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Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Activity Feed, Part 1 - Getting Started

Post Author: Joe D365 |

Did you hear? Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 5 was released last week. We live and breathe Microsoft Dynamics CRM here at PowerObjects so it is no surprise that this big news.One of the cool new features is the much anticipated Microsoft Dynamics CRM Activity Feed.

What is the Activity Feed? Activity Feed is Microsoft CRM 2011 version of your LinkedIn or Facebook home page where it displays recent 'activities' or updates related to those entities in which you choose to follow. This mini Social Networking tool within CRM, will increase communication and provide quick and easy access to information you need.

Here a look at some of the features:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Activity Feed

  1. What's New area added to your Workplace area
  2. Share an insight with your colleagues, update your status
  3. Edit your personal profile, add a photo
  4. View who and what you are following in the Activity Feed area
  5. See other people status updates
  6. Post Url's in Activity Feed

To set up the Activity Feed (for existing CRM customer)

  1. Ensure you have proper security roles to import solutions
  2. Download the Activity Feed solutions from Microsoft Pin Point
  3. Settings > Solutions > Import

Once imported the 'What's New' entity will appear in the work place area

And two new entities will be created in your Settings Area.

  1. Activity Feed Configuration
  2. Activity Feed Rule

Activity Feed Configuration

Allows you to define which entities your organization can follow

By Default, System Users are added.

To add new entities

  1. Click New
  2. Enter the entity Name

Note: enter the entity's logical name, for example for Accounts enter accounts (it is case sensitive)

  1. Click Save and New to add other entities
  2. Very important, you will need to publish all entities you add to the Activity Feed Configuration for the changes to take effect.

Activity Feed Rules

Displays activity feeds records related to the posts you choose to follow.

Follow Users (and Entities).

To follow users (or entities)

  1. Navigate the What's Net section in the Workplace area.
  2. Select Advanced Find in the Ribbon

  1. Use advanced find to search for records

  1. Select Results

  1. Use the checkbox to select the users you want to follow
  2. Select Follow
  3. Confirmation Window appears, Click OK

You can follow the same process for following Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities etc. (Provided you added those entities in the Activity Feed Configuration section.

Stay tuned for Activity Feeds, Part 2 – Working with Activity Feeds and, as always, 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.

15 comments on “Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Activity Feed, Part 1 - Getting Started”

    1. Hi Fred,
      I think your question is 'How do you add the Activity Feed to Custom Entities'?  if so, you can simply add the custom entity to the Activity Feed Configuration the same way you would add the account entity.  Note: if youre adding a custom entity dont forget the prefix new_customentity.
      If this doesn't answer your question, please let me know.
      Mike

      1. Good pointer on the custom entity question.
        Do you know how to add a wall to a custom FORM within an existing entity?  So for example, I have a custom Account form already for 3 different departments - Marketing, Sales, and Engineering (I have left the "out-of-the-box" Main form alone, 3 different custom dept-level forms are assigned to security roles).  All Microsoft says is something to the effect of having to add walls to custom forms, but did not provide good/detailed/step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish that...   this is the primary reason why my organization has yet to implement activity feeds.  Real bummer.  Once I figure out how to activate walls on custom forms, I should be good.  Thanks again for your assistance.

        1. Hi John,
          I believe if you add the account entity to the Activity Feed Configuration entity, the Record Wall will be enabled across all entity forms (main or custom). Then use a combination of security roles and 'following' rules to control who sees what.'
          Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have any questions.

  1. Having trouble implementing this solution; I keep getting an error message that says "An advanced find view for these records could not be found. The records might have been deleted, or a system administrator might need to enable Activity Feeds for these records"

    This is the first time I have tried to implement a solution, so I imagine I am missing something, somewhere.

    Hope you can advise, or at least point me in the right direction!

  2. Quick Question. I have implemented this solution and setup the configuration using the logical names of the entities, then went to each entity and published it. From there No rules were setup, and even though i can follow records, not changes that are made to the records are showing in my wall. I did install UR 6 on the server yesterday. Does anyone know if UR6 is not compatabile with Activity Feeds?

  3. hi, i have already imported Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Activity Feed to my solutions, but i can't work with what' s app. It shown error when i click what' s app. could you give me some suggestion about this problem? thank you very much

    1. Hi Connie,

      When you import the Activity Feed a security role comes with it. Makes sure you or the system admin for your organization assign the proper security roles.

      Hope that help.

  4. Activity Feed Configuration

    I cant add an custom entity. What can i do to add an custom entity to follow?

  5. Hi, in installing Activity Feeds I encountered the error message ' Multiple forms are present'. I configured walls to forms manually but it is still not possible to enable walls for the forms. Can you advise me? Thank you

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