CRM Outlook Client Offline – “Sales Force Automation Error”

One of the more interesting observations I had this year was that even with all the immense popularity of CRM mobile applications on smart phones and tablets – Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Microsoft Office Outlook with Offline is still very popular with the field sales force! 

IF CRM Outlook Offline is implemented correctly – your existing outside field sales representatives and traveling executives can continue to leverage the familiar, tried and true laptop they’ve been trained to use since forever (for most of us anyway)!   And have full access to their CRM Outlook functionality while on the road visiting customers and prospects even when there is NO internet connection. 

Here is a link to an article on the “nuts and bolts” Offline and Online Synchronization in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

I’ve commonly come across this error when implementing the Microsoft CRM Outlook Offline:

• When trying to save any changes to an existing CRM record while Offline, received the  Sales Force Automation Error – The requested account does not exist.  Or any The requested “CRM Entity such as contact” does not exist

This is due to a [Record Unavailable] within the CRM record being edited while offline.  Since it is Offline, not all the CRM data is available.

The resolution to this is to update the CRM Outlook Offline Synchronization Filter data groups (rules) to include the [Record Unavailable] records when Offline.  For the above example where the Parent Account record is unavailable, here is the offline filter rule definition that will ensure the Parent Account is available:

Frank Lee, Microsoft CRM MVP since 2006