Do you use Outlook as your CRM Email "Router"?

Some Organizations choose to use Outlook for processing E-mail from CRM. Although this definitely simplifies CRM E-mail setup, it does require that CRM Users have the CRM Outlook Client installed and Outlook open in order for CRM to send e-mail.

As organizations grow, staff might more frequently use devices that are not Outlook enabled when working remote. This in addition to not having Outlook open at all times can can cause e-mail delivery delays or other undesirable issues.

If you are ready to step up to using the E-mail Router to manage CRM e-mail processing, below is a list of items that you will need, configuration changes you’ll want to be prepared to complete as well as some tips for consideration.

Email Router Setup Preparation

·         Installation Server Operating System

·         Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008

·         You can also use Windows Vista but I don’t recommend it

Active Directory

·         Create an AD account and mailbox for “crmmail” user

·         Ensure the user has Send As & Impersonation privileges on all mailboxes

·         This user will run the email router service and router profiles

·         Add the user to CRM & give it the System Administrator security role

·         Setup AD account and mailbox for a new user – crmmailfwd

o   Give the user Read/Write privilege on all mailboxes

o   This will be used for the Forward Mailbox configuration

o   You can choose not to use the Forward Mailbox but I use it in all my E-mail Router deployments because it helps when managing and troubleshooting Email router issues.

Exchange Server

·         Incoming

·         Exchange Server Version

o   i.e. 2007, 2010

o   Exchange Web Service URL

§  i.e. http://<server>/EWS/Exchange.asmx

·         Outgoing

o   SMTP server name

o   If Exchange Online is used you can disregard as it will be the same as Incoming above

 

CRM User Changes / Configuration

·         Set all CRM User Incoming = Forward Mailbox and Outgoing = Email Router

·         Select All Users and select the Approve E-mail button

·         User Options

o   Each user must log into CRM, select File and Options

o   Select the Email tab

·         Make the following changes to the Settings under the Email tab

o   Check the box, “Allow other Dynamics CRM users to send email on my behalf

o   This is required in order for notification type workflows with dynamically enabled recipients to work as expected

o   Select, E-mail messages from CRM records that are e-mail enabled

o   This is the recommended setting to ensure all relevant emails are tracked in CRM.

o   You can select a different setting if desired

o   Uncheck, Automatically create records in Dynamics CRM

§  It is recommended to uncheck this option to ensure Contact records are always created according to business practices and not automatically by the application

§  You can select a different setting if desired

Outlook Rule

 

You can use the Rule Deployment Wizard to deploy the rule to all CRM user’s Outlook. However, I generally deploy the Outlook rule manually to all CRM users’ Outlook rather than using the Deployment Wizard because the rule created by the wizard is not granular and results in unnecessary traffic sent to the forward mailbox.

·         To create the rule manually in Microsoft Office Outlook

o   Select File, Manage Rules & Alerts.

o   The Rules and Alerts dialog box appears.

o   On the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule.

o   Select “Apply rule on messages I receive” under the Start from a blank rule section and click Next.

o   Select the following conditions

·         Where my name is in the To box

·         With specific words in the Subject or Body

·         Select the “specific words” link under the “Edit the Rule Description…” section

·         Add the value “CRM:” (do not include the quotation marks)

·         Note: this will only work if the tracking token is set in the System Settings and is set to use the default value

·         Adding this conditions provides better control over the traffic sent to the forward mailbox

·         Setting this value is optional

·         Select Next

·         Select the checkbox “forward it to people or public group as an attachment”.

·         Select the “people or public group” link under the “Edit the Rule Description…” section

·         Add the name of your E-mail Router forward mailbox To recipient

·         Select OK.

·         Click Next two times.

·         Set the name of the rule = CRM Forward Mail.

·         Ensure that the “Turn on this rule” option is selected

o   Select Finish.

o   Ensure that the rule is at the top of the list

o   Select Apply

Please see the CRM Field Guide for more information about Installing, Configuring and Troubleshooting the E-mail Router. You can also have a read through some of the other E-mail Router articles I’ve written.

Cheers

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