Microsoft Seeks Passion to Drive Adoption of Dynamics CRM 2011's New BI, Mobile Features

Managers of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are counting on "impassioned" users to give a big boost to the next Service Update for CRM 2011, due out by the end of June.  Two key improvements that they believe users will get impassioned about are new pervasive business intelligence capabilities like BI "canvases" for ad hoc visual reporting, and a broader set of mobile device options for the remote workforce.  One improvement they will have to get impassioned about is a new business intelligence capability-BI "canvases" that can do ad hoc visual reporting of key marketing and sales performance data.

Going for smarter, more pervasive BI

In a demonstration of the BI "canvases" concept at Convergence 2012 in Houston on Tuesday, Dynamics CRM product manager Craig Dewar showed how users can review in several quadrants' revenues by territory, product, and sales team. When a user hones in on a particular geographical area, for example, the logic is applied to other quadrants.

Moreover, users can see visualizations of specific trends taking place over time. Thus, an individual sales person's peaks and valleys compared to colleagues can be highlighted. The differentiation can help managers pinpoint problems for individual sales people at particular times of the month or year, and thus more easily develop solutions, according to Dewar.

The latest BI capabilities have application to calling centers and other performance centers. The data can be easily imported into PowerPoint for presentations, as well.

The "impassioned" user is motivated to input key data on a timely ...