The Air Force, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the unified combatant commands are among the federal agencies now using Microsoft’s [MSFT] Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM) information technology (IT) software, according to a company statement.
Microsoft said the Air Force is using its Dynamics CRM software to help create, manage and advance its capabilities in workforce management, mission planning, event management and visitor access and offer more efficient access to personnel records, resulting in improved mission execution. A Microsoft spokeswoman said Monday in an email the Air Force has been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM software since 2007.
More than 50 DoD organizations are also using Dynamics software for intelligence gathering, mission planning, operations, workforce management, onboarding, correspondence and targeted outreach and task management, according to Microsoft. A Microsoft spokeswoman said CRM software is different from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software because ERP software traditionally involves accounting, supply chain management and purchasing, among others. The Air Force has struggled with ERP software over the years, including the cancellation of the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), which cost $1 billion without apparently producing any significant military capability (Defense Daily, April 5).
A cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) is being deployed using the Dynamics CRM platform in support of multiple DHS initiatives. This SaaS offering deploys and scales business operations such as records management, scheduling, reporting, tracking campaigns, mission and workforce activities and budgets. Within DHS, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Coast Guard are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM software, according to Microsoft.
The State Department is also using Microsoft Dynamics CRM software as part of its Tracking Responses and Inquiries Program (TRIP), the company said. The software provides highly secure and accurate information, allowing customer service representatives to more efficiently review Travel Document Issuance System (TDIS) passport application records.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the Air Force and other military departments have successfully modernized their legacy IT environments using the company’s Dynamics CRM software for a number of reasons: Dynamics runs in Microsoft’s Outlook email client, allowing users to move between tasks with greater ease and disruption; Dynamics enables military departments to meet specific business requirements rapidly through easy-to-configure workflows, which empower greater productivity and Dynamics allows departments to quickly adapt to changing operational and military requirements.