The latest updates for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online 2016 features, Service Pack 1 and Update 1, are now available. As part of a long tradition of regular updates for Dynamics CRM, the latest releases provide a number of new features and advantages related to productivity, service, mobile use and analytics. These new features support, expand and enhance the current functionality of the CRM software and provide a variety of benefits that will appeal to a wide variety of companies operating in a host of different industries. Let’s explore some of the new features offered by Service Pack 1 and Update 1.

Productivity improvements
Dynamics CRM users can now access in-app help that’s specifically tailored for individual users and their tasks as employees. Microsoft named this approach, a role-specific guided experience through the software, Learning Path. Guided help appears based on job titles and duties, with Microsoft offering examples of specialized guides for sales staff and customer service representatives. A variety of educational materials are offered through Learning Path, including videos, e-books and categorized topics, users with a variety of learning strategies can benefit from the recent addition. This release focuses on information about common tasks, lead management, onboarding, organization and new additions to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online 2016.

Other improvements include enhanced collaboration via Microsoft Office 365 groups through better connection of users to projects and group management. Dynamics CRM Online users can also add their signatures to their web client emails and use a preview version of the new Relevance Search feature to display multi-entry search results as a single list.

Service features
Microsoft Dynamics CRM service automation allows users to manage project-based sales with greater accuracy and visibility, ensuring such efforts stay on time and within budget limits. Resource management, estimates and quotes, collaboration and data insight and analysis all become easier with this feature. Field service management is another important new feature, enhancing scheduling, inventory and asset tracking as well as proficiency and competency ratings for individual jobs. Connections to other aspects of CRM management, like cases tied to maintenance requests, are also present from first use, enhancing visibility.

Self-service portals for external, non-CRM audiences are another new addition. This approach allows businesses to offer access to relevant information and enables conversations between a variety of staff, customers and other stakeholders who don’t use CRM software. Additionally, an interactive service hub now allows users to better manage workloads, improve case management and gain visibility into cases through dashboard hubs and forms.

Mobile additions
With the rich mobile offline experience, mobile users can now view, edit and add records while offline and don’t have to take intermediary steps like saving that work as drafts. Service and sales staff have increased mobile capabilities in the new version, including the creation and management of knowledge articles for service staff and quote, invoice and order functionality for sales reps. Additionally, news articles related to accounts, leads and opportunities stream directly to the mobile app.

Analytics advantages
Enhanced Power BI Integration means staff can better investigate and analyze data-sourced visualizations across the company. Both the analysis and the visualization components of Power BI offer greater comprehension and visibility of key business information. Several new key indicators related to cases created and resolved, satisfaction percentage, agent leaders and others provide a deeper level of insight. Power BI titles can also be embedded directly into Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 Online user dashboards, making use quicker and more direct.