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Using Server Side Synchronization and Folder-Level Tracking to Enable Email Tracking from Any Device

Post Author: Joe D365 |

People often ask how to they can track emails in CRM that are being sent from devices that do not have the traditional Outlook client installed, including mobile phones and iPad tablets. Going back as far as CRM version 4.0, users have had the ability to set up a queue to accept and consume incoming emails, which is a good workaround. By including that queue's email address on the message, the message will be automatically converted into an email in CRM and then tied to the appropriate entity including leads, contacts, accounts, and users. The main caveat here is that the queue email address cannot be on the BCC line, as it will be ignored. That being said, this is not a viable solution for most clients as they often do not want a random email address, such track2crm@powerobjectsweb.com/stg, exposed to external parties.

With the introduction of Folder-level tracking in the CRM Online 2015 Spring release, you can now allow users to map specific Exchange inbox folders to records in CRM or have the system automatically determine who it should be tracked against, similar to hitting the Track to CRM button in the Outlook client. Any email that ends up in the folder, either manually or automatic, will be tracked in CRM with the appropriate rules applied. This is a great feature and has been a huge hit with users, especially those who use a multitude of devices.

EXAMPLE OF FOLDER-LEVEL TRACKING ENABLED:

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This does require users to setup their Exchange folders and mappings in advance and the user does have to manually move email messages into the appropriate folder. This seems simple enough, but the process still requires time, which may not be acceptable for people on-the-go.

To provide even more flexibility around email tracking, you can take the queue concept outlined earlier and pair it with folder-level synchronization to process the emails. Unlike the queue, the email record will be tracked no matter how it ended up in the folder. This includes the recipient being in the BCC line.

In order to set this up, you need to create a new email account and CRM user, like Track2CRM@powerobjects.com for example. You will need a full CRM license (basic or pro) as folder-level tracking is only available to users, not queues. The value of this capability may well be worth the cost of a license.

Once users are properly set up in Exchange and CRM and server side synchronization is enabled, you can create a subfolder to the inbox called Track2CRM and create an inbox rule that will move all messages into this folder, as show below.


Next, configure the folder-level tracking rules for this new user. Note here that Regarding Record in CRM is blank; therefore, the emails will just be tracked to the appropriate records based on the email addresses on the message with no regarding.

We recommend reviewing other relevant settings, both user-specific and global, that could impact this process, such as automatically creating contact or lead records for unresolved activity parties. In this example, we're NOT going to have the system create contacts or leads for unresolved individuals on the email thread.


You are now all set! When you send a message from ANY device and BCC your new Track2CRM user, the email will automatically be processed and tied to the appropriate record in CRM!


What the Email looks like in CRM:


That's all for the blog today! You can learn more about the Outlook CRM client and folder tracking by checking out this informative video!

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.

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