The Benefits of Combining Microsoft 365 With Dynamics 365

Here are some ways that you can combine Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) with Dynamics 365 for maximum organizational productivity.

Keith Goedde

Vice President, Cloud Strategy

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Table of Content

    Microsoft designed its various productivity platforms to bring out the best in each other. For example, Microsoft Dynamics 365 becomes a much more powerful resource when connected to Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, OneNote, Power BI, and Teams. Here are some ways that you can combine Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) with Dynamics 365 for maximum organizational productivity.

    Excel and Dynamics 365

    Excel is a tremendous aid when your company must update a large amount of data. Rather than arduously editing the records one at a time, you can easily update the records in Excel online, within Dynamics 365. Likewise, Excel makes complex data analysis simple for your organization. Use the Reporting feature in Microsoft Excel online to analyze data; when data in Excel remain connected to the Dynamics 365 platform, your reports are updated automatically.

    Word and Dynamics 365

    Custom templates available in Dynamics 365 provide some of the best features Microsoft Word offers. For example, if you want to provide a professional document for a customer, Word templates allow you to design the document’s layout as if you were working within the Microsoft 365 application. This feature eliminates the time you would spend generating a new document each time you work with similar records.

    Additionally, you can easily merge customer data within the Word template to create summaries.

    Dynamics 365 for Marketing enables you to create customized customer journeys by leveraging data from various sources, providing a personalized experience.

    Outlook and Dynamics 365

    Track your emails with ease when combining Outlook with the Dynamics platform. View information about sales activities such as customer meetings with a single click from the application’s Calendar function. Additionally, create new Dynamics records and activity lists in response to emails; Outlook automatically schedules these activities as tasks and adds them to a customer’s record.

    SharePoint and Dynamics 365

    Save precious database space and reduce your company’s data storage footprint by integrating SharePoint and Dynamics 365. Customer data easily can be sourced from SharePoint, which automatically attaches documents containing this information to the customer record. Take advantage of SharePoint’s document management capabilities from within Dynamics 365 to collaborate with users outside your organization.

    OneNote and Dynamics 365

    When using OneNote with Dynamics 365, you can make and edit notes within an activity wall record—both on the web application and mobile app—for selected entities. Also, promptly capture, organize, and store notes and images in OneNote on any device when connected to Dynamics 365. This feature is only available for Dynamics 365 online deployments and requires SharePoint integration.

    Power BI and Dynamics 365

    Power BI is a Microsoft 365 cloud-based application that, when connected to Dynamics 365, acts as a self-service analytics solution. Power BI automatically refreshes the display of Dynamics 365 online data, allowing you to gain insights into your customers’ business history and improve your processes. Quickly retrieve information from the Dynamics platform, analyze it, and format the data using Power BI visuals for enhanced sales and performance forecasts.

    Teams and Dynamics 365

    Manage your company’s conversations, files, and tools in one collaborative workspace using Microsoft Teams. Integrating Dynamics 365 with Microsoft Teams enables users to easily work with Common Data Service customer information and share files directly from the application. The following are specific benefits of combining Teams and Dynamics 365:

    • Collaboration hub: Access a shared workspace for Microsoft 365 apps to work sales opportunities.
    • Cross-functional collaboration: Work together with customers and colleagues across functions, even those who are not Dynamics 365 users.
    • File integration: Co-author documents using Microsoft 365 and automatically sync to Common Data Service.
    • Mobile app: Search from the Teams mobile app using the Dynamics 365 bot while on the go.

    The benefits of combining your Microsoft 365 applications with Dynamics 365 are numerous. If you would like to further discuss these features or learn more, contact us today.

    Keith Goedde

    Vice President, Cloud Strategy

    Follow Me: