Maximizing Control: Dynamics 365 Developer Insights

Optimize Control: Dynamics 365 Developer Insights

Whats Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Whats Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Dynamics 365 is a collection of integrated, modular Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps and services that are intended to modernize and facilitate the operations of your primary clients, staff members, and business.

Data, business logic, and procedures are all integrated to combine ERP and CRM capabilities. Dynamics 365 is a more efficient, integrated, and intelligent way to sell and market.


Extensionsibility Options

Extensionsibility Options

Solutions to increase the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Customer engagement (on-premises).

Not part of the application, the software can be installed using traditional methods such as an installer program. Your application can be imported directly to Customer Engagement if it is only Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) solution components.

It is not necessary to create an installer program.

If your extensions contain a combination of Dynamics 365 Customer engagement (on-premises), solution components, and other components, you will need an installer.

You can, for example, create a .NET Framework app that manages custom Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) entities.

Installers may also install a Dynamics 365 customer engagement (on-premises) solution to create custom entities. You could also include the Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement solution (on-premises) in the installer you start to install your application.


Version Compatibility

Version Compatibility

This chart shows how solutions can be imported from earlier versions of Customer Engagement.

Solutions can generally be imported into organizations with less than two versions of the solution than the one they were exported from.

Service pack releases offer the ability to export solutions compatible with the service pack or only with the capabilities of the base version.


Solution Components

Solution Components

The customization tools and APIs available in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement on-premises allow you to create solution components.

These components can then be fully hosted within the application. You create a customer engagement solution by creating a collection of solution components that can all be managed together.

Solutions cannot add solution components or modify existing solutions. Solutions cannot be used to remove solution components.


Managed and Unmanaged Solutions

Managed and Unmanaged Solutions

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) solutions can be managed or unmanaged.

A managed solution has been completed and is ready to be distributed or installed. Unmanaged solutions are still in development and are intended to be allocated elsewhere. Once the solution is prepared, you will want to export it and package it as a managed one.

This diagram shows how managed, and unmanaged solutions interact to control application behavior.

  1. System Solution: This system solution combines components within Dynamics 365 Customer engagement (on-premises).

    The default behavior of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Developers Applications is defined by the system solution without any customizations or managed solutions.

    Many features within the system solution can be customized and used in managed or unmanaged customizations.

  2. Managed Solutions: Managed solutions can be installed on top of the system solution. They can modify any configurable solution components or add new ones. Other managed solutions can also be added to managed solutions. Other managed solutions can be added to a managed solution and modified by any of its components.
  3. Unmanaged Personalizations: Any customizable component of the system solution, or managed solutions, can be customized in unmanaged personalizations.
  4. App Behavior: A Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement instance (on-premises for a particular organization) is the culmination and management of all managed customizations, system solutions, and the system solution.
  5. Unmanaged solutions: Unmanaged Solutions are groups of unmanaged customizations. Any component of unmanaged customized solutions can be linked to any number of unmanaged solutions. Exporting unmanaged solutions can be used to create managed solutions. You can then choose to package it as managed. If a solution is not managed, you can take the following steps:
  1. Add components
  2. Remove components
  3. Remove components that permit deletion.
  4. Import and export the unmanaged solution
  5. Export the solution
  6. Importing unmanaged solutions

Solution Publisher for Unmanaged Solutions

Solution Publisher for Unmanaged Solutions

A solution publisher is required for each solution. A solution publisher is responsible for providing a prefix that allows you to set standard customizations and options values.

Multiple answers can be associated with a single publisher. Lets say you want all unmanaged solutions to have the same customization and prefix for option values. If this is the case, its best to associate unmanaged solutions with default publishers for your company.

Managed solutions can only be updated by the solution publisher. To distribute managed solutions, you will need to associate a managed solution with the publisher.


Remove an Unmanaged Solution

Remove an Unmanaged Solution

You can delete an unmanaged option by deleting the reference group that refers to solution components.

Unmanaged solutions still have the solution components but are not associated with the deleted unmanaged solution.

Unmanaged solutions can be deleted if you delete a solution element. If you need to delete a solution component from unmanaged solutions, use "remove" rather than "delete."


Solution Publisher to Managed Solutions

Solution Publisher to Managed Solutions

If you plan to distribute managed solutions, each organization that installs your solution will need the solution publisher record.

Use the solution publisher to provide details about how people can contact you regarding your answer.

The solution publisher is essential if you wish to update your managed solution.

You can use the same solution publisher to create a new managed option to edit an existing managed solution.


Managed Properties

Managed Properties

Managed properties allow the creator of managed solutions to control whether or not a component can be customized and which parts can be customized.

Unmanaged solutions cannot have managed properties. Only after the managed solution is packaged and installed can governed property settings be applied.

The type of solution component will determine the exact managed properties that are available.

Below is an example of managed properties for custom entities.

The default assumption of managed property settings is that every solution component can be customized.

Solution developers should encourage solution component customization. There are instances when a solution components definition must be locked down to prevent breaking changes and facilitate future maintenance.


Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution

Dynamics 365 Customer engagement (on-premises) resolves conflicts when two or more solutions have different components.

It does this using two strategies: Merge and Top wins. This diagram shows the differences.

  1. Merge

The user interface components (command bars, ribbons and forms, site map, and forms) are combined.

The solution components are recalculated, starting at the lowest and ending at the highest, so any unmanaged customizations can be applied last.

  1. Top Wins

Any conflict is determined in favor of the customization applied last to all other components.

This means that managed solutions will use the previously installed solution. There are some cases where an update to a managed option is required.


Resolution of Conflicts in the Update of Managed Solutions

Resolution of Conflicts in the Update of Managed Solutions

Unmanaged customizations, which are "above" any managed solutions in terms of conflict resolution, may cause organizations not to see the changes they have made because of unmanaged modifications.

There is an option to make sure that any changes made by an update of a managed solution are accessible.

An organization can choose to release an update for a managed system.

  1. This has been applied to your managed solution to keep any customizations.
  2. This has been added to your managed solution to overwrite all customizations.

Organizations looking to upgrade their solution should consult the managed solution creator to determine the most suitable answer.


Dependency Tracking

Dependency Tracking

The solutions framework tracks the dependencies of solution components automatically.

Each operation on a solution element automatically calculates the dependencies on other aspects of the system. This information is used to protect the systems integrity and prevent any processes from creating an inconsistent state.

The following behaviors are enforced; as a result of dependency tracking:

  1. If another component depends on it, deleting a component will be prevented.
  2. When exporting a solution, it warns the user of missing components that could cause problems when imported into another system.

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If the solution developer does not intend for the solution to be installed in an environment where dependencies are expected to exist, warnings can be ignored.

This is an example if you are creating a solution that will be installed over an existing "base" solution.

  1. All required components must be compatible with the package type when you import managed solutions. A managed solution cannot be dependent on one element.

Importing the solution fails if the required components arent in the solution or dont exist in the target system.


Support for Multiple Languages

Support for Multiple Languages

The on-premises version of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement natively supports numerous languages.

When a language pack is installed (called a "MUIpack"), user interface elements may be displayed in another language. Many different strategies can be used based on your solution component.


Technical Skills

Technical Skills
  1. Dynamics 365 Core Product Functionalities

Remember the basics, regardless of your technology. The Dynamics 365 core platform has seen a significant transformation in terms of functionality, platform architecture, scalability, and performance.

Microsoft updates or modifies features with every six-month release. Many elements required to do "custom" are now out of the box.

It would help if you were a Dynamics 365 consultant and fully aware of all the new features in the platform, depreciated features, and upcoming features, as highlighted in the Dynamics product roadmap.

You must be aware of all APIs no longer supported by Dynamics and know the recommended API endpoints.

Follow best practices and patterns for development according to Microsoft guidelines.

Your customer, first and foremost, needs to find an expert in Dynamics 365 before they look at other skills you may have.

  1. Power Platform and CDS

Whether your experience with Dynamics 365 has been extended or you are just starting, its a great time to get back in the admin field.

As a Dynamics 365 consultant or administrator, you need to be familiar with the Power Platforms features and the concepts of Common Data Service (CDS) and Common Data Model (CDM).

It is essential to be familiar with all admin portals, including the Power Platform admin center, PowerApps admin portal, and Dynamics 365 admin portal.

Microsoft envisions a single portal that can be used for all administrative purposes. This will make it a valuable skill.

  1. Microsoft Flow

Some may be hesitant to consider Microsoft Flow a different skill. No matter your role, Dynamics 365 requires you to be familiar with flows.

This is because flows are an enterprise-level workflow automation platform by Microsoft. You must understand flows as a distinct skill set for Dynamics 365 consultants. Its not about working with Dynamics 365 instances or CDS instances.

Microsoft will stop investing in Dynamics 365 workflows, or as Microsoft calls it, "CDS workflows." Microsoft will instead focus on the future and support new Dynamics 365 workflows.

Your focus as a Dynamics 365 professional should be to learn about flow framework, how to optimize flows, programmatically interact and use advanced expressions. You also need to know how to integrate with top logic apps. A good skill is highly sought after by Dynamics 365 consultants in a matter of months.

  1. Canvas Apps

Youre probably working with model-driven applications if you work in Dynamics 365.

The problem of cross-device compatibility has been solved by model-driven apps. Users now have a consistent experience across mobile and web browsers. Todays customers have grown to be familiar with various apps and are used to the rich UI experience offered by mobile platforms.

Canvas apps are specifically designed for mobile platforms and allow you to create rich UI experiences using advanced controls such as cameras or barcode scanners with end-users.

Canvas apps can be used by any developer or administrator, regardless of your background.

Even if your programming experience could be more extensive, you can create rich UIs for mobile devices with a simple drag-and-drop on a web-based design. If you work for enterprise customers, the final UI will be a mix of model-driven and canvas apps. You must have the ability to build Microsoft Dynamics CRM Applications using canvas apps if you are a Dynamics 365 consultant.

If you are a developer, you can integrate canvas apps and flow deeper. This skill is essential for architects, consultants, and administrators.

  1. PowerApps Component Framework (PCF)

This one is special and deserves to be mentioned. Although it should be higher on the list, I wanted to include the technical skills and complexity.

We began with the most basic skills and now move to more specific ones. Customers and consultants demanded a framework for building UI seamlessly blended with CRM UI.

Although CRM web resources used embedded HTML controls to provide feature-rich HTML controls, they were visually distinct from CRM rules printed on paper.

Interacting with the web resource controls based on form events took a lot of work.

PCFs introduction has solved technical and functional issues. Still, it has also opened the door for developers with extensive experience in client-side frameworks such as typescript, react, and angular to enter the world of Dynamics.

This has been a massive boost for the Dynamics 365 developers community. If you are a Dynamics 365 developer or plan to become one, the ability to develop custom controls using PCF is a vital skill.

Microsoft has opened the doors to developers with PCF. This means that there is a lot of competition.

This skill could help you stay on top of the market.


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  1. Azure

Microsofts cloud platform forms the foundation of its online offerings. As such, cloud consultants should have at least L200 knowledge of Azure.

Azure offers SaaS and PaaS as well as IaaS. However, my experience with multiple Azure projects and Dynamics integration has shown me that I often use Azures PaaS offerings.

If you are a Dynamics 365 consultant, Azure blob storage is something you need to pay attention to.

Learning cloud skills to integrate Dynamics is an excellent addition to your knowledge, as we are increasingly working with the cloud.

  1. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

Projects for migration are increasing, whether from on-premise CRM systems into Dynamics 365 or other CRM systems such as Salesforce or Siebel CRM to Dynamics 365.

Any migration or upgrade project will involve data migration. Many excellent ISV products can help you with data transfer through UI-based interfaces.

However, you will often write data migration scripts for enterprise customers. Youre the best person to contact for upgrades or migrations if you are a Dynamics developer. This is a key skill to have in these situations.

  1. Power BI

Power BI is last because its still a valuable skill but not necessary for a Dynamics 365 consultant.

Its a wonderful technology that will be the future of Microsoft cloud reports. Still, almost all the companies I have implemented Dynamics 365 for have in-house Power BI specialists who can work efficiently with the Dynamics 365 team and build intuitive analytics.

This certification will make you stand out in the Dynamics 365 market. Microsoft has shifted from technical certificates to role-based credentials over the years.

This applies not only to Dynamics 365 but all cloud technologies within the Microsoft stack.

You must be certified if you are a Dynamics 365 consultant. Below is the certification pathway for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.

Depending on your role, you have four options for gaining certification.

You can begin with Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (MB-910), which is optional, but a good starting point.

Regardless of your role, the certification you need to add to your resume is MB 200 - Dynamics 365 customer engagement core. This tests you on core platform concepts in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.

Depending on which modules you are working on, you can choose the role-based certification that best suits your needs.

If you use Dynamics 365 primarily for sales and customer service, you will select MB-220 - Dynamics 365 Sales and MB-230 - Dynamics 365 Customer Service.

  1. Domain Expertise

Imagine that you work in Dynamics 365, and your job requires you to attend customer workshops to gather client requirements and map them to Dynamics 365.

You must have specific domain knowledge in this case.

Although your projects may span multiple domains (healthcare, manufacturing, automobiles, or finance), a good knowledge of domains is essential, especially for clients.

While its unlikely that one person can have domain knowledge in all industries, having a solid knowledge base in important sectors is a great feather in your CRM cap.

  1. Competitor CRM Systems Knowledge

Experience in Dynamics migration is a key skill set in todays climate. Microsoft focuses more on cloud technologies, and customers are migrating their on-premise systems to the cloud.

This means there is a demand for consultants with migration experience in nearly one-third of all projects.

This includes migration from on-premise to online versions. An increasing number of customers are switching from other CRM systems like Salesforce, Siebel, and Oracle CRM to Dynamics Online.

Microsoft has invested heavily in cloud infrastructure, so customers will likely migrate from other CRM systems to Dynamics 365.

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This means a greater demand for cross-CRM experts and migration and upgrading experience consultants.

This trend is sure to continue in the future.


Conclusion

No matter what your role is in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Custom Development Design, your knowledge must align with Microsofts vision for the product.

We must constantly upgrade our knowledge and keep up with technology trends to stay relevant in this industry.

There is an increasing demand for consultants to keep up with platform updates. Although it is impossible to master all of the skills listed here, you can choose to focus on your chosen field and work towards becoming a pro.

Youll gain more skills and become a stronger value proposition in Dynamics. You will also be able to make informed decisions about customer projects.


References

  1. 🔗 Google scholar
  2. 🔗 Wikipedia
  3. 🔗 NyTimes