CRM 2013 Upgrade Considerations and Key Platform Enhancements

A great session on Dynamics CRM 2013 upgrade considerations and key platform enhancements by Matt Barbour, Microsoft Senior Program Manager.

Discontinuing support for

Windows Server 2003
Windows XP
IE7
Exchange 2003
Reworking some of the accelerators several have been around since v4
This is a one way upgrade
Must upgrade from ur6 or ur14 or higher. CRM 2011 MUST be on one of these patches or the upgrade will refuse to complete
Supporting both in place and migration updates
Base and extension tables are merging in this release
- Reason, improved performance (no joins), less locks, better design
Merge tool is suggested for large data sets. Guidance will be coming on size for when to use merge tool vs during the upgrade
Two new services added, CSS writer and monitoring service
VSS writer – online backup support for CRM, meaning live backup, SCOM support
Monitoring service – health monitoring, will support only 1 test/check for Orion, more tests to be added to future releases, integrates with SCOM pack
Email Connector service – email router v2, this will be part of CRM, no longer need to install email connector separately.
- Today only works on like for like, either online only or on-premise only, this will change in future
Solutions, 2011 will import smoothly into CRM 2013, suggest partners install CRM 2013 dev instance, upgrade the CRM 2011 components and feautes to 2013, then create new 2013 solutions, then use these for updating production systems

CRM versioning system changes (improvements and consistency)

Major.minor.UR/lob.build

CRM 2013 “Orion” is 6.0.0000.xxxx
If second number changes, these are feature changes, adds
If 3rd number changes, these are bands or fixes
R2, service lack, feature lack, mean Minor update
Update roll ups are
Fixes and security only…no more feature adds

Other new adds

OAuth authentic a model, required for IFD deployments
Can’t speak yet about OpenID support
New image data type
Added left outer join to fetchxml (woohoo!!!)

Real time workflow

Transaction aware
Supports both pre and post pipeline support
Security aware
Fits existing workflows can be converted to workflows

Actions / PBL / Business Rules

Access teams (woohoo!!!)

Supports team selling scenarios, enhances security model
Works the way you do
Adding a user records grants them specific access
Can have multiple access teams per entity
E.g. Teams that come in nod do out at different times of a process
Ownership vs collaboration
Does not require team ownership of records
Scalable for large number of dynamic teams
When to use Access teams.
- When number of users are dynamic and fluid, use team ownership
- When number of team’s are fixed, use access teams

October 22, 2013

New Era in Dynamics CRM 2013

Notes from CRMUG Summit 2013, Tampa, FL

I have a few posts from sessions and content from the Dynamics CRM User Group Summit held in Tampa FL the week of October 21.

First up was the New Era in Dynamics CRM 2013 presentation by Param Kahlon, CRM Program Manager, for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Growth in Dynamics CRM continues and in fact is increasing
* 3.5m users
* 40,000 customers
* 66% choose cloud
* 36 double digit growth quarters and accelerating

Key themes for CRM 2013 and beyond
* Performance and scalability
* Agility and process excellence
* Social in context
* Reimagined user experience
* Role tailored mobile experiences
* Richness of custom extensions

One of the key UI/UX Designers for CRM 2013, Wayne Higgins, gave us a little perspective
* Reimagined UI and UX
* All about Efficiency
* New way to get things done
* Relevant tools available (max of 5 commands, drop down nav, etc.)
* Mobile optimized
* Start up experience, easy, user friendly, informative
* Information architecture

Business process management – respond quickly to individual customer need
* Power to business users
* Agility
* Configuration not coding
* Multiple processes
* Client side logic
* Web and mobile
* Rules drive
* Plan to add business process for vertical industries

XRM a much richer platform (back to Param)
* Custom entities flow to mobile devices
* Configurable tool tips
* Quick create for custom entities
* Image data type
* Fluid form entities
* Team selling focus
* Portable business logic (formerly called PBL, now Business Rules)
* Visual process flows for custom entities
* Bing maps for custom entities
* Multiple entity quick find, enhanced search on mobile
* Custom actions and real time workflows

Future
* Online first
* Productivity and communication
* Proactive
* Business process excellence
* User experience edge
* Universal social
* Ubiquitous access
* Mobility

Next few releases
* CRM 2013 now
* Subra, Q1 2014 online only
* Mira, Q1 MarketingPilot updates
* Leo, Q2 tighter Netbreeze and MarketingPilot integration

Subra

* Netbreeze, social list ending and analytical, will be amended directly in CRM
* Scalable online service
* Office 365 integration
* General availability integrated as office 365 service

Mira

* Extended global reach
* Online service only
* Tighter CRM integration
* Multiple channelled campaign management
* Lync and Skype enhancements

Leo

* Revamped customer service
* Mobile and social improvements
* New look for customer service
* State of the art experience
* SLA and entitlement compliance

Will ensure industry templates that have been available in Marketplace will continue to work on 2013 and will add business processes to these as well. Essentially free, unsupported, accelerators.

October 1, 2013

The Partner Connections Event (TPCE) and Dynamics Partner Connections

The Partner Connections Event Happens but Once a Year!

The Partner Connections Event has moved to Florida as well as partnered up with Dynamic Partner Connections to bring you The Partner Connections Event (TPCE) from October 20-22nd. In addition to product focused technical training, attendees will benefit from role-specific tips, industry best practices, peer to peer engagement and gather Microsoft leader insight to improve profitability and competitiveness. With sessions like ?Mobility Options in Dynamics CRM 2013? to the infamous ?50 Marketing Tips in 50 Minutes?, you?re sure to walk away with golden nuggets of information to last you all year!

The Partner Connections Event - Speaker — The Partner Connections Event – Speaker

I will be co-presenting with Julinda Prekop from Ledgeview Partners. Our session is titled: The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Demo Showdown: How to Effectively Demonstrate Dynamics CRM

It will be a lot of fun and we’ll share some great tips with everyone. Bring your ideas too!

Check out the growing list of sessions already confirmed and make plans to attend by registering today: http://www.thepartnerconnectionsevent.com

P.S. If you?re already going to AXUG, CRMUG, or GPUG Summit 2013 Tampa, you can attend The Partner Connections Event for just $199! Don?t miss out on this wide range of learning at a very affordable cost. We look forward to seeing you there!

Partners who attend The Partner Connections Event will receive:

Coaching from industry experts that will help them re-focus and implement key business strategies.
Tips from fellow Partners as to what is working in their own businesses to drive leads, enhance customer satisfaction, and build profitability.
Technical training on the latest and greatest for Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and Microsoft Dynamics GP.
Insight from our Keynote Speakers as far as what the industry future holds and how to prepare for the coming change.
First peek into Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013. Check out the blog post from David Pennington of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM team about this event!

There is something for everyone that is a Dynamics focused partner!

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 ? Unlocking the Data and Security Models
Life Cycle Services (https://lcs.dynamics.com)
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Upgrade Best Practices
Mobile Applications Development
Industry Success with Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Yammer ? Unlocking the Social Enterprise
Compete ? Latest Best Practices
Marketing Pilot ? A New Dimension
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 – The Inside Scoop for Readiness

Microsoft Dynamics GP

MVP Secrets Unveiled
Strategies for Life-long Customer Relationships
The Future of Microsoft Dynamics GP

September 23, 2013

Now Is The Time For Medical Device Sales Leaders To Adapt

Why Now Is The Time For Medical Device Sales Leaders To Adapt

medical-device-sales-leaders | Photo Courtesy of Depositphotos http://depositphotos.com/9155414/stock-photo-Young-businesswoman-leader-of-a-business-team.html?sqc=1&sqm=1062&sq=1oz5fj

There are so many challenges in the medical device sales industry and in health care that companies must recognize the total economic impact of their products and solutions.

Someone who understands that is Medtronic Chairman and CEO Omar Ishrak, who is profiled in an article on the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry website.

Ishrak, who became the company?s CEO in 2011, is quoted in the article as saying that the industry has been slow to adapt to a changing environment. In the past, physicians were basically the only ones making important decisions about innovative medical devices. Today, medical device sales reps are speaking to not only physicians but also to administrative staff and other stakeholders. Therefore, it?s imperative to help them understand the economic benefits of innovative medical devices.

Read more here >>>

Article originally posted on our CRM for Medical Device Organizations website.

September 20, 2013

Remote Technology Can Make Medical Device Sales Reps More Efficient

Remote Technology Make Medical Device Sales Reps More Efficient

improving-sales-rep-efficiency | Photo Courtesy of Depositphotos http://depositphotos.com/13564186/stock-photo-Video-chat-communication.html?sqc=14&sqm=1522&sq=1ni7wj

What if medical device sales reps could remotely participate in several operations at the same time using technology? That?s a possibility raised by a system highlighted in an article on the MedCity News website. Reps could use technology such as iPads and even Google Glass to communicate with surgeons during procedures, the article says.

This is a very interesting concept that could allow medical device sales reps to have greater access to more physicians in a shorter amount of time. There are many hours not well-spent by reps because they?re in a procedure in which the surgeon will only be using their medical device for a portion of the surgery.

Most reps are encouraged to not enter or leave the operating room during a procedure because it could increase the risk of infection. Using remote technology, medical device sales reps might be able to focus their time on other opportunities while still responding to physicians? questions or needs during a procedure.

Read more here >>>

Article originally posted on our CRM for Medical Device Organizations website.

September 18, 2013

Funding For Medical Device Innovation Doesn?t Need To Come From Government

Why Funding For Medical Device Innovation Doesn?t Need To Come From Government

government-funding-medical-device-technology | Photo Courtesy of Depositphotos http://depositphotos.com/12456537/stock-photo-Piggy-bank-and-coin.html?sqc=155&sqm=1125&sq=1n9ydf

While funding for medical device innovation is a good thing, it doesn?t necessarily need to come from government, whether that?s in the form of tax breaks or grants.

Robert Langer, an MIT professor and this year?s recipient of the Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) Lifetime Achievement Award, said in a recent interview on the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry website that a lack of funding is the biggest issue facing the medical device technology industry. He argued for incentives such as tax breaks for those investments.

However, that money should come from the private sector where it works much faster with far less waste. Our tax laws in particular are way too complex already, and all too often end up choosing winners and losers.

Read more here >>>

Article originally posted on our CRM for Medical Device Organizations website.

September 16, 2013

7 Things Every Successful Medical Device Sales Rep Needs To Know

medical-device-industry-management | Photo Courtesy of Depositphotos http://depositphotos.com/3359845/stock-photo-Cute-young-female-using-a-the-help-of-the-internet-to-study.html?sqc=20&sqm=178611&sq=1hdycl

The knowledge required for medical device sales reps to succeed is constantly expanding, and sales training won?t be enough for them to keep up. A post on the Business 2 Community blog nails all the points about why reps must continuously stay up-to-date with the medical device industry, including medical device industry trends, regulations and competition.

Medical device sales CRM systems can help by bringing the information that reps are typically searching for directly into the system. It allows users to easily keep up with industry news or trends and can even send alerts about a competitor based on news articles or social media posts.

The best part is the system captures all this data from multiple sources and puts it in one place within the medical device sales CRM system. That means busy medical device sales reps don?t have to spend hours searching on the Internet for news or topics that are important to them and their customers.

The Business 2 Community article refers to an anecdote about a ?Book of Knowledge? ? not an actual publication, but a metaphor to describe the variety of information sales reps need to have at their disposal. The article lists seven extremely important things for medical devices sales reps to know from the ?Book of Knowledge.?

Who does what: Reps have to be familiar with the responsibilities and concerns of physicians, staff and administrators.
Medical knowledge: Reps should be up-to-date with the latest medical device technology, anatomy and studies relevant to their devices.
The competition: Reps must understand how their competitors? devices work.
The hospital: Reps need to know the rules for visiting labs and operating rooms.
Issues and ethics: Reps should be knowledgeable about areas such as FDA regulation and health care reform, as well as ethical standards such as Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) standards.
Economics: Reps should know how money flows through hospitals and the health care system.
Medical device sales skills: Reps must always be revising their approach to keep up with customers and medical device trends.

Keeping reps informed about everything they need to know requires input from sales trainers, managers, marketing and IT, the post explains.

How does your company keep reps up-to-date on everything they need to know? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Read more here >>>

Article originally posted on our CRM for Medical Device Organizations website.

September 16, 2013

Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 15 available soon

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 15 will be available soon

Good news for Dynamics CRM 2011 users, Update Rollup 15 (UR15) will be released soon. This Update Rollup includes many CRM for Outlook Client improvements that are a result of the work being done in CRM 2013. So, current (on-premise) customers can benefit from performance and stability improvements that have been made for the new release.

Some of the more juicy tidbits:

Update Rollup 15 for Dynamics CRM 2011 provides the following improvements:
It includes a new feature that is scheduled to be delivered with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013. This feature moves the CRM client-specific workload into its own process so that it no longer shares memory with the Microsoft Office Outlook process. This feature is also known as Process Isolation.
It includes an upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server for Windows CE 4.0 for better memory management, better caching, and connection enhancements.
It improves the Address Book Provider to reduce performance issues that are caused by large address books.

Details are here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2843571/en-us

This update will include additional updates for Server, Email Router and Reporting Services. Stay tuned for the release and we will communicate as soon as we have more information.

September 13, 2013

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Release Preview Guide Available

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 is right around the corner! Bob Stutz posted a blog highlighting the release of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Release Preview Guide!? I recommend you check out his blog post here and then download the Release Preview Guide for complete details!

This guide reveals the upcoming enhancements to start preparing users for the upcoming 2013 release of the next major version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

The guide is broken down in five investment areas:

User experience
Process
Tablet and mobile
Enterprise collaboration
Platform enhancements

We?re very excited about the new streamlined form interface, flexible guided processes, simple business rule creation and the increased options for mobile and tablet experiences.

Feel free to contact Infinity Info Systems to learn more or request additional information.

September 12, 2013

Infinity Info Systems Presenting at CRM Users Group (CRMUG)

Infinity Info Systems Presenting at CRM Users Group (CRMUG) in Tampa!

Tampa, Florida is the place to be October 20 ? 24, 2013 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers, partners, and prospective customers.

Infinity Info Systems is once again contributing our time and talented people in sharing impactful information for increasing your CRM success. Bob Peskin and Mike Hammons will both be presenting some really great content.

CRM Reporting 201: C-Level Visibility with Dynamics CRM Dashboards
Managing Microsoft Dynamics CRM & Office 365 Environments
Techie Talk: Upgrading Complex Systems
Techie Talk: Reporting Panel
Techie Talk: Upgrading Complex Systems
User Adoption: Making Progress with Social CRM
User Adoption: Taking Advantage of the Outlook Client

Another great reason for attending this year, Microsoft will be providing the first public, comprehensive review of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013…including about thirty minutes of live demonstrations by Param Kahlon, Group Manager at Microsoft.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, formerly code named ‘Orion,’ will be featured in the CRM keynotes for both The Partner Connections Event and CRMUG Summit. You don?t want to miss this! The sessions that follow Param?s will dive deeper into new features and functionality that will blow Dynamics CRM customers away.

Keynote Times and Dates:

For CRMUG Summit, Tuesday, October 22nd from 8:00 am ? 9:30 am
For Partners – The Partner Connections Event, Sunday, October 20th from 1:00 ? 1:45 pm

A quick note for our Partner friends and colleagues. The Partner Connections Event is the premier opportunity for Microsoft Dynamics Partners to build sales, marketing, leadership, consultant, and developer/architect skills by networking and learning from each other and industry experts. We hope to see you there!

This weekend (September 15) is your last chance to save $100 on Summit registrations – don’t wait any longer to sign up!