? CRM 2011 offers an exciting new dashboard and charting experience out-of-the-box. Data views have extended functionality, connecting to charts that graphically display rolled up information. The forms customization now allows for multiple views to be placed as sub-grids within the new screen designer. These new approaches in the CRM 2011 UI design allow you to build rich, informative, real time dashboards to your organization’s current inner workings.
2. Consistent Customer Service – At some point, all businesses need to interact with their customers on a personal level. CRM 2011 creates consistent and scripted processes that allow your employees, and the customers they serve, to navigate through your common practices. Think of receiving technical support enquiries or customers calling to place orders over the phone. With CRM 2011 Dialogues, we now have the capability to create a consistent approach to handling these interactive processes. Based upon the results, or chosen path of each dialogue, we can also fire off the appropriate record creations or workflow processes to service your customers correctly and professionally.
3. Full Auditing capabilities – All types of records have a lifecycle. When we store and organize information in our business, we don’t want to set any of it in stone just the once. Similarly, we might want to maintain a history on some things. So, with a demand for flexibility to change, but to remember what once was, we can use CRM 2011’s new auditing capabilities. We can pick and choose what to enable it on, again flexibly, it’s not an all or nothing feature. It helps us build a really granular approach to knowing what values used to be stored, right down to the field level, on our records.
4. Full MS Office Ribbon Look and Feel – Using Microsoft Office in the workplace is a given these days. Most people know Outlook, Word, and Excel like the back of their hand. Luckily for those people, CRM 2011 looks, works, and feels exactly the same. You can even get straight back to Recently Viewed Items, like your most recent Word documents. Top tip for Project Management teams with a nervous receiving audience – don’t tell them a new system is coming, call it Office Extra and no one will lose a wink of sleep.
5. User friendly Data Import – I’m drawn back to my previous point about Excel holding an irreplaceable fondness in our hearts. CRM 2011 has an improved import process that plays to the Excel skills of the masses, and frees up our overworked IT staffs availability to read more Dilbert comic strips. CRM 2011 will give us an Excel template from an entity, with all the available columns we’d want to fill out. We can copy and paste our data from our burgeoning collection of Excel spreadsheets and import that fuller template file right back in to CRM. I’d hazard a guess that the data is in that same Excel collection that encouraged us to want CRM 2011 in the first place.

Technology such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is designed to make businesses better, run smoother, and become more successful.  It’s not magic; it’s a solid tool that can put you one step ahead of the rest.  For more information about Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, contact BDO Solutions – Canada.

By Benn Wood, Solutions Consultant with BDO Solutions, Leading Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner in Canada

Top Five New Features in CRM 2011 is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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 When deciding which of the two approaches to proceed with, it’s important to understand the terminology and pros and cons of each strategy. Below, I’ve laid out the pros and cons of the traditional options and the unique strategy behind the xRM platform.

 Pros:

• Solution will promote business process reengineering
• No customization makes for easier upgrade path
• Timeline and budget won’t fluctuate dramatically due to xRM being out of the box

 Cons:

• Requires modification of business processes in order to meet your desired goals
• Significant initial software investment, in addition to software maintenance costs
• If the out of the box functionality doesn’t meet the evolving needs, organizations are faced with product maintenance and expensive customization to meet the requirements

 COTS solutions work well  for departmental applications like accounting, human resources etc. Yet, their use and effectiveness can diminish as it is spread across your entire company apparatus. Enterprise applications that utilize COTS typically will require organizations to adjust their business processes to meet the confines of the solution. Purchasing a solution with complex capabilities that your company won’t utilize will just increase your financial cost in both the near and long term.

 Additionally, if the out of the box functionality isn’t up to par for your organization, you’ll have a product that will require ongoing maintenance and expensive customization. This can significantly increase the project budget and/or limit the organization’s strategic initiatives.

 Custom Development:

Companies that identify their unique characteristics often see the value in custom development.  It’s meant to foster the organization’s strategic advantage and conform to the business processes, not vice versa as is required with COTS.

 In theory, custom development will align your strategic objectives with your newfound technological capabilities. Unfortunately, the unpredictable nature of the timeline and budget, limited upgrade path, and reliance on specific programmers creates a level of uncertainty that few organizations are willing to undertake. Custom development has proven to be such a painful process for so many organizations that the word ’custom’ has become a four letter word.

 Microsoft xRM:

Microsoft xRM is not a product; rather it is a strategy or concept. The ‘x’ denotes that you can utilize this strategy to develop anything-any relationship, process or data element. xRM is an application platform that offers the best of both worlds between commercial off the shelf solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM and custom development. The xRM platform provides core business features, security, authentication, business process modeling and business intelligence based on both on-premise and in the cloud offerings. This platform is an excellent foundation for organizations to facilitate business their way without the risk and cost of custom development. Organizations realize the benefits of an out of the box portfolio toolkit that can be supported by non-technical staff and maintained through a consistent upgrade path. xRM provides low upfront costs, low maintenance and ultimately a more strategic solution to drive the business.

 Contact Steve Kane at 301-634-2404 or skane@broadpoint.net to find out how BroadPoint Technologies, the mid-Atlantic’s largest Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner, can help you determine the best solution for your organization.

 by BroadPoint Technologies, Virginia, Maryland, DC  Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

xRM: Your Guidebook to Finding the Right CRM Solution is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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