Learn How to Get More Mileage from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

 

If you have adopted Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, you may be engaged with out-of-the-box functionality. But did you know that you can customize the software with add-on solutions?

We aren’t talking modules that you buy from a value-add software developer and plug in but changes you create and deploy within Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

The most common way to introduce new functionality to Dynamics CRM is to build solutions in a sandbox or development environment. This environment can be made to mirror your production environment so that you can see how the customizations will fit into workflows and sync with everyday tasks before pushing changes live.

Within Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Tools, select Customization to begin. You may opt for “Default Solution” within Solutions. Everything you choose within Solutions will be recorded so that it may be exported from the sandbox and imported to production upon completion.

There are two kinds of solutions within Microsoft Dynamics CRM: managed and unmanaged. Managed solutions are protected. In other words, once exported to your production environment, managed solutions cannot be changed. This option ensures there is no fooling around with the new functionality you have introduced.

Unmanaged solutions remain editable, however. Of course the solutions creator is able to make changes in the sandbox, but once the solutions are packaged and imported to production, users can make changes.

It is possible to use both models when creating new solutions. For example, you may make the solutions unmanaged in the sandbox and export as managed to production.

 

For more information on customizing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, watch our on-demand webinar, “Learn How to Get More Mileage from Dynamics CRM with Add-on Solutions.