Article

Goodbye Mail Merge: Microsoft Improves Document Automation in Dynamics CRM 2016 with Word Templates

by Dave Carr
Senior CRM Consultant, Trovare Business Solutions,

With the introduction of Dynamics CRM 2016 upgrade, Microsoft has finally replaced the painful start-of-the-millennium creation that is the Word Mail Merge process. While the new Word templates capability has made document creation easier, it is still not easy enough for your average sales professional to build on their own.

In this document, we have summarized the instructions and detailed them below. Note that this was all done on a freshly created CRM Online 30-day trial, with absolutely no customizations or third party solutions involved.

To create a new CRM 2016 Word template, follow these steps:

  1. Create a new Template
  2. Fix some bugs
  3. Build your template

Create a new template

The first step varies, whether you are a System Admin or a User.

To create a Word template as a CRM Admin:

  1. As a User with the CRM System Administrator role, navigate to Settings / Templates / Document Templates.
  2. Click New.

To create a Word template as a User:

  1. Navigate to the entity you want to begin your Word document from (typically, the "header" if doing a report with detail tables.
  2. Click the ellipsis (...) to find the "Word Documents" option, and select "create"
    (Note: if your admin has not yet built a Word Document for this entity, you may not see this option.)

From either location, select Create a New Template:

  1. Select Word template, and select the Entity that will be the "main entity" for this Mail Merge. I selected Contact for this, but you ...

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Business Process Mgmt CRM 2016 Document Automation Document Management Dynamics CRM
About Dave Carr

David Carr has been developing visionary software solutions since 1978, spending the last 18 years implementing customized CRM solutions for his clients. Dave joined Trovare Business Solutions following a successful ten year run as the President and Founder of an Oregon-based Microsoft Dynamics CRM VAR and ISV consulting company, and a 2-year stint at a national VAR.

He specializes in translating client's unique requirements into easy to use CRM solutions with a low long-term cost of ownership. Dave "thinks CRM", quickly translating your requirements into CRM custom entities, fields, workflow and dialog processes.  He utilizes lookups and custom entities to make maintenance under user control, not hidden away in code.

Dave has decades of CRM experience in a wide variety of industries including:

  • Health Care.  Implementations in the Contracting Department for one major Northwest carrier; Provider Contracting for another Northwest carrier; a field sales automation project for a medical device manufacturing firm in Washington; a sales and service implementation for a global medical software company.
  • Financial Services.  Dave has worked with multiple RIA (Registered Investment Advisory) firms, as well as an RIA clearinghouse servicing over 60 RIA's.
  • Manufacturing.  Implemented across sales and service departments for a major interactive display manufacturer.
  • Customer Service.  Dave implemented CRM for a professional sports team; a CPA firm; and an online store.
  • High Tech.  Dave implemented CRM for a sophisticated simulation technology company; a fabrication software firm; a timber technologies firm; a leader in network security; a telecom provider; a manufacturer of exercise equipment; and a manufacturer of RFID tags.

If you'd like to discover your companies Dynamics CRM needs analysis or are a company ...

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