Tim Thorpe provides an overview of strategies to increase data quality in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This presentation was given at the Microsoft Convergence Conference 2012 in Houston, Texas.

1. Best Practices in Keeping Data Clean

2. Introductions
• Sam McMakin, American Chemistry Council
– Managing Director, Information Technology
• Duke Mocanu, FM Global
– Senior Developer/Analyst
• Tim Thorpe, Black & Veatch
– Director, Knowledge Management

3. CRM Data Quality Strategy
• An organizational Owner and appropriate
resources are a necessity
• Data quality is a long-term process
• Design, implementation and operation
need data quality focus

4. CRM Partners
• An experienced CRM partner before and
after implementation will aid data quality
• Partners that have “been there” will help
you look around corners to improve the
quality of your system

5. Process Redesign & Data Quality
• Data quality should be core to CRM process
changes
• Resist adding attributes to appease small groups
• Resist adding fields that do not have a defined
business process
• Required fields does not necessarily = data quality

6. Data Migrations
• Data cleansing and rationalization should
occur prior to any migration into CRM

7. Make it Easy
• Software tools can simplify data quality
tasks
• Many ISV tools exist that can help with this
– Scribe
– BizTalk

8. Training and Coaching
• Lack of understanding contributes to poor
data quality
• Provide as much help as possible so that
your users understand the system

9. Reporting
• Quality management reports will drive
long-term data quality and adoption
• Use all of the provided report options
– Advanced Find
– Reports
– SSRS Custom Reports

10. Outlook Client Interface
• Implementing the Outlook Client for CRM
makes CRM easier to use – better adoption
• A web client only implementation will
reduce the quality of your Contact records

11. Company Records
• Define and adhere to a consistent process
for creating/reviewing company records
• Implement audit reports
– Duplicates
– Out of date

12. Enterprise Master Data
• Make CRM the source for ERP and financial
system related data
• Sharepoint 2010/CRM 2011 integration
enables document storage
• Store smaller documents directly in CRM

13. Questions?

14. Contact Information
• Sam McMakin
– sam_mcmakin@americanchemistry.com
– @smcmakin
• Duke Mocanu
– duke.mocanu@fmglobal.com
• Tim Thorpe
– thorpetn@bv.com
– @timnthorpe