Dynamics CRM and SharePoint are amazing products from Microsoft. But what will happen when we integrate these two platforms?
SharePoint is designed to store unstructured data and it’s an interesting document collaboration tool. On the other side, the main capability of CRM is to capture structured business data and centrally to store it. But both exist independently and we can achieve much more when they are combined for a common use.
Microsoft provides the best feature in their CRM (Customer Management Relationship) software is to connect and automate two disparate systems. Microsoft is a powerful and popular application platform that provides dynamics 365 and Office 365. It simply allows us to create and automate workflows across multiple different applications and services without professional help. Microsoft Flow connects external services like dynamics 365, OneDrive and SharePoint. The way Microsoft Flow allows easy communication between two different systems is completely appreciable.
Let us assume a case that CRM created an invoice and the document of the invoice is generated and attached to the invoice Note. So if you want to upload the invoice document that is attached to note, with metadata from the invoice entity. So, first of all, configure the invoice entity for SPO functionality. Now select the fields to be used for SharePoint metadata, the folder structure and enable the document to overwrite option.
How Workflows works in CRM and SharePoint
When any project documents are created in CRM using Word Templates and then uploaded with workflow to SharePoint, the CRM workflow updates the milestones metadata column in SharePoint that again triggers SharePoint workflows for SharePoint users to track the project deliveries and deadlines.
How to use Dynamics workflows to upload the documents to SharePoint
Sometimes a situation arises in CRM software where the notes attachments are consuming the majority schedule a resource in Microsoft dynamics 365 CE storage capacity. Before moving to this problem, understand how this whole mechanism works? Whenever a user creates a Note with an attachment, you will need a mechanism that will extract the attachments out of Note and upload it to SharePoint and eliminate the attachment from the Note leaving a URL back to SharePoint location of the file in the Note body. To do this, we will need a skilled developer having good knowledge of SharePoint and Dynamics 365. But you won’t believe, this is completely possible by the simple PC users. See, the level of dedication of Microsoft towards its customers, they are leaving no chances to makes our life easier.
The complete guide of Dynamics CRM Workflows to Upload Documents to SharePoint is here:
We know that workflows are the part of Microsoft Dynamics SharePoint Organizer when we synchronize metadata captured in CRM to SharePoint. Here this whole process is explained in two major steps
WORKFLOW 1
Update metadata columns in SharePoint: The simple workflow is very important when using metadata navigation in Microsoft CRM development. For Example, We have a project entity in CRM software. This workflow 1 is triggered when a new note is created and the document is attached to it. When a project is implemented, the stages of the project are updated in CRM. At every project, stage documents arrive CRM as an attachment to Emails and as attachments to Notes. In the SharePoint, when a document is uploaded from Email to Note, the metadata columns that are related to SharePoint are updated by the content of selected records fields. The example of metadata fields is Project stage. This simple step is then triggered when the project stage is modified and updates the corresponding SharePoint column with current project stage.
WORKFLOW 2
Auto upload documents as they are attached to Notes: As we describe it above, using the same project entity, we wish the workflow to upload the documents to defined SharePoint folder and with metadata from the project attributes. The complex part is what triggers the workflow. When configuring Dynamics SPO software for any single entity, we select fields that will be used as metadata. Generally, notes do not have meaningful attributes, while the other entity like the project does have the required metadata. We required to trigger the workflow when new notes are created which then triggers a Project workflow to upload the document from the note, as well as the metadata from the project record.
Overview of both the workflows:
When new Note is created this workflow has triggered a document to attach to it. Then workflow setup Update record will update the New Note created a yes.
In the second workflow, this workflow is triggered when record fields change and select the filed new note created. In the next step make sure new note is created then click yes. In the SPO step, upload from Notes attachment.
In the last step, update New Note created as No, to make the field ready of another attachment needs to be uploaded.
