Vtiger CRM Outlook Plugin Documentation

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Vtiger CRM Outlook Plugin

Documentation

Outlook Plugin Version 1.0.04

Different Solutions GmbH

support@different-solutions.com

http://www.different-solutions.com

Support Forum:

http://forum.vtiger.de

Date: 2010-03-13, Document Revision 1.0

Created and © 2010 by Different Solutions GmbH

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Table of

Table of Figures

Login to vtiger 1 ... 6

Login Permission check 2 ... 6

Login successfully connected 3 ... 7

Evaluation Dialog 4 ... 7

Paypal Site 5 ... 8

License Key Dialog 6 ... 9

Plugin Main Menu Bar 7 ... 10

Plugin Bar Dropdown vtiger 8 ... 11

Plugin Bar Dropdown Help 9 ... 12

Preferences Sync Tab 10 ... 13

Preferences Mail Tab 11 ... 14

Preferences Task Tab 12 ... 15

Preferences Calendar Tab 13 ... 16

Preferences Settings Tab 14 ... 17

Preferences Personalize Tab 15 ... 18

Preferences Language Tab 16 ... 19

Associate with vtiger Button 17 ... 20

Associate with vtiger Contacts Tab 18 ... 21

Associate with vtiger Edit Message Tab 19... 22

Associate with vtiger Attachment Tab 20 ... 23

CRM More Info Email 21 ... 24

Send & Archive Button, New Mail 22 ... 25

Green syncing Flag Icon 23 ... 26

Creating Mapping File Dialog 24 ... 27

Sync Status Dialog 25 ... 27

Sync Details Dialog 26 ... 28

Conflicts Dialog 27 ... 29

Creating Conflict Example a) 28 ... 30

Creating Conflict Example b) 29 ... 31

Doublet Check Dialog 30 ... 32

New Company / Account 31 ... 33

CRM Account Creation complete 32 ... 34

Sync working over Group Membership 33 ... 35

Tasks Outlook Overview 34 ... 36

Calendar Outlook Overview 35 ... 37

About Dialog 36 ... 38

Licensing Information Dialog 37 ... 38

Vtiger Forum Portal Site 38 ... 39

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Overview

With the vtiger Outlook Plugin (programmed in Visual Basic .NET 2008) for vtiger CRM 5.1.0 and 5.0.4 full Support, you have a great and suitable Tool / Add on to manage and synchronize your Mails, Contacts, Tasks and Calendar (Meeting) from and to vtiger CRM and Outlook. It fully supports Outlook 2003 and 2007 (runs also under 2000) and is tested on Microsoft Windows XP (SP2), Vista and Windows 7.

You have also the Possibility to add your Mails to an existing Lead in your CRM, or associate Contacts to an existing Account or if the Account doesn’t exist, to create them.

Isn’t that a great way to stay up to date with your CRM Data locally, in your common Environment with Outlook? You can try the vtiger Outlook Plugin 30 Days full featured for free and then desire what you will do.

The Plugin comes also with much personalize and reacting functions, that you can fully customize the Plugin to your own needs and set the behavior of e.g. automatic Synchronization and to do’s to your special needs. Have a look at the Preferences Section to watch out what is possible.

System Requirements & Compatibility

System Requirements

OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP (SP2), Vista or Windows 7

Prerequisites: Windows Installer 3.1, .NET Framework 2.0 (3.x recommended), Office Outlook XP (2002), 2003 or 2007.

Vtiger Versions: 5.1.0, 5.0.4

Compatibility

The vtiger CRM Outlook Plugin is fully compatible and tested with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. It supports completely the Microsoft Office Outlook Versions 2003 and 2007 (also runs under 2002). It also supports the new great Ribbon Feature in create Email Mode that the new Microsoft Products have. The Plugin supports vtiger Versions 5.1.0 and 5.0.4 all in one. No matter if you will upgrade your vtiger CRM to 5.1.0. The Plugin will still work. Isn’t that great!?

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Installation

The Plugin comes packed with a Standard Windows Installation Dialog, which will guide you through the Installation Steps. Please check first your System Environment that it fits the Requirements and then install the Plugin.

Please have also a look at “readme_installation_crm.txt” that comes with the Installation Package.

If you have any vtiger CRM Plugin installed before or your have an older Version installed, please uninstall it first over the Software Dialog from Windows and if not completely removed, remove also the leftover Files/Directories.

It is necessary, that you have Administrator Rights for the Installation. The Program will be placed generally under C:\Programs\Different Solutions GmbH\VtigerOutlookPlugin\. Here is the Source of the Program located. All User specific Files will be stored under the User Directory, so that different Users can use the Outlook Plugin with their own Settings and Configurations. The User specific Files will be stored generally under C:\Users\[user_name]\Different Solutions GmbH\

Note: In special cases the Evaluation Dialog during Installation will be shown “behind” the Installation Dialog. So if Installation doesn’t continue for a while, have a look if this Evaluation Dialog is hidden. The Installer waits for Action to continue. Please press “Continue Evaluation” and then the Installer will go on.

After successfully Installation, copy the files from ./vtiger5.1.0files/ Folder to Root Directory of your vtiger 5.1.0 Version. Please make sure, that you have no Customizations in the following Files, cause after copying, your modifications will be deleted.

./soap/vtigerolservice.php

./modules/Contacts/Contacts.php ./modules/Leads/Leads.php ./modules/Calendar/Activity.php

If you have vtiger 5.0.4 Version running, please copy the files from ./vtiger5.0.4files/ Folder to your vtiger Root Directory.

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Outlook Plugin Login

When you login into your vtiger CRM System, you must specify your Username, Password and URL to your vtiger CRM System in the same way, how you log in over your Browser. You have the possibility to connect over http:// or https://. The Info Icons on the right side show you a little Hint, when you don’t know exactly how or what you must enter. You can choose “Remember Me” and the Plugin will fill out your Data on next login automatically. Well, don’t worry, your Password will be stored encrypted, so nobody can read it.

Over Preferences, you have also the possibility to set an automatic login without prompt. So you will be immediately connected to vtiger CRM on next Outlook startup.

Login to vtiger 1

While logging in, you can see the Plugin proceeding. It checks your CRM Rights, if you have Permissions to the specific CRM Modules like Contacts, Activities (Tasks, Calendar) and Leads. (Leads are a special thing. You can read more about it in Section Associate with vtiger). If something goes wrong, the Plugin will notice you. (! Please make sure, that there is no htaccess Protection to your CRM System. In that case, the Plugin can’t connect.)

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If everything is fine, it should look like this.

Login successfully connected 3

Evaluation & Licensing

At first install and at every beginning of the Plugin / Outlook startup, you will see the Trial Days Evaluation Dialog of the vtiger Outlook Plugin. In the Evaluation Phase of the Plugin, you can fully use the whole Functions of the Plugin. You will not be restricted in any way. When the trial period of the Plugin ends, you will need to License your Version of the Plugin. When the trial Days are expired, you will no longer be able to use the Plugin. Only the Plugin itself resists in Outlook with the “Help” Menu available. Over this Menu, you can always License your Plugin.

If you are in the Trial Phase, you can “Continue Evaluation”. This means you have fully access to all Plugin Functions. When you choose “Exit”, the Plugin will deactivate itself. Only the Help Menu will be enabled. If you choose “Install License”, then the second screen will appear.

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Here you can see the Page where you can buy the Plugin. If you have vtiger CRM 5.1.0 or 5.0.4 running, you should choose the green Plugin. If you have VTC running (also compatible with 5.1.0 and 5.0.4) you should choose the blue one. The transaction will be made safety and secure over Paypal. The Price is for single User License. You can give your needed Quantity in the next steps.

If you don’t have an Paypal Account, you can also contact us under support@different-solutions.com

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This is the License Dialog of the Plugin. If you have buyed it, you have received an Email with your License Key(s) for your Product. Put it in the “License Key” Field and click install. (! You need an Internet Connection for that). The Plugin will then check the Key and activate your Outlook Plugin.

You can also save your Key/License in a File, so you can load it later without newly activate your Product, in some case you had reinstalled your PC, or must newly install the Plugin.

If you don’t have an Internet Connection at this point, you can also generate a License File, Mail it to us (support@different-solutions.com) and we will activate your License for you and send you the Key back. All you must do, is just load the File and install it.

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The Menu Bar

Now let’s come to the Main Program Menu Bar. At first install, the Plugin Bar is freely placed in the middle of the Outlook Window. When you drag it into the Outlook Menu Bar as you can see below, it resists always there where you have it placed at next startup.

If you where disconnected from vtiger CRM, only the Vtiger and Help Dropdowns are enabled. If you connected, everything except logout is activated.

You will notice that when you click through the Outlook Menu’s on the left bottom Side of Outlook e.g. Mail, Calendar, Tasks and so on, the “Associate with vtiger” Button in the Bar will only be active when you are in the Mail View and have an Email selected. This is quite ok for the following Reason.

Button “Associate with vtiger”:

This Button sends a selected Email in the Mail View of Outlook to the Contact (or Lead) with the Mail given Email Address completely with Email Body and Attachment(s). If the Contact isn’t found, you will get an Popup Window, to choose a Contact or a Lead, to associate with. You can also edit/change the Message to your needs and have a look at the Attachments it have. (More of this Function with Screens below).

Button “Sync Mails”:

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize all your Mails in your Inbox to the specific vtiger CRM Contacts. Successfully added Mails will be marked with a green Icon. Mails with Problems who are not synced can so be easily found out and manually checked.

Button “Sync Contacts”:

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize your Outlook Contacts with your CRM Contacts in both Ways. Over Settings you have great Possibilities how the Transactions should be react or respond.

Button “Sync Tasks”:

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize your Outlook Tasks with your CRM Tasks in both Ways. Over Settings you have great Possibilities how the Transactions should be react or respond.

Button “Sync Calendar”:

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize your Outlook Meetings with your CRM Meetings in both Ways. Over Settings you have great Possibilities how the Transactions should be react or respond.

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Below some more Screens with dropped Menu’s.

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Preferences

Over the Preferences Tabs you have great Possibilities to fit the Plugin to your needs, to personalize it, do things automatically for you and switch things so, that it reacts and responds it how You just want it.

Tab Sync

First, here you can choose your Contact, Task and Calendar Folder where your Data is located, that you want to synchronize.

The “Conflicts resolution settings” Group let you set what the Plugin should do, if conflicts occur. If you choose Notify, then you always be prompted if you have conflicts. If you choose Outlook to win, then the conflicted Data will be overwritten in your CRM with the Outlook Data. If you choose vtiger to win, then your locally Outlook Data will be overwritten with the Data from your CRM.

The “Auto Synchronization” Group gives you the Possibility to automatically synchronize Emails, Contacts, Tasks and Calendar Data. If you choose also Auto Accept Changes, the Information and Detail Dialogs which brings you Information about adding, updating or deleting Entries with the Possibility to checkout also the Details will not be shown. If you don’t check, you become that Info’s. Note also what you have set under Group “Conflicts resolution settings”. The automatically Synchronization will be also influenced from that. That’s a great and flexible thing. The Declaration of “Every” in minutes is the time, how often the Auto Sync will be run. In the Screen below it runs every 30 minutes. I recommend in dependent on much Data, to set this time not smaller than 10 minutes. The “Timeout” Declaration determines when the Plugin stops to sync. This can be useful if something went wrong. We recommend a value of e.g. 60 minutes.

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Tab Mail

Here you can set, if you want that all the Attachments in every mail will be synced when you click on “Sync Mail” or not. This can be a good thing, if you have many Mails with large Attachments, for preventing a timeout.

This Setting is only for the complete Sync Mail Button. If you choose a single Mail to sync over “associate with vtiger”, you will get a Dialog, where you can search for a specific Contact or Lead and over the “Attachment” Tab you can set separately if you want to sync the Attachments or not especially for this Mail. This Checkbox is set to true/yes in default.

When you attach a Mail over “Send & Archive”, then you don’t have the Possibility to affect such a Setting, cause the Mail will be added as it is, with or without a Attachment.

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Tab Task

With this Tab, you can set a special Date for the oldest Sync Date for your Tasks over the Calendar. No Tasks older than the chosen Date will be synced. This is good if you want to Sync only Tasks from last Month, or from the Date you have installed the Plugin.

You can also choose not syncing Tasks older than the actual Date (from now/today and in future Tasks will be synced), or to sync all Tasks (the whole Tasks will be synced). Remember that this applies on both sides. Outlook and vtiger CRM.

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Tab Calendar

With this Tab, you can set a special Date for the oldest Sync Date for your Calendar over the Calendar. No Calendar Meetings older than the chosen Date will be synced. This is good if you want to Sync only Calendar Meetings from last Month, or from the Date you have installed the Plugin.

You can also choose not syncing Calendar Meetings older than the actual Date (from now/today and in future Calendar Meetings will be synced), or to sync all Calendar Meetings (the whole Calendar Meetings will be synced). Remember that this applies on both sides. Outlook and vtiger CRM.

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Tab Settings

In the first Group “Auto Login and Logfile” you can set the automatic Login for the Plugin. On every startup, you will be logged in to vtiger without be prompted for Username or Password. The Password is stored encrypted locally, so nobody can find or read it out. In this Group you have also the Possibility to have a look at the Logfile of the Plugin. It opens with your standard or preferred Editor of “.log” Files. If you have any Problems with the Plugin, you can post your Logfile in the Forum. There is only some Environment Data stored, and the rest is Plugin specific. You must not be worried about your privacy.

The second Group is for Troubleshooting only. If the Plugin is unstable, syncs not correctly or something seems to be strange, then you can delete the sync Files and start from beginning. The Plugin will be react after deleting the sync Files like the first initial Sync. It will only delete the Sync Files, not your Login Data or the Logging Data. The third Group shows Information’s about the last start, your URL to vtiger, your Username and optionally Domain.

The last Group links you to your User Home Directory, where the Plugin has its Configuration and Synchronization Files.

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Tab Personalize

Over this Tab, you can fully customize the Plugin to your own needs. Click the unneeded Buttons away, that you don’t need. It takes effect immediately to the Plugin Bar.

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Tab Language

Here you can change the Localization of the Plugin from Standard “EN English” to “DE Deutsch”. If you change it and restart Outlook, the whole Plugin will be in the chosen Language. Not only the complete Interface, also the Logging and all Informations, Messageboxes and Popups will be translated. In some cases, especially Error Handlings, there is also the English detailed Informations added that comes from System.

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Associate with vtiger (Contact and Leads)

This Button sends a selected Email in the Mail View of Outlook to the Contact (or Lead) with the Mail given Email Address completely with Email Body and Attachment(s). If the Contact isn’t found, you will get an Popup Window, to choose a Contact or a Lead, to associate with. You can also edit/change the Message to your needs and have a look at the Attachments it have. In the next 4 Screens, it will be shown how it looks like to associate.

Choose an Email in your Outlook Inbox Mail Listview. If you logged in, the “Associate with vtiger” Button should be enabled. Click on it and the Plugin will search for the Contact who has this Email. If the Contact is found, the Email will be associated with this Contact. (You can see the Association under More Info Tab in your CRM at the Contact Detail Informations).

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If the Contact isn’t found, you will get the following Window. In that Window, you can search for a specific Contact or Lead, choose it in the resulting Listview and associate it with this Contact or Lead. You can also edit the Message or see what Attachments will be delivered when associating.

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Here you can edit the Message if needed.

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And here just a look at the Attachments this Email has.

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After adding the Mail to your chosen Contact or Lead, you can check the CRM if everything went fine.

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Send & Archive Button

When you write a new Mail to a Contact that is also present in vtiger CRM, you can directly “Send & Archive” this Mail to your Contact in vtiger. It sends the Mail and also associates it with the Contact in vtiger. This is a great two in one Feature. Look at the Screen below. The orange hovered Button on the left Side in the Ribbon Menu does this.

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Synchronize Mails

Note: For detailed Sync Mechanism look at Sync Contacts Section. There is fully Explanation of Sync Process with Screens.

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize all your Mails in your Inbox (only personally inbox folder) to the specific vtiger CRM Contacts. Successfully added Mails will be marked as completed (with a green Flag Icon / Tick Mark). It only syncs Mails who’s Flag Icons are empty. Red or otherwise flagged Mails will not be synchronized. The eventually set Category Color doesn’t matter. E.g. it also syncs Mails with blue Category and no/empty Flag Icon. Mails with Problems who are not synced can so be easily found out and manually checked and e.g. over “Associate with vtiger” can be added to an existing Lead or Contact in vtiger. Note, that the green Flag Icon or Tick Mark will only be set over “Associate with vtiger” when the Flag Icon is empty. If not, the Mail will also be synced and you must set the green Flag Icon / Tick Mark manually. This is for that reason, because you can have other Tasks on this Mail. In this case, a Overwrite will not be good.

The Email in the Screen below is successfully synced to vtiger CRM and has a green Flag Icon / Tick Mark on the right Side.

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Synchronize Contacts

If you synchronize Contacts, Tasks or Calendar the first time, you will get a Window like this.

Creating Mapping File Dialog 24

This is normal. It just says, that you are syncing the first time, or you have deleted the sync Files over Settings or manually. You can choose, if the Plugin should check doubled entries to avoid them, or if you choose “No” all Entries will be handled as new and might be then doubled on both sides.

If you sync Contacts, Tasks or Calendar and you have not set Auto Accept, then you will get the following Screen/Popup.

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In this Overview Screen you can see the Entries which will be added, updated/modified or deleted in Outlook and vtiger CRM. If you choose “Accept changes”, then the changes will be synchronized immediately. If you click on “Show Details”, the following detailed Window will open.

Sync Details Dialog 26

This Window is also present by Tasks and Calendar Synchronization. As you can see, in this case Outlook becomes 4 new Entries and vtiger CRM becomes 2 new Entries. Here you can see also modification or Entries which will be deleted after the Sync. This gives you a good detailed Overview of the Transaction what will be happened.

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Conflicted Entries

In some cases it can happen, that a conflict occurs when someone changes a Contact in vtiger CRM and also you change the Contact in Outlook and you will sync. In this case you will get a Conflict Resolving Dialog like this.

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Here you can see the changes made in vtiger CRM by another User and your changes in Outlook. Then you can decide what to do with this conflict and sync it like your needs. Great thing, because nothing happens before you not explicitly click “Save”. Here are also the Screens who made this conflicted state.

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Doublet Checking

The Plugin checks on First- and Lastname if a Contact may be doubled and informs you before syncing with a Popup Window (if you don’t have auto accept active) about the doubled Entrie(s). You can watch them in a Listview like in the following Screen.

Doublet Check Dialog 30

In this case “Rainer Manet” could be doubled or may be doubled. If you check it, it will be added anyway. If not, the Entrie will be excluded from Synchronization.

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Add/Associate Account to Contact

Another great Feature is automatically Account creation/association. If you make a new Contact in Outlook and Fill out the “Company” Field, the Outlook Plugin will check on next Synchronization if the Account to this Contact exists. If not, it will be creating the Account. If the Account exists, then the Contact will be associated with it.

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Group Relations

What Entries or Items you can sync belongs on your vtiger Rights and on what User you are. What owner you are at the vtiger CRM Entries. You will be able to sync everything, were you are the owner. But what is with Group Relations? Yes, you can also sync Entries were the owner is the Group in there you are a Member. But be careful. The Plugin handles Group Memberships same as Owner… it doesn’t overwrite the group on update, but if you delete the Entrie, it will be deleted for all others.

In the following Screen, the Task assigned to Support Group will be also synced in Outlook, cause admin (the logged in User on the Plugin in Outlook) is also a Member of this Group.

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Synchronize Tasks

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize your Outlook Tasks with your CRM Tasks in both Ways. Over Settings you have great Possibilities how the Transactions should be react or respond explained in the following.

You can set a special Date for the oldest Sync Date for your Tasks over the Calendar. No Tasks older than the chosen Date will be synced. This is good if you want to Sync only Tasks from last Month, or from the Date you have installed the Plugin.

You can also choose not syncing Tasks older than the actual Date (from now/today and in future Tasks will be synced), or to sync all Tasks (the whole Tasks will be synced). Remember that this applies on both sides. Outlook and vtiger CRM.

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Synchronize Calendar

Accessible over the whole App. With this Function you can synchronize your Outlook Meetings with your CRM Meetings in both Ways. Over Settings you have great Possibilities how the Transactions should be react or respond explained in the following.

You can set a special Date for the oldest Sync Date for your Calendar. No Calendar Meetings older than the chosen Date will be synced. This is good if you want to Sync only Calendar Meetings from last Month, or from the Date you have installed the Plugin.

You can also choose not syncing Calendar Meetings older than the actual Date (from now/today and in future Calendar Meetings will be synced), or to sync all Calendar Meetings (the whole Calendar Meetings will be synced). Remember that this applies on both sides. Outlook and vtiger CRM.

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Help Menue

About

Here you can see the running Outlook Plugin Version and what it supports. OS Versions and vtiger CRM Versions. The Creator of the Plugin is Different Solutions GmbH.

About Dialog 36

License

This Window shows the actual License Status. It informs you if you are in the Trial Phase of the Plugin and on what Day. You can also see the Days left of the Trial. Over this Window, you can always install a License, also when the Plugin is deactivated or the Trial has expired.

If you want to buy a License, please go to http://outlookplugin.activation-server.de, or send us a Email with your Request. We will contact you. Thanks.

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Forum

Over the Forum Menu Button you were linked to http://forum.vtiger.de, the Different Solutions Support Forum for vtiger CRM and also the Different Solutions Addon’s like Outlook Plugin. Feel free to post your Recommendations or Problems. Our Support Team will respond as soon as possible. Below a Forum Screen.

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RSS Feeds

In a Popup Window, you have Access to the vtiger and/or Different Solutions RSS Feeds. It’s a Live Ticker with the newest Posts. Can be useful to have a look time by time.

Vtiger CRM Outlook Plugin Documentation