Archive for category Dynamics GP
Getting Insights from your Dynamics GP solution
You have been using the Dynamics GP solution for some time and have captured valuable data about your customers, vendors and financial operations. Now you want to draw some useful insights from this information. You want the answers to questions such as the following:
- Who are our most profitable customers?
- What products are these customers buying?
- Are they buying more (or less) from us this year versus last year?
- What is our margin by customer and by product?
- Who are our top salespersons?
With the GP Analysis Cubes, the answers to these questions are just a few clicks away.
Here’s the Pivot Table created from the Sales cube that contains the top 10 customers by Sales. The report also includes Cost of Sales and Gross Profit. You could also sort the Pivot Table by Gross Profit.
Once you have this basic report, you are ready for further analysis by slicing and dicing the data. For example, you want to know what products these top 10 customers purchased. Simply drag the product dimension next to the Customer dimension. Here’s the resulting report.
Now you want to compare this year’s sales for your top customers against the last year’s sales. Simply, drag the year dimension to the columns area and select the years you want to compare.
As you can see from the report, Office Design Systems Ltd and Vision Inc. are the brand new customers this year who made the top 10 customers list. You also notice that some of the last year’s top customers have dropped off the top 10 list this year.
If you would like to see the underlying details for a given cell in the report, you can drill down by double clicking on the cell. A new worksheet will display the detailed transactions that make up the result in the cell as shown in the following screen shot.
Conclusion: Your Dynamics GP system captures a lot of valuable data about your business and you can use it to your competitive advantage with the tools you already know and use.
Manufacturing Cost Rollup Discrepancies
During a recent implementation of the Dynamics GP Manufacturing module for one of our clients, we noticed significant differences between the existing current standard cost and the proposed or pending standard cost for several finished goods items after performing our first cost rollup. There are several possible reasons for this, some of which include:
- The existing standard cost on the finished goods and/or materials item cards are over or under valued
- Labor and/or machine rates are over or under stated
- Routing times are invalid
- Components are missing from the Bills of Materials (BOMs)
Upon closer look, it appeared that the pending material costs were less than what they should be according to how the BOMs were set up and what the client knew their material costs to be.
Upon an even closer look, with our Item Cost Revaluation report and calculator in hand, we were able to review several BOMs and identify specific components that were not being included in the cost rollup even though they were included in the BOMs. These same components were also excluded from backflusing during the posting of Manufacturing Order (MO) Receipts; i.e. the component quantities were not being relieved from inventory and component costs were not flowing to the GL.
It turns out that records for certain inventory items were missing from one of the costing tables in the company database. But how? What could have caused this? Microsoft had a couple of possible explanations for the missing records:
- If items are imported via SQL
- If items start out as a perpetual valuation method and are later changed to periodic
The latter seems to be the most likely cause in this case. We performed the following steps to resolve the issue (after first testing in a test environment). The referenced scripts should be obtained from Microsoft Dynamics Support… Read the rest of this entry »
Terminal Server 2008 Together With Dynamics GP
After deploying several Dynamics GP customers using the new Windows Server 2008 Remote Desktop Services (old Terminal Services), I must say that I have been quite impressed with the new functionality. It is now a viable option to use, and much more cost effective, then the traditional school of thought that Citrix is the way to go.
The previous limitations of past implementation seemed to have all been addressed, namely:
- Printing on client computers without having to install every print driver – Thanks to Easy Print
- Training user on how to manage two desktops – Use of Remote App
- Providing access to external users without the dependency on a VPN connection – Accomplished through the RDGateway
With limited exceptions, we now recommend the approach to all of our customers that are deciding the best method to deploy their new Dynamics GP solution. It is the best of both worlds in that IT no longer has the challenges in maintaining several desktop installations while the users get the rich application experience they prefer.
Anyone else had similar successes or challenges in using Remote Desktop Services?
Scribe Insight 7.0 supports multiple targets
Scribe Software recently announced the availability of Scribe Insight 7.0. One of the most important features of this release is the ability to connect to more than one target in the same DTS.
The blog post on Scribe’s web site describes various scenarios where this feature can be valuable. These include:
- If the source record was triggered via a publisher, then the update source feature is not available since the source for that DTS is a message queue and not the original application which triggered the integration.
- The source system uses an adapter which does not support the update source feature.
- The source query is a complex join which update source cannot not support.
- You need to be able to update multiple fields on the source record.
The scenarios 1 and 2 above are applicable in most closed-loop integrations between Dynamics CRM and another ERP system.
For example, because the previous release of Scribe Insight did not support multiple target connections in the same DTS, Dynamics GP to Dynamics CRM template has to use two separate DTSs for CRM to GP Sales Order integration as follows:
- OrderToERP.dts: Sends submitted orders from Dynamics CRM to Dynamics GP
- OrderToERP_Result.dts: Updates the Sales Order in Dynamics CRM based on the result (success or failure) of the OrderToERP.dts
Now, with Scribe Insight 7.0, you can combine both of the above steps in one DTS using both Dynamics GP and Dynamics CRM as targets.
This new feature will be very valuable for addressing many Dynamics CRM and Dynamics GP integration needs as well as the other closed-loop integration scenarios such as the above.
SmartList Builder Etiquette
I admit it. I love SmartLists in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Some folks even call me a “SmartList guru.” And I realized the other day that I’m a bit of a SmartList snob, because I think it’s important when you create a SmartList to take the time to add those simple finishing touches which make a GP user’s job that much easier.
So I thought I would share a few SmartList tips which are like the whipped cream and cherry on top of a delightful sundae. I’ll use Microsoft Dynamics Human Resources & Payroll for my examples (the bullet points). Read the rest of this entry »
Microsoft GP 2010 Released
Now that Convergence and the GP 2010 launch events are behind us, it is time to focus on reasons to upgrade. Below are the top 10 features of GP 2010 as listed by the ERP Software Blog (www.erpsoftwareblog.com).
1) Get Better Insight Into Your Data Using Dashboards And KPI’s With Drill-Back. There are now customizable dashboards built of SQL Reporting Services (SRS) reports. Each user can decide which ones they want to display, create their own and drill-back to GP from these reports.
2) Get More Out Of Excel With Predictive Modeling And Analysis. Tools integrating to Excel include the Excel Reports ,which are in GP 1o, but now there are additional ways to use them including Power Pivot tables and drill-back from Excel Reports to GP.
3) Work With Over 90 Built-In SRS Reports. An additional 20 SRS reports have been added that can be used in SharePoint, Outlook or within the dashboards.
4) Create Professional External Documents Using Word Forms. Users will be very excited to be able to deliver Word Forms and customize external (customer and vendor facing) documents within Word.
5) Tailor Your List Pages With Navigation List Builder. Those list pages that were underutilized in GP 2010 will be customizable with the new SmartList Builder tool – Navigation List Builder.
6) Create Mini-Applications With Extender. Building on the Extender functionality added in GP 10, SP 4 users can create their own free standing Extender windows, report on them with SmartList, and integrate to them with SmartConnect.
7) Connect More Easily With People Using Communicator Integration. Detecting presence of customer and vendors contacts will allow you to work faster and more directly. You can send instant messages and share your desktop and email documents right from your desktop using these tools integrated to GP.
8) Integrate Systems Better With Web Services. More web services are available in the Human Resources Self Services Suite in Business Portal as well as other tools on SharePoint.
9) Leverage Other Technologies Such As 64 Bit And Workflow On Windows SharePoint Foundation. Management Reporter (FRx replacement) will take advantage of 64 Bit technology and the workflows will be able to be run on SharePoint Foundation.
10) Upgrades Are Much Easier. Beta customers experienced very few problems.
Definitely some compelling reasons to check it out! I look forward to sharing these great new features with our existing and future clients.
Real World Effects of GL Posting Settings
Recently a couple of clients have expressed interest in understanding how the General Ledger posting settings work in Dynamics GP. Here are a few common questions we hear…
- What does it mean to create a journal entry per transaction versus batch?
- What will my trial balance look like if I post in summary versus detail?
- If I post in summary, will I still be able to drill back to see the source transaction?
This is something we educate our power users about at the beginning of any GP implementation, and often times it is much more easily grasped by walking through specific examples with visuals versus simply providing an explanation. Here I attempt to describe the effects of the various posting setup options using several screenshots.
All of the posting options described here are set up in the following window: Microsoft Dynamics GP >> Tools >> Setup >> Posting >> Posting Read the rest of this entry »
Selecting Analytical Accounting as the Accounting System in Microsoft FRx
I ran into an error with FRx for Microsoft Dynamics GP with Analytical Accounting. When I went to the company information window and tried to change the dropdown for “accounting system” to “Analytical Accounting” it would basically fade to blank. Quite annoying.
The problem: In the folder, C:\Program Files\FRx Software\FRx 6.7 , the file FSAA80.dll is missing! Apparently this is the primary library for Analytical Accounting and, somehow, my installer failed to put it where it belongs… It happened on all three machines I was testing (windows 7, server 2008 and server 2008) but not on an XP machine. This wreaks of security issue!
The solution: Find a machine with FSAA80.dll and drop it into the C:\Program Files\FRx Software\FRx 6.7 folder. Next, right click the dll and choose “Open with…”. Browse for a program and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\Regsvr32 and open the dll with it. It will say that registration of the dll has succeeded. When you restart FRx you should be able to choose Analytical Accounting and be on your way.
Saw a demo of Management Reporter (the replacement for FRx) and am very excited for its release. It’ll be nice to be rid of the SYSDATA folders and to get everything into SQL Server.
-Dwight
One great session at Convergence
Since I loved the 50 tips in 50 minutes session at Convergence so much, I wanted to share with you all! During the session, I scrambled to take notes to keep up with the mad dash of 50 tips. Here is my attempt…
1) Explore GP with Area Pages
2) Brighten things up with RED required fields
3) Clarify with Process Notes
4) Use Quicklinks
5) You can turn the Navigation Bar on & off
6) Using Home Page Matrices
7) User Classes –assign windows and shortcuts
8) User Classes/smartlist – create favourites by user class
9) Use the startup folders to display default windows
10) Copy and Paste header with query results in SQL
- In SQL 2008, right click to copy query with headers
- In SQL 2005, go Tools – Option – Result to Grid
11) Correct entries in the G/L without recreating the JE
- Ensure setting for Voiding/Correcting is selected
12) Control Entry – Allow transaction entry
13) Audit Control with Posting numbers
14) Complete transactions with taxes in JE
15) Bank Reconciliations with grace periods
16) In AP, Use Edit check batch for all vendors and payments rather than Edit Checks
17) Assign Picking Instructions to customer items
18) In POP, use Cancel Quantity to control/report vendor’s missed delivery (performance)
19) Use In Transit Invoice Transfer to go from site to site
20) Use Purchasing Control Account Management for reporting
21) Showing Payment Account to improve transparency
22) Free tool from Microsoft to control dates in the Subledger – DocDateVerify
23) In AP, use scheduled payments
24) Use Tax Dates
25) Control inventory by preventing sale of discontinued items
26) Speed up AR but selecting no printing
27) Speed up Collections Management with Paid Transaction Removal
28) Undo errors with referenced transactions (Project Accounting)
29) With Budgets, push cost category to multiple projects
30) Allocate project costs
31) Use Benefits Allocations
32) Create Assets from Project (simply)
33) FRx Reports directly to Excel (skip drill down)
34) Use GP Table reference
35) In Smartlist, control column width when printing to screen
36) Using Excel Report Builder
37) Using Analysis Cubes
38) Spell Check in GP!
39) Using Internet defined fields in Company Setup
40) Free VBA – caps lock on at login
41) Free VBA – Control multi-company logins with one user
42) Support Debugging Tool – colour code company with different background colours
43) Turn off Microsoft Outlook integration
44) Documentation for out of the box security roles
45) Part of Support Debugging tool – more information on security roles
46) Check out these blogs:
- DynamicAccounting.net
- Blogs.msdn.com/gp
- Twitter.com/DynAcctNet
47) On CustomerSource, check out “Watch your way to Greatness”
48) Forums help
49) Debugging Tool – screen shot/email ability
50) Debugging Tool – show detail when user denied/permissions
In the end, I’ve attached links to the complete powerpoint presentation (including hidden slides):
http://www.dynamicstips.com/dynamics-gp/convergence-2010-50-tips-presentation/
http://msdynamicsgp.blogspot.com/2010/04/convergence-2010-50-tips-presentation.html
Microsoft Forecaster and Analytical Accounting
I recently had the opportunity to attend Convergence, the annual Microsoft Dynamics conference, where Microsoft partners, customers and industry experts come together to learn, share and promote. http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/convergence
This year I took the opportunity to attend several sessions on Microsoft Forecaster to learn tips and tricks and best practices from the experts themselves. Since we are ramping up for a Forecaster implementation with a client who is also using Analytical Accounting (AA) in Dynamics GP, I was particularly interested in the integration aspects of AA and Forecaster.
Prior to Convergence, I could not locate any documentation specific to AA integration with Forecaster, and the session presenters each confirmed that there really isn’t any documentation on the subject. One of the benefits of attending Convergence is that partners and customers alike can speak with the presenters, the experts who are either implementers and/or technical support engineers, one-on-one after the sessions. This is where I asked, exactly how does one go about bringing AA data from GP into Forecaster?
Each presenter stated the same thing: it all comes down to the segments. In Forecaster, you set up segments to represent the segments in your chart of accounts. For example, if you have a chart structure of XXXX-YYYYYY where XXXX represents your facility or entity, and YYYYYY represents your account, in Forecaster you can set up a segment called Facility with a length of 4 characters and a segment called Account with a length of 6 characters.
Setup >> Segments >> Definition
If you also want to bring AA data into Forecaster for budgeting and forecasting purposes, you will need to create another segment in Forecaster that represents your AA dimension(s). But before we dive in and create an additional segment, what about that “Assign” checkbox on the Segments definition window? The Assign setting tells Forecaster which segment to use for assigning security, and only one segment can be assigned. Our client wants to assign security by department, since department managers are ultimately responsible for departmental budgeting and forecasting. Department happens to be one of their AA dimensions and not a segment in their chart of accounts. And their Facility segment is also important for security purposes; i.e. which users have access to which facilities’ budget data. So the question is, how can we structure the Forecaster segments such that security can be assigned appropriately to allow users access to only their facilities and departments?
The answer is to concatenate the facility and department segments into a single segment.
We then created rollups in Forecaster to mimic the Facility/Department hierarchy that we have in GP between chart of accounts segments and AA dimensions. The combined use of concatenated segments and rollups in Forecaster was a good balance of managing security while still allowing enough flexibility in importing and working with the AA-level data.
Contributors
Abi Shende (3)
Cory Fellers (7)
Dwight Brown (7)
Elizabeth James (6)
Mike Marcin (10)
Sara Corbett (5)
Tricia Tubig (6)