Dynamics User Documentation

Dynamics User and Internal Documentation

Introduction

This document describes SyncSmart’s integration between HubSpot and Dynamics. Terminology and definitions will be specific to Dynamics (referred to as DYN) HubSpot (referred to as HS), and SyncSmart and will cover features, capabilities, security, FAQs, and more.

Defining Dynamics, HubSpot, and SyncSmart

What is Dynamics?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based business applications platform that combines components of customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP), along with productivity applications and artificial intelligence tools.

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot provides cloud software to manage marketing, sales, operations, and customer service. It has the functionality of CRM software and content management system (CMS), marketing automation, and operational software. For example, HubSpot tracks and automates the journey a contact takes from when they first interact with the company’s marketing campaigns and website to the point sales closes the deal and customer service begins offering support.

What is SyncSmart?

SyncSmart.io is a cloud-based Integration-as-a-Service provider, backed by Lynton, a HubSpot Elite partner.

SyncSmart is the product arm of Lynton, providing a variety of integrations and products that range from self-serviced, packaged integrations to managed support packages.

What Powers SyncSmart?

SyncSmart is backed by powerful proprietary integration software technology, using a middleware OEM framework for SaaS companies to integrate with a wide variety of cloud software, databases, and files.

SyncSmart’s first UI will be available soon, allowing users to self-manage their Dynamics + HubSpot integration.

How Do They Work Together?

SyncSmart has created a HubSpot + Dynamics integration that offers bidirectional syncing of Dynamics leads, contacts, accounts, opportunities, and users, including field level data, with their respective objects in HubSpot. In Dynamics, a “lead” and “contact” are both considered a “contact” in HubSpot. A Dynamics “account” is a HubSpot “company.” A Dynamics “opportunity” is a HubSpot deal and a Dynamics “user” is a HubSpot “owner.”

Bidirectional syncing of these objects means that what happens in one system will happen in the other. For instance, if you create a contact in HubSpot, it will automatically show in Dynamics and vice versa.

The Benefits of the HubSpot + Dynamics Integration for Customers

SyncSmart’s technology helps companies using HubSpot and Dynamics achieve sales and marketing alignment, automate tasks, share data, and streamline the customer journey. For HubSpot + Dynamics integration customers, specific benefits include:

• Enhanced insight for sales and marketing into each other's campaigns
• Improved data quality and automation by removing manual processes
• Personalized, contextual, and automated marketing emails
• Unified platform, connecting disparate data sources and improving sales and marketing teamwork
• Effective lead scoring and prioritization for better sales pipelines and revenue generation
• Proof of ROI with lifecycle stage, revenue, and closed-loop reporting (see the entire customer journey from start to finish)
• Control of what objects and fields sync (all standard and custom fields supported with SyncSmart technology)
• Easy access and control for all employees, including non-technical workers
• Instant access to all HubSpot analytics right in Dynamics
• Completely software-free, eliminating the need to learn or license a new system

SyncSmart also offers a library of other products, integrations, and levels of support to completely transform martech stacks in the HubSpot ecosystems. SyncSmart is also backed by Lynton, a HubSpot Elite partner agency that offers services ranging from web design and development to inbound marketing strategy that accelerate business growth

Common HubSpot + Dynamics Integration Definitions

Account

An account is the term used in Dynamics to describe companies or businesses associated with specific leads or contacts. They are standard objects.

API

Application-Programming Interface (API) helps software developers design products that automatically connect to CRM like HubSpot’s. It means that a business can integrate previous data and start using CRM right away.

Company

Companies are standard HubSpot integration objects. They help the CRM distinguish between different companies, and store information properly so it can be reached when necessary. They also contain data like addresses, opportunities, etc.

Bidirectional sync

Bidirectional sync helps get information both from HubSpot integration, and a business’s own data. APIs communicate that information, and bidirectional syncs are “bridges” that help them reach one another.

Closed-loop reporting

Closed-loop reporting helps consolidate the data that marketing teams are collecting with the data that sales are collecting.

Connector

Connectors are integrations that use bidirectional sync to connect HubSpot CRM with an external system. This means that data is stored in a central hub, eliminating multiple logins or shuffling between systems.

CRM

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a set of processes and tools that help businesses build a better relationship with customers. Dynamics and HubSpot are CRM tools that are extremely beneficial as they help improve data collection and application.

Accounts and information relevant to them are constantly tracked through CRM. With a HubSpot integration, companies can automatically customize offers and communicate with customers (since the system has the necessary information), and save time.

Deal pipeline

Deal pipelines predict revenue and identify problems in sales. Each pipeline has multiple stages through which the customer typically has to progress in order for the deal to be closed.

This is done automatically with HubSpot integration.

Deal stages

Deal stages are parts of the standardized deal pipeline process.

For example, when customer reaches stage #3, they can be offered a demo or a proposal. Deal stage features in HubSpot integration simplify the process for the sales team, and allow streamlined customer onboarding.

Default match field

The default field / field property that the integration uses to match records between Dynamics and HubSpot.

Domain

A domain is the physical location on a web server at which a website is located. A domain name is the address of that physical location. In the integration, a domain is used for matching fields between the two systems (internal IDs, transaction IDs, and emails are also used).

Fields or properties

Fields or properties are information storages about companies and other objects. They can include contact information, deal stage, and any other information needed to improve marketing and/or sales. SyncSmart can support almost all standard and custom fields for all objects available in an integration. Here are examples of the details that can be synced on customer, contact, and deal objects.

Internal ID

In CRMS, every record (customer, customer status, contact, etc) has an internal ID, which is a unique integer number. The internal ID never changes for the life of that record. In HubSpot, an internal ID is also a unique number associated with records.

Integration as a service

Integration Platform as A Service (IPaas) is a cloud service that supports application, data and process integration. It combines multiple applications, sources, APIs and systems to create a central, accessible hub.

Leads and contacts

In HubSpot, leads and contacts are one and the same. However, they are different in CRM. Leads are sales prospects. They’re usually the first stage in the deal pipeline, as they’ve yet to be convinced to become your customer. Once a lead progresses through the deal pipeline and becomes more qualified, it turns into a contact.

Custom object

Custom objects are a way of adding additional fields and features that a business might need, and that HubSpot or Dynamics don’t originally have.

Objects

Objects, like contacts, companies, opportunities, and more, represent the different types of relationships and processes a business has. Dynamics and HubSpot both have standard objects to perform various sales and marketing functions. The integration syncs all standard objects and their associated fields.

Opportunities and deals

Deals in HubSpot integration help identify opportunities for increasing revenue by boosting leads down the sales funnel. For example, companies can create a deal when a lead takes an important action such as booking a demo.

Sync / data synchronization

Data synchronization is the ongoing process of synchronizing data between two or more devices and updating changes automatically between them to maintain consistency within systems. Syncing refers to the process of flowing data between HubSpot and NetSuite, or any other two systems.

Webhook

A webhook is a lightweight API that powers one-way data sharing triggered by events. Used with an API, they enable applications to share data and functionality.

Workflows

Workflows are a way of automating processes by triggering relevant actions based on context. For example, if a lead books a demo, they can be automatically sent a deal.

HubSpot + Dynamics Integration Features & Capabilities

Object Mapping

Below is a list of objects synced between HubSpot and Dynamics:

For leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities all associations (mappings) are automatically made bidirectionally based on the standard out of the box association fields. For example, a contact to contact. All new contacts created in Dynamics will always sync to HubSpot. If a new contact is created in HubSpot, and no marching email address (which would be the default match for that object) exists in Dynamics, the integration can be configured to create a lead or contact in Dynamics, thus getting that information in. To successfully sync users and owners, an EXACT email match must be required in both systems.

Owner syncing is a configurable option that supports bidirectional syncing for all Dynamics entities and HubSpot objects.

Notes: All standard and custom fields that contain data ARE supported by SyncSmart. For example, HubSpot contacts fields like stress address, name, and description will sync. However, they MUST have data to sync. If the field doesn’t have data or the field doesn’t exist on a different record type, it will not sync.

An example here: “Abandoned cart” would display on a customer record but because it doesn’t actually contain data, just simply shows there, the integration can’t map it. Additional example: A field text cannot sync to a dropdown. Workarounds can be built though.

Solution Bundle

The Dynamics managed solution package installs all the components essential for the integration to function, including fields (for lead, contact, account, and opportunity entities), the iFrame (installed into the HUbSpot tab in default lead and contact forms), service endpoint (sends updates on leads leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities to the webhook), and SDK message processing (defines updates and creations for specific entities sent via the service sendpoint).

It is recommended that clients make a full backup of their Dynamics environment before installing the package.

Bidirectional Dropdown Logic

SyncSmart, unlike competitors, offers dropdown syncing. For the Dynamics + HubSpot integration, the objective is to deliver the most reliable dropdown sync logic that relies on text labels instead of CRM internal IDs. SyncSmart also prevents overwriting existing list items in HubSpot with internal IDs, which then break other HubSpot workflows/lists that were previously referencing a different internal value.

This solution prevents any overwriting of existing HubSpot list items while accurately matching enums bi-directionally. How it works:

HubSpot to Dynamics:

1. HS Record has an enum value
2. Find the matching HubSpot enum list item ( by value ) from dropdown cached storage
3. Find a matching Dynamics enum list item:
1. Filter Dynamics list items by the Dynamics label, matched to HubSpot value
2. If no match, Filter Dynamics list items by the Dynamics label, matched to HubSpot label
3. If still no match, don’t send this field from HubSpot to Dynamics
4. Script should return a variable of all unmatched fields and list items:[ { “property_name”: “lead_status”, “value”: “Hott” } ]

Dynamics to HubSpot:

1. DYN Record has an enum value
2. Find the matching DYN enum list item (by value) from metadata cached storage
3. Find a matching HubSpot enum list item:
1. Filter HubSpot list items by the HubSpot label, matched to Dynamics label
2. If no match, Filter HubSpot list items by the HubSpot value, matched to Dynamics label
3. If still no match, write a new list item to the HubSpot Dropdown metadata:
1. Add new list item with a label and value equal to the Dynamics label

What this does:

• The integration won’t cause workflows or lists to break when these tools are referencing the internal values of an enum item.
• SyncSmart can easily move from sandbox to production without causing rewrites of dropdown fields.
• The customer can open any dropdown property and see dropdown items in plain text rather than internal numeric IDs.
• The customer can retire, migrate, terminate third-party systems (i.e., Dynamics) without being stuck with internal dropdown IDs from an old system.

Syncing Frequencies and Dependencies

Syncs from Dynamics to HubSpot typically occur in 5 to 15 seconds. Users must install our managed solution package bundle in order for the sync from Dynamics to HubSpot to occur. The bundle adds the iFrame pointing to HubSpot to the default Dynamics lead and contact form, fields required by the integration and a service endpoint that sends requests (Dynamics lead, contact, account and opportunity creations or modifications) to the SyncSmart master webhook.

Syncs from HubSpot to Dynamics run on a scheduler. The interval is configured during the installation process and defaults to 5 minutes. The minimum time it takes an object to sync is 5 minutes. When a good number of records are in the queue it can take much longer for records to sync. The integration syncs on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis. Because of this customers can expect this sync to take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Some sync frequencies to note:

It is important to note that SyncSmart uses DataDog to monitor our integration platform in real-time to look for any sync downtime or other issues. The team sends out alerts and notifications as needed.

Filters

When syncing from Dynamics to HubSpot, a customer can use any combination of standard or custom fields to filter their sync logic. These filters are written by SyncSmart developers as JavaScript code.

During testing, "ss.test" must be passed in the email address for contact syncing to occur in either direction and "SyncSmart" must be passed in the name of the company and deal syncing to occur in either direction. This protects the integration from the need to delete storage keys before the launch and encourages the client to engage thoughtfully in user acceptance testing (UAT) with the SyncSmart team. Collaboration during UAT is recommended to speed up the process of implementation.

Sandbox Environment

SyncSmart offers a sandbox environment/account for the HubSpot + Dynamics integration. This is a secure account in Dynamics where users will build out and test out the functionality of their integration without ruining the risk of damaging data or processes in a live production account. After going through extensive testing with the SyncSmart team, integrations will move from sandbox to production in this steps:

1. Disable the integration by locating the Integration Main Switch HS+DYN webhook URL for the company.
2. Disable SDK Entity Steps by finding the Disable SDK Entity Steps HS + DYN webhook URL for the company.
3. Delete the UAT storage key in the middleware.
4. Point the solution instance to production by running the installer to set up authorization for production.
5. Enable SDK Entity Steps by finding Enable Endpoint and SDK Entity Steps HS + DYN webhook.
6. Confirm final steps using the field mapping sheets for the specific customer.
7. Enable the integration by locating the Integration Main Switch HS + DYN webhook for the organization.
8. Enjoy the live production!

A SyncSmart representative will help get customers set up with a sandbox account and move from sandbox to production.

Common Support Requests

1. Historical sync or resync of Dynamics records to HubSpot
2. Resync of HubSpot records to Dynamics
3. Resolving of issue: records not syncing from Dynamics to HubSpot or vice versa
4. Resolving of issue: records not associating
5. Dynamics lookups

How Does SyncSmart Secure Data?

SyncSmart integrations are designed for performance, accuracy, reliability, and security. They are point-to-point integrations that transmit data between systems without mirroring to a data warehouse for analysis, which results in secure syncing. Data is encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption and located in data centers in the United States. SyncSmart uses OAuth and machine-to-machine authentication when applicable, and reserves the right to revoke HubSpot OAuth token-based authentication at any time.

The Implementation Process

The standard implementation consultant process for completing a Dynamics + HubSpot integration, with or without the UI, looks like:

• Find the Dynamics integration on the HubSpot app marketplace then complete the installation process.
• Kick off call to introduce the team, confirm use cases, present object mapping and field mappings, discuss dropdown and owner fields, and more.
• Close the loop on any clarifications or questions and install mappings, including filters, and build out the sync.
• Perform extensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with the customer and the SyncSmart team, launch the integration with an optional historical sync to get up and running with pre-collected data.
• Offer ongoing support as needed through managed services and support and premium support packages.

Examples of support packages:

Note: Customers going through the implementation process can expect to launch their integrations within six to 12 weeks – which is based on the customers being involved heavily throughout the process. If a user is not responsive to certain phases of the implementation process - particularly the UAT phase, the timeline can be stalled and nearly halted, resulting in a bogged-down integration launch. To ensure the timeline meets the customer's and SyncSmart’s expectations, consultants should address the importance of open communication and collaboration in the initial kick-off call and continue to address it throughout the process. As a reminder, SyncSmart recommends all users make a full backup of their Dynamics environment before installing the managed solution package during the implementation process.

The HubSpot Marketplace Installation Process

As noted, users will need to install the integration from the app marketplace. It can be done in a few easy steps:

1. Locate the app and choose install from the listing.
2. Create your account.
3. Connect to your HubSpot portal, then grant access. Should a customer face issues here, they will need to contact their HubSpot Super Admin.
4. Schedule your kick-off / set up call!
5. Email support@syncsmart.io for help at any point.

Information on managed services and support can be found here and more detail on the Dynamics HubSpot integration can be found here.

Speak with an Integration Expert

Have additional questions on the integration or SyncSmart or need help with the product? Talk to our team today.