Dynamics CRM has come a long way to become an established, and at the same time an evolving platform. There are several ISV solutions that have extended Dynamics CRM beyond a traditional CRM and provided many vertical solutions. One of the ISV solutions I would like to highlight today is “Dynamics CRM 2016 Workflow Tools” by demian_rasko on CodePlex. Like a lot of CRM add-on solutions on CodePlex, this one provides additional functionality at the CRM platform level; and the best part – it is free. This solution is available for Dynamics CRM On-Premises and Dynamics CRM Online, as well as a managed solution. Besides all these benefits, the source code behind this solution is open source, so if you are a developer then you can certainly extend it further to your requirements and add/contribute to this community.
This solution provides a great way for system implementers to configure Dynamics CRM system without customizing and creating plugins for certain use cases. In a recent implementation, I had to create an approval workflow/system on a custom entity. There are several ways you can implement an approval system within Dynamics CRM. I chose to use the “Dynamic CRM 2016 Workflow Tools” solution. One of the workflow tools provided in this solution is “Check If User is in Role.” At the time of the implementation, this workflow activity was implemented in such a way that you had to select a security role by its GUID, which restricted the use of it if your CRM organization had multiple business units.
I identified this limitation and contacted the author, ‘demian_rasko’, about a possible change to the code, the author responded very quickly, and the change was made over a weekend shortly thereafter. That is what I call good support. I think the change to that functionality didn’t affect any existing usage and it actually enhanced it by providing additional options.
Another workflow tool that was recently added to this solution is “Qualify Lead.” We all have complained over how Microsoft has changed the lead qualification process. The user has lost control over the creation of opportunity/account & contact when a lead is qualified. With this workflow activity and ribbon customization on the lead entity, you can control the lead qualification process to your requirements.
Besides the above workflow tools mentioned, there are 25 other workflow activities provided in this solution, with the latest update providing additional functionality even as of May 2, 2016. The features, functionality and the support provided by solutions on CodePlex truly extend the Dynamics CRM platform and allow partners and consultants to create amazing solutions.
You can access the documentation and the download link at the following link: https://msdyncrmworkflowtools.codeplex.com/
You can also participate in the growth of this solution by taking part in the discussions and provide feedback to the author on the CodePlex site. I will repeat one more benefit of this solution – it’s FREE!!!
Interested in learning more about Dynamics CRM workflow tools? Contact KTL Solutions at 866.960.0001 or by emailing [email url=”info@ktlsolutions.com” class=””]info@ktlsolutions.com[/email].
| DAVE VORA |Senior Business Software Consultant and CRM Lead Dave is responsible for leading KTL’s CRM consultants, assuring that our solution scoping, architecting and delivery meet and exceed customer expectations. Dave has built lasting relationships with clients by understanding their business needs and providing value by leveraging their existing resources. Along with his consulting team, he has delivered effective solutions beyond traditional CRM constraints. Dave has more than eight years of experience in implementing business software for a variety of industries including service, government, distribution, non-profit and manufacturing. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Computer Science and also a specialization in Management fromUniversityof California at Irvine. His experience includes helping companies embrace technology to fulfill their organizational needs and creating innovative solutions using CRM, GP, Scribe and other Microsoft products. |
