Teams and Dynamics 365 just got better. That’s because they work better together than ever before.
What do I mean by that? Read on.
The power of teamwork
Microsoft’s flagship collaboration platform, Teams, hit 145 million daily active users earlier this year. It’s proved an indispensable part of the digital workplace for organizations, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Meanwhile, their ERP and CRM solution Dynamics 365 has long been a favorite due to its powerful capabilities and leading flexibility. There are many reasons why businesses choose Dynamics 365 – including its seamless integration with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem.
Now, Microsoft has found new ways to integrate Teams and Dynamics 365 more closely, to deliver even further value for users and organizations.
A new Teams and Dynamics 365 experience
At Microsoft’s Inspire conference in July, they revealed what they called a “new Dynamics 365 + Teams experience”. It’s part of Microsoft’s drive to make everything more joined-up and seamless, so that the functionality of one tool is easily accessible via another without breaking the flow of work.
Now, you can use a range of new functionality. Highlights include the ability to do the following:
- View and edit Dynamics 365 records directly within Teams
- Add Teams meetings when creating a Dynamics 365 appointment
- Capture notes in Teams calls which are saved in Dynamics 365 record timelines
- Get automated Teams notifications when Dynamics 365 records are updated
Let’s take a look at what these new capabilities mean for you.
1. View and edit Dynamics 365 records directly within Teams
Now, Dynamics 365 users can invite others within their organization to access and work with customer records within a Teams channel or chat. The data they need to see is right there in front of them, without having to click away from Teams and open Dynamics 365.
It’s a faster, smoother way to work. If sales reps need to consult each other regarding a particular sales opportunity, for example, they can show one another the record in question quickly within the Teams channel they use to communicate and collaborate. Another example: a customer service rep or service engineer can share data on a case, along with instructions for resolving it, in the channel they use.
It’s a more efficient way to get the right information in front of the right people. Ultimately, that means a better way to get tasks completed and issues resolved.
2. Add Teams meetings when creating a Dynamics 365 appointment
Microsoft’s new move to further integrate Teams and Dynamics 365 also helps everyone stay on track more easily. When Dynamics 365 users create an appointment, they can now add a Teams meeting to it.
This means that useful customer information is more easily available during a Teams call. Once again, this is another new Teams and Dynamics 365 integration feature that helps personnel in customer-facing roles arrive at every interaction as well-informed and equipped as possible.
3. Capture notes in Teams calls which are saved in Dynamics 365 record timelines
Notes captured during Teams calls can now be automatically saved in the timeline of the relevant Dynamics 365 record. That means customer service cases can now more easily be kept up to date with all the information that’s gathered.
Don’t worry – the data can only be seen by users with the correct access permissions. That helps your organization to uphold your customer privacy and compliance directives and stay on the right side of data privacy laws – while boosting productivity.
4. Get automated Teams notifications when Dynamics 365 records are updated
The last item of new functionality we’ll reveal can help you keep everyone up to date. When a Dynamics 365 record is updated, for instance with new developments in a customer service case, automatic notifications are sent to all the relevant stakeholders.
Users can select which chats and channels these alerts will be sent to – for instance, a notification can be sent to a channel that one particular customer service team uses. They can define the frequency at which the notifications are sent, so that users aren’t bothered by an excessive amount. It’s also possible to send specific adaptive cards based on the type of notification used.
Ready to start using the new Teams and Dynamics 365 features?
We hope this article was useful. If you want to get started with this new functionality, I’ve got more good news for you: it won’t cost you a thing. Microsoft customers with Teams and Dynamic 365 don’t have to pay to activate these capabilities. So, there’s nothing holding you back.
If you’d like some help getting to grips with the new features we’ve described here, or any other aspect of Teams and Dynamics 365, we’d like to help. Bauen Solutions are Microsoft experts, with all the skill and expertise you need to make the most of your technology investments. We’re ready when you are.
Want to discuss how your organization can make the most of Teams and Dynamics 365? Get in touch with us today.
