1. Portals and CRM: what, When, Why, and How
Pete Cossette
Summit Group Software
@NAVUG

2. 6+ Summit Group Software, Development Lead Peak Engagement
ABOUT ME
6+ Summit Group Software, Development Lead Peak Engagement
6+ 5+ Years Experience with Dynamics CRM Peak Engagement
6+ Peak Portals – Lead Developer Peak Engagement

3. What is a portal?
A portal is web application that allows users to consume, create, and edit Dynamics 365 data. A portal provides an online presence that allows you to communicate and collaborate with your customers.

4. Why DO you need a CRM Portal?
Customers expect you to have portal!
Customers want to interact with you how they prefer to interact with you
Customers want to interact when they want to interact, not 8-5
Portals for different audiences
Customers
Partners/Vendors
Employees

5. WHY? MULti-CHANNEL Engagement
Website
Chat
Portal
Social media
Phone
Text
Chatail
Sociext

6. Why DO you need a CRM Portal?
Self-service help desk portal
Case Management
Open a support case
View open and closed support tickets
Knowledge Base
Publish your library Article and Knowledge Article records to the portal to increase self-service and lower support case volumes
Discussion Forums
Build a community around your products
Allow the community members to support one another
Case Deflection
Suggest KB articles, forums postings, and resolved cases as alternative to opening a new support case

7. Why DO you need a CRM Portal?
Partner-Relationship Management (PRM) Portal
Distribute Opportunities to Partners
New and existing customers
Partner Case Management
Allow partners to open and manage support cases for their customers
Partner Account & Contact Management
Allows partners to create and manage their accounts and contacts at those accounts
Become a partner
A registration form that allows new partners to sign-up

8. Why DO you need a CRM Portal?
Custom portals
Field service – allow vendors to log in and see assigned work orders and update the status of those work orders
Training center – coordinate training assignment with 3rd-party vendors
CRM partner – wizards that guide the process of configuring a new CRM organization
Banking – loan applications
Investment – share documents related to Investments and Potential Deals

9. Why DO you need a CRM Portal?
Custom portals (cont.)
Agriculture – dealers enter and track their seed orders
NFP – organizing volunteers for Susan G. Komen events
State Library – manage grant applications
Peak Engagement – ideas, videos, upgrade requests, license information
“Biggest Loser” portal – employees track their weight week-to-week, view the “leaderboard”

10. How do CRM Portals work?
Communicate with Dynamics CRM web services using the CRM SDK
Dynamics is the “database”
Run under a “service” account
Non-interactive user
Doesn’t have to be a “System Administrator” – just needs CRM Security Role(s) that provide enough privileges to performs the tasks available in the portal
Authenticate the user
Portal users are usually Contact records in CRM
The Contact record holds some information that identifies a user
Local account – username and password
External account - Facebook ID, Live ID, etc.
Communicate with Dynamics CRM webservices using the CRM SDK

11. What are my options? Product CRM Version(s) CRM On-premises?
Custom ASP.NET?
Hosting
Pricing
Dynamics 365 Portals (Microsoft)
2016 & 365 Online No
Azure (SAAS)
1 Free with Enterprise SKU; $500/month
Portal Connector (Pavliks)
2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 365, Online
Yes
Azure (SAAS) or on-premises
$999/month; $12 K + 20% maintenance + 3K Sitefinity license
Peak Portals (Peak Engagement)
2013, 2015, 2016, 365, Online
$259/month; $5K + 20% maintenance
ADX Studio Portals (7.X) (Adxstudio)
2015, 2016, 365, Online
Azure (Self- or partner- hosted) or on-premises
$390/month; $ % maintenance

12. PortaL Features
Works on multiple devices, Responsive UI

13. COMMON PortaL Features
Authentication

14. PortaL Features Role-Based Security Entity Level Privileges Scope
Create
Read
Update
Delete
Append
Append To
Scope
Contact
Account
Global

15. PortaL Features – USER PROFILE MANAGEMent

16. PortaL Features
Content Management - CMS

17. PortaL Features SharePoint integration View and/or upload
Document Library
Record level, utilizing the
CRM/Sharepoint integration

18. PortaL Features Custom Modules Leverage the data and tools within CRM
Expose any entity, system or custom, in your portal
Leverage the data and tools within CRM
Entities
Forms
Views
Workflows
Charts
Examples
ADX Studio/Microsoft – Entity Forms, Entity Lists, Entity Actions
Peak Portals – Module Builder, Portal Workflows

19. PortaL Features

20. PortaL Features – Module Builder CONT.

21. PortaL Features – Entity List

22. PortaL Features – ENTITY FORm

23. PortaL Features Entity Actions/Portal Workflows
Expose CRM Workflows in the portal to allow users to deactivate records, mark tasks as completed, re-open cases, qualify leads, etc.

24. PortaL Features

25. Which Portal is Right for ME?
Build your own or license a product?
A product has cost savings
A product stays up-to-date with CRM
Product questions:
CRM Online or CRM On-premises?
Hosted portal or on-premises portal?
What features do I need?
What customizations do I need?

26. What are my options? Product CRM Version(s) CRM On-premises?
Custom ASP.NET?
Hosting
Pricing
Dynamics 365 Portals (Microsoft)
2016 & 365 Online No
Azure (SAAS)
1 Free with Enterprise SKU; $500/month
Portal Connector (Pavliks)
2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 365, Online
Yes
Azure (SAAS) or on-premises
$999/month; $12 K + 20% maintenance + 3K Sitefinity license
Peak Portals (Peak Engagement)
2013, 2015, 2016, 365, Online
$259/month; $5K + 20% maintenance
ADX Studio Portals (7.X) (Adxstudio)
2015, 2016, 365, Online
Azure (Self- or partner- hosted) or on-premises
$390/month; $ % maintenance

27. QUESTIONS??