We received a blog request to provide a detailed explanation of the metrics and dimensions that are available with each content type (i.e. widget or chart). Great question, Janetta! Unfortunately, my answer probably isn’t as great as the question because of the sheer number of combinations. Out-of-the box, Sage SalesLogix allows you to create a new widget using data from 1 of 12 different entities: Account, Campaign, Contact, Contract, Defect, History, Lead, Opportunity, Product, Return, Sales Order, or Ticket. Moreover, the available options for Metric and Dimension vary for each entity—there are 106 total metrics/dimensions—which means that we could create 226 unique charting widgets! (Here’s the complete list if you want to check my math.) I’m getting dizzy just thinking about that many widgets. Instead, let’s just start with the Account entity and develop a pattern that we can apply to other entities.

For starters, think of the Dimensions (D) as “buckets.” Inside those buckets is the Metric (M). For example, let’s pick Account Manager (D) and Total Revenue (M):

What does that mean? We’ve just created a bunch of Account Manager (D) buckets into which we’ll sort all of the 287 revenue values (M) that we find under the All Accounts group. When we’ve collected all the values, we’ll come up with a total for each bucket:

Now we need to choose a content type so we can compare the results. Here are the available options:

• Bar Chart (horizontal bars, Dimension on y axis)
• Column Chart (vertical bars, Dimension on x axis)
• Line Chart (data points connected by a line, Dimension on x axis)
• Pie Chart (portions of the whole in pie-shape)
• Funnel Chart (portions of the whole in funnel-shape)

How do we know what option to pick? Here is some criteria I use:

Spacing

Bar, Column, and Line charts always display up to the top 10 values in the Dimension (i.e. Top 10 Account Managers, Top 10 Cities, Top 10 Industries, and so on). Some Dimensions might not have 10 values (i.e. Account Subtype). For those kinds of Dimensions, a Bar chart works fine. But if you know you have at least 10 values in the dimension, Line and Column charts seem to provide better visual spacing than the Bar. In this example, between the Line and Column charts, I would choose Column because the Line seems to give the illusion of a trend, which isn’t appropriate for the Metric/Dimension that we chose.

Relationship

The Pie chart lists either 5 or 10 values in the Dimension and shows how the parts relate to the whole. A Funnel chart also shows relationship to the whole, but it is typically reserved only for charts that query on sales processes (i.e. Opportunity entity) because its parts represent a sequence of stages in your sales pipeline. In this example, the Pie chart would be appropriate, but I would not use the Funnel chart.

Do you have any other tricks for designing widgets? What other examples would you like to see?

At Sage SalesLogix Boot Camp 2010, Jason Huber presented on widgets, and I helped with the curriculum. In the presentation we included two exercises:

1. Configure a dashboard widget (very basic end user stuff)
2. Create a custom widget (very intense developer stuff)

It turns out that we missed the middle! How do you allow your end users to configure a dashboard widget from a custom entity? Easy: Use entity filters! Here are a few things to remember:

• Each widget requires 1 Group, 1 Dimension, and 1 Metric. This means that if your custom entity does not have a main view, you need to create one so that you can set up groups.
• A Dimension is a filter that has a type of Distinct or Range.
• A Metric is a filter that has a type of Analtyics Metric Definition or Analytics Date Differencing Metric Definition.
• Set the Available for Analytics property to True in order to see your filter in the widget.

I created a video to show you a great example of 4 different widgets using a variety of dimensions and metrics for an “Expense” entity. As usual, Jason came up with the example, and presented it as part of his Sage Summit session this week. Now it’s yours, too!

It’s time to enhance your workflow by pairing the SaleLogix you know-and-love on your PC with the SalesLogix you-will-come-to-love on your mobile device! Although the mobile version* provides the same tools to build relationships and remain connected with your business, the interface differs slightly from the familiar PC experience. Want to learn the tips and tricks? Take 14 minutes to watch this Sage SalesLogix Mobile training video. (Click http://slxtraining.net/newmobile to watch from your mobile device.)

You’ll learn how to:

• Configure settings and keep local storage for offline data access.
• Quickly enter data (like adding a new account and contact).
• Easily link to different pages with the fewest taps/touches.
• Create notes to record phone calls and e-mail messages.**
• Use hash tags to search for a group of records in list view.

Let us know if you’re satisfied with the new Sage SalesLogix Mobile experience!

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*Requires Sage SalesLogix v7.5.3+. Supports iPhone 3.x+, iPad, Android v2.1+, BlackBerry v6.0+, and HTML5/CSS3-compliant browsers. Learn more here.

**In order to use the Record to History feature, you must access Sage SalesLogix Mobile from within your mobile device’s native browser application.

The Upgrade Process

The upgrade process for Sage SalesLogix v7.5 Service Pack 4 is different than previous service packs because SP4 includes a full install. It’s very similar to the process of installing the base v7.5.0 product—except with a lot more features in the end! They are so similar in fact, that if you are installing Sage SalesLogix in a new, on-premise environment, you can go directly to the SP4 installer (no v7.5.0 necessary). If upgrading from an existing v7.5.X* environment, on the other hand, the SP4 installer runs in the same way except that it first removes applications with prior version and then re-installs them.

During the installation (or re-installation) for each feature (Admin Tools & Servers, Client, Web Host, Web Reporting, and so on), the SP4 installation wizard inspects your system for necessary prerequisites and even finds the appropriate installer for you, which makes the process extremely seamless. The Applying Service Pack 4 for Sage Saleslogix Version 7.5 documentation is the ultimate resource for choosing the right upgrade workplan for your environment. Always defer to the documentation when performing an upgrade in a production environment.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I can reveal the following [abbreviated] steps that we use in Training to upgrade our image from v7.5.0–>v7.5.4. (Upgrading from v7.5.3–>v7.5.4 is similar, but you can skip steps 1, 9, and 10 if you already did them for SP3.)

1. Delete the MergeConfiguration.xml file and the PotentialMatchConfiguration.xml file in Application Architect.
2. Run the Setup.exe, and install Administrative Tools and Servers. (Restart.)
3. Run the Setup.exe, and install the LAN or Remote Client.
4. Install the LAN bundle in the Administrator.
5. Run the Setup.exe, and install the Web Host on IIS.
6. Run the Setup.exe, and install the Web Reporting Server.
7. Restore the SP4 project backup, rebuild web platform, deploy core portals.
8. Run the Role Security utility.
9. Add users to the Standard User role in the Web Client.
10. Reconfigure Web Reporting in the Application Architect.

Here’s a video of me going through the steps for the RC1 version with a bit more explanation. We skipped many recommended tasks from the documentation that you should perform on a production environment, but did I miss anything?**

For more videos like this one, subscribe to the Sage SalesLogix Administrator’s Subscription or contact training.crm@sage.com.

The Enhancements

Although I won’t review all of the enhancements from SP4—the Applying Service Pack 4 for Sage Saleslogix Version 7.5 documentation is the best resource for a comprehensive list—here are a few that we’re especially partial to in Training:

• Duplicate Checker (for Web Administrators):
  This tool is available under the Tools menu when logged on as “admin.” You can also grant a standard user access to this tool by adding the user to the Data Quality Manager role. It allows you to search within any group for Account, Contact, or Lead tables and look for duplicate records in the database. This feature locates matches and scores them based on match probability, and then it allows you to resolve any duplicates by merging records. Service Pack 3 introduced the ability to merge records in the Web Client List view (right-click > merge), but you still had to spot-check for the duplicate records manually. The SP4 enhancement automates the process AND includes the Lead table.
  




• Notes/History tab (for Web End Users): This enhancement brings the familiar Notes/History tab that we love from the LAN Client into the Web! It combines both history items and notes. You can filter the grid based on a variety of criteria, and you can even send any selected items to e-mail or to Word.
  




• Editable Sales Order Data Grid: Now you can more easily update pricing and discount for a sales order. (Not to mention use a revamped Accounting Integration process! More to come on this in later posts.)
  




• SData Enhancements (for Web Developers):
  In addition to excluding individual entity properties from the SData payload, you can also prohibit Create/Update/Delete SData operations on an entity. Also, more entities are exposed to SData.
  




• Enable Field-Level Security for New Entities (for Web Developers):
  




• Many more!

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*If upgrading from an existing environment earlier than v7.5.0, you must first upgrade to v7.5.0 before running the SP4 installer.
**If you learned one thing from this post, let it be that you should read the service pack documentation!

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Updated: Added the task to delete the PotentialMatchConfiguration.xml file to step 1.

The Disconnected Web Client (also known as Offline Web Client*) allows any Sage SalesLogix Web user to access Sage SalesLogix data even when there is not a regularly-available Internet connection. Instead of accessing the main web site through a browser, a user can access a local web site (also through a browser), but one that is tied to the user’s remote database as opposed to the host. This database and web portal reside on the user’s laptop. They are essentially a replica of what is typically hosted on the main Web or Database Server in the Cloud—but a replica that is only accessed by the specific user on his or her hard drive.

When the user gets access to an Internet connection again, data in the remote database gets synced back up to the host, and data that was changed on the host while the user was disconnected gets synced back down to the remote.

For either on-premise or Cloud, in order to use the Disconnected Web Client, the user must install the Sync Client (to transfer data back and forth) and Personal Web Server (to host the local web site and related files). The user must also have a version of SQL Server installed and attach the remote database. As the administrator, installing these applications for your users isn’t the hard part—it’s finding a time when you and the remote user are in the same physical location! So to help get a user up-and-running more quickly, the process just got easier! Specific to the Cloud environment (for now), users can download required files directly from inside of the Sage SalesLogix Web site itself. The installation process even takes care of all the machine pre-requisites for the user.

Cloud Administrator’s Steps

The following steps assume the sync server is installed and a sync transfer profile has been created.

1. In the Administrator application, create a remote user (or change an existing network user to a remote user type).
2. Modify the Sync tab in the remote user’s profile: Select the Synchronize Changes check box, assign a Sync Transfer Profile, and select the accounts to sync (All or Specific/Subscription).



3. Create the remote user database. The location for the database must be in E:\Filestore\Downloads.



4. In the Application Architect, deploy the SlxClient and SlxIntellisync portals to to the selected user.



5. Cycle the Sync Server.

Check out this Cloud Administrator video to watch these steps performed.

Cloud End User’s Steps

1. Open a browser, and log on to the host Sage SalesLogix Web Client site.
2. From the Support Nav Bar, click Client Downloads.
3. Click the link to Download and Install Sage SalesLogix.



4. Choose to run or save the SlxDisconnectedWebClientSetup file. It may take a few minutes to download.
5. When the installation wizard starts, note the list of prerequisites, if any (specific to your machine). Follow the onscreen prompts to install each prerequisite. If any of them fail, continue with the installation, but when it is complete, go back and start it again to retry.



6. When all prerequisites are installed, the Sage SalesLogix Disconnected Web Client wizard starts. Click through the onscreen prompts to install. This process installs the Sync Client and SalesLogix Web Server.



7. Open a browser, and log on to the host Sage SalesLogix Web Client site again. From the Client Downloads page, click the link to Download and attach your SalesLogix Database.



8. Save the downloaded database to the desktop (or other location on your hard drive).
9. Double-click the file to open the Remote Database Setup dialog and attach the database.



10. From the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Sage SalesLogix, and then click Synchronization Client.
11. Log on to the SLXRemote database connection using your SalesLogix username and password.
12. Click Sync Now, and wait for the cycle to complete
13. From the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Sage SalesLogix, and then click SalesLogix Web Server. (Or right-click the Web Server icon in your System Tray, and click Open Site.) Tip – if the Open Site option is grayed out, click the Properties option, and then click the Start button in the Sage SalesLogix Personal Web Server window.


Start the DWC Web Site and log on.

14. On the SalesLogix Log On page, note the address bar shows “localhost” in the URL. This is your OWN web site, disconnected from the host. Log on using your username and password.

That’s it! You’re now ready to work in an offline mode whenever you do not have an Internet connection. Periodically, whenever you obtain an Internet connection again, run a sync (using the Sync Client) to push your changes back up to the host database and to pull changes to your database. You can even set your sync client to sync on a schedule. After you sync, you can continue to use the Disconnected Web Client (using the “localhost” web address) or go back to the host SalesLogix web address—the tool is flexible enough to accommodate your accessibility.

Check out this Cloud End User video to watch these steps performed.

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*The Disconnected Web Client will be known as Offline Web Client in future releases.

Here are the things I know about the New Sage SalesLogix Mobile product: It’s new, it’s mobile, and it’s awesome!

Installation

Installing the out-of-the-box product is a breeze. Simply add the mobile bundle in the Application Architect, configure a new portal, and deploy to your production Web server. Your sales staff can access account information on their mobile devices faster than I can power on my laptop.

Customization

Customizing the mobile client is simple, but it does require you to do more configuration for setting up your development environment than what is required for out-of-the-box production. However, once you understand why you need to set up a series of folders—to take advantage of plugin architecture—the process becomes easily manageable. For example, imagine you want to add a new Edit, Detail, and List view for a custom entity (i.e. clientproject). After enabling the entity for SData, here’s what your development folder structure might look like (not all folders are listed):

So for any customization, we somewhat replicate the argos-saleslogix folder/file structure in order to merge our new changes into the base site. Then you might ask, “Why do we create a new folder inside products? Can we modify inside of argos-saleslogix instead?” Well, the answer is, you can modify the argos-saleslogix contents and ignore the plugin architecture. However, any time you deploy from Application Architect, you would overwrite your changes. Also, future upgrades to the product would break your customizations. Still unsure? Check out a video showing an easy example with an explanation of why NOT to do that easy example. :)

Another question you might ask is, “Why go to the trouble of setting up your development environment by copying these folders—if the production environment was so easy, can’t we just copy the production deployment and push those files out through the Application Architect?” Although that’s a nice idea, the beauty of using JavaScript is that it can be minified for faster load times for production. Our browsers read code like that very well, but it’s not readable for an average developer trying to romance the code.

For more information, register for the New Sage SalesLogix Mobile Master’s Series course. We’ll create a new entity (clientproject) and show you how to add a new List, Detail, and Edit view—as well as associate projects to accounts and associate tickets to projects.

Sage Data (SData) provides a simple standard protocol for reading data from and writing data to Sage Business Applications. It enables desktop, server, and Web-based applications to communicate with each other, and also with third-party applications and the world wide web. To find out more about SData™, visit http://sdata.sage.com.

Let’s configure SData™ for Sage SalesLogix!

Before you can use SData™ in your Sage SalesLogix customization projects, you need to ensure your environment is configured appropriately. Here are a few steps you should take:

1. Map the Sage SalesLogix admin user to your Windows WebDLL user*:

Learn more about the WebDLL user in this excerpt from the Sage SalesLogix Implementation Guide.

1. Log on to the SalesLogix Administrator as admin.
2. From the list of users, double-click the Administrator user.
3. Select the Use Windows Authentication check box, and then map your WebDLL user on your server inside the Windows ID box. If prompted to import information from Active Directory, say no. (Although it shouldn’t matter for the WebDLL user.)
   
   
   
4. Click OK.

2. Deploy the SData portal:

1. Log on to the SalesLogix Application Architect as admin.
2. From the Deployment Explorer, expand the Deployments node, and then double-click Core Portals.
3. From the list of Deployment Targets, right-click the sdata node, and then click Deploy Portal.
4. Close Application Architect.

3. Enable basic authentication:

This step is not necessary anymore (since v7.5.3 HF3) because basic authentication is enabled by default. As long as SData is accessed via https, basic authentication provides you with the security you need. Read more about SData and basic authentication/digest authentication from a previous post.

4. Disable Windows Authentication in IIS:

1. Within IIS, right-click the sdata node, and then click Properties. The SData Properties window appears.
2. Click the Directory Security tab.
3. Next to the Authentication and access control option, click Edit. The Authentication Methods window appears.
4. Clear the Integrated Windows authentication check box, and then click OK.
5. Click OK to close the Properties window.

5. Configure handler mapping:

1. Within IIS, right-click the sdata node, and then click Properties. The SData Properties window appears.
2. From the Virtual Directory tab, click the Configuration button.
3. From the list of application extensions, click the ascx extension, and then click Edit.
4. Right-click in the Executable box, and then click Copy.
5. Click Cancel to return to the Application Configuration window.
6. Click Insert.
7. Right-click in the Executable box, and then click Paste.
8. Clear the Verify that file exists check box.
9. Click OK, and then click OK again.
10. Close and restart IIS.

Now let’s check to see if it’s working!

1. Open Internet Explorer. (You can use any browser, but the feed is easier to read in IE.)
2. Browse to http://[yourservername]:3333/sdata/$system/adapters.

A log on prompt should appear. Make sure the dialog says “The server [yourservername] at SalesLogix Client requires a username and password.” If it is blank or says something else, something isn’t right.

3. Enter any SalesLogix username and password, and then click OK.
   
   
4. You should now see your SalesLogix SData feed. Click on some of the links to see what kind of data is returned. For example, http://[yourservername]:3333/sdata/slx/dynamic/-accounts. You should see a list of all your SalesLogix accounts.
   
   

Uh oh. It’s not working

If your SData feed did not appear, recheck your steps. The error message that you receive from your browser can tell you a lot. Check out this flow chart to see if your error matches any of these.

Another option is to visit the Sage SalesLogix community. Chances are, someone has already posted a question that relates to the same issue you might be having. If not, you can post your own and get answers from other Sage SalesLogix experts.

Also check out the Sage SalesLogix Customer Resource Center for links and other contact information for the Sage SalesLogix Support team.

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*As of 7.5.3 HF3, when using Basic Authentication, you no longer need to configure the WebDLL user with ADMIN User.

Odds are, most of you have accessed the v7.5.3 Web Client log on screen, entered a user name and password, and continued on your merry way. But did you notice the “Enhance SalesLogix” button? Perhaps your inner skeptic told you to ignore it? Or maybe you even clicked the button and downloaded the installer. Then after making it through the installation wizard, you were left with that “Now what?” feeling. Well, I’m here to tell you “Here’s what!” about Sage SalesLogix Desktop Integration.

Installing Desktop Integration

When you click the “Enhance SalesLogix” button, your browser starts to download a small executable file called SlxDesktopIntegrationSetup.exe. This file gets saved somewhere on your computer, the process of which depends on the browser you use. Internet Explorer, for example, prompts you for the file destination (default is My Documents). Firefox and Chrome, on the other hand, will most likely download the file automatically, and the default file destination is My Documents\Downloads. Either way, to begin Desktop Integration installation, you must close your browser after downloading the file. Then run the file (double-click), and follow the onscreen prompts in the installation wizard (see right). This process should take less than a minute. When installation is finished, launch your browser again. This time on the Log On screen, the message below the “Enhance SalesLogix” button should say, “Enhancements have been installed.”

What Changed?

After installing Desktop Integration, you’ll note a few differences when you log on to Sage SalesLogix Web:

1. Write Menu: You now have access to mail merge features (letters, e-mails, templates). Without Desktop Integration, the Write menu is hidden from view.

2. Drag-and-Drop Support: You can now drag files from your desktop or Windows Explorer into the Attachments tabs on a main view.

3. E-mail Integration with Microsoft Outlook: This is the big one, folks—at least if e-mail is as important to your work-flow as it is to mine. With e-mail integration, you can use the Send SLX button, attach files to an e-mail message using the SalesLogix library, and drag-and-drop e-mails to SalesLogix history. Because this feature comes with a little bit more gusto than the others, let’s explore it in its own section below.
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E-mail Integration (More Details)

If you want to use E-mail Integration, the first thing you should do is configure the Sage SalesLogix Desktop Manager. (The what?!) Don’t worry, this application is just a simple dialog that captures your SalesLogix database connection and history options. Open the Desktop Manager by double-clicking the icon in your Windows System Tray. If you can’t find the icon, you can also launch the Desktop Manager from C:\Documents and Settings\[Windows Username]\Local Settings\Application Deta\Sage\SlxDesktopManager.exe.

The Database Information options should default for you. Click the “Test” button to ensure you receive a “Connection was successful message.” If not, verify that the Portal URL shows exactly what you have as your Sage SalesLogix Log On screen URL, omitting “/SlxClient” and everything after it. If you continue to have connection errors, please contact your system administrator.

The History Options apply to the Send SLX button for sending e-mail. The Send SLX button records the message to SalesLogix history, so you can decide how and when SalesLogix prompts you for confirmation:

• Prompt for Duplicate Contacts – Prompt before sending the message if SalesLogix finds a duplicate contact (i.e. with the same e-mail address) as the one you entered in the To/CC/BCC fields.
• Prompt for Contacts - Prompt before sending the message for any contact that you add to the To/CC/BCC fields.
• Prompt for Unresolved Contacts - Prompt before sending the message if SalesLogix cannot find the contact in the database that matches the one you entered in the To/CC/BCC fields.
• Display History Details before saving - Show the SalesLogix Complete Activity screen to show/modify history details before saving it to the History tab for the selected contact.

Now that you have a taste of you’re missing without Desktop Integration, check out the complete Sage SalesLogix Desktop Integration video that’s available in the Demo version of the Sage SalesLogix End User’s Subscription. For more videos like these—including using Intellisync to synchronize your Sage SalesLogix contacts with Microsoft outlook—purchase the full version of the End User’s Subscription at Sage University. Contact training.crm@sage.com if you have questions.

A customer recently asked if Sage Learning Services had a list of Frequently Asked Questions for Sage SalesLogix End Users. Although this seems like a simple request, most of the questions students ask in the Power End User for Sage SalesLogix training course are less frequently something like “What happens when I click this button?” or “What is an opportunity?” and instead more often “How would I get X to do Y because my company has Z need.” They are very specific to a company’s business.

Nevertheless, we compiled a document that includes Sage SalesLogix knowledge check questions from the curriculum, frequently asked questions from actual students in our classes, and a list of vocabulary terms. Click to download the document. Now, you too know the Sage SalesLogix skinny!

Give everyone at your company access to Sage SalesLogix Anytime Learning for one year,* and they’ll have the training they need, when it’s convenient for them. 

A Sage SalesLogix Anytime Learning Subscription gives your company access to a large repository of training videos created for the role of end user, administrator, or developer (one subscription per role). And it’s available 24/7 anywhere with Internet access. 

It’s easy to find the training you need!

This “how-to” training is tailored to a range of skills and needs, promotes continued professional development, and is accessible anytime for your convenience. New topics are added regularly. 

• - Browse: Browse the entire catalog of videos by category. Casually view topics that interest you—maybe even discover a solution to a problem you didn’t know you had.
• - Search: Enter a keyword, and watch the search results filter as you type! Find the video you want to see within seconds.
• - Tree View: Looking for a video recorded on a specific version? Use the tree view to narrow the videos by product platform and version.
• - How Do I?: Can’t find a video you want? Within your subscription, submit your request to our training team to record and add to the repository. 

Pay $995 for a 12-month Administrator’s or Developer’s Subscription with unlimited users, and get the End User’s Subscription for free.*

You’ll also enjoy unlimited** access to Master’s Series sessions and learn a specialized topic in a one-day, hands on, virtual classroom setting. 

Sign up today!
Visit sageu.com to view a demo or get started. 

*Prices listed in U.S. Dollars. Classes available to all employees of U.S. and International Sage SalesLogix customers with a valid subscription. Offer expires on 9/30/2010.
**Master’s Series sessions held monthly and all sessions are available to subscribing company’s employees.