Microsoft Common Data Model: What the...?

Have you been customizing a Microsoft Dynamics CRM data model lately? If you have, you'll know how easy it is to add more fields to the data model of this business application. To add a new field, just open a solution, find the entity you want to modify, such as the account, and select "New" to create a new field.

Congratulations! You've now customized your CRM! If you wanted to be even more adventurous and create a whole new custom entity, you would just perform the same operation, but from higher up in the components hierarchy, by clicking "New" under the "Entities" node. Yeah, I know, you'll get all sorts of options after clicking on that button that you need to pay attention to. Not to mention the fact that you'll need to design the UI, business logic, security model etc. Still, on a very high level, this how you expand the standard data model of a business application like Dynamics CRM.

Now, here's another question: have you logged in to Microsoft PowerApps recently? If you've visited the management side of the application within the past week, you may have come across a similar concept there. In the latest version of PowerApps there is now the concept of Entities. And not just a set of preconfigured entities: you can also customize them! Like this:

So, how does this relate to Dynamics CRM then? Well, right at this moment, not very much yet, but in the near future, it will become an integrated part of Dynamics 365. You see, this is the first preview of the Microsoft Common Data Model. This "CDM", in turn, will be the foundation on top of which Microsoft's coming offering of cloud CRM + ERP suite will be built.

To find out more about what Dynamics 365 and the Common Data Model may mean to customers who use Dynamics CRM (or AX, NAV), go and read a blog article that I wrote about the next chapter of MS Cloud Business Apps.