Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Dummies

Accelerate your digital transformation and break down silos with Microsoft Dynamics 365

It’s no secret that running a business involves several complex parts like managing staff, financials, marketing, and operations—just to name a few. That’s where Microsoft Dynamics 365, the most profitable business management tool, comes in.

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 For Dummies, you’ll learn the aspects of the program and each of its applications from Customer Service to Financial Management. With expert author Renato Bellu’s clear instructions and helpful tips, you’ll be managing to your fullest advantage before you know it. Let’s get started!

• Digitally transform your business by connecting CRM and ERP
• Use data to make decisions across all business functions
• Integrate Dynamics 365 with Office 365 and LinkedIn
• Manage financials and operations

Are you running a dynamic business? This book shows you how!

Renato Bellu is an ERP and CRM solutions architect and hands-on computer programmer. He has architected and managed some of the most complex ERP and CRM implementations ever successfully completed with Microsoft Dynamics, and has created several successful video courses for Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning.??Ren is also the author of Microsoft Dynamics GP for Dummies.

Introduction 1

Who Should Buy This Book 1

About This Book 2

Part 1: Doing Great Things with Microsoft Dynamics 365 2

Part 2: Customer Engagement (formerly Dynamics CRM Online) 2

Part 3: Business Central ERP (formerly Dynamics NAV) 2

Part 4: Finance and Operations ERP (formerly Dynamics AX) 3

Part 5: The Part of Tens 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Part 1: Doing Great Things with Microsoft Dynamics 365 5

Chapter 1: Floating on a Secure Cloud 7

Getting Under the Dynamics 365 Umbrella 9

Gaining a little historical perspective 10

Reading the roadmap for Microsoft ERP and CRM 12

Asking what’s in the Dynamics 365 “sausage” 13

Standardizing the tools and terminology 15

Transitioning to the Cloud 16

Understanding the difference between hosted client/server and true SaaS 17

Migrating from Dynamics GP or SL to Dynamics 365 19

Migrating from Dynamics CRM or CRM Online to Dynamics 365 21

Migrating from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365

Enterprise edition 22

Migrating from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365

Business edition 23

Chapter 2: Extending Your Reach with Office 365 25

Working with the Admin Center 25

Managing users 26

Purchasing and managing subscriptions 28

Setting the password expiration 31

Integrating Dynamics 365 with Outlook Email 32

Adding the Excel Add-In for Finance and Operations 37

Organizing Documents with SharePoint and OneDrive 40

Messaging with Skype for Business 45

Chapter 3: Powering Up Your Business Intelligence 49

A Little Pre-History 50

Exploring Data through Power BI 51

Installing Power BI Desktop 54

Connecting to Dynamics 365 with Power BI Desktop 55

Connecting to a file 56

Connecting to a SQL View 56

Connecting to Dynamics 365 57

Connecting Power BI to Business Central 57

Connecting Power BI to Finance and Operations 59

Harnessing the Power of Apps and Content Packs 63

Embedding Dashboards in Dynamics 365 65

Chapter 4: Extending Dynamics 365 with PowerApps 67

Providing Power to Your People with PowerApps 68

Finding out whether PowerApps is right for you 70

Making external PowerApps connections 72

Adding an Option set 74

Adding a data connection 76

Making your app your own with App Settings 78

Connecting PowerApps to Dynamics 365 79

Chapter 5: Going with the Microsoft Flow to Enhance Dynamics 365 83

Setting Up Basic Workflows Using Microsoft Flow 84

Grasping the Relationship Between Document Management and Workflow 87

Seeing How Microsoft Does ECM 88

Understanding Workflow in the ERP and CRM Realms 89

Considering your workflow options in Dynamics 365 90

Comprehending the Microsoft Flow advantage 94

Part 2: Customer Engagement (Formerly Dynamics Crm Online) 97

Chapter 6: Turning Relationships into Revenue with Sales 99

Understanding CRM-Related Terms 99

Navigating the Navigation Bar 103

Working with Leads, Accounts, and Contacts 105

Leading the way with leads 107

Working with accounts 110

Connecting with contacts 111

Tracking Opportunities 114

Creating Quotes, Orders and Invoices 116

Chapter 7: Connecting with Customers Anytime, Anywhere with Customer Service 117

Knowing Your Way Around Dynamics 365 for Customer Service 118

Users 119

Accounts 120

Contacts 120

Cases 120

Posts and notes 121

Activities 121

Tasks 121

Queues 123

Views 123

Working with Cases 125

Finding a case 125

Adding a new case 127

Annotating an existing case 129

Taking action on an existing case 130

Adding knowledge articles (KB records) 132

Relating a case to other information 133

Gaining Control with Dynamics 365 for Customer Service Dashboards 135

Chapter 8: Profiting from Project Service Automation 137

Categorizing Project Software 139

Avoiding complicated project accounting 141

Rules of thumb for selecting project software in Dynamics 365 143

Knowing Your Way around Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation 144

Connecting remotely with the Project Service Hub 146

Getting familiar with the components of Project Service Automation 147

Recognizing the importance of planning the setup of Project Service 148

Chapter 9: Creating and Nurturing Leads with Marketing 153

Connecting Marketing to Sales 154

Escaping the Doldrums of Drab Emails and Boring Web Pages 156

Using templates to get up to speed quickly 157

Segmenting your contacts for marketing and subscription lists 158

Adding a static marketing segment 159

Listening to the Voice of the Customer 161

Dashing Off to Marketing Dashboards 164

Configuring Advanced Settings in Dynamics 365 for Marketing 164

Chapter 10: Going Mobile with Field Service 167

Assessing Microsoft’s FSM Competitors 169

Taking the Back-office ERP into Consideration 170

Getting Acquainted with the Key Components of Dynamics 365 for Field Service 171

Living the Dream of Efficient Field Service: The Work Order Lifecycle 174

Configuring Administrative Settings for Dynamics 365 for Field Service 175

Working with Work Orders 177

Adding a Customer Asset 179

Transferring Inventory 180

Part 3: Business Central Erp (Formerly Dynamics Nav) 183

Chapter 11: Accounting for Your Business with Business Central 185

Getting to Know the Interface 188

Making Your Way Around the Home Screen 189

Setting Up the Books 191

Adding accounts to the chart of accounts 192

Defining G/L account categories 194

Specifying bank accounts 196

Entering Sales Quotes 198

Creating Sales Orders and Invoices 200

Creating Sales Credit Memos 202

Maintaining Customers 204

Maintaining Vendors 207

Chapter 12: Setting Up Business Central for Optimal Results 211

Migrating from Dynamics NAV to Business Central 213

Navigating in Business Central 215

Searching for screens and reports 215

Navigating by menu 218

Feeling at home in your Role Center 220

Setting Up Business Central 223

Working with manual setup 225

Setting up number series (sequence numbers) 227

Defining number series relationships 229

Managing users and permissions 230

Setting up inventory 233

Part 4: Finance and Operations Erp (Formerly Dynamics Ax) 237

Chapter 13: Going Beyond Crunching Numbers with Financial Management 239

Getting a Bird’s-Eye View of D365O Capabilities 242

Raising the Flag on Microsoft’s Flagship ERP 243

Learning How to Get Around in D365O 246

Navigating with tiles 249

Setting user preferences 250

Harnessing the Power of Financial Dimensions 252

Chapter 14: Becoming a Smooth Operator with Operations 259

Changing Companies 260

Navigating by Module 261

Taking Advantage of Keyboard Shortcuts 263

Taking a Deeper Dive into D365O Capabilities by Module 264

Mastering Master Data in D365O 268

Surveying the vendor record 268

Surveying the customer record 271

Surveying the inventory item (released product) record 273

Using the More Options button 276

Working with List Pages 278

Exporting List Pages to Excel Spreadsheets 281

Chapter 15: Looking Under the Hood (Understanding the D365O Technology) 283

Upgrading from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations 284

Migrating customizations from over-layering to extensions 285

Rewriting integrations created with AIF 286

Tapping into technology for integrations and data conversions 287

Using a comprehensive design document and a right-sized project plan 289

Personalizing the User Interface 290

Configuring the Global Address Book 297

Creating additional address books 299

Setting global address book default values 299

Creating new party records 300

Transforming Your HR Department with Talent 304

Filing Expense Reports with Expense Management 306

Part 5: The Part of Tens 309

Chapter 16: The Ten Most Exciting Capabilities of Dynamics 365 311

Supercomprehensive Coverage 311

Scalability with Azure 314

Mobile Computing 315

Localization Features 316

Employee Self-Service 318

Common Data Model 321

Team Member License 323

General Data Protection Regulation 323

Unified Interface 324

Categorized and Relevance Search 325

Chapter 17: Ten Dynamic 365 Myths to Dispel 327

Myth 1: Investing in ERP Doesn’t Pay 327

Myth 2: Our ERP Is Too Entrenched 330

Myth 3: ERP Is Too Complex for the Cloud 332

Myth 4: Integrations Are Not Worth It — Just Rekey the Data 333

Myth 5: Software as a Service Is More Expensive than On-Premise 334

Myth 6: The Cloud Is Not Secure Enough for ERP 335

Myth 7: What If the Internet Goes Down 337

Myth 8: I’ll Lose My Data in the Cloud 337

Myth 9: You Won’t Have Control of Your Data 338

Myth 10: Cloud Apps Are Not Customizable 339

Index 341

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The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.