When using Microsoft CRM Client for Outlook, service activities in QoS-IT are synchronized with Outlook appointments. Here are some tips on how to better utilize the integration between Outlook and QoS-IT.

1. To schedule the automatic Outlook sync with CRM, click the “CRM” button on the Outlook toolbar and select “Options”. In the Synchronization tab reduce the default 15 minutes to the minimum allowed. To modify the minimum allowed minutes, click in CRM Settings>Administration>System Settings>Outlook tab. Modify the minimum Time between synchronizations to 5 minutes.

For immediate synchronization of Outlook with CRM, click “CRM” button on the Outlook toolbar and select “Synchronize with CRM”

2. Appointments can be created in outlook either as CRM appointments or Outlook appointments. CRM appointments are synchronized with CRM and can be created by one of the following 2 methods:

• Creating new appointment using the toolbar button New Activity>Appointment
• Selecting an existing appointment in Outlook and click “Track in CRM” button on Outlook toolbar

When QoS-IT allocates jobs to CSR it takes into consideration the CRM appointments created in the CSR’s Outlook for the purpose of finding available time.

3. An easy way to open Job from Outlook is by click & open the QoS-IT Service Activity (appointment) in Outlook and click to open the Job using Job’s icon:

4. When an Outlook Reminder is popped open, you can select to “Open” the item (which opens the service activity and then you can opens the job- see item 4 above), “Snooze” or “Dismiss”. Note that by selecting Dismiss the service activity in CRM Calendar changes the service activity status to Pending. You can create a workflow to notify Case Manager when a service activity status is changed to Pending.