For every sales person, getting a signed contract from the client is a euphoric moment. You finally closed the deal, and everything seems right. But the process after winning the deal is cumbersome for many of us. This article documents how we made this process a lot less painful through MS Flow and the D365 App for Outlook. Hopefully you find it very useful as well. I will first walk you through my old process – Once I got the signed contract as a Word or PDF attachment in my email, I would download it and save it to my OneDrive under the respective client folder. I would then open D365, go to the opportunity, then browse to the Documents folder and create a new SharePoint document folder. Then I would click the upload button and browse to the document location the OneDrive folder on my computer and attach the proposal. I would then finally mark the opportunity as Won, which would send out internal emails to our Delivery Team (for Project creation), Accounts Team (for billing details) and our HR team (so they can keep an eye on recruitment needs). Here is what we achieved through the implementation of the new process using MS Flow and D365 App for Outlook – Once I got the signed contract in my email, I would track this email using the D365 App in Outlook. I would also set the regarding field as the Opportunity that this proposal is for. The above action would trigger an MS Flow that would do the following in near real time – It would check if the Opportunity already had a folder created and if not, it would first create the SharePoint document folder on the Opportunity. It would then upload the proposal to the above folder. It would remove the attachment from the tracked email (saving valuable space!) I would then open the Opportunity right from my D365 App for Outlook and mark it as Won. The step by step directions for setting up the MS Flow are documented in this blog article from Krishna Bhanushali from our D365 team – https://www.cloudfronts.com/move-attachments-from-tracked-email-to-sharepoint-using-microsoft-flow/. In conclusion, the above implementation has benefited us through – Significantly reduced number of steps post winning a deal. Time saved by not having to leave Outlook which is where most of us are spending our time. A better process that makes pipeline management easier for sales people, thus driving adoption. If you want to discuss your sales processes further or provide any feedback for improvement, I can be reached at ashah@cloudfronts.com.

Introduction: This blog explains how to create an application in  Canvas PowerApps that can integrate the data from the App to Business Central and vice-versa.  I have created an app that on creation of a Customer record will create the record in Business Central and the same in opposite direction. Pre-requisites: Microsoft PowerApps Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Steps: 1. Go to PowerApps, select create an app from blank and select the Business Central connection of your tenant. 2. Select the Company and the Customer table. 3. The basic design of the screen is created where you can view the list of customers, you can also edit the view as per your requirements. 4. The ‘+’ sign on the screen is used to add a new customer record. Logic behind the button is: NewForm(EditForm1);Navigate(EditScreen1, ScreenTransition.None) 5. Add the Customer Details and click on the submit button to submit the record or cancel button to go back to the main screen. Logic for submit: SubmitForm(EditForm1) Logic for cancel: ResetForm(EditForm1);Back() 6. The Customer record is created both in the PowerApps as well as Business Central. 7. Now create a new Customer Record in Business Central. 8. Now go to Powerapps, on the main screen click on the Refresh button the customer record will be created in the list. Logic for Refresh: Refresh(customers)

Introduction: There is a client requirement where the Positive Pay Export has a void-check indicator which needs to be 3 Text character. Although there is 1 Text character field for Void Check Indicator in standard positive pay, I couldn’t get it to convert to the desired format by using Transformation Rules or Text Padding. Thus I have made few customizations and is demonstrated below. Pre-requisites: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Working understanding of Positive Pay Export. Refer(https://www.cloudfronts.com/setup-positive-pay-export/) Demonstration: As per requirements for Santander Bank, Void Check is indicated by *26 Print Check is indicated by *10 Whereas in standard we get, Void Check is indicated by ‘V’ Print Check is indicated by ‘<blank>’ Using transformation rules such as replace V with *26 and <Blank> with *10, the transformation rules only converts the first character which is V to * and  <Blank> to *. 1. There is an existing codeunit(1704) which is used as Pre-Mapping Codeunit in field Mapping in Positive Pay Data Exchange Definition. 2. Create a Table Extension for Table  1241( Positive Pay Detail)and added a text field name ‘VoidStatusIndicator’ of size 50 3. Thus I exported the codeunit to text and converted to AL using Text-To-AL and added the lines as follows in PrePosPayDetail function. 4. Map the newly added field VoidStatusIndicator in the field mapping and chnage the Pre-Mapping codeunit value to the ID of newly created codeunit. Output: *2623137269100000000008935713384000000500710241800000010205 *1023137269100000000008935713384000000500910241800000010201 Conclusion: This is how we can do Positive Pay customization can be done. This method is not limited to Positive Pay but with all the Data Exchange methods. In my next blog, I’ll be writing about the customization for ACH.

Introduction: This blog explains how to set a default chart in a view’s Chart Pane Scenario: We have created custom chart on order named as Order by printing status. We want this chart should get open when user click on charts pane Steps: Go to Customization –> Order –> Charts. Click on More Actions –> Export Chart. .xml file will get download. Open that file with notepad. Search isdefault and set its value to true. Save Click on More Actions –> Import Chart Import the customized chart. Replace and Import Chart. Publish Customization. Now you can see that chart as default chart.

Introduction: In this article, we are going to see how we can recover content which has been deleted or modified. Each time a document subject to a retention policy is edited or deleted, a version is copied to the Preservation Hold Library. Though, we can use SharePoint Online permissions level so that we can restrict users from deleting any content (Understand Permission Level) but then there is also a solution so that we can recover deleted or modified content. Preservation Hold Library – A Preservation Hold Library is created when you include a SharePoint site or a OneDrive account in a Retention Policy and is visible only to Site Collection administrators. Pre-requisite: Retention Policy needs to be applied to SharePoint Online and OneDrive from Office 365 Security & Compliance center. Note – Preservation Hold Library will not be automatically created after applying Retention Policy to SharePoint or OneDrive site, it will be created after the first time the content has been modified or deleted. SharePoint content recovery through Preservation Hold Library: Site Administrator can recover deleted files from Preservation Hold Library (Only Site Administrator can access Preservation Hold Library folder) Go to SharePoint Online Site for which you want to recover content. Site > Site Contents > Preservation Hold Library. Select the content and download. OneDrive content recovery through Preservation Hold Library: As OneDrive is used as a personal storage location, users have the permission to recover deleted items. When a file is deleted it will be stored in Preservation Hold Library. (In the below images, I am deleting a doc) Sign in to portal.office.com and open OneDrive. After opening OneDrive, in URL replace “_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx” by “_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx” https://domainname-my.sharepoint.com/personal/agupta_cloudcfs1_onmicrosoft_com/_layouts/15/viewlsts.aspx You will be redirected to site content and if you have any deleted or modified files, you will be able to see Preservation Hold Library folder. (see below image) Conclusion: With this simple process, you will be able to recover deleted or modified content from SharePoint Online & OneDrive for Business and avoid losing your important contents.

Introduction: In this blog article, we will learn how to create Azure DEVOps URL. Steps: 1. Go to visualstudio.com and sign in using Microsoft account.Create a new project 2. Go to Organization settings –> Overview 3. Under organization information you will see a link. Turn off the on toggle and a new link will appear on the screen. Now the VSTS link will be generated. This link itself is dev ops URL.

Problem Definition: When working with ‘Edit In Excel’ functionality in Business Central, there was an error( https://github.com/Microsoft/AL/issues/4060 ) when the page fields were modified using extensions. Introduction: Excel Buffer is one of the feature that is widely used to Import & Export data to and from Excel Sheets. With NAV evolving to Business Central, few of the existing functions are deprecated and cannot be used in AL Extensions. Pre-requisites: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Demonstration: 1. Excel Buffer Import: In this code, total rows and columns to be imported is found, then each field is stored as ‘CellValue’ in new records in Excel Buffer. Thus, I’ve used GetValueAtIndex(Row,Column) function to get the exact ‘CellValue’. 2. Excel Buffer Export: Conclusion: In this blog, I’ve demonstrated how to use Excel Buffer for Import/Excel of Excel from a table using AL Extensions. NOTE: Code is located( https://github.com/olisterr/ExcelBufferImportExportforBC )

Introduction: In this blog we will be going through the steps of Error Handling in Microsoft Flows. Implementation: Step 1: We have created a basic flow that is triggered when a HTTP POST Request has be made to the generated URL. The body will contain a JSON array with some data The flow will then take the data passed in the POST request body and for each object in the JSON array, it create a record in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement as shown below. In the above scenario  we pass the correct data, but in case the data that is passed to the URL is not correctly formatted or the data is missing we will encounter an error and the flow will fail. To handle such situations we will define an action that will take place when an error is encountered. Step 2: To Log the error, we will create another action to create a log error log in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.  To make sure that this is created only when an error is encountered we click on the Configure Run After option as  shown There are four options shown, here we select only the “has failed” option which states that the log will be created when there is a failure. Once this is done we can see the the flow shows a dotted red line for the last step, this is because the “Log Error in CRM” action will run only in one scenario i.e. when the above action has failed. The benefits of using this approach in our flows is that we can log all the errors at one place and also store the error response of the previous stage by simply selecting the Dynamic Content in the “Log Error in CRM” action.

Introduction: This blog explains How to Update field value based on the current stage of Business Process Flow. How to Trigger workflow when Business Process Flow is finished. PART A: Scenario: We have a custom Business Process Flow with 4 stages on Order entity. Whenever user changes the stage of Business Process Flow status field is updated. (we have created custom status field named as printing status). Steps to be followed: 1. Create Real time Workflow on Business Process Flow Entity. 2. Trigger workflow on Process Changes: 3. Add Step –> Update Record. Update the field value with active BPF stage. 4. Create another real time workflow on Order entity. 5. Trigger on Record Field Change and select the field where you are updating the stage value. 6. Add Step –> Check Condition and Update the field value.  (check the stage field value and update the status accordingly ) For example first stage in BPF is waiting for jersey then we will check if Current stage is equal to waiting for jersey then update the printing status to waiting for jersey. Complete Workflow: PART B: How to Trigger workflow when Business Process Flow is finished. Scenario: Update the Order Status to fulfilled  when Business Process Flow is finished. Steps to be followed: 1. Create a Real time and on demand workflow on Order entity. 2. Add Step -> Change Status to complete 3. Activate the workflow. 4. Go to Business Process flow which you are using and perform the below steps: a. Drag and Drop the workflow in Global Workflow. b. Trigger the workflow on when process is completed and select the workflow which you have created. (you will only see on demand workflows)

Introduction: Microsoft Flows is a cloud-based software tool that allows to create and automate workflows across multiple applications.  Here, I have created a flow for Customer Approval using MS Flows, where a customer which is created in Business Central can be notified to the particular user using Outlook. Pre-Requisites: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central MS Flows Procedure: 1)First you need to do the SMTP Mail Setup from the Business Central to send the notification. 2) Go to MS Flows, select Create from blank to create a new flow. 3) From the list of connectors, select the Business Central Connector and in Trigger select “When a Customer Approval is Requested”. 4)Select the Business Central Company and add the conditions you want to add for Customer Approval. 5) Add the action or condition to be executed on the trigger. 6) Here, I have added the Outlook action to send a mail to the admin when a customer is created. 7) A Customer is created in Business Central and when we click on Send Approval Request for Customer Approval, a mail is sent to the particular person in outlook mail.