Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides several options for data
reporting. The combination of Advanced Find views and the Microsoft SQL
Server Reporting Services Report Wizard makes for a powerful suite of
reporting tools. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides an additional reporting
option that many users like to use: you can export data to Microsoft
Excel. The ability to export your Microsoft Dynamics CRM data to Excel
within the Microsoft Dynamics CRM interface allows you to export data
into a static worksheet, a dynamic worksheet, or a dynamic PivotTable
for further analysis and reporting. By choosing a dynamic export option,
you can ensure that the Excel file maintains a live connection to the
Microsoft Dynamics CRM database that allows you to refresh the data from
within Excel. Consider how useful this functionality would be in the
following scenarios:
-
You have an Advanced Find view that you export weekly to print
for a meeting. You can export to a dynamic file one time, format the
report to your liking, and open it up from a saved location to get
the most recent data.
-
You have a PivotTable report that you use to view aggregated
data. You can set up the PivotTable one time and reuse it as
needed.
When you export data to Excel, Microsoft Dynamics CRM security
settings apply, so that you can only export those records to which you
have access in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
1. Exporting Static Data to Excel Worksheets
Excel is a tool that most people in traditional business
environments are familiar with and use in some capacity. With Excel,
you can organize, format, and analyze data. Many business applications
give the end user the ability to export or download record-level data
into Excel, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is no exception.
It is very easy to export a list of records into Excel. If you
have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for a while, you have probably
already used this feature to export data to Excel.
For a simple, one-time report, you can export data from any grid
in Microsoft Dynamics CRM in a static worksheet. The worksheet is described as static
because the data will not be updated in Excel if it is changed in
Microsoft Dynamics CRM after it is exported. A static data export
reflects a point-in-time snapshot of a set of records in Microsoft
Dynamics CRM.
When you export static data into Excel, the data is exported
exactly as it appears in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM grid, so that the
exported worksheet includes the fields that are displayed in the grid
and uses the same field order, sorting, and field widths. You can
export most data grids into Excel, including the results of an
Advanced Find.
In this exercise, you will export a static Microsoft Dynamics CRM data view into
Excel.
Note
SET UP Use your own Microsoft
Dynamics CRM installation in place of the site shown in this
exercise. Use the Windows Internet Explorer web browser to navigate
to your Microsoft Dynamics CRM website before beginning this
exercise.
-
In the Workplace area, click
Accounts.
-
In the view selector, select Active
Accounts.
The data grid updates to display a list of active
accounts.
-
On the ribbon, in the Data group of the Accounts tab, click the Export to Excel button.
Tip
The Export To Excel button is available on most grids
within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. You can export system-related
information such as lists of reports or data imports in addition
to lists of core records such as accounts, contacts, and
opportunities.
The Export Data To Excel dialog box appears.
-
Leave Static worksheet with records
from this page selected, and click the Export button.
Tip
If the records in the Active Accounts view span multiple
pages, you will be presented with two options in step 4:
| Static worksheet with records from this
page |
| Static worksheet with records from all pages
in the current view |
These options allow you to choose whether to return all
records from the view or just the records on the first page of
the view results.
The File Download dialog box appears.
-
Click Open to launch
Excel and open the export file. Alternatively, you
can also select Save if you want to
save the Excel file to your computer.
The active account records have now been downloaded to
Excel. You can format, modify, and analyze the data in Excel to
meet your needs without affecting your Microsoft Dynamics CRM
database.
Important
If you do not have Excel installed on your computer, the file
will not open. Contact your system administrator if you do not have
Excel. Alternatively, Microsoft provides a tool called Excel Viewer, which allows you to open Excel files for
viewing. Excel Viewer can be found on the Microsoft Download Center
site at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads.
