7.                  Outlook Client

CRM is available from a web browser and from within the Outlook client for CRM. Both versions have identical functionality and the identical user interface.

The web interface can be made available over the internet (with or without a VPN) but Outlook users must access CRM over the local network. Remote users that do not have access to the local network will need either to access CRM using a browser or use the laptop version of the Outlook and synchronise data periodically when they reconnect to the network.

Note:    A special version of the web client is available for Mobile users from the CRM programmer community.

The screenshot below shows the Outlook 2007 client for CRM displaying the Contacts view window within the Outlook interface. You can see that the full CRM user interface is made available within Outlook together with the same arrangement of work areas in the left hand navigation area.

 

The CRM menu within Outlook also accesses the navigation structure and allows for new activities or CRM entities to be created. The CRM Toolbar also offers these options:

·        Create a new activity.

·        Create a new record for a CRM entity.

·        Track in CRM allows for an existing Contact, Task, Appointment, or Email to be added automatically into CRM and any changes to the data (in either application) automatically synchronised.

·        Set Regarding allows for the regarding object for an activity to be specified quickly within Outlook without having to launch the CRM window.

·        Advanced Find gives access to the views defined in CRM.

The following CRM functions are provided in addition to the full Outlook functionality:

·        Contacts (owned by the user) are copied into the Contacts section to allow contact details from CRM to be used within Outlook. Tracked contacts can have the parent account set with the Set Parent button.

·        Appointment, Tasks, Emails and Contacts originating in CRM can be tracked in Outlook. Data is automatically synchronised and Outlook can be configured to use the CRM forms for these entities instead of the native Outlook form to make sure any custom fields or workflows are available to the user.

·        New Appointments, Tasks, Emails and Contacts originating in Outlook can be tracked in CRM by pressing the Track in CRM button. The Set Regarding can be used to set the appropriate CRM record (which may not be a contact).

Items originating in Outlook are synchronised immediately with CRM as the appropriate track button is pressed. Items originating (and modified) within CRM are synchronised with Outlook on start up and every 15 minutes by default. The CRM-Synchronise with CRM menu option can be used to synchronise on demand.

7.1.              Contacts

The Contacts view in Outlook is modified to show the Contacts from CRM as an alternative to the CRM Contacts View page also available from the appropriate work area navigation. The Outlook view of a Contact contains the same data as the CRM form and the data is automatically synchronised between the two.

There are additional fields available within Outlook and some CRM fields only available by pressing the View in CRM button and editing the data on the CRM form. An additional button is also available here to Set Parent so the parent CRM record (usually the corresponding account record) can be set without popping up the CRM form.

The main benefit of the Outlook form however is the powerful integration that Outlook has with the desktop. The user interface constraints due to the browser implementation are removed in Outlook and much more functionality is available:

·        The Call button allows for outbound calling using TAPI to connect to your telephone system or Instant Messenger.

·        Mail merge is available from the Tools-Mail Merge menu when looking at the Outlook (not CRM) view of Contacts in the Outlook client.

·        Outlook customisations and third-party add-ons are more numerous than for CRM.

·        Macros and other features that apply to a desktop rather than a web applications are present.

Viewing the Outlook contacts from the Outlook contacts pane allows other Outlook functions to be made available particularly the Word Merge option available from the Tools menu. This allows contacts to be selected (with control-click) and then mail merged with Microsoft Word 2007 which can output to a letters or faxes, labels and envelopes, or perform an email merge.

Note:    See the marketing chapter for additional mail merge options.

7.2.              Tracking in CRM and Synchronisation

The following items can be synchronised between CRM and Outlook in both directions:

·        Contacts.

·        Emails.

·        Tasks.

·        Appointments.

·        Phone Calls.

·        Faxes.

Pressing the Track in CRM button within Outlook immediately creates the associated data within CRM for all to see whereas data is synchronised into Outlook from CRM on start-up and every 15 minutes by default.

The CRM-Options-Synchronzation page allows options to be set to clarify which records are downloaded automatically from CRM. This can include Appointments, Tasks, Phone Calls, Letters, Faxes, and Contacts (and associated parent company information) owned by the user.

 

Emails and email templates can also be synchronised with CRM. Email templates are managed either within CRM or from the CRM-Options-Email Templates page. Emails have the following synchronisation options:

·        Synchronise all emails into CRM.

·        Synchronise just emails received that are replies from emails originated in CRM.

·        Synchronise just emails that have email addresses belonging to leads, contacts, or accounts already entered in CRM (see the Address Book options for details).