Integrating Microsoft Dynamics NAV with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

If you have a customer relationship solution that is based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, then you can integrate it with Microsoft Dynamics NAV with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics. The Connector enables simple integration and data synchronization between Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It supports:.

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
  

For each version, the On Premises and Online versions are supported. The following illustration provides an overview of the architecture.

You use the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics to synchronize the types of data that are common to both customer relationship and ERP software, such as customer, contact, and sales order information. As you work with this data, you can keep the information in both systems up-to-date. For example, you can use the customer information that is in Microsoft Dynamics NAV to fill in an order form that a salesperson creates in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Although integration is designed to work without customizations, for the best results, you must customize it to reflect your business and customer processes and needs.

In this procedure, you install the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics. To download the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics installation file, see Connector for Microsoft Dynamics(requires PartnerSource login). The download includes complete instructions for installing and configuring the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics. You must review the documentation for information on the following:

• System requirements and prerequisites
  
• User account descriptions and requirements
  
• Terminology
  

To install the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

1. Copy the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics installation file to a folder on your computer.
2. Double-click the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.msi file to start the installation wizard.
3. Type the product registration key.

   Note
   You receive the product registration key when you download the connector.
4. Enter the name of the computer running SQL Server where you want to install and set up the Microsoft Dynamics Integration (MSDI) database.
5. In the Service account ID and Password fields, type the integration account information that you use to run integration. You must use a Windows domain user account.
6. Click Install to complete the installation.

The next step for using the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics is to register the adapters that the integration process uses. For more information, see the technical documentation that is included with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

Set Up and Enable the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

To integrate and synchronize data between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, you change Microsoft Dynamics NAV to expose pages as web services and initialize integration records in the Integration Records table. In this procedure, you change settings in the Marketing Setup window in Microsoft Dynamics NAV to support this integration and synchronization.

After you have turned on integration and completed the setup and configuration of the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, data is automatically synchronized. You can set and change how frequently data is synchronized in the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

To turn on integration

1. Open the Marketing Setup window.
2. On the Synchronization FastTab, select the Enable Connector check box.
3. Exit and start Microsoft Dynamics NAV again before you configure the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.
4. After you enable the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, you must restart the following services:
   • Microsoft Dynamics NAV Business Web Services
     
   • Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server
     

   Important
   After you select or clear the Enable Connector check box, all users must reopen either the Classic client or RoleTailored client to connect to the database.
   For more information, see the "Enabling Web Services to work with the Microsoft Dynamics Connector" section in Troubleshooting: Integrating with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

Importing Data

If you import new record data into Microsoft Dynamics NAV after you have turned on integration, then you can follow this procedure to populate the integration ID, which is a GUID, for the new records.

To provide new records with connector metadata after you have turned integration on

• In the Marketing Setup window, click Actions, point to Functions, and then click Generate Integration IDs for Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

  Note
  Generating integration IDs may take several minutes. When integration IDs have been generated, you will see the following message: The integration data has been added to the tables.

Mapping Entities Between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM

The Connector for Microsoft Dynamics supports mapping Microsoft Dynamics NAV entities, or record types, to their equivalent entities in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For most data, synchronization occurs in only one direction, which is generally from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This helps preserve data integrity in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which is considered the system of record for most data that is exchanged. You can make changes in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and then synchronize the changes with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. However, for customers, contacts, and sales orders, the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics also provides maps that you can use to integrate data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics NAV. For example, a salesperson can create a contact in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and then use synchronization to add that contact to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV database.

Standard Entity Mapping for the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics

The following table provides information about mapping and the synchronization direction for common entities. These maps are provided out-of-the-box. In addition, you can create custom maps that support your business processes.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV entity	Connector source entity	Synchronization direction	Connector destination entity
Customer	NAV Customer Card	Bidirectional	Account
Contact1	NAV Contact Card	Bidirectional	Contact
Sales Order	NAV Sales Order	Bidirectional2	Order
Sales Invoice	NAV Sales Invoice	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Invoice
Posted Sales Invoice	NAV Posted Sales Invoice	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Invoice
Item	NAV Item Card	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Product
Resource	NAV Resource List	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Product
Unit of Measure	NAV Units of Measure	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Unit Group
Salesperson/Purchaser	NAV Salespeople/Purchasers	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	ERP System User
Currency	NAV Currency Exchange Rates	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Currency
Payment Terms, Shipment Method, Shipping Agent	NAV Enumerated Values	Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Picklist

1You can only integrate contacts of the Type Person from Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

2 You can create a sales order in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, synchronize the information to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and then synchronize back to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. However, after the sales order is considered submitted in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you can only change and update the order in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Important

Because of data dependencies, we recommend that you activate the maps in the following order. If you do not, then you will likely encounter integration exceptions and warnings and may find it difficult to troubleshoot synchronization errors: NAV Enumerated Values to Picklist NAV Currency Exchange Rates to Currency NAV Units of Measure to Unit Group NAV Salespeople/Purchasers to ERP System User NAV Customer Card to Account NAV Contact Card to Contact NAV Item Card to Product NAV Resource List to Product NAV Sales Order to Order NAV Sales Invoice to Invoice NAV Posted Sales Invoice to Invoice For more information, see the technical documentation that is included with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics.

Customized Entity Mapping

In most cases, you must customize the default mappings that are included with the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics to reflect how you use Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For example, if your entities include fields that are country/region-specific, then these fields are not included with the standard mappings. You must customize the mappings to account for these fields.

In another example, you may have a customized field in your Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution for which you want to provide synchronization. You must add this field to the relevant RoleTailored client page that is exposed as a web service. For example, if you want to have a CRM reference number on the Customer entity, then you must add the reference number field to the Customer Card page. The Connector for Microsoft Dynamics becomes aware of the field during configuration, and the field is exposed in the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics. You can then map it.

To add a custom field to standard entity maps

1. In Microsoft Dynamics NAV, in Object Designer, open the page that has been exposed as a web service in design mode.
2. Add the field to the page, and then recompile the page.

You may also want to provide an integration map for a custom entity. In this case, you must modify the IsIntegrationRecord function in the Integration Management codeunit to ensure that the OnDatabase<x> triggers are executed on the corresponding page or table. In this way, you can create integration records. You must also add the page as an integration web service. When you run the configuration tool in the Connector for Microsoft Dynamics, the fields are exposed to the Connector. You then create a map of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV fields to the equivalent Microsoft Dynamics CRM fields.