Tracking Records in Outlook
Tracking e-mail messages, contacts, tasks, and appointments (including recurring appointments), instantly adds the items to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Updates to the information can be done in both programs and can be accessed in both because the data synchronizes between the programs.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook allows you to quickly choose the Outlook items that you want to track or stop tracking. Select one or more items to track. However, only choose a single item when wanting to stop tracking an item.
When you track Outlook items, you can also do the following:
- Select the regarding record for one or several items.
- Set the parent account or contact record for contacts.
- Add or edit connections.
- Convert e-mail messages, appointments, meetings, and tasks into Microsoft Dynamics CRM opportunity, lead, and case records.
- Open the record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and open the parent and regarding record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
- Create new contact or lead records with the automatically create contact or lead records option selected.
- Insert and attach Microsoft Dynamics CRM e-mail templates, articles, and sales literature to e-mail messages.
- Track tasks as Microsoft Dynamics CRM tasks, phone calls, letters, or faxes.
When you track a new e-mail message, Microsoft Dynamics CRM creates a new e-mail activity record. You can link the e-mail message to other Microsoft Dynamics CRM records if you select a record that the e-mail message is regarding.
You can also automatically create new contact or lead records from e-mail messages and meeting requests. The new contact or lead record contains the e-mail address of the sender or meeting organizer, and the e-mail message or meeting request links to the new contact or lead record.
Depending on the e-mail tracking options that you select, some items may be synchronized with Microsoft Dynamics CRM automatically so that you do not have to select the items to track.
You can track e-mail messages to and from distribution lists, also. If you do not expand the distribution list before you track and save the e-mail message, and if the option that automatically creates new records is selected, a new Microsoft Dynamics CRM record is created for the distribution list.
More information: Set Personal Options
What You Can Do in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Pane in Outlook Items
When Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook is installed, e-mail messages, contacts, tasks, and appointments include a Microsoft Dynamics CRM pane that displays information and links about the item and related records.
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM pane displays the following information:
- Whether the item is tracked.
- The name of the parent (for contacts) or regarding record.
- Related records, along with a symbol that identifies the record type in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
- Whether the e-mail addresses, names, or distribution lists in the e-mail message are also Microsoft Dynamics CRM records.
Note
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM pane displays the name of the distribution list if you track an e-mail message without expanding the distribution list. If you expand a distribution list before you track and save an e-mail message, the individual e-mail addresses that comprise the distribution list are tracked, instead.
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM pane also includes an Options button. This provides quick access to the e-mail tracking options that you can select. More information: Set Personal Options
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Top of pageTracking and Synchronization on Multiple Computers
You can use multiple computers to run Outlook and to do work in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Changes or updates to synchronized records will not show up in Microsoft Dynamics CRM until your synchronizing computer is connected to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server again.
More information: Connect to Another Organization in Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook
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Delegate Access and Tracking
If you have delegated access to your Outlook account, the delegate can track items on your behalf. These items will not synchronize with Microsoft Dynamics CRM until you connect to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server again. More information: Outlook 2010: Allow someone to manage your mail and calendar
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How Deletion Works for Tracked Items
E-mail messages
Deleting a tracked e-mail message in Outlook does not delete the e-mail message from Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Deleting an e-mail message in Microsoft Dynamics CRM does not delete the tracked message from Outlook.
If you stop tracking an e-mail message in Outlook, Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook asks whether you want to delete the e-mail message in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Contacts
Deleting a tracked contact in Outlook does not delete the contact record from Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
If you are not the owner of the contact record, deleting a contact from Microsoft Dynamics CRM deletes the tracked contact from Outlook.
If you are the owner of the contact record, deleting a contact from Microsoft Dynamics CRM, does not delete the contact from Outlook.
If you are not the owner of the contact record and you stop tracking the contact, Microsoft Dynamics CRM deletes the contact record.
If you are the owner of the contact record, and you stop tracking the contact, Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook asks whether you want to delete the contact record from Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Appointments
Deleting a tracked appointment in Outlook deletes the appointment in Microsoft Dynamics CRM; and deleting a tracked appointment in Microsoft Dynamics CRM deletes the appointment in Outlook if the following is true:
- The appointment is current.
- You are the owner or organizer of the appointment record.
If you stop tracking an appointment, Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook asks whether you want to delete the appointment from Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The appointment record is deleted in Microsoft Dynamics CRM if the following is true:
- The appointment is current.
- You are the owner of the appointment record.
Tasks
Deleting a tracked task in Outlook deletes the task activity record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Deleting the task activity record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM deletes the task in Outlook, if the task is current.
If you stop tracking the task, Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook asks whether you want to delete the task in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
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Synchronizing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Local Data
Your local data is defined by Outlook Synchronization Filters and Offline Synchronization Filters. The Outlook filters specify the data that is synchronized between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and your Outlook folders. The offline filters specify the data that is stored and synchronized between your local copy of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM database and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM server.
The default filters can be edited, deactivated, and deleted. You can add new filters if you want to specify additional criteria for the data that you want to synchronize and store locally.
Updating and synchronizing your local data can take an extended period of time. To synchronize, go online and offline more quickly, you can decrease the interval for automatic synchronization.
More information: Set Personal Options
The address book synchronizes with Microsoft Dynamics CRM automatically when you start Outlook and then once every 24 hours.
More information: Synchronize Data
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Data Loss Prevention During the Synchronization Process
To prevent data loss, when you go offline Microsoft Dynamics CRM synchronizes data from the server to your local data, and then applies all of your changes to the server. All server transactions post completely before records are erased from your local data.
When you run a synchronization process, Microsoft Dynamics CRM overwrites existing information without verifying or comparing the last saved date.
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