Microsoft^® Dynamics 365^™ For Dummies^®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018955085

ISBN: 978-1-119-50886-1; ISBN: 978-1-119-50888-5 (ebk); ISBN: 978-1-119-50889-2 (ebk)

Introduction

Welcome to an exciting new software offering from Microsoft that is destined to change the lives of millions of people all over the globe. As with Office 365, Dynamics 365 is a major release of cloud-based business software from Microsoft that is sure to have a huge impact on the IT industry. It may even profoundly affect your company, your job, and your opportunities for career advancement.

Dynamics 365 is a major release from a major player, Microsoft, which has set the standard in business software for decades and will continue to gain a massive following as it successfully competes with Salesforce.com, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, and other CRM and ERP (accounting software) developers. Businesses are now increasingly making their inevitable transformation from “on premise” software that you own to online subscription-based “software as a service” that you rent. Dynamics 365 is a topic you need to get acquainted with ASAP so that whenever you come across it in your business career, you can talk intelligently about it and understand how you can prosper from it.

Who Should Buy This Book

This book is targeted toward four kinds of people like you:

You are using Dynamics 365 and want to take advantage of its core features, customization options, and workflow and reporting tools, such as Power Apps, Flow, and Power BI, which are included as part of the offering.
You are tasked with evaluating whether Dynamics 365 is right for your company or your clients.
Your company or your client has already or is about to migrate to Dynamics 365, and you need to quickly come up to speed on what this software has to offer.
You are an existing user of “on premise” Microsoft CRM or Microsoft ERP (such as Dynamics AX or Dynamics NAV), and you are eager to learn about the new cloud versions, which have been rebranded and are now part of Dynamics 365.

About This Book

This book can help you safely and quickly navigate the turbulent and confusing bundle of software that falls under the umbrella of Microsoft Dynamics 365. This software is a bewildering mixture of repackaged products that are already used by millions of users but have only recently been moved to the cloud, as well as a whole host of powerful brand-new applications, tools, and technologies. This book dispels the mysteries surrounding Dynamics 365 — mysteries that cannot be unraveled by reading online reviews or marketing hype, but rather can be cleared up only by a concise, easy-to-understand guide that provides an unbiased picture of what truly comprises Dynamics 365 and what it can do (or can’t do) for you and your business.

I’ve organized this book into five parts.

Part 1: Doing Great Things with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Part 1 is all about how Dynamics 365 is so much more than just CRM and ERP software. I discuss the benefits of cloud computing, integration with Microsoft Office 365, as well as Power BI (for business intelligence reporting), PowerApps (for point-and-click configuration of custom mobile apps), and Microsoft Flow (for creating cross-application workflows).

Part 2: Customer Engagement (formerly Dynamics CRM Online)

Part 2 explores the applications that were formerly part of Dynamics CRM Online and now comprise most of Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement. You will learn how Microsoft has expanded, enhanced, and revamped the Microsoft CRM Online applications for Dynamics 365. Applications discussed include Sales, Customer Service, Project Service Automation, Marketing, and Field Service.

Part 3: Business Central ERP (formerly Dynamics NAV)

Part 3 is an overview of Business Central, one of two ERP offerings that fall under the Dynamics 365 umbrella. Business Central is geared toward small to mid-sized organizations.

Part 4: Finance and Operations ERP (formerly Dynamics AX)

Part 4 is an overview of Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, the more complex of the two ERP offerings that fall under the Dynamics 365 umbrella. Finance and Operations is geared toward enterprise clients and mid-market organizations.

Part 5: The Part of Tens

The first chapter in Part 5 provides information about the most exciting capabilities in Dynamics 365. The second dispels common myths associated with cloud computing, business software, and ERP implementations.

Foolish Assumptions

This book can be read by beginners to Dynamics 365, and it is geared toward the layperson rather than as a guide suitable only for professional computer programmers or business software consultants. Nonetheless, I had to make certain assumptions about you as the reader:

You are generally familiar with the Microsoft Windows operating system and related Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Outlook, and Word.
You are a Microsoft Dynamics 365 user or are interested in becoming one, or in assessing this software for your company or for a client or an associate.
You are involved in business in some capacity, and you have a general understanding of business terminology, such as customer service and accounts payable.

Icons Used in This Book

You’ll find icons in all For Dummies books, and this one is no exception. Each one is a little picture in the margin that lets you know something special about the paragraph it sits next to.

A Tip provides the extra tidbit of information that expands on the topic under discussion, making a useful Dynamics 365 feature even more powerful.

The Remember icon is there to remind you of important points and considerations that may have already been touched on earlier in the chapter.

Take note of the Warning icon when you see it. It’s there to alert you to potential pitfalls you may encounter when using, configuring, or assessing the Dynamics 365 software.

Don’t let the Technical Stuff icon scare you away from reading this extra information that is of a slightly more technical nature. That being said, if you’re in more of a rush, you can safely skip these sections.

Beyond the Book

In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product comes with a handy Cheat Sheet associated with this title. To get the Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for Microsoft Dynamics 365 For Dummies cheat sheet in the Search box.

Microsoft® Dynamics 365™ For Dummies®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Microsoft Dynamics 365 For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Doing Great Things with Microsoft Dynamics 365