What is Microsoft Dynamics 365?
It is a Microsoft platform and suite of applications (also called apps) that provides Customer Relationship Management, commonly called CRM and Enterprise Resource Planning (commonly called ERP) capabilities for global organisations.
What is Dynamics 365 for?
Looking from an organisation point of view, within their processes, it is identifiable that there’s a need for a system to aid with the employee’s efficiency and a good level of integration between the sales process, the service process, the field service process, the operations process and the finance process. With that in mind, Dynamics can be the best available tool in the market to solve any medium to large corporation companies from around the globe, from the private sector to government, public bodies, charities and education.
Sales Process
- An organisation need to generate leads.
- Nurture a lead or potential customer.
- Get the information, qualify them, and propose products and services.
- Then close the deal and sign them as customers.
Service Process
- An organisation needs to provide services to its customers when they need support.
- Maybe an IT issue, as an example.
- It could be a delivery issue.
- The call centre must manage the customer’s details (contact or/and account).
Field Service Process
- An organisation need to provide services to its mobile workforce.
- Needs to provide onsite services.
- Find field services agents’ availability and triangulate with the customer’s location.
- Needs to find the closest possible agent and its proximity to the client’s location.
- We need to get a suitable skill set with the customer’s location and issue to be resolved.
- He is completing a work order from a mobile device (Smartphone or Tablet).
Project Operations Process
- An organisation needs to manage projects and collaborate with teams.
- Need to manage the time spent on a given project.
- Need to be able to manage expenses accurately.
- Need to manage the billing process within a given project.
- Other important project management tasks include budget, timeline and many more.
Finance Process
- An organisation need to manage product orders, inventory and invoice customers.
- It needs to have strong bank management.
- It needs to have a compensation management system.
- Needs invoicing.
- Being able to ledge budgets and have forecasted.
- Needs to manage sales order processing and inquiry.
Dynamics 365 Apps Overview
Microsoft Dynamics 365 contains two pillars, the CRM and the ERP, each holding the following apps.
Dynamics 365 CRM
- Sales.
- Customer Services.
- Fields Services.
- Project Services.
- Marketing.
Dynamics 365 ERP
- Finance.
- Supply Chain.
- Commerce.
- Human Resources.
Power Apps, Common Data Service and Azure
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM and ERP) are built on top of the Application Platform (Power Apps) and Common Data Service, which then are hosted in the Microsoft Azure cloud services.
CRM Deployment Options
On-premises
From 2024, Dynamics CRM on-premises extended support will end, and Dynamics 365 on-premises is set to end in 2026.
Cloud
Online Dynamics 365 power apps are running on Common Data Service.
History of Dynamics 365 Names
- In the beginning, Microsoft started as Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Relationship Management.
- It was then moved to the first CRM, Dynamics CRM v3.0. That’s when the term xRM was born.
- Then, as years passed, Microsoft acquired various ERP applications: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon, etc.
- Dynamics CRM started to go CRM online.
- It is divided into various products: Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement, Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, Dynamics 365 Business Central, etc.
- Then, we are today with Dynamics 365 apps running on Common Data Service.
Dynamics 365 CRM Names Throughout The Years
| In the beginning… | Then… | After… | Today. |
| Dynamics CRM / CRM Online | Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (online and on-premises) | Dynamics 365 Apps (Running on Common Data Service (online)) |
Customer Data Platform •Customer Insights •Customer Voice |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (online and on-premises) | Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) | From 2024, Dynamics CRM on-premises Extended Support will end, and Dynamics 365 on-premises is set to end in 2026. | |
| Dynamics 365 for Sales | Dynamics 365 Sales |
Sales •Sales •Microsoft Relationship Sales |
|
| Dynamics 365 for Customer Services | Dynamics 365 Customer Services |
Service •Customer Service •Field Service •Remote Assist |
|
| Dynamics 365 for Field Service | Dynamics 365 Field Service | Merged under Service | |
| Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation | Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation |
Project Management •Project Operations |
|
| Dynamics 365 for Marketing | Dynamics 365 Marketing | Marketing |
Dynamics 365 ERP Names Throughout The Years
| In the beginning… | Then… | After… | Then… | Today |
| Dynamics AX | Unified Operations | Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations |
Dynamics 365 Finance Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management |
Finance |
|
Supply Chain •Supply Chain Management •Guides •Intelligent Order Management |
||||
| Dynamics 365 Talent | Dynamics 365 Human Resources |
HR •Human Resources |
||
| Dynamics 365 Retail | Dynamics 365 Commerce |
Commerce •Commerce •Fraud Protection |
||
| Navision | Dynamics NAV Online | Dynamics 365 Business Central |
Small and medium business • Central Business Essentials •Business Central Premium •Customer Service Professional (CRM integration) •Sales Professional (CRM integration) |
Dynamics Latest Products Names
To get the latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 product names, you will have to visit their website, as by the time in between that I have written this post, and you are reading, it may well have been updated. Please let me know if you notice before me so I can edit this post here.
[Last update: Oct 2022]
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Documentation
To get the latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 Documentation, you must visit their website.
I suggest starting on the specific app you will be working on, as there is a lot of material, and the steep learning curve is steep.
Dynamics 365 Roadmap Updates
To get the latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 product roadmap, you must visit their website.
Within the same page, you will see the roadmap for Power Platform, as they are very much tangled together. Here you will see a preview of what’s to come so you can prepare for when it is released in the production environment.
You go to get a good plan around those releases of Wave 1 and Wave 2 that happen every year.
Dynamics 365 Pricing
To get the latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 product roadmap, you must visit their website. I won’t list the prices here as these values can vary.
The pricing is a tough one to crack. The licences need to be well thought about when planning an implementation. You will need to think about not just the immediate project but any other future projects that your organisation intend to work with, any integrations, interfaces and storage it is designed to work with to tailor the licences as much as efficiently as it can be. The sales team are pretty good at helping you set it up, as there are also certified consultants who can help understand your licence needs.
Dynamics 365 Certification
Become Microsoft Certified; here is an overview of the certifications you can get through. Ideal for you to deeply understand Dynamics 365 and Power Platform to stand out from the crowd.
[The last updated version here is August 2022.]
Dynamics 365 Certifications
Power Platform Certifications
| Fundamentals – Master the basics | Role-based – Expand your technical skill set |
Accessing Dynamics 365
Create a trial instance of Microsoft Dynamics 365 here >> Exploring Microsoft Dynamics 365 Trial Account Access: An Overview of Key Features – My Expert Solutions
Dynamics 365 CRM tool architecture diagram
In this diagram:
- Dynamics 365 includes the CRM tool.
- The CRM tool has three main components: Data Management, Sales, Marketing, and Service.
- Data Management is responsible for Data Import/Export, Data Duplication Detection, and Data Reporting.
- Sales handle Lead Management and Opportunity Management.
- Marketing takes care of Campaign Management and Email Marketing.
- Service is responsible for Case Management and Knowledge Base.
You can edit this diagram online if you want to make any changes.
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