What is Microsoft Business Contact Manager?
posted 17 Jul 03
Business Contact Manager is a single-user COM add-in that integrates into Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 to provide additional features for tracking contact activity and sales opportunities.
How do I install BCM?
posted 31 Oct 03
BCM comes on its own separate CD. Run the Setup.exe program found on that CD.
Why does BCM install its own instance of MSDE?
posted 27 Oct 03
BCM uses a MSDE (Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Edition) database to store its data.
How do I back up my BCM data?
posted 31 Oct 03
Choose File | Business Database | Backup. You will be asked to set the backup file location and an optional password.
How can I link an existing Outlook item to a BCM contact or account?
posted 20 Nov 2003
For email messages, use the Business Tools | Link E-mail | Link Existing E-mail command to scan your folders and create history items for existing messages sent to or from BCM contacts. For other types of items, you will need to create links manually; use the Link to History controls in the BCM toolbar.
How can I see my BCM contacts in the Outlook address book?
posted 19 Nov 03
The procedure is the same as with any contacts folder: Right-click the Accounts or Business Contacts folder used by BCM work, choose Properties, and then switch to the Outlook Address Book tab. Check the Show this folder as an e-mail address book box, and then click OK.
How can I share my BCM database?
posted 27 Oct 03
BCM is a single-user application, with no sharing capability. It is possible that third-party tools may become available to share the data, perhaps using database replication.
How can I get Business Contact Manager?
posted 5 Mar 2004
BCM is available on a separate CD in the retail Office 2003 Professional package and in both retail and volume license versions of Small Business Edition. It is not available as a standalone product. Volume license customers who purchase Office 2003 Professional will need to request BCM separately, because it does not come with the volume license media for Office Pro. We are trying to get details on the order procedure. If you attended a U.S. Office 2003 launch event and got the Office 2003 Pro trial CD without BCM, you can order BCM from Microsoft. Click the More link below for details.
Why do my history notes not contain the formatting that I added when I created the notes?
posted 27 Oct 03
The BCM database stores only the text, not the formatting.
How can I relocate or hide the BCM toolbar?
posted 27 Oct 03
You can move the toolbar during the current Outlook session, but BCM will not remember the location when you restart Outlook. You cannot hide the BCM toolbar completely.
Why does BCM install the .NET Framework?
posted 27 Oct 03
Microsoft built BCM using the .NET platform.
Can I synchronize my BCM data with a PDA?
posted 19 Nov 2003
That depends on your synchronization tool. The ActiveSync program from Microsoft definitely cannot synchronize multiple contacts or journal folders, which is what BCM uses. Third-party tools may be able to do so. Chapura has updated its PocketMirror Professional utility to work with the Business Contacts folder from BCM.
We have also heard of people using Pocket Contact Synchronizer, a free tool from Microsoft, to copy contacts automatically from the BCM Business Contacts folder to your main Contacts folder. The main Contacts folder can be synchronized with any PDA sync tool. A forthcoming version of Intellisync will support BCM, but the version 5.3 or earlier does not.
Is there a limit on the amount of data I can put in the notes for a BCM account or contact?
posted 28 Oct 03
Yes, the limit is apparently 4000 characters.
How can I import data from ACT! or QuickBooks?
posted 28 Oct 03
You may need local administrator privileges to import from these two programs; see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=828250. Once you have the right privileges, use File | Import and Export | Business Contact Manager.
How can I customize the BCM forms and the drop-down lists on the forms?
posted 28 Oct 03
BCM provides no built-in way to customize these lists. They are linked with the database.
How can I export from the Opportunities or Business History folder?
posted 28 Oct 03
There is no built-in way to export that information.
How can I fix a setup error that refers to sqlunirl.dll or dbnetlib.dll?
posted 28 Oct 03
The MSKB article at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=828240 explains that this problem may be related to your Windows configuration.
Can I install BCM in a Terminal Services environment?
posted 28 Oct 03
Yes, but you may need to change the location of the Temp folder, as described in the MSKB article at Business Contact Manager Setup Does Not Complete Successfully in a Windows 2000 Terminal Services Environment.
Can I use BCM with an Exchange mailbox?
posted 7 Feb 2004
Microsoft officially does not support using BCM with an Outlook profile that includes an Exchange account, unless that account is on a Small Business Server 2003 machine and you have installed the corresponding patch for BCM. If you add a BCM database to a profile that includes Exchange from any other environment, the next time you start Outlook, BCM will remove the database from the profile. However, as described at Using BCM with Exchange Server, it is possible to install the patch and then hack the registry to make BCM work with a profile that contains Exchange even if it isnXcharAPOSXt SBS 2003.
How much space on my hard drive does BCM require?
posted 28 Oct 03
According to Microsoft, you might need up to 190MB to be able to install BCM.
Can I create a distribution list in BCM?
posted 10 Nov 03
No. Outlook will let you create a distribution list in the BCM Accounts or Business Contacts folder. However, because the BCM database is not designed to store information about distribution lists, the next time you start Outlook, it will look like a regular contact and contain no members. You can, however, create DLs in your regular Contacts folder that include BCM contacts and accounts.
How do I get rid of duplicate copies of the BCM Accounts and Business Contacts lists that I see in the Outlook Address Book?
posted 10 Nov 03
The easiest way to fix the Outlook Address Book is to use Tools | Email Accounts to remove it, restart Outlook, then add it back in. After that, you probably will also want to click Tools | Address Books then Tools | Options and set which contacts list to use first to resolve names for email messages.
ERROR MESSAGE: There was a problem connecting to the database engine.
posted 19 Nov 03
To use BCM, a user needs to be a member of the Administrators or BCMUsers group on the computer. The article You Receive an Error Message When You Install Outlook with Business Contact Manager 2003 explains how to add a user to the BCMUsers group.
ERROR MESSAGE: Insufficient disk space
posted 19 Nov 03
As the article Error Message Insufficient Disk Space explains, BCM may require up to 190MB of free disk space on your machine, so you may need to free up space.
I no longer see the Business Tools menu or toolbar after I start Outlook. How can I get the menu back?
posted 23 Nov 03
If you do not see the menu or toolbar, it usually means the BCM add-in failed to load. To try to get it back, make a backup of the Windows registry, then run the registry editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe). In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\ Microsoft.BusinessSolutions. eCRM.OutlookAddIn.Connect.1 key, double-click LoadBehavior and change its value to 3. Then restart Outlook.
What are the system requirements for Business Contact Manager?
posted 7 Feb 2004
According to the BCM FAQ at Microsoft, the requirements are at least an Intel Pentium III 450 MHz or higher processor (or equivalent), at least 256 MB of RAM, and 190 MB available hard disk space.
After installing BCM, Windows XP Home now forces me to log on, rather than going directly to the desktop. How can I get the old behavior back?
posted 26 Dec 03
The requirement for a logon is related to the fact that BCM uses the Microsoft .NET Framework. As a workaround, you can follow the steps detailed in the MSKB article How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows to configure Windows to log in automatically.
ERROR MESSAGE: "The custom form could not be opened…."
posted 15 Jan 04
BCM sometimes has what is known as a "forms cache" problem. Clearing the cache usually fixes it. Choose Tools | Options | Other | Advanced Options | Custom Forms, then click Manage Forms, then Clear Cache</>.
Why is the Expected Revenue value not the total value of goods and services in an opportunity? Instead it is adjusted by the probability that the opportunity will close.
posted 15 Jan 04
Expected Revenue is a forecasting number, not a number that the accountants will use to report actual sales figures. It is the sum of products x prices that you enter, adjusted for the probability that sale will close. This is used in calculated the overall sales forecast, which will be the sum of the expected revenue from all opportunities.
You can see the actual unadjusted revenue by adding the Total Value field to the folder view.
During the BCM installation, I get an error message: "Setup failed to configure server; refer to the server error logs and setup error logs for more info." How can I fix this?
posted 15 Mar 2004
Look for the folder \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$MicrosoftBCM. If you find it, delete it, and then rerun setup. The article PRB: "Setup Failed to Configure the Server" Error Message When You Install MSDE explains this issue in more detail.
How can I add existing journal items to the BCM Business History folder?
posted 3 Mar 2004
BCM provides no way to do this. The Business History folder is an Outlook journal folder, but the key fields that link a history item with its business contact or account are not visible to the user. Furthermore, while you can use the Link to History command on the BCM toolbar to link an existing appointment or task, that command is disabled for journal items. The only way to add a new Business History entry is to use the Add button on the open business contact or account.
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Last reviewed on Apr 5, 2012
Can I change the name and use of fields in the account records? If so how?
I am trying to convert a remote sql BCM database back to a local copy. Please impart your vast knowledge on me.
Thanks.
Sorry for taking so long to reply, I was away on a business trip and couldn’t test the steps. I still can’t, because I needed to reinstall windows and didn’t install BCM yet. :( What I know: You need to backup the db and then import/connect to it on the local machine. I’d unshare it first, but i don’t think it matters. If you only have the shared copy on the local computer, I’ll have to check the steps and see if it’s possible, but I’d try backing it up then importing it into a new db/config. I don’t think you can unshare it and just use it, like you can with the master copy.