The Queue feature in Microsoft Dynamics CRM is similar to an inbox on your desk. When a record, such as a case, is created, it can go into a queue. One or more people can monitor the queue, see what is being worked on, and grab an available item and work on it.
Queues are frequently used for for customer service and support scenarios, where multiple people are monitoring a shared inbox of support items.
But queues are also useful for any type of process where a record can be worked on by multiple people.
Service Pack 1 makes some very big improvements to queues that should make your customer service process better.
Private queues
One of the challenges of queues in CRM 2013 and earlier is that users who have access to queues see all the queues when they go to the queue view. if you have multiple group queues, navigating queues can be cumbersome. Also, if you have sensitive queues, the security of the items in the queue can be a concern. This is something I blogged about earlier in “Taming the queue view.”
The Spring ‘14 update fixes this by introducing private type queues. When a queue is set to “Private,” only the users who are members of the queue team see the queue items in the queue.
When the queue is set to “Private,” you will be able to add users to a grid of users on the queue form (similar to the access team feature added in CRM 2013). The owner of the queue is automatically added to the queue team.
This is a major enhancement, and will simplify the queue experience for many users.
2. Rollup in queue item views
Another traditional challenge with queue management in CRM is that it can be difficult to know if there are any items waiting to be worked in the queue. If a user manages multiple queues, the user need to open each queue, or have a dashboard that includes multiple queue item grids.
The Spring ‘14 update adds rollup fields to the queue item views that show the number of items waiting in the queue. This simplifies management of queues as users can watch the queue view on their dashboard, see if there are items waiting, then open the queue when there are items in the queue.
The “queue item” column indicates how many items are waiting to be worked in the queue, and the “No. of Members” column indicates how many members are assigned to the queue.
3. Routing Rules
Dynamics CRM 2013 SP1 also dramatically improves the routing capabilities. Say you want to have cases route to different queues based on the account type of regarding company.
Prior to SP1, you could do this using a workflow process, but it was confusing to many users. you had to create a workflow that added a queue item to a queue. While this was effective, it was not straightforward.
You can now create routing rules in the new Service Management area in Settings.
You create routing rule records then add rule items to the routing rule. A routing rule can include multiple rule items, so one routing rule can handle multiple routing conditions.
The routing rule items use advanced find to define routing logic, and can automatically route a case to a queue or a user. Note that, like with workflows, you can now group multiple conditions by “or.”
Routing rules are automatically applied to cases that are created by the system, either via workflow or the new email to case functionality.
When a case is manually created, you can manually apply routing rules to the cases
And items in a queue can be manually routed to another queue or user via the “route” button.
Bringing it all together
Dynamics CRM 2013 SP1 is a significant improvement to queue management and should make people who evaluated the queue functionality in the past, but found it to be cumbersome, to take another look.
Private queues enhance security and simplify the queue item views, views reflect the number of items in the queue, making it easier for users to see when there are new items in the queue to be worked, and routing rules automate case routing, simplifying complex routing logic between multiple queues.
by Customer Effective
Dynamics CRM Online Spring ’14: What’s New With Queue is a post from: CRM Software Blog
The post Dynamics CRM Online Spring ’14: What’s New With Queue appeared first on CRM Software Blog.
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