Basics guide for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises), version 9.x

This article applies to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) version 9.1 using the legacy web client. If you’re using Unified Interface, your apps work the same as Unified Interface for model-driven Power Apps. For the Power Apps version of this article, see: Use model-driven apps in Power Apps

The Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) basics guide contains the essentials you need to know to navigate the system, enter data, use dashboards, charts and reports effectively and more.

Build customer relationships

One of the biggest payoffs of using Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) is having an organized, easy-to-access place to store data about all your customers and prospects. Some of the data will be entered by you and your team as you work with your customers. Some of the data can be pulled in from other sources like from your accounting system, or even from Facebook and Twitter.

Once the data is in the system, the real fun begins. You can use the insights you glean from the data to manage your day, to stay on top of what's happening on your team, and to make informed decisions about how to nurture your customers and build lifelong relationships with them.

Be productive wherever

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) is not just for using in a web browser on your computer — you can also use it on your phone, on your Android tablet, or on your Apple iPad. This guide covers using the system in your web browser, to keep it as short as possible and because the mobile apps work almost the same as on the web.

Download the app from the online store for your phone or tablet (search for "Dynamics 365" to find the app). You may need to check with the person who manages your system day-to-day, to make sure you have the security permissions required to use the app. To learn more, see Get started with Dynamics 365 for phones. You can also do your work from within Outlook, if you want. Check with your system administrator for details, or see Basic navigation in App for Outlook.

Get valuable learning even if your system has been customized

Even if your system has been customized to match your business (and you use different names or your screens look different), you'll still find these basics useful, because we included only those tasks that anyone using the system would do, no matter how the screens have been changed.

You can read the guide straight through in order, or only read the topics you're interested in. Or, if you're the person responsible for training people at your organization, you can walk through the topics in the training sessions you do with employees. You can even save this entire guide as a PDF to take with you!

What if your screens look different from what you see here?

If your organization works closely with a Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) partner, chances are good that your system screens look different from what you see in this guide. And even if your organization doesn't work with a partner, someone at your organization may have added in extra features or may have customized the system to match your industry and the way you do things.

Not to worry.

The topics in this guide are designed so that the steps are the same for everyone. You'll be able to use this guide to learn the basics of Customer Engagement (on-premises), no matter what you call the fields on the screens, or whether they're arranged differently from the examples shown here.

Security settings—What if you can't access a feature?

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) comes with security settings that control your access to certain features, data, or even fields on screens, depending on your role.

If it turns out that you can't see or access something described in this guide, or if some data is marked "read only," check with the person who manages your system day-to-day. You may need to get additional security permissions.

See also

Find your way around Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises)
Administrator Guide
Customization Guide
Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) Help

This topic applies to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises). For the Power Apps version of this topic, see: Use model-driven apps in Power Apps

The Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) basics guide contains the essentials you need to know to navigate the system, enter data, use dashboards, charts and reports effectively and more.

Build customer relationships

One of the biggest payoffs of using Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) is having an organized, easy-to-access place to store data about all your customers and prospects. Some of the data will be entered by you and your team as you work with your customers. Some of the data can be pulled in from other sources like from your accounting system, or even from Facebook and Twitter.

Once the data is in the system, the real fun begins. You can use the insights you glean from the data to manage your day, to stay on top of what's happening on your team, and to make informed decisions about how to nurture your customers and build lifelong relationships with them.

Be productive wherever

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) are not just for using in a web browser on your computer — you can also use them on your phone, on your Android tablet, or on your Apple iPad. This guide covers using the system in your web browser, to keep it as short as possible and because the mobile apps work almost the same as on the web.

Download the app from the online store for your phone or tablet (search for "Dynamics 365" to find the app). You may need to check with the person who manages your system day-to-day, to make sure you have the security permissions required to use the app. To learn more, see Get started with Dynamics 365 for phones. You can also do your work from within Outlook, if you want. Check with your system administrator for details, or see Basic navigation in App for Outlook.

Get valuable learning even if your system has been customized

Even if your system has been customized to match your business (and you use different names or your screens look different), you'll still find these basics useful, because we only included tasks that anyone using the system would do, no matter how the screens have been changed.

You can read the guide straight through in order, or only read the topics you're interested in. Or, if you're the person responsible for training people at your organization, you can walk through the topics in the training sessions you do with employees. You can even save this entire guide as a PDF to take with you!

What if your screens look different from what you see here?

If your organization works closely with a Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) partner, chances are good that your system screens look different from what you see in this guide. And even if your organization doesn't work with a partner, someone at your organization may have added in extra features or may customized the system to match your industry and the way you do things.

Not to worry.

The topics in this guide are designed so that the steps are the same for everyone. You'll be able to use this guide to learn the basics of Customer Engagement (on-premises), no matter what you call the fields on the screens, or whether they're arranged differently from the examples shown here.

Security settings—What if you can't access a feature?

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) comes with security settings that control your access to certain features, data, or even fields on screens, depending on your role.

If it turns out that you can't see or access something described in this guide, or if some data is marked "read only," check with the person who manages your system day-to-day. You may need to get additional security permissions.

See also

Find your way around Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises)
Administrator Guide
Customization Guide
Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises) Help