What does installing it involve? How to install CRMBix
CRMBix is one solution file that you import into your own Dynamics 365 or Power Apps environment. This guide shows what you need before you start, what the import adds, each step from the file to your first score, and how to take it out again. Read it before you ask for a trial, and send it to whoever has to approve the install.
- Before you start
- What gets installed
- Import the file
- Set up
- How long it takes
- Give people access
- For your IT team
- If something goes wrong
- Remove CRMBix
Before you start
| You need | Detail |
|---|---|
| A Dataverse environment | The one your Dynamics 365 or Power Apps runs in. A trial works in any one environment, sandbox or production |
| The System Administrator role | In that environment, for the person who installs |
| The solution file | A zip file whose name starts CRMBIXCORE and ends _managed.zip. You download it from a link in your CRMBix email |
| Your licence key | In the same email. It is one long line that starts with CRMBIX1. A trial key works in any one environment and needs no ID |
| A licence that covers the flows | CRMBix runs on Power Automate flows that use the Dataverse connector. Microsoft asks for Power Automate Premium for the person who signs in, unless the flows run in the context of a Dynamics 365 or Power Apps app. If unsure, ask whoever buys your Microsoft licences |
| About 30 minutes | For the import, setup and your first scan. A large environment takes longer |
A trial key runs for 14 days from the day we send it, so ask for the trial when you are ready to install. If approval takes longer than you expected, reply to the trial email and we add 14 days, once.
What gets installed
The file is a managed solution called CRMBix Control Centre. Importing it adds:
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| One app | CRMBix Control Centre, a model-driven app that opens on its Home page |
| Its own tables | CRMBix keeps its rules, scan results, issues, inventory, change records and settings in tables of its own |
| Ten cloud flows | Setup, Run Health Scan, Scheduled Scan, Weekly Digest, Refresh Inventory, Scheduled Inventory, Change Log, Change Request Tracking, Deployment Recorded and Sync Pipeline Deployments |
| One connection | CRMBix Dataverse, a Microsoft Dataverse connection that you sign in to during the import. The flows use no other connector |
| Three security roles | CRMBix Administrator, CRMBix Approver and CRMBix User |
| A licence checker | A small plug-in that reads the key you paste in and checks it inside your environment. It contacts nothing outside it |
CRMBix reads your records to check them. It never changes, moves or deletes your accounts, contacts or any other business record.
Import the file
This part takes 5 to 10 minutes.
- Open make.powerapps.com and pick your environment at the top right.
- Choose Solutions, then Import solution. Choose Browse, select the file, then Next twice.
- The import asks for one connection, CRMBix Dataverse. Choose New connection, sign in, and come back to the import. Expect a green tick beside the connection.
- Choose Import. Expect a green bar after a few minutes saying the solution imported successfully.
- Choose Apps, then open CRMBix Control Centre.
The import may finish with a yellow message saying the solution imported but one or more flows may not have turned on. That is expected on a first install, because the flows start from tables the same import has only just created. Nothing is wrong: step 2 of setup, below, switches them on.
Set up
This part takes about 5 minutes. The app opens on Welcome to CRMBix, which walks you through five steps.
- Sign in to the Dataverse connection. Expect: The connection is signed in. If not, choose Open Power Apps, then Solutions, Default Solution, Connection references, CRMBix Dataverse, New connection.
- Switch on the flows. Expect: All 10 flows are on. If any are off, choose Switch the flows on.
- Enter your licence key. Copy the whole key from your CRMBix email, from CRMBIX1 to the end, paste it into the box and choose Save key. Expect a line saying what kind of key it is and how many days it has left. The same step shows your Organization ID with a Copy button. A paid key works only in this environment, so we ask for that ID when you buy.
- Choose your settings. Pick the Scan day for the weekly scan, leave Weekly digest on, and choose the Environment type. The dashboard marks Production in teal and every other type in amber.
- Start. Choose Start setup. Four lines tick off within about a minute: the environment is recorded, the health rules are ready, the inventory is taken and the first scan has a score. Then choose Open the dashboard.
Setup adds up to 20 ready-made health rules, for contacts, accounts, leads, opportunities and cases. It skips any table your environment does not have.
You can come back to this screen at any time: in the menu, under Setup, choose Setup checklist. Running setup again is safe. It only adds rules that are missing and starts a fresh scan.
How long it takes
Allow about 30 minutes in a typical environment. The first inventory and scan run in the background, and you can use CRMBix while they do.
| Part | Time |
|---|---|
| Importing the file | 5 to 10 minutes |
| The five setup steps | About 5 minutes |
| First scan, typical environment | Part of the 30 minutes |
| First scan, large environment | Up to an hour. Each health rule takes 2 to 4 minutes on tables of 50,000 to 250,000 records |
We test CRMBix on an environment with 250,000 contacts, 50,000 accounts, 120 solutions and 860 tables. There, the inventory of every solution took about 10 minutes and a scan of 21 rules took 46 minutes.
Each rule checks up to 1,000,000 records and lists up to 500 of the failing ones as issues. A rule that would take too long on your data stops after a few minutes and shows as Could not run, so it never holds up the others.
Give people access
After setup, give each person one CRMBix security role.
| Role | For | Can do |
|---|---|---|
| CRMBix Administrator | Whoever looks after the CRM | Everything: settings, rules, scans, inventory, requests, deployments. Gets the weekly digest |
| CRMBix Approver | Whoever signs off changes | Read everything. Approve or reject change requests, explain or ignore changes, work issues |
| CRMBix User | Everyone else | Read everything. Raise their own change requests, work issues |
- Open admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com, then Environments and your environment.
- Choose Settings, Users + permissions, Users.
- Select a person, choose Manage security roles, tick the CRMBix role and save.
For your IT or security team
The short answers to what a reviewer usually asks. They apply to the trial and to every paid plan.
- Where does it run? Entirely inside your own Dataverse environment, as a managed solution. Nothing is hosted by us.
- What does it connect to? One Microsoft Dataverse connection, in your environment. Its flows use no other connector and call no outside service.
- Does any data leave the environment? No. CRMBix sends us nothing. Its rules, results, inventory and change records are stored in its own tables in your environment.
- What does it do to our records? It reads them to check them. It never changes, moves or deletes a business record.
- Does it contain code? One small plug-in, the licence checker. It reads the key you pasted in and checks it inside your environment. It contacts nothing.
- Do you have access to our environment? No. We see it only if you invite us in for a Guided Install session or the Managed Service. We never ask for passwords or access tokens.
- What runs, and when? The inventory every day and a health scan once a week, on the day you choose. If you enter a host in Settings, finished Power Platform pipeline deployments are recorded every hour. All of it runs in the background.
- What happens when a key runs out? CRMBix becomes read-only. Scans and inventory refreshes stop, and nothing is deleted.
- How is it removed? Delete the solution. That removes the app, the flows and CRMBix's own tables. Your own records are untouched.
- Who is the supplier? CRMBix is a trading name of Zachary Cane, London, UK. Contact [email protected]. See the Terms and the Privacy Policy.
Licences, timings and limits are under Before you start and How long it takes. Send this page to your IT team.
If something goes wrong
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The link to the solution file in your email does not open | Copy the link into your browser's address bar. If it still does not open, email [email protected] and we will send the file another way |
| Step 1 says it could not be checked | Setup needs a System Administrator. Ask one to open the app |
| Some flows did not switch on | Sign in to the CRMBix Dataverse connection first, then choose Switch the flows on again |
| "This is not a CRMBix licence key" | Part of the key is missing. Copy the whole key from your email, from CRMBIX1 to the last character, and paste it again. Line breaks do not matter |
| "This CRMBix licence key expired on…" | You pasted an older key. Use the key from our most recent email, or email [email protected] |
| The key was issued for a different environment | A paid key works in one environment. Copy the Organization ID shown under the key box, email it to [email protected], and we send a key for this environment |
| Start setup says to enter your licence key first | Save a key at step 3. Setup cannot run without an active key |
| Setup says it did not start, or has not finished after five minutes | Check step 2, wait a minute, then choose Try again. If that does not help, open Power Automate, then Solutions, CRMBix Control Centre, Cloud flows, CRMBix | Setup, and send us the error from its run history |
| The header or icons look wrong | Refresh the browser twice. The app caches its look |
Anything else, email [email protected] and say what you saw and at which step.
Remove CRMBix
In Power Apps, open Solutions. Select CRMBix Control Centre and choose Delete. This removes the app, the flows and the CRMBix tables with everything recorded in them, including your licence key, so export anything you want to keep first. Your own records are untouched.
Once it is in, the tour shows you round the Home page.
