How to get data from external users(outside organzation) and save it in Common Data Service?

[Anonymous]

Scenario: We would like to build a Model Driven App to manage Customer Training sessions requests. So that a customer can send a request for training and send us data like which training, how many participants, Contact Data etc. which then should be saved in the Common Data Service Entities. So that our employees can further process it in the Model Driven App. But Modeldriven/Canvas Apps are only avaiable inside your organization how could the customer sumbit us this data to CDS? And also we would like to display data from CDS, for example the avaiable trainings, the price of a training etc and then he just fills out the request with this information and it gets stored in CDS.

Question: How to allow external users to input data in your CDS?

Are there any connectors that would be easy to use for this? Maybe Microsoft Forms(however I do not see how to display CDS data in a forms question)? 

Or Any other suggestions?

[Pstork1]

The Microsoft Forms app can be shared with external users and there is a connector that would let you start a Flow whenever a Form is submitted.  So you could use Forms for data entry by external users and then have a Flow copy the data into CDS.  From there you could manipulate it with a model driven app.

[yashag2255]

Hi!

As you are using a model driven app, you could set up a Dynamics Portal for your customers. More information here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/portals/configure-portal

If you are looking onto something to go easily with quick responses and tracking, using forms is the best way. You can create a new form (Microsoft Forms, Cognito etc. There are many options available out there). and then copy the data to CDS using Flow.

Thanks, 

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@Anonymous wrote:

Scenario: We would like to build a Model Driven App to manage Customer Training sessions requests. So that a customer can send a request for training and send us data like which training, how many participants, Contact Data etc. which then should be saved in the Common Data Service Entities. So that our employees can further process it in the Model Driven App. But Modeldriven/Canvas Apps are only avaiable inside your organization how could the customer sumbit us this data to CDS? And also we would like to display data from CDS, for example the avaiable trainings, the price of a training etc and then he just fills out the request with this information and it gets stored in CDS.

Question: How to allow external users to input data in your CDS?

Are there any connectors that would be easy to use for this? Maybe Microsoft Forms(however I do not see how to display CDS data in a forms question)? 

Or Any other suggestions?

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[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Do you want the external user could submit request data into your CDS Entity?

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I afraid that there is no direct way to achieve your needs in PowerApps currently.

As an alternative solution, I think the Microsoft Forms form (that you mentioned) and Microsoft Flow could achieve your needs.

I have made a test on my side, please take a try with the following flow's configuration as below:

On your side, you need to create a Microsoft Form form to collect the external user's input (request data) firstly. Then share this ms form to your external users with "Anyone with the link can respond" option:

Then any one of your external users make a response to your MS Form, the flow you created above would be fired, then insert the form input data into your CDS Entity.

Please take a try with above solution, then check if the issue is solved.

Best regards,