It’s a bit late but it’s always good to learn more Summit takeaways. Here is what was discussed on Day 2 of Summit 2015.
Upgrading
Between 2011 and 2015 there are over 1500 updates so there are many reasons to upgrade. Keep in mind that the longer you wait to upgrade the more difficult it will be. To upgrade (not migrate/re-implement) you will need to go through each version. Keep in mind the optional table merge for 2013 needs to be done to move to 2015. Make sure you schedule time for this in your upgrade if you want to skip 2013.
Upgrades are difficult because of the little hacks and things we did to get around limitations. Using Business rules will make future upgrades easier. Make sure you take advantage of the new features to replace the code you have.
Keep in mind that some new permissions were added with 2013. This means if you have custom Security Roles these will need to be updated to include the new permissions.
If you are considering using mobile, set up IFD and ADFS now. Code will need to be updated to work correctly with IFD. Take the time to do that work with the upgrade so that when you are ready you can just turn on IFD.
Make sure you talk to your ISVs early and ensure they have a migration and upgrade plan. Be sure to follow this plan to prevent accidental deletion of data.
When reviewing your reports, look on the SSRS server to see the date for the last time it was run. If it hasn’t been run for 6 months, remove it.
When demoing new functionality, use CRM Online. CRM 2015 online is the same code base for CRM 2016 on-premise.
Tools:
- Legacy Upgrade Tool – report of everything that I going to fail in IE or Other browsers with the upgrade
- XRM Tool box: Document generator shows all of the items that have been added to entities
Security
CRM was designed for sharing data. Don’t over complicate it with too many business units or security limitations.
New in 2015 – Hierarchical security. This allows you to configure security based on manager or position hierarchy. In both, users will have full access one level down, then read access down the rest of the chain.
A great way to prevent mistakes that are more difficult to control is real time workflows. You can have these run pre-delete for instance to stop users from deleting records of certain statuses. These can be used for many user-error items such as changing status, reassigning, deactivating, etc. Bonus tip: You can even put the user’s name in the error!
Implementation
When looking at a new to you implementation, first take time to evaluate security. This helps you be effective on day 1 as you evaluate concerns, risks, etc.
When building, create an implementation strategy. This gives you something to follow and later will provide historical data of what was done, when, and why.
When working on changes, ensure there is a gate keeper for these requests. This person can manage any dependencies and act as the owner for all changes that go into the production implementation. It is good if this person has a technology background so they can understand and monitor all dependencies for multiple areas (within CRM, integrations, plugins, etc.).
Share the love of CRM with your developers. Show then CRM and explain the power (i.e. creating a field here is updating the database schema). Show them how to build fields, workflows, business process flows, etc. This is a great way to get them involved and help to make sure all changes are fully evaluated to see if they can be done inside of CRM or not.
User Adoption tips:
- Find your biggest resistor and determine the main reason for the resistance
- Work with the resistors through personal training. Show them how CRM will help them. They will become your cheerleaders without even realizing it.
- Continuously provide tips and tricks
- Drive excitement by showing them new features and how these will solve their problems
- Show users what’s in it for them
That’s all for today. I hope to have Day 3 posted soon!