Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the solution of Microsoft company helping to build long-term customer relations at implementation of sales and marketing efforts and also at customer service.

In the spring of 2012 Microsoft announced that 33,000 customers use Microsoft Dynamics CRM service worldwide, and the total quantity of users exceeds 2.25 million people. Lotus F1 Team selected Microsoft Dynamics AX as the platform for carrying out large-scale transformation of business, since development of design and production and finishing with retail and merchandising. Many other companies, including Hunter Douglas Group, Rockwater Energy Solutions and World Vision Inc. use possibilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Considerably also the community of clients of Microsoft Dynamics extended: such companies as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, Specialists On Call Inc., Nissin Foods Co., The Bradshaw Group Inc., Sta-Home Health & Hospice, Hydro Resources Inc., Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Jets, use the solutions Microsoft Dynamics now to become more successful.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 includes:

• the built-in support of Microsoft Office Outlook for sales management, marketing and provision of services;
• advanced means for creation of reports and the analysis based on services Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services;
• modern and intuitive design and also possibilities of individual preference of the interface and business processes;
• the simplified development tools and managements for IT specialists.

Microsoft CRM is provided in two editions: Professional release (Professional Edition) and Release for small business (Small Business Edition).

2014: New services - Unified Service Desk

Will be composition of customer relationship management: monitoring system of Microsoft Social Listening and Unified Service Desk application.

On March 4, 2014 Microsoft announced new opportunities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM which will become available in the second quarter 2014.

"Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers flexible business solutions which correspond to customers needs. New services will allow the companies to personalize customer relations, to accurately define their requirements and not just to offer that it is necessary for them here and now, but also to build long-term relationship with them", – Bob Stutz, the corporate vice president, Microsoft Dynamics CRM noted.

Unified Service Desk (USD) is the application focused on operators of contact centers. Unified Service Desk helps employees to use all tools of the CRM system, to analyze the existing information and to add new data on the client in one working window, considerably reducing time of processing of a request. Unified Service Desk increases efficiency due to automation of the repeating tasks and displays scripts of possible actions in order that employees provided more efficient service and individual approach to each client.

Implementation cost

The implementation cost of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 consists of the following parts:

• The software for work of the CRM system
• Hardware
• Licenses for MS CRM
• Services of implementation of Microsoft CRM

Microsoft CRM is provided in three editions:

• For corporations (Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise Editions). The option supports several legal entities and unlimited number of user licenses.

• Professional release (Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Editions). The option has no restrictions on number of users, but can be used only in one organization.

• Release for small business or divisions (working groups) of the company (Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Workgroup Edition). The option is held for use in one company and no more than 5 users.

For use of a customer relationship management system of MS CRM 4.0 it is necessary to purchase the license of the product and a set of client licenses for each user of a system.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise Edition

• The server license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise - 167,200 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise Device (full access on the device) - 32,400 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise User (full access on one user) - 32,400 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise Device Ltd (access only to reading to one device) - 9,600 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise User Ltd (access only to reading to one user) - 9,600 rub.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Edition

• The server license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Editions - 65,800
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Edition Device (full access on the device) - 32,400 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Edition User (full access on one user) - 32,400 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Edition Device Ltd (access only to reading to one device) - 9,600 rub.
• The client license Dynamics CRM 4.0 Professional Edition User Ltd (access only to reading to one user) - 9,600 rub.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Workgroup Edition

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Workgroup Edition (the server license, includes full access for five users) - 82,400 rub.

In addition: CRM External Connector

• The module for data access arrangement of MS CRM of any number of clients or partners of CRM External Connector (full access) - 162,000 rub.
• The module for the organization of an information access of any number of clients or partners of CRM External Connector Ltd (only for reading information) - 59,300 rub.

Implementation services

The cost of services of implementation is individual for each client and it consists of the following parts:

• Preproject inspection
• Consulting services in the field of building of effective customer relations of the company, development of CRM strategy
• Implementation of the CRM system, its integration with the IT systems which are available into the companies, training of employees, carrying out trial operation
• Service support of the CRM system and the technology of work with clients implemented in the company

System Requirements

Necessary for software for work of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Before installation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 it is necessary to install, configure and start several software component. A component enter the list of these Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft .NET 3.0.

The hardware for system operation of Microsoft CRM 4.0

Server:

• Processor: Dual 1.8 GHz Xeon P4 above
• RAM: 4 GB
• Controller: SCSI (the second controller is more preferable) with Hardware RAID 5 (3 disks to RAID 5 - 2 for RAID 1)
• Hard Disk: from 80 GB
• Network interface card: 10/100 Mb Network Card

Workstation:

• Processor: Pentium III 650 MHz above
• RAM: 512 MB
• Hard Disk: 100 MB empty seats
• Network interface card: 10/100 Mb

Dynamics CRM 2011 for local deployment

In February, 2011 Microsoft announced availability of "on-premise" - the version of a packet of Dynamics CRM 2011. It should be noted that the version intended for deployment at the enterprise of the customer appeared almost for a month after the "cloud" editorial office (Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online) which assumes transfer of activity of specialists in sales, marketing and customer service online.

Key features are the processed mechanism of management of powers of users on the basis of roles, the accessibility to a system through the Microsoft Outlook e-mail client or the web interface started on the mobile device. For providing to users online access to important information meter panels (dashboards) updated in real time are used.

Besides, directly from the interface of the CRM system the staff of the organization will be able to get access to the Dynamics Marketplace resource where it is possible to find information on the specialized solutions proposed by partner community Microsoft (which part nearly one and a half hundred organizations are). The Microsoft Platform Ready for CRM portal simplifying information exchange about own solutions is offered to attention of partners.

Representatives of Microsoft suggest to pay attention to scalability of a new product. According to the official statement of the producer, the Dynamics CRM 2011 platform is capable to support simultaneous operation to 150 thousand users, fully meeting requirements not only the organizations of the average sizes, but also large international corporations.

Support of "social" functions

The Microsoft company announced in October, 2011 updating for a product line of Dynamics CRM which will allow users CRM- systems, unrolled in a cloud and on the customer's equipment, to estimate support of new "social" features and also provides close integration between solutions Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Microsoft Office 365.

The corporate clients using Dynamics solutions of CRM Online or Office 365 will receive in the order a single platform for the centralized administration, billing and service of the specified products. The released update will also improve operation of the existing recovery mechanisms after failure and replication of data.

The updated Dynamics CRM platform also differs in expanded support of social interactions. For example, the curious new feature under the name Activity Feeds which is described by the staff of Microsoft as "the configured notifications on considerable events which are delivered in real time is offered to attention of users and are presented in shape are compact also simple records for interpretation".

Judging by the offered screenshots, the Activity Feeds mechanism very much reminds events feed of Facebook with upgradeability of the status, automatic informing the user on change of business processes and support of comments and discussions. The released version provides a possibility of delivery of materials of mailings of Activity Feeds to smartphones based on Windows Phone.

The list of the implemented "social" functions also include support of microblogs in style of Twitter which will allow the staff of the organization to interact with each other, to ask questions and to receive irrefragable answers, to share information and to take part in discussions.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM found social functions

Partnership with Moxie Software allowed Microsoft to add to the customer relationship management system of function of joint work in social style.

The packet of Spaces by Moxie consisting of the Knowledge Spaces, Email Spaces, Chat Spaces, Web Self-Service Spaces, CoBrowse Spaces and Social Media Spaces components implements a number of methods of customer interaction — from e-mail and chats before independent search by clients of information in the edited knowledge base. Integration of Spaces by Moxie and Dynamics CRM allows to use Dynamics as a uniform source of information on all contacts with clients, explain in Microsoft. One application works with all channels of interactions connected with records about this contact in Dynamics CRM. Information on contact can be published in the knowledge base in the form of article, available to search.

Employees can actively come into contacts with visitors of the website of the company for what at a packet there is a system of chats. Records about contacts can be made in Dynamics CRM bases, and at the same time the employee uses the same uniform agency application.

Recommendations

Readiness of your company for implementation.

For full implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM first of all it is necessary to answer the only question: Whether "The company is ready to implementation and use of the CRM system?". If in the company there is no clear understanding of CRM strategy which needs to adhere, then to implement the CRM system there is no sense. It will be for nothing the spent money and time. In this case it is necessary to begin with development of the CRM concept which would give advantages to your clients.

If in the company there is a clear understanding of CRM strategy, and you think of implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for improvement of service quality of your clients or for optimization of internal business processes of the company, then it will be necessary to be defined by what forces implementation is performed: own or with involvement of the contractor.

We recommend to entrust such important issue to professionals for a number of reasons:

• The partner will advise the best ideas from the practice.
• The partner has the experience of implementation acquired for years, and implements the project with the minimum terms and costs for the client.
• There is no need to create additional staff and to build processes of work of internal services. In case of involvement of the contractor, you receive already created team of professionals.

How it is correct to select the partner?

The choice of the partner for implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM extremely important issue which it is necessary to treat responsibly. The success of future project depends on this choice for 100%! So, to what it is necessary to pay attention when choosing the partner:

• Request the curriculum vitae of specialists whom the partner is going to involve for the project.

In a pursuit of profit, unfair partners often involve the low-skill specialists who do not have sufficient experience for project implementation.

• Take an interest whether the partner can provide positive reviews from his clients (it is desirable in the industry interesting you)? It is even better to ask the partner to organize a meeting with one of them.

If the partner really qualitatively implements a system, then good relations with the old clients can give him such opportunity.

• Try to find independently negative reviews about the partner.

It is rather difficult since the partner will carefully hide such experience.

• Find out whether the partner is going to use services of outsourcing for project implementation.

Remember that 80% of time on the project are spent on communications. Use of services of outsourcing strongly influences communications in a project team that can lead to a project failure. Considering the fact that now it became "fashionable", and in other words - it is cheap, to use services of the regional companies, this risk increases repeatedly.

• Request a preliminary estimate of the project from several service providers.

At the same time it is not necessary to make the choice, being based only on the amount of the offer. It is necessary to understand accurately the amount of works which are offered by the partner and result which is received by you. The fair partner will turn on all works necessary for you in the offer. In turn unfair can not make it intentionally to underestimate the price and to make it more attractive. But in the course of implementation, for completion of modules or business processes necessary for you, such partner will ask extra fee.

Criticism of the CRM systems of SAP and Oracle

In December, 2013 the corporate vice president of Microsoft for Dynamics CRMBob Stutz at different times participating in development of the CRM systems of SAP and Oracle shared with TAdviser that he thinks of products of main competitors of corporation.Read in more detail

Read Also

• Approaches to implementation of integration implementation projects of Microsoft Dynamics CRM
• Microsoft Dynamics AX

Literature

• Шаблон:Book