Create or edit a task or appointment in Outlook

Can I do this task?

Outlook only supports tasks, but when you create a task you can choose what type of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online activity the task should be saved as in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. Your Outlook task can be saved as a Outlook task, phone call, letter, or fax.

You can create tasks and appointments in Outlook using either the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online forms The forms native to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. or the Outlook forms The forms native to Microsoft Office Outlook.. If you have selected to synchronize your appointments and tasks to your default Outlook folders, when you create a new appointment or task, the Outlook forms open. You can view your options in your personal settings. The option to synchronize tasks and appointments and to use Outlook forms is turned on by default.

Tip

Everyone who was invited to the appointment (required and optional) can view the appointment in their calendars and in My Activities views.

Recurring appointments or tasks are not fully synchronized in the Web application The version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online that works in Microsoft Internet Explorer.. Only the initial appointment is synchronized. Create individual appointments and tasks as appropriate.

1. Start Outlook. (Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for Outlook must be installed.)
2. Do one of the following:

   Create an appointment in an Outlook form

   1. On the Microsoft Office Outlook Standard toolbar, click New.
   2. On the New menu, click Appointment.

      For more information, see Outlook Help.

   3. On the Microsoft Dynamics CRM toolbar, click Track in CRM.

      After you save the record, the View in CRM button becomes available.

   4. Do one of the following to locate and select a parent record to link to this record:
      • In Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, click Regarding.
      • In Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, click Set Parent or Set Regarding.
   5. Click Save or Save and Close.

      The activity appears in your Outlook folders. The icon changes to the Tracked in CRM icon . If reminders were set up for appointments created in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for Outlook, they will be observed. A new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online appointment activity is created and appears in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Activities and Queues areas.

      Tip

      To open the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online activity to add or edit information, click View in CRM.

   Create a task in an Outlook form

   1. On the Microsoft Office Outlook Standard toolbar, click New.
   2. On the New menu, click Task.

      For more information, see Outlook Help.

   3. On the Microsoft Dynamics CRM toolbar, click Track in CRM, and then click the type of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online activity you want to create. You can create a task, letter, fax, or phone call activity that will be linked to the Outlook task.

      After you save the record, the View in CRM button becomes available.

   4. Do one of the following to locate and select a parent record to link to this record:
      • In Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, click Regarding.
      • In Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, click Set Parent or Set Regarding.
   5. Click Save or Save and Close.

      The activity appears in your Outlook folders. The icon changes to the Tracked in CRM icon . If reminders were set up for appointments and tasks created in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for Outlook, they will be observed. A new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online task or appointment activity is created and appears in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Activities and Queues areas. When your local data synchronizes, the new activities will be copied to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online server.

      Tip

      To open the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online activity to add or edit additional information, click View in CRM.

   Create a task or an appointment in a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online form

   1. In the Outlook Navigation Pane, under Microsoft Dynamics CRM, expand Workplace.
   2. Under Workplace, expand My Work, and then expand Activities.
   3. On the Actions toolbar, click New.
   4. In the New Activity dialog box, click Task or Appointment, and then click OK.
   5. Enter the information that you want. You must enter any required information. In addition, at a minimum, entering information in the following boxes is useful when you or others in your organization refer to the activity later.
      • Subject

        You can quickly sort on the subject when you view activities.

      • Owner

        Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online automatically fills this box with your name. You can locate and select another owner. The activity appears in their Activity area.

      • Duration

        If this activity is related to a case, make sure that you record the time you spend on the activity in this box. If the case is linked to a contract line, the durations of all the activities for this case are tallied and updated automatically in the related active contract. The total, which includes the totals from any other cases relating to that contract, can be adjusted manually before billing the customer.

      • Due

        Enter the date and time that the activity is expected to take place or be completed. You can quickly sort on the Due field when you view activities.

   6. Click Save or Save and Close.

      After records are synchronized, appointment reminders are automatically set up in Outlook for 15 minutes prior to the appointment. Tasks created in the Web application or created for an appointment today do not generate reminders.

Notes

• When the duration of an activity is more than 60 minutes (an hour), the time you enter is converted into hours. When the activity is saved, the value is rounded up and might change from the entry that was originally displayed when it was converted from minutes into hours. Note that rounding is only observed on the hundredth of an hour. The exact value for the duration, however, is stored in the database in minutes, and this value is used to calculate the total billing time when resolving cases.
• When Outlook tasks and appointments with attachments that have been saved in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online are synchronized between the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online server and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for Outlook, the attachments do not synchronize, but continue to exist with the original item. To retain the attachment with the activity, save the file to the local drive of your computer, and then manually add the attachment to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online activity.