Automated workflow is one of the most useful features in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Workflow is like a macro that sits in the background, watches for changes or conditions within the database, and then creates records, modifies things, or performs actions based on a pre-defined set of workflow steps.
For example, whenever a new lead is entered into the database for one of your salespeople, workflow can be configured to automatically generate a reminder e-mail to the salesperson and to create activities that aid in implementing your business process. Workflows can be created by a system administrator and applied to an entire organization, or they can be created by individuals to automate a personal business process.
Workflow can change fields, create new records, send e-mails, and perform many routine database tasks on an automated basis. In this example, you’ll see how to create a workflow that will—every time a new opportunity is entered into the database—create a follow-up activity phone call with the prospect.
Outlook 2003/2007/2010/Internet Explorer:
In the Navigation Pane, click Settings and then Processes.
On the Actions toolbar, click the New button.
Give your workflow a name, choose Opportunity as your entity, and select Workflow as your category. Click OK.
Select the Scope for the Workflow.
In the Start When section, select the trigger for the workflow. The trigger is the action (or inaction) that should cause the workflow to start.
Select the Scope for the Workflow.
In the Start When section, select the trigger for the Workflow, what action (or inaction) should cause it to start.
On the Actions toolbar, click the Add Step drop-down and choose the Create Record option.
Type a description for the workflow step. (It might be something like Create Follow-up Call.)
In the Create drop-down, choose the Phone Call option.
Click the Set Properties button to configure the details of the call that will be scheduled.
Click Save and Close.
In this book, you learn two very basic examples of workflows that can be configured in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Keep in mind, though, that you can add multiple steps, wait conditions, child workflows, stages, and a lot more. You could literally spend an entire week creating a complex workflow. In this example, we’ll create a reminder e-mail that gets automatically sent to the owner of a lead when the lead is created.
Outlook 2003/2007/2010/Internet Explorer:
In the Navigation Pane, click Settings and then Processes.
On the Actions toolbar, click the New button.
Give your workflow a name, choose Lead as your entity, and select Workflow as your category type. Click OK.
On the Actions toolbar, click the Add Step drop-down and choose the Send E-mail option.
Click the Set Properties button to configure the e-mail that will be sent.
In the From field, enter the sender contact.
Click your mouse in the To field. In the Form assistant on the right, make sure Lead is selected in the Look for drop-down. In the drop-down below that, choose the Owner option. Then click Add, and then OK. This will add a field placeholder to show that the e-mail should be sent to the lead owner, whoever that is.
Give the e-mail a subject and body, and click Save and Close.
Click Save and Close to save the workflow.
The workflows that we’ve created so far run automatically when a record is changed, a status changes, a record is assigned, a record is deleted, or a record attribute changes. However, you might have some workflows that you want to run on-demand. In these cases, you can highlight a record and force the workflow to perform its steps on the record at that moment.
Outlook 2010/Internet Explorer:
Go to a list of records. For example, you could click Sales in the Navigation Pane and then click Contacts to go to a list of contact records.
In the Process group of the ribbon, click the Run Workflow button.
Select a workflow to run, and click OK.
Click OK to confirm.
Outlook 2003/2007:
Go to a list of records. For example, you could click Sales in the Navigation Pane and then click Contacts to go to a list of contact records.
On the Contacts menu, click the Run Workflow button.
Select a workflow to run, and click OK.
Click OK to confirm.
Think of a dialog as a wizard—the kind that you often see in Windows products. With a dialog, you can prompt the user to enter information about a record and then the system will automatically fill in that information wherever it belongs in CRM.
Outlook 2003/2007/2010/Internet Explorer:
In the Navigation Pane, click Settings and then Processes.
On the Actions toolbar, click the New button.
Give your dialog a name, choose an entity, and select Dialog as your category type. Click OK.
Add your input arguments, variables, and steps to the dialog.
Click the Save & Close button and Activate when you are finished.
