Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly popular under Great Plains eEnterprise and Dynamics name, this ERP, MRP, Warehouse and Supply Chain Management application requires certain experience and often your industry knowledge.  Having said that, we expect that some of the local Dynamics GP implementations leave you under impression that your chosen Dynamics GP Reseller was in learning curve mode.  If you feel, that you need second opinion and would like to try guru level Great Plains consultant s and developers, in this small publication we offer Great Plains technology and implementation highlights:

1. Great Plains Architecture.  Dynamics GP is MS SQL Server based application.  If you tried it on MS SQL Server 2008 and Windows 2008 Server, chances are high that you got some issues with bullet proof security and you had to enable SQL port 1433, plus additional directory and shares level rights to your Windows users, especially if you are maintaining centralized Report.dic.  Also, you should have some understanding on Great Plains Dexterity architecture – chunks, dictionaries, Dynamics.set and Dex.ini files.  Most of the Dynamics GP ISV add-ons are coded in Dexterity, as Dex allows you seamless integration with GP user interface and it also creates custom tables in SQL Server company or Dynamics databases

2. Dynamics GP Data Conversion.  If you are migrating from legacy accounting, especially large accounting package: Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP – often due to downsizing, you might be in the trap of over budgeting in Great Plains Data migration.  You should make a pause at some point and reconsider Data Massage and conversion strategy.  Large Corporate ERP applications carry huge amount of historical data and you should accommodate yourself and your IT management to the idea of limiting data conversion to GP and do not convert “All” history, but only something that is absolutely required.  If you are facing your legacy Corporate ERP access termination, please consider exporting “History” from your legacy ERP and importing it into MS SQL Server tables for potential future inquiry only and do not try to move Everything into Dynamics GP tables.  New Corporate ERP data conversion requires special philosophy and expectations management

3. Dynamics GP Customizations.  Here you also have to consider reasonable balance – try to review available core modules and see if your unique business logic could be implemented procedurally in existing GP functionality.  If you have too many exceptions and standard logic doesn’t fit, you might be trying to save too much on new Corporate ERP software licenses – try to think about Corporate ERP for larger organization, Microsoft Dynamics AX Axapta for example

4. Dynamics GP version upgrade.  Here you also have to do your homework.  Microsoft Business Solutions tries to release new version of it s Dynamics products every two years.  However if you try to upgrade your one-step-behind version of Dynamics GP immediately – you may be at risk to be placed in Beta testing clientele pool.  And to our knowledge a lot of quick fixes and known issues are patched the next few month or first half a year of new version life

5. Dynamics GP and Industry knowledge.  Here you have to try to avoid risk of Dynamics GP consultant not being familiar with your industry niche requirements.  It is important in GP modules selection as well as in user training, business processes mapping and data conversion

6. Local versus Regional or even Nationwide Dynamics GP support.  If your organization is located in rural area and your business model is very traditional: wholesale or retail, simple service, healthcare, manufacturing, you may prefer to appeal to local Dynamics GP Reseller, who will do basic initial service in selling your Dynamics GP licenses, installing the system with CPA type of user training.  However if you are claiming to be industry leader in high-tech, or pioneer in future business models, you may think of reviewing your Dynamics GP implementation case with Nationwide Dynamics GP partner, who typically carries Great Plains Dexterity Software Development Factory and reasonable pool of Master level Dynamics GP Certified Consultants

7. Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com

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The idea that customer relationship software is just for enterprise class businesses has long gone.  Ask your CRM software provider for details of the developments in customer relationship software for businesses of all sizes and you will be met with a barrage of color brochures giving you the lowdown on the market as it stands today.

Microsoft Dynamics Suite has evolved from MS Great Plains, and MS CRM recognizes that there is a market for customer relationship software for mid-range and small businesses.  No longer is there a barrier to implementing a MS CRM solution due to cost, with a range of solutions to fit the all business budgets.

Microsoft Dynamics Suite integrates seamlessly to provide your employees with information on demand concerning customers and prospect at their fingertips.  The benefits of having customer information centralized in one place for everyone in your company to utilize are obvious and self-evident.  The idea of being able to capture, organize and disseminate customer and prospect information at the touch of a button is now a reality.

Microsoft Dynamics Suite provides small and mid-range businesses with the ability to centralize all client and prospect contact throughout the sales cycle, from intial enquiry, pre-sales meeting, order, despatch and after-sales customer support.  More than this, Microsoft Dynamics Software delivers information to everyone in your business the information they need on business activity when they need it and presented in a format that is understandable and tailored to meet the individual needs of your business.

Microsoft CRM provides mobile and remote workers with the up-to-date information on the status of prospect and customer enquiries far faster and more accurately than any traditional methods currently employed by businesses today.  Using Microsoft Dynamics Suite any business is able to deploy the benefits of customer relationship management software to provide the benefits of enhanced customer service, avoidance of non-productive activity and concentration of resources on maximizing revenues.

Microsoft Dynamics Suite is implementated with minimal business disruption to existing business practices, and quickly adopted by users familiar with Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and Publisher.  Customer and prospect information collected by a MS Dynamics solution is available at your employee’s fingertips and intuitively adopted as it has been designed to integrate seamlessly with existing Microsoft applications.

Importing client information from the Microsoft Dynamics Suite to applications such as Word and Excel for marketing and sales campaigns is child’s play, while mobile and remote workers can continue to be supported from their base by accessing Microsoft Dynamics Software information by using their Outlook email client.

Small and mid-range businesses are now in a position to recover the competitive advantage in delivering customer service that has been eroded by enterprise class customer relationship software, without the need to allocate the enterprise class budgets previously required and with no loss in functionality.  The idea that customer relationship software is solely for enterprise class businesses no longer applies, you need only consult with your Microsoft CRM software provider to learn what is available for your business.

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Microsoft Dynamics CRM has played a very important role for business in managing employees, improved customer service, and improved ability to make good choices relating to the business operation. Now you can manage your business with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and reap the full benefit.

Microsoft CRM will provide your company with complex reports based on the data you’ve collected and you can analyze that data to make decisions about future marketing strategies, product lines, and a host of other important data.

Microsoft CRM view functionality will allow managers and users at all levels to develop their own screen views of data. This is a very handy feature. Let’s say a customer service rep only needs to see name appointment times, and comments, then he/she could set up a screen view that shows just that data. It’ means each user can see information that is relevant to them making it much easier to work with and mangers can see it all if they so desire.

The enhanced integration with Excel is also a real bonus allowing users to export their own views. Again rather than having to weed through information that is of no value to that user they can work with only the data that is important to them.

And to make your reporting and analysis capabilities that much better we have the Excel pivot table which provides a live link to CRM so you are working with real time data. With the pivot table you can choose which fields you want to see in your report, as well as design the report just the way you want it to look.

You can refresh the data as often as you want with real time data. Excel allows for quick report generation to answer quick business questions. What’s great about this functionality is that you don’t have to bother the database administrator to create reports.

When you incorporate SQL Reporting Services you get better business management because you can track the key performance indicators essential to every business.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides many out of the box sales reports but in general each sales manager is looking for data in a different format and it would be impossible for Microsoft to incorporate every option. But the SQL Reporting Services is the perfect platform for creating those in-depth custom reports. After you create the reports they are directly available in Microsoft’s CRM which is ever so convenient. You can even embed links if you like.

Microsoft CRM also integrates with Outlook and Word which means you’ve got a whole lot of power right at your fingertips. And since Microsoft Office is the most used software package and it’s found in almost every office it’s ever so convenient to intergrade your CRM software with your Office software.

When you take it into your hands to manage your business with Microsoft Dynamics CRM you’ll have put power into your business and with power and control comes increased profits.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM has played a very important role for business in managing employees, improved customer service, and improved ability to make good choices relating to the business operation. Now you can manage your business with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and reap the full benefit.

Microsoft CRM will provide your company with complex reports based on the data you’ve collected and you can analyze that data to make decisions about future marketing strategies, product lines, and a host of other important data.

Microsoft CRM view functionality will allow managers and users at all levels to develop their own screen views of data. This is a very handy feature. Let’s say a customer service rep only needs to see name appointment times, and comments, then he/she could set up a screen view that shows just that data. It’ means each user can see information that is relevant to them making it much easier to work with and mangers can see it all if they so desire.

The enhanced integration with Excel is also a real bonus allowing users to export their own views. Again rather than having to weed through information that is of no value to that user they can work with only the data that is important to them.

And to make your reporting and analysis capabilities that much better we have the Excel pivot table which provides a live link to CRM so you are working with real time data. With the pivot table you can choose which fields you want to see in your report, as well as design the report just the way you want it to look.

You can refresh the data as often as you want with real time data. Excel allows for quick report generation to answer quick business questions. What’s great about this functionality is that you don’t have to bother the database administrator to create reports.

When you incorporate SQL Reporting Services you get better business management because you can track the key performance indicators essential to every business.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides many out of the box sales reports but in general each sales manager is looking for data in a different format and it would be impossible for Microsoft to incorporate every option. But the SQL Reporting Services is the perfect platform for creating those in-depth custom reports. After you create the reports they are directly available in Microsoft’s CRM which is ever so convenient. You can even embed links if you like.

Microsoft CRM also integrates with Outlook and Word which means you’ve got a whole lot of power right at your fingertips. And since Microsoft Office is the most used software package and it’s found in almost every office it’s ever so convenient to intergrade your CRM software with your Office software.

When you take it into your hands to manage your business with Microsoft Dynamics CRM you’ll have put power into your business and with power and control comes increased profits.

Using Dynamics GP in an FDA Validated environment!

Life Science professionals are constantly dealing with ever changing rules and regulations.  Having efficient technology solutions to help streamline operations and comply with the always evolving validation requirements is a necessity in today’s business world.

Microsoft continues to focus their efforts on enabling life sciences organizations to quickly deploy an integrated set of leading-edge business applications inexpensively, and without complicated customizations.  To maximize personal productivity, Microsoft offers Dynamics GP, a flexible and rapid deployment option with a familiar user experience, as the business accounting/ERP software for the Life Science Industry.

Recently, FMT Consultants published the following Case Study on how it delivered an FDA Validated ERP and manufacturing solution for Isis Pharmaceuticals. 

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Client Background

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“ISIS”) is the leader in antisense drug development, providing a broad pipeline of drugs applicable to many different diseases. Its antisense technology provides a direct route from genes to drugs, targeting disease at the source. To date, Isis has generated more than .6 billion from the successful execution of its partnership strategy, in which Isis licenses its drugs to partners prior to late-phase development and commercialization, in exchange for upfront license fees, milestone payments and royalties as its partners license and develop its drugs. In addition, ISIS leads the RNA-based therapeutic community as the owner or exclusive licensee of more than 1,600 patents worldwide.

Business Challenge

Because ISIS is a pre-profit company, at least until a drug is successfully brought to market, managing cash flow is critical. Additionally, investors’ dollars must largely support innovation through research and development, not administration and overhead. The initial challenge for ISIS was to replace a limited and aging DOS-based accounting system with software that could provide increased and integrated budget management, purchasing and accounting capabilities. A new, effective ERP/Accounting system needed to greatly decrease administrative labor hours, and greatly increase visibility and tracking of expenses.

Additionally, ISIS needed systems that could effectively manage today’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) needs and support company growth well into the future, including manufacturing systems that were compliant with stringent FDA regulations.

Business Solution

In 1997, ISIS engaged FMT Consultants, LLC (“FMT”) to guide them through the initial software selection process. Ultimately, ISIS chose Microsoft Dynamics GP for its ERP product and FMT as its implementation, customization, and support partner. That partnership has lasted more than 12 years and continues to the present date.

The implementation began with core financial systems, followed by project costing and government reporting capabilities. For the first time, scientists could track specific expenditures and the accuracy of materials they ordered. Because of the high cost of laboratory materials, something as simple as a transposed character on a purchase order could jeopardize the timely and costeffective completion of a project.

In 2000, due to expanding business needs, ISIS initiated an even broader implementation under the direction of Beth Hougen, Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. Her objectives were three-fold:

Ensure that the systems were structured to take ISIS well into the future with minimal changes.
Fully optimize the software while integrating it with all ancillary software.
Enable ISIS to become “self-sufficient” in managing the system.

According to Ms. Hougen, the implementation went beautifully and according to plan, resulting in a fully integrated financial system that was entirely in the hands of ISIS to maintain.

In 2000, another essential business requirement for ISIS was to be able to manufacture commercial quantities of its lead drug. This meant that manufacturing systems needed to be brought into a state of validation compliant with FDA regulations. While at the time FMT had minimal experience with the actual validation process itself, they were still selected to partner with ISIS to produce the validation documentation, a laborious and detail-oriented project, primarily because FMT already knew the ISIS manufacturing process so well and ISIS trusted FMT with the ultimately successful validation effort.

By 2007, because ISIS was no longer manufacturing its drugs for commercial sale, its manufacturing processes had fallen out of an FDA validated state. So in late 2008, ISIS determined it would begin an entirely new validation effort. FMT took on the project management role, providing a high-level plan and producing all the documentation including installation qualification, process qualification and user requirements. By early 2009, the manufacturing system was again successfully brought into a validated state.

Over time, ISIS has successfully and economically upgraded from the first implementation of Great Plains (Version 4) to the latest version to date, Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0.

Looking forward, ISIS together with FMT expects to develop a new, expanded chart of accounts and to improve its financial reporting capabilities to serve the company for years to come.

Benefits

According to ISIS executives, the company has experienced profound benefits from Microsoft Dynamics GP and FMT including:

More accurate, timely and transparent expense reporting
Less time devoted to manual, repetitive tasks and guesswork
Real-time reporting for improved collaboration with partners
Efficiencies in financial management resulting in a small staff relative to the company size
Assurance that manufacturing systems are compliant with Title 21 CFR part 11 of the FDA validation requirements
A trusted partner that works effectively with a broad range of technology, and sensitively within the ISIS culture.

***

FMT Consultants has comprehensive experience in the Life Science industry. Our clients span from Discovery Phase organizations to Globally Mature companies. With a strong dedication to the Life Science’s community, FMT understands what is required for companies to move from one phase to the next and uses technology to ease this transition while gaining and maintaining compliance in and around the implemented systems.

FMT recognizes the complexities and demands required for successfully managing a Life Sciences company, and offers technology services that help streamline operations, improve reporting capabilities, gain real-time access to information, and improve data and inventory tracking.

FMT also understands the regulatory and compliance issues that many Life Science companies are facing and have developed a library of Intellectual Property that provide a cost effective validation solution. As a firm that utilizes the entire Microsoft stack, FMT clientele will always have the most up-to-date technology software and with our CustomerCare Training Series which offers cost effective training for new hires, full user competence is assured.

For more information, check out http://www.fmtconsultants.com/lifesciences

Accounting software

Accounting softwares are application softwares that records and processes accounting transactions within functional modules such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and trial balance. It functions as an accounting information system and are developed in-house by the company or organization using it, may be purchased from a third party, or may be a combination of a third-party application software package with local modifications. Retail management system application development facilitates development of the accounting software like quickbooks and also makes use of microsoft dynamic rms v2. It also provides the provides the synchronization facility. The associated technologies used are c#.net, sql server 2005, windows vista, xp.

CRM

This project describes a software which is developed which makes the customer information and the relationship management plan for their customers to be tracked in Trace-CRM. The core technology used here is Dynamics Retail management system. Here the product review is based on the projected Pipeline, Order Booked, and Billing Actual needs to be enabled in Trace CRM. And is currently done in a standalone application (EPD Sales Review Portal) .Based on the Sales Funnel ME; RSM AND NSM can do a periodic Review and provide their review comments. The System will also provide MIS for BU Head, NSMs and RMs in a centralized system. The primary Objective of this software is to ensure correct billing details to be captured for Management Reviews. Associated technologies used are microsoft dynamics crm 4.0, asp.net 2.0, c#, sqlserver 2005.

CRM Customizations and Support

CRM customization are necessary to enhance the workflow in an organization and is usually what empowers the employees to achieve maximum efficiency. Custom business processes can be created or changed quickly to fit the rapidly changing needs of an organization with the help of CRM customization. No department operates as an island, so there got to be synchronization A single customer contact can ripple through every department leaving in its wake either cohesive communication or chaos. That’s why a customer relationship management (CRM) system capable of high levels of customization is vital. CRM is to Maintain and to evaluate the various functionalities including the sales and Marketing strategy of the Products which are supplied to all the customers. It maintains the information about Hardware as well as Software products and automates various functionalities as per the requirement. A application is devised using Dynamic RMS Development, makes a CRM more customized. The associated technologies used are microsoft dynamics crm 4.0, asp.net 2.0, c#, sqlserver 2005.

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Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is essential in the management of any sales driven business and Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides a solution to deliver management control over the entire business cycle from initial contact, pre-sale enquiries and meeting to sale and after sales servicing of clients in order to solidify the business relationship.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides modules for sales, marketing and customer service which are extremely “granular”, that is, you have the ability to drill down to the core components of your business performance to individual relationship activity or step back and take a macroscopic view of the overall performance.

It is self-evident that developing business relationships that bind your clients and customers to your business helps you to maximize revenue and enhance profitability. Microsoft Dynamics CRM places you in control of managing the business relationship with your clients, even in the most complicated of sales processes. This ensures you will be able to meet their needs and service requirements on time.

Managing the disparate activities of prospecting, marketing, initial enquiry handling through to sale completion is a difficult and complicated task which Microsoft Dynamics CRM simplifies with intuitive, easy-to-use features to empower management.

Business managers will be able to coordinate the business generating activities to obtain the most effective combined result for both the client and your company.

The ability to manage and control the business sales process implies that the there are measurable and identifiable deliverables produced, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides detailed reports of all business activities relating to each customer.

The ability to identify and target customers, comparison of effectiveness of various marketing activity and campaigns and the appropriate deployment of sales resources are provided by Microsoft Dynamics CRM and are extremely cost effective.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides a seamless user experience as it integrates quickly and easily with other Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Office Outlook. As Microsoft designed Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Office Outlook in mind, users require less time and training resources to familiarize themselves with the tool.

Microsoft Office users, familiar with MS Excel spreadsheets and MS Word word processing, are quickly able to migrate data from these more familiar applications to and from Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The result is that user adoption is widespread, making it faster and easier to integrate the program with others. Business users experience an increase in ROI due to widespread adoption of Microsoft CRM Software.

From the business user’s viewpoint, implementation is greatly simplified and disruption minimized as Microsoft Dynamics CRM not only adapts seamlessly with employee activity but it is easily manipulated to provide a bespoke CRM solution tailored to meet your current business practices.

Microsoft Dynamic CRM Software makes it easy to modify forms, data fields and how client relationship data is presented are readily adaptable.

The largest software company in the world develops Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft provides the security that this CRM solution, increasing the likelihood that it will be supported effectively and consistently in the future.

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Customer Relationship Management software effectively implemented, provides business owners and management with an extremely powerful tool for bringing the front-office functions of sales, marketing and customer support together and working far more effectively as a combined team.

Many businesses think wrongly that a CRM solution is only for enterprise class concerns with large check books when in fact software providers such as Microsoft offer scaleable versions for all company sizes. Microsoft Dynamics Software has evolved from their enterprise class Great Plains software however versions have been developed and aimed specifically at the small and mid-range business market.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM v3.0 allows businesses to respond to the growing challenges in the modern business environment by bringing client and prospect information into a central repository, organizing the information and allowing users throughout the business to access the data when they need it. Microsoft Dynamics CRM v3.0 delivers the ability to manage the customer relationship throughout the entire sales cycle from initial enquiry in response to a marketing or sales campaign, through to pre-sales meetings, the actual sale and post sale issues such as delivery and repeat ordering.

Microsoft Dynamics software empowers every decision maker in your business to satisfy customer demands by providing the most up-to-date and accurate client information they need when they need it and ensure that the history of the relationship is encapsulated for all to share. Decision makers in this context need not necessarily be management but a customer service representative with a customer on the telephone asking about an order or information on your other products. All staff in contact with prospects and customers will be able to see at a glance what is happening with a particular account and in customer relations, knowledge is power. Customer relationship software provides everyone in your business with the ability to demonstrate an outstanding level of customer service not possible by traditional reporting methods.

The ability to integrate a customer relationship software solution with existing applications already employed by your business allows for the transfer of information between your word processor and spreadsheet applications and the CRM. Microsoft CRM software has been specifically designed with Microsoft Outlook and Office in mind, and allows a seamless user experience. Mobile workers reliant upon email are able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM v3.0 via their Outlook client, while marketing and sales campaigns can use data imported from the Dynamics Suite directly into Microsoft Word and Excel applications for marketing campaigns and mail shots.

If your business has several office and site locations, it is still possible to implement a customer relationship software solution across the whole company. Microsoft Dynamics v3.0 is well adapted to be delivered to remote locations via Microsoft Terminal Services, Citrix and other “thin client” solutions. An example is where a business has a central warehousing facility in Detroit with sales offices in New York, San Francisco and Chicago and they all are able to utilise the customer relationship software solution almost in real-time.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM v3.0 benefits your business by saving time and costs, minimizing non-productive activity while maximizing sales revenue by ensuring that sales leads are followed up and do not get lost or “fall between the cracks”, while customer retention is improved by enhancing customer relations and service.

Former Great Plains Dynamics is now part of Microsoft Dynamics family of Corporate ERP applications: GP, AX, NAV, SL.  While core Great Plains Financials modules are straight forward in their implementation, data conversion and reporting (General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Bank Reconciliation) – Distributions set of modules often requires Dynamics GP Partner dedication to such technologies as Supply Chain Management, Barcoding, Warehouse Management, Logistics, Manufacturing, and even be very comfortable with GP customization tools and programming options: Microsoft Dexterity, eConnect, SQL scripting, Barcode scanner programming.  Plus – industry expertise is often a big plus, including discrete manufacturing, consignment, picking and packing with regulation compliance:

1. WMS module overview and positioning.  If you are implementing Great Plains and now looking at Warehouse Management extension for GP, you are likely to be mid-size manufacturing, regional distributor or retailer.  This system is typically Barcode scanning based and its Software licenses cost and implementation could be comparable or even exceed core GP modules.  Business processes for Supply Chain Management might be difficult in their formalization, this is why you may expect some modifications to be required on the first or the second phase of WMS implementation.  There are two approaches in WMS module selection – pick External Warehouse Management Application or WMS extension, which work directly with GP modules and doesn’t require additional integration (as you would need in the case of External WMS).  Considering high WMS implementation cost, we recommend you to secure special commitment from your key personnel, and we do recommend you to assign or hire professional project manager in staff in additional to picking Dynamics GP WMS Partner and ISV.  From the technology standpoint Warehouse Management System is typically build upon SOP, POP and Inventory Control modules, sometimes extending also Bill of Materials or Manufacturing suite of modules.  ERP software industry also has some specifics, such as annual software support contracts (where you have automatic access to new version, when it is released, plus you have discounted price per support case) – please, incorporate this cost into your WMS and ERP implementation and support budget

2. Consignment and other elements of Supply Chain Management.  If you have contracts with your business partners, such as small retail stores, restaurants, vending machines to deliver merchandize on consignment with delivery route and dates optimization – this is available extension to the WMS module.  Consignment, besides being accounted on your books, is often very creative and may require customization in its implementation.  We often see Consignment needs in Food and Textile industries for Great Plains

3. WMS and Production functionality.  Besides the needs to open Manufacturing modules screens for Barcode integration, you may also need to implement Manufacturing Order integration and processing automation.  We recommend you to consider Workflow and Posting Server, where you can automate multiple steps (where no GP user intervention is required) with dialogs, where you would like to provide optional decision making

4. How to request WMS support and demo?  Please, call us 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com  You can enjoy local support in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego, plus we serve you USA, Canada , Mexico nationwide and internationally.  SCM industry requires dedication and it is common for WMS consultants to travel internationally for initial implementation and then provide ongoing support remotely

5. Related topic #1 – WMS Sales, Implementation and Support internationally.  If you are in US or Canada – there is no problem to pick and invite Barcoding and ERP consultants.  However, if you are located internationally, WMS people could be not ready to travel to your place due to various reasons, including not being familiar with your country language, business legislation and traditions.  In our case, we are dedicated to international Corporate ERP and MRP market and our consultants speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Filipino, Russian.  Dynamics GP is only localized (local language support and legislation compliance) in English speaking countries (US, Canada – including Quebec in French, Australia, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, Oceania) , plus in Spanish for Latin America and Caribbean islands and in Arabic for Middle East.  There are Dynamics GP add-ons allowing you to have GP interface in Chinese, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Italian,  again, please be sure that you do understand the difference between ERP being localized and supporting local language only (not being necessary compliant to local country tax code)

6. Related Topic #2 – Dynamics GP Programming and Software Development.  We are just back from Convergence 2010 in Atlanta, where we visited seminar on Dynamics GP customization tools.  David Musgrave, one of the Microsoft Dexterity gurus, indicated that Great Plains Dexterity is still current and robust and you can still rely on and trust to proven traditional Great Plains Software technologies.  In Alba Spectrum we traditionally develop our modules in Dexterity and we are Dynamics GP Source Code Partner (who has access Dexterity Source Code).  We invite existing or new Great Plains customers or resellers to view our Great Plains Dexterity Software Development Factory presentation

If you are selecting new Corporate ERP or just Accounting system, or when you would like to look for second opinion, recover failed implementation, or simply cut down ERP support cost, we would like to share with you some methods, based on decade long ERP implementation experience.  We will try to categorize these methods by implementation phase: selection, implementation, ongoing support, recovery, version upgrade.  In our opinion – most of these rules could be applicable to mid-size business generic ERP system implementation and support, however we are sticking to Dynamics GP, formerly known as Great Plains:

1. Sales Cycle.  Here we recommend you to consider the possibility, that your potential reseller and implementation partner might be especially good in sales engineering, and at the same time be short of your industry expertise, or have poor technology expertise.  Check references accordingly.  Second point – you may not necessary expect budget ERP application to cover all the required features.  Try to find balance between available functionality (especially from the perspective to use the system as is in the first phase) and flexibility (it would be perfect to postpone custom programming to the future phases, where you are more familiar with existing business logic and its limitations).  The third point – consider purchasing software licenses from the same reseller, who will be implementing the system (if you purchase license from one partner and then chose second one for the implementation itself – your second provider might have less incentives to do the job with the best possible quality)

2. Implementation Cycle.  Here the problems might be related to complex (and probably not really required) data conversion.  Consider keeping your legacy accounting available for historical inquiries and convert only cards (GL accounts, customers, vendors, employees) and beginning balances.  Do not convert past years transactions history in Sales, Purchasing and other modules.  Secondly – do not try to make sort of “turn key” project (including custom logic).  Modifications might be prematurely mapped – we recommend you to use your new system to better understand its power and limitations.  Custom business logic might be replaced with settings, user defined fields and work around procedures

3. Ongoing Support.  Here, plan for improvements, but try to stick to the time schedule and budget.  When your system is in production phase – you have more control and cost cutting options.  Here you may decide, for instance, to change your consultant, as implementation is done and you may feel that focus is now on light customization, and reporting, exposing system to ecommerce or EDI integration – all these are more technology oriented, comparing to what you value in the implementation phase.  For additional ideas – you may decide to automate your warehouse management and barcoding, shipping and receiving, POS and Retail operations in Great Plains

4. Version Upgrade.  Corporate ERP software industry is trying to increase versions release speed (and make regular service packs recommended).  In our opinion, you can save your support dollars, if you apply conservative rules to ERP software version updates.  Specifically for Dynamics GP you can check with your service provider which historical version is still supported by Microsoft and try to skip one or two versions, if your legacy version is supported.  At the end of the day – the improvements, introduced in the newest version might be not that valuable for your business and if you are happy with the current version – why should you expose yourself to the Great Plains version upgrade surgery too often?

5. System recovery and second opinion.  If your system implementation failed and you tried to recover it with original consultant, please do not let the project to eat all your IT budget, as GP is relatively popular accounting system and there are numerous consultants available and ready to help you with recovery.  Again, as we already mentioned, the emphasis should be done on your industry expertise and technical background

6. International ERP challenges.  We saw numerous examples, when multinational corporation with Dynamics GP implemented in Headquarters tried to consider deploying it for the branches in the countries, where Great Plains is not localized.  Technically, you can translate GP screens into foreign language, but the second part of Accounting system localization – compliance to local business regulation might be too challenging for in-house efforts.  This is why we rather encourage you to research other options: Microsoft AX Axapta or SAP Business One (these applications are available in most of the countries and localized, comparing to GP, which is available in English speaking countries, plus in Canadian Quebec, Spanish speaking Latin America).  It is more budget wise efficient to implement SAP Business One for your facility, say in Brazil, China or Russia and then integrate it on FRx consolidate reporting level (or even moving SB1 GL transactions into Great Plains shadow company every night) versus trying to localize GP for these countries

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