Tushar Rahatekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Systems Analyst at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Easy to install and easy to use CRM software; feature-rich system, with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a very nice UI, and is very easy to use. It's easy to install, has a lot of features, and provides good technical support."
  • "This CRM system needs to be more configurable. Its performance still needs improvement, because its screens hang while querying data. It's also not highly scalable, so scalability also needs improvement."

What is most valuable?

I found all the usual CRM features valuable in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, e.g. customer registration, customer complaints management, customer contract management, etc.

The system is also very easy to use. Its UI is very nice, e.g. with Microsoft products, the UI is close to being the best, while products from competitors have the worst UI.

What needs improvement?

My recommendations on Microsoft Dynamics CRM in terms of how it could be improved: It should be more configurable and more scalable. Its performance also needs improvement, particularly because its screens hang while querying data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with Microsoft Dynamics CRM for close to 10 years now.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not highly scalable, particularly because it's running on a SQL server database.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

I have no complaints about the technical support provided for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used Siebel CRM prior to using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We discontinued Siebel CRM in 2012.

How was the initial setup?

Installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM was very easy.

What about the implementation team?

We did the installation and implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM ourselves. It only took one day to complete, and we never used a third party to do it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We're on a yearly contract with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Siebel CRM.

What other advice do I have?

We only had one guy who was responsible for the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We have our own IT department with qualified, experienced people for each domain, or for each type of product. We usually don't need the vendors to implement for us, and in case we need help on one or all products, we directly contact Microsoft.

My rating for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Marouan Bellioum - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Program Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Cost-effective and easy to deploy, but they support is slow to respond to queries

What is our primary use case?

I manage projects that include use cases from finance. I take them from beginning to end and manage the expectations. One of our concerns is having a secure infrastructure. In-depth security is part of our design.

We do a lot of development for our clients that is specific to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

What needs improvement?

The dashboard needs to be improved.

The real-time execution could be improved. In particular, there should be better security and performance within the cloud, at the edge level.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for several years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable product but it takes time.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Microsoft is good, although they are not reactive. It takes a long time to answer. This is unlike SAP, which works reactively. When you deal with SAP, the answers are very fast. With Microsoft, however, we have the same SLA but it takes more time to answer.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use SAP CRM.

I recommend using SAP CRM in all regions except for Africa. We use Microsoft Dynamics CRM in Africa because we did not have an SAP partner in the region. However, there is now a partner in North Africa, so we will be migrating all of the Microsoft Dynamics to SAP. That said, it will take time.

SAP is more scalable than Microsoft Dynamics CRM. SAP, however, is more expensive, although it provides more benefit to us.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment is not complex. Microsoft is very good in this regard.

What about the implementation team?

We may use a consultant for deployment because it takes time.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Project Manager at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Enables us to have a 360-degree view of all our customer interactions
Pros and Cons
  • "It ensures that there's continuity, and you don't have to start asking the customer about what happened. From CRM, you can easily see all the interactions and events in the record and take it from there."
  • "In terms of the performance, when it comes to loading a large volume of data, it's slow at times, so the system could be optimized."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for customer relationship management. It enables us to have a 360-degree view of all our customer interactions. We have various touch points and a call center that our customers call into. After every call, we log the interactions with the customer.

We also have customers that walk into our premises, and we attend to various requests like inquiries, requests, or complaints. After the interactions with the customer, we log the interactions. We also have email interactions with customers that are logged on the platform.

When you go to a customer's profile, you're able to see all communications with that customer based on the various touch points. Whether it's a phone call, whether they're coming into the office physically, or whether it's via emails, you're able to see all the interactions and keep a track of all events regarding that customer.

Anybody who looks at the customer profile is able to know what has transpired up until that point and proffer whatever solutions the customer requires based on their inquiries. It's been very helpful.

It's currently deployed on-prem, but we're planning to update to the cloud version.

There are about 125 people using this solution.

What is most valuable?

It's been very helpful in ensuring that we're able to provide the best of services and provide responses to whatever queries we get from all our customers. It ensures that there's continuity, and you don't have to start asking the customer about what happened. From CRM, you can easily see all the interactions and events in the record and take it from there.

We're also able to customize it for some of our core solutions. For example, we do benefit payments, so we're able to utilize the workflow part of that. We found out that when you initiate a benefits payment request, we're able to flow through the different approval stages. We're able to see and keep track of that on the system.

What needs improvement?

In terms of the performance, when it comes to loading a large volume of data, it's slow at times, so the system could be optimized. A lot of those things can be dependent on the kind of resources that you're using, but over time we've been able to scale on the resources and that has actually improved over time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. It's better if you use it for the core function that it was meant for. When we used it for other processes, like our core processes, we found out that it was quite unstable. But the moment we took that process out, it became much more stable.

How are customer service and support?

Whenever we need to reach out to Microsoft, they're always there to provide required assistance.

How was the initial setup?

Setup was easy, especially when you have capable partners. The only thing is that when we use it for some of our very processor intensive processes, we found out that it couldn't handle that very effectively. We had to take that process out.

We try to maximize the functionality of the system. We have to do a lot of customizations initially for our core processes. CRM is really for managing customer interactions, so by the time you start using it for things that it's not meant for, then you won't get the best of it.

Deployment took about nine months because we used it for much more than customer relationship management. We used it for our core processes too. By bringing in those processes, they actually extended the project timeline. For the core CRM itself, implementation was done within four months.

What about the implementation team?

Our partners implemented the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The implementation depends on the number of licenses, as well as the partner who is also implementing. It also depends on the core processes you want to bring in. The cost depends on a number of factors, so whoever is implementing it will need to take that into consideration before it is done.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 8 out of 10. 

I would absolutely recommend this solution to those who want to start using it. My advice is that you need to understand what the scope of the project is. What exactly do you want CRM to do? If it's for customers and to manage customer interactions, then it's going to perform excellently well.

If you're bringing in other processes into the solution outside of core CRM functionalities, then you need to ensure that the system is able to handle such processes. But when it comes to handling a large volume of data processing, there might be a drive on the system, but it handles its core functions adequately well.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Daniel_Thomas - PeerSpot reviewer
CRM Analytics Lead-Consumer Insights at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Works effectively with Microsoft tools and has been exponentially helpful, but is not agnostic when working with other platforms and requires a lot of work on the backend
Pros and Cons
  • "The way it effectively works with the array of other Microsoft tools, such as Azure, is valuable. It works very well with the use of data linking and things like that. Overall, it is a great overall tool to have an effective understanding of the transactional background of each of our customers."
  • "When it comes to any necessary changes or updates, we have issues. It is not very agnostic in terms of working with other platforms. A lot of data transformation had to be done internally in order to send it to various systems."

What is our primary use case?

It is a general CRM. It almost acts as the central hub through which all of our transactions, whether e-commerce or retail, are funneled. It also brings in everything from our inventory. So, essentially, the overall collection of all of that data is deployed through it. This is the main tool that we use.

What is most valuable?

The way it effectively works with the array of other Microsoft tools, such as Azure, is valuable. It works very well with the use of data linking and things like that. Overall, it is a great overall tool to have an effective understanding of the transactional background of each of our customers.

What needs improvement?

One of the biggest challenges is that there is a huge disconnect between, "The business wants this data available," and making that data available in our systems. It requires a lot of effort. There's a huge disconnect, and that's because of a lot of backend work that needs to get done.

From a user standpoint, it is fairly intuitive. Its user interface is nothing phenomenal, but it is intuitive. However, on the backend, a lot of work is required to effectively push the data through. It requires a very heavy lift on the organization's part. It is a complex backend. 

When it comes to any necessary changes or updates, we have issues. It is not very agnostic in terms of working with other platforms. A lot of data transformation had to be done internally in order to send it to various systems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one year and five months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its performance is reliable, but when it comes to any changes or updates, we have issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a challenge to grow it quite substantially. It involves a lot of work, but the solution overall is scalable as long as you're sticking with Microsoft.

We have anywhere between 50 and 60 end-users, and on the backend, we have about 15 users. It is used quite extensively. All of our data filtering from transactions is flowing into it.

How are customer service and support?

In terms of overall technical support, we work with partners. So, we have Microsoft partners who support us with day-to-day issues. 

In terms of online tools and various instructional write-ups, Microsoft is quite comprehensive. There is a multitude of information available. It is down to the user to dive into it, but it is all there.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I don't believe we were using anything else previously. A majority of our systems are Microsoft systems.

What about the implementation team?

We had our team, but that wasn't enough. We had to work with specific partners. There are a few companies where the challenge is the amount of legwork to get things going for the business and the startup cost. 

There was quite a large set of developers. There were upwards of 20 developers, and there were upwards of five business analysts who were effectively capturing use cases from the business to help understand how we wanted the data. It was overall managed by three or four key managers and one director. It took upwards of eight months.

It does require maintenance, which is handled by our technology team.

What was our ROI?

I can't put a number to it, but the use of this system and the collection of the data has exponentially helped the company.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is a part of one comprehensive user license, which depends on the role of the individual. This is where Microsoft excels. 

It is a very comprehensive package. We get everything from Access to D 365. We get Microsoft's suite of tools. I'm not too sure about the pricing, but I can't imagine it being cheap.

In terms of additional fees, we have particular partners we have to work with. It is very similar to how Google has Google partners. We have dedicated partners, and the fees with them are quite high.

What other advice do I have?

Understanding your overall strategy with data is critical. When you are using or getting used to one particular client platform, an enterprise requirement to scale it up requires enormous amounts of capital. 

It is definitely not geared towards small-sized or medium-sized businesses. It has to be large organizations. I do know that D 365 does have things for small-sized and medium-sized businesses, but I haven't worked with it in that capacity. Knowing what I know about how it works at an enterprise level, the amount of work or cost incurred to make it more and more scalable is definitely something that small-sized and medium-sized businesses can't do.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Cameo Mbowane - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Executive Officer at Customersoft Innovation
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Integrates well, widely accessible, and useful installation documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the integration with Microsoft Office 365."
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM could improve by making it easier to export data to SharePoint because most of our customers use SharePoint. They have to log into a Microsoft environment platform from their SharePoint for access should be made easier. Additionally, if the customer portal was enhanced for it to be customized it would be a benefit."

What is our primary use case?

We were using Microsoft Dynamics CRM in a facility management company for contract and customer relationship management.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the integration with Microsoft Office 365.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM could improve by making it easier to export data to SharePoint because most of our customers use SharePoint. They have to log into a Microsoft environment platform from their SharePoint for access should be made easier. Additionally, if the customer portal was enhanced for it to be customized it would be a benefit.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Microsoft Dynamics CRM for approximately six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is stable and accessible for businesses with approximately 50 users. These would be small to medium-sized companies.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is scalable for the usage of my customers.

The departments that use the solution the most are customer service, business development, sales, and the back office for order processing.  

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed to contact Microsoft Dynamics CRM directly. There is enough documentation available to do the installation without any hassles.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is straightforward. The whole design and new deployment took between four to six months, which is easy deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The customers that have Microsoft Office 365, the license price is competitive. It is competitive because the next solution above it is Salesforce, which is licensed quite high. The price annually was approximately $55 per user but we did a combination of users with some of them having the higher range of approximately $85.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is they need to choose a capable consulting team because projects fail at a data level. We have to deal with data, and this is where the projects fail.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Technology, Tools, & Solutions - Program Manager at a consultancy with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Beneficial third-party application integration, reliable, but customization could improve
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the integration capabilities with other third-party software. It has an easy user interface and in terms of security, it has permission-based access for different users."
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not that customizable, you can customize it, but a lot of it is still pre-built in a way that you have a lot of details in there that you don't need."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for our opportunity tracking system. Anytime we have sales opportunities, we integrate the solution with our quoting software. The quote is generated and all the details flow into our Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which then builds our pipeline. We're able to integrate it with other Microsoft forms and our Dynamics SL Accounting system.

How has it helped my organization?

When a sale is made or an award is given it is entered into the Dynamics SL Accounting system and we filter the sales report which helps us do better forecasting for our financials for the year.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the integration capabilities with other third-party software. It has an easy user interface and in terms of security, it has permission-based access for different users.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not that customizable, you can customize it, but a lot of it is still pre-built in a way that you have a lot of details in there that you don't need.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for approximately three years. My company has been using the solution for approximately seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is fairly good, it doesn't tend to break, it has reliable access. We have a number of users all working remotely, it handles and balances the workloads.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are some challenges with stability for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. However, we could not be fully utilizing the features to archive. For example, when using list items there is a lot of times we have data that goes in, and it just stays there. It's a manual process to remove some of the items. It would be good to have some kind of a better cleanup and archiving function.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't dealt with the tech support. I know that Microsoft tends to be not the easiest to deal with. You have to keep paying more for higher levels of Premium Support instead of having support from the beginning.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is somewhat complex.

What was our ROI?

We have received a high ROI from using Microsoft Dynamics CRM considering it's such a vital part of our organization's entire operations and its ability to consistently be upgraded to have new features and benefits and integrations with emerging software. 

I would rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM ROI value a nine out of ten.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have a three-year ELA with all our Microsoft solutions and often we had to do a true-up which was approximately $1,000,000. Additionally, we pay approximately $2,500 a month for support.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others wanting to implement this solution is to make sure that they have a proper enterprise architecture. If you're starting out small, make sure you fully understand the different use cases, because you may end up overpaying for features that are never put into use.

I would recommend the professional services and training for implementation, to allow the staff to receive the knowledge of how to do some of the customizations. It does require some change management across the organization in terms of how to use fields, and all the different touchpoints. It's a pretty good database, it is not perfect, but it is the mid-range level solution. There are automation features that could improve, but with certain software, you can integrate to have it managed some automation in the background.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Nikhil Kurup - PeerSpot reviewer
Asst. Manager Strategic Marketing, Microsoft Partnership at Nous Infosystems
MSP
A scalable solution that accurately monitors and keeps track of things
Pros and Cons
  • "Integration with other Microsoft tools is a good feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM."
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM's customer support could be improved as tickets usually take a long time to resolve."

What is our primary use case?

We maintain a client base on Microsoft Dynamics CRM and regularly update various sales motion statuses on Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows you to create reports and download Excel. Integration with other Microsoft tools is a good feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM's customer support could be improved as tickets usually take a long time to resolve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We did not face too many glitches with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, but the few glitches we faced took a long time to resolve. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a pretty stable solution.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM an eight or nine out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Over 50 users use Microsoft Dynamics CRM in our organization. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a pretty scalable solution.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a nine or ten out of ten for scalability.

What was our ROI?

In terms of sales, I have seen a pretty good return on investment with Microsoft Dynamics CRM because it accurately monitors and keeps track of things. Microsoft Dynamics CRM also helps us close sales motions faster.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an expensive solution.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM an eight out of ten for pricing.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is deployed on-cloud in our organization. We get the solution for free as part of our Microsoft partnership.

Overall, I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Paul Olaleru - PeerSpot reviewer
Business Development Manager at Artech2000
Real User
Top 20
A user-friendly solution that needs to improve its capacity to allow for the incorporation of more data from customers
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM has to be its interface...Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a user-friendly platform."
  • "It lacks to provide a more detailed profile of the customer, which would have been better and more useful."

What is our primary use case?

We use our company to store customer information and track customer engagement.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM has to be its interface. The product helps with the step-by-step process of engaging clients and moving them from opportunities to paying clients. The product also makes it possible for us to classify and practicalize our target market allowing us to ultimately be able to focus on those customers who show interest in a product or service.

What needs improvement?

All CRM solutions have room for improvement. So far for me, I haven't seen any need for improvement in Microsoft Dynamics CRM yet.

If I am correct, the tool makes it possible for its user to have the profile of customers, along with their pictures, which is good. It lacks to provide a more detailed profile of the customer, which would have been better and more useful. Though the product provides phone numbers and email addresses, I feel that in some cases, it would have been better if the business addresses were provided as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for a year as a customer.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is very scalable.

I don't know if Microsoft Dynamics CRM can expand to 500, and I don't know if it can still perform at a distinct level. So far, the scalability has been good, considering our business. We have no issues so far.

There are over 50 users using this solution in my company.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Microsoft is a popular product in our region. We wanted a popular brand to work with so that we had something we could easily trust rather than trusting other unknown or new software. Basically, because of the brand name and since Microsoft came to Nigeria, and all the more adding to the aforementioned details was its popularity in our region which made us choose it.

How was the initial setup?

We have to face lots of issues with card payments because of the restrictions in our region. Apart from that, there aren't any formal restrictions or any difficulties in setting up the product. The solution's setup phase is a seamless process, especially once you get it on board.

The solution is deployed on Azure in our organization.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a user-friendly platform.

My first piece of advice to those planning to use it would be that you are working with a known brand and popular brand that has stood the test of time. The moment you sign up and adopt Microsoft Dynamics or Microsoft CRM, you are well assured of reliable support from wherever you are. They are just an email away. I believe since I've registered before, I know that I haven't stopped providing a support structure that will be present and available to reach out to you at any moment, given the severity of the situation. Once you have the software, it will give you peace of mind. I have been doing a lot of research looking at Gartner Quadrant, but I haven't studied the different software solutions. I found out that Microsoft is the leader in one of the quadrants mentioned in the Gartner Quadrant. It is an opportunity to put your business or your organization, or whatever you want to use it for, on the world map using a worldwide trusted software.

The reason is that I believe that there is still room for improvement because of its activities in the industry. It has to stand the test of time because of its brand name, popularity, and the reviews I have read over time. I believe that a rating of seven is good standing for now.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a seven out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Dynamics CRM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Dynamics CRM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.