– Jürgen Hernadi, Group IT-Director of Systemair AB

Customer: Systemair AB

Activity: Global leader in ventilation, heating, and cooling solutions

Headquarters: Skinnskatteberg, Sweden

Size: Operates in 51 countries with about 6,700 employees

Users: 1600 users in Dynamics 365

Products:

• CB Dynamics 365 to SharePoint Permissions Replicator
• SharePoint Structure Creator

When a company grows, security gaps that once seemed minor can turn into real headaches unless they are addressed in time.

Systemair, a global leader in energy-efficient indoor climate solutions, encountered this very challenge with its use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM (now Dynamics 365) and SharePoint for document management. What started as a reasonable security compromise in 2010 was regularly reevaluated as the company’s user base and international presence expanded. In 2021, Systemair resolved this potential headache decisively by implementing an out-of-the-box solution called CB Dynamics 365 to SharePoint Permissions Replicator.

Let’s learn the ups and downs of this journey to secure documents as the company grew and systems moved from on-premises to the cloud.

The Challenge: Staying Ahead of Security Risks

Back in 2010, when Systemair first implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM version 4 in a single location, the default integration with SharePoint seemed acceptable. Documents were meant to be accessed only through the CRM, so the team accepted that SharePoint permissions weren’t automatically synced with the CRM’s detailed security model.

Jürgen Hernadi from Systemair recalls: "We knew that we had a small security issue there that if you find out a path, you can reach most of the documents because they are not blocked."

As the company expanded dramatically, eventually reaching more than 1,500 CRM users worldwide, this "small" issue became unacceptable. The SharePoint environment was used exclusively for CRM-related documents (no external sharing or internet exposure), but the lack of proper permission synchronization meant any internal user who guessed or discovered a direct path to a folder could potentially access sensitive files they shouldn’t see.

The team seriously considered custom development through a Microsoft partner, but they saw how the complexity could be a problem: "You really need to think twice before starting something like this on your own because it is highly complicated!", Jürgen Hernadi remarked. In fact, ongoing synchronization of permissions is necessary, and you need to accommodate all the scenarios: onboarding, offboarding, changing roles, and many more!

Discovery and Proof of Concept: A Pleasant Surprise

Jürgen Hernadi found Connecting Software while searching online for solutions. Systemair then decided to run a proof-of-concept, and the results were impressive right away.

Jürgen Hernadi shares: "It was amazing to see how good and how smart this was working out of the box without any individual programming!"

From day one, the support team provided excellent guidance, helping Systemair move from testing to full implementation. The final solution involved two complementary tools from Connecting Software:

• CB Dynamics 365 to SharePoint Permissions Replicator — the core component that automatically mirrors permissions from Dynamics CRM to SharePoint, ensuring users have access to the exact same documents in both systems—no more, no less.
• SharePoint Structure Creator — used to organize documents efficiently in a configurable folder structure and avoid hitting SharePoint’s unique permissions limit.

Jürgen Hernadi explains the combined solution simply: "For me, it’s only one solution, at the end, to synchronize the permissions from CRM to SharePoint."

The business goal was crystal clear: "If a user can reach a document in the CRM, the user shall reach it in SharePoint and vice versa.” Even more important is what the user cannot access: “In fact, if a user cannot reach a record in the CRM,  the user shall not be able to open the related SharePoint folder."

The Big Migration: From On-Premises to Cloud (and Millions of Folders)

After years of successful on-premises use, Systemair undertook a major "big bang" migration to the cloud in January 2025, which involved moving both Dynamics CRM and SharePoint to the cloud simultaneously.

The volume of files to be moved was enormous, which meant the work in terms of permissions was also enormous: more than 4 million folders had to be processed during the initial permission replication and structure setup. This took weeks to complete due to Microsoft API limitations, but ”looking at the Connecting Software’s side, it was just smooth”, Jürgen Hernadi adds.

He also feels it was crucial that the Connecting Software team would always step up with proactive support: "If we face an issue, we can contact you, and usually in one or two hours, we get a response and, more, your support is really working very proactively."

The Results: Reliable Security That Just Works

Today, the solution runs quietly and flawlessly in the background, protecting sensitive documents across a global workforce without manual intervention or workflow disruptions.

When asked to rate the products and support on a scale of 0 to 10, Jürgen Hernadi didn’t hesitate: “This software works brilliantly, and the support is also really super good, I would give both 10 points out of 10!"

He adds that the team has always received help, even when troubleshooting issues that in the end were not caused by the software.

Key Takeaways for IT Leaders Managing Dynamics 365 CE + SharePoint

1. Don’t assume default Microsoft integration is secure enough. Permissions are not aligned automatically, and that can become a serious risk.
2. Consider off-the-shelf tools before custom development — Systemair avoided a highly complex (and expensive) in-house or partner-built solution by finding one that "just worked" out of the box.
3. Plan for the future — With Microsoft updates and organizational changes coming your way, strong vendor support makes all the difference.
4. Proactive beats reactive — Address permission gaps before a breach or audit forces your hand.

Systemair’s story is a classic example of forward-thinking security: they closed the gap early, scaled globally, and moved to the cloud without drama, and gained peace of mind.

If you have any questions or you would like to evaluate how this could work for your organization, please contact us here: https://www.connecting-software.com/permissions-replicator-sign/?wpf29775_4=Detailed%20Info 

About Systemair

Systemair is a leading ventilation Group that helps improve the indoor climate through energy-efficient products and solutions. The Systemair Group conducts business in 51 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Africa.  Systemair has reported an operating profit since its founding in 1974, and currently has about 6,700 employees.