Synchronizing Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Dynamics CRM

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With Microsoft Dynamics CRM integration, you can decide whether to synchronize data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Synchronization is the process that makes the data in selected fields of Microsoft Dynamics NAV records (such as customers, contacts, and sales people) and the equivalent Microsoft Dynamics CRM records (such as accounts, contacts, and users) the same. Conceptually, synchronization copies data between Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities and Microsoft Dynamics NAV record types (tables). Depending on the record type, data can be synchronized from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics NAV and from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. As users work with data in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics NAV, synchronization keeps the data in both systems up-to-date.

Synchronization is accomplished using three main elements: integration table mappings, integration field mappings, and record couplings. For a description of these elements, see Integration Concepts and Terminology.

Before you can start to synchronize data, you must enable the synchronization setup, if not already enabled. For more information, see how How to: Enable Default Dynamics CRM Synchronization Setup. After synchronization is enabled, the next step is to couple Microsoft Dynamics NAV records to Microsoft Dynamics CRM records. Once records are coupled, their data can be synchronized. The synchronization process can be initiated manually and/or on a scheduled basis. The following table provides on overview of the ways you can synchronize records in Microsoft Dynamics NAV tables and records in Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities.

Type Method See

Manual synchronization

Synchronize on a record basis.

You can synchronize individual Microsoft Dynamics NAV records, such as a customer, with a corresponding Microsoft Dynamics CRM record, such as an account. This is typically how end-users will work with Microsoft Dynamics CRM data in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV client.

For general instructions:

How to: Couple and Synchronize Records Manually

For detailed end-user instructions:

Working with Dynamics CRM Data in Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Synchronize on a table mapping basis.

You can synchronize all records in a Microsoft Dynamics NAV table and Microsoft Dynamics CRM entity.

How to: Synchronize Individual Table Mappings

Synchronize all table mappings.

You can synchronize records in all Microsoft Dynamics NAV tables that are mapped to Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities.

How to: Synchronize Dynamics CRM and Dynamics NAV Records for all Table Mappings

Full synchronization of all table mappings.

You can synchronize all Microsoft Dynamics NAV tables and Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities that are mapped together, and create new records in the destination solution for uncoupled records in the source solution. You will typically run a full synchronization when you initially set up integration between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics CRM and only one of solutions contains data. A full synchronization can be useful in a demonstration environment.

How to: Run a Full Synchronization

Scheduled synchronization

Full synchronization of all table mappings.

You can synchronize Microsoft Dynamics NAV with Microsoft Dynamics CRM on scheduled intervals by setting up jobs in the job queue.

Scheduled Synchronization Using the Synchronization Job Queue Entries

Standard Microsoft Dynamics CRM Entity Mappings for Synchronization

The following table lists the Microsoft Dynamics NAV record types (tables) and corresponding Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities that can be synchronized out-of-the-box.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Microsoft Dynamics CRM Synchronization Direction Default Filter

Salesperson/Purchaser

User

From Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Microsoft Dynamics CRM contact filter: Status is No.

Customer

Account

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM account filter: Relationship type is Customer and status is Active.

Contact

Contact

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV contact filter: Type is Person and the contact is assigned to a company.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM contact filter: Contact is assigned to a company and the parent customer type is Account.

Transaction Currency

Currency

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Unit Group

Unit of Measure

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Product

Item

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Resource

From Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities and Microsoft Dynamics NAV tables that are synchronized are defined by table mapping entries are defined in table 5335 Integration Table Mapping. You can view the mappings and set up filters from page 5335 Integration Table Mappings. The mapping between the fields in Microsoft Dynamics NAV records and the fields in Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities are defined by field mapping entries in the table 5336 Integration Field Mapping and additional mapping logic. For more information, see Integration Table Mappings and Integration Field Mappings.

Synchronization Rules

The following table describes rules that control the synchronization between Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities and Microsoft Dynamics NAV tables.

General

Modifications to data in Microsoft Dynamics CRM that are performed by the Microsoft Dynamics CRM connection account are ignored. The changes will not be synchronized. Therefore, it is a recommended that you do not modify data by using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM connection account.

Customers
  • Before a customer can be synchronized to an account, the salesperson that is assigned to customer must be coupled to a user in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Therefore, when you are running the CUSTOMERS - Dynamics CRM synchronization job and you set it up to create new records, make sure that you synchronize salespeople with Microsoft Dynamics CRM users before you synchronize customers with Microsoft Dynamics CRM accounts.

  • The CUSTOMERS - Dynamics CRM synchronization job only synchronizes Microsoft Dynamics CRM accounts that have the relationship type Customer.

Contacts

Only contacts in Microsoft Dynamics CRM that are associated with an account will be created in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Currencies

Currencies are coupled to transaction currencies in Microsoft Dynamics CRM based on ISO codes. Only currencies that have a standard ISO code will be coupled and synchronized with transaction currencies.

Unit of Measures

Unit of measures are synchronized with unit groups in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. There can be only one unit of measure defined in the unit group.

Items

When synchronizing items with Microsoft Dynamics CRM products, Microsoft Dynamics NAV automatically creates a price list in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To avoid synchronization errors, you should not modify this price list manually.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Couple and Synchronize Records Manually
How to: Set Up Scheduled Synchronization by Using the Job Queue
How to: Set Up a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connection