Brightwire

Dynamics 365 and Click Dimensions Marketing Automation

Brightwire helps organisations plan and deliver ClickDimensions based on Microsoft Dynamics365 - a fully customisable platform that is easy to use and manage, and which enables marketing automation through a single interface. ClickDimensions includes email marketing, campaign automation, surveys, web forms and insights on data to improve engagement with clients.

Features

  • Integrated digital marketing management
  • Campaign automation
  • Process / task driven interface
  • Event Management - integrates with major event platforms
  • Choice of deployment options and data migration
  • Real time business intelligence and analytics
  • Integration-capable with line of business applications
  • Sophisticated workflows and automation and support for business rules
  • Flexible system can be tailored and adapted
  • Support for all integrations including Office 365 and SharePoint

Benefits

  • Customer information accessible from a single place reduces department silos
  • Saves time by automating processes and tasks, and increases efficiency
  • Improves agility through better access to more insightful customer data
  • Can be configured to meet your organisation's GDPR policies
  • Better engagement with customers and stakeholders
  • Rapid user adoption through familiar interface and expert training
  • Better engagement with customers
  • Case examples across sectors
  • Respected Microsoft Gold Partner
  • ClickDimensions Platinum Partner

Pricing

£700 a person a day

  • Free trial available

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at clare.millar@brightwire.net. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

7 6 3 8 9 5 9 1 2 2 4 1 5 9 7

Contact

Brightwire Clare Millar
Telephone: 0131 541 2159
Email: clare.millar@brightwire.net

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
Yes
What software services is the service an extension to
Dynamics 365 consulting and custom development, business transformation consulting.
Cloud deployment model
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
Service constraints
None - clients have a choice of deployment and support models depending on organisational and infrastructure requirements.
System requirements
  • Dynamics 365 Licences
  • Office365, 2016, 2013, 2010
  • Processor - 1.9 (GHz) x86 or x64-bit dual core processor
  • Memory - 2GB RAM
  • Display - SuperVGA with a resolution of 1024 x 768
  • Bandwidth greater than 50 KBps (400 kbps)
  • Windows 10 - Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge
  • Windows 8.1 - Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge
  • Latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari
  • Further information on the Microsoft site: https://bit.ly/2HqPIWK

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
There are defined SLAs and Out of hours support models covering weekends and bank holidays.

Support incidents are classed in three categories (Level 1 Critical, Level 2 Major and Level 3 Minor) each with four defined stages. A Level 1 incident has a maximum response time of 1 hour. Our support desk runs within office hours for the majority of clients, with year-round out of hours support also available on request.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
Yes
Online ticketing support accessibility
None or don’t know
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
24 hours, 7 days a week
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
Support levels are based on an agreed allocation of time per month, with time reporting to indicate usage. Support can be scaled back or topped up accordingly. Support is based on a day rate. For out of hours support this cover is based on the client's need and an appropriate cost is calculated. We have clear support procedures in place and a technical account manager as well as a nominated support engineer are both provided as part of the support agreement.
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
We offer a variety of training plans to help users start using the service.

Some training is face to face for administrators but we have extensive user based online training for our SaaS offerings. User documentation is provided where required in electronic format.

Onsite training: provided to groups of trainees who are usually split by administrative and user type. We recommend a 'train the trainer' approach with advocates who will be the key 'go to' people within the organisation, and provide floorwalking.

User guides: these can either be documented or video guides for users and contain quick tips and handy reference information.

Online training: we can provide online training if required - typically to larger groups of users.

The level of onboarding and offboarding support depends on the customer's requirements. We can provide full support for organisations where there is an organisation-wide rollout, as well as pilot or trials within a specific business area.
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
  • Other
Other documentation formats
  • Word
  • Video/Multimedia
End-of-contract data extraction
All data can be exported or replicated to an environment such as a Microsoft Azure SQL Database store in a customer-owned Microsoft Azure subscription. The way in which we would recommend this be done would depend on customer need and the target environment.
End-of-contract process
The support agreement would normally allow for basic handover at contract end - however if there were more specific or custom requirements (such as a new target environment to which to replicate) then these would be assessed and a cost agreed with the Client.
Brightwire will provide appropriate assistance to the client to extract any data or move to another supplier as required.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service
Mobile offline support: allows users to update records with an automated sync ensuring that updates are applied to the live system.

CRM for Outlook app: automatically provides a CRM pane for all Outlook items.

Mobile security: enables organisations to secure their data in instances where users are accessing CRM on their own mobile device

New Mobile UI Controls: optimises CRM forms for mobile apps by utilising controls such as sliders and other interactive features.

Mobile experience mirrors much of the desktop/web application functionality.
Service interface
Yes
User support accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Description of service interface
Yes - Dynamics365 offers a service interface out of the box.
Accessibility standards
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Accessibility testing
Dynamics365 is extensively tested at Microsoft to meet current accessibility guidelines. Conformance reports can be found here:
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/Accessibility/accessibility-conformance-reports
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trustcenter/compliance/compliance-offerings/wcag
- https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/industry-blog/government/2018/09/11/accessibility-conformance-reports/
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
A variety of functions can be performed using the Web API: data can be queried, entities created, records filtered, and specific properties requested. In addition some cognitive service integration can now also be achieved to determine sentiment analysis and make product or service recommendations. The API can also be used to connect to user or customer portals. It is implemented using RESTful. Dynamics365 apps are built on the Common Data Service platform.

More information is available here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/developer/use-microsoft-dynamics-365-web-api and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/powerapps/maker/common-data-service/data-platform-intro
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
  • Other
API sandbox or test environment
Yes
Customisation available
Yes
Description of customisation
Dynamics 365 and Click Dimensions as combined platforms are highly configurable and customisable. The level of customisation depends on client need - ranging from simple to complex workflows, triggers and notifications as well as integration. Examples include: - form and screen layouts - integration with other applications such as Microsoft SharePoint - customisations for easier user management - role based access for granular permissions - specific 'apps' targeted at specific user groups, using the same underlying data - customisable de-duplication rules - approvals processes, using combination of Outlook and MS Teams notifications (and Power Automate Flows) - configurable email templates and marketing automation with nurture journeys - integration with telephony applications for call centre environments - ability for 'power' users with the relevant permissions to adapt the application to suit end user needs - field level validation on records and integration with other applications such as postcode lookup for improved data quality - customisation and support for surveys where responses are pulled back against contact records - SMS notification features

Scaling

Independence of resources
There are multiple deployment routes - each of which would be assessed in the light of specific functional and non-functional requirements such as performance, bandwidth/connectivity and network capacity. We implement techniques to improve application performance and can recommend hosting models that will reduce the risk of load that negatively impacts performance.

In the Dynamics365 hosting environment, Microsoft uses scale groups to handle variable platform load. As a tenant's load increases, the Dynamics365 instances are automatically transferred to a more performant group to deal with the load. This ensures that other tenants sharing the same scale group remain unaffected.

Analytics

Service usage metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Service usage might apply to two scenarios - the behaviour of the users consuming the service, on which analytics can be provided, and/or the draw-down of the support time allocation, analytics for which are typically provided on a monthly basis.

Using the Administration features available in Microsoft's Power Platform, clients can view performance analytics and detailed usage insights.
Reporting types
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type
Reseller providing extra features and support
Organisation whose services are being resold
Microsoft and ClickDimensions

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Conforms to BS7858:2019
Government security clearance
Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations
Yes
Datacentre security standards
Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
Penetration testing frequency
At least once a year
Penetration testing approach
‘IT Health Check’ performed by a Tigerscheme qualified provider or a CREST-approved service provider
Protecting data at rest
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach
In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
All data can be exported or replicated to an environment such as a Microsoft Azure SQL Database store in a customer-owned Microsoft Azure subscription. The way in which we would recommend this be done would depend on customer need and the target environment.
Data export formats
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
Other data export formats
  • Various formats can be exported from Dynamics365
  • XML and database backup
Data import formats
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
Other data import formats
  • Various formats can be exported from Dynamics365
  • XML and database backups

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
TLS (version 1.2 or above)
Data protection within supplier network
TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
For Dynamics 365 licensing the Microsoft guarantee for service level uptime is 99.9%. Should the service fall below this in a given month then a credit will be given against the applicable month's subscription fee.
Approach to resilience
Microsoft 365 offerings are delivered by highly resilient systems that help to ensure high levels of service. Service continuity provisions are part of the 365 system design. These provisions enable 365 to recover quickly from unexpected events such as hardware or application failure, data corruption, or other incidents that affect users. These service continuity solutions also apply during catastrophic outages (for example, natural disasters or an incident within a Microsoft data center that renders the entire data center inoperable). The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online service is designed to provide a high degree of security, continuity, and compliance—service goals that are derived from the Microsoft Risk Management program.

Further information is available here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/Office365/securitycompliance/office-365-data-resiliency-overview
Outage reporting
Administrator dashboard with alerts and notifications (email and online). Outages are reported through the Office 365 admin center. Clients can see the current and historic service health, and planned maintenance.

Further information is available here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/enterprise/view-service-health

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Admin access is limited by role based controls built into the software to ensure that only users with appropriate rights have access to management functionality. Users are authenticated by using an Office 365 account (Office 365 licence not required). Authentication can be handled in a variety of ways depending on how a client wishes to manage access, including multi-factor authentication.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Management access authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users have access to real-time audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users have access to real-time audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
User-defined
How long system logs are stored for
User-defined

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
BSI - see website for Dynamics365 Certificate Number IS 580851
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
27/09/2016
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
In scope: The management of Information Security Management System (ISMS) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Service development, operations in accordance with the Statement of Applicability Revision 2016.001, dated 9/27/2016.
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
No
Cyber essentials
Yes
Cyber essentials plus
Yes
Other security certifications
Yes
Any other security certifications
Cyber Essentials Plus

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes
We follow ISO 27001 methodology for policy and processes, and ensure that this is mapped closely to the Government's Cloud Security Principles. We have a defined reporting structure in place with ultimate responsibility for security and compliance resting with the CTO.

Further information on security with Dynamics365 can be found here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trustcenter/security/dynamics365-security

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach
We follow a structured change procedure, which provides a high degree of management and quality of output with a controlled approach to changes in scope. The service is aligned to Microsoft's technology and service lifecycle and makes use of DevOps tools.
Specific processes for change management are as follows:
Request: Initiation of a change with a request for change (RFC);
Classification: Assigning a priority to the change after assessing its urgency and impact;
Authorisation: Processing the RFC through to the change advisory board;
Development: Developing the change, release management;
Release Management: Releasing the change for testing;
Review: Conducting post-deployment review.
Vulnerability management type
Supplier-defined controls
Vulnerability management approach
We have a policy of applying all Microsoft related security patches within a day of them becoming available. For our hosting environment we subscribe to VMWare notifications and apply these to our private cloud environment within 3 days of them becoming available. Critical updates are always deployed as soon as they become available and always within a 4 hour window. Office 365 runs multiple layers of antivirus software to ensure protection from malicious software. Servers within the Office 365 environment run anti-virus software that scans files uploaded and downloaded from the service for viruses or other malware.
Protective monitoring type
Supplier-defined controls
Protective monitoring approach
We limit exposure by only allowing access via firewall control to services which need to be accessed externally and have automatic
lock out on accounts if suspicious activity is assumed or detected. We track and monitor invalid login attempts via event logging mechanisms and respond based on the SLA times as detailed earlier in this section. Proactive monitoring continuously measures the performance of key subsystems of the Office 365 services platform against the established boundaries for acceptable service performance and availability, and generates warnings so that operations staff can address the event if one occurs.
Incident management type
Supplier-defined controls
Incident management approach
Users report incidents online using our incident reporting tool or by using our helpdesk. We have specific processes that are triggered by incidents being reported to us which are followed and users are able to track and monitor the incident as it progresses through the SLA that corresponds to its priority. For outage incidents with Dynamics 365 that are Microsoft related, the administrator will receive alerts and be able to raise issues using the administration dashboard. All incidents are followed by an incident report explaining what happened and what action is to be taken to prevent a reoccurance.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Fighting climate change

Fighting climate change

Brightwire is committed to delivering high quality and successful software applications which make a difference to our clients. We acknowledge that we, as a consumer and user of resources and a producer of waste products, have a responsibility to consider the environmental impact of our workplace and the health and well-being of our staff. Our environmental promise is to: - Comply with all relevant environmental legislation - Reduce our carbon footprint to net zero by 2025 - Progress initiatives that are in place such as our cycle to work scheme, - Reduce, reuse and recycle our waste using designated refuse bins and procedures for the recycling and safe disposal of items such as printer cartridges - Reduce the amount of natural resources used by conserving energy, water, paper and other materials and by recycling waste wherever possible - Educate and train our people to ensure everyone understands their role in reducing environmental impact and how we can work together to achieve this - Ensure that where possible our suppliers demonstrate an acceptable level of environmental awareness and performance - Encourage our clients, through our project work, to reduce use of natural resources (such as paper) by improving processes using online, in place of paper-based, tools We are committed to preventing and reducing environmental impact. We acknowledge that our work has a potential environmental impact and we have a duty to manage this in a responsible and ethical way. We do this by identifying impacts, and putting practical processes into place to mitigate them. Our full Carbon Reduction Initiatives and measures in place are detailed here: https://www.brightwire.net/about-us/carbon-reduction.aspx
Covid-19 recovery

Covid-19 recovery

At Brightwire we have supported our customers during Covid to maximise the value of their investment in technology by putting this to best use. One of our most significant examples is in a community initiative which supports vulnerable young people and those at risk across the country. In Covid and lockdown there was a significant risk that the needs of young people would not be met, and so we embarked upon a project to mitigate this. The result was that young people, their carers, social services and other stakeholders could hold sessions securely and remotely using Teams. Importantly a factor in engaging with this segment of the population was to provide easy, quick, and free access to the service. Our work in this area of technology supported the organisations involved and made sure that the needs of young adults continued to be addressed in spite of lockdown. Stakeholders were a core part of the service design and ultimate nationwide rollout. As an organisation, we also had a role to support our team of people. We ensured that all team members had equipment delivered to their homes, and that this was equivalent in standard to equipment in the office. We held daily meetings and created an informal 'chat' area to avoid feelings of isolation, and sent regular wellbeing gift boxes to staff in the post. We made a commitment to pay additional costs (such as broadband) for staff and minimised meetings and unnecessary travel. As we are moving back to an office environment, we are consulting with the team on hybrid working and ensuring this has a good fit with our business model and culture.
Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality

At Brightwire we set out to have a positive impact and tackling economic inequality is an area where we can gain small but nonetheless measurable results. Our office is based in a relatively rural area and the social value and positive impact we can make is on creating sustainable employment and in skills development. We have invested in training, learning and professional development for all of our team members, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to develop. As an organisation we play a part in the creation of employment opportunities within our community, and invest to achieve this. Local employment opportunities within rural areas can be low, and as an employer we set out not only to recruit but to retain our staff with training, flexible working and by providing opportunities to develop skills in other areas of the business.
Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity

We are committed to fair work practices. Our people make us what we are. Respectful, confident without being arrogant, honest and open, along with a genuine curiosity to discover better ways of doing things, rock solid expertise and a willingness to share ideas - these values drive us and embody our culture. We love what we do, and this is reflected in the way we do things, and in our results. Here are some of the things we do to ensure fair work practices: Training We invest in training to make sure people have the right skills and qualifications. We commit to providing a number of training courses during the year, also ensuring we have qualified staff to maintain our Microsoft and Umbraco Gold Partnerships. Pay and conditions We monitor our salaries in line with those in our sector, and reward our staff with more than the average. We have always offered flexible working to suit people and help to achieve a work-life balance. We do not have zero hours contracts. We are an accredited Living Wage Employer and have made a pledge to the Scottish Business Pledge. Fairness We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to fairness of treatment, respecting the rights of individuals, dignity, diversity and a zero tolerance approach to discrimination. Our working environment is a place where people are able to develop their skills and talents free from discrimination or harassment. We are committed not only to meeting legal obligations but to the positive promotion of equality and diversity across our team. We are a close knit team based on strong principles of fairness and collaboration. We have a very strong family friendly environment, generous parental benefits, flexible working, team days, sharing ideas and taking part in STEM initiatives in our local community.
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

At Brightwire our people are what set us apart, and the wellbeing of individuals and our team is vital. We are committed to providing our people with respect, recognition and care that supports and improves the wellbring and mental health of our team. We follow the six standards enshrined in the Mental Health at Work Commitment, including: 1. Prioritising mental health. This includes routine check-ins with employees, taking feedback and implementing suggestions for improvement. 2. Work design and culture. We have a new, light and modern office space specially designed to create optimum physical workplace conditions, equipped with the best ergonomic furniture and taking into account the need for individual concentration as well as collaboration. We offer flexible, agile and family friendly working patterns and are an open, approachable employer. 3. Promoting an open culture. Together with our people, we set out to ensure that mental health is a subject that can be openly discussed. We have a culture where people can come forward for support and encourage initiatives such as exercise and increased awareness. 4. Organisational capability. Our private medical insurance includes wellbeing support, offered to all our team. We hold daily team meetings to bring everyone together and ensure that feedback is reviewed and actioned. 5. Provide tools and support. Through private medical insurance our people have access to webinars, tools and advice on mental health. We provide gym memberships, a wellbeing day off (in addition to annual leave) and targeted help such as occupational health. 6. Transparency and data analysis. One of the ways we assess wellbeing is to monitor our team's activity through resource planning. To ensure individuals do not feel overburdened, and in recognition of this, for example, we have a structured approach to planning which mitigates and avoids such situations and manages workload.

Pricing

Price
£700 a person a day
Discount for educational organisations
No
Free trial available
Yes
Description of free trial
A vanilla free trial (i.e. without customisations) is available for a duration of 30 days.

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at clare.millar@brightwire.net. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.