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Ever knew the difference between Dynamics 365 CRM customization and configuration and extension in Dynamics 365 CRM 2024?

Dynamics 365 CRM Customization Training October 2024
Dynamics 365 CRM Customization Training October 2024

To get a better picture of D365 Dynamics CRM training and how it relates to config and extension it may be helpful to view these as a spectrum of getting your system tailored to fit your business needs and preference. With quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Customization training August 2024 you can try to see progression from configuration through customization to extension as if they represent a continuum of system tailoring, as follows:

  • Configuration is more about optimizing the use of existing capabilities to align the system more closely with organizational needs. Sort of like toggling radio buttons that are already laid out for you to put it simply for now.
  • Customization helps you bridge the gap between the two. The gap between default system functionalities and the unique requirements of your organization or business with Dynamics 365 CRM Training can be bridged by potentially introducing brand new elements within the existing framework. Sort of like adding more radio buttons that weren’t there before.
  • Extension usually involves quite significant additions or changes that might introduce new functionalities. This may involve deeper technical engagement to create you unique solutions that were not necessarily envisioned before in the original scope of your Dynamics 365 CRM Power Platform scenario.

This sort of spectrum in Dynamics 365 CRM training August 2024 can show you the different kinds of degrees of intervention as well as sophistication involved when we tailor your Dynamics 365 CRM to meet your specific requirements. This can range from the simplest adjustments of your existing options to the creation of entirely brand new functionalities that may expand your system’s capabilities beyond your wildest dreams.

Configuration: Toggling Existing Radio Buttons

Suppose you are adjusting the visibility of fields on your contact form based on user roles.

Here in this scenario, your CRM administrator uses the built-in settings in order to configure which of your fields are visible to certain user roles within the organization. They might decide that your sales representatives should not be seeing your credit limit field when they’re taking a look at a contact’s details. That kind of adjustment usually requires no new coding or structural changes to the CRM. That’s because it might merely involve toggling the existing settings (“radio buttons”) to better suit your organization’s privacy policy. This sort of configuration is  quite straightforward in other words, leveraging your platform’s existing capabilities so as to adjust how your information is presented and accessed.

Customization: Adding New Radio Buttons

For instance imagine creating a custom field so as to track your customer satisfaction scores on the customer entity (Entities are now called Tables in Power Platform 2024 and Fields are now called Columns).

Here in this scenario the need can go beyond just adjusting existing settings. There’s a requirement for brand new data to be captured that the default out-of-the-box system does not fully accommodate. Using Dynamics CRM customization tools, a new custom field for your customer satisfaction scores is added to your customer entity. The field empowers your users to input a relevant score after each customer interaction. Even if this customization involves introducing new elements to the system which may beg the question as to whether or not it’s “extension” –  one reason it’s less on the extension side is because it’s done through Dynamics CRM’s user interface without writing any new code. However with the power of low-code and even no-code technologies, writing new code is not always the telltale sign of whether it’s extension or a non-extension customization. A more reliable indicator is seeing how akin it is to adding new “radio buttons” for users to toggle “on the same panels” (as opposed to something more substantial when it’s extension) to enhance your system’s data collection capabilities within the framework of your existing structures.

Extension: Creating New Panels and Radio Buttons

An example can be developing a custom module for project management integrated within Dynamics 365 CRM.

Now this project can represent a significant extension of the CRM system, and may introduce entirely new functionalities that were not really part of your original setup. Suppose that your organization could require a tailored project management solution for you that is integrating closely with your sales processes. In this kind of case, your developer might build you a custom module that includes entities (Tables) for the following: projects, tasks, milestones, resource allocation. All complete with its own UI, logic for task dependencies, and even integration with the calendar for the purposes of deadlines as well as reminders. Now this development could involve writing custom code, using APIs for your integrations, and designing your user experience seamlessly fitting within your Dynamics 365 CRM environment. This kind of extension is like creating a whole new set of panels and “radio buttons” that offer functionalities that were previously unavailable. That may end up significantly altering how users interact with the CRM to accommodate your complex, specific business processes.

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