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Dynamics 365 CRM customization checklist with detailed checkpoints – Entity

Designing a custom entity in the Power Platform involves several key steps and considerations. Here’s a guide to help you get started:

Steps to Design a Custom Entity

  1. Open Power Apps: Log in to your Power Apps account.
  2. Navigate to solution:
    • check list:
      • Do you have a publisher with the prefix that is not “new_”?
        • Yes: Continue
        • No: Create a publisher, with unique prefix, then go to 3
      • Do you have a solution for all entity? if you don’t have a solution, create a solution
  3. Navigate to Tables: On the left navigation pane, select “Tables”.
    • Is this a table, virtual table or elastic table: what’s the difference?
      • table: for most
      • virtual table
      • Elastic table:
  4. Create a New Table: Click on “New table” and set advanced properties.
    • key question: table ownership
      • Click on “New table” and set advanced properties.
        • Is this a reference table? e.g. Country, Province
          • Yes: Ownership
          • No:
          • Not sure:
        • Does it need granular security
        • Does records need ownership?
    • Display Name, Plural Name, Name:
    • Primary field
      • click Primary tab: Display Name and Name, have better options: Subject, Title for the new table
    • Display
  5. Define Table Properties: Enter the display name, description, and other properties.
    • Checlist
      • Is it an activity? Does this table describe a behavior or an action, it may have start/end, due date time, it can be assigned, completed by someone. such as Assessment, Review, Approval, etc.
      • Need to be able to create item from the menu?
      • all checkboxes in general tab
        • Notes: enable timeline, if the table is activity type, this option is not available.
        • Documents: will you need attachment document,
        • Auditing: do you need auditing, if not sure, turn on.
  6. Add Columns: Customize the columns by adding new ones or modifying existing ones. (to be discussed in part 2)
    • Field mapping
  7. Define Relationships: Add relationships between tables if needed.
    • One-to-Many
    • Many-to-One
    • Many-to-Many
  8. Customize Views and Forms: Create and customize views and forms for the table.
    • Views
      • Types: System view and personal view
      • Naming Convention: Include Purpose or Filter Criteria:
        • Account
        • Account_ActiveAccounts_ReceivedThisMonth
        • Account_InactiveAccounts_ClosedLastYear
      • Columns
      • Filters
      • Sorting
    • Forms
      • Information
      • Main
      • Quick Find
      • Quick View
  9. Save and Publish: Save your changes and publish the table.

Questions to Ask

  • What is the purpose of the entity? Define the primary function and use case.
  • Who will use this entity? Identify the target audience and their needs.
  • What data will be stored in this entity? List the fields and data types required.
  • Are there any relationships with other entities? Determine if there are any dependencies or connections.
  • What are the security requirements? Define access controls and permissions.
  • How will the entity be integrated with other systems? Plan for any integrations or APIs.

Checklist

  • [ ] Define the entity’s purpose and scope.
  • [ ] Identify the target audience and their requirements.
  • [ ] List the fields and data types needed.
  • [ ] Plan relationships with other entities.
  • [ ] Set up security and access controls.
  • [ ] Design views and forms for data entry and display.
  • [ ] Test the entity with sample data.
  • [ ] Publish and share the entity with users.