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