Great Plains Sales Order Processing and Invoicing Modules ? Tips For Consultants
June 22, 2007
We’ll give you non formal view, based on our consulting practice.
Common Features. SOP and Invoicing have these features
? Sales Automation ? this is obvious statement.
? Posting to GL and Bank Reconciliation ? this means that automated posting across Microsoft Great Plains is applicable to both modules as well as to the whole Microsoft Great Plains design.
? Integration with Accounts Receivable (AR) module - Great Plains has very clear structure of base modules: GL (core), AR, AP, IV (inventory control). When you post document from SOP or Invoicing ? system creates posted RM Sales transaction (Invoice) in Accounts Receivable module
? Integration with Inventory Control Module ? both modules are integrated with Inventory Control ? this means that you can select items from the inventory as well as non inventoried items and have them as Invoice lines.
? Modification & Customization ? you can modify and customize the screens, using VBA/Modifier (customization site enabler is required), Great Plains Dexterity (core Great Plains design technology) ? in this case your Great Plains Dexterity programmer creates so-called Dexterity chunk and integrates it with your GP client application. Also you can use database side MS Transact SQL scripting to alter Great Plains logic
Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager ? Working With Text File
June 21, 2007
Microsoft Business Solutions main middle market ERP application - Microsoft Great Plains has multiple integration options: MS SQL Scripting (stored procedures and views), ADO.Net programming, Microsoft SQL Server DTS packages. You certainly can deploy such SDK tools as eConnect. However here we would like to show you how to program the simplest user friendly tool: Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager. Multiple times in our consulting practice we saw the need to integrate General Ledger transactions from one text file and here we give you this and even more complex case, when credit and debit amounts are present on the same line with their own account numbers. Let’s assume that we have tab delimited text file, GLSOURCE.txt. Here is how the line looks:
“11242004″ (date) “11020016000″ (debit account) 212446.68 (debit amount) “15260005400″ (credit account) 212446.68 (credit amount)
Pretty challenging, isn’t it?
Let’s begin
First of all and this is probably easy ? you need ODBC DSN, use Microsoft Text Driver, change default directory, select the file and switch to tab delimited type.
Next, open Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager and create two new queries ? one will be for the Header and the second for distribution lines in GL transaction. In both cases use Advanced ODBC type of text queries.
Microsoft Business Solutions Products Selection: ERP, CRM, Retail Management
June 20, 2007
Let’s first look at your ERP system selection (without Retail Solution). Your options are:
Microsoft Great Plains. If you remember successful mid-size application ? Great Plains Dynamics, pioneered on Mac and Windows graphical platforms in the mid 1990th. This is now Microsoft Great Plains, Great Plains Standard and Microsoft Small Business Manager (scaled down Great Plains version, using he same technology ? Great Plains Dexterity). Currently it is version 8.0, the only database platform option is Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE. Ctree and Pervasive SQL were abandoned, the last version, supporting these platforms was 7.5. You should consider Microsoft Great Plains if you are in: USA, Canada, Latin America, UK, South Africa, Australia ? these are markets, where former Great Plains Software had successful penetration
Microsoft Navision. This product had success on European market and was developed by Navision Software, Denmark based software development company. In our opinion Microsoft bought this product in order to get European market share, especially continental Europe. Then, Microsoft Business Solutions realized that Navision is a good fit for countries with tight government regulation: taxes, chart of accounts (France and Russia), government reporting, etc. You should consider Navision if you have light manufacturing (we believe that Navision will be the base for future Microsoft Manufacturing suite) or located in the following regions: continental Europe, Russia, Brazil.
Microsoft CRM ? Consulting in the Post-Recession Time
June 19, 2007
New post-recession era has new features, which didn’t exist in late 1990th during high-tech boom. This will be in our opinion on new directions for Microsoft Business Solutions products consulting, including Microsoft CRM. New features:
1. Overall cost reduction campaign. We see general direction, when companies hire new executives who specializes in cost reduction, work force reduction, secondary departments functions outsourcing, etc.
2. Computer ERP systems literacy among mid-management. If you look back to 1950th when management consulting was booming, then for now it is included in all the MBA university programs and managers themselves know the subject. The same happens with ERP systems ? managers have general knowledge and can learn the new system, applying their education, experience and intuition
3. Databases Support cost reduction ? today we would dare to say that IT department can easily support such databases as the ones, sitting on Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle is also following the idea of zero support efforts. You don’t have to hire DBA with 10 years of experience ? this means that even small business could move to industry-strength database platforms
Microsoft Great Plains Multicurrency ? Overview For Implementation Consultant
June 19, 2007
When you first think about multicurrency ? you probably have in mind the revaluation question. Currency triangulation ? which was the need when European currencies were fixed to Euro is not an issue any more.
1. Sales and Purchasing multicurrency ? when you are selecting accounting package with multicurrency, you need first understand if it has multicurrency on the Sales and Purchasing modules level, not just in GL. The problem behind is like this. When you have sales in foreign currency ? you will probably get the payment later on when currency may potentially lose some value against your functional currency (like US Dollar or Euro ? however in our days Dollar is very good candidate to do so, but this is outside of the scope). Then ? even if you do have payments upfront in foreign currency ? you probably don’t plan to convert this currency to functional for repatriation, you probably keep it in the local bank and so your foreign money is subject to fluctuation in comparison to functional currency
Oracle Development: JDeveloper 10G ? Java, J2EE, EJB, MVC, XML - Overview For Programmer
June 18, 2007
In 2004 Oracle, Inc. made its new step toward J2EE application development simplification, releasing new RAD Oracle JDeveloper 10G. First of all JDeveloper 10G is targeted to rapid web application building, utilizing all the achievements of J2EE World: web service, EJB, MVC frameworks, XML, etc. Oracle JDeveloper 10G allows you to conduct all full development cycle for complex system ? from UML diagram-based concept to debugging, profiling and deployment.
Let’s look at the product main features а:
1. Cross-platform (works under main Unix/Linux platforms and in Microsoft Windows environment) friendly development environment with high level of integration and third party plug-ins switching on. Syntax highlighting, re-factoring, transparent work with RDBMS, bi-directional code generation between UML models, EJB models, required J2EE patterns generation with one click of the button, visual web application builders and other capabilities open the doors for developer, who had never before being dreaming to create industrial-strength J2EE application!
2. PL/SQL stored procedures development and testing, plus integration with major database platforms ? Oracle, Sybase, MS SQL Server etc. via JDBC mechanism.
3. Deployment capability for all major application servers ? Oracle Application Server, IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic, JBoss. OC4J ? J2EE container comes with this environment, which perfectly fits for application development and testing.
Navision Attain Database access via C/ODBC in ASP.NET Application
June 17, 2007
Navision Software was purchased by Microsoft and now it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions together with Microsoft Great Plains, Axapta, Solomon, Microsoft Retail Management System and Microsoft CRM. Navision has extremely strong position on mid-size European and US markets, plus it has excellent manufacturing solution. Our goal is to help IT departments to support and tune Navision with in-house expertise and skills. The topic of this article is Navision database access from ASP.NET application via C/ODBC interface. Our goal will be ASPX page accessing Navision Customers.
Let’s begin
1. In our case we will use Navision Attain 3.6 with Navision Database Server, Navision Application Server and Navision Client. These components are installed on Windows XP. You also need to install C/ODBC component form Navision Attain CD.
2. Let’s create ODBC DSN for Navision data access. Select Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Data Sources (ODBC). Then select System DSN tab and press Add button. We’ll use C/ODBC 32-bit data access driver. We’ll name Data Source Name Navision, Connection leave Local. As the database (Database button) select Program FilesNavision AttainClientdatabase.fdb (demo database). Then click Company button ? we’ll use CRONUS demo company. It is important for C/SIDE correct database access to setup proper options for C/ODBC connection. Press Options button and look at the options available ? we’ll need Identifiers parameter ? it defines identifiers types, which will be transferred to the client application. In order to work correct with MS SQL Server 2000 with C/ODBC source we need to use these type: "a-z,A-Z,0-9,_". Now DNS is done. Let’s create Linked Server.
Navision Attain C/ODBC Crystal Report ? Customization Example
June 16, 2007
Microsoft Business Solutions Navision is main ERP application for European, Brazilian markets plus it serves vertical segments of the USA market, such as light manufacturing, POS, CRM. As our experience indicates ? Navision implementation requires more customization and tuning in comparison to another mid-market ERP solution from MBS: Microsoft Great Plains. Our goal is to popularize Microsoft Business Solutions products and enlighten IT people to do customize Navision in-house.
Today, the main topic of this article is working with native C/SIDE Navision Attain database via C/ODBC interface, in particular ? Linked Server creation in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 environment and then Sales report design in Crystal Reports ver. 10. Let’s begin:
1. We will use Navision Attain 3.6 with Navision Database Server, Navision ApplicationServer and Navision Client. These component are installed on Windows XP Professional. To enable C/ODBC interface you need to install this component from Navision Attain CD.
Unwanted Files
June 15, 2007
A LOT OF UNWANTED FILES.
When you uninstall an item of software, there are generally a number of redundant files left behind to clutter up your hard drive. Over the course of a year or two they can be using valuable hard drive space that would be better reserved for more important things.
These files are backups that are generated when software is installed, the reason is not important. All that we need to know is that when the software is un-installed they are no longer required.
To remove them and free up drive space is a simple procedure.
If you are using Windows 98 - ME - or 2000.
Click on Start>Search>For files or folders. Enter your search criteria in this case it is .bak (don’t forget the dot before bak)
Click on the ‘Find now’ button.
When the search is finished you should see a number of .bak files in the results window.
Look carefully for any files marked as ‘Config.bak’ or ‘System.bak’ It is not advisable to erase these files unless you know what you are doing.
It is now safe to erase the remaining files using your right mouse button and ‘Delete’.
Dig Out That Worm
June 14, 2007
Internet worms. Is your PC infected?
If your computer has become infected with a worm, don’t panic, it is not the end of the world.
There area number of things that you can do.
Microsoft has a security web page. www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
It offers up to the minute information on the latest security threats and worms. It also provides you with all of the tools to dig out the worms and fix any damage that they may have caused.
I expect that most of you are saying that you already have protection. May I ask a question?
"Is it up-to-date?"
We all know that virus protection is essential. The trouble is that a lot of us have not updated our virus protection software since we purchased our computer possibly three or four years ago.
The chances are that it is completely useless against the latest threats.
I am using AGV anti virus. I have found it to be totally reliable. There are other programs that I expect are just as good. Zone alarm also has a very good reputation, so does F-secure. Go to Google and type in "anti virus programs" and you will get more results than you could shake a stick at.
