By Jake Horn on 6/4/2010 10:53 AM

The DFW CRM User Group and the CRMUG TOLA regional user group are uniting.  The leaders of both user groups felt this was the best way to ensure growth of a unified user group in the DFW and surrounding areas.  I hope you can join us for our first meeting.

 

CRMUG TOLA / Dallas Regional Chapter Meeting Please...

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By Jake Horn on 2/18/2009 12:03 AM

Well, I have completed my first screencast.  In this installment, I am going over the SSIS integration strategies that can be used with Microsoft CRM.  I initially gave this talk for the February 11th DFW Microsoft CRM Users Group.  It was a good meeting and I am looking forward to our next meeting. 

You can check out the screencast at the link below:

SSIS Integration Strategies

By Jake Horn on 2/9/2009 12:38 PM

This is great news, Microsoft has released the source code of two different tools.  One allows developers to compare different sets of CRM customizations for changes.  This is a tool our development teams have been wanting for a while and just haven’t gotten around to building for ourselves.  The second tool allows for the movement of configuration data from one system to another.  Check them both out at the MSDN link below.

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd442453.aspx

 

Technorati Tags: Microsoft CRM,Development

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By Jake Horn on 2/8/2009 9:24 PM

So if you haven’t checked it out I suggest you take a quick look at the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen at www.livescribe.com.  I picked up one of these a few weeks ago and I must say I am impressed.  The pen lets you write notes and records the audio in the room as you write.  Once you upload the content to your computer you can review your notes and the audio and it keeps it all in sync.  So if you click on an area of the note you will hear what was being said at that time.  These can then be shared online.  I am also hoping that the ability to export these will come soon.

Note taking and sharing has always been something of a challenge in CRM tools.  If I am out at a meeting with a prospect or customer I am usually writing notes in a small notepad.  I will also tend to miss things since I can get into the conversation and not write much.  At worst I should be able to upload the content and put a link in my appointment records in CRM.  This way anyone who I had shared...

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By Jake Horn on 2/3/2009 9:56 AM

Microsoft SQL Server® 2008 contains a variety of features that, when implemented properly, can improve the performance of a Microsoft Dynamics® CRM 4.0 implementation and secure the data within that deployment. These Microsoft SQL Server 2008 features include: - Compression - Filtered Indexes - Sparse Columns - Transparent Data Encryption - Backup Compression The MS CRM E2 team, working in conjunction with the Microsoft SQL Server team, recently completed a project that was designed to: 1. Evaluate the new scenarios that these Microsoft SQL Server 2008 features expose 2. Measure the performance impact of implementing these features, both singly and in selected combinations This paper provides an overview of these Microsoft SQL Server 2008 features, together with benchmark results and recommendations for implementation.

 

Improving Microsoft Dynamics CRM Performance and Securing Data with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

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By Jake Horn on 2/1/2009 9:25 PM

I wanted to give you guys an update on the implementation of EditArea I am doing for MSCRM. The javascript editor in the out of the box system needs a lot of work. Tell me what you think.

 

By Jake Horn on 1/16/2009 2:20 PM

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broad term that covers concepts used by companies to manage their relationships with customers, including the capture, storage and analysis of customer, vendor, partner, and internal process information.

Source: Wikipedia

Over the years I have seem many different definitions of what CRM really is.  Is it a technology?  A collection of business processes?  What about a general way of thinking amongst people?  I think it is all three and more.  The wikipedia explanation makes it seem simple, but how complex it can get.  I once had a close friend describe it this way, "CRM seems really...  Tricky."  I tend to agree, of course he works doing consulting for a large company that creates spend analysis software.  I think what he does is tricky.

Over the years I have come up with my own definition of CRM.

CRM encompass the people, business processes, and technology that empowers organizations to create competitive advantage in their chosen market...

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By Jake Horn on 1/14/2009 2:16 PM

 

Well, I finally have my blog up and running.  I am excited about the different topics we will be covering in the future.  For the most part, we will be discussing the more brainy side of CRM, what makes it work, what doesn't.  I really want to focus on the people, processes and technology that makes CRM work.

Over my career as a CRM professional over the last 7 years I have learned a lot.  I can't believe I have been so fortunate to have found a great software industry so earlier in my career.  Within a year and a half of graduating from Texas A&M University I was able to join what was then SalesLogix in the professional services group.  Little did I know if would be a defining moment in my career.  During those years I have been privileged to have sold, implemented or enhanced over 30 different CRM systems for companies as small as 5 users and as large as 1000 users.   Some of them went great, some not so great.  I want to talk about all of them and share what I have learned about what to do,...

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