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Configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online With Yammer

Post Author: Joe D365 |

The integration between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Yammer is now available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online customers. This blog describes the steps to set up and configure the integration for your organization. In order to do this, you must already be a Yammer Enterprise customer.

Connecting Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online with Yammer

After a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organization has opted in to receive the latest product update, a Yammer Configuration option will appear under the Administration section in Settings as shown in screenshot below.

Note: By default this option will be only visible for users that have system administrator role.

Connecting Dynamics CRM Online with Yammer

1. To begin the Yammer configuration process, click the Yammer Configuration option shown in above screenshot. A disclaimer will appear as shown in screenshot below. After reading and agreeing to the disclaimer click the Continue button highlighted in screenshot below.

2. The screen below will be displayed. Click on the link Authorize Dynamics CRM Online to connect to Yammer.

A new window will open.

Note: You must be a verified administrator on your enterprise Yammer network to configure the Yammer integration.

3. Enter your email address and your Yammer password in the email address and password fields to log in.

4. Click the Allow button. This will allow your Microsoft Dynamic CRM to access and update your Yammer data.

After authorizing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to Yammer, a few security settings will appear in CRM organization we are configuring.

5. Select a Yammer Group ID to Control the conversation access (optional step).

You can choose the user group to control the access to the conversations initiated with in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. If this option is not selected, conversations are posted to the All Company Group in Yammer. To restrict access to conversations, it is possible to select a private group in Yammer which is only visible to approved members. Note that the group membership in Yammer is administered within Yammer.

6. Set the level of security for Yammer activity stream messages.

This setting controls the security of the system post that are configured to appear within the Yammer activity stream. If the setting is set to private, only users that follow the record in Microsoft dynamics CRM will be able to see the system post related to that record in Yammer. There is no save button on this screen, so whatever settings we select will be automatically saved when we navigate away. We can always come back and change these settings at any time.

Enable Entities for Yammer

After we connect Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, we can now choose which entities to enable for Yammer.

Enabling an entity for Yammer allows an entity to be followed by a user, as well as when a record log can be displayed on the form for the entity. This allows us to create a post on a form for a specific record. The record log displays the Yammer feed for that record. Certain entities are enabled for Yammer integration by default. We can start with default configuration or customize it at any time.

To control which settings are configured for Yammer integration, follow these steps:

  1. Click Settings and click Post Configurations. The list of entities that can be enabled will appear.
  2. Select the entities to enable and click Activate ribbon button highlighted.

If you choose to enable an entity for Yammer and the option to have the record wall enabled, make sure to Publish all the Customizations of that entity before the record wall appears on the form.

Enable Auto Posts

Auto Posts is a feature introduced with the Activity Feed feature set. Although connecting Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Yammer replaces the user posts with Activity Feeds, the same auto-post engine is still used.

The auto-post feature can automatically create system post messages in response to certain events in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For example, when a user successfully closes an Opportunity, the system will automatically create an associated system post.

Post Rule Configuration records are used to control which Auto Posts are enabled. The Post Rule Configuration records exist for some of the out-of-the-box entities. We can choose to deactivate some or all of the rules by deactivating them through the post rule configuration list. To access post rule configurations list click settings in CRM and then click Post Rule Configurations.

There are two properties that can be changed for a post-configuration record.

  • Status Property: This determines whether a post-rule configuration record is active or inactive. If active, a system post will be created when the specified event occurs. For example, if there is a post-rule configuration designed to automatically create a system post when a new account record is created and if this rule is active, the system post will be created whenever this event occurs.
  • A new property was added for Yammer integration. A check appears on most configuration records to control or not whether a post should appear on Yammer activity stream. These posts are sent to the Yammer activity stream from CRM through asynchronous service, so you may not see the messages immediately in Yammer activity stream. There are a couple of ways to change this property through the user interface:
    • One option is to open a post-configuration rule record and change the selection of post to the Yammer activity stream checkbox.
    • Another option is to select one or multiple post rule configuration records and click Enable for the Yammer ribbon button as shown in the screenshot above.

Note: the creation of new post-rule configuration record is currently not supported. It is possible to use a workflow or a plugin to create a new post rule configuration record. Although these posts can appear in system posts tab in CRM, there is currently no built-in way to have those posts in Yammer. The post-rule configurations for appointment, phone call, dialog session, recurring appointment cannot be enabled to post to the Yammer activity stream. If you select one of these entities, you'll get a message that says "rule not applicable to Yammer."

After connecting Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Yammer, users of CRM may see a Yammer login button anywhere a Yammer feed appears. Also, the email address being used for Yammer must match an email address in the user record in CRM.

Now that you have your Yammer integration up and running, you can start to enjoy the benefits of combining structured process data with unstructured social conversations! Shazam!

For more information on how to get benefits from Microsoft Dynamics CRM, visit PowerObjects CRM How-to Portal, which includes videos and handouts to help users learn.

Happy CRM'ing!

Joe CRM
By Joe D365
Joe D365 is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 superhero who runs on pure Dynamics adrenaline. As the face of PowerObjects, Joe D365’s mission is to reveal innovative ways to use Dynamics 365 and bring the application to more businesses and organizations around the world.

2 comments on “Configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online With Yammer”

  1. The connection between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Yammer now available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online customers. This will be very helpful for the steps to set up and configure the integration for the
    organization.

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