Skip to main content

Notifications

Announcements

No record found.

Service | Customer Service, Contact Center, Fie...
Suggested answer

Customer Portal?

Posted on by 15

I've played around with power pages, and analyzed the cost... Might be hefty for us... I'm curious if there is an alternative solution... We ran something custom when we were on premise, but now that we are going online, it will be too much effort to migrate that tool... 

We need our clients to log into our crm, be able to download files based on given permissions in crm, and the ability to create cases... Most of this is out of the box if we go the power page route, using one of their templates... What other options do we have?

  • Suggested answer
    Shawnsauve Profile Picture
    Shawnsauve 1,089 on at
    RE: Customer Portal?

    If the cost of using Power Apps is a concern, there are alternative solutions that you can explore to meet your requirements for client login, file download permissions, and case creation in your CRM.

    One possible solution is to use custom development with a web framework such as ASP.NET or Node.js to build a web application that integrates with your CRM and provides the required functionality. This approach would require more development effort than using an out-of-the-box solution like Power Apps, but it would give you greater flexibility and control over the user experience, functionality, and cost.

    Another option is to use a third-party app or tool that specializes in CRM integration and client portal functionality. There are several options available in the market, such as HubSpot, Salesforce Community Cloud, and Zendesk. These platforms provide pre-built components and templates that you can use to create a portal that meets your requirements for user authentication, file access permissions, and case creation. However, these solutions may require additional licensing and subscription fees, so it's important to evaluate the cost and features carefully.

    Finally, if your CRM system has a public API, you can develop a custom web or mobile application that interacts with the CRM system directly, without the need for a portal or middleware layer. This approach would require more development effort and expertise, but it would give you the greatest degree of flexibility and control over the user experience and functionality.

  • Jessica_MV Profile Picture
    Jessica_MV 36 on at
    RE: Customer Portal?

    Be sure to consider:

    How many will be accessing the portal each month, because you are charge for each visitor to your site. If they are logging in, then the price is higher for those that are visiting. 

    What are the sizes of files you need to let them access? - Sharepoint and data verse storage costs vary and can get costly. 

    These are just two factors that convinced us a portal would not work for us. Microsoft portals were designed to be an option for companies to provide an a door into their data for coworkers, employees or contractors at a lower price than paying for a full Microsoft license in your tenant. 

    The other options you might consider are AlexaCRM, Sitefinity, Externable, to name a couple portal connectors. In the end, since we are software developers at heart, we decided to just extend our website to host the portal and build a connector to our Dynamics data. Any of these options will allow for more customizations, cheaper usage and a more direct connection to our D365 data and the product we sell. 

Under review

Thank you for your reply! To ensure a great experience for everyone, your content is awaiting approval by our Community Managers. Please check back later.

Helpful resources

Quick Links

December Spotlight Star - Muhammad Affan

Congratulations to a top community star!

Top 10 leaders for November!

Congratulations to our November super stars!

Tips for Writing Effective Suggested Answers

Best practices for providing successful forum answers ✍️

Leaderboard

#1
André Arnaud de Calavon Profile Picture

André Arnaud de Cal... 291,280 Super User 2024 Season 2

#2
Martin Dráb Profile Picture

Martin Dráb 230,214 Most Valuable Professional

#3
nmaenpaa Profile Picture

nmaenpaa 101,156

Leaderboard

Featured topics

Product updates

Dynamics 365 release plans