Sage X3 Enterprise - Microsoft Outlook synchronization

Start-up

Installation of the Add-in Outlook module

• Close Outlook.
• Download the file SyracuseOutlookAddinSetup.exe from the menu:
  Administration / Utilities / Install addin for Outlook.
• Launch the executable file

 Only the 2010 and 2013 Outlook versions have been taken into account until today. The transition from one version to another implies to uninstall the current add-in (through the Control Panel of Windows) and to carry out the installation of the new add-in.The installation file will detect the version of Outlook used and proceed to the installation of the add-in corresponding version.

Setting Outlook

• Launch Outlook
  The Outlook interface now presents a Sage X3 tab containing the Synchro buttons and Options buttons.
• Click the Options button to set the synchronization options between Sage X3 and Outlook.
   
  Storetab
  Allows you to set up the Outlook mailbox.
  
• Sub-tab General
   
  In this tab:
  - accept the synchronization
  - specify the folders managed by the synchronization.
   
  It may prove interesting to create personal folders (Contacts, Appointments and Tasks) in Outlook in order to avoid overload and confusion with the traditional folders.
   These folders must be created at the finest level, i.e. in the mailbox.
  
• Sub-tab Folders by default
  It is mandatory to enter, for each folder type (tasks, contacts and appointments), the Outlook folders where to store the new elements coming from the Sage X3 synchronization.
   
• Sub-tab Remote connection
  Enter the connection information to the Sage X3 folder.
  This information can be found in Sage X3, in: Administration / Administration / Endpoints / Endpoints.
  In the list of endpoints, select the one you wish to set up for the Outlook synchronization.
   
  - The Folder name is specified at the level of the field: Server folder
  - The names of the Application server and Processing server are entered in the screen which can be viewed by clicking on the link associated to the X3 server name. They correspond to the information contained in the Server host field.
  - The Port is specified in the Server port field.
  - The User and the Password for accessing the folder are the user information used in Sage X3 (defined in the User function).
  - The User and Password for accessing the processing server are the network access information of the user performing the synchronization.
   
  The Connection test button is used to check that the Sage X3 connection and Outlook are running properly.
   Before proceeding, it is strongly recommended to perform this test.A report warns of any dysfunction.
   
• Sub-tab Miscellaneous 
  Keep the default values. These values make it possible to avoid that the program processes the whole database on the next synchronizations.
  
• Click on Save to record the information entered in the various sub-tabs. A report is issued in case of malfunction

Tab General options
Allows you to change the mailbox in the event of several boxes are managed by Outlook. 

Setup of the Sage X3 CRM module

Before any attempt at synchronizing, fill in the user preferences setup in the Synchronization parameters function.
If necessary, you can use the function Forced synchronization to mass force the synchronization of out of step recordings between Outlook and Sage X3.

It is possible to inquire:

• the data created from Outlook and synchronized, in the Synchronization date function.
• the variances that may exist between Sage X3 and Outlook, in the Problem management function. 

Synchronization principles

Synchronizing after a modification in Sage X3

In the CRM module of Sage X3:
1.For instance, enter you task.

In Outlook:
2. Launch the synchronization using the Synchro button available in the Sage X3 tab.
3. In the tab Stores of the synchronization screen, click on the button Synchronization.
4. In our example, open the Tasks folder. The folder is updated with the new task to be done. The displayed sequence number is the same as the one of the Sage X3 CRM module.

Synchronization after a modification in Outlook

In Outlook:
1. For instance, enter you task. Click on Save and close. The new task must appear in the list of tasks.
2.  Launch the synchronization using the Synchro button available in the Sage X3 tab.
3.  In the tab Stores of the synchronization screen, click on the button Synchronization.
 
In Sage X3
4. For example, open the Tasks function. The list of Tasks to be performed is updated with the new task.

Processing report

You can view the processed events in the log displayed at the end of the synchronization, in the Log tab of the synchronization screen.
This report can be copied in the notepad by right-click.
Example of an event in the log: two appointments overlapping can be signaled as an error in the log (some controls are applied in Sage X3 but not in Outlook).

The Outlook log contains the Sage X3 log code, as:

- - - Log code on distant server: F364233 - - -

Server errors are signaled by a standard message of the type "Distant server message: Error during the creation of a new task", and the cause can be found in the server log.

In this log, the appointments recognized by Outlook are posted as:

• Managed appointments: appointments and meetings,
• Not managed appointments: this concerns references specific to Outlook used to manage answers to a meeting,
• Canceled meeting,
• Meeting request.

Specificities of contacts

The CRM module of Sage X3 has a single section to indicate a contact person. At the contacts level, the impact is:

• Outlook synchronization to Sage X3 CRM
  This section is loaded with the first contact in the contacts list of the Outlook task.
  If this first contact person does not correspond to a contact synchronized with the CRM module, then the synchronization maintains the contact present in Sage X3.
• Synchronization Sage X3 CRM to Outlook
  The Outlook list is loaded with the contact of the Sage X3 task. Other contacts that may have been entered are deleted.

Synchronization with a store managed in local

This type of store corresponds to a mobile use and has advantages upon synchronization in terms of trustworthiness. This reliability is namely due to the presence of a stable internal identifier on each item.

This solution is recommended to implement a synchronization with the CRM Sage X3 module.

 Inbetween two synchronizations,it is recommended not to duplicate an item if it has been restored since the last synchronization.

Synchronization with a store managed by a Microsoft Exchange server

In the case of a store that can be accessed by means of a Microsoft Exchange server, the synchronization process cannot rely on any stable information at item level.

For instance, moving an item from one folder to another causes its internal identifier and update date to be modified.

To recover an item, the synchronization uses an internal identifier of the Sage X3 CRM module.

 It is important not to activate the mode Use the cached Exchange mode (Properties/Advanced of the store).This mode triggers a continuous synchronization of all items, which can be quite long depending on the volume.When running, this cache process is similar to a synchronization updating the modification date.This update then conflicts with the Sage X3 synchronization logic.

 It is advised:

• not to duplicate a product if it has been restored or moved folder since the last synchronization,
• not to delete a product that has been used for a duplication since the last synchronization.

Setups

All modifications of a contact, task or appointment in Outlook can be transferred to the mirror recording in Sage X3, on the condition that the synchronization parameters allow it.
The principle is identical in the event of deletions and creations.

The last modification date (in Outlook or in Sage X3) can be used as the reference to update a recording, provided the option has been checked in Synchronization parameters.

Important notes:

• Only Sage X3 CRM events assigned to the connected user are synchronized.
• Outlook events defined as private are not synchronized in Sage X3.
• A deletion in Sage X3 implies a deletion in Outlook upon the next synchronization.
• A deletion in Outlook implies a deletion in Sage X3 except for the Outlook contacts for whom only the assignment to the representative is deleted.
   
  

List of contacts

For an appointment of the first category, the representatives mentioned in the list will receive an update of the appointment upon the next synchronization request.

Force a synchronization

The synchronization can be forced:

• from the CRM module server of Sage X3,
• from Outlook,
• from both sources.

Synchronization forced from the CRM module server of Sage X3

From the items available in the server (tasks, contacts...), the next synchronization will send all these elements to Outlook.

To activate the synchronization, use the Forced synchronization function.

 Forcing a synchronization means uploading the contacts:

• registered on the Customer record (Contacts tab)  if the connected representative is declared as being the representative for this customer (Commercial tab),
• obtained by scanning the tasks and the calendar.

Synchronization forced from Outlook

From the items available in Outlook (tasks, contacts and calendar), the next synchronization will send all elements with a modification date greater than the last successful synchronization date, to the Sage X3 CRM module.

The synchronization is done according to the following procedure:

1. Open the button Options/tab Miscellaneous.
2. Specify the date from which the elements will be sent to the server, by modifying the date of the last successful modification.
3. Click the ReSynchronization button and confirm your choice in the dialog box that appears.
4. Click the Save button.

  The synchronization ends with a message stating that the file of the last synchronization could not be found.
This message does not matter in this context because this file was deleted when the ReSynchronization button was activated.
This process does not upload the deletions of items that may have occurred in Outlook since the last successful synchronization.