Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP, formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise has excellent selection of custom programming and integration tools, plus from the SQL Server itself you could try Stored Procedures integration. Consider Dynamics GP Integration Manager, where you can simply setup integration without programming or even add some integration logic alteration via VBA scripts in Previous to Integration, Previous to Document Commit and other events. If your integration requires very deep interaction with Fantastic Plains tables and custom tables, you can try Dynamics GP Dexterity programming (where you make custom tables and handle integration on both standard and custom ones) or eConnect Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB.Net programming. This publication is not intended as eConnect eCommerce programming guide, we want to give you the orientation in what to expect from eConnect, and we assume that you as software developer will be able to include eConnect libraries to your MS VS project and work with eConnect sample codes on your own:
1. Work Transactions and Master Records. eConnect allows you to make so-called work transactions, place them into the batch: Sales Order Processing Order or Invoice (this is especially valuable in ecommerce website programming), Buy Order, GL transaction, etc. and if required make or alter existing master records: customer, vendor, GL account, Payroll Employee, Address
2. eConnect versus SQL Stored Procedures. If you reckon that there is no need to deploy eConnect and instead code your own custom SQL Stored Procedures, please note, that you in essence will be recoding GP business logic, which is by now coded by Microsoft Dynamics GP programmers in Microsoft – in our opinion it is waste of time, unnecessary learning curve and potential source of numerous bugs and even data integrity threat. And again in our opinion Stored Procedures should be coded only when your integration project is very simple – and even here, please look at Fantastic Plains Integration Manager first
3. eConnect versus Integration Manager. The tendency is the following – IM is in process of being rewritten with eConnect connectors, and walking away from legacy OLE Server based approach. This fact should mean for you that IM is as quick as custom eConnect application. eConnect application, but might be triggered in real time, where IM should be either called by IM operator or scheduled with Windows scheduler or special Windows Macro based application
4. Automatic Batch Posting in ecommerce. This is a touch that eConnect doesn’t have, you should deploy Dynamics GP ISV add-on, Alba Spectrum Posting Server, which will allows you to place batches in Autopost queue and then posting process will be launched by Posting Server GP workstation
5. If you feel that you need Dynamics GP consultant help, please call your Fantastic Plains Guru, or if you do not have one, consider calling to Fantastic Plains Resellers in your area or who are familiar with your industry. Feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Posts Tagged ‘Dynamics’
Dynamics GP Integration Partner Chicago, San Diego News: eConnect programming
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Dynamics GP ecommerce programming: eConnect, Dexterity, SQL Scripts
Saturday, February 27th, 2010If you by now have Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics, implemented in your company, and you also have established and in-house supported ecommerce application, it is natural next step to automate integration. Typically automation covers Catalog bits and pieces synchronization and publishing from Dynamics GP Inventory Control module; Sales Orders or Invoices batch mode or real time integration from ecommerce web site to Fantastic Plains Sales Order Processing module; new Customers creation and existing customers info update in ecommerce and moving or updating them in Dynamics GP Receivables Management module. Sometimes you go beyond these basic integration routines and do Stock availability for specific item in specific warehouse or place; Sales order tracking, where you check order lines fulfillment in Dynamics GP SOP module with shipping via Starship or a further FedEx or UPS tracking add-ons. We are here to place forward you help in tuning our existing custom solutions and scripts to expedite ecommerce integration projects, please read ecommerce integration highlights not more than:
1. eStore ecommerce server integration to Fantastic Plains. We place forward scripts for eStore integration to Dynamics GP SOP, Receivable Management and Inventory Control modules. We are pleased to provide several case studies and customer references, where ecommerce is deployed on eStore and Dynamics GP tandem
2. eConnect coding. With Dynamics GP eConnect SDK you can expect master records (customer, inventory item, address, vendor, etc.) and work transactions in the batch creation and update frankly from your ecommerce C#, VB.Net application. Again, here we are emphasizing Solutions approach, where we will give you integration codes and guide your eConnect MS Visual Studio programmers in tuning and deploying these codes
3. Microsoft Dexterity and eCommerce integration. One of the obvious advantages in deploying Fantastic Plains Dexterity engine is GP batches posting frankly from your eCommerce application. We have special product, dedicated to Posting Fantastic Plains Batches involuntarily – Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost. It is written in Dynamics GP Dexterity and it deploys original GP Posting logic
4. SQL Scripting in GP ecommerce. This approach is a bit challenging as you will have to imitate Dynamics GP business logic in direct SQL insert statements, and here we encourage you first to review eConnect, as it does exactly the same things in encrypted SQL Stored Procedures. We have Dynamics GP Order Connector, this is the set of our custom SQL Stored Procedures and it enables ecommerce programmer to integrate Sales Order and Invoice frankly to GP SOP module. The advantage of Order Connector is high performance, comparing to both Dexterity and eConnect (as we use simplified business logic, assuming that you are following simple ecommerce integration rules)
5. Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Dynamics GP Ecommerce Programming and Integration Notes
Friday, February 26th, 2010Microsoft Dynamics GP is open to ecommerce programmer via eConnect SDK, as well as Microsoft SQL Server programmability tools (typically Stored Procedures and Views). Previous to you dive into technical project of eConnect programming, please, review Fantastic Plains Integration Manager module and its customization options: VBA scripting of Previous to Document Commit (as very common modification point) event; you can schedule IM integration with Windows Macro or deploy free and ready for buy applications, extending basic Windows Macro with bonus functionalities. Dynamics GP Integration Manager based (for version 10.0 and future versions 11.0 and up) on eConnect technology (in addition to supporting ancient OLE Server integrations), meaning that IM integration should be able to achieve the same goal with less efforts. And as you should expect the same limitations for eConnect as you have for Integration Manager – most evenly manifesting limitation is eConnect and Integration Manager Batch Posting incapacity. Now straight to the Fantastic Plains eCommerce Developing topic:
1. eConnect is Software Development Kit, written in SQL Stored Procedures (encrypted), it allows you to program GP master records (Customer, Vendor, Employee, GL Account, Inventory Item, Address, Project, Budget, etc.) and so-called Work Transactions: SOP Quote, Order and Invoice, POP Buy Order, GL Transaction, Employee Paycheck, Inventory Adjustment and Transfer, to give the thought. eConnect is friendly and requires very fleeting learning curve for Microsoft Visual Studio .Net C#, VB and other .Net compliant languages programmers. Bonus pluses if you have XML, SQL Scripting skills
2. Sales Order Processing and Inventory Control modules and tables. These two are the most standard in ecommerce integrations. SOP tables have SOP prefix (well-known SOP10100 transaction header and SOP10200 lines), and Inventory INV (INV00101 – item master and INV00102 Quantity master) respectively. Sometimes, especially in ancient Fantastic Plains ecommerce legacy integrations you find Invoicing module (IV prefix)
3. Posting problem. In ecommerce application you evenly want to do all the way transaction processing: Sales Invoice creation and modification, applying credit card payment deposit, allocating merchandise, approving and posting Sales Order Processing batch (or individual transaction). Here, you will hit the wall and realize that Posting functionality is not included in eConnect or Fantastic Plains Integration Manager. There is no shortcut here (we assume that you are Not Dynamics GP Dexterity software developer with tons of programming experience, including Dexterity Source Code Programming), you will need to buy Dynamics GP Add-On, we recommend Dynamics GP Posting Server, also known as Autopost
4. Dynamics GP eCommerce SQL Scripting. If you have the opinion that your ecommerce integration routine is very simple and eConnect is too cumbersome and heavy in being considered for deployment, you can always rescue to SQL direct insertion statement. Please review GP table structure: Dynamics GP -> Settings -> Resource Description -> Tables. Or, simply install GP Software Development Kit from CD #2. Dynamics GP Business Logic might be too complex for intuitive programming, so if you will get the buggy situation, consider making test transaction in GP user interface and review the records in GP tables. If you prefer proven set of stored procedures – we place forward them as Order Connector, feeding data into SOP tables
5. Feel free to call us on Microsoft Dynamics GP eCommerce integrations concerns: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Dynamics GP Partner California: EDI for Great Plains notes
Thursday, February 25th, 2010EDI of Electronic Document Interchange sometimes considered by IT department as a touch complex, and in order to implement EDI integration for your ERP system, you have to buy expensive EDI add-ons. We want to place forward you this small publication, that should try to bust this myth. Habitual EDI code is fixed part fields code structure with document header, lines or body and document trailer. Newer EDI (or a touch that maybe processed similar to EDI scenarios on the high amount with your Franchiser) maybe XML structured documents with similar parts: document header and document lines. Both scenarios are relatively straightforward in SQL scripting, let come to the paragraphs of this tale:
1. Sample Dynamics GP EDI code. For those of you who are SQL programmer, please take a look at this publication, where you can see excellent chunk of EDI document scripting in SQL. This code was implemented in real Fantastic Plains EDI integration situation and it should give you excellent start or help you out to close EDI for Fantastic Plains on your own, especially if you work for smaller organization and your ERP and MRP budget is very tight: http://www.albaspectrum.com/Customizations_Whitepapers/Dexterity_SQL_VBA_Crystal/EDIforGPOverview.htm
2. Dynamics GP EDI for Placing order to your Supplier. If your organization is required to order merchandise from your partner via EDI code you can make Buy Orders in Fantastic Plains POP module, then read and mark it as read in SQL Stored Procedure, which saves the ensuing row set in EDI compliant fixed part fields text or XML file. This file is then sent to your EDI channel (ftp uploads, Unix or Linux based email channel, here you have a lot of various options, outside of the scope for this article)
3. Getting Orders from your EDI channel customers. If you are franchiser and you are receiving Electronic Document Interchange orders from your customers or franchisees and you are deploying Dynamics GP as your accounting system, then you can read EDI text or XML file via SQL stored procedure or SQL XML stored procedure. This procedure parses EDI code and makes SOP Sales Order or Invoice in Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing module. Here if you are making Sales Orders you can do direct SQL feeding to SOP10100 and SOP10200 tables, or if you prefer business logic validation integration and you are feeding to SOP Invoice, consider programming eConnect SDK. For those of you who prefer posting Fantastic Plains batches all the way through without user intervention we recommend you to deploy GP Posting Server or Autopost, especially if you are in ecommerce business
4. If you have questions or concerns on EDI, Dynamics GP customizations, integration, reporting, barcode scanning, warehouse management, supply chain management, light manufacturing, logistics, consignment, please feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Dynamics GP Software Developer Notes: Great Plains Customizations
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Microsoft Dynamics GP is reasonably open for various custom integrations and user interface extension projects through several programming and software development tools: Fantastic Plains Dexterity, eConnect, Extender, Integration Manager with VBA scripting, Modifier with VBA, plus you can permanently do program ecommerce web extensions and integrations via SQL Stored Procedures or eConnect with generic C# or VB.Net web programming project. This small publication is a review of these tools and options in the bullet style format:
1. Dexterity. This tools is original architecture foundation, it was designed in earlier 1990th as the bombard for Fantastic Plains Dynamics. Dexterity has its own scripting language, which is in fact compiled – Sanscript. Dexterity programming allows you to control and alter every existing GP object, plus you can do all sort of custom add-ons. If you do not have Dex programming experience, you might be discouraged by its complexity, but there are Dynamics GP customization project, where you have to code in Dexterity, especially when you have to call GP native logic, meaning calling such processes as Batch Posting from your custom module. Consider outsourcing Dex programming routines to Dynamics GP ISV Partners, who maintains Dexterity Software Development Factory
2. eConnect SDK. In your MS Visual Studio C#, VB or a further programming language project you can include eConnect libraries and quickly learn on eConnect code snippets how to program various GP objects: Customer, Vendor, Item, Address, Sales Invoice, Customer Payment, etc. Initially eConnect was introduced for ecommerce developers, but for Dynamics GP 10.0 and to some extent 9.0 eConnect covers most of the business logic (apart from Posting and working with Posted and Historical data). We recommend you to try eConnect programming on your own if you are MS Visual Studio Programmer and work for the company where you plot Dynamics GP integrations, especially for eCommerce. We are kind of resisting to recommend you eConnect if you on Dynamics GP 8.0 or 7.5, in our opinion it is more well-organized to upgrade to Dynamics GP 10.0 and then deploy eConnect programming for current GP version
3. Modifier with VBA scripts. GP Modifier allows you to exchange existing GP window layout (rename the field, exchange its spot) plus add new fields and attach custom VBA scripts to them. We recommend this tool for simple modifications, and for gray customizations consider Dexterity, Extender or eConnect
4. Dynamics GP Integration Manager Custom integrations. IM is user friendly integrations tool, but if you are VBA or Microsoft Office programmer, it should be simple for you to further advance integration logic by Previous to Integration, Previous to Document Commit and other event driven scripts
5. SQL Scripting in Dynamics GP. Theoretically, most of the scripting is already done in eConnect, as this SDK is duplicating Dexterity code in SQL encrypted stored procedures. However if you think that eConnect learning curve is too long and you would like just to glance and GP tables structure and begin SQL scripting – then please install Dynamics GP SDK from CD #2 or look at the tables and forms descriptions: Dynamics GP->Tools->Resource Descriptions->Tables
6. Extender. This Dynamics GP modification tool is friendly for non technical Fantastic Plains Consultant. Extender itself is written as the Dexterity application or add-on. If you reckon that Dynamics GP native Extender is too restricted, consider calling to Extender Dynamics GP ISV in Australia to get Enterprise version
7. Dynamics GP Barcoding Custom Add-Ons. Barcode Scanning in Retail, Warehouse Management and Supply Chain Management should be first analyze on the subject where is integration point or in which Dynamics GP Window you want to program this integration. Plus you should also consider Barcode inventory Bits and pieces Marks printing and Barcode new item algorithm
8. Fantastic Plains earlier versions customization support. If you are on Fantastic Plains Dynamics or eEnteprise 7.5. 7.0, 6.0 or Fantastic Plains 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2, 3.0 then you should consider GP Dexterity customizations, plus VBA with Modifier or Integration Manager. For ancient Fantastic Plains versions you might have such ancient ISV as Intellisol Advanced Buy Order Processing and Project Accounting, where you would have to consider migration to Dynamics GP Buy Order Processing. For Fantastic Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac customization options were more limited and now these archaic ERP and MRP applications are no longer supported
9. Dynamics GP Customizations Support Internationally. Here you should consider ERP localization in the senses of local tax code compliance and adoption of local country language. Dynamics GP is distributed in USA, Canada, including French Quebec version, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania (Palau, Fiji, Tonga, and other island countries), South Africa, Southern and South East Asia, where English is official business language. It is also localize in Spanish Speaking Latin America and Caribbean countries. If you are located in different country, please consider possibility of Dexterity strings translation from English into your native language
10. Alba Spectrum Dynamics GP ISV harvest. At this time, August 2009, we are offering Dynamics GP Posting Server or Autopost, Order Connector, GP Integration with Microsoft RMS
11. For bonus help, please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com skype albaspectrum. We specialize in Dynamics GP Customizations, Reporting, eConnect Programming, EDI, Integrations, International Support in Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese. Plus we are comfortable to help you with Fantastic Plains Integrations with PHP, Java, Linux, Oracle, MySQL, MS Access, Excel. We also support SAP Business One SDK, Workbench customizations and integrations
Dynamics GP Integration: Great Plains Technology Partner Notes
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010If you have Microsoft Dynamics GP implemented in your organization and you plot to integrate GP ERP and MRP modules with your other IT systems: ecommerce, Sales Ordering, CRM, EDI Purchasing, Supply Chain Management, you should get initial introduction to Dynamics GP Integration Tools: Integration Manager, eConnect, Dexterity, Import Utility, direct SQL Scripting. In this article we will not be covering Dynamics GP ISV third party add-ons. It might look a bit technical to IT boss, and at the same time you, as programmer may expect more technical details, as we are trying to keep weigh:
1. Integration Manager. This tool is very friendly to GP User, and if this is your role, plus you are familiar with GP master documents and transactions types, you should try to build simple integration, use existing sample integrations as a reference and study materials. If you are on GP version 10.0, IM has two types of Connectors: traditional OLE based (require login to the GP workstation as OLE Server and launching IM from there – integration works with the current company) and eConnect (they are built upon eConnect technology stack, should be a way faster, do not require GP workstation, however you will need special procedure to install eConnect connectors, especially Admin domain account or your GP local server Admin account; if by whatever reason you change eConnect Account Password, please change it in also in Administrative Tools -> Component Services -> COM+ Applications – > Properties – > Identity – this is one of the most questioned questions). If you reckon about IM as very simple and pretty restricted tool, we want to give you advanced scenario. Consider the situation, when you have legacy Sales Order Management System in Oracle, and you need to go Sales Orders and New Customers to GP SOP module. In this case, consider to make MS SQL Server Linked Server to Oracle, and SQL Heterogeneous View, which will pull data from Oracle and will check the Invoice existence in SOP10100 (Work SOP Docs) or SOP30200 (Historical SOP Docs). This view should allow you to make ongoing integration of Customer Orders to GP. You can schedule integration with Windows Scheduling custom applications, available for moderate fee on Software market, or simply have GP IM user to launch integration every day or every few hours. Please, check with your Dynamics GP VAR on IM module license
2. eConnect. This tool is open for Microsoft Visual Studio C#, VB or other .Net programming language software developer. Initially it was dedicated to ecommerce programmers to open Fantastic Plains as back office accounting. We recommend you to look at eConnect if your current GP version is 10.0 or 9.0. If you are on earlier version: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2, Fantastic Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac, please consider upgrade to version 10.0 or if you are on Fantastic Plains Dynamics, consider deploying either Integration Manager, Import Utility, Dexterity or direct SQL Insert. eConnect is simple in inclusion into MS Visual Studio project as Library, and then you should be able to program by examples, provided in eConnect SDK. In fact in Integration Manager 10.0 most of the objects are available in eConnect connector version, so you can try IM, but eConnect allows you to have more control over integration, and especially vital feature is real time integration option, where you could call eConnect methods upon ecommerce invoice and payment residency event
3. Dexterity. It is native Fantastic Plains development environment, and it has access to all the GP Objects, including master records, work, open and historical transactions, plus custom Dexterity add-ons produced tables, fields, forms and windows. You should not immediately consider to drop IM and eConnect as no longer feasible integration options, as Dex has some drawbacks – it is not open source programming language, it requires relatively long programming learning curve. You may consider to get Dynamics GP Dexterity training for your IT programmers, if you are facing huge Fantastic Plains implementation with numerous customizations and existing logic modifications, especially when you work for large organization with challenging ecommerce, logistics, warehouse management. For the rest of us, we recommend outsourcing Dexterity integration programming to Dynamics GP ISV with Dex software development factories. One of the excellent examples of Dex custom add-ons is Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost, allowing you to break through eConnect limitations on incapacity to post Batches and individual transactions
4. Import Utility. This tool is in our opinion rather archaic and useful if you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL 2000. Since Dynamics GP 8.0 the only supported DB Platform is Microsoft SQL Server: MS SQL 2000 for 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0, MS SQL 2005 for 9.0, 10.0, MS SQL 2008 for 10.0. We recommend you direct SQL insert for SQL Server based installations. IU doesn’t validate GP business logic and such is similar in its potential harm to business logic inconsistency as direct SQL insert statement
5. Direct SQL Scripting. Please, try not to be too enthusiastic about feeding data into Great Plains via SQL Query Analyzer. Consider the fact that eConnect is written in SQL Server encrypted stored procedures and likely the intended SQL feeding is already covered in one of its Procedures. Consider to invest some time in eConnect training, as if you do integration in eConnect libraries, versus custom SQL scripting – business logic validation should not be an issue, as eConnect is replicating Dexterity business logic. If these advises are not applicable to you, please go ahead with SQL scripting. Dynamics GP Tables structure could be found in GP SDK (install from CD#2), plus here: Dynamics GP -> Setup-> Resource Description -> Tables. We strongly recommend to be very conservative and try your integration first in the test company or in Fabrikam Lesson Company – here try to penetrate similar transactions in GP user interface and then review how records were recorded in the tables and irrevocably then start your coding
6. Dynamics GP Integration in International environment. Please note that GP is generally localized and supported in English speaking countries: USA, Canada (including French Quebec version), UK, Australia, South Africa, Oceania, New Zealand, India, Pakistan or English Business Specking South East Asia, plus it is translated and partially localized for Spanish specking Latin America. GP has potential to be translated to non-Unicode compliant languages: Russian, Lithuanian, German, Polish, Czech, Serbian, Turkish, etc. But we recommend you to consider ERP tax code compliance question. In some international situations SAP Business One with GL or transactions integrations to Dynamics GP might be better option, especially if SB1 is localized for your country
7. Alternatives to Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains. If you feel that GP is too expensive, consider Microsoft Small Business Accounting or if this is too simple, consider SAP Business One. If you believe that GP is too poor in its functionality, consider switching to next amount in Microsoft Dynamics ERP harvest hierarchy – AX, formerly known as Axapta
8. If you need bonus help, please call us: 1-866-528-0577, internationally 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com or skype: albaspectrum. We would be pleased to give you your industry case from Fantastic Plains customization and integration perspective, as well as to give you second opinion, if you are not pleased with your current Dynamics GP Partner support amount
Dynamics GP Partner and ISV California, Illinois: Great Plains technical support
Sunday, February 21st, 2010If you have Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics, by now implemented or you plot to see executive or technical presentation, we want to give you some technology highlights, plus customization, integration, reporting options, technical support and upgrade info. We assume that you are in Southern California: LA and San Diego metros, Northern Illinois: Chicago metro or even USA, Canada nationwide and internationally (when you need custom programming in GP Dexterity, or need SAP Business One integration to US based Dynamics GP system). Please, also note that if you have ancient version of Fantastic Plains, you should know your database platform: GP 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0 and earlier were available on MS SQL Server, Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve and Ctree. Also, older product Fantastic Plains Accounting 9.5, 9.2, 9.1 and earlier versions for DOS, Windows and Mac is also supportable with some limitations, as we in turn cannot get any help frankly from Microsoft Business Solutions on GPA and cannot sell new user licenses, only support what you by now got historically
1. Local GP support in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego. Available from our locations in Chicago downtown, Naperville (Chicago suburbs), San Marcos (San Diego suburbs). Local support option is recommended when you need new Dynamics GP system implementation, plus if you have complex local integration needs: Barcoding, Integration with you Point Of Sale equipment, etc. If you have customization coding and support issues, or need one of our harvest, we prefer to support you frankly from our nationwide Dynamics GP technical support center and Fantastic Plains Dexterity Software Development Factory
2. Nationwide Dynamics GP remote support. This option is in fact beneficial to the customer, as you do not have to pay for our local travel and do not have to wait consultant to make her or his schedule and. Technical support is theoretically available immediately via Web Session and Phone Conference. If you are located Internationally, you can use such technologies as Skype for free VOIP phone conferences
3. Fantastic Plains Customizations support. We have Dexterity Software Development Factory with technicians trained in Dex and some of them came through Microsoft Business Solutions work experience. Dexterity is one of the most standard GP modification and programming tools. But, this is not the only tool we deploy for our customers. We also program in eConnect (tool of choice for ecommerce integration), .Net, VBA and Modifier, SQL Scripting and advanced Dynamics GP Integration Manager integrations
4. Dynamics GP Integration with Microsoft RMS. We have proven codes, as integration is very specific to your settings in RMS and how you want to map it to Dynamics GP objects. Integration works either on Dynamics GP SOP or Receivable Management module, plus it includes POP Buy Receipts integration and Barcode marks printing from Fantastic Plains frankly – we found that reasonable number of MS RMS customers prefer to control these processes in their ERP, in our case Dynamics GP
5. eCommerce extensions, and Automatic Batch Posting from your MS Visual Studio ecommerce, EDI, etc. projects. Fantastic Plains batch posting frankly from your eConnect web application is not available, you will need to turn your attention to the complexity of Posting process and its logic in GP Dexterity. Our Autopost or Posting Server prepares the batches and initiates Dex source code batch posting process
6. Fantastic Plains version upgrade. Here you need to be committed in Microsoft Business Solutions GP once a year support program, if not call us for the options to be reenrolled. Then you have access to new version reg key. Dynamics GP version update should be plotted, it should be done by Dynamics GP Reseller and its certified GP consultants, as there is upgrade patch and it is Service Pack and Patches specific. If you are on the version 7.5 on Pervasive SQL/Ctree or earlier, you should come through migration to GP on Microsoft SQL Server process. Upgrade should also include Dynamics GP ISV custom add-ons, GP ReportWriter modified reports, VBA Modifier, Integration Manager, FRx financial reports upgrade
7. Dynamics GP support internationally. Typically it includes cases where you have GP Corporate ERP in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico or Spanish Speaking Latin America and want to implement GP for your foreign subsidiary or integrate non GP ERP with your Corporate ERP. In the case when you foreign subsidiary is located in Brazil, Eastern Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, we recommend you to consider SAP Business One as local branch ERP and it should be pretty simple exercise to consolidate SB1 on General ledger transactions amount to Dynamics GP via Integration Manager. FRx could also be tuned to consolidated Weigh Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement with GP Companies GL and even foreign subsidiary Excel export sheet. Plus, consider the fact that Dynamics GP doesn’t support Unicode characters in its core functionality and architecture, so the plans to adopt GP for Plates, Japan, Korea and other hieroglyph alphabet countries might be too challenging. Some support is available for Arabic language, call Microsoft in Saudi Arabia
8. Fantastic Plains on Pervasive SQL or Ctree support. If you have reasons to stay with these no longer supported by MBS frankly DB platforms, we are pleased to help you with day-to-day support issues, such as unlocking the batch posting failure, general data repair, user training, FRx reports design and modification, SOP Invoice form modification in Report Writer. Plus if you choose in the future to get up to date, we are ready to help you with upgrade all the way through to whatever it will be the current version in the future
9. Fantastic Pains Accounting Support. If you are on really archaic Windows or Mac version, local stay might be recommended. GPA could be also transferred from Windows NT 4.0 Server to a touch more modern, like Windows 2003 Server, in this case you would need to deploy Pervasive SQL 2000 SP3 or similar DB version. Custom Pervasive SQL 2000 settings are required, you should call us for details and help. GPA migration to Dynamics GP 10.0 is possible, you will get discount for currently owned GPA modules in getting ownership of Dynamics GP, terms may exchange by Microsoft Business Solutions without notice, we are writing these lines in August 2009
10. Dynamics GP EDI or Electronic Document Interchange integrations. We place forward these scripts in MS SQL Server Views and Stored procedures, that should allow you to avoid high cost for EDI Add-Ons
11. How to get help? Please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com. Our consultants are fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian. We are experts in Dynamics GP implementation in international environment, its data conversions, customizations, precious stone Reports for GP, FRx, SSRS, Dexterity. Plus we have unique expertise in Dynamics GP consolidations with East European, Russian accounting systems. We could help you with Microsoft CRM implementation and integration with Dynamics GP and SAP Business One, plus Lotus Notes integration with MS CRM and Dynamics GP, Oracle custom DB and Oracle eBusiness Suite integration with Microsoft SQL Server based systems
Dynamics GP in Chicago, San Diego suburbs: Corporate ERP for mid-size firm notes
Friday, February 19th, 2010If you have Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise) implemented in your organization and plot for bonus modules use and Fantastic Plains integration with you legacy systems: ecommerce websites, Barcode scanners and Barcoding servers, Logistics and Warehouse Management, Consignment, EDI, Shipping and Receiving, Picking and Packing, integration with Oracle based custom applications, CRM, POS and Retail applications (including Microsoft Retail Management System or MS RMS), need custom add-ons programming service, Integration Managers advanced integration design, precious stone, SSRS, or GP ReportWriter reporting, including Barcode marks printing for your newly expected or recounted merchandise, light manufacturing and assembly, please feel free to read this orientation article. if you are in Corporate ERP selection process, feel free to question for executive or technical presentation from your selected Dynamics GP Partner. We want to start our technical and functional highlights:
1. DB Platforms and Versions. It is available on Microsoft SQL Server exclusively. Current version Dynamics GP 10.0 is supported on MS SQL Server 2008, 2005, and 2000. Older versions, such as GP 7.5 were supported on Pervasive SQL 2000 and Ctree. If you have these legacy versions: 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2 or Fantastic Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac: 9.5, 9.2, 9.1 or earlier, please consider upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics GP, you will get discounted price for currently owned GPA modules, but discount percent might be changed by Microsoft Business Solutions, so we do not specify discount percent in this publication
2. Does GP fit to my industry? If you are generic mid-size business: wholesale and retail, light or gray discrete manufacturing (not process manufacturing), not for profit organization: grant funds management, membership air force, charities, church, deli foods store, international freight forwarding firm, recruiting and residency. Please, question for your industry and industry niche case study and requirements analysis to see if Dynamics GP fits your organization Corporate ERP requirements.
3. Local and Remote Service in USA, Canada and Internationally. We serve you locally in Chicago, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta (SAP Business One and remote support with Fantastic Plains). But we have Dynamics GP and SAP B1 customers USA nationwide and internationally, so local presence is not a decisive criterion for our existing customers. Remote support is typically requested by our customers with Customizations, Integrations, Reporting requirements. We carry Fantastic Plains Software Development factory, where we program Microsoft Dexterity, formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK, Microsoft CRM SDK, Fantastic Plains Integration Manager, SAP B1 Data Transfer workbench, Dynamics GP eConnect
4. International Support specifics. US, Canada, UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand corporations, who have Dynamics GP as their Corporate ERP, are typically requesting ERP implementation for their subsidiaries in such regions as Brazil, Russia, East Europe, Plates, India, South East Asia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand. Dynamics GP is localized for English and Partially Spanish speaking countries (apart from motherland Spain), plus it is available for Quebec in French. But for the rest of the World Microsoft Business Solutions recommend Axapta, Navision, plus check for current policies for Small businesses. Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains doesn’t support Unicode, and this was probably one of the reasons, why Microsoft BS preferred AX and NAV as general management for the future for international ERP, MRP and Accounting applications markets
5. Manufacturing: Discrete versus Process one. If you are engaged in Process manufacturing, please review Microsoft Dynamics GP AX, formerly known as Axapta. Microsoft Business Solutions targets Axapta to Process Manufacturing (typically food processing) clients
6. Dynamics GP eCommerce options. If you are doing B2B ecommerce, please consider first Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal Order Management module, as here you are virtually expanding GP Sales Order Processing and Inventory Control modules to the web customers. Formerly this module was known as Fantastic Plains eOrder, but with GP 8.0 it was redesigned on Microsoft Dynamics Business Portal platform. If BP is not a excellent fit, we recommend you to consider eConnect ecommerce integration programming in C#, VB.Net as eConnect is generic MS Visual Studio programmer friendly. For those of you who need automatic posting from eConnect ecommerce we have Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost
7. Intellisol APOP and Project Accounting migration. If you are still on GP 7.5 and earlier, you may have Intellisol Advanced Buy Order Processing or Project Accounting deployed. Intellisol was in business presence phasing out in around 2002, so consider Intellisol APOP migration to Fantastic Plains POP, migration tool is available for GP version 7.5 and some earlier
8. EDI notes. Of course you can buy Electronic Document Interchange Add-ons for Dynamics GP, or SAP Business One. But we recommend you first to consider budget option where you code your EDI lines in SQL formatted Select and Insert statements
9. Fantastic Plains Accounting Support options. We respect your choice to stick to historical version of GPA on DOS, Windows, or Macintosh. We have consultants in staff who had supported this ERP application in the past, plus we have access to GPA Customer Support knowledge base. If you are on GPA we could go you from obsolete Novell server to Windows 2003 or 2008
10. Mexican Cheese Distribution Chicagoland and USA Nationwide. This one of the favorite customers in Chicago Southern Suburbs. We have designed and programmed catch weight utility for them in earlier 2000th
11. How to get help? Please feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@ albaspectrum.com internationally 1-630-961-5918 or skype Albaspectrum . We speak English , Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese
B2B, B2C ecommerce for Dynamics GP notes for IT and consultant
Thursday, February 18th, 2010If you are consulting, or programming for ecommerce oriented company, or you work in Information Technology department, and the organization has Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics ERP implemented and now you are looking to either implement ecommerce from scratches or integrate existing ecommerce B2B or B2C application, this article is for you. First of all, you should reckon about dilemma to choose ecommerce product, of build ecommerce website internally or program it with software development partner firm. In our opinion, if your are small ecommerce channel reseller, then you should stick to your franchisor ecommerce recommendation: eBay, etc. But, if you are trying to start up new technology selling business with ecommerce accent, and you have backing capital – you may find that your ecommerce requirements are too unique and existing shopping cart/ecommerce harvest are too simple to fit your business – the you consider assemble ecommerce in Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB.Net web project (purchasing ecommerce libraries or SDK from trusted ecommerce vendors). If you are large corporation, you should do your homework as the final answer depends on various factors. Again, in our opinion, ecommerce at this time is not ready to be considered as simple choice, it is rather thorough process of selection, reselection, implementation and reimplementation:
1. Dynamics GP Business Portal with Order Management Module. Here you are working with existing Fantastic Plains company Inventory bits and pieces, and you make orders that end up in GP SOP tables: SOP10100 and SOP10200. You can have committed catalog, which is outside of GP – in separate BP Catalog tables in your Company database. In B2B scenario, you have BP module Electronic Document Delivery which enables Sales and other types of documents emailing to your business partners. Outside of ecommerce, if you need to save on Payroll stub postage, you can implement HR employee self service (assuming that you are deploying GP Payroll module). You should certainly review Business Portal and if it fits your requirements, perfect, we are pleased to sell and implement it for you. Some remarks we heard from our customers and prospects – Dynamics GP Business Portal is not very flexible in customizations, besides color schema and pictures or logos uploading. We may agree and disagree with these comments, as you should probably be more open to adopt the technology of the future, as Microsoft is likely very committed to its Dynamics harvest Business Portals. Excellent example is Microsoft CRM SDK, where in the initial versions 1.2 and 3.0 you had very slow customization interface and restricted programmability and now with CRM SDK 4.0 you can virtually do whatever you like as programmer. We believe that Business Portal for Fantastic Plains Dynamics GP will improve dramatically in the fleeting future and third party ecommerce add-ons will have hard time to compete with it, but for now you may choose to implement third parties, as they are several steps ahead of Dynamics Business Portal
2. OK, now to third party modules, such as Alba Spectrum Order Connector, Posting Sever or Autopost. At this time we are launching multiple ecommerce GP dedicated harvest, in fact by repackaging our former customizable solutions to become out of shelf type of harvest, plus we are expanding our Microsoft Dynamics GP ecommerce Software Development Factory. We assume that you by now did research on the competition. In B2C scenarios, we recommend you to consider our Order Connector product – it is for simplified ecommerce integration to Dynamics GP SOP module: Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Returns. We are writing these lines in August 2009, and we are in very rapid progress, so for current offering, please stay our website or call our office
3. Direct eConnect programming. If you have C#, or VB.Net software developers in material, we recommend this management. If your ecommerce web application is coded in house, then you should have complete control with eConnect SDK programming. We do not discuss in this article specific eConnect objects, but you should expect as coder reasonable familiarity with Dynamics GP tables structure and object model. If you feel that you need bonus help, please install Dynamics GP SDK from GP 10.0 CD #2. Talking about eConnect for GP versions 10.0 and even 9.0 we heard frequently positive opinions from third party programmers, Dynamics GP ISV and consultants
4. Fantastic Plains Integration Manager. If you are OK with Fantastic Plains surgical procedure initiated integration, or in advanced IM scenario with scheduled integration, this approach is worth to consider, as IM is rewritten in eConnect for GP 10.0. If you are on older version of Fantastic Plains, IM requires OLE Server to be running in integrating time, meaning that you have to consume open Fantastic Plains User License if GP workstation is running 24-7
5. Fantastic Plains Dexterity in eCommerce coding. Dex is initial architecture of Fantastic Plains Dynamics. This development tool has no limits in count new or altering existing object in Fantastic Plains. In fact we use Dexterity Source Code programming to develop our harvest, that proffer eConnect limitations (such as posting GP batches frankly from ecommerce applications)
6. eCommerce for older Fantastic Plains Versions. eConnect is in our opinion reliable for Dynamics GP 10.0 and in most of the areas for 9.0. If you are on older versions of Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains or eEnterprise: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2 or Fantastic Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or MAC, please consider upgrade to Dynamics GP 10.0. If upgrade is exceeding your budget, and if you are by now on Dynamics GP on SQL Server 2000 or 2005, we are ready to help you with Order Connector product
7. Non Microsoft ecommerce platform. If you are on Linux, Oracle, DBII, PHP platform, please review ODBC relations options to Microsoft SQL Server, where Dynamics GP is hosted. If you are comfortable to make and support these relations (including JDBCODBC bridges), then we can help you to integrate you ecommerce application with Dynamics GP
8. How to get help? Please call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA 1-630-961-5918, email us help@albaspectrum.com We speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, including Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Filipino, Arabic. Please, be aware that Dynamics GP is not UNICODE compliant application, and if you need help in having GP Screens to be translated to Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and other hieroglyph based characters language, this is not possible. We would be pleased to make Chinese precious stone Reports out of your Dynamics GP system with the help of third party Dynamics GP ISV tools, such as NJ Star. If you are trying to consider Fantastic Plains for your Brazilian subsidiary, we would have to discourage you and question you rather to consider SAP Business One, which is localized for Brazil. Fantastic Plains Dynamics GP is also not localized for Russian market, we invite you to call us to help you know ecommerce and Corporate ERP options in Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belorussia, Moldova, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia, Uzbekistan