it_user8937 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner with 51-200 employees
Vendor
MS Dynamics – the good, the bad and the ugly.

So no software is perfect and everything these days is in a state that could be best described as perpetual beta. Dynamics online is no different. I think though that more and more people will opt for this platform on the basis of cost so it’s with knowing what’s good and bad. Here’s my list!

The good

There are lots of good features in Dynamics so this is really a list of the highlights:

Case management – This was a core feature in our requirements list and by and large the system has delivered what we need. Dynamics has allowed us to track all customer cases through the system and this is giving us compelling stats that we can use to resource and drive the business.

Integration with Outlook – you’d expect Dynamics to be tightly integrated with other Microsoft products and when it comes to Outlook it doesn’t disappoint. Integration is really straightforward, especially when you are on the Office 365 platform removing all the awkward configuration issues you get with other email systems. Once you are in, the user experience is pretty good and lots of our team (but not me obviously because I am a geek!) use the Outlook client for using the system soup to nuts.

Dashboards and views. Dynamics provides dashboards and views on pretty much all the information it holds and these can be created and shared with people in the team depending on their access. This gives you up to the minute information that’s relevant to what you need without having to resort to Excel.

Online marketing support. The click dimensions feature really is very good and has helped us change the way we do our marketing in a fairly fundamental way. Watch out for a blog on this topic from Learning Pool’s very own guru very soon!

End to end view of the customer – this was what we wanted right at the start and we’re very close to it after 8 months. I think this has improved our customer care capability already but hopefully there’s a lot more to come as the system gets bedded in.

Opportunity management – this is a core function and works well (with a few creases mentioned below). Having oversight of our opportunity pipeline has enabled us to think about things in a different way and this has made us more efficient. It does of course bring its own challenges such as getting the team to keep things up to date but that’d be true of any system.

Integration potential with SharePoint – this really comes alive with the Office 365 platform and although we haven’t stretched this as far as we’d like yet, the initial signs are positive. The historic problems here has been the set up required to make two systems like this shake hands but with the Microsoft Online deal these days, this is just a point and click configuration away.

Bulk editing – if you are a fast growing company like Learning Pool you’ll constantly be re-categorising information about prospects and customers so you’ll need a way to update records quickly. The advanced find feature lets you do this really easily.

The bad

Service level compliance. Dynamics does case management pretty well but bizarrely it doesn’t track compliance to service levels very well at all. We’ve ended up buying a plug from the marketplace to do this so I guess you could argue that there is a solution but my take is that this should be handled beautifully in the core product.

Contract management, the contract feature in dynamics assumes that every contract is a legal entity and therefore cannot be changed. Think about that for your own business and you’ll realise how limiting this is when, for example a contact changes or the contract duration is extended by even a couple of days. After trying to make do with this we’ve had to replace this with a customised entity – an expensive task that had a negative impact on our use of the system (although we look to have fixed it now).

Opportunity detail. The opportunity entity gives you a fair amount of flexibility but we’ve found that we’ve had to customise and extend this entity a lot to make it work for us. Given that what we are trying to do isn’t that unusual and that this is such a key feature from sales support tool you’d think Microsoft would get this right.

Hosting. While I admit it was unfair for me to ask a very senior man from Microsoft whether he was hosting my CRM in his garden shed I did have a point at the time and the chaos caused by the system being down is hurtful. These days we expect hosted services to be ubiquitously available. While dynamics online hosting isn’t terrible, it isn’t bullet proof either.

Mobile apps – there are a couple of third party (free and paid for) that you can get hold of but they are just OK and, in my experience not worth the money. This is a real missing piece in Dynamics and Microsoft don’t look to be too bothered about filling the gap any time soon. Interestingly we’ve been able to manage Ok without this feature and so it’s very much a nice to have for us long term.

The ugly

Data migration. I haven’t put this in the bad section because I suspect that our experience comes down to implementation more than software but we’ve really struggled with data migration. Although dynamics makes some noble attempts at duplicate detection and so on, our experience has been that this was a really painful thing.

Email routing – So this is a pure SAAS product right? So you don’t need to install any server software right?

Wrong!

Dynamics has a thing for email routing that you can use when you are applying workflow to emails (Helpdesk for example). This mail router has to be installed on a windows server somewhere which is just weird. And a pain for a company like ours where we don’t have any windows servers! I hindsight we probably would have chosen not to use the email router at all actually but unfortunately we didn’t know that at the time.

Customer portal. I’ve mentioned before but this thing is just unusable. It also needs its own server by the way which is another reason not to go near it.

Hope that’s a useful list – next up I’ll look at the importance of getting a great partner to help you implement your CRM.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user11019 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Consultant
Why use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for your business?

One thing’s for sure, in order for SMEs to continue their growth and maximise productivity and profitability, they need to be utilising a top class CRM system. There are a few out there on the market, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is one of the most popular – for good reason.

So what exactly are the benefits of implementing a Microsoft Dynamic CRM solution in your business? Here, we’ve put together a list of the five best features that represent this superb tool.

1. Integration.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM has some unbeatable integration functions, especially together with other Microsoft tools. Office is often one of the most popular and used products, and Dynamics CRM offers seamless integration. This tool also provides easy integration with SharePoint – another brilliantly flexible collaborative solution for enterprises of all size and shape.

2. Sales & Marketing

With an easy-to-use interface, your sales team will enjoy optimised performance on the road or in the office. Sales force automation vitally shortens sales cycles and improves the sales team’s knowledge and understanding of prospects and clients. This means more conversions from prospect to sale. The monitoring of marketing campaigns is another benefit of CRM, and Dynamics offers effective campaign management and measurement of essential analytics that will really make a positive difference to marketing focus.

3. Apps & Community

Dynamics CRM has a vibrant and energetic app marketplace. Here you can find a huge variety of regulated top quality apps and services created by reputable partners. These can help you develop and tailor your CRM into something that perfectly suits your business and your needs. With over 2 million active users, there is a strong community of support for Dynamics CRM customers, and it is a community that stretches across the world in over 80 countries.

4. Customer Service Benefits

As with all CRM solutions, customer service is at the forefront of core functionality. By recording all communication with existing customers and logging responses and issues in a comprehensive application, it allows the customer service team to stay on top of accounts and to respond in the best way possible to meet customer and client needs. Integration with tools such as Outlook really helps with the customer service side of CRM, and Dynamics provides this and more.

5. Cloud or on-Premise

This flexibility is essential in the modern business world. Locating your CRM on the cloud gives all sorts of benefits, including the ability to access the system remotely. Although cloud solutions are becoming increasingly safe, with security always a priority, many businesses prefer to keep systems inaccessible from outside business premises. Both of these options are available to SMEs using Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a lot of benefits to businesses of all sizes. Owners of SMEs are becoming more aware of the value that CRM has in managing and growing a business, and Microsoft are continuously developing their products to offer enterprise solutions that comprehensively answer business issues.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user243162 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user243162Founder with 51-200 employees
Vendor

Yes, Alin - you can. There are apps available for iOS, Windows and Android

See all 2 comments
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.
769,630 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Vishwesh Hegde - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Sales Manager at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 20
Keeps our pipeline aligned and Outlook has helped us significantly
Pros and Cons
  • "The Outlook calendar has been very helpful for us."
  • "The UI could definitely be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Dynamics to keep our pipeline aligned with our counterparts and OEMs. We are customers of Microsoft and I'm a technical sales manager. 

What is most valuable?

We have account engagements on a very regular basis, and the product makes it very easy for us to get all the teams immediately via the Outlook Calendar. It's a huge advantage for us. 

What needs improvement?

The UI could definitely be improved. The solution lacks some features and the third-party application ecosystem could be better. I also think that usability could be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product. I haven't faced any downtime in the last two years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I've had minimal interaction with technical support because our internal IT team handles that side of things. I believe they provide good support. 

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

I previously used Salesforce which had a better third-party apps ecosystem and a better UI. In general, I find Salesforce to be more straightforward. If you're selling multiple products and have multiple accounts, managing those with your OEMs is easy in Salesforce because most of them are on Salesforce whereas very few of the enterprise-level OEMs use Dynamics.

What other advice do I have?

The most important thing is to be very sure about where you have saved what.

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Software Developer at Tarika Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 20
An excellent, stable customer relationship management tool that is easy to setup
Pros and Cons
  • "Our clients appreciate that the solution can be used to monitor everything their customer interacts with in their business."
  • "We would like to see the tech support for this product improved, at present we are frequently waiting for a couple of days before we receive any response."

What is our primary use case?

Our clients mainly use this to manage and maintain customer relationships within the requirements of their business. However, our role is to carry out some custom integration that sets the solution up for our clients to use.

What is most valuable?

Our clients appreciate that the solution can be used to monitor everything their customer interacts with in their business.

What needs improvement?

We would like to see the tech support for this product improved, at present we are frequently waiting for a couple of days before we receive any response.  

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with this solution for a few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have found this to be a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very scalable and very customizable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for the solution is straightforward, but editing it for a customization purposes is a bit complex.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was carried out in-house, by one person.

The solution is initially built and configured in a sandbox environment. We deploy it in the sandbox, and we can then transfer it into production.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a 10 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Solution architect at GlassHouse
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Reliable, straightforward installation, and affordable
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a stable solution."
  • "Microsoft Dynamics CRM could improve by being more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for direct pipeline sales and for administration tools to keep the whole sales environment together.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM could improve by being more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 1000 people using this solution in my organization. Our whole is using the solution.

How are customer service and support?

We have had some issues with the solution but they have been normal issues and the support has been fine.

How was the initial setup?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM's initial installation difficulty depends on the organization, but customizing, will take one to ten days.

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

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is very affordable if you use the yearly subscription.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Account manager at a engineering company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Customizable, scalable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the most useful features is we can configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the way that we need. This is configurable."
  • "The installation was difficult. I'm not the person that implements the solution. However, to have the solution function in the correct way, the process can be difficult."

What is most valuable?

One of the most useful features is we can configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the way that we need. This is configurable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have found Microsoft Dynamics CRM easy to scale.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was difficult. I'm not the person that implements the solution. However, to have the solution function in the correct way, the process can be difficult.

What other advice do I have?

I think that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a great solution, but they need to have a global vision about the use and the future. For example, how is this information are going to be exposed or shown in a Power BI? I have seen companies that use this solution, but they don't think in the right way. They don't think the solution is really beneficial. They need to organize the data in the right way for that information in the future could be used better. My recommendation is for others to make the right plan for the present and the future.

I rate Microsoft Dynamics CRM a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
RPA Practice Head at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
A straightforward setup, good pricing, and great technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
  • "If there was a bit more automation, specifically for marketing tasks, that would be ideal."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the CRM for our leads and opportunities, and our client data.

How has it helped my organization?

Slowly, other departments are adopting a lot of the features we've been working with. Right now, it's only in sales and marketing, however, as the other departments adopt it, there will be a lot of streamlining.

What is most valuable?

The management and ability to process leads are the solution's most useful features. It makes it easy to maintain accounts and keep them up to date and relevant.

The interface is very good. It makes the product easy to use.

The price is pretty decent.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

The sales cycle is pretty great. Everything is at the tip of my fingers.

I have good visibility due to the excellent reporting. 

The dashboard is great. From there I can click anywhere and see anything.

What needs improvement?

I've had a relatively good experience using the resolution. I'm not sure if there are any negative aspects of it.

If there was a bit more automation, specifically for marketing tasks, that would be ideal.

For how long have I used the solution?

We only just recently adopted the solution. We started using it about six months ago. It hasn't been a year yet.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is Flash. I haven't seen any bugs or glitches on it. It's been pretty reliable. We don't have complaints in regards to stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. We've been able to ensure it grows with the company. It's been pretty easy to expand it as we need.

We have about 20-25 users on the product currently. They are all in sales and marketing. We'll be rolling it out to the greater company in the coming months.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been very good. We're quite satisfied. I would rate them ten out of ten. They are knowledgable and responsive when it comes to dealing with queries.

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

I did previously use a different solution. This product is much better as it allows me to better process my leads and handle my sales cycle effectively. Everything I need is right there, accessible from the dashboard.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't too complex. We've found it to be rather straightforward. It's easy.

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

The pricing is okay. It's not overly expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We're partners with Microsoft. We have a business relationship with them.

I'd like to let other companies know that this is a pretty cost-effective CRM and well worth considering.

Overall, I'd rate it nine out of ten. It does everything I need it to do and I can access anything from the dashboard. It's quite an effective CRM. Had they offered more automation, I would have given them perfect marks.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Sergiy Ustenko - PeerSpot reviewer
Marketing Manager at Idealsoft
Real User
Easy to use and performs well but integration could be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is that it's easy to use and can work with any Microsoft solution without problems."
  • "Better integration would be an improvement."

What is our primary use case?

My main use of this solution is to collect information from our other Microsoft solutions.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it's easy to use and can work with any Microsoft solution without problems.

What needs improvement?

Better integration would be an improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with this solution for about ten years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Dynamics CRM gives good performance.

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

We have a yearly subscription for this solution.

What other advice do I have?

It's no problem to install additional software and other software models for Microsoft. I would recommend Dynamics CRM to anybody who wants to use it, and I'd rate it as seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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.