Dynamics 365 - Should it be Used out-of-the-box?

Posted by jones willis on March 27th, 2020

Say hello to Microsoft Dynamics 365, a cloud-based platform combining customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) to streamline your business processes. In a world where technology is the only constant, organisations need to up their game and invest in a good CRM. On the other hand, they must also think if the promise of over-the-top user interfaces and features are going to generate return value in return of the cost of ownership? Of course, it is! A well-integrated CRM offers a single collaboration platform for your team to communicate, schedule and provides information. Thus, here is how can you successfully integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365 out-of-the-box:

Why should you invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software?

High-valued CRMs profit from intelligent business processes, by increasing visibility, minimising duplicate tasks and efficiently coordinating tasks. Thus, Microsoft CRM can enhance the company’s progress, productivity and profits.

What’s new in Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a perfect software package for sales, as it seamlessly integrates with MS Office entities, such as Exchange, Outlook, SharePoint and others. These out-of-the-box integrations have simple installation processes, which means:

• Microsoft Office and CRM can work together
• No need to learn high-end coding and handle complex integration add-ons to install it
• No extra expenses or time consumed to enhance your Microsoft Office or CRM
• Microsoft-developed plug-ins are installed, reducing your reliance to third-party developers
• Application updates whenever Microsoft develops new technology and upgrades existing ones – boosting CRM functionality
• The standard D365 package contains basic features but can be customised per a business’ requirements
• Categorise your records, such as accounts, opportunities and contacts, and customise templates according to need
• After acquiring a basic understanding of Microsoft Dynamics 365, it can be easily modified to suit the organisation’s system and team

What are the major features of Microsoft Dynamics 365?

One of the most popular Microsoft Dynamics CRMs available today, the Dynamics 365 comes prepackaged with its exciting features is recommended by most software vendors. Apart from its easy installation and deployment compared to a bespoke solution, here are the core features designed to enhance different business processes:

• Customer relationship management

Machine Learning provides valuable insights as per your previous client communications, thus, enabling you to:

o    Identify customer behaviour

o    Qualify leads

o    Predict business results

o    Recommends specialised solutions when interacting with certain customers

• Financial management

Financial management techniques assist you in handling the finances of the business, such as:

o    Audit trails

o    Multi-currency consolidations

o    Budgeting

o    General ledgers

o    Reconciliation and bank management

o    Designing detailed charts and reports to review financial performance to make well-informed decisions

• Supply chain management

Microsoft CRM D365 incorporates supply chain management features that restructure:

o    Warehousing

o    Budget planning

o    Forecasting

o    Purchasing orders

o    Shipping

• Marketing

With out-of-the-box features, you can install and organise:

o    Landing pages

o    Event programmes to generate leads, conversions and customers

o    Email marketing campaigns

o    Tracking each campaign’s performance metrics, such as click-through rates and customer engagement

• Field service

You can use Microsoft CRM to work on:

o    Inventory management

o    Location tracking

o    Auto-scheduling

o    Enabling trade workers to serve customers in real-time

• Project Management

You shall work on a centralised platform, perfect for:

o    Managing bills and other expenses

o    Planning resources and organising tasks

o    Evaluating project performance

o    Tracking employee timesheets

o    Managing inventory levels

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is quite simple to use

Designed and integrated for business procedures, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is user-friendly. It has a simple user interface that Microsoft users are familiar with, which makes it easier to train new employees. The search function bar and informative tools help you find a particular feature, function or datum. They are equally secure, though you might need technical assistance for the same.

What are the disadvantages of Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Though Microsoft Dynamics 365comes with several exciting features, it might not always fit your particular business needs. You are free to integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365 with other suitable programmes for better results, such as:

• Identifying leads
• Scheduling tasks
• Tracking customer reviews

You can customise Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft AppSource is a great application store for business procedures with 800 integrations and plugins that enhance your work with Dynamics 365. Integrate Power BI into D365 to create customised dashboards and interactive charts, which are specialised benefits only for customised formats. Thus, you can speak to any Microsoft service provider to design and installed customised plugins as needed.

Therefore, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is perfect to be used in an out-of-the-box format. If you are looking for expert advice on the same, please visit us at http://walkerscott.co/.