With the release of Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM version 9.0, we now have most of the core functionalities of sales and customer service available in the Unified Interface (UCI). Seeing the benefits of this new design, I really wanted to update my Unified Service Desk (USD) solution to include this new user experience within Dynamics 365/CRM.
Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a process, and tools, for us to do this, without having to perform a major overhaul of the configuration we may have already performed in USD. The process from Microsoft can be found here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/unified-service-desk/admin/migration-steps-web-client-unified-interface-configuration?view=dynamics-usd-4
For comparison, the screen shots below show what the standard web client interface looks like, as well as the updated UCI interface (using Customer Service Hub). This is the same configuration, only different environments, and data. While this change may not look significant, I feel it is important as the use of the UCI becomes more prevalent in the core product.
Standard web client interface:
UCI interface:
This update requires several tools. I advise downloading these items before continuing:
- Configuration Migration Tool (DataMigrationUtility.EXE): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/developer/download-tools-nuget
- EXE: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=57272
Note: It may be somewhat unclear on where the USDWebResource.ZIP file is located. To access this file, extract the USDConfigurations.ZIP file created in step 1.8. This will create the USDWebResource.ZIP file, as well as a Data.ZIP file (used in step 3.5 of the Microsoft walkthrough)
Overall, the process is straight-forward. I followed the Microsoft article step-by-step without issue. If you are going through this process, I would urge you to do this in a sandbox environment prior to performing in your production environment. You will want to make sure USD still functions properly, as UCI opens windows via the “In-Place” route, not “Pop-Up”. This may require revisions to your USD Navigation Rules.
