Tips And Advice on CRM Microsoft Software Implementation

Posted by Ray Lam

Microsoft CRM is CRM answer from Microsoft Business Solutions. If you compare it to other traditional CRM applications, such as Siebel - you will see that Microsoft CRM does use all the resent Microsoft technologies, that means that Microsoft targets its CRM to Windows market exclusively, plus this means that Microsoft CRM is more difficult in its installation. Microsoft doesn’t even have to care about other platforms, such as Linux/Unix or Apple.

Microsoft CRM is for MCSE / Microsoft oriented IT departments - Microsoft CRM would be be-loved system for IT specialists. If you are MCSE+I - CRM will recruit all your MS Exchange, Active Directory, MS SQL Server, Windows domain security, Windows 2003 Server, Web publishing and HTML knowledge and experience. This is completely opposite to earlier Apple Computer believe - that computer systems should be easy in service and completely intuitive. MS CRM is kind of intuitive for end user, but not for its administrator.

MS CRM Integration. As the task itself it is not difficult or challenging one. You can deploy MS SQL Server linked server to show your third party or even heterogeneous data on MS CRM screens. However, when we are talking about enabling working offline - we should get different approach. Your third party system should feed data into MS CRM database - through MS CRM SDK custom utility. In CRM itself you should stick to MS CRM user defined fields. If you take this direction - MS CRM custom features will be taken by Outlook client and synchronized with local machine. Your third party data could reside as it was mentioned in heterogeneous platforms: Oracle, DB 2, Sybase, Lotus Notes Domino, SAP, Pervasive SQL 2000, Ctree or any ODBC compliant database.

Typical Industries. The most popular industry to deploy MS CRM as we saw so far is Transportation & Logistics, where MS CRM is usually integrated with Cargo/Shipment tracking database. Other industries, deploying CRM are: Education, Recruitment & placement, publishing & advertising. MS CRM is getting market in such industries as aerospace & defense, wholesale & retail, pharmaceutical, oil & gas, biotechnology, medicine/hospitals, non-profit

CRM Integration with legacy systems, such as Lotus Notes Domino. Lotus to some extent is ODBC compliant DB platform, and Microsoft SQL Server is very robust to treat IBM Lotus as ODBC linked server to give you initial hint.

MS CRM implementation 2 pennies advice. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is often picked by Microsoft oriented companies, where they are comfortable to support such technologies, as Exchange, IIS, SQL Server, Active Directory, BizTalk, Message Queue. Considering said above means that MS CRM is often self implemented in its technical and installation component, leaving really something like really black side of the moon integration side to external consultants.

Tags: Computing

Under Computing Tags: Computing