13 Classic Under Used Features in Dynamics GP

You won't want to miss this webinar presented by Mark Polino, CPA, MVP and yours truly, on March 17, 2011.  Brought to you by our friends at 

Click on the logo above for more info . . . 

East Coast Dynamics merges with IntellPartners of Atlanta, GA USA

I've recently reached an agreement to merge my company, East Coast Dynamics, with IntellPartners of Atlanta.  For full information, please read the MSDynamicsWorld article here - 
http://msdynamicsworld.com/story/accounting/veteran-microsoft-dynamics-consultants-unite-new-push-focus-erp-customers-beyond-so

Didn't make it to the GPUG meeting last week

I was planning to attend the GPUG meeting in Atlanta last Wednesday and report on how it went but the Go Live gods had other plans for me.  We're in the midst of Go Live support for a new implementation and I just wasn't able to break away.  As soon as I attend my first GPUG meeting, I'll let you know all about it!

In the meantime, let me give GPUG another GPlug - www.gpug.com.  Check them out!!

A new focus for awhile

Over the last year or so, my focus has been providing bite-sized nuggets of info to help make using GP easier and more productive.  I'd now like to take a turn to something that is near and dear to my heart - training.  In my experience, most GP (or any software app for that matter) users are seriously under-trained in the finer points of the application.  An ongoing program of training can do so much to unlock additional productivity and make a user's experience much more satisfying.  

So, for the next few months, I want to encourage users to take advantage of the many, many opportunities that exist to get more out of GP and make their work-a-day lives easier.

And in this first installment, I want to introduce GPUG to users who don't know what it is or what they offer.

GPUG (the Great Plains User Group www.gpug.com) is an organization 100% dedicated to improving the Dynamics GP user experience.   I recently joined GPUG and cannot believe how many different programs they offer to help the GP user improve their understanding of and proficiency in Dynamics GP.  Not only that, but as a community of users, there are tons of ways to connect with other users and share experiences.  GPUG has only been around since 2006 but has seen significant growth and reach since then, with 20 regional chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

As stated on their 'About Us' page, GPUG's mission is 'To engage every individual and company using Microsoft Dynamics GP in value-added networking and knowledge sharing and to be the single most important conduit for Microsoft to seek guidance on future development of Dynamics GP.'

To  that end, I want to do what I can to help GPUG fulfill its mission.  I'm going to go to my first GPUG regional meeting this week in Atlanta.  I'll blog about the experience later this week.  In the meantime, I encourage you to check out their website and see if GPUG would be a good fit for you.

Review of 'Microsoft Dynamics GP2010 Implementation'

Having just reviewed Victoria Yudin's new book over the weekend I can say 'wow - what a treasure trove of information'.  You can tell from the very beginning that the book was written by someone who knows implementing GP cold.  A person could literally sit down with SQL Server and GP discs in one hand, this book in the other and install GP in an afternoon with the confidence that it has been installed properly.  But much, much further than that, the book lays out step-by-step instructions on putting together a GP implementation team, project plan, infrastructure, SQL Server and GP configuration, data migration, user training etc., etc.  Every base is covered, along with tips, tricks and traps.

If you're even considering implementing or re-implementing any version of Dynamics GP, this publication is a must have.  You can get it here - https://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-dynamics-gp-2010-implementation/book in print, ebook, or both.

This one will definitely be part of my GP toolkit.  Bravo Victoria, bravo!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Wishing everyone a happy, safe and prosperous New Year!!  May we all see great things happen for Dynamics GP in 2011.  Hope to see you all at Convergence this year.

GPTip42day - Victoria Yudin's new book - Microsoft Dynamics GP2010 Implementation

What a way to start the New Year!  Our good friend and fellow MVP has a new book out called Microsoft Dynamics GP2010 Implementation.  Victoria is extremely knowledgeable about Dynamics GP and has been a GP MVP for longer than I've even known what an MVP is.  She has taken her vast knowledge about GP and used it to create a step-by-step guide to implementing GP2010.  I'm going to read the book in the next couple of weeks and post a review here on the blog but I wanted to give you all advance notice that the book is available here - https://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-dynamics-gp-2010-implementation/book.

I'm really looking forward to reading the guide and whether you're getting ready to implement GP2010 or just want to learn more about it, I'm sure this will be a must-have for your GP library.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to Everyone!

May your holidays be safe, serene and restful and may your New Year bring you health, wealth and wisdom.  My best to each and everyone!

GPTip42day - Why can't I see the Batch ID in SmartList after I post a GL batch?

This little quirk has to do with GP allowing you to use the same Single Use (as opposed to Recurring) Batch ID multiple times.  If GP stored the Batch ID (BACHNMBR) in the Open or History tables after the batch is posted, as it does in the Work table prior to posting, this could prevent use of the same Batch ID again.  Some (like me) might say this is a good thing because it would provide a solid audit trail between the batch and its transactions.  However, the current behavior does offer more flexibility in batch naming.

At any rate, if you need to see the Batch ID for a posted batch in a Financial Transactions SmartList, add the 'Originating Source' column to your SmartList.  That is where the Batch ID is stored permanently.

GPTip42day - Year End Close

It's hard to believe we're already at that time of year again.  If you need some assistance with Year End Close processes in GP, have a look at my series of posts here - http://gp2themax.blogspot.com/search/label/Year%20End%20Close.

GPTip42day - General Ledger enhancements in GP2010

Exclude Inactive Accounts in Accounts Lookup

You can now exclude all inactive account records from the Accounts lookup window.

Clear recurring batch amounts

You can now clear the distribution amounts for all transactions on recurring batches after posting a batch. You can navigate through the distribution lines and enter new amounts for each period.

Combine multiple General Ledger Budgets into a single, Master Budget

You can combine multiple General Ledger budgets into a single, Master Budget, one budget at a time. The Master Budget can be completely new and have its own Budget ID, or it can be one of the original budgets. This feature is helpful when multiple departments in your organization create their own budgets, which must then be consolidated. The new Combine Budgets window simplifies this process.

Create budget transactions
You can now create a transaction directly against a budget. You can view a list of budget transactions, make adjustments, and then update the budget from the list.

Comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) requirements

GP2010 now includes features that meet compliance standards for IFRS. You can identify transactions for local GAAP, IFRS, or other accounting purposes, and you can define ledgers for each purpose. You can select one or more ledgers for financial reports and inquiries. Also, you can generate distributions automatically as part of the year-end closing or currency revaluation process.

GPTip42day - Emailing Documents in GP2010

In GP2010, you can embed any of a number of documents into the body of an e-mail message or send documents as attachments.

You can send a single document, batches of documents, or send multiple documents using the Lists functionality in GP. When setting up e-mail functionality, you can select which documents can be sent and which customers and vendors should receive their documents via e-mail.  If you are using Word templates for Microsoft Dynamics GP, you can send predefined or customized forms.

The following documents can be sent via e-mail from within GP –

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A document can be sent in HTML, XPS, PDF, or DOCX file format type.  You can also combine multiple documents to be sent in a single e-mail.

GPTip42day - New Features in GP2010

Over the next few days (weeks?) we're going to focus on some of the cool new features that GP2010 provides that weren't available in any previous versions of GP.  There's a document available from Microsoft that lists all the new features, but for those who don't like reading long documents, we'll present the interesting stuff here in bite-size pieces and instructions on how to do the setup, if necessary.

Viewing Reminders as Cues or Text

You can specify to view predefined reminders and customized reminders as text or as Cues in the Home Page. A Cue is an icon that increases or decreases in height to indicate the number of records in a particular reminder category.

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To change from Text to Cues, or vice versa, on the Home Page, above the Reminders box, there's a pencil icon.  Click the pencil to open the To Do Details window, then click on the blue arrow to the right of Reminders to open the Reminder Preferences window.

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Place check marks in the Display as Cues boxes as desired.

GPTip42day - Using the Miscellaneous field on SOP transactions to recapture Credit Card fees

Business case  - the user needed a way to invoice customer for fees the user incurred as a result of receiving a credit card payment from the customer, without including the fee as a line item on the invoice.

Solution - use the Miscellaneous field on the transaction (this works regardless of whether you're using Sales Order Transaction Entry, Invoice Entry, or Transaction Entry) to invoice the fee to the customer.

Sales>Sales Transaction Entry

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In Posting Account Setup, Series = Sales, set the account on the Miscellaneous line to be a revenue account, or whatever account you find appropriate, so the distribution occurs automatically.



GPTip42day - Multiple Project WIP Accounts

From the GP Forums comes the question - 'Can I setup multiple WIP accounts in Project Accounting?'  The answer is Yes.  Because the WIP account is specified in Cost Categories, you can setup multiple WIP accounts as long as you setup Cost Categories that are specific to the  projects you want to track per each WIP account.