What are Entities in Dynamics 365 CRM? Overview of Types, Activities, and Ownership.

Entities are the core building blocks in Dynamics 365 CRM, organizing how data is stored, managed, and accessed across the system. Each entity represents a type of data record, similar to a table in a database, containing fields (or attributes) that hold individual data points. From storing contact information to tracking sales opportunities, entities are foundational to CRM’s structure. This article explores what entities are, the types of entities available, how activity entities are used, and the different ownership options that govern data security.

What Are Entities in Dynamics 365 CRM?

In Dynamics 365 CRM, entities serve as containers for data, defining the structure, fields, and relationships between records. For example:

• Account Entity: Stores information about a business or organization.
• Contact Entity: Holds data about individuals associated with accounts or leads.
• Opportunity Entity: Represents sales opportunities, helping track potential deals.

Each entity has attributes (fields) that store specific data points, like names, phone numbers, and email addresses. Together, these fields and their relationships with other entities create a robust and interconnected data model that supports business processes within the CRM.

Types of Entities in Dynamics 365 CRM

Dynamics 365 CRM offers a variety of entities to meet diverse business needs. Let’s break down the main types of entities:

1. Standard Entities

Also called out-of-the-box entities, these are pre-defined entities provided by Microsoft. They cover essential CRM functionalities, providing a foundation for common business processes. Examples of standard entities include:

• Account: Used to store information about companies or clients.
• Contact: Contains details about individuals, such as names and contact information.
• Lead Tracks potential customers or prospects.
• Opportunity: Helps monitor sales and potential deals.
• Case: Records customer service issues or support tickets.

These entities are built into Dynamics 365, making it easier to set up and streamline key CRM functionalities without requiring additional customization.

2. Custom Entities

Custom entities are user-created entities that store data unique to an organization’s needs. They can be customized with fields, relationships, forms, and views. For instance:

• A retail business may create a Product Review entity to store customer feedback on purchases.
• A healthcare provider might use a Patient Record entity to manage patient information securely.

Custom entities are fully configurable, allowing organizations to tailor CRM to support specific workflows and data needs beyond standard CRM capabilities.

3. Activity Entities

Activity entities represent tasks, communications, or other interactions with customers. Designed to track customer interactions, activity entities help manage and log communication history, providing a timeline of engagements with a specific customer or prospect. Examples include:

• Email: Stores email correspondence between CRM users and customers.
• Task: Tracks to-do items assigned to users or teams.
• Phone Call: Records telephone conversations and notes.
• Appointment: Used to schedule and manage meetings.

Activity entities often include attributes like due date, status, and a “regarding” field, which links the activity to another record, such as an account or contact. This structure helps CRM users see a complete interaction history with each customer, supporting timely follow-ups and improving customer experience.

4. System Entities

System entities are essential to operating Dynamics 365 CRM and managing internal CRM functionalities. Examples include:

• User: Represents individuals with CRM access.
• Team: Groups users who collaborate on records.
• Business Unit: Defines an organization’s structure within CRM, essential for data access and security.
• Role: Manages permissions and security roles for different users.

System entities are generally restricted from customization, ensuring stable CRM performance by preserving core operational data.

5. Virtual Entities

Virtual entities allow Dynamics 365 CRM to display data from external sources without storing it within the CRM database. Virtual entities are useful when data needs to be referenced rather than stored, especially when it resides in another system, like an ERP or SQL database. For example:

• Financial data stored in an external database can be displayed in CRM through a virtual entity without duplicating data storage.
• Product data from a supplier’s system can be viewed within CRM without importing it directly.

Virtual entities enhance CRM’s data connectivity, ensuring users have up-to-date information from various data sources.

Activity Entities and Their Role in Dynamics 365 CRM

Activity entities are a unique type of entity designed to help track interactions with customers. Each activity entity includes attributes like date, time, and status, and has a “regarding” field that links it to other CRM records, like accounts or contacts. Here’s how activity entities are typically used:

1. Tracking Communications: Activity entities like Email and Phone Calls log all customer communications, making it easy for users to view conversation history.
2. Managing Tasks and Follow-Ups: Entities like Task and Appointment help users track tasks, schedule meetings, and set reminders for follow-up actions.
3. Consolidating Interaction History: Activities create a timeline of engagements, improving visibility across sales, service, and support teams.

Examples of Activity Entities

• Email: Captures incoming and outgoing emails, linking them to relevant CRM records.
• Task: Represents a to-do item, with fields for subject, due date, and priority.
• Phone Call: Logs phone conversations and allows users to add notes.
• Appointment: Manages scheduled meetings, tracking dates, times, and attendees.

Using activity entities helps teams maintain comprehensive records of each interaction, which is invaluable for account management, customer service, and sales.

Ownership of Entities in Dynamics 365 CRM

Ownership determines how records are managed and who can access them within CRM. In Dynamics 365, entity ownership is classified as either user-owned or organization-owned:

1. User-Owned Entities

User-owned entities are associated with specific users or teams. These entities support record-level security, meaning that permissions can be set at an individual record level. Examples of user-owned entities include:

• Account: Assigned to individual users or teams responsible for managing the account.
• Contact: Assigned to users who maintain customer relationships.

This type of ownership is ideal when record access needs to vary among users, allowing security roles to control which records are visible or editable based on the user’s role in the organization.

2. Organization-Owned Entities

Organization-owned entities are accessible across the organization, with permissions applied at the entity level rather than individual records. These entities don’t have individual owners. Examples include:

• Business Unit: Represents different organizational divisions.
• Product Catalog: Contains details about products or services available to all CRM users.

Organization-owned entities are typically used for data that doesn’t require specific ownership or security at the record level, making them accessible to all authorized users.

Summary

Understanding entities in Dynamics 365 CRM is essential for anyone using or administering the platform. Entities allow data to be structured and organized, making it easier to manage customer information, interactions, and organizational data. By categorizing entities into types like standard, custom, activity, system, and virtual entities, Dynamics 365 CRM provides flexibility for various business needs.

Specifically, activity entities track customer interactions, while ownership controls data security by assigning either user or organization ownership. Dynamics 365 CRM users can better organize data, track interactions, and ensure data security by using these concepts.