Integrating Sage CRM, your accounting system and MS Outlook

2 minute read time.

If you use MS Outlook for your emailing and calendar, a Sage accounting product like Sage 300cloud, Sage 200cloud or even Sage Enterprise Management (formerly Sage X3) then the last thing that you want to do is to rekey contact information that should be shared between each system. You don't want data to get lost or out of date and you want to make sure that you are getting the best out of each system.

And if you are serious about using that contact information for marketing, selling or providing your customers with great service then Sage CRM is likely to be in that mix because of its integration capabilities and superb ability to manage business rules and workflow.

Let's have a look now at how Sage CRM works specifically with Outlook and Exchange. This is all part of how Sage CRM provides great integration possibilities through its APIs.

The video below provides a very good discussion of the general capabilities provided by the integration between Sage CRM and your accounting solution.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Once implemented Sage CRM has two mechanisms for integrating with MS Outlook. Both use plugins but which is used depends on whether integration with Exchange has been implemented.

Exchange Integration and Lite Outlook Plugin Integration

There is no synchronization to individual Outlook clients. The synchronization runs in the background and does not require user triggers; it continues even when Outlook clients are closed. A single, impersonated Exchange user is used to access all users' mailboxes so different credentials are not required for each mailbox.

Appointments, tasks, and contacts can be synchronized between Sage CRM and Exchange Server (this include Exchange Online/365). This functionality is supported if the user is working in the Outlook client, Outlook Web Access, or using a mobile device that connects to Exchange.

The optional Lite Outlook Plugin can be installed on the client machine to allow users add contacts to Sage CRM from the Outlook client, file single or multiple Outlook emails to one or more Sage CRM records, and attach Sage CRM shared documents to Outlook emails.

Each user can install the plugin or you can install it using Active Directory Group Policy.

Classic Outlook Integration

Where Exchange Integration is not used then a customer can use the Classic Outlook Plugin Integration.

Classic Outlook Integration files emails, and synchronizes contacts, appointments, and tasks between Sage CRM and Microsoft Outlook. It lets users file single or multiple Outlook emails to one or more Sage CRM records, and attach Sage CRM shared documents to Outlook emails. Sage CRM Classic Outlook Integration supports email accounts running on Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI or POP3. Roaming Profiles are not supported.

You find some short videos that show how the integration works on the Sage Support and Training YouTube Channel.

(Please visit the site to view this video)