Prerequisites

In order to install the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics you must meet the following requirements:

Deploying the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics

In order to configure the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics:

  1. Import the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Solution but DO NOT activate any processes
    • ProductivityPackForMicrosoftDynamicsSolution_1_5_0_4.zip
  2. Create a folder named "Dynamics.Productivity.Pack.Adapter" under Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics\Microsoft Dynamics Adapter\Adapters.
  3. Extract to the folder created above the following zip files:
    • Dynamics.Productivity.Pack.Adapter.zip
  4. Extract to the Dynamics Connector Installation CRM 2011 Adapter folder the following zip files:
    • ObjectProviderConfigurations.zip
    • This location will be found under Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics\Microsoft Dynamics Adapter\Adapters\Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.Crm2011\ObjectConfig\{organizationNameFolder}
  5. Extract to the Dynamics Connector Installation GP 2010 Adapter folder the following zip files:
    • PurchaseOrderObjectProvider.zip
    • This location will be found under Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics\Microsoft Dynamics Adapter\Adapters\Microsoft.Dynamics.Integration.Adapters.Gp2010\ObjectConfig\
    • If this file already exists you can ignore the file copy and keep what already exists in that folder
  6. Extract to the Dynamics Connector Installation Templates folder the following zip files:
    • MDPP Templates.zip
    • This location will be found under Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics\Microsoft Dynamics Adapter\Templates

Creating an Integration

Once you have configured the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics you will need to create an Integration

  1. Open the Connector For Microsoft Dynamics client.
  2. You will be prompted to register the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics Adapter.
    The settings you must provide are the same as the settings you have already provided for the Connector for Dynamics GP 2010 Adapter. After you have entered the settings click apply button.
  3. From the ribbon click New Integration
    1. Choose From template
    2. Choose Dynamics Productivity Pack / Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011:
      1. Application 1: Dynamics Productivity Pack Adapter (Defaults based on the template)
      2. Company: Your GP Company
      3. Application 2: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (Defaults based on the template)
      4. Company: Your CRM Organization
    3. Click Create button
  4. Right click the Company \ Organization node for your Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 \ Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 integration and then choose to Create New Map from File.

    Note: If you have not already created an Integration betwen GP 2010 and CRM 2011 please see documentation for the Dynamics Connector on how to accomplish this task. Then come back to these steps.
    Note: You will need to add the user who is currently in the two Microsoft Dynamics Integration roles within the Microsoft Dynamics Security Console to the Accounts Payable Coordinator Role as well in order for the Vendor and Purchase Order integrations to sync without error.

    1. Browse to the Templates\ProductivityPackMaps folder and create a map from the following files
      1. Vendor to Account
      2. Account to Vendor
      3. GP Purchase Order to Purchase Order
    2. You must update the existing Customer to Account mapping.
      1. Customer to Account has an additional mapping for Relationship Type\Name = "Customer"
    3. You must also create two Filter conditions, one for Account to Customer and one for Account to Vendor
      1. Account to Vendor: Relationship Type\Name is equal to "Vendor"
      2. Account to Customer: Relationship Type\Name is equal to "Customer"

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Final Configuration

In order to get complete the configuration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 to use the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics you must complete the following tasks:

Using the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics

Once you have the Productivity Pack configured you can now use it to integrate data from GP to CRM and also perform logic against that integrated data. The extra entities that are integrated Purchse Orders, Receivable Invoices, and Payable Invoices require that GP data exists in CRM for Price List, Products, Customers (accounts) and Customer Addresses. You must first integrate this data before you can integrate the new entities otherwise you will receive errors about not being able to resolve CRM references.

The Productivity Pack also provides addtional features in CRM 2011. There is a new Productivity Dashboard to help manage activities from the Receivable Invoices.

It also provides the ability for inline notifications on the account form to help highlight information about the account. The current notification that is available is for Credit Hold.

Finally with the combination of CRM 2011 Dialogs and Workflows a Credit Application Process is available to help manage accounts that are requesting credit.

Known Issues

When you are installing the Productivity Pack for Microsoft Dynamics Adapter and you are extracting the files make sure that the files are Unblocked in Windows 7 and Windows 2008. You can make sure that they are Unblocked by right-clicking any of the files contained in the Install.zip file once extracted and clicking properties. Then by viewing the security properties tab you will see an Unblock button. You must click this to make sure the files are unblocked. If you click Unblock, and then check the properties again by closing the properties dialog and then opening it again and the file is still blocked (the Unblock button is still shown), you will need to first copy the file to a unprotected location like your desktop or my documents folder and then click Unblock on the security tab in the properties dialog, and then copy the files to the correct location.

References

Connector for Microsoft Dynamics blog