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Microsoft Client Relation Management system (Microsoft CRM) and Microsoft RMS
are both Microsoft SQL Server based applications, however historically
Microsoft was purchasing industry leading software applications, such as
QuickSell which is now Microsoft RMS. So, RMS design fundamentals were minted a
long time before Microsoft CRM. But, still integration between the two is
straightforward and what you need is consultant, who is familiar with both
systems
structures and customization scenarios. Microsoft CRM is currently integrated
with Microsoft Great Plains and will be integrated with Microsoft Navision in
the close future, RMS integration is not planned to our knowledge, so you
should seek third party solutions or create your own integration. We see the
need for such the integration when you sell on account in RMS and have customer
support call center automated with Microsoft CRM. Let us give you highlights:
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Microsoft CRM custom lookup. More likely you will nee lookup to your RMS
headquarters or store records for the customer transactions from Account
screen. Microsoft CRM allows you to have custom navigation bar on Account
screen by clicking on this bar you could call your custom web .Net application,
which will call Microsoft RMS database and return you the grid of customer
transactions
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RMS architecture excurse. Microsoft RMS has Headquarters and Store databases.
The exchange between the two types of databases uses worksheet mechanism. Most
of the transaction types are initiated on the store level and transferred to
the Headquarters database (with some global data exception, global customers
for example are handled on HQ level and then propagated down to the stores).
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Data Inquiry and Update. The MS RMS architecture suggests you to query
primarily Headquarters database and do not change data in HQ database. If you
need to change data on the store level from Microsoft CRM custom screen – you
should consider placing web service on the SQL Server hardware in the store to
deal with the store-initiated transaction
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Microsoft CRM programming. Microsoft CRM has MS CRM SDK (Software Development
Kit). This is open source tool, you can download it from Microsoft site and it
is description of Microsoft CRM classes and methods with sample codes in C# and
VB.Net.
Microsoft technical support encourages you to use Microsoft CRM SDK objects and
discourages you from direct SQL server programming. If you need to query MS CRM
database – you should create your custom database and place your objects: SQL
views and stored procedures there. Do not place custom object into MS CRM
databases
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