Partner Stories

How to Choose the Best CRM Relationship Visualization Apps for Dynamics 365 CRM

Published by Inogic

Today, the biggest challenge isn’t just collecting customer data; it’s making it understandable.

When your CRM is full of accounts, contacts, opportunities, cases, and custom entities, the real bottleneck becomes 

  • Who’s connected to whom?
  • What stage is this deal really in?
  • And what should I do next?

That’s why visualisation matters: when you can see connections and processes, you act faster and smarter.

If you’ve ever thought:

  • How do I stop losing track of record connections in CRM?

    Or 

  • How can I see my sales pipeline visually instead of endless lists?


— Then this Q&A is built for you. 

Below are the questions actual CRM users ask, followed by answers that show how you can address them using tools like Map My Relationships and Kanban Board within CRM/Dataverse.

Let’s dive in.

 

How do I stop losing track of who is connected to whom in my CRM?

In many implementations, users find themselves digging through records: which contact influences which opportunity, how accounts relate to each other, or which contacts are linked to which cases. The key feature you need: a 360° relationship map.

Map My Relationships offers a visual, interactive mind map or hierarchy that shows 1:N, N:1, and N:N relationships (including custom entities) in a single view. It supports N-level drill-down, colour-coded connection-roles, and lets you visualise parent-child hierarchies with ease. 

This means you get clarity on who is connected to whom—without switching between forms and lists.

Can I configure which relationships are shown in Map My Relationships?

Yes. Map My Relationships supports advanced configuration: 360-degree view, auto-expand nodes, display images, quick actions, N-level relationships, color-coded connection roles, filtering, and custom labels.  So you decide which entities and links show, and how.

 

I keep switching between lists and forms to piece together related records—can I avoid that?

Yes, because every click and context-switch slows you down. What you want is to view and act from one place.

Within Map My Relationships, you can create associated records, connect existing records, log a phone call or email, all directly from the visual map. Features like Create Associate Record and Quick Activity enable this. 
So rather than going to an account → related contacts → tasks, you stay in the relationship map and take action.


How does a Kanban Board help visualize pipelines or processes?

If the board is cluttered, the view is unclear—leading to missed opportunities or service delays. What you need: a visual grid-oriented board view that reflects stages and status.

With Kanban Board, you can:

  • Turn any view in Dynamics 365 into a board with lanes/rows.
  • Drag & drop cards to update record status or stage.
  • Use row-grouping, swim lanes, advanced filters, colour-coding, aggregate totals (SUM, AVG) displayed on lanes/rows.
  • Apply this not just to Sales but also Service, Projects, HR workflows—any custom entity.

 

How do I handle custom entities and workflows, not just standard ones like Accounts, Opportunities?

Many tools stop at the standard set (Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities), but your business may use custom entities and multi-entity workflows.

Both Map My Relationships and Kanban Board support custom entities and multi-entity business process flows. Map My Relationships supports custom relationships and N-level drill-down. Kanban Board supports multi-entity BPFs, row grouping, and custom lane definitions.
So you’re not limited to standard objects—you can visualise your real business model.

What key capabilities should I look for in a CRM visualization tool?

When selecting one, ensure it offers:

  • Relationship mapping (1:N, N:1, N:N) for entities.
  • Visual interfaces (mind map, hierarchy, board) and interactivity (drag/drop, quick actions).
  • Customization (card layout, colour codes, filtering, views).
  • Integration with your CRM security model and modules.
  • Performance and scalability with large data sets.
    Both Map My Relationships and Kanban Board meet these—and more.

Can I perform actions from within these visual apps?

Yes. In Map My Relationships, you can create associated records, run workflows, send emails, etc., directly from the map. 

In the Kanban Board, you can trigger quick activity actions from cards, move bulk records, and update underlying field values automatically on drag.

My team complains the board is too cluttered or confusing—how can I tailor what they see?

Over-visualisation can hurt as much as under-visualisation. Users need just what matters now.

Kanban Board offers features like Advanced Lane Filter, Advanced Row Filter, Swim Lanes, configurable card width, colour coding, and fetchXML‐based criteria. Map My Relationships lets you filter records, use custom labels, hide certain connection types, or view relationships in table format. 

With these, you can tailor the view to your team’s role so they view only relevant lanes, rows, or relationships.

How can I visualize CRM records and relationships effectively in Dynamics 365 CRM?

You can visualize CRM records in two powerful ways:

  1. Mind Map View using Map My Relationships – It helps you configure entity relationships, display related records, and even perform quick actions like creating, updating, or deleting records from the visualization itself.
  2. Kanban View using Kanban Board – Perfect for process-driven entities, it lets you organize and move records through stages visually, like dragging opportunities across sales stages or cases through resolution phases.

Together, these apps make Dynamics 365 visually intelligent and action-oriented.

Our organisation has hierarchical structures; can we visualise parent-child ownership chains easily?

Yes: Sometimes you need to see organisational hierarchies, account parent-child relationships, or region-sub-region chains.

Map My Relationships has a dedicated Hierarchy View or tree-like structure, that simplifies parent-child chains. Sales and management teams benefit when they can instantly see that this account owns these subsidiaries; key contacts in each open opportunities.
That helps with planning, stakeholder mapping, and escalation chains.

We need to perform bulk updates or move many records at once in a workflow—can visual tools help?

List views will always require selecting multiple records and updating fields. Visual boards can simplify this.
In the Kanban Board, you can select multiple cards (Multiple Move) and drag them to a new lane/row, updating underlying fields in one action. Also, the board supports aggregate values, so you know volumes and totals while moving them.

How do I visualise metrics (sum, average) or filter by key fields on my board?

Good visualisation also needs some analytics: volumes, deal sizes, and durations.

Kanban Board supports aggregate field values (SUM, AVG) on lane/row headers, plus colour‐coding and filters.  Map My Relationships supports grouping & aggregation of related records. 
This means your board or map is not just pretty; it’s informative.

How does this help drive user adoption rather than just being another nice-to-have?

After all, a tool unused is wasted. Adoption is crucial.

When users can see their data relationships and pipeline clearly (rather than hunting records), work becomes easier, quicker, and more intuitive. 

Map My Relationships helps users instantly understand networks of stakeholders, contacts, and accounts, so they’re more engaged. 

Kanban Board gives them a visible, drag-and-drop interface rather than record-after-record forms. This reduces friction, increases productivity, and origins to higher adoption. (See blog reference on Map My Relationships solving adoption issues.)

In short, the easier you make CRM, the more your team will use CRM.

Conclusion

If you’re asking yourself What is the best CRM relationship visualisation app for Dynamics 365 CRM?, remember that the core need is visibility + actionability. You want to see who is connected, what stage things are at, and what to do next—with minimal friction.

With tools like Map My Relationships and Kanban Board by Inogic, you’re equipped for both sides of the coin:

If you’re ready to boost CRM efficiency, improve adoption, and turn your data into actionable visuals, consider rolling out a 15-day free trial of both, and identify which one your team needs first (or deploy both in parallel).

Want to have a first-hand personalized demo? Reach us at crm@inogic.com, and get an exclusive demo, see exactly how it works before anyone else.