| Microsoft Great Plains as mid-size ERP | | | | and test environment with potential user |
| requires professional approach to be | | | | training |
| implemented in mid-size organization. In | | | | |
| this small article we would like to orient | | | | 4. Data conversion dilemma. Ideally you |
| you, assuming that you are controller, IT | | | | would like all your historical ERP data to be |
| director, or even programmer responsible for | | | | converted and imported to GP. However this |
| GP project. Servicing relatively complex MRP | | | | might not be practical, due to high cost and |
| system, including its installation, | | | | time consumption. We recommend you to |
| implementation, data migration & conversion, | | | | consider masters record conversion: |
| integration with legacy and peripheral | | | | customers, vendors, employees, GL chart of |
| systems, reporting, system customization and | | | | accounts and then do GL initial balances |
| business logic alteration, require GP | | | | transaction entry to close old period in |
| professional consultant involvement, similar | | | | legacy accounting and begin new fiscal period |
| to when you purchase new car, you expect | | | | in Microsoft Great Plains. Try to consider |
| professional technician to do service and | | | | the idea of having your legacy accounting |
| repair job, at least first three years. | | | | system to be available in transition period |
| Let's review Great Plains implementation | | | | for data inquiry and lookup |
| steps and process overall, trying to cover | | | | |
| reasonable details: | | | | 5. Users Training. Future GP users should be |
| | | | involved in Great Plains Chart of account |
| 1. Hardware Requirements. Microsoft | | | | design, especially in its segmentation - GP |
| publishes hardware requirements on Partner | | | | allows you to sort accounting records by |
| and Customer source for its Dynamics product | | | | account segment in FRx financial reporting. |
| line. You should think about hardware | | | | Then users should participate in modules |
| requirements from the number of simultaneous | | | | setup: SOP, POP, RM, PM, Project Accounting, |
| users, the role of GP server - if it is | | | | Service Management Suite. |
| dedicate for Great Plains or you plan it to | | | | |
| serve additional tasks, such as be Active | | | | 6. Custom Business Logic and Reporting needs |
| Directory server or Domain controller for | | | | covering. If you have specific EDI, data |
| example. We saw public companies, who | | | | integration needs, industry compliance |
| utilized Microsoft Small Business Server to | | | | reports, please check with your MBS partner |
| serve all company systems in one box, to give | | | | on the best way to cover these needs. In GP |
| you amazing example | | | | wide range of customization and programming |
| | | | tools is available: Great Plains Dexterity, |
| 2. OS Software requirements. Latest Windows | | | | ReportWriter, MS SQL Server Reporting |
| server is recommended. You can try 64 bit | | | | Services or SRS, GP SDK for Visual Studio |
| Windows 2003 server R2 or if at the time of | | | | Developer (C# and VB.Net are the most popular |
| reading Microsoft releases newest server - | | | | programming languages), eConnect, Integration |
| more likely it is supported and recommended | | | | Manager, VBA with Modifier, Extender, SQL |
| | | | Views and Stored Procedures to name some |
| 3. Microsoft Great Plains Implementation | | | | |
| Steps. You begin with Microsoft Dynamics GP | | | | 7. GP Version Upgrade. Version update is |
| reseller selection, where you should be | | | | handled by GP Utilities, however you should |
| comfortable with functional and technical | | | | know some facts about upgrade to GP 10.0. At |
| expertise, user training capability, data | | | | this time, December 2007, GP 10.0 Service |
| conversion expertise, and probably overall | | | | Pack 1 is available, you should apply it |
| number of installations to verify the | | | | prior to launching upgrade process. Prior to |
| background. When you are done with MBS | | | | SP 1 upgrade path was available from 9.0 SP2 |
| partner selection, you should concentrate on | | | | or GP 8.0 SP5. Upgrade process from |
| Great Plains modules selection: majority of | | | | technical side replaces GP workstation: |
| GP modules, such as General Ledger, Inventory | | | | Dynamics.dic, Dex.ini, Dex.exe and then it |
| Control, Manufacturing, Accounts Receivables, | | | | launches utilities. Utilities copy the |
| Bank Reconciliation, Accounts Payable, Sales | | | | table, which got new structure in the new |
| Order Processing, Purchase Order Processing, | | | | version to temp database, then it drops and |
| Payroll and HR are Microsoft Dexterity | | | | recreates the table and moves data back from |
| applications. The other set of modules are | | | | temporary database. In certain situation, |
| coming from Microsoft Dynamics GP Business | | | | this version upgrade process has |
| Portal and Sharepoint: Requisition Management | | | | vulnerability to bugs, typically fixed in |
| former eRequisition, Order Management former | | | | Service Packs |
| eOrder, employee selfservice, Electronic | | | | |
| Document Delivery, Key Performance | | | | 8. Other FAQ. What is DEX_ROW_ID? - it is |
| Indicators, here we are talking about | | | | used by Microsoft Dexterity engine and you |
| Microsoft Great Plains Business Portal 10.0 | | | | typically should not include it into data |
| or 3.0. When you are done with modules | | | | conversion scripts. How do I backup and |
| selection you can move on to GP installation | | | | transfer specific GP table? |