Microsoft has added the Project Service and Field Service applications into their Dynamics 365 Core Group along with traditional Sales and Service. These applications have a lot of people curious as to how these will perform. If you do not have Dynamics 365, then you can sign up for a 30-day trial environment here. You just need to provide some information and then create a name for your ‘trial’ organization. After selecting which apps you would like to preview, your environment will start configuration and take you to your trial Dynamics 365.
For those who already have Dynamics 365 but want to see what Field Service or Project Service are all about, you can select an option from TechNet. When you select “Get Started,” it’ll take you to a page where you can enter your company’s email address (your Dynamics 365 login.) When it is recognized, it’ll let you start a trial of your environment with the features applied. This trial does not have any of your real data, but it will look to have the configurations made.
When testing and reviewing, it can be rough when there is just the User creating the environment to be able to work with. If you want something a little more robust, then you’ll want to add Project Demo Data. You can get this zip file here at the Microsoft Download Center. The zip file will include instructions as to how to add the demo data into your trial environment. (Do note that once you insert the sample data, it cannot be removed.) Through this demo data tool, it creates two additional users in your environment that you can work with. It will require a bit of setup outside the installer so be sure to read the installation guide. The benefit for me is being able to give different users various resource roles and see how they work in the Resource Manager. Also, being able to log in as one of them and create sample time and expense entries to demonstrate the approvals process has been handy. If you are curious, this is an easy way to go out and explore what Microsoft has to offer!
Have questions on downloading, getting the data, or on our free samples? Contact KTL Solutions today. To learn more about how Dynamics 365 can boost project managers’ efficiency, check out the video below.
SCOTT FLORANCE | Business Software Consultant
Scott Florance is one of the CRM Consultants at KTL, and has proven his value as a member of the team since September 2013. Whether implementing a new CRM organization or adding to existing configurations, Scott has engaged clients with a positive and enthusiastic demeanor to help them meet their organizational needs. With six plus years of experience, Scott is familiar with CRM as both a power user and administrator. Scott received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. He is a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for Dynamics CRM, as well as a Certified Scribe Technician.
