Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Analyst : Configure document management

Document Management in Dynamics 365 Sales enables users to efficiently store, organize, and collaborate on files related to customer records, such as accounts, opportunities, leads, and quotes. Integrated with SharePoint, it allows sales teams to manage documents like proposals, contracts, and presentations directly within Dynamics 365, eliminating the need for manual file transfers. Each record can have its own dedicated SharePoint folder, automatically created and linked for secure storage and version control. This integration ensures that documents are easily accessible, centrally managed, and securely shared with the right users. Additionally, document management supports features such as co-authoring, metadata tagging, and permission control, helping sales teams maintain consistency, improve collaboration, and streamline the overall sales documentation process.

Overview

Document Management in Dynamics 365 Sales allows users to store and manage documents related to records (such as Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Leads) in SharePoint Online instead of Dynamics 365’s database.

This integration helps improve collaboration, leverage SharePoint’s version control and access management, and reduce storage costs in Dataverse.

When configured, each record in Dynamics 365 can automatically have a corresponding SharePoint folder, where users can upload and manage documents directly from the Dynamics 365 interface.

1. Prerequisites

Before configuring document management, ensure the following:

• You have Global Administrator or System Administrator access in both Dynamics 365 and SharePoint.
• Dynamics 365 and SharePoint are in the same Microsoft 365 tenant.
• You have access to the Power Platform Admin Center.
• SharePoint sites are already created for document storage (e.g., `https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/DynamicsDocs`).

2. Enable Server-Based SharePoint Integration

This is the foundation for document management.

Steps:

1. Go to Power Platform Admin Center → Environments → select your environment.

2. Under Settings, go to:

   `Integration → Document management settings`.

3. Choose Enable server-based SharePoint integration.

4. Select Online for both Dynamics 365 and SharePoint.

5. Enter your SharePoint site URL (e.g., `https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/DynamicsDocs`).

6. Click Next, then Enable.

Once enabled, the connection between Dynamics 365 and SharePoint is established using secure authentication without manual credentials.

3. Configure Document Management Settings

Next, specify how records and folders will be created in SharePoint.

Steps:

1. In Dynamics 365 Sales, navigate to

• Settings → Document Management → Document Management Settings.

2. Enter your SharePoint site URL.

3. Select the entities you want to enable for document management (e.g., Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Quote, Order, etc.).

4. Click Next and confirm the folder structure creation.

5. The system will automatically create a SharePoint Document Location for each entity.

Example:

If you enable document management for “Opportunity,” each opportunity record will have its own folder in SharePoint:

/DynamicsDocs/Opportunity/OPP-000123/

4. Set Up Document Locations

Document Locations link individual Dynamics records to their corresponding SharePoint folders.

To verify:

1. Open an existing record (e.g., an Account).

2. Go to the Documents tab (usually visible in the related section).

3. Dynamics 365 will prompt you to create a SharePoint folder for that record if one doesn’t exist.

4. Once created, all uploaded documents will be stored in the linked SharePoint folder.

5. Configure Folder Structure (Optional)

You can define a hierarchical folder structure—for example:

 Account → Opportunity → Quote

 This ensures documents for related entities are grouped logically under the main customer folder.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Document Management → Document Management Settings.

2. Click Edit Location Structure.

3. Set the relationship mapping (e.g., Opportunity under Account).

Resulting structure:

/DynamicsDocs/Account/Contoso Ltd/Opportunity/Opportunity123/

6. Configure Security and Access

SharePoint permissions can be synchronized with Dynamics 365 security roles using SharePoint Security Synchronization.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Document Management → SharePoint Site Synchronization Settings.

2. Enable Use SharePoint access rights if you want SharePoint to manage file access.

3. Alternatively, use Dynamics 365 security model replication (via server-based integration) to sync access automatically.

This ensures that users who can view a record in Dynamics 365 can also view its related documents in SharePoint.

7. Test the Integration

1. Open an Opportunity or Account record.

2. Click the Documents tab in the related section.

3. Select Upload, choose a file, and save.

4. Go to the SharePoint site to confirm that the file is visible under the corresponding folder.

8. Additional Features

• Version Control
• SharePoint maintains version history for each document, allowing users to view or restore previous versions.
• Co-Authoring
• Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously in SharePoint Online.
• Search and Metadata
• SharePoint indexing makes all documents searchable, and metadata (like record name or ID) can be used for categorization.
• Document Templates
• Use Word Templates or Excel Templates stored in SharePoint to generate standardized documents directly from Dynamics 365 records.

9. Benefits of Configuring Document Management

• Centralized Storage: All documents are stored securely in SharePoint.
• Cost Optimization: Reduces Dataverse storage costs.
• Collaboration: Enables real-time co-authoring and version control.
•  Security: Aligns with Microsoft 365 compliance and access controls.
•  Automation Ready: Can trigger Power Automate flows on document upload or status changes.

10. Example Use Case

Scenario:

A sales team manages opportunities in Dynamics 365 Sales. Each opportunity requires proposal documents, quotes, and signed contracts.

With Document Management:

•  A SharePoint folder is auto-created per opportunity.
•  Sales reps upload proposals directly from the Dynamics 365 interface.
•  Managers review documents in SharePoint with tracked versions.
•  Power Automate can alert stakeholders when new files are added.

This ensures full visibility, security, and easy collaboration across departments.

Summary