Dynamics,Implementing,New,Corp computer Dynamics GP Implementing a New Corporate ERP System

Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a

Please, consider seeing multiple demos, and on the initial phase of selection, do not make unnecessary commitments.   We recommend you to think on the first selection phase about prospective Accounting system life cycle and haw matured you would like to see your future dream system.  Both sides of the spectrum have their pluses and shortcomings.  For example, matured ERP application has proven business logic and probably has less tendency to be sort of “buggy”.  On the other hand a newcomer on the Corporate ERP software market might have very cool and intuitive user interface and simpler integration option with other applications (clip board, Excel, you name it).  Dynamics GP is currently under its user interface simplification and technology renovation phase (together with the whole family of Microsoft Dynamics ERP products) – one of the objectives is to enable Dynamics GP for self-discovery to Microsoft Office and Outlook experienced computer users.  Plus integration with Sharepoint, Microsoft Metrics, Workflow – a lot of activity is going on to improve user interface intuition and user friendliness.  Also, Dynamics GP or how it was known in historical perspective – Great Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise should be recognized as pretty matured ERP, MRP, HR, Accounting platform with initial versions introduced in very earlier 1990th on Great Plains Dexterity architecture.  If you would like to check on the competition, we recommend you to take a look at Microsoft Dynamics AX (Axapta, if you are larger organization) or SAP Business One (for smaller ambitions, but also very innovative technology and user interface).  Now, let’s move on to the functionality and technology layers of Dynamics GP:1. Functionality.  Since its inception in earlier 1990th Great Plains Software and its successor Microsoft Business Solutions had multiple chances to extend the number of modules, vertical and horizontal business niches through their own programming efforts or through the acquisitions.  Such series, as Project Accounting (acquired from Match Data), Manufacturing Suite (Icontrol manufacturing acquisition – covers discrete manufacturing routines), Distribution series (in-house developed mostly), Human Resources (acquisition), Purchase Order Processing (the deal with Intellisol Purchase Order Processing and Project Accounting failed in late 1990th, and PO module was developed directly by GPS).  There is also non-for-profit Accounting (with Grant Management, requires Analytical Accounting module).  Field Service (acquisition).  With very decent integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Great Plains has the way open for Customer Relation Management functionality.  These are just the examples, you may expect more modules available for Dynamics GP, plus there are hundreds of Add-ons, programmed and supported by Dynamics GP ISV channel: eCommerce, Warehouse Management Systems, SCM, Logistics, etc.2. User Interface.  There are probably two counterparts – the first is popular so-called “fat client”, realized in Microsoft Dexterity (formerly known as Great Plains Dexterity).  Dexterity is the shell, in turn coded in C++ to provide reasonable level of abstraction for graphical interface and database platform (these two criteria were reasonably on the top of the Corporate ERP architecture design list, as it was difficult to stake on the single platform – Microsoft Windows, versus Mac or even Unix/Solaris and later on Linux and C programming language provides reasonable level of abstraction).  Microsoft Business Solutions did wonderful job, improving Dexterity user interface to make it compatible with most of the Microsoft Office applications, plus improvements to clip board copy and paste support (especially in Report Writer screen printouts).  Microsoft Workflow is not pretty matured, especially integrated with Dynamics GP current version 2010 (we are writing these lines in December 2010). And the second interface emerging option is web based Business Portal (with such popular modules as Order Management, Electronic Documents Delivery, HR Employee Self Service, Requisition Management and more)3. Technology Layers.  We already mentioned GP Dexterity – it is real architecture and it also defines not only user interface, but Database structure rules as well.  However in its late years of existence Great Plains Software as well as its successor Microsoft Business Solutions  advanced such tools as eConnect and later on several SDK products (Microsoft Visual Studio, Web Services), these tools further abstract you from Dexterity architecture and enable you to manipulate GP objects and transactions without being exposed to Dexterity training and programming experience.  In the next paragraph we would like to review traditional modification and integration instruments4. Modifier with VBA and Integration Manager.  Modifier is not Microsoft .Net compliant tool, and in order to animate modified forms in GP you will need to deploy VBA event driven scripts.  Integration Manager is now in technological transition to switch from OLE Server technology to eConnect connectors, and VBA scripts are here available to you for altering integration logic.  We have described case studies, where IM was based on Advanced ODBC queries (based on SQL Views either directly across the text files or in MS SQL Server Linked Server construction, the last one could provide you cross-database query capabilities, pulling and joining tables in MS SQL Server, Oracle, MS Access, Text Files, XML, MySQL/Linux).  We typically recommend Integration Manager in utterly challenging data conversion projects, plus in quasi real time data integration with eCommerce in-house programmed web applications (with possibly such popular shopping carts, as Magento, ASP.Net Storefront or you name it)5. Changing focus to the Implementation Procedure.  Each Corporate ERP application has some specifics, but general canvas is pretty similar.  You have to be comfortable with your chosen Dynamics GP Partner expertise (including proven cases of GP implementation in your industry), exposure to Great Plains technologies (especially when you contemplate custom programming, challenging integrations and data migrations)6. Implementation, emphasis on the Warehouse Management, SCM and Logistics.  Here we are betting you are expecting heavy deployment of such technologies as Barcoding and even RFID.  By its nature Great Plains Dynamics is client server application and it doesn’t support out of the box such cool barcode laser scanning features as batch mode scanning and later on the whole scanned document upload (as SOP Transaction, image of the Fulfillment document on the warehouse floor, or POP Purchase Receipt, as Inventory Restocking document, to give you couple of examples)7. Implementation, emphasis on EDI or eCommerce.  Here we assume that you are getting ecommerce orders from your customers or EDI sales orders.  Both situations are similar in their image in the Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing Invoice with Customer prepayment transaction.  Ecommerce or EDI document could be integrated in quasi real time via Integration Manager SOP integration or in real time via eConnect Microsoft Visual Studio .Net C# or VB project.  Try to avoid the temptation to do direct SQL insert statement, as you may easily compromise SOP transaction business logic8. Please call us: 1-866-528-0577. We serve you USA/Canada nationwide via remote support (web sessions and phone/skype conferences).  Local service is available in Western Michigan, Chicagoland, Southern California (LA, Orange County, San Diego), Houston area of the state of Texas