Dynamics 365 App for Outlook – How to setup?

When we need to use Dynamics 365 together with our familiar outlook email client, actually we have two options as Dynamics 365 Client for Outlook and Dynamics 365 App for Outlook.

Dynamics 365 Client for Outlook is actually the old method, which require manually installing the client in all machines. This supports off-line capabilities helping user in the field without internet connectivity. This gives all the necessary functionalities allowing users to adopt to Dynamics functions within the outlook but doesn’t work in mobile or web versions. Still biggest drawback is it pushes outlook to perform slow. Anyway, Microsoft has announced its deprecation.

Dynamics 365 App for Outlook is the successor. This supports all Outlook versions such as full client, web and mobile. No manual installation is required since D365 itself can be configured to push the add-in to Outlook. Since this uses Dynamics Web API to retrieve real data this App is very fast. Anyway, Server-side synchronization with Exchange is required.

Let’s check how to set-up Dynamics 365 App for Outlook and tracking records;

1) Configure exchange as explained here.

2) Configure Dynamics 365 CE

Browse to Apps for Dynamics 365 by clicking settings button.

You will see below;

Once click Microsoft Dynamics 365 App for Outlook, you should see below notice if everything is in order.

3) Dynamics 365 CE functionality in Outlook

Now you will see Dynamics 365 icon in right hand corner of the Outlook as below;

Once you select e-mails, relevant Dynamics 365 data will be loaded in new pane appear in right hand-side

a. Email from a Contact

b. Email from a User

c. Email from unknown person

Now it is allowed to create a Contact or Account using this record.

Showing auto-populated fields prior to saving the record.

d. Set regarding record - Click the three dots below the Set Regarding label to associate any D365 record to this email

e. Track Record – Click three dots after Not Tracked label to track the record in D365.

f. New Email – It is possible to Track and Set Regarding for new emails as well

Some Notes on Tracking and Set Regarding;

If Track without setting the Set Regarding for a email (from known/ unknown party), it will create Email in D365 without a regarding object. This is not really useful since record will not be associated to anything. Still you can reply to this email from D365. So it is always encouraged setting the Set Regarding.

Also when Tracking emails from unknown party it's also encouraged to create a Contact (or lead etc.)

Anyway, if you Track an email in D365 from unknown party without creating a record (Contact, Lead etc.) it still allows to reply from D365. (** This is a special case where you can send a email to someone who is not a Contact, Lead , etc.)

Refer this article for complete guide on using Dynamics 365 App for Outlook.

Configure Generic Email (i.e. Info@ABC.com) for Dynamics 365

In most cases, we need to have an Email address for general inquiries apart from user mailboxes. Let us see how we can do this with Dynamics 365 using Exchange Online.

1) Connecting to Exchange Online

To know how Exchange Online connects to Dynamics 365, please refer this post first.

2) Create Shared Mailbox

Now go to Office 365 Admin center and create a Shared Mailbox.

Actually shared Mailbox can be shared among users. When someone sends mail to this address, all the members would get the mail to a separate Mailbox. Any member can obviously reply from that. Interestingly, received mail will see it as it has come from Info@ address.

Though this is pretty cool, our intention here is not to use this sharing scenario, but to receive all the mails of Info@ address to a separate queue, so that any queue member can take action. In fact, we don’t add any member to this shared mailbox.

Anyway, in a while after we configure the shared mailbox, we should see the relevant entry in Exchange Admin Center as below.

3) Configure Queue in Dynamics 365

Now browse D365 Settings > Business Administration > Queue and open the Queue we are interested in and set Incoming Email with our shared Email. Also note that Convert Incoming Emails to Activities field is also important.

4) Configure Queue Mailbox in Dynamics 365

Now browse to D365 Settings > Email Configuration > Mailboxes and Open the Shared Mailbox and configure the Incoming and Outgoing emails for Server side sync as below. (Alternatively click Apply Default Email Settings if you have set Default by now. Click this for more information)
Now click Approve Email, Test and Enable Mailbox.

5) Check behaviour

a) Send an Email to Info@ address from outside. Then you will see this email in the Queue as below;

b) Now any member of the Queue can open the mail for replying.

Note;
Anyway when open the reply mail, by default, From field is getting populated with login user, but you need to select the Info@ account if the reply too should go with generic email address.

c) Here, we get the Reply mail too from Generic Info@ email

Configure Emails for Dynamics 365 Trial version

Once you get a Trial Dynamics 365, one of the most needed features would be Emails. Let’s see how to get it working.

1) Get Office 365 Enterprise E5

Since Exchange Online comes with Office 365 Enterprise E5, you need to get a trial version of it as well. For that, from Office 365 Admin Centre, browse to Purchase Services and get the trial.

2) Check if Exchange Server Online is Ready

Once refresh, you may see link Exchange under the Admin Centre. Once click it, it will open another window with Exchange Admin Center where you can click Mailboxes.

Well, you will not see any Mailbox at this point.

3) Assign Licence to Users to get Mailboxes

Now go to Users section of the Office 365 Admin Center where you can see all the active users. Once you open a User you will see the message “This user doesn’t have an Exchange Online License” under Mail Settings.

Then you have to click the Edit button for Product Licence as circled above where you have to enable a Licence for Office 365 Enterprise E5.

As you do this, you will see massage under the Mail Settings will change to below one.

This may take a while, but once complete the process, you will see those Mailboxes appear in Exchange Server Online Admin.

4) Check Active Email Server profile

Browse D365 to Settings > Email Configuration > Email Server Profiles.

Here, Microsoft Exchange Online profile should be already visible since Exchange and D365 are in same tenant. Make sure its Active.

5) Configure default email processing and synchronisation

Now browse to Setting > Administration > System Settings in D365 and go to Email Tab. Your configuration should look like below;

6) Configure Mailboxes in D365

Browse D365 Settings > Email Configuration > Mailboxes

Open the Mailbox you need to configure and do below steps;

a. Click Apply Default Email Settings button – This sets the default settings in Step 5.

b. Click Approve Email – You needs to be a Global Administrator to do that, Otherwise click Send Email for Approval which will request Approval from Global Admin.

c. Click Test & Enable Mailbox – This will take few minutes to Test the mail and enable the Mailbox.

7) Check if the Mailbox is correctly done

After all, you can Browse to the Alert section of the Mailbox to see the test result as below. These details show that testing is successful.

Same way, if there are issues, you can see the descriptions.