Often viewed as a sales tool, Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides so much more, and is a platform for solutions such as these and provides templates for common functionality including:

• Basic Membership Management
• Donation and Pledge Management
• Case Management
• Event Management
• Campaign Management
• Volunteer Tracking

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform also allows for further configurations to allow organizations to tailor their solution to meet their unique needs.

One not-for-profit client moved from a Grant Program to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and after configuring the system for their needs, they found other ways to leverage the solution.  This has allowed them to experience improved customer service, better service response, and enhance visibility into programs.  All of these configurations have allowed this organization to work smarter rather than harder and do more without any staffing changes.

Watch McGladrey’s recent webinar to learn how Microsoft Dynamics CRM handles non-profit’s relationship challenges and a short demo of the Not-for-Profit Accelerator. 

By:  Tammy Zeoli, RSM McGladrey, Inc. , Top Microsoft Dynamics Partner for Not-for-Profit Organizations, a New Jersey Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Helps Not-For-Profit Organizations Do More With Less is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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3. Theme from WPC 2010 is “The Cloud”

I have to say, I agree with this approach.  While ERP and accounting software online has been slow to take off, CRM applications are a natural fit online and have been very well received by organizations.  The reasons are many.  At one time, organizations pushed back due to issues around security, availability, network connectivity, and a perceived lack of ownership.  Today’s CRM applications have addressed all of these concerns.  Most organizations are more connected, and in the case someone needs to work offline, Dynamics CRM allows this type of functionality.  Our clients are seeing the online version of CRM is secure and their data is safe.  They also see how online application can be tailored to meet the specific business needs of an organization.  Dynamics CRM not only provides accelerators for non profits, but non profits can use those accelerators as a starting point and continue to tailor the relationship applications to address their business issues.  Having an online application that is tailored to an organizations unique needs provides real value, quickly.  Applications can be up and running in days or weeks and can be rolled out to users quickly.  Intuitive interfaces and integration with Microsoft Outlook increases user adoption, allowing an organization to gain benefit more rapidly. 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online allows organizations to gain real business value without costly upfront software licensing.  For example, the current online price point for not for profit users can not be beat! Less than $10 per user per month.  THAT is value. 

By: Mike Nafziger, RSM McGladrey, Inc.,  Microsoft Dynamics Partner for Not-for-Profit Organizations

Theme from WPC 2010 is “The Cloud” is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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I found myself repeating the same top five reasons why not-for-profit organizations should use Microsoft Dynamics CRM as their system:

1. The Non-Profit Solution for Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes out-of-the-box CRM functionality as well as customizations for Donation and pledge management, basic membership management, basic volunteer tracking, campaign management, Payment solution for online donations, and Excel dashboard reports
2. Systems can be deployed in online or on-premise versions – discover the power of choice.  Microsoft Dynamics online and on-premise versions are built on the same technology so it is easy to move from one version to another
3. Seamless integration to Microsoft Office Suite including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel – common user interface between softwares
4. Allows for quick redesign, automation, and integration of all business operations as business needs change
5. Eligible non-profit organizations can qualify for a 75% discount – that’s $9.99 per user, per month.

RSM McGladrey is one of the few consulting firms offering specialized not-for-profit services, including implementing Microsoft Dynamics Constituent Management.   Our experiences are demonstrated in this white paper titled, Enterprise Resource Planning for Not-for-Profits.  ERP/NFP effectively utilizes and integrates resources – people, programs, assets, knowledge, and technology – throughout an organization to achieve higher levels of performance.

By:  Tammy Zeoli, RSM McGladrey, Top Microsoft Dynamics Partner for Not-for-Profit Organizations, a New Jersey Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Five Reasons To Use Microsoft Dynamics CRM For Your Non-Profit Organization is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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How to Use:

1. Select a list of records to be included in the quick campaign from any Dynamics CRM view
2. Follow the Quick Campaign wizard and select the type of activity (mail merge, phone call, or email)

When to Use:

Typically Dynamics CRM users utilize the Quick Campaign functionality to make initial contact with new leads, or for following up with existing customers or prospects later in the sales cycle.  For example, you may get a list of names from a trade show or seminar, and can import the records into CRM.  By using Quick Campaigns, you can send an introductory email and schedule a follow up call to determine the level of interest with the prospect.  Additionally, you can use Quick Campaigns to notify prospects and customers of special offers or pricing at the end of a month or quarter, both by emailing the special offer and by scheduling phone call activities for follow up with the contact. Dynamics CRM also provides views of leads and contacts that have been neglected – e.g., not called in a specific amount of time. Based on the rating of the lead, or the status of the contact (customer vs. prospect), use Quick Campaigns to schedule reminder phone activities… This saves both the sales and service teams an incredible amount of time, as compared to their previous way of managing neglected leads – email reminders to the reps when the manager had the time to review last contacted reports.

For additional information regarding CRM Dynamics 4.0 please contact SBS Group at info@sbsgroupusa.com.

By: SBS Group – New Jersey Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Quick Campaigns Mean Quick Results In Dynamics CRM 4.0 is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Prior to the project kick-off meeting, a well defined statement of work must be analyzed by the project team so it is clear which deliverables are slated for the engagement.  Once the team understands the items for which they are responsible, it is important to review what exactly is being delivered during the kick-off meeting.  Even though clients are attentive to detail, there might be some things that are not clear to them.  This process will remove any doubt of the scope of the project and is a great way for the client to build trust in the implementation team. 

Setting communication expectations is another important factor to ensure project success.   Clients have to be comfortable maintaining open lines of communication with the project team.  Additionally, the project team must set communication guidelines with the client.  It should be made clear to the client who the point of contact is on the project and for which items the contact is responsible.  The project manager’s role should also be clearly defined so that the client is comfortable communicating any issues which might occur during the engagement.

Scope creep is the biggest reason why projects run into difficulties.  Even though deliverables have been laid out and agreed to, there are always shades of gray when gathering requirements.  At this point, it is crucial for the project team to bring this up with the client  as soon as its discovered so  there are no misunderstandings regarding the deliverables.  What often seem like minor tasks outside the scope can quickly add up to a large amount of additional work.  If this is not dealt with properly and in a timely manner, the project team will be overcommitted and eventually over budget.  A good exercise to avert this issue is temporarily setting aside all tasks which are not outlined in the statement of work and reviewing them with the client’s internal team to determine whether or not it is covered under the scope.  If it is established that some tasks are out of scope, then the project  manager has to communicate this to the client immediately so that expectations remain intact.

However, if you are engaging a consulting team for a CRM project, the experience of the team is probably the most significant factor when considering the successful outcome of a CRM project.  What is their experience in the industry? How many implementations have they successfully completed?  What and where are their resources (in-house or outsourced)?  Can they handle all of my needs? RSM McGladrey has implemented CRM systems since 1998 and version 1.0 of Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM.  McGladrey consultants are knowledgeable of the infrastructure and proficient in .NET framework.  McGladrey develops solutions leveraging the Dynamics CRM platform based on the needs of individual businesses.  McGladrey understands  business processes and will make system recommendations to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.

By: Russell Karp, RSM McGladrey, New Jersey Gold Certified Partner for Microsoft Dynamics

Part Two: Why CRM Implementations Fail – The Consulting Team is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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In order to use Scribe Insight’s Console to integrate data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and other systems, most commonly Microsoft Dynamics GP, there is a significant amount of time needed to set up the integration environment.  Known as the Scribe Plugin Publisher, which monitors the CRM database for the entities you define and then creates an XML record for records which are created, modified or deleted.  Detailed knowledge of MSMQ (Microsoft Message Queues) and the MSCRM Publisher (a component of Scribe Console) is required for this type of integration.  These tasks are not easy for the less experienced individuals related to Scribe Console.

However, in the latest version of Scribe Insight, v6.5, there is a new and simpler option to setup integration between CRM and other systems. It is called the Scribe Workflow Publisher and it uses the internal, graphical interface of the CRM Workflow engine to trigger the integration points.  The main advantages that the Workflow Publisher has over the Plugin Publisher are ease of ease of use, the ability to trigger based on an attribute change and the ability to work with CRM Online.

For me, the option to trigger an integration event based on an attribute change in CRM is a huge plus.  The normal Plugin Publisher triggers an integration every time a record in CRM is added, modified or deleted, regardless of which field is modified.  But with the new Worflow Publisher, everything is based on the CRM Workflow.  So if your Dynamics CRM workflow is set to execute after certain attributes in an entity meet any number of criteria, then the integration takes place.  For example, you can setup a workflow to fire only when an Account’s phone number has changed or when a Contact’s attribute has changed from a Prospect to a Customer or any combination along those lines to fire a workflow and integrate the change to the other system.  As you can imagine the possibilities are numerous.

Enjoy and happy integrating!

By: Dipesh Jobanputra, RSM McGladrey, New Jersey Gold Certified Partner for Microsoft Dynamics

The Best Option For Integrating and Migrating Data for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Using the iFrame technology really allows you to seamlessly incorporate other web based applications (not just SharePoint) into your CRM application.  If you think about it, this possibilities are endless.  You can include Maps (using Bing maps), intranet applications, even blog posts like this.

Let’s look at creating an example:

Let us first create the Document Library in SharePoint. Open the SharePoint site, click on “View all site Contents” and then create a Document Library. Type the document library information and hit Create. Note the path of the Document Library. (Ex: http://Server_Name/Library_Name/).

Next, open a CRM Window for customization. Here is where we will be adding a SharePoint view to the Contact entity. Select the Contact Entity and open the Forms and Views. Open the Main application form to customize. Add a new tab and then add a new section in that tab. Then add an iFrame in the section. Give a name to the iFrame and in the URL, type the URL of the document library (http://Server_Name/Library_Name). Save and publish the form.

And that’s it. While this is a simple example of how these system can integrates, it also demonstrates the flexibility of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system and ways organizations are customizing this system to fit their needs.

By: Avtar Dhillon, RSM McGladrey, New Jersey Microsoft Dynamic Gold Certified Partner

iFrame technology is used to integrate Dynamics CRM with SharePoint is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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1.       Determine your business requirements – needs, business model and functionality. Without sound business processes, a CRM system will only be a contact management system – managing client and prospect information.  A real CRM software solution automates marketing campaigns, sales pipelines and customer service centers.  The first step is to determine your business requirements and define your business processes.  How many business units and territories will you cover and what target markets will you cover?  What is your sales process and what sales representatives cover which territories?  When is a lead/prospect sales ready and how many marketing touches are needed?  Ensuring you have outlined your business needs with corporate goals and aligning them to your sales & marketing teams are essential in making a CRM software purchase. Define the point at which a lead leaves marketing and enters sales.  Define sales pipeline metrics and the workflow of marketing campaigns.  What type of infrastructure will support this system – will it be on-premise, hosted or online?  A business process assessment is the first step to any successful CRM software selection.

2.       Evaluate CRM Technology.  Depending on your business requirements and infrastructure needs, you can narrow down your CRM search.  I have listed a few websites below that are dedicated towards CRM software evaluation. 

• Compare CRM – www.comparecrm.com – a listing of 200+ CRM software vendors including free CRM whitepapers and evaluation guides.
• 2020Software – www.2020software.com – review and compare CRM solutions. Request free demos and compare features and functionality.
• Technology Evaluation Center – www.technologyevaluation.com – Review CRM Software Evaluations & Comparisons with an intelligent evaluation tool.

 3.       Contact a CRM Consultant. After you have defined your requirements and narrowed your CRM software selections, it is time to contact an expert.  CRM consultants will guide you in the process of purchasing and implementing the CRM solution that best fits your business needs now and in the future. 

SBS Group is a New Jersey Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner with certified CRM consultants.  Microsoft Dynamics CRM is available online, on-premise and hosted to fit any and all of your business requirements.  If you are interested in discussing CRM software options or would like to schedule a business process assessment, please contact SBS Group here or email info@sbsgroupusa.com.  With six local offices, SBS provides both on-site and remote support to mid-market companies along the East Coast.

BY: SBS Group – New Jersey Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

1-2-3…CRM Software Buyers Checklist is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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