Tracking the Sale of Services in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Last post 06-18-2008 5:42 PM by BillP. 1 replies.
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  • 06-17-2008 8:41 AM

    • JEM
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 02-20-2008
    • Posts 2

    Tracking the Sale of Services in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

    I'm interested in how CRM users who sell services monitor, track, and bill customers for performing service activities. It looks like the best method is to create a product in CRM that is a service. Schedule inbound or outbound service activies in the Service Calendar, but when an activity is completed kick off a workflow or find a manual method to invoice the customer for performance. It seems one could use a contract if all work performed were time-based. But parts are often associated with service performance, so it seems complicated to do one of the following:

    Create a service then schedule a service activity and track it in the service calendar. Possible use Cases to track the performance of the service activity. Use a workflow to create an invoice once a service activity is closed.

    Create a product that is the same as the service that was created, and sell it using the default sales process (leads > opportunites > quote > order > invoice. Once a service activity is closed in the service calendar, process the invoice.

    Is there a better way to do this?

    JEM 

  • 06-18-2008 5:42 PM In reply to

    • BillP
    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Joined on 01-24-2008
    • Redmond, WA
    • Posts 23

    Re: Tracking the Sale of Services in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

    Hello JEM -

    I find that the approach you Outline offers the cleanest path to achieve this scenario today. I will tell you that there are several advancements that we are looking to make in this area within our next release called CRM5. But, the approach you outline today offers a way of meeting existing requirements using a very simple approach.

    Can anyone else offer an alternative solution?

    Bill Patterson
    Director, Product Management
    Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
    (o) 425.722.7987
    (e) bpatter@microsoft.com
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