For companies considering a move to integrate SharePoint Server with Dynamics GP, this would make a lot of sense. Those now owning Enterprise SharePoint CALs with Software Assurance can upgrade to PerformancePoint at no additional cost.

An email or a phone call triggers the creation of a case with a case number. Cases are routed by queues to the appropriate tech. All related emails and phone calls are attached to the case and tasks are created to complete the request or solve the problem. Knowledge base articles can be attached and notes added to the case. All this is stored in a history for each case and is searchable. The internal users, the customers of the help desk, are not required to have a CRM 4.0 license. You only save money though, if you are already planning to implement CRM 4.0. You will also need an asset tracking tool that is not part of CRM 4.0. When used in conjunction with an inexpensive asset tracking tool such as AuditWizard , you have a basic IT help desk for a fraction of the cost of a packaged help desk solution.  

While this is draconian in the user’s eye, it is a fact of life in today’s IT world. Maybe we can make it a little easier for our users to accept. First, try a little empathy. Agree with them. Yes, that complex password is difficult to remember and changing it every 60 days is a pain. However, educate users in the reasons for security measures. The message should be:  “We are not trying to hold you back. We are protecting the company and your job.” Use what ever media is available. The company newsletter or intranet are great places to get your message across. I try to get in a positive plug for security at meetings and water cooler chats or whenever the subject comes up at work.

If we empathize with the user while putting a positive spin on security, we can go a long way to getting our users’ cooperation and polishing the IT department’s image.      

Chapter 3, The Evolution of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is provided as a free download. It is interesting to read about the earlier versions and see how Microsoft leveraged the user experience of those earlier versions into CRM 4.0, which is finally a ready for prime time application.  Pre-planning is important in these types of projects. The more information you can get before hand the better things will go. Brent’s blog is a great way to try before you buy and get some good free content at the same time.  

Clearly this could not have been the reasoning in Steve’s case. His salary could only have been a microscopic particle compared to Microsoft’s multi billion dollar budget and he was far from deadwood. Steve is an author, blogger and much sought after speaker who entertained his audience on the normally dull topic of security. He wasn’t singled out. Apparently, Steve’s boss was sacked as well.

So what’s up? One comment on the subject from an IT industry consultant was: “I guess Microsoft thinks their software trustworthy.” I would like to hear what you think.   

You would think that maps would be part of a powerful tool used to track customers and facilitate sales. I mean, what salesperson doesn’t use maps to find customers? I know, if you Google CRM, Microsoft and maps, you will come up with a number of hits. There appears to be a veritable cottage industry of developers out there with MS CRM mapping solutions. Bloggers from the Netherlands,  Spain, and elsewhere abound on the subject. There are a variety of suggestions using Live Maps, MapPoint or Google Maps with MS CRM. You can try these on your own. My question is, shouldn’t the folks from Redmond have thought of this? Maybe it’s coming in MS CRM 5.0.

I would love to hear from anyone who has gotten one of these mapping solutions to work in MS CRM 4.0.

Business rules are a description of a policy, procedure or principal within a specific organization. Business rules define entities, attributes, relationships and constraints; all of which are building blocks of a solid database.

Entities are the people, places and things in an organization and from a database perspective are things about which data can be stored. The characteristics of the entities that the organization does business with are attributes. The relationship of the organization’s entities is learned through business rules, which determine how data will be related in the database, one to one, one to many or many to many. Constraints are part of the business rules and determine the restrictions on data. Constraints also protect data integrity.

I knew a DBA who created a database based on assumptions and not on careful documentation of the business rules. It was a failure because it did not deliver the information that the company needed. It was used for a short period and then abandoned as unworkable.

Understanding and following the business rules allows the database designer to build a database that accurately reflects the workings of the business and becomes a useful tool for the manipulation of data and delivery of reliable information to the organization. Let me know of your experiences with database design.