The Object Model
The object model is your view to the objects used in Microsoft CRM. The object model leverages a set of metadata components that create SQL statements on the fly, providing you with the ability to support, create, retrieve, update, and delete methods with little coding. The object model sits below the APIs. It supports Microsoft CRM requirements for passing workflow and back-office events to other external systems.
In Microsoft CRM, the platform consists of several high-level areas:
Sales force automation
Sales force automation provides salespeople with access to critical customer information and tools that enhance their ability to sell products and services and manage their time effectively. Sales force automation encompasses the following:
- Opportunity and lead management. Find and manage leads and opportunities.
- Contact management. Create and keep customers by tracking their personal information.
- Account management. Create and keep customers by tracking information about the customers' business.
- Sales processes. Convert a lead to an opportunity, and then to a closed sale.
- Competitor and referral libraries. Track where leads come from and who competes for the customer.
- Sales force management. Manage sales quotas and commissions.
- Quote generation. Make it easy for the salesperson to quickly get the right price to the customer.
- Sales order and invoice generation. Manage quotes, orders, and invoices.
- Activity management. Manage e-mail messages, telephone calls, fax transmittals, letters, tasks, and appointments.
Product catalog management
Product catalog management allows business units to manage a full-featured product catalog, including support for complex pricing models.
Customer service and support
Customer service and support enables the enterprise to effectively, and efficiently, address customer questions, problems, or issues. Although customer satisfaction is the primary goal, many organizations are seeking to increase revenues, as well as to provide customer service through cross selling to existing customers. Customer service and support encompasses the following:
- Knowledge Base. Help customers find answers to their questions.
- Customer care. Manage pre-sale and post-sale customer interactions.
- Case Management. Handle customer interactions.
- Contract Management. Manage contracts with customers.
- Queue Management. Handle work queues dealing with customer issues.
For more details, refer to the Microsoft CRM Object Model section.