Microsoft released the preview guide for the new
release this month, so we thought we would give our readers a taste of
some of the upcoming features that we are most excited about!
First
off, let’s break down some of the basics. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016
Online is set to be released in December of this year. The name of the
game with CRM 2016 is customer service. Microsoft is really focusing on
helping companies “deliver customer experiences that are personalized, proactive and predictive.” The 2016 update will include Dynamics CRM; Parature, from Microsoft; Dynamics Marketing; and Microsoft Social Engagement.
Microsoft
is striving to drive home four major themes: Productivity,
Intelligence, Mobility and Unified Service. They are also investing
heavily in Dynamics Marketing and Microsoft Social Engagement, which
bodes well for all areas. Let’s dive into some of the features we are
the most excited about overall!
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| Online: Guided User Experience |
Below are some of the enhancements that are in store for Dynamics CRM
2016:
- New Excel Templates: Dynamics CRM 2015 allows you
to conduct analysis in Excel directly within the platform, view sales
data in familiar Excel templates, get analysis and insights directly
into the sales process and efficiently manage sales forecasts,
eliminating time and effort required to switch between applications. In
addition, it allows you to export and analyze Excel data from your
mobile device with Dynamics CRM 2016 apps for tablets and smartphones.
- CRM App for Outlook: Getting key sales capabilities
within the Outlook desktop and mobile browser has become more
streamline. You will be able to open documents using different
applications like Word or PowerPoint on various devices like iPads and
smartphones. Now, you have the option to get contextual information from
Dynamics CRM delivered right in your mailbox for quick and easy review.
- Improved Outlook Experience: Harness the power of
O365 Groups, in 2016, you can get easy access to Excel templates and
create personalized sales documents in Word. Easily track emails and add
contacts with the touch of a button from within an email. You can also
generate new records to track emails through a web browser on a PC, or a
mobile browser on a smart phone.
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: Full offline
capabilities are now available for your sales and service professionals
on smart phones and tablets across all major operating systems. Quickly
complete sales related activities while on the go and streamline
important deals, accounts and activities with verbal instruction to Cortana.
- SMS Marketing: Build your sales pipeline and chart
out your marketing activities, from planning, and execution to measuring
your marketing performance. You’ll be able to create powerful SMS
campaigns and integrate them with your multi-channel campaigns. Easily
configure inbound SMS campaigns, send outgoing promotional SMS messages
and maintain a database of your marketing contacts.
- Cloud Enhancements: Discover information that’s
most relevant and interesting to you. Track documents wherever they are
stored (via OneDrive or O365). You will also be able to get a list of
trending documents from Delve inside CRM. View a consolidated set of
documents across SharePoint, OneDrive for Business and O365 groups.
Discover information that can help you with your current opportunities
or accounts.
- Cortana Integration: Dynamics CRM 2016 embeds
various sales activities, accounts and opportunities into Cortana to
provide the most relevant information to your sales team. Get access to
advanced data management and advanced analytics capabilities and improve
your customer service with the Cortana Analytics Suite.
-
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| Sales: Cortana Integration |
- Improved Document Generation: Build personalized
sales documents with Document Generation using pre-defined Word and
Excel templates with one click. Ultimately, saving you time in building
documents. Automatically have CRM data from account summaries, quotes
and invoices, and product sheets extracted.
- Enriched Data and Analytics: Turn business critical
data into intelligent action and achieve elevated business
transformation. Obtain intelligent product suggestions for cross-selling
and recommend solutions to solve customer service issues. You will also
be able to gain insights into your business and efficiently predict
customer needs with Azure Machine learning.
- Microsoft Social Engagement: Evaluate and drive
social engagement within Dynamics CRM 2016. Easily pinpoint leads from
social media and understand social buzz around a product. You’ll
instantly gain access to powerful social tools and connect with
customers, partners and prospects on various social media sites. Obtain
social insights about your brand and get a true understanding of your
position in the industry.
 |
| Social: Social Listening and Social Analytics |
Superior Customer Engagement
Superior customer engagement is the principal goal of Dynamics CRM
2016. By delivering end-to-end customer solutions across field service,
assisted service and self-service, Dynamics CRM 2016 drives its entire
focus on delivering remarkable customer experiences. Reap benefits of
productivity and intelligence through a single platform to personalize
experiences and have proactive and contextual interactions with
customers to identify and meet their distinct needs.
