Dynamics AX 2009 CRM Implementation : The fit gap analysis

Dynamics AX 2009 CRM Implementation
The fit gap analysis and solutions
Julien-Robert Lecadou
Lecadou@gmail.com
For Ella Nooren (2012) “Customer Relationship Marketing can be described as the practice of using
marketing activities to establish, develop, and maintain successful long-term customer relationships.
CRM has numerous implications for market planning, employee training, advertising, promotion,
public relations, direct marketing, package design, and more.”
In this paper, we focused our attentions into the fit gap analysis and solutions related to the CRM
implementation. This fit gap analysis is part of a broad range of activities that are needed to be
processed in order to design, develop and deploy a CRM application. We attended several meetings
with the stakeholders in order to implement the solutions. And during those meetings, we understood
that every CRM solution is unique and it should be tailored to the company overall business process
and culture.

Dynamics AX 2009 CRM implementation: the Fit gap analysis and solutions
CRM Implementation on Dynamics AX 2009
Background
The company has decided to develop a CRM application following several problems. Among
suchinclude:
- Improve communication channel and tools both internally and externally.
Internally among departments and externally with business relations.
- The lack of marketing automation tools (lead qualifying tool and process)
- Insufficient knowledge base management application that will assist the sales agent with
questions such as: who is the customer? What are their demographics? Who is the decision
maker in the company? Is the contact person loyal to the company?
Objective
- Being able to create and send quotations to customers quickly
- Being able to synchronize emails between Dynamics AX 2009 and Outlook 2010
- Allow dynamics AX to synchronize documents with designed customer’s account
- Create strong customer qualification process.
- Implement an Alert and Reminder system that will keep the users alert and pro-active.
Methodology and Scope of this paper
A Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation generally uses the Microsoft Dynamics SureStep
implementation methodology.

According to the SureStep methodology, the Analysis, Design, Development, Deployment and
Operation phases represent the five phases of solution delivery, with the Operation phase also
encompassing post-delivery activities, covering the transition of the production solution to support.
Solution Delivery Project Types: The Sure Step Methodology offers the following project types for
Implementation and Upgrade.
The Standard project type is a lean approach for implementing Microsoft Dynamics
solutions at a single site.
The Rapid project type depicts an accelerated approach for implementing Microsoft
Dynamics solutions with minimal or no customizations.
The Enterprise project type represents a standardized approach for implementing Microsoft
Dynamics solutions in complex single-site deployments, or in global/multi-site organization
wherein country/site specific unique business needs have to be factored on top of a core
solution.
The Agile project type represents an iterative approach to implementing Microsoft Dynamics
Solutions at a single site requiring specific features and moderate-to-complex customizations.
While the Standard, Rapid, Enterprise and Upgrade project types are waterfall-based, the Agile
project type uses the Sprint cycle approach to solution deployment.
The Upgrade project type describes the approach to progress an existing Microsoft Dynamics
solution to a subsequent release of that solution. This approach starts with a Technical Upgrade
to address moving existing functionality to the subsequent release. Any new functionality
desired can then be deployed using the above project types, Rapid, Standard, Agile or
Enterprise.

To successfully implement this project, we will use the agile project type.
Below is the process of the solution delivery.
Architecture, Design Review and Offering Overview
For the purpose of this paper, the scope of this implementation will be focused on the Fit gap analysis
and solutions.
Offering
Offering
Review
Items
Review Items
1. Deep-dive review
of data model
2. Deep-dive Code
1
Review
3. Best practices for
development
Review Items
1. Technology
analysis and
review
2. Server architecture
review
3. Fit Gap Analysis
and Solution
4. High-level
integration
components
review
5. High-level
overview of
transaction
volumes
Review Items
1. Deep-dive
review of
transaction
volumes
2. Plug-in setup
3. Database
indexes
4. Custom
applications
setup
Review Items
1. Customization
review, including
Microsoft Office
Outlook
®
offline Client
2. Hub and Spoke
scenario with
Microsoft Dynamics
CRM
3. Microsoft Dynamics
CRM integration with
other external
applications
4. Custom applications
review
5. Integration using
Microsoft technology
6. Integration between
Microsoft Dynamics
CRM and Microsoft
Dynamics AX
Architecture Review Customization ReviewDesign Review Performance Review
Upgrade Review
Project Governance and Delivery Review

Fit Gap analysis and Solutions
Kickoff Meeting
A kickoff meeting revealed the following expectationsfrom the stakeholders (Vice President, Sales
Department, Marketing Department, IT team, controller):
a) Email synchronization between Dynamics AX and Outlook 2010
b) Quick quotations and notes
c) Documentation synchronization
d) Prospect qualification process
e) Alert and reminders
f) Call Center
g) Campaign management
h) Lead management
PROBLEM 1: using outlook 2010 for email, task and appointments notification
The heavy reliance on MS Outlook as a communication tools has some benefits and drawbacks.
Benefits of Using MS Outlook 2010
The main benefit of using Outlook is that the users are able to access their emails online and
offline.MS Outlook’s calendar application can be used as an appointment reminder and can be set to
schedule recurring events such as weekly meeting on Friday and weekly accounts review by the sales
representative. Outlook is also shipped with Task and a Contact Management application.
Most people who use MS Outlook find it flexible and versatile.

Challenge when using Microsoft Outlook 2010
Even though MS Outlook offers lots of benefits to its users, it is not CRM software thus could not
deliver the following value:
- Assist the Customer Service staff in their daily activities
- There is no integration between Outlook and the company’s inventory and sales database
- Data and documents within Outlook database are not organized by customers.
- A marketing campaign cannot effectively be run on MS Outlook 2010 because even if the
users can send email to customers, it is not possible to measure the efficiency of the campaign.
- It is not possible to manage leads or to render a prospect qualification process.
Solutions to the Gap
With the CRM implementation, MS Outlook 2010 will continue to be the main software to
communicate with the business relations (including current customers, prospects and vendors)
but a synchronization tool will have to be built.
Recommendation to implement the Solution
From MS Outlook 2010, the users can send email, schedules appointments (meetings etc...), set tasks
and make calls. The synchronization tool in MS Dynamics AX 2009 will update the business relations
records (customers, contacts, customers, vendors) with the relevant activities and information.

Synchronization Process
Microsoft Dynamics AX already contains the tools that allow the synchronization of Appointment,
Task and contacts with Microsoft Outlook.
Practical Scenario
Let’s assume that a sales agent made several email exchanges with a customer during a day using
Microsoft Outlook 2010. During these exchanges, they talked about a specific sales order.
The sales agent continued with its daily activities and handled several other communications during
that day.
Few days later, the customer calls back to followup with his/her sales order. How will thesales agents
handle the customer’s request?
Situation 1: without synchronization between Outlook and Dynamics AX 2009
If there is no integration between Outlook and Dynamics 2009, here is how the sales agents will
handle the customers:
- Check Microsoft Outlook to see what the customer’s request was about and check Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2009 to know the status of the sales order.
MS Outlook 2010
•Send email
•Schedule Meeting
•Set task
•Make call
Synchronization
•sync with customer
email
•sync
appointments,tasks
and calls as activities
Dynamics AX 2010
•Appointment
•Tasks
•Contact
Management ( on
demand only)

- Then, give the customer the appropriate response according to the status of the sales orders.
This scenario gives us the full perspective about the limitations of a non-synchronized system:
- The process of retrieving customer emails from outlook can be cumbersome and could take
more time than expected.
- The fact that MS Outlook is personal and email exchanges are not shared within users, if the
sales agents did not update the customer’s request in the sales order, none of its colleagues will
do so, because they are not aware of the customer’s request.
Situation 2: with synchronization between Outlook and Dynamics AX 2009
When there is synchronization between Microsoft Dynamics AX and Outlook 2010 the following
events happen:
- Every communication (emails, calls using PBX) are synchronized with Microsoft Dynamics
AX 2009. Moreover, if the user chooses the share option after the synchronization, the
customer’s request will be available for any users who have the permission to view it.
- Unlike the first scenario, all emails from this customer will be attached to the customer’s
“folder” in the database. This will allow a quick retrieval of the customer’s request and ensure
a better customer experience.
Problem 2: Using Outlook for Quick Quotation
Benefit: To send a quick quote, the sales agent sends an email to the customer or to the prospect. This
operation usually takes less than 1min so, it is very fast. The advantage of Outlook 2010 against
Dynamics AX 2009 is that sending email from Microsoft Dynamics AX requires several steps that the
sales and marketing teams want to avoid.

Gap: there is no organized way to follow up with the prospect or customer using Outlook 2010.
Solution to the Gap
The implementation team will build a quick quotation form in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 using the
most important feature of Outlook 2010 that is sending emails.
Using this form, it will take less than a minute for a sales representative to send a quotation to a
prospect or a customer.
Benefit of the solution: using MS Dynamics AX 2009 to make a quotation
By using Dynamics AX 2009, users will be able to keep the record of the quotation in the database for
further use:
- Using the follow up function the sales team ( or assigned users) will be able to follow up with
prospect about a quotation
- Using the alerts and reminders functionality the system can trigger several other activities in
order to make this opportunity a successful one.
- The CRM can allow a further lead nurturing and more.
Problem 3: Documentation synchronization
A document synchronization application is a technology that is used to organize the company
business relations documents into a database (repository). Currently, there is no document
synchronization application.

With this application,emails containing important documents such as invoices, ASN (Advance
Shipment Notice), and customer balance reportsare sent directly from MS Dynamics AX 2009 to the
customers.
Benefit of the Document synchronization
The most important benefit of this synchronization is that every document sent to a business relation is
attached to that entity “folder” in the system (MS Dynamics AX 2009 database). This allows a quick
retrieval of the documents and makes the customer service department more proactive and more
efficient.
Problem4:Prospect Qualification Process
The company marketing division has an internal process to qualify a prospect as a customer. A
Prospect is a potential customer.
The company’s challenges are:
- It is difficult and complex to capture and retain customers in a highly competitive environment.
- The sales pipeline should contain well qualified leads.
As of today, we suggest the following solution to the marketing team as steps to follow to
qualify a prospect as a customer:
Solution
Level 1: Create a Business Record
At this phase the user will create a record for the customer. We all agree that by creating this
record, the prospect is fully qualified to be registered in the system.

At the time of the creation of the new prospect record, the system should check for duplicates.
Level 2: Send information and make contact
This step is reached when a contact has been made with the prospect and/or information about
the company has been sent to the customer.
Level 3: Send Quote
A Prospect reaches this step if only a quotation has been sent to him /her.
Level 4: Send Sample
The sample level is optional because a Prospect can be converted into a customer without
requesting a sample.
Level 5: convert to customer
This is the last step where the prospect is converted into a customer and this also marks the end of the
qualification prospect.
A subsequent task can be done here: Check Prospect credit worthiness. If the prospect is credit worthy,
the sales department can decide to grant a credit line to the customer, if not, the new customer has to
pay in advance.

Business process diagram of the solution
Level 1 : Business
Relation
Start
Level 2 : Make
Contact
Level 3: Process
Quote
Level 4 : Sample
Level 5 : convert to
Customers
End of prospect
Qualification Process
Yes
Sampleneeded No
Prospect Qualification Process
Most modern marketing teams use Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) and workflow
management software to render their daily marketing activities. The leaders in that industry are
IBM,Microsoft, Oracle and OpenText according to Forrester (2013).
This category of software gives lots of control to an organization’s workflow management in general
and a better customer retention to the marketing team in particular. But they are expensive and for a
small marketing team, it can be overwhelming if there are too many validations.
During the discussion with the marketing team, it was clear that they were looking for a lightweight
application. For Margaret Rouse (2005) “In information technology, the term lightweight is
sometimes applied to a program, protocol, device, or anything that is relatively simpler or faster or that
has fewer parts than something else.”
Based on these new requirements, our implementation strategy is now focused on delivering a
lightweight application. This application should be fast, intuitive and would require less validation to

suit the user’s needs. But a lightweight does not mean that the application should be simplistic. We
will make sure that the application responds to the following constraints:
- Security using Windows Active directory
- Sandboxed into Microsoft Dynamics AX
- Using Dynamics AX permission
- Work under the user profile and the user preferences
- Windows authentication

Implementation of the Solution using model diagram
Level 1: Create a Business Relation record
Start
Retrieve customer
list
Terminate
business Relation
Creation
Evaluate contact
Is contact
Qualified to be
business
relation?
No
Create business
relation record
End of Business
Relation creation
Business Relation Creation
The process starts when the sales agent receives a list of names also called Leads (companies or
contact persons). The sales agent evaluates the contact based on several criteria put in place by the
company and also based on his own experience. At this step, it is not forbidden to initiate a contact (a
phone call or an email) with the name.
Once, the sales agent finds that it’s worthy to qualify the Names as a business relation; he/she will go
ahead and create the business relation record. This marks the end of the level 1.
Level 2: Send information and make contact
The second step of the prospect qualification process starts as soon as the Name is qualified as a
prospect and a record is created.

At this step, the sales agent will initiate a formal contact with the new prospect and he/ she will take
that opportunity to present the company and its products. The sales will make sure to understand the
prospect business and which specific product can fit its needs.
A Prospect can also be dropped out from the company’s business relation records if the sales agents
think that after the initial contacts with the prospect, it is not worth following this lead.
Let’s assume everything goes well. The sales agent could schedule more meetings with the prospect
and during those meetings he /she could make some demos or drop some samples.
ProspectSalesAgent
Start
Initiate Contact w/
Contact
Initiate contact
Multi contact
Failure
Terminate
Prospect Qualification
Evaluate contact
Is contact
Qualified as
Prospect
No
Yes
Feedback
received
Make Contact with Prospect
Prospect
sem
Send Prospect to
lead nurturing
Send customer to
Level 3
Is prospect
showing any
interest ?
No
Initiate meeting/
demo etc..
Yes
Broadcast
prospect availability
Initiate negotiation
activities
End Level 2
Sometimes, the Prospect wants a specific bag but this bag is not currently manufactured by the
company. The sales agent will take the chance of a sales call to gather thespecifications of this
potential item or guide the prospect on how to use the online plastics bags customization tools.

But if after the demos, meetings and sales calls the prospect is still not inserted to be our customer, the
prospect is sent to the “lead to nurturing” process.
Level 3 and 4: Send quote, sample and convert prospect
At the level 3 the sales agent will send a quotation to the prospect. And if a sample is needed after the
prospect qualification process is sent to level 4. Then if the prospect wants to buy from the company,
the prospect is converted into a customer.

Risks associated with the implementation CRM
CRM Critical success factors
- Management involvement (executive commitment)
- Management Risk ( minimize risk exposure)
- Data integrity ( common across the enterprise)
- Security Management
- culture shift ( from product centric to Customer centric)
- Performance metrics (determine metrics / establish baseline)
- Business Process Management
CRM implementation risk exposure
Implementation risk diagram
CRM Risk
exposure
Change
Management
Success Criteria
Scope
Management
Roles &
Responsabilities
Stackholder
management
Vision and
Strategy

Conclusion
Customer relationship management (CRM) helps companies unlock the full value of their relationship
assets, accelerating revenue and profit growth. The core processes of a customer relationship
management system merge the so-called islands of relationship information into one comprehensive
database.
In this paper, we focused our attentions into the fit gap analysis and solutions related to the CRM
implementation. This fit gap analysis is part of a broad range of activities that are needed to be
processed in order to design, develop and deploy a CRM application.
We attended several meetings with the stakeholders in order to implement the solutions. And during
those meetings, we understood that every CRM solution is unique and it should be tailored to the
company overall business process and culture.
Reference
Robert Shaw (1991), Computer Aided Marketing & Selling, Butterworth Heinemann
Ella Noreen (2012), the Impact of CRM on Fujitsu as a Service Providing Company, Retrieve
03/22/2012,https://estudogeral.sib.uc.pt/bitstream/10316/21510/1/Ella%20Nooren_Tese%20Mestrado
%20Marketing_O%20impacto%20de%20CRM%20na%20Fuji.pdf
Microsoft (2010), CRM Implementation methodology, Microsoft Dynamics SureStep 2010
Margaret Rouse (2005), lightweight application definition, Retrieve 03/24/2014
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/lightweight

Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Retrieve 03/22/2014 http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/dynamics/erp-ax-overview.aspx
Microsoft (2010), what’s new in Microsoft Outlook 2010, Retrieve 03/22/2012
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/what-s-new-in-microsoft-outlook-2010-
HA010354412.aspx
Clay Richardson and Derek Miers (2013), The Forrester Wave™: BPM Suites Q1 2013, Retrieve
03/22/2013 http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/pdfs/forresterwave_bpmste.pdf
Julien R Lecadou (2014),Make and Receive calls using Dynamics AX 2009 with Panasonic CA,
Retrieve 03/22/2014 http://www.slideshare.net/lecadoujr/making-call-with-panasonic-
communications-assistance

Dynamics AX 2009 CRM Implementation : The fit gap analysis

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