As a CRM administrator I’m all for saving as much time as possible, and as such over the years I’ve collected a small assortment of tools that I use on a daily basis that make working with CRM that much quicker and easier. Below I have included a list of my favourite programs and CRM solutions to tackle every day challenges.

Client Side Tools

CRM XRM Toolbox

The XRM Toolbox is a sysadmins dream, it contains plugins to customise many aspects of CRM with my personal favourite being the Sync Filter Manager plugin which allows me to easily customise any users sync filters.

XrmToolBox is a Windows application that connects to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, providing tools to ease customization and configuration tasks. It is shipped with more than 30 plugins to make administration, customization or configuration tasks easier and less time consuming.

Besides the 30 plugins that ship with the XrmToolBox, it is also highly extensible. Anyone can create and share their own XrmToolBox plugins, just by implementing a single interface.

– http://www.xrmtoolbox.com/

MS Dynamics CRM 2011 Bulk Workflow Execution Tool

The Bulk Workflow tool allows you to easily run any workflow on any view surpassing the work required to manually run workflows in batches of 250 at a time. There is also an updated XRM Toolbox plugin for this. (mentioned further down)

The CRM 2011 Bulk Workflow Execution Tool allows you to run any On Demand workflow in CRM 2011 (On Premise and Online) for any view (System or Personal) for the entire record set returned by that view. Need to send an email out to all Leads created in the last 7 days, but send a different email based on Region? Create your workflow, create a view, and within 5 clicks you are done. The Bulk Workflow Execution Tool will use the record set returned by your view’s FetchXML, and execute the On Demand workflow for each record saving you the hassle of going page by page for who knows how long. You may also use a custom FetchXML query if needed.

– http://crm.fullscope.com/crm-2013-bulk-workflow-tool-for-xrmtoolbox/

CRM 2013 Bulk Workflow Tool for XRMToolBox

An XRM Toolbox plugin version of the program above.

The premise of the tool is exactly the same, but rather than it being a standalone app it is now embedded into the XRMToolBox! A few bug fixes/minor enhancements have been made to the code, but you still select the On Demand Workflow that you’d like to run in bulk, select a System or Personal view (or custom FetchXML Query) to obtain a record set to run the workflow against, and with one click you can kick off thousands of workflows. The workflows are still sent in batches of 200 which can be increased, and as of today this application will only work for CRM 2011 UR 12 and higher  and any version of CRM 2013.

– http://crm.fullscope.com/crm-2013-bulk-workflow-tool-for-xrmtoolbox/

 

Solutions

CRM Email Workflow Utilities

Adds email functionality to CRM workflows, includes the following functions –

• Email Business Unit
• CC Business Unit
• Email Security Role
• CC Security Role
• Email Team
• CC Team
• Delete Email Attachments
• Delete Email Attachments By Name
• Send Draft Email

– https://crmemailworkflowutilities.codeplex.com

Organisation Settings Editor

This solution allows a power user to configure org database settings such as configuring whether CRM will automatically append the record GUID to filenames.

This is a utility allowing admins of Dynamics CRM Online & onPrem (2011-2015) to edit their organization database settings otherwise known as OrgDBOrgSettings

This utility allows you to edit your settings without the use of the command line utility in the KB article documenting “OrgDBOrgSettings.” The utility is written using the CRM SDK as a reference and currently all changes and retrieval of settings are done via the CRM’s OData Endpoint. The utility is provided as a managed webresource that can easily be installed and uninstalled from your CRM environment.

– https://orgdborgsettings.codeplex.com/

Ribbon Workbench 2013

Used to modify or add new functionality/buttons to the ribbon bar of CRM.

Customising/editing the Dynamics CRM Ribbon/Command Bar has never been easier with the Ribbon Workbench for Dynamics CRM. Unlike other editors available, the Ribbon Workbench allows you to perform a complete set of customisations that have only been possible up until now by hand editing xml.

The Ribbon Workbench is installed as a CRM solution and is available immediately from inside the Dynamics CRM user interface.

– https://www.develop1.net/public/Download%20Ribbon%20Workbench%202013.aspx

CRM Data Detective

Used to create reports that allow a user to see at a glance what fields are actually used in all entities

The purpose of the CRM Data Detective is to provide some extra visibility into CRM. You can easily see which fields are not getting the user adoption you’re looking for. You might find a lowly populated field and realize it’s buried deep on the form and so you simply need to give it more attention. You may see a field is rarely populated and determine it should be removed. Either way, the CRM Data Detective gives you a great first step into enhancing user adoption.

– https://crmdatadetective.codeplex.com/