Team Member Licence Changes

During release Wave 1, 2020, Microsoft announced the introduction of technical enforcement of Dynamics 365 Team Member Licenses.

Dynamics 365 Team Member Licences are available for users who need read-only and limited update access to Dynamics 365 data. The restrictions of the Team Member license were not previously technically enforced by Microsoft, meaning some Team Member users would access more complex functionality in Dynamics 365 than was afforded by the licence guide restrictions.

What will enforcement look like?

The new license rules are in place now, with a grace period until the 31st of December 2020 for existing users of Dynamics 365. To support this enforcement, Microsoft has introduced Team Member Apps, which are pre-defined Dynamics 365 Apps that provide access only to the functionality as defined in the licence guide. Essentially, the apps are condensed, simpler versions of the full applications. Team Member users will no longer be able to access the standard apps such as Customer Service Hub and Sales Hub or any custom created Apps.

The Team Member Apps can be customised to add additional entities, up to a maximum of 15 custom entities, and will limit access to restricted features, such as creating new Account records.

Team Member App Modules:

Customer Service Team Member App

This Team Member app is intended for scenarios where the app users is actually the customer being served:

  • A restricted app which is best suited to internal self-service support scenarios, in which users can create cases for their problems, such as IT issues or HR questions.

  • Gives users the option to interact with agents via comments, as well as view a knowledgebase for answers to their questions.

Sales Team Member App

This Team Member app is designed for the lightweight sales scenarios where users don’t need the full capabilities of an enterprise application:

  • Manage contact records and view account records.

  • Gives users access to view leads and opportunities linked to accounts or contacts along with other sales-related data.

  • Option to add notes, activities and tasks.

  • Can be configured to a certain extent for additional scenarios.

Project Resource Hub

This Team Member app is intended for scenarios where the app users are out in the field using a tablet or smartphone:

  • Allows these users to enter time and expenses for projects they are working on whilst on the go.

What does this mean for you?

Team Member licenses should be set for your users who only need read-only access of sales data, light-touch self-service scenarios or remote time entry. This license only allows you to work with up to 15 custom entities and is not suitable for users who are heavily involved in the sales or customer service process within your organisation.

If your organisation is already using Dynamics 365, you will have until the end of the grace period (31st of December 2020) to make sure you have made the necessary changes needed before the new rules are enforced. This period should be used by administrators to test the new apps and make sure that each Team Member user has the access they need to carry out their day-to-day activities.

Any new instance of Dynamics 365 will have the new Team Member License restrictions in place by default.

Our Recommendations

  • Existing customers of Dynamics 365 should proactively preview the new enforcement rules. You should test Team Member usage scenarios to understand what the impact will be and to identify potential missing functionality.

  • You can use the Power Platform admin centre to highlight where users do not comply with the new licensing rules, using a Team Member conformance report.

  • Team Member apps can be customised to fit your organisation’s business processes, however these will need to conform to the licensing guide, for example you cannot bring in any more than 15 additional entities. You will also be able to customise security roles; however, these security changes must also be made to conform with the use rights outlined in the licensing guide.

  • If you do find that your Team Member users need additional functionality than is provided with the Team Member App licence, you will need to consider moving them onto a different license. This could either be a full Dynamics 365 licence or potentially a Power Platform License.

    • Per-App Power Apps License
      • Run up to two custom apps with full functionality.
    • Per-User Power Apps License
      • Run unlimited apps (within service limits) with full functionality.

Next Steps

If you are an existing Dynamics 365 user and have Team Member licenses within your organisation, it is important that you make the time to ensure all the necessary precautions have been made and tested by the 31st of December 2020.

Pythagoras are here to help you during this transition. If you would like any advice or help in the upcoming months when reviewing your environment or making the necessary changes, get in contact with your Account Manager. Alternatively drop us an email at info@pythagoras.co.uk or give us a call on 01628 519 000.

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