Both Corporate ERP applications: Microsoft Dynamics GP and SAP Business One should be a excellent fit for mid-size or even small ecommerce oriented store. Both platforms have ecommerce harvest with shopping cart, checkout, item catalogue and other standard estore features. In this small publication we assume that you by now reviewed existing electronic commerce add-ons (including SAP Business One eCommerce module and Dynamics GP Business Portal Order Management) and you chose or inclined to consider approach of simple integration from GP or SBO from your ecommerce web site, which is in production and does the job. This approach is excellent for both models: B2B and B2C. In B2B model you should choose if you would like your special pricing model for each of your customer or for specific customer group to be set in your Accounting (in this case, pricing should be reprogrammed in ecommerce application to imitate changes made in GP/SB1) or it should be originated in ecommerce business logic and then simply pushed to GP on each of the ecommerce invoice line (in this scenario you simply do not use GP/SBO Item Pricing functionality and have your ERP application to accept passively what is coming from ecommerce):
1. Philosophy. Instead of aggressive ecommerce out-of-the-shelve product selling, we prefer to have as ready for use ecommerce product and in addition to this we place forward them as customizable “solutions” and connectors. Plus, we are in excellent spot to help you with integration programming, where your internal software developers need help with eConnect, GP and SAP B1 tables structures, Fantastic Plains batch posting frankly from ecommerce application code, helping your with barcode warehouse management custom automation logic and ecommerce logistics. Plus, we are helping you in thwart platform ecommerce relations, when you may have ecommerce on Linux, PHP/MySQL, Oracle, Java EJB platforms and you need help with heterogeneous ecommerce data feeding query to Microsoft SQL Server based GP and SAP Business One databases.
2. Batch mode integration. This scenario is perfect for small ecommerce retailers. Fantastic Plains and SAP BO have Integration modules: GP Integration Manager and SB1 Data Transfer Workbench. Dynamics GP IM is more advanced, comparing to Workbench, but you have to buy it as separate module to GP, and WB is included into your SB1 buy (free material is vital for small businesses, especially when they are in startup mode). Let’s first review in brief GP Integration Manager. IM is user friendly application, where you can setup integration of your new customers, new ecommerce invoices and then have IM operator to call this integration once per day or every hour. You can also schedule IM – special tool is available from Microsoft Business Solutions or, if you are technology savoir-faire you can deploy Windows macro third party applications to do similar scheduling. You can consider exporting ecommerce documents in tab or comma delimited text files or simply work with SQL Views – in this case you use Advanced ODBC Queries in Integration Manager. Now SAP Business One Data Transfer Workbench – you can export your ecommerce data flies in CSV format, which fits exactly to DTW CSV templates – this will allow you even to schedule DTW jobs via Windows scheduled tasks. Second more advanced approach allows DTW job to work with ODBC connection to Microsoft SQL Server Views. MS SQL Server view may call data from Microsoft and non Microsoft DB sources, such as MySQL, Oracle, MS Access, FoxPro, etc. At this time, SAP Business One version 2007 you cannot schedule DTW ODBC based job – it should be called by DTW operator
3. Real time integration. In this scenario you proffer your ecommerce application code with SDK libraries. Dynamics GP ecommerce SDK( it is eConnect) and SB1 SDK – both of them are open for Microsoft Visual Studio C#, or VB.Net developer (SAP B1 SDK also has reasonable openness to Delphi programmers). Some comments here: eConnect is coded in SQL Server Stored Procedures and its methods are very quick in execution, where SB1 SDK methods are at this time (September 2009, SB1 2007, and former version 2005) slower, expect one invoice in 3-4 seconds, do not expect several thousand transactions to be integrated in ten minutes (but GP eConnect is that quick, we recommend eConnect only if you are Dynamics GP newest versions: 10.0 or 9.0). You can also review SQL direct programming into Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing tables: SOP10100, SOP10200 and related, but we recommend you rather use eConnect objects to do the same job. We do not recommend you to push data frankly to SQL B1 Marketing Documents tables: INV1, etc. as SB1 Early Watch is designed to monitor all the changes to SB1 records done outside of the SB1 application, Work Bench and SDK methods realms
4. SAP Business One and Dynamics GP Tables Structure diagrams. In the case of SB1, you can read SAP Business One SDK documentation – it has table references. In the case of Great Plains, please consider installing Dynamics GP SDK from CD #2. As quick reference in GP user interface: Tools->Resource Descriptions->Tables; in SB1 in view menu mark View System Information – when you open SB1 screen, such as AR Invoice, place cursor over the field and read its Table and Field name in left down corner, for example RDN1.ItemCode is the field for item number on return line. Again, we want to stress that Tables Structures are in ultimate scenario for pulling data from GP or SB1 for ecommerce order status report, if you need certain amount of ecommerce customer self service (and not for pushing data into your Corporate ERP tables with SQL insert statement, as this practice has very high business logic violation and data integrity compromise potential)
5. eCommerce with Custom Logic in GP or SB1. In the case of SAP Business One you can make new so-called User Certain Tables and proffer existing tables with User Certain Fields. User Certain Tables have involuntarily produced simply editing interface, where you can add records or modify existing ones. If you want to add user certain fields to such tables as Marketing Document Line (including customer invoice line) – these fields should become immediately available to be placed on Customer Invoice form, plus they will be available for Data Transfer Workbench integrations and in SB1 SDK. In the case of Dynamics GP some of the objects have User certain fields included and ready for activation. If your targeted object doesn’t have User Certain fields extension, you will need to program it likely in Fantastic Plains Dexterity as table, linked with related original GP tables by the Primary Key with the same fields
6. eCommerce in International scenarios. If you are multinational corporation and you are deploying Dynamics GP in US headquarters, please try first to know if GP is localized in the country where you plot to deploy it as Accounting or in ecommerce. Fantastic Plains version 10.0 is available in English Speaking countries: USA, Canada (including French Canadian Quebec version), Australia, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, Oceania, plus in South East Asia for the countries, where English is the language of business. With some exceptions it is also available in Spanish Speaking Latin America, Mexico and Caribbean. By its architecture Fantastic Plains doesn’t support UNICODE based alphabets, frequently hieroglyphs: Chinese, Japanese, Korean. SAP Business One is more widespread, it is available localized in such countries as Brazil, Russia, Poland, Plates, Japan, Korea. Even if you deploy Fantastic Plains Dynamics in US headquarters, we recommend you SB1 internationally, where GP is not available – SB1 is very simple in data export and consolidation to Dynamics GP via Integration Manager or FRx consolidated Financial Reporting
7. Alba Spectrum eCommerce Harvest. We place forward Order Connector, sending transactions in realtime to Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing Tables; Posting Server (Autopost), allowing you to post GP batches frankly from eConnect application. We also place forward Microsoft RMS integration to Fantastic Plains, if your ecommerce is working from RMS tables
8. Dynamics GP eConnect and Dexterity programming training. We place forward USA and International phone or skype based training, supported with web sessions
9. SAP Business One eCommerce integration and programming training. If you are comfortable to program ecommerce integration for SBO and you need some guru amount help, we place forward this service via phone or skype conferences, supported with web sessions if required
10. How to get help? Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com We are very technical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK programming gurus. We have Fantastic Plains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GP Customization and Programming needs. Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technical consultants. If you prefer skype: albaspectrum
Posts Tagged ‘Dynamics’
eCommerce Connectors for Dynamics GP and SB1 notes
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010Dynamics GP ecommerce Integration Technologies: notes for Programmer
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010We assume that in your case you have established Microsoft Dynamics GP (also known as Fantastic Plains Dynamics in the past) and use it in production for accounting, Sales Order Processing, AP, AR, distribution and logistics. Plus you have working ecommerce website, where integration to GP is very loose: maybe it triggers email to Picking and Packing department, or Sales Order Processing people. In this small publication we want to review relatively open for end user or in the case of software developer – not hard to start integration coding. We do not specifically review here differences between B2B and B2C ecommerce scenarios in Dynamics GP, please review our past articles. There are ready for use solutions, we assume that you by now did this homework and chose to preserve your investments into your current eCommerce web application, and all you want to do is robust integration:
1. Real Time versus Batch Mode integrations. Real Time ecommerce transactions go to GP Sales Orders or Invoices is certainly cool to have, but if this is not unquestionably required, we recommend you first to reckon about Batch Mode ecommerce integration. Batch mode means, that ecommerce may have some lookups for your customers if item is available in one of your warehouses (via simple SQL query to your Dynamics GP Company database), but ecommerce transactions are went to GP Sales Document only once per day, or maybe every hour, if you are larger ecommerce retailer
2. GP Integration Manager. This tool is very friendly to Fantastic Plains users, and it could be extended by programmer via VBA event driven scripts. IM is first choice if you are plotting integrate in Batch Mode. Please, do not be mislead by some GP consultants, that IM is for text files only. For advanced ecommerce integration to GP we recommend you to base IM data queries on SQL Server Views (Advanced ODBC based query) and the View itself looks at the existing GP orders and lines and into new ecommerce document – in that case your scenario could be completely automated. Plus IM integration could be called involuntarily via Windows macro third party tiny applications (or you can buy Integration scheduling tool from Microsoft Business Solutions, check with your Dynamics GP Partner on that). We helped implement scenarios for large Computer IT integrator and warehouse, where all transactions are coming through B2B ecommerce website on PHP/Linux and GP Integration Manager is scheduled to run every 20 minutes to be close to real time mode integration. OK, now if you reckon IM is too simple, let’s go on to eConnect
3. eConnect SDK and technology for Dynamics GP. If you are C# or VB.Net ecommerce programmer or programming savoir-faire web master, please review eConnect, as it has set of libraries, which could be added to your MS Visual Studio web projects and you could make, edit, delete virtually all GP Master records: customer, vendor, GL account, Item, Address, Employee, and work transactions: Sales Invoice, Buy Order, Buy Receipt, GL Transaction, Customer Payment. Please, note that you cannot post GP Batches (such as standard in ecommerce scenarios Sales Order Processing Batch) – if you need complete automation with Batch Posting you need to consider Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost. Also, eConnect doesn’t cover some rather historical modules, such as Invoicing (usually Fantastic Plains Customers prefer more robust Sales Order Processing module). And plus, eConnect from Dynamics GP doesn’t cover third party Dynamics GP ISV modules, which you may deploy – consider to check with you Fantastic Plains ISV partner if they have extensions for eConnect. If you are on Dynamics GP 10.0 and 9.0 – eConnect is the way to go, but if you are on older version, consider to upgrade to GP version 10.0 prior to deploying eConnect in your ecommerce integration programming
4. Beyond eConnect. If you believe that your integration is SOP only and it is very simple, we place forward Alba Spectrum Order Connector. This tool supports all current versions: 10.0 and 9.0 plus older versions: 7.5 and 8.0. You can also combine some Fantastic Plains Dexterity programming to alter business processes in GP as bonus help to Integration. We are trying to discourage you from considering direct SQL Server Stored procedures coding, as eConnect by now have this work done for you – its initial layout is encrypted MS SQL Server Stored Procedures, plus consider the fact that Dynamics GP Business Logic and Data Flow is complex, and its database is not protected from inexperienced SQL programmer – you can compromise data integrity and incur bonus unexpected expenses in involving GP Technical consultants to do data recovery and repair
5. How to get help? Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com We are very technical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK programming gurus. We have Fantastic Plains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GP Customization and Programming needs. Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technical consultants. If you prefer skype: albaspectrum
Ecommerce to Dynamics GP Real Time Integration: Order Connector
Monday, February 15th, 2010If your back office Corporate ERP application is Microsoft Dynamics GP, former versions were also known as Microsoft Fantastic Plains and Fantastic Plains Dynamics, and you have in-house urban ecommerce web application with bits and pieces catalogs with advanced price lists (especially in B2B ecommerce scenarios), shopping cart, credit card processing, we want to present you this small publication in the form of FAQ and orientation session. We are writing for IT managers or even accounting professionals, who are choice makers in Corporate ERP application selection and its integration with eCommerce production website:
1. Real Time versus Batch and Quasi real time integration modes. Real time means instant ecommerce shopping cart transformation to Microsoft Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing Invoice (or Sales Order) – Dynamics GP SOP module is one of the most standard platforms for ecommerce transactions integration. Batch processing or quasi real time typically when you either schedule Fantastic Plains Integration Manager to run integration every hour or integration be initiated by Fantastic Plains user. Real Time ecommerce to Microsoft Dynamics GP integration is typically programmed in eConnect SDK or in advanced scenarios you can deploy custom preprogrammed SQL Stored Procedures
2. eConnect Dynamics GP SDK. eConnect lower technology amount is set of encrypted SQL Server Stored procedures, imitating Microsoft Dynamics GP (Dexterity) business logic. eConnect libraries could be included in Microsoft Visual Studio .Net project (typically C# or VB, as eConnect sample codes are available these two programming languages). eConnect is certainly quicker, as it is coded in Stored Procedures, especially comparing to Dexterity. But, considering the complexity of business logic, that eConnect has to imitate, it might be slower to simplified SQL Stored procedures, which are powerful enough to integrate several types of ecommerce shopping carts into SOP invoices – this is the case of Alba Spectrum Order Connector
3. Order Connector. Let’s assume that your ecommerce shopping cart targets Fantastic Plains Sales Order Processing Invoices, and you are not using such complications as Series or Lot Numbers, multicurrency, back ordering, etc. Let’s assume that you ecommerce bits and pieces are air force or habitual taxable sales bits and pieces, available in your default inventory sites. Please, check with us on restrictions, and if they (the restrictions) are not a concern, we are pleased to place forward extremely quick ecommerce to Microsoft Dynamics GP real time integration product
4. Order Connector and Fantastic Plains versions. We have our connector, early from Fantastic Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise version 6.0 for Microsoft SQL Server (sorry, it is not available for Pervasive SQL or Ctree based Fantastic Plains Select versions). If you are Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 or 9.0 you can deploy eConnect for ecommerce integration, but if you are on legacy versions: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0 – we recommend you to upgrade to more recent versions, or if this is not possible due to budget restrictions, we invite you to try our Order Connector for ecommerce integration programming
5. eCommerce Automatic Batch Posting in Dynamics GP. Both tools: GP Integration Manager and eConnect do not allow you to post batches, as this routine is supposed to be in the hands of Microsoft Dynamics GP user to review, approve and post the batch. If you certainly need to do all the work frankly from ecommerce web application, we recommend you to buy and deploy Alba Spectrum Posting Server, also known as Autopost. Posting Server is Microsoft Dexterity Source Code Dexterity programmed application, which requires you to dedicate GP workstation and one permanently logged in Fantastic Plains user. Dynamics GP batch posting is done in exactly the same fashion as Fantastic Plains Dexterity Dynamics GP user interface initiated batch posting
Great Plains Reseller News: Edi Solutions for Dynamics Gp
Sunday, February 14th, 2010Microsoft Dynamics GP has various EDI (Electronic Document Interchange) add-ons and third party modules, where you can map your EDI code to either expose GP documents, such as Vendor Buy Orders to EDI complaint vendors or import Sales Orders or Invoices from EDI channel to your SOP module, as two standard examples. In certain cases purchasing add-on may not be feasible due to the simplicity of your requirements or ironically – their complexity, where you want to control EDI mapping in-house or with trusted Fantastic Plains Dynamics consultant. This publication is targeted to EDI technical people, and as such may look too programmer oriented, but we tried to make it readable for technology savoir-faire executive. Let’s review briefly both scenarios: export and import:
1. Exporting EDI compliant text code. Typically EDI code has fixed part format with Header, Lines, and various Trailers. Simple approach to produce this fixed part formatted text file is to save SQL select statement, where you unionize the parts and precisely format each field. If you are exporting Buy Orders, then likely you are dealing with Buy Order Processing module tables: POP10100, POP10110. Then what you need to do is to mark your exported Buy Orders in custom table as exported. Feel free to make this export status table in GP company database.
2. Importing EDI file to GP. Here you need to consider pushing documents to Fantastic Plains via eConnect programming, assuming that automatic batch posting is not required. If Autoposting is required, we recommend you to deploy Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost. You open incoming EDI text file with OLEDB text driver. Then the options are multiple – our favorite is to read text file into temporary table. In this case you will have typical field names: F1, F2, F3 – to make your grouping, sorting and having clauses elegant. A further standard alternative is to establish SQL linked server to your text file, but this construction might be too powerful and not really required on that amount
3. ODBC text file driver limitations. ODBC supports the subset of standard SQL language only and you will see multiple limitations: case, text functions and other standard SQL constructions are not supported by ODBC SQL
4. EDI and Fantastic Plains Dexterity. If you need seamless integration with GP user interface, GP Dexterity might be the tool of choice. Dex allows you to call either Dex SQL compliant cursors, or call frankly SQL statements or stored procedures to do the job, by now described in the paragraphs above
Dynamics GP ecommerce integrations: eConnect, Posting Server notes
Saturday, February 13th, 2010It is evenly excellent thought to start ecommerce from scratch, but for some of us it doesnâ??t work as we work for established ecommerce retailers and wholesalers, where ecommerce application might be custom urban and hosted on Linux/PHP/MySQL, Oracle or a further non Microsoft solution. In this situation you would rather consider custom integration with existing ecommerce web site and we want to share with your some highlights. We are trying to write this small publication for programmers and IT people as a review:
1. eConnect SDK. If you are comfortable with Microsoft Visual Studio C#, VB or a further .Net language programming, plus you are fluent with XML and have excellent SQL querying background, you should take a class or try self study on eConnect. With this Software Development Kit you can program virtually all core modules Fantastic Plains objects: GL Financial statement, Customers, Vendors, Employees, Addresses. SOP Invoices, Buy Orders, etc. eConnect might seem a bit complex, especially when you are very courageous and want to try coding custom SQL Stored Procedures, in this case, please consider the following fact â?? eConnect is written in SQL Stored procs (that are encrypted) and you probably do not want to do it second time, especially taking into significance the fact, that in Microsoft Business Solutions programmers have access to all the Dynamics GP Dexterity source codes and got appropriate training
2. eConnect Posting restriction. eConnect doesnâ??t post Dynamics GP batches, as this is how Fantastic Plains architecture was built. Batch posting is prerogative for GP user, who supposed to review the batch (print batch edit list report), get sufficient evidence that all the transactions are right and ready for posting and then post the batch from Fantastic Plains user interface. If you really reckon that you need to post GP batch from ecommerce application frankly, please read the next paragraph about Dynamics GP Posting Server, or Autopost
3. Fantastic Plains Posting Server. We urban this Add-On in Dynamics GP Dexterity, it deploys native Dex posting routines and by doing so eliminates the problems with Software QA, as it is not exposed to programming bugs. Posting Server or Autopost is for Software Developer and it allows programmers to flag Dynamics GP work transactions batch for posting. Batch posting checker is running every few minutes and it looks at batch ready for posting table and if batch is there, it triggers Dynamics GP fixed batch posting routine
4. SQL Scripts in ecommerce integrations. We have several scripts collections, one of them is Order Connector, which allows you to deploy scripts to go ecommerce orders or invoices to Dynamics GP SOP Orders and Invoices accordingly. Order connector runs quicker in our opinion that eConnect methods, as we are not validating all Dynamics GP business logic and instead give you green light with simple Orders and Invoices
5. If you have concerns, or want to get more info, see presentation, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Dynamics GP eCommerce Custom Integration Notes
Friday, February 12th, 2010Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly this ERP and MRP application was known under Fantastic Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise name, is very standard among mid-size businesses and it is natural to turn it into ecommerce back office. If you are launching your ecommerce from scratch, please consider deploying existing Fantastic Plains ISV Partners harvest or add-ons. But, and this might be why you are reading this small publication, your ecommerce web application is working and you have to program integration connectors to Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing, Inventory Control and Receivable Management modules. Let’s come through the options:
1. eConnect programming. GP is hosted in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2008 or earlier, so you can permanently program eConnect via MS Visual Studio. GP eConnect is Software Development Kit with libraries, that you can deploy in your integration C#, VB programming project. It has sample codes, so that should be all you need. Some familiarity with XML and Dynamics GP objects could be recommended: SOP Invoice, Customer, Inventory Item, etc.
2. Dynamics GP Integration Manager. For GP version 10.0 we see a lot of integration bases are now rewritten in eConnect as general observation, but IM is end user friendly (to some extent of this term of course) tool. If you are OK with integration, initiated by IM user or with scheduled integration (via Windows Macro utilities from small software development vendors, etc.), then you may choose to implement Integration Manager solution and close the question
3. Order Connector. This product allows you to deploy ecommerce integration in the case, when you do not want to come through eConnect programming learning curve, or you are on older GP version: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, or you believe that eConnect performance is not too cool for real time integrations. This product is set of SQL Stored Procedures with simple set of parameters to make your live as SQL programmer simpler
4. Posting Server or Autopost. If you have requirements to post SOP Documents all the way through General Ledger, you probably by now realized that both eConnect and Integration Manager do not allow you to Post, they do not have the functionality and methods to post. And this is natural restriction of original Fantastic Plains Dynamics architecture, where transaction and batch approval and posting are coupled together and left in the hands of GP user. Posting Server deploys one user license and is add-on to existing Dynamics GP workstation. It checks GP server if new batches are approved for being posted every few seconds and initiates Fantastic Plains Batch Posting process if new batch is ready for processing
5. Dynamics GP Business Portal. Here you can deploy ecommerce in B2B scenarios. Order Management module in BP is natural base for such a project. Current version of Business Portal is 10.0 (looks like MBS synched it with Dynamics GP versioning) Please, note that older Fantastic Plains ecommerce extensions, such as eOrder (ASP platform)are no longer available and you will have to migrate such solutions to Dynamics GP Business Portal, which is now Microsoft Sharepoint application. In Dynamics GP Order Management module you can deploy Bits and pieces Catalogue and Price List, reflecting original Dynamics GP Inventory Price Lists
6. Dynamics GP Dexterity ecommerce programming. Dexterity is former Fantastic Plains Dynamics architecture and it is still one of the fundamental stones in Dynamics GP platform. In Dex you have unlimited power over Dynamics GP objects, including posted transactions, in fact Autopost is Dexterity custom application, which is programmed with Fantastic Plains Dexterity Source Code access. You should consider Dexterity customization route if your ecommerce integration requirements are really challenging and you need access to the objects, coded in Dexterity add-ons (Dynamics GP ISV or your former in-house Dexterity customizations)
7. Sorry for being laconic, but it is the restriction of the article genre. How to get bonus info and help? Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
Dynamics GP B2B, B2C eCommerce tools: Business Portal Order Management and ISV add-ons
Thursday, February 11th, 2010If you are in committed ecommerce integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains ERP application, we want to place forward you this article with highlights on Dynamics GP web based Business Portal and its ecommerce module Order Management, plus some highlights on Fantastic Plains eCommerce ISV and technology partners custom add-ons. eCommerce is very diversified and it is evenly too complex for simple ecommerce product to cover numerous requirements, that businesses in various industries might have. Microsoft Business Solutions offers Dynamics GP Business Portal Order Management (for Fantastic Plains 7.5 and earlier this product was known as eOrder, but it was redesigned from scratches on Business Portal platform). Business Portal is certainly cool management and future technology orientation, but if you find it too limited in customizability (the same limitation was applicable to eOrder, where you would have to customize existing ASP pages in InterDev to adopt new logic, and every version upgrade required you to reapply these changes), then you should appeal to Dynamics GP ISV community and try to find appropriate ecommerce extension, or connector product. We made the research and figured out that ecommerce integration is underserved for both Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains and Dynamics AX Axapta harvest, where at this time you can come to the close, that third party add-ons have domination
1. Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal, for B2B. If you have GP implemented you know the price of user license, it is akin to k$1. The thought of web base Business Portal is simple – you add ten times more users to Dynamics GP database via web application, where use license cost will be ten or even five percent of the fixed GP user license. BP could be connected via internet browser and it is natural expectation that you would attract your USA country side, or international employees, B2B customers or Vendors to your BP web site and have them do ERP, MRP, Sales and Purchasing routines in the least. Previous to we leave BP significance, we want to mention about Electronic Document Delivery module for BP. This module allows you to enable specific customers or vendors for their invoices to be delivered to them via email. In sort of kick off scenario Business Portal requires infrastructure to be hosted internally, but with some limitations it could be outsourced. If you are hosting Exchange Server (even in Windows 2008 Small Business Server scenarios), you should consider to get some knowledge about SSL Certificates for Microsoft Exchange 2007, 2003, this is especially applicable when you deploy OWA with MS Exchange 2007
2. If Dynamics GP Business Portal Order Management is not doing the job – then please try to reckon about connector approach, where you as Software Developer or ecommerce programmer will have complete control and the product you about to buy will help you as friendly connector or the library in your ecommerce application. Our company Alba Spectrum offers Order Connector to connect you ecommerce shopping cart to Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing documents: Sales Order, Invoice, Quote, Return, Back Order
3. eConnect programming. This software development kit was introduced in 2003 and at that time it was dedicated to ecommerce programmers, but it is now expanded to cover most of Fantastic Plains master records and work phase transactions. Previous to you dive into eConnect programming, please review GP Integration Manager – this tool is also in process of being redesigned on eConnect technology, and it should be excellent option if you do not need real time integration, and batch integration one a day or every hour is OK. There are options to schedule Integration Manager integration to run involuntarily with Windows macro add-ons, available from third party developers (in some cases free), or you can buy IM scheduling tool from Microsoft Business Solutions. Both IM and eConnect should be excellent options in B2B and B2C (business to business and business to customer) ecommerce scenarios. If you need advanced eConnect custom ecommerce programming project done, please feel free to call us. eConnect should be friendly to Microsoft Visual Studio C#, VB developer with some excurse to XML and SQL Stored procedures
4. Posting Server. Alba Spectrum Porting Server or Autopost allows you to proffer eConnect logic with GP batches posting. This is theoretically optional feature, but if you want to post your batches frankly from your ecommerce C# or VB.Net application Autopost allows you to do the job
5. B2C ecommerce bonus notes. We recommend you not to invent the wheel and take one of the leading and usually reasonably priced harvest as the base for you ecommerce web site, shopping card and credit card or other sorts of payment processing. Then, you should program integration in eConnect, or simply buy connector to Dynamics GP. We would be pleased to resolve your integration to GP issues with our Order Connector or even tune it for advanced logic. In the case of small business ecommerce operations, you can export customer orders log to EDI compliant or even text file, which could be then imported via Fantastic Plains Integration Manager. You may reckon to get some help in synchronizing GP Pricing and Promotion Campaigns on your ecommerce website
6. eCommerce for legacy GP versions. Theoretically ecommerce integration is possible for Dynamics GP eConnect compliant versions (in our opinion GP 10.0 and 9.0, with some restrictions to GP 8.0). eConnect was introduced for Fantastic Plains 7.5 in 2004. We recommend production eConnect integration for Dynamics GP 10.0 and 9.0, if you are on lower version, please consider to give us a call on upgrade scenarios and options
7. How to get help? Please, feel free to call our office at 1-866-528-0577, if you are outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918, or email us: help@albaspectrum.com We speak English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, including Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Filipino. 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
Econnect Ecommerce Posting Server for Dynamics Gp
Thursday, February 11th, 2010If you are eCommerce .Net c#, VB or SQL developer, you need to know eConnect â?? Microsoft Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains SDK for e-commerce developers architecture and limitations. eConnect was specially built up for eCommerce programmers, but at the same time it complies to GP Dexterity architecture frameworks, such as GP batches and transactions posting is GP user prerogative. If you as eCommerce designer plot to post Gp transactions or batches involuntarily from your e-commerce web application, you will nee either Albaspectrum autoposting server or program Fantastic Plains Dexterity source code with your internal programmers or Dex subcontractors. If you expect eCommerce website just to make so-called working orders or invoices in backend ERP Fantastic Plains SOP Sales Order Processing module, then you are fine with eConnect development and use only. But if you only expect GP to fulfill invoices with goods delivery, then autoposting might be required. The rest of this article is dedicated to technology highlights:
1. Autoposting as Microsoft Dynamics GP Dexterity source code application. There is the way to command GP engine to post specific batch in any GP module: GL, SOP, POP, AR, AP, Payroll, Inventory control. But if you reckon this is simple solution, this is not the case, you need at least 5 years of Fantastic Plains Dexterity programming with exposure to source code (DYNAMICS.DIC with all the sanscripts code not stripped out)
2. After Hours Posting in GP user interface. This is natural solution, when you have limited number of orders per day, letâ??s say 20 or up to 100. In this case if order size is feasible to sustain your business, you can hire Fantastic Plains users, who will manually post your daily or weekly Sales Orders batches and transfer them for fulfillment and consignment to shipping department.
3. eCommerce integration to GP notes. There are several tools for you to consider, each has pluses and minuses as you can expect: eConnect â?? if you have developers inhouse, consider first eConnect as it is what Microsoft Business Solutions recommends in long run. If you reckon you are low amount orders per day business, consider Fantastic Plains Integration Manager (10-1000 transactions, maybe more if you consider IM automated integration with some custom logic to launch IM)
Automatic Batch Posting in Great Plains Microsoft Dynamics Gp Overview
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010If you are ecommerce developer and program web site integration with back office accounting system, Microsoft Dynamics GP, then likely you are deploying eConnect SDK software development to go placed orders and customer payments to GP Sales Order Processing module. eConnect does wonderful job – it makes or updates customer record, makes SOP batch and customer invoice with deposit in the batch produced. So far everything is gorgeous, now you need just as small step to accomplish your work, post the batch produced right from your e-commerce application, and here you got surprised by understanding that eConnect doesn’t post batches, it doesn’t has this functionality. We want to review Autoposting Server, designed and maintained by Alba Spectrum Dexterity development team
1. GP Dexterity Source code involvement in the batch posting. Dynamics.DIC dictionary has native GP Dexterity functionality to post batch of various origin and in essence all the origins. But it is not obvious, even for Fantastic Plains Dexterity programmer with decent experience in coding on how to design autopost and how to deploy native Dex posting logic. GP Autopost resolves this dilemma and all you need to do as programmer is to place batch record into custom batch posting status table
2. Posting all the way automatic from your e-commerce website. In GP posting path is certain in posting settings. If you set GP to post SOP invoices all the way through AR module to GP General Ledger – complete automating will be achieved
3. Third Party Add-Ons batch posting. Add-Ons, designed by GP ISV partners have their own ways to make and post batches within their satellite modules, but when transactions in the posting cycles will reach Fantastic Plains, Dexterity posting process will take over and so there is high chance that Alba Spectrum Autopost will do the job. We encourage you to check with us
4. Microsoft Dexterity Customizations. If you need customization design, support or upgrade, we are pleased to help you with it through our Microsoft Dexterity Software Development Factory
Ecommerce Dynamics GP or Great Plains Solution Notes
Monday, February 8th, 2010 There is no needs to reinvent the wheel or bicycle, in the significance that ecommerce web front out-of-the-box applications exists and you could simple to deploy Shopping Cart, Online Catalog, Credit Card Payments, Inventory Stock Status lookup. We should be able to help you in integration of existing ecommerce web front with Dynamics GP – we have multiple tools and codes, used in the past and ready for tuning in your ecommerce environment. We recommend you to consider eStore, where we have successful integration cases with Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains. But, if you have your in-house urban custom ecommerce solution in Linux/PHP, .Net, MS SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle or any other web server or DB platform, we should be able to help you in integration to Dynamics GP. Please read the paragraphs not more than for orientation: 1. Order Connector. Here we have a set of SQL Stored Procedures, integrating ecommerce Sales Order Processing and AR transactions to Fantastic Plains Dynamics. Being coded in SQL Stored Procs, this product (or better classify it as Solution, as it is a tool and SDK for ecommerce developer), Order Connector shows real time integration performance for huge number of ecommerce transactions per hour. The nature of ecommerce transactions is typically simple and repetitive, so you do not need gray functionality in your SDK and integration vehicle 2. Posting Server. Alba Spectrum Autopost or Batch Posting Server is written in Dynamics GP Dexterity and it allows you to post or schedule for posting GP Batches frankly from your eCommerce or eConnect web C#, VB or SQL driven application. We really deploy Dexterity engine and one user license for Posting Server and you should not have concerns about complex posting business logic in Dynamics GP as Dexterity engine will do exactly the same job as if you would initiate posting in GP User Interface 3. eCommerce eConnect Integration Programming. We encourage you to order Dynamics GP eConnect programming and software developing training, if you are ecommerce full time or consulting programmer for mid-size or large ecommerce organization with Dynamics GP as Corporate ERP. eConnect is SDK and it allows you to make, modify and delete Master records: Customer, Address, Vendor, GL Account, Employee, and Transactions: Sales Invoice, Quote, Order, Customer Deposit and others. eConnect doesn’t post GP batches, please read paragraph 2 for Autopost, which does exactly that 4. Please, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com
There is no needs to reinvent the wheel or bicycle, in the significance that ecommerce web front out-of-the-box applications exists and you could simple to deploy Shopping Cart, Online Catalog, Credit Card Payments, Inventory Stock Status lookup. We should be able to help you in integration of existing ecommerce web front with Dynamics GP – we have multiple tools and codes, used in the past and ready for tuning in your ecommerce environment. We recommend you to consider eStore, where we have successful integration cases with Dynamics GP Fantastic Plains. But, if you have your in-house urban custom ecommerce solution in Linux/PHP, .Net, MS SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle or any other web server or DB platform, we should be able to help you in integration to Dynamics GP. Please read the paragraphs not more than for orientation:
1. Order Connector. Here we have a set of SQL Stored Procedures, integrating ecommerce Sales Order Processing and AR transactions to Fantastic Plains Dynamics. Being coded in SQL Stored Procs, this product (or better classify it as Solution, as it is a tool and SDK for ecommerce developer), Order Connector shows real time integration performance for huge number of ecommerce transactions per hour. The nature of ecommerce transactions is typically simple and repetitive, so you do not need gray functionality in your SDK and integration vehicle
2. Posting Server. Alba Spectrum Autopost or Batch Posting Server is written in Dynamics GP Dexterity and it allows you to post or schedule for posting GP Batches frankly from your eCommerce or eConnect web C#, VB or SQL driven application. We really deploy Dexterity engine and one user license for Posting Server and you should not have concerns about complex posting business logic in Dynamics GP as Dexterity engine will do exactly the same job as if you would initiate posting in GP User Interface
3. eCommerce eConnect Integration Programming. We encourage you to order Dynamics GP eConnect programming and software developing training, if you are ecommerce full time or consulting programmer for mid-size or large ecommerce organization with Dynamics GP as Corporate ERP. eConnect is SDK and it allows you to make, modify and delete Master records: Customer, Address, Vendor, GL Account, Employee, and Transactions: Sales Invoice, Quote, Order, Customer Deposit and others. eConnect doesn’t post GP batches, please read paragraph 2 for Autopost, which does exactly that
4. Please, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com