Summary

Microsoft CRM has made an important statement by including so many diverse reports in their first version. Reporting has notoriously been an issue for CRM companies and the fact that Microsoft has paid such close attention to this very important detail shows that they truly understand what companies need to be successful.

The incorporation of Crystal Reports as the reporting engine for Microsoft CRM makes it easier for companies to standardize on a single analytics platform. If companies want to use only the standard reports that ship with Microsoft CRM, there is no need to purchase additional reporting components from Crystal Decisions, the publishers of Crystal Reports. If companies want to modify existing reports or add new ones, they can purchase Crystal Professional and do so. Microsoft CRM ships with an enhancement component that makes Crystal reports aware of the Microsoft CRM object model.

Microsoft CRM reports are grouped into Sales, Service, and Administration categories. Sales reports deal with concepts around Sales Opportunities and provide several list reports and charts as well as pipeline reports and the traditional pipeline funnel to highlight active business. Service reports pull information on Cases, Service Contracts, and related concepts. Administration reports provide lists of Users, Teams, Territories, and Business units.

Microsoft CRM ships with 120 unique reports and each has the capability for grouping, filtering, and searching data. Several third-party analytics and query tools are also available for users with diverse data needs.

Acknowledgement

Sections of this chapter were contributed by Bill Patterson. Bill is a Microsoft Certified CRM Professional and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer. He is a Senior CRM Implementation Consultant with Solonis, Inc. (a Microsoft Gold Partner in Collaborative Solutions) and a leader in CRM Implementation in financial services and professional sports. For questions, comments, etc. you may contact him at [email protected].