If you’ve clicked on this blog, Dynamics 365 probably needs no introduction – you’ll likely already be familiar with how its powerful suite of business applications combine CRM and ERP capabilities to help organisations manage their customer relationships, streamline operations, and drive business growth.
While Dynamics 365 offers a robust set of features on its own, integrating it with other tools can take your user experience from “pretty good” to “amazing”! Whether you’re looking to discover new data functionalities, supercharge your sales or simply make less work for yourself, these integrations have got your back.
Power BI: transform data into insights
Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics tool that allows users to visualise data – simply put, it turns boring lists of numbers into something that actually looks good! Integrating Power BI with Dynamics 365 enables you to create interactive dashboards and reports that provide deep insights into your business data.
Key features
- Easily create custom reports and dashboards to visualize Dynamics 365 data, providing actionable insights at a glance.
- Access real-time data analytics, which can help in decision-making and identifying.
- Use Power BI’s advanced data modelling capabilities to combine data from Dynamics 365 with other sources for comprehensive reporting.
How to integrate
Dynamics 365 includes Power BI dashboards out of the box. You can connect Power BI to your Dynamics 365 environment through the Power BI Desktop or directly within the Dynamics 365 interface.
Enable the integration by navigating to the Dynamics 365 admin centre and configuring the Power BI settings under the “Reporting” section.
Power Apps: build custom applications
Got a great idea for an app? Power Apps lets you build it – no coding wizardry required. Whether it’s a simple form or a complex business tool, Power Apps helps you create custom solutions that talk directly to Dynamics 365.
Key features
- Develop custom apps that address unique business challenges, directly pulling data from Dynamics 365.
- Automate tasks and workflows between Dynamics 365 and other business apps with ease.
- Create mobile-friendly apps that allow users to access Dynamics 365 data on the go.
How to integrate
Use the Power Apps interface to connect to your Dynamics 365 environment. You can create apps using data directly from Dynamics 365 entities or use existing templates designed for Dynamics 365.
Embed Power Apps directly into Dynamics 365 forms to provide users with custom functionality within the CRM interface.
Microsoft Teams: level up your collaboration
Integrating Teams with Dynamics 365 is like bringing all your business data into the conversation. Share insights, chat with colleagues, and collaborate on projects without ever leaving Teams.
Key features
- Access and share Dynamics 365 data within Teams channels, chats, or meetings, ensuring that collaboration is contextually relevant.
- Use Teams as a central hub for teamwork, integrating chats, files, and Dynamics 365 data in one place.
- Set up alerts and notifications for Dynamics 365 events to appear directly in Teams, keeping your team informed in real-time.
How to integrate
- Enable the integration by connecting Dynamics 365 to Teams through the Dynamics 365 admin centre. You can add Dynamics 365 tabs to Teams channels or use the Teams app in Dynamics 365 to collaborate on records.
- Use the “Teams Collaboration” feature within Dynamics 365 to create Teams from Dynamics 365 records, such as opportunities or cases.
SharePoint: keep on top of your documents
SharePoint is a document management and storage system that keeps all your important stuff neatly filed away. Integrating it with Dynamics 365 lets you manage documents seamlessly, with everything stored in one place.
Key features
- Store and manage documents related to Dynamics 365 records in SharePoint, enhancing document accessibility and security.
- SharePoint’s version control features to keep track of document changes and maintain an audit trail.
- Share documents with stakeholders directly from Dynamics 365 using SharePoint’s robust sharing and permissions features.
How to integrate
- Configure the SharePoint integration from the Dynamics 365 settings. Set up a SharePoint site collection and map Dynamics 365 entities to document libraries in SharePoint.
- Use the SharePoint document location within Dynamics 365 to manage and access documents directly from the CRM interface.
Outlook: make emails a breeze
Integrating Dynamics 365 with Outlook to access CRM data directly within your email. Track emails, manage appointments, and get context – all without leaving your email client.
Key features
- Automatically track emails in Dynamics 365, associating them with relevant records such as contacts, leads, or opportunities.
- Synchronise appointments, tasks, and contacts between Dynamics 365 and Outlook.
- View Dynamics 365 data, such as customer details and recent activities, directly within Outlook, providing context to your communications.
How to integrate
- Install the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook and configure it through the Dynamics 365 admin centre.
- Once installed, the app allows you to track emails, set appointments, and manage Dynamics 365 tasks directly from Outlook.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: your sales sidekick
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful tool for sales teams to find and engage with potential leads. It helps you find and connect with leads directly from Dynamics 365, making social selling feel simple.
Key features
- Access LinkedIn profiles and insights directly within Dynamics 365, helping sales teams build relationships and tailor their approach.
- Import LinkedIn leads into Dynamics 365 and track their progress through the sales pipeline.
- Use LinkedIn’s powerful network data to improve social selling efforts and identify key decision-makers.
How to integrate
- Configure the LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration in the Dynamics 365 settings.
- Link your LinkedIn account and select the relevant entities (e.g., leads, contacts) to sync data between Dynamics 365 and LinkedIn.
Third-party integrations: expand your horizons
Still want more integrations? Dynamics 365 can be extended further through loads of third-party apps. From marketing automation to e-signatures, there’s an integration for almost everything.
Key features
- Zapier connects Dynamics 365 with thousands of other apps, enabling automation of tasks across multiple platforms.
- Sync marketing data between Dynamics 365 and Mailchimp, enhancing your email marketing campaigns.
- Create electronic signatures within Dynamics 365 with DocuSign, making document approvals and agreements faster and more efficient.
How to integrate
- Use connectors available in Power Automate or search for specific third-party apps in the Microsoft AppSource marketplace.
- Follow the integration setup instructions provided by the third-party service to connect with Dynamics 365.
Start exploring these integrations today to unlock the full potential of Dynamics 365!
Our Dynamics CRM solutions are flexible, easy tools to help streamline your marketing processes, track your sales pipeline, build better customer relationships and much more.
If you want to get going with our pre-defined off-the-shelf product, we can deploy it for you in 24 hours. Does a bespoke Dynamics CRM route sound more your thing? Find out more about both by clicking here.
Want to find out more about how Dynamics can be customised for your business’s unique priorities and timescales? Contact us for an initial chat.