Microsoft made Data Entity designers relatively easy to understand in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. And while you don't need to be a database administrator (DBA) to create new data entities, it sure helps! We can help you – as part of the configuration process – to de-mystify data entities:

• One-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many relationships with other entities
• Update rules – parental, cascading and more
• Selection of the most appropriate data types (memo, character, date, numerical etc) for particular attributes.

Why do you need this service?

One of the major reasons that CRM implementations fail is lack of user acceptance. It is therefore important to deliver a CRM system that feels "natural" to users, with the correct layout, business terminology and processes.

Let me explain by using the recruitment business as an example.

There are three primary data entities that need to be considered: Clients, Jobs (positions) and Candidates. With a product like GoldMine it is possible to use Opportunities to hold the jobs; Contacts can be used to hold the details of clients and candidates.

The trouble comes when a candidate becomes a client or vice versa, which can be potentially dangerous when you send messages to a candidate at their work address by mistake. It also comes with a very steep learning curve, because you are forced to learn terms that are foreign to your business. For example, candidates submitted for certain jobs will be displayed on the "Influencer" tab of a GoldMine opportunity, etc., etc. For a new employee, this dramatically increases the time before they can become productive.

How to buy this service

We normally include consultancy time to design entities with new implementations.  If you are an existing user of MS CRM and you just want a second opinion on the validity of your data entities, we can help.