Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

Hello Community!

I have an issue with showing pinned records in a timeline in one Hub and not showing in another. Our Customer Service representatives work in the Customer Service Hub and will pin records in the Case timeline (Main Form). They create child records that are accessed by other departments from the Customer Service Team Member app. In the child record, there is a Form Component Control to show fields from the Case, including the timeline. The issue is that records pinned in the Case (Main Form) in the Customer Service Hub are not showing as pinned in the Case (Form Component Control) in the Customer Service Team Member app. I can rule out that this is not security related as I do not see them pinned either, as a System Administrator.

Until this issue is resolved, the Customer Service representatives are downloading records from the Case timeline, then uploading them into the child record timeline. This is a waste of time and data. Any suggestions would be great!

Categories:

Dynamics 365 Customer Service

Hello BeckyB,

This is an interesting and potentially frustrating issue. The expectation would be that pinned records on a parent record's timeline should be reflected when that timeline is embedded as a Form Component Control on a child record. The fact that it's not working consistently across different Hubs (Customer Service Hub vs. Customer Service Team Member app) and even for a System Administrator points to a potential configuration or platform behavior nuance.

Let's break down the possible causes and troubleshooting steps:

Potential Causes:

Different Timeline Control Configurations: Even though it's the same underlying data, the configuration of the Timeline control on the Case Main Form in the Customer Service Hub might be different from the configuration of the Timeline control within the Form Component Control on the child record. This could include:
- Enabled/Disabled Features: The "Pin" functionality might be explicitly enabled in one configuration and not the other.
- Entity Filtering: The Timeline control on the child record might have filters applied that inadvertently exclude the pinned records (though this is less likely to affect pinned status).
- Record Types Displayed: Ensure both timelines are configured to display the same types of activities and records.

Form Component Control Behavior/Limitations: The Form Component Control, while powerful for embedding related information, might have some specific behaviors or limitations regarding how it renders certain aspects of related record timelines, including the pinned status. It's possible that the pinned state isn't inherently carried over in the same way as the actual activities.

Caching Issues: Although less likely to be persistent for a System Administrator, there could be caching issues at the browser or application level that are preventing the pinned status from being reflected in the Form Component Control.

Solution Layering/Customizations: If you have multiple solutions or customizations applied to the Case and related entities, there might be unintended interactions affecting the Timeline control's behavior in the Form Component Control.

Platform Bug or Known Limitation: It's also possible that this behavior is a bug or a known limitation of the platform, especially when dealing with embedded timelines via the Form Component Control across different apps.

Troubleshooting Steps and Suggestions:

Compare Timeline Control Configurations:
- Customer Service Hub (Case Main Form):
  - Open the Case Main Form in the Form Editor.
  - Select the Timeline control.
  - Examine its properties, especially the "Activities Tab" and "Notes Tab" settings. Look for any specific settings related to pinning or filtering.
- Child Record (Form Component Control - Case Timeline):
  - Open the child record's Main Form in the Form Editor.
  - Select the Form Component Control that is displaying the Case timeline.
  - In the properties of the Form Component Control, identify the specific Timeline control embedded within it.
  - Select this embedded Timeline control and compare its properties to the Timeline control on the Case Main Form. Pay close attention to the "Activities Tab" and "Notes Tab" settings to ensure they are identical, especially regarding any filters or display options.

Verify Data Consistency: While you can rule out security, ensure the underlying msdyn_pin attribute (the field that likely stores the pinned status on activity records) is being populated correctly when a record is pinned in the Customer Service Hub. You might need to add this field to a view to observe its values.

Test with Different Browsers and InPrivate/Incognito Mode: Rule out browser-specific caching issues by testing in different browsers and in private/incognito mode.

Clear Dynamics 365 App Cache: If using the Dynamics 365 for Outlook app or a desktop app, try clearing its cache.

Simplify the Child Record Form: Temporarily remove other customizations or scripts from the child record form to see if they are interfering with the rendering of the Form Component Control and the Timeline.

Test with a Newly Created Pin: Create a new pin on a Case record in the Customer Service Hub and immediately check if it appears as pinned in the Form Component Control on a related child record in the Customer Service Team Member app. This can help determine if it's a synchronization delay.

Review Solution Layers: Use the Solution Layers feature to examine the customizations applied to the Case and related entities, as well as the forms involved. Look for any potential conflicts or modifications that might be affecting the Timeline control.

Consider the Nature of "Pinning": Understand how the pinning functionality is implemented. It's likely a user-specific preference stored against the activity record in the context of the specific timeline they are viewing. It's possible that this "pinned" state isn't designed to be a global property of the activity record that automatically propagates to all embedded timelines.

If Pinning Doesn't Propagate, Explore Alternatives:
- Dedicated "Important" or "Highlight" Field: Instead of relying on the "Pin" functionality, consider adding a custom "Important" (Two Optionset: Yes/No) or "Highlight" (Text) field to the activity entities (Email, Phone Call, Task, etc.). Train users to mark important items there. You could then configure the Timeline control on the child record to prominently display or filter by these fields.
- Related Entity for Highlights: Create a simple related entity (e.g., "Case Timeline Highlights") where users can manually create records linking to important timeline items on the Case. This would be explicitly visible on the child record's timeline.

Contact Microsoft Support: If you've exhausted these troubleshooting steps and the behavior persists, it's recommended to contact Microsoft Support. They have deeper access to the platform's internals and might be able to identify a bug or provide specific configuration guidance related to Form Component Controls and Timeline behavior across different apps.

The fact that the behavior is inconsistent between Hubs suggests that the configuration of the Timeline control or the way the Form Component Control renders it might be the key area to investigate. Start by meticulously comparing the configurations of the Timeline controls in both contexts. Good luck!

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Regards,

Daivat Vartak

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