This article gives step-by-step setup instructions for Channeltivity’s Organization Sync integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, which keeps your Partner Organizations and, if applicable, Distributor Organizations synced with your Partner and Distributor Accounts in Dynamics. Please note that Distributors are only included for customers who have purchased the Distributor module.
For an overview of the Dynamics 365 Organization Sync integration, check out this article: Dynamics 365 Integration: Organization Sync - Overview.
Step 1: Set Up Fields in Dynamics 365
To sync specific Partner/Distributor Accounts with Channeltivity, you’ll need to create two custom fields on the Account entity in Dynamics. These fields will be used to flag and categorize the Accounts you wish to sync to Channeltivity.
- Sync with Channeltivity - Two Options (Yes/No)
- Channeltivity Organization Status - Choice (picklist)
To create the fields:
- Go to make.powerapps.com and go to > Tables >Account
- Click the "New" button> New > Column
- Enter Label: Sync with Channeltivity
- For the Data Type, select Choice: Two options (Yes/No)
- Click "Save"
- Click the "New" button again > New > Column >Enter Label: Channeltivity Organization Status
- For Data Type, select: Choice
- Create a new Choice set with the following options:
- Active Partner
- Prospective Partner
- Inactive Partner
- Active Distributor (for customers with the Distributor module)
- Inactive Distributor (for customers with the Distributor module)
- Click "Save"
Note: If you're using an existing Dynamics Choice field, please ensure it contains only the values listed above. This is because the field will be mapped to a system field in Channeltivity called "Type," which accepts only those specific values. System fields in Channeltivity are fixed and cannot be modified, added to, or removed.
Step 2: Prep Dynamics Partner/Distributor Account Data:
IMPORTANT: To avoid duplicate records being created, it is of critical importance that all your Partner/Distributor Accounts in Dynamics are properly categorized with the status (active, prospective, inactive) and have the sync flag set.
Go through your Partner/Distributor Accounts in Dynamics and make sure the records that you want to sync with Channeltivity have the "Sync with Channeltivity" checkbox selected and the "Channeltivity Organization Status" field is set to one of the values listed above.
Step 3: Configure Channeltivity:
If you haven't completed the authorization process to connect Channeltivity to Dynamics, your Dynamics Admin will need to authorize Channeltivity to access using the instructions listed in this article. Once the systems are connected, you can begin configuring the Organization Sync Integration.
Once connected, go to Settings > Dynamics 365 Integration > Organization Sync.
Toggle the switch labeled "Integration Status" to the ON position to enable the integration.
By default, Channeltivity will automatically sync Active Partners created in Channeltivity to Dynamics. If you'd like to also sync Prospective Partners, Inactive Partners, Active Distributors, and Inactive Distributors, you can enable this by selecting the corresponding checkboxes below.
Scroll down to the field mappings configuration section to view the two-way flow of data between Partner/Distributor records in Channeltivity and Dynamics. The system displays all of the Partner/Distributor and Contact fields in Channeltivity on the left and all of the Account and Contact fields in Dynamics on the right. You will need to map the built-in "Type" field in Channeltivity to the new "Channeltivity Organization Status" field that you created in Dynamics.
Next, you'll map each picklist value in Channeltivity to its corresponding value in Dynamics. All Partner values must be mapped, even if you're not syncing Prospective or Inactive Partners. If you're also syncing Distributor Organizations, be sure to map the Active and Inactive Distributor values to their respective values in Dynamics as well.
Note: All properties and dropdown values are pulled directly from Dynamics. If you change them in Dynamics, you'll need to refresh the page to have them appear.
When you are finished, you can update the data flow for existing field mappings by clicking on the buttons between the mappings. You can also add additional mappings by clicking on the "Add Mappings" button. Learn more about this topic in this article: Dynamics 365 Integration: Field Mapping Configuration.
Once all your mappings are complete, press the "Save" button at the very bottom of the page to finish the setup process.
Step 4: Launch the Organization Matching Wizard
After saving your mappings, you'll be redirected to the Organization Matching Wizard. This tool allows you to match your Partner/Distributor Organizations in Channeltivity to your Partner/Distributor Accounts in Dynamics.
- Confirm that the sync flag and status values have been correctly set on the Accounts in Dynamics by selecting the "Okay, I did this. I promise checkbox."
- Choose which system (Channeltivity or Dynamics) should serve as the master for the initial sync > Continue.
Step 5: Match Organization Records
The wizard suggests Partners/Distributors based on name and address. It also allows you to link each Partner/Distributor in Channeltivity to an existing Account in Dynamics or create a new Account if needed. Any Contacts/Users will be matched solely based on their email addresses, and Dynamics Contacts without email addresses will not be synced.
The wizard will display Organizations from Channeltivity on the left and suggested Account matches from Dynamics on the right. For each record, you can:
- Click “Link” to accept the suggested match
- Use the “Please Select” dropdown to manually choose a different Account in Dynamics
- Click “Create New Account” to generate a new record in Dynamics
- Click “Do Not Sync” to exclude the record from synchronization
Once all records have been matched, a confirmation screen will appear, and Channeltivity will begin syncing the records automatically.