User Review
( votes)Microsoft Teams provides a strong solution by enabling seamless collaboration and communication among team members and external partners. Nevertheless, it is important to focus on managing files effectively within the Microsoft Teams platform.
Microsoft Teams stores data directly within SharePoint. However, a limitation emerges during the file upload process in Teams conversations, where users have limited control over the storage location. Files are automatically directed to the root folder of the associated SharePoint site, requiring manual relocation, thus leading to a time-consuming task.
In Microsoft chats, where file sharing is prevalent, files are placed in the user’s ‘OneDrive for Business’ rather than SharePoint, resulting in the establishment of a distinct cloud storage system. This setup adds complexity to the process of searching for and retrieving files, affecting employee productivity and potentially resulting in financial losses, particularly for roles such as customer service and sales representatives.
The standalone utilization of Teams for file management exacerbates the problem, necessitating manual actions to copy or move files to centralized cloud storage. Any lapses in this procedure can result in repercussions during crucial situations. As the volume of organizational data increases with business growth, these obstacles impede efficient communication and collaboration.
A potential resolution to tackle these issues is to integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365 with Microsoft Teams, leveraging their collective capabilities. This integration facilitates the smooth management of files shared during client calls, guaranteeing their linkage to pertinent records within the CRM system.
As an example, in a client call conducted through Teams, if the client provides order updates in the form of a Word document or Excel file in the chat, the integration enables users to seamlessly incorporate them into the relevant CRM record. By navigating to the ‘Files’ tab within Teams, users can save the attachment to the associated SharePoint site, facilitated by the OOB SharePoint integration. Despite the existence of distinct subsites, both Dynamics 365 documents and Teams files ultimately coexist on the same SharePoint site because of the single SharePoint instance for each tenant.
This method guarantees the secure storage of all your files in SharePoint, along with their corresponding records. Retrieving them is a straightforward process—simply navigate to the relevant record in CRM, eliminating the need for manual searches through conversations or chats.
An alternative and efficient approach to file management can involve using Inogic’s Attach2Dynamics, a widely adopted application for file and storage management among Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM users.
With Attach2Dynamics, a convenient button becomes accessible directly on your CRM entity grid, whether it’s an out-of-the-box or custom entity. This feature allows you to effortlessly manage cloud-based (SharePoint) documents directly from your CRM interface.
You can install the app from the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace and make use of a 15-day free trial to explore its capabilities.
Drag and drop files and folders from CRM to SharePoint. In the CRM, you have the capability to generate new folders in SharePoint. The advanced user interface facilitates various actions, including renaming, uploading, deleting, conducting in-depth searches, downloading shareable copies, and even emailing directly as an attachment or link.
This efficient approach allows direct access to all files and folders stored in SharePoint from within CRM, enabling you to make necessary updates and perform various tasks without the need to switch between different tabs.
While Teams is a common source for attachments, a significant number also come through emails. This creates a potential gap in document retrieval, with some documents in SharePoint and others in CRM emails. Moreover, the accumulation of email content and attachments over time can considerably impact your CRM storage space, leading to performance issues. Investing in additional Dynamics 365 space can be a costly solution.
To truly centralize file storage and improve file management, it is advantageous to transfer email attachments to the same SharePoint location. The ability to automate this process would be highly beneficial.
With Attach2Dynamics, all email attachments visible in your CRM timeline can be automatically moved or copied to the corresponding SharePoint location. This not only centralizes file storage but also provides a direct hyperlink to the document in SharePoint for easy access.
Improve your efficiency in managing documents by smoothly migrating documents to SharePoint!
Download the application from Microsoft AppSource now!
Gone are the days of having your client files scattered across different locations, be it in Teams, Email, or CRM files.
Note: This application is specifically created to function seamlessly within Teams when integrated with Dynamics 365. For more details on optimizing its use alongside Teams integration, reach out to Inogic at crm@inogic.com.
The process goes beyond just consolidating file storage through Teams and Microsoft Dynamics 365 integration. We’ll explore the establishment of a customized folder structure and address file security in our upcoming post. Stay tuned.
Revolutionize your document management with Teams today!
The post Streamlined Document Management in Microsoft Teams with Dynamics 365 CRM Integration! appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.
