Microsoft Great Plains Implementation – overview for IT Director/ControllerWritten by Andrew Karasev
Microsoft Business Solutions is on way to popularize it's ERP systems implementation. Right now such products as Microsoft CRM and Small Business Manager (cheap version of Microsoft Great Plains, based on same Great Plains Dexterity runtime and DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary) are targeted to self-implementation by in-house IT group. This is short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director/Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains implementation. If you have decided on Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains installation and implementation and what is going on behind scenes. As of right now current version is Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 What is installation in language of technology? Installation has server and client sides. •Server side - Installation creates security environment (logins) on MS SQL Server or MSDE, creates system database - DYNAMICS and then company databases. All these tasks are performed by Microsoft Great Plains Utilities •Workstation side - workstation installation copies client side application, installs current version of MDAC (we need SQL ODBC driver - please check documentation on ODBC DSN setup), registers application. If you plan to run Great Plains Utilities from workstation to create server side (see above) - you need to check Install Client and Server Components What is following implementation? Implementation requires combination of technological and accounting skills •System Setup - you should refer to GP documentation. In general setup consists of Company information, General GL/AR/AP/Payroll setup, User classes, Customer/Vendor/Employee classes to name a few •Master Records - you should either use integration tools, such as Integration Manager, SQL queries or have users to type in all your GL Accounts, Customers, Vendors, Employees . •Beginning Balances - this is recommended approach - you place aside old accounting application for querying historical data and enter beginning balances in Great Plains GL, AR, AP, SOP, POP, Payroll. When you have balances in system you are ready to use it in production
| | Microsoft Great Plains Upgrade – version 8.0 overview for IT Director/ControllerWritten by Andrew Karasev
This is short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director/Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains upgrade. If you have Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customizations, ctree/Pervasive migration to MS SQL/MSDE. As of right now it is reasonable to upgrade to Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 Is upgrade required? Not actually, but you have to consider these factors •Technical Support discontinuation - old version may not be supported - currently if you are on version 6.0 - support is already discontinued. You can not have Microsoft Business Solutions help you, but obviously you have MBS partners who can still help you. If you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL, then your support expires December, 31 2004. •Tax Updates/Magnetic media expiration - if you have US Payroll module and depend on it with W2 and other forms - you must stay with version, which is supported and has tax updates. If you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL - then you will not have tax updates for these platforms at end of 2004 and your W2s maybe inaccurate. If you have a lot of employees - you may have issues with government. •Following Technology and Microsoft rules - Microsoft wants you to be on newest platform and provides you best support when you follow this rule •If you do have heavy customization - we recommend you to skip one version, for example if you are on version 7.5 - do not upgrade to 8.0 and wait for next version What is upgrade in language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides. •Server side - upgrade converts tables from old format to new one. In general words - Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all data from temp table to newly created one. •Workstation side - workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe - engine and DYNAMICS.DIC - dictionary. These two plus all additional files will be replaced with new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in new version. What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports •Dexterity Customization - being very short - Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms - these do not need upgrade - they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (so-called Alternate Great Plains forms) - in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc. •VBA/Modifier customization - Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows - it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA scripts (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA scripts may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on modified form.
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