Dynamics CRM users have many options to search CRM data. They include Quick Find, Global (multi-entity) search and (my favorite) Advanced Find.
Advanced Find provides CRM users with a powerful tool to search for information they are looking for using flexible ways to filter, view and sort data. They can also search data across multiple entities such as account and opportunity in the same search.
However, from my experience, some CRM users find Advanced Find confusing and difficult to use especially when they have to search across entities because it requires some knowledge of entity relationships.
System Admins and Customizers can solve this problem by creating System Views with filters using placeholders. CRM users can use these views as a starting point, fill in some or all of the placeholders with known values to find what they are looking for.
Consider the following scenario. Inside Sales department users often need to find a prospect with opportunity that was created recently. However, they may or may not remember the exact name of the account, the exact date when the opportunity was created and the exact estimated revenue. However, they typically know the approximate timeframe when the opportunity was created and the approximate amount of the opportunity. They usually remember the State/Province where the customer is located.
We created the System View with the following filter criteria for the users.
Note the placeholders for Account Name, State/Province, Opportunity Created On and Est. Revenue. Inside Sales users can use this view as a starting point, fill in the values they know or remember and find the Account they are looking for.
They will use the following steps to perform the search.
- Navigate to Account entity
- Click on Advanced Find button on the top ribbon
- Select the appropriate system view created for searching
- Fill in the values they know or remember and click Results. Note that they do not need to fill in all the fields but only the ones they know or remember.
- CRM returns the following result based on filter criteria.
Depending on the search requirements of the users, you may have to create multiple system views for the same entity and name them appropriately so that users can select the correct view for searching. For example, some users may also need an ability to search for the customer based on a Quote created recently.
This approach makes searching easier and consistent for end users and eliminates the need for in-depth knowledge of Advanced Find and understanding of entity relationships.
