Integrating Changes in Dynamics to SharePoint

   Words by Paul McQuillan

   on 14/10/2019 08:00:00

DocMan for Dynamics tracks events in CRM to integrate these into SharePoint in the correct fashion.

This can help keep storage between the two cloud systems up to date with new records being created, renamed or deleted.

The most notably event is when a new Record is created in Dynamics, this then creates a new Area in SharePoint (following the rules defined for the integration) and connects the two together.

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On Creation of a New Lead in Dynamics, this can result in a New Folder being created in SharePoint under a ‘Lead Documents’ Library

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This ensures that we have a Document Location in SharePoint for each Record created in CRM, with the DocMan Panel Web Resource then allowing us to view and use this SharePoint Location.

However DocMan also uses three other significant events from CRM to SharePoint:

  • When a Record is updated in CRM, this renames the corresponding Site, Library or Folder in SharePoint
  • When a Record is updated in CRM, this refreshes any applicable Metadata from CRM into the Documents held in SharePoint
  • When a Record is deleted in CRM, this deletes the corresponding SharePoint Location

Each of these Events can be activated or deactivated for an individual Entity in CRM.

To control these events, we can browse to the DocMan Configuration Area in our CRM Settings and to the list of DocMan Entities.

Here, we see the List of Entities that DocMan is configured for within Dynamics:

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This List defines which Entities are working in conjunction with SharePoint through the DocMan App Logic.

We can then drill down into that particular Entity to view the settings specific to that Entity in Dynamics.

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The area for Core Actions then specifies these 4 Events – and we can activate or deactivate each Event within that Entity as required.

This allows us to control the Rename and Delete events in particular as we may not want these Events in operation for how we use SharePoint alongside Dynamics.

In the particular Scenarios that we have worked with:

  • On Create in CRM – Create in SharePoint, whilst normally best activated, could be deactivated so that a SharePoint Location is not created by default until the Record is first used or a first document is uploaded – this prevents excess locations being created in SharePoint if the Records of the Entity only occasionally need Documents.
  • On Update in CRM – Rename in SharePoint, this is a handy feature in keeping the records in synch between Dynamics and SharePoint but if we have distributed links to a particular SharePoint Location and do not want these links to break after the Record in CRM has been renamed then we may want this deactivated.
  • On Update – Publish Metadata, this can be excellent for ensuring changes in CRM are then published down to each of the Documents – but if we want to say track the Sales Stage of an Opportunity or Quote *when* the Document was uploaded, then we may want this deactivated; as then the Document Metadata will remain a record of when the Document was uploaded instead of being refreshed when the Sales Stage changes.
  • On Delete in CRM – Delete in SharePoint, this helps tidy SharePoint and remove Documents that are linked to a Record that has now been deleted – but we may have rules or policies in our organisation that insist we should keep Documents long after a Record has been deleted and so want this deactivated so the Documents connected with a CRM Record are retained beyond the record itself.
  • Email Attachments in SharePoint, when an Email is tracked in Dynamics from Outlook, this setting defines whether the Email Attachments should automatically be moved to the SharePoint Location for that Record – this can be useful for more readily storing Email Attachments and avoiding bloating the Database for Dynamics with larger files.
  • Note Attachments in SharePoint, if a File is added to the Notes in Dynamics, this setting defines whether this will be automatically moved to SharePoint – this can be useful to ensuring documents are not lost in Notes and are instead always saved in the SharePoint Storage we have defined.

This flexibility can be useful in how we want Dynamics and SharePoint to work together.

Interested in improving how you store and manage Documents using Dynamics 365?  You can find out more about DocMan here, or get in touch with us for our expertise integrating Dynamics, Office and SharePoint together.

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