Enable App for Outlook

While the previous step introduced us to some of the functionality provided by integrating Dynamics 365 and Outlook, this one will guide us through how to enable the Dynamic 365 app within Outlook.

For users to be able to use the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook with your environment you must complete some preliminary work. In many deployments, you will need to coordinate with one or more system administrators of the applications to successfully enable the app for users.

The following are the high-level steps to enable the app for users:

• Confirm the minimum requirements to use the app
• Ensure users have required privileges in their security roles assigned
• Complete any customisation of the App for Outlook for your deployment
• Push the app to some or all the users in your organisation or allow them to install as needed.

Requirements

In order to use the app, the deployment must have synchronisation of e-mails through server-side synchronisation configured and enabled for the users.

You must also have Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement apps version 9.0 or later in the Common Data Service environment, you are configuring. Users must have either the Outlook desktop app, Outlook for iOS, Outlook for Android, or they can use Outlook Web Access via one of the supported browsers.

If you are configuring an Exchange Online deployment using the current versions of the above, no special considerations are required. For on-premise Exchange deployments or specific older version support details review the in-depth version requirements Dynamics 365 App for Outlook Requirements

Security Privileges Required

Access to the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook is controlled primarily by the Use Dynamics 365 App for Outlook security role privilege. Many of the default security roles that ship with Dynamics 365 apps have this enabled by default.

If you are working with custom security roles or a default role with the privilege not enabled, you will need to ensure this is enabled for users you wish to use the app. The privilege is located on the Business Management tab as you can see in the following image.

Users that do not have this will see the following error ‘You haven’t been authorised to use this app. Check with your system administrator to update your settings’.

Additionally, if you are using custom security roles or a default role not already configured for the app you need to ensure the following access rights are also provided to users.

• Business Management tab: Mailbox entity user-level read/write access
• Customisations tab: User Application Metadata entity user-level read/write access
• Customisations tab: Entity, Field, Model-driven App, Relationship, System Application Metadata, System Form and View must have user-level read access.

If you have many custom security roles you can also consider creating a specifically targeted one e.g. App for Outlook Access that has these security entitlements configured and then assign that role in addition to your existing custom roles.

The Dynamics 365 App for Outlook app module is also configured to restrict the visibility of the app to users that have one of the Security Roles configured on the app module roles list.

The app is initially configured to include the security roles that have the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook privilege enabled.

If you are using a different security role, you will need to enable it for the app module. You can do this by clicking Manage Roles from the app as you can see in the following image. You can reach this list at instance URL/apps.

On the list of security roles for the app, locate your security role and ensure it is checked.

Customise the App for Outlook

The app that user interacts within Outlook is simply a PowerApps model-driven app that is hardwired to show in the context of the Outlook app.

You may find that the default configuration isn’t ideal for your deployment because it shows too many things or doesn’t show the right things for your users. You can customise this app module using the same app designer you use to build other model-driven apps.

You can choose to do this customisation at any time, often it is desired to be done prior to enabling the app for users. We will be covering this in more detail in a separate topic in this course.

Enable the App for Users

Once you have ensured the basic requirements have been met and intended users have the required security entitlements the next step is to push the apps to users if you want. This is done via Settings -> Dynamics 365 App for Outlook. From here you can do the following:

• Enable auto-install of the app for eligible users – this ensures new users automatically get setup
• Push the app to all eligible
• Select eligible users from the list and push the app specifically to them.

It is not required to push the app to users, they can add the app via manage add-ins in Outlook if they are eligible.