Is Dynamics 365 a CRM system?

02.01.24

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution helps businesses manage data relating to their customers and prospects. Most often used by sales, marketing and customer service teams, CRM software offers a centralised platform for nurturing and maintaining excellent customer relationships.

Is Microsoft Dynamics 365 a CRM?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 stands out as a powerful and versatile business management solution. As businesses strive to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive growth, Dynamics 365 emerges as a robust platform that seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products and provides a unified approach to managing customer interactions. So, in short, yes Dynamics 365 is a great option for a CRM solution.

In this article, we will delve into the key features, benefits, and history of Dynamics 365 as a CRM, shedding light on how it can revolutionise your organisation's approach to customer engagement.

What is Dynamics 365 CRM?

Dynamics 365 CRM is part of the larger Dynamics 365 suite, which encompasses a range of business applications. At its core, Dynamics 365 CRM is designed to centralise and streamline customer-related processes, providing a complete view of customer interactions across your organisation.

The platform offers modules for Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, and Marketing, providing a comprehensive toolkit to address diverse business needs.

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Microsoft CRM 1.0: Launched in 2003
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0: Released December 2005.
Microsoft Dynamics 4.0: Released December 2007 (was also known as the Titan).
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011: Released February 2010.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013: Released July 2013.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015: Released September 2014.
CRM Cloud service: Launched in 2015.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016: Released November 2015 (8.0, 8.1 and 8.2 versions).
Microsoft Dynamics 365: Microsoft introduced Dynamics CRM’s successor Dynamics 365 in November 2016, which included the following applications: Dynamics 365 for Marketing, Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, Dynamics 365 for Sales, Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation and Dynamics 365 for Field Service.

As Microsoft is constantly upgrading, the names of its applications are also changing. Two key changes to note are:

Dynamics 365 Marketing is now known as Customer Insights.
Microsoft deprecated the Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement SKU/license plan in October 2019.

Key Features of the Dynamics 365 CRM Apps

Dynamics 365 has a range of apps which cover all the offerings of a CRM, they are:

Dynamics 365 for Sales

A key aspect of any CRM solution is to manage leads and prospects with targeted sales strategies, allowing your sales team to effectively win more deals. The Sales module equips sales teams with tools to manage leads, opportunities, and customer interactions effectively. Automation features help streamline repetitive tasks, enabling sales professionals to focus on building relationships and closing deals.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service

The Customer Service module empowers organisations to deliver exceptional customer support. Case management, knowledge base, and service dashboards enhance agent productivity and enable timely resolution of customer issues.

Dynamics 365 Customer Service

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

(Previously Dynamics 365 Marketing)

Dynamics 365’s Marketing module – Customer Insights - facilitates targeted and personalised marketing campaigns. It includes features like lead scoring, email marketing, and real-time customer journey mapping to engage prospects and nurture leads effectively. The features in this app help you to understand your customers in so much detail, you can create genuinely personalised experiences.

Dynamics 365 Field Service

For businesses with on-site service requirements, the Field Service module optimises scheduling, resource allocation, and work order management. It ensures efficient service delivery and enhances customer satisfaction – a key requirement of a CRM system. Your field service team can offer a top-class in-person experience and help build trust with your business by implementing IoT (Internet of Things) which helps to detect problems, automate works orders and schedule technicians.

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Benefits of Dynamics 365 CRM

360-Degree Customer View
Integration with Microsoft 365
Unified Interface
Scalability
AI-driven Insights
Sales Funnel

360-Degree Customer View

Dynamics 365 consolidates customer data from various touchpoints, providing a holistic view of customer interactions. This 360-degree view empowers teams to make informed decisions and tailor their approach to individual customer needs.

Integration with Microsoft 365

As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Dynamics 365 seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 applications, such as Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams. This integration enhances collaboration and ensures a unified experience for users.

Dynamics 365 also stands out from other top CRMs due to its seamless integration with LinkedIn.

Microsoft has diligently merged LinkedIn user data with its suite of products. This integration is particularly advantageous for sales and marketing professionals using Dynamics 365, as it grants them valuable access to information about the platform's extensive user base of 500 million.

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Unified Interface

Dynamics 365 boasts a unified interface that ensures a consistent and intuitive user experience across different modules. This unified approach simplifies navigation, reduces training time, and enhances overall user adoption.

Scalability

Dynamics 365 is adaptable and scalable to accommodate the evolving needs of businesses. Developed on a secure platform, it is designed to address the dynamic requirements of your business and the evolving marketplace. Enable swift deployment of new marketing, e-commerce, and other initiatives, ensuring prompt responses to consumer demands and marketplace conditions.

Whether you're an SMB or a large enterprise, the platform can scale with your organisation's growth.

AI-driven Insights

Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), Dynamics 365 provides predictive analytics and actionable insights.

From a CRM perspective, this enables organisations to anticipate customer needs, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.

Dynamics Ai Tools to Empower Your Business

Sales Funnel

Monitor every potential business prospect as they progress through the sales funnel to enhance overall sales performance.

Utilising CRM solutions enables efficient monitoring of lead-related information, providing valuable insights. This ensures that sales and marketing teams can maintain organisational clarity, comprehend the stage of each lead in the sales pipeline, and identify the individuals involved in advancing each opportunity.

Application Across Industries

Dynamics 365 CRM benefits companies across diverse industries, including but not limited to:

Manufacturing

Streamlining sales processes, managing customer relationships, and optimising after-sales service.

Healthcare

Enhancing patient engagement, managing healthcare provider relationships, and improving service delivery.

Finance

Streamlining customer onboarding, managing financial relationships, and improving client communication.

Retail

Implementing targeted marketing campaigns, managing customer loyalty programs, and optimising the sales process.

Is it possible to transition from an older version of Dynamics CRM to Dynamics 365?

If you are currently using Dynamics CRM, upgrading to Dynamics 365 is an option. For users of CRM Online with cloud-ready systems, the upgrade can be seamlessly done during the license renewal process. On-premise users, however, will need to carefully consider when the optimal time is for them to make the transition to the cloud.

It's important to note that users can only upgrade to Dynamics 365 from the most recent version of their current software; skipping over versions directly to the cloud is not possible. Therefore, if a Dynamics CRM user wishes to upgrade to Dynamics 365's CRM apps, they must be running the most recent version of Dynamics CRM to facilitate a smooth transition.

For those interested in the cloud add-ons option, a "top up" license can be acquired at a low cost, enabling the use of Dynamics 365 in the cloud while maintaining the existing software plan. Users can then discontinue their current plan when the renewal date arrives, and cloud add-ons are available for purchase at any time.

Are you considering Dynamics 365 as a CRM?

If you’re looking for a CRM solution, Dynamics 365 is a great option – get in touch to discuss your business and requirements and our friendly team will be able to help you decide if Dynamics is the CRM for you. Perhaps you are already running Dynamics 365 Finance or Supply Chain? The CRM modules are a great addition to seamlessly integrate your whole business.

Get in touch to discuss your Microsoft Dynamics requirements today - submit a contact form below, email info@syscom.plc.uk or call on 01384 400 600.

Further Information

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