5 Most Important Building Blocks for Document Management in Dynamics 365

What Does Document Management Mean in Dynamics 365?

Dynamics 365 attachments represent the only native storage method within the platform. However, these fall short of professional document management standards. To address this limitation, Dynamics 365 offers a Document Management feature that enables storing documents in SharePoint instead—a platform specifically designed for document storage.

Why Address This Topic?

While Dynamics 365 provides a standard document management feature, simply activating it without proper planning can lead to costly migration projects later. A dedicated Dynamics 365 SharePoint integration avoids that. Five critical aspects require evaluation before implementation to avoid environmental disorganization.

Basic Principles of Dynamics 365 and SharePoint Integration

The foundation involves creating a workspace in SharePoint for each Dynamics 365 record. Your environment contains entities (Account, Quote, Contact, Lead, Opportunity) that represent basic structures for records.

Integration Goals

• Creating document locations for records and organizing them by entity type
• Transferring Dynamics 365 permissions to SharePoint authorization structures
• Syncing metadata from records to stored documents
• Enabling enhanced search functionality in SharePoint

Terminology

What Does Dynamics 365 and SharePoint Integration Look Like?

The integration process follows these steps:

1. A record is created in Dynamics 365
2. A document location or workspace is created for that record in SharePoint
3. Permissions and metadata synchronize to the SharePoint workspace
4. A document is uploaded to the Dynamics 365 record
5. The document stores in SharePoint in the background
6. Record metadata transfers to the document
7. Access restrictions mirror Dynamics 365 permissions
8. The uploaded document displays under the record in Dynamics 365

5 Key Building Blocks of Dynamics 365 and SharePoint Integration

1. Filing Structures

Storage structures fundamentally determine the entire integration concept. Scalability considerations are critical, along with decisions regarding flat versus hierarchical organization. Greater hierarchy increases complexity and error potential.

2. Permissions

Authorization requirements often emerge after initial planning phases. The security concept may necessitate revisiting storage structure decisions. Dynamics 365 supports three authorization levels:

• Business Unit
• Team
• Access Team

These must map appropriately to SharePoint structures while maintaining simplicity to prevent system errors.

3. Metadata

Each entity requires definitions of which attributes transfer to stored documents. Balance proves essential—insufficient metadata reduces user acceptance since document content becomes invisible, while excessive metadata increases error risk.

4. Search

Define which user groups will access documents, designate responsible parties, and establish access types to deliver customized search results. This capability significantly boosts employee productivity for those accessing Dynamics 365 documents.

5. Limitations

System limitations require careful attention. Both Dynamics 365 and SharePoint Online have constraints needing different handling approaches. Expert consultation proves essential to prevent unexpected costs during later stages.

How Standard Document Management Handles Key Building Blocks

The default Dynamics 365 Document Management feature cannot effectively address:

• Custom storage structures
• Metadata synchronization
• Permission synchronization
• Scalability
• Filtering documents by specific criteria (e.g., documents belonging to particular accounts)

Alternative Solutions

Third-party integration solutions exist that account for all five building blocks. These mature solutions shorten project timelines and reduce individual implementation efforts compared to building custom solutions.

Conclusion

This article provides criteria for evaluating Dynamics 365 and SharePoint integration. Based on specific requirements, organizations can evaluate each building block and design suitable architecture for their needs.