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Measure onboarding progress using telemetry

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Business Central emits telemetry signals that help indicate a customer's progress in onboarding to Business Central. These signals are emitted based on the use of certain business processes in Business Central. For example, posting sales invoices or vendor payments. Measuring emitted onboarding signals is a great way for partners to know how well their customers are doing in the onboarding process. If a customer isn't progressing as expected, the partner can proactively provide services to unblock the customer.

Signals emitted automatically

Business Central emits signals that are defined by Microsoft. The signals are generic enough to cover most types of businesses. Additional signals can be emitted by extending the onboarding signals functionality. Currently, the signals emitted automatically are based on these business processes:

  • Onboarding starts, which is when a company signs in for the first time (initialized).
  • Sales, which indicates that the company has set up everything needed to sell products or services.
  • Purchases, which indicates that the company has set up everything needed to buy products or services.
  • Customer payments, which indicates that sales process cycles have been completed, from sales to payment.
  • Vendor payments, which indicates that purchase process cycles have been completed, from ordering to payment.

Criteria and timing for emitting the automatic signals

  • Onboarding started: When a company is signed into for the first time.
  • Sales Invoice Signal: When five posted sales invoices exist (Table 112, Sales Invoice Header).
  • Purchase Invoice Signal: When five posted purchase invoices exist (Table 122, Purch. Inv. Header)
  • Customer Payment Signal: When five posted customer payments exist (Table 21, Cust. Ledger Entry, Document Type = Payment)
  • Vendor Payment Signal: When five posted vendor payments exist (Table 25, Vendor Ledger Entry, Document Type = Payment)

A signal is emitted once for each of these processes when the criteria is met. A daily routine checks whether the criteria for each of the business processes are met. If the criteria is met, a signal is emitted to indicate that the company is onboard. The signal for a process is emitted one time.

Extend the onboarding telemetry signals

Partners can add more signals based on their own criteria. They can extend the Onboarding Signals framework to add the onboarding signals that suit their customers. The following process is an example of how to extend the framework:

  1. Extend the enum 7580 "Onboarding Signal Type" with new onboarding signals

    This example adds a new onboarding signal that's intended to be emitted when the count of general ledger entries reaches 1,000.

    enumextension 50100 "GL Entry Onboarding Signal" extends "Onboarding Signal Type"
{
    value(50100; "GL Entry Signal")
    {
        Implementation = "Onboarding Signal" = "GL Entry Signal";
    }
}

  2. Implement the Onboarding Signal interface in a codeunit and add criteria code

    This example is based on the number of general ledger entries reaching 1000.

    codeunit 50100 "GL Entry Signal" implements "Onboarding Signal"
{
    Access = Internal;
    Permissions = tabledata "G/L Entry" = r;

    procedure IsOnboarded(): Boolean
    var
        GLEntry: Record "G/L Entry";
        OnboardingThreshold: Integer;
    begin
        OnboardingThreshold := 1000;

        exit(GLEntry.Count() >= OnboardingThreshold);
    end;
}

  3. Register onboarding signals. Typically, when an app is installed or updated.

     codeunit 50100 "Register Onboarding Signals"
 {
     Access = Internal;
     Subtype = Install;

     trigger OnInstallAppPerCompany()
     begin
         RegisterOnboardingSignals();
     end;

     internal procedure RegisterOnboardingSignals()
     var
         Company: Record Company;
         OnboardingSignal: Codeunit "Onboarding Signal";
         EnvironmentInfo: Codeunit "Environment Information";
         OnboardingSignalType: Enum "Onboarding Signal Type";
     begin
         if not Company.Get(CompanyName()) then
             exit;

         if Company."Evaluation Company" then
             exit;

         if EnvironmentInfo.IsSandbox() then
             exit;

         OnboardingSignal.RegisterNewOnboardingSignal(Company.Name, OnboardingSignalType::"GL Entry Signal");
     end;
 }

Telemetry event IDs used when emitting onboarding signals

These event IDs are used when emitting onboarding signals.

  • Onboarding started: 0000EIW
  • Onboarding signal: 0000EIV

Signals that partners add are emitted with the 0000EIV event ID.

Note

Onboarding criteria aren't relevant for non-production scenarios. Evaluation companies and sandboxes are not included when registering onboarding signals or emitting them.

Onboarding experiences in Business Central