Build a custom XRM app for tablets in about an hour

I am currently working on a project implementing Dynamics CRM Field Service which is bundled with Resco Mobile client. I am impressed with the capabilities of Resco Mobile solution, especially its powerful Form Rules that go far beyond what Dynamics CRM Business Rules offer.

With the recent release of Dynamics 365, I wondered if I could create an application for tablets using out of the box customization tools that come with the product rather than having to purchase an add-on.

I recently had window shutters installed at my home and noticed that the salesperson had used a tablet (I mean a yellow paper kind) to prepare an estimate. How about building an application for him and other sales professionals at his company to track prospects and prepare an estimate more efficiently?

I started by making a list of requirements for this application.

1. Ability to track prospects, customers and related data such as email, phone number and address
2. Ability to view customer’s address on the map and get driving directions
3. Ability to create estimates and save them for further actions and follow up
4. Ability to create multiple lines within an estimate with one line for each window
5. Ability to enter dimensions (width and height) for each window, select the type of shutter for each window and price the line automatically
6. Ability to calculate the estimated total automatically
7. Ability to get customer’s signature on the tablet acknowledging that he/she has reviewed the estimate
8. Ability to print the estimate and email it to the customer
9. Ability to use the application online or offline
10. Initially the application would be rolled out to field salespersons using Windows 10 tablets. However, in the future, we need an ability to use the application on Android tablets and iPads.

Once I had the basic requirements, I went to work. Here are a few design considerations I used for the application.

1. Naturally, I decided to use the Contact entity to track prospects and the Opportunity entity for creating and storing estimates.
2. Customized the Opportunity form to suit application needs.
3. Used the standard Product Catalog to define types of shutters and created a standard price list to define the list price for each product to be used to calculate the estimated amount.
4. Created a Business Rule to calculate Quantity = Width * Height
5. Added the following custom fields to Opportunity Product entity and form.
1. Window Width
2. Window Height
3. Window location (text field)
6. Added a multiline text field to the Opportunity entity and form and added a Pen Control to capture customer’s signature on a tablet.
7. Created a Word Document Template to generate the Estimate document that can be emailed to the customer as PDF using Outlook.

Here are a few screenshots of the application on Windows 10 tablet.

Notice the suggested Product from the catalog as you start typing. You can even use the wildcard to see possible matches to choose from.

Although the Contact or Opportunity form does not display the map, you can click or tap on the address on the Contact form which launches Bing Maps.

On Windows 10 tablet, you can also generate the estimate document using Word Document Template which can then be emailed using the “Send as PDF” feature of Word. Word converts the document to PDF and attaches it to the email in Outlook.

In this article, we saw how out of the box tools in Dynamics 365 together with Microsoft Office can be used to build a functional application for tablets or phones quickly and easily.