Top 10 Features of the New MS Dynamics CRM 2015

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 is loaded with new features and awesome additions. Some of the features like search enhancements has been long requested, so we are delighted to put together the favourites for you

1. Search: Improved search capabilities provide a quick way to find and navigate to records by letting users enter keywords in the search box on the navigation bar. The search box supports using an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character, and allows the user to search across record types and get a full list of matching search results. The new Advanced Find icon, which is now on the nav bar helps find matches for a certain type of record. Also on the search results page, one can select a filter from the drop-down list.

2. Synchronize more information between CRM and Outlook/ Exchange: Users can now easily sychronize more information, including:

– Additional contacts and tasks fields
– Assigned tasks
– Appointment attachments

3. Tablet Enhancements: Two critical improvements to call out for Dynamics on iPad, Windows 8 and Android tablets including creating offline drafts and later synchronising the changes with connectivity and building an app home page personalised with pinned records & dashboard views.

4. Business Rules: Have now been enhanced and include the following:

– Write once, execute everywhere Business logic is now even easier to implement and enforce
– Server side execution allows business rules to be executed irrespective of whether changes are made through the client or on the server though the SDK. Rules can be executed on create or update of the record and form specific actions (field visibility, lock/unlock and field requirement) are ignored.
– Express richer business logic
> If.. Else if.. Else support enables more complex structures to be easily defined
Combine multiple expressions using simple and/or grouping to enable the definition of richer conditions. For instance, if the lead rating is hot or if the lead is from an existing account, mark this lead as ‘ok to pursue’.
> Support for default values and behaviors
– Set up each record just right for your sales reps by pre-filling information when a record is created. Express condition-less business logic for rules formed of Set Default, Show/Hide, Lock/Unlock, Set Required.

5. Business Process Flows: The introduction of the Client API for business process flows, provides complete programmatic access to active and enabled processes. With JavaScript code, implemented by one of your developers, it is now possible to ensure that the user is always working on the right stage of the right process in any given situation. For example, if a priority prospect is tagged on one or more field values, JavaScript can be used to accelerate this priority prospect to a stage later, in the process flow thereby removing the need for the CRM users to unnecessarily progress this lead through every defined step.

6. Calculated Fields: With the MS Dynamics CRM 2015, one can define the calculated fields in the CRM User Interface without needing to write code. The calculated fields contain a value calculated based on conditions and a formula defined within this field. Imagine, we can now use KPIs and metrics anywhere and everywhere, e.g. Information like Share of Wallet, Total Relationship value for customers will now be available readily without any code or customizations.

7. Campaign Management Console: The new CRM 2015 edition has been enhanced to include complex multi-condition triggers to fine tune responses, embedded cross campaign offers and A/B testing. A/B testing provides marketers the confidence that their efforts will deliver the desired impact by easily setting up and running A/B tests that are multi-objective with results displayed via in place real-time analytics.

8. Integrated Social Listening: This edition of CRM comes with an integrated transactional and social insights and positively impact on your brand with sentiment analysis.

9. Product Families: Sales operations managers can easily configure product offerings that bundle related products together and provide tailored pricelists giving sellers the ability to position the best products at the best price. Salespeople can see suggestions for cross-selling and up-selling, and get recommendations for accessories or substitutes right on the opportunity form while they are working their deal.

10. Sales Hierarchies: With this release manage and report on your sales data in a way that maps to your business, users can see how info is related or grouped by viewing accounts, products, or users in hierarchical charts. One can click a block of info to get more details and navigate to the info you’re interested in. For example, from the hierarchical view for accounts, one can:

– See how an account is doing in overall revenue
– Drill into tiles for sub-accounts to see where the deals are coming from
– Find out who is working an account and enlist help from others by sending email or sharing the account with other salespeople
– View important details about each account, such as credit limit and latest activity posts for the account

With these new additions, the sales, marketing and customer service teams in an organisation using MSDynamics CRM 2015 will see a boost in productivity.