Set up knowledge management in Microsoft Dynamics 365
Applies To: Dynamics 365 (online), Dynamics 365 (on-premises), Dynamics CRM 2016, Dynamics CRM Online
Note
The information provided here is for versions of Dynamics 365 prior to Dynamics 365 (online), version 9.0. For the latest documentation, see Set up knowledge management (Customer Service).
A comprehensive knowledge base is a key to increased customer satisfaction and improved productivity of users. Give users quick access to the knowledge base by setting up knowledge management in Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 supports two knowledge management solutions that you can choose from:
Native Dynamics 365 knowledge management. This option is available for both Dynamics 365 (online) and Dynamics 365 on-premises users. For Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online) organizations, the native Dynamics 365 knowledge solution is only available if you've updated to CRM Online 2016 Update. For on-premises organizations, this feature is only available if you've upgraded to CRM 2016.
Parature knowledgebase. This option is available only for Dynamics 365 (online) users. This feature was introduced in CRM Online 2015 Update 1.
Interested in getting this feature? Find your Dynamics 365 administrator or support person.
After knowledge management is set up, users will be able to:
Search for relevant KB articles in Parature right from Microsoft Dynamics 365 as they're working on a record.
See the content of the KB article inline, including images and videos.
Give timely and consistent information to customers when working on their cases by using actions like opening the article and sharing the information or emailing the article link to customers.
In This Topic
Prerequisites
Set up knowledge management
Prerequisites
If you want to use Parature knowledgebase, before setting up knowledge management in Microsoft Dynamics 365, do this:
Set up a Parature account in the same Microsoft Office 365 tenant as your Dynamics 365 (online) organization.
Add your Dynamics 365 organization to the list of allowed URLs in the CORS settings in Parature. To do this, in Parature Service Desk, go to Setup > Department Management > CORS Settings and add your Dynamics 365 organization URL.
Note
Any Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online) user with a Professional user subscription license can use the knowledge base integration capability without any additional set up in Parature. If a Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online) user with an Enterprise user subscription license wants to use knowledge base integration capability, you’ll need to assign the user a Parature license and then create a CSR with a Knowledgebase View Only role in Parature. More information: Assign Parature licenses to Microsoft Dynamics 365 users
Set up knowledge management
Make sure that you have the System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. You must also be the tenant administrator of Microsoft Office 365.
Go to Settings > Service Management.
Under Knowledge Base Management, click Embedded Knowledge Search.
In the Knowledge Base Management Settings wizard, in Record Types, select the record types you want to turn on knowledge management for. The list will include all entities that are available for an N:N relationship. Knowledge management is enabled for case entity by default.
Under Knowledge Source, in the Knowledge Solution field, select between the Dynamics 365 native knowledge solution and Parature knowledgebase.
Important
The Knowledge Solution field is available only if your organization has installed CRM Online 2015 Update 1 or later. For on-premises organizations, Parature knowledgebase isn’t supported so the Knowledge Solution field isn’t available.
If you’re using Native Dynamics 365 knowledge solution, in the Support Portal Connection section, enter the following:
Use an external portal. You can integrate an external portal for publishing knowledge articles. If your organization uses one, select this check box.
URL Format. Type the portal URL that will be used to create external (public-facing) portal links for knowledge articles, which the service agents can share with the customers. The external URL is created in the following format: http://<support portal URL>/kb/{kbnum}
The placeholder "{kbnum}" is replaced by an actual knowledge article number.
If you want to use the Parature knowledgebase, in Parature Connection Details, enter the following:
Parature Instance. Select the Parature instance to connect to. The drop-down list by default shows the instance present in your Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
Parature URL. This is automatically filled and shows the URL of the selected Parature instance in the tenant.
Account ID. This is automatically filled and shows the ID of the account as it is set up in Parature for the selected Parature instance.
Parature Department ID. Specify the department ID for the selected Parature instance. Every department in an organization can have their own knowledge base. So you must specify the ID of the department you want to connect to. You can connect to only one department at a time. To find the department ID, sign in to Parature, and on the Setup tab, click System Overview.
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Support Portal URL. Type the support portal URL that will be used to create external (public-facing) portal links for KB articles, which the service agents can share with the customers. Parature offers a customer-facing support portal that your customers can use to access your knowledge base articles or download content. To find the support portal URL, sign in to the Parature Service Desk, and on the Setup tab, click Portal > Aliases.
The external URL is created in the following format:
<Support Portal URL>/link/portal/<account id>/<department id>/Article/<Article id>
Note
If you’ve connected to Parature before, and want to remove details of the existing Parature instance that you connected with, choose Reset.
Click Next.
If you’ve specified the details correctly, the page shows the connection details for Dynamics 365 or Parature. Click Finish to complete the setup.
See Also
Add the Knowledge Base Search control to Microsoft Dynamics 365 forms
Assign Parature licenses to Microsoft Dynamics 365 users
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