Someone posting on the Microsoft newsgroup for CRM pointed out a very nifty feature that hasn't been widely publicized for version 3.0. I hadn't come across it before, so I thought some of you may not have noticed it either.
One of the most frequently requested features for version 1.2 was an easy way to update multiple records at once. For instance, if you have an account with 80 contacts, and the company moves, how do you change the address on the contacts? In CRM 1.2 you had to do it one at a time or write your own app or get into unsupported territory in the SQL database.
Well, in version 3.0 this is now a piece of cake. Simply do an Advanced Find, select the records in question, and then on the "More Actions" button there is an "Edit" option. Clicking this will open a blank contact form (or whichever entity you are searching on). Whichever fields you make changes to will be updated in the selected records (and any fields you leave alone will be left alone on the selected records).
Very simple, very handy. Thanks Microsoft!
2.21.2006
Nice Bulk Edit Feature in CRM 3.0
Posted by
Matt Wittemann
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Thanks for the input, Fronk. Good to know.
This is fantastic! I was worried about having to make SQL statements.
This feature also dosn't works to bulk edit Activites. How to set globaly all tasks to "Close" ?
"This feature also dosn't works to bulk edit Activites. How to set globaly all tasks to "Close" ?"
You can create a workflow for that. We've done this and it works like a charm. You can apply the workflow on the mass selected activities.
We imported data from ACT and have MASSIVE number of activities to be closed.
I love your idea, but I must be missing something.
Can you tell me more about the workflow? I only see the option to trigger the workflow when I have opened a single activity. How do I run it on a view of multiple activities to close?
Since these are old open items, do you suggest that I run the view on the Due Date on or before XX (this will include all types of activities, not just appointments)?
I just came across your blog - keep up the great work!
Marty
I looked into the workflow more - am I only able to run the workflow on a single Account? I was hoping to view all Activities and select the ones I wanted the workflow to close.
Any problem with closing the activities with a SQL update statement?
Thank you,
Marty
In regards to Fronk comment, he noted that we cannot use the bulk edit feature for Parent Customer. So, how can we establish a relationship for several contacts to an account (a company and its employees under CRM Account-details-contacts?)
There is a hot fix for the issue 'The "Parent Account" and "Parent Customer" fields are unavailable when you try to bulk edit many Contact records or many Account records in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0' see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913645
Bulk close activities by workflow:
The way i have done this is when i create letters etc in CRM quick campaign I create them with a category autoclose and have a workflow setup on creation of letters that checks for autoclose. If it sees autoclose it then closes the activity.
The other way i can think of doing it is to have a restricted access user called autocloseuser and a workflow that is setup so when an activity is assigned to that user it automatically closes.
Mike McAlea
Brett Technoloiges Ltd
www.brett-tech.com
I like this feature, but is there any way to bulk edit and make the field blank again?
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