If you are using CRM 2016 there is a new feature available to you to create Word reports and documents that will pull information from CRM. This is more user friendly than the merge text option that was available in the past and in some cases may allow you to generate some of your reporting without customizing an .rdl file. If you are not using CRM 2016 this option is not available to you.
1. Configure Word Ribbon
In order to use the CRM fields you will need to add the Developer Tab to your Word Ribbon if it is not there already. If you already have the Developer Tab available then you can skip this first step.
1.1. Open a blank document in word and select File in the top left corner
1.2. Click Options in the left side menu options.
1.3. Select Customize Ribbon
1.4. Check the box next to Developer and click OK
You will notice that after this step that the Developer option in now in your ribbon and you will need this when you start to make your templates.
2. You can start a Word Template in CRM from a Record, List of Records, or Document Templates
From the Settings page. Go to Settings > Templates > Document Templates > New(). You’ll need sufficient permissions to access to the Settings page, such as System Administrator or System Customizer.
From a record. Open a record such as an account in Sales. Go to Sales > Client_Accounts > My Active Accounts. Click an account to open it, and then click More (…) > Word Templates > Create Word Template. Templates created here are personal and available only to the user creating the template.
From a list of records. For example, go to Sales > Client_Accounts > My Active Accounts. Select a single account, and then click More (…) > Word Templates > Create Word Template.
3. Select the Entity you want to start from
Think of this like an Advanced Find where you can start from one entity and get any information from those records, but you can also access information from some related records. So if you want to run a report for an Order Receipt, starting from Orders may be a good place rather than from an Account Record for example. All entities in your system are available. Once you have made your selection click Select Entity to add more options and create a template.
4. Select Related Entities and click Download Template
This is similar to the add columns function in Advance Find, you are able to add related entities to your potential merge text fields in your word template. So back to the Order example, you could also select Order Products or Invoices to give you more information available for your report. Like the add columns function you can only use entities with a direct relationship so while you could get form an order to a meeting registration, you could not then get to the activities related to the meeting registration.
5. A small pop up will allow you to Open, Save, or Cancel.
You can Save right away and then open, or open the document and save. Either way we do suggest saving the document right away so that you don't lose work. Give the document a name that you will be able to recognize when you are pulling the report later. You are now in your Word Document and not in CRM.
6. Click on the Developer Tab and select XML Mapping Pane
7. In the XML mapping pane adjust the drop down to show unr:microsoft-crm/document-template/
The rest of the name will show your primary entity that you selected and you'll see an arrow beside the entity that will reveal all the fields available to you and the related records.
8. Begin Creating your Document
You can type in all of your default text using formatting just like any other word document. You can even use a default template or online template available in Word.
9. Place your cursor where you want to add a field from CRM
9.1. Right Click the field from the list in the XML Mapping pane and Select Insert Content Control and then Plain Text
The field name will then display on your document. You can format that field name to make it larger, bold, a different color as desired. Repeat this for all individual fields you want to add to the form. The process is the same whether the fields are from the primary or related records.
10. Add multiple related record details to the template in a table.
You may want to pull information from more than one related record. For example, in an Order you can have multiple products so you may want to show all the products related to the order.
10.1. Create your table with the number of Columns and Two Rows (one for headings and one for data)
Place your headings in the first row.
10.2. Select all of the 2nd Row and Right Click the Related Entity
10.3. Select Insert Content Control and then Repeating
This tells the document to pull in all possible connections and the table will expand accordingly.
10.4. Add fields to each column of your table from the related entity just like you added other fields to the document.
11. Save your document and return to CRM
12. Return to where you started (Record, Record List, Templates) and proceed as if you were creating something new (step 2)
13. Select Upload
14. Use Drag or Browse to add your file and click Upload
15. A summary will appear to confirm that your template has saved
16. Run the report from a record
If you do not see your Word Template try refreshing the record. Usually this will allow the new information to come through.
17. Open the report (similar to step 5) and confirm that the data you want is on the report
The difference is that in this report the fields from your record should be complete using the data in the system.
