Your Microsoft Dynamics GP Product Management & Marketing team:
Errol Schoenfish
Pam Misialek
Jay Manley
Jen Dorsey
Gerice Anderson
Darrin Hawley
While this blog is technically "owned" by the Microsoft Dynamics GP Product Management and Marketing team, it truly belongs to ALL of those who call themselves a part of the Microsoft Dynamics GP community!
Kit Item Support in Field Service
Module: Service Call Management, Preventative Maintenance, Returns Management, Depot Management
Why this feature is cool!
While kit items have long been a staple in Inventory and SOP transactions, you’ve not been able to use them in the Field Service Series. This feature has been long-awaited and is now a reality! For businesses that rely on the ease of using kitted inventory in their service industry, they can now specify a kit on a Service Call Parts line. All the familiar Service tools to manage backorders such as generating a Purchase Order or a transfer are supported. A kit item can be entered on an RMA with full functionality to process the kit components such as creating an RTV or a Work Order. From RMAs, the kit components can be returned to stock or scrapped. Also kits can be used in Parts posting for Work Orders.
What does it look like?
Navigation: Transactions > Service Call Management > Service Calls
Billing Frequency Options on Contracts
Module: Contract Administration
Within Contract Administration of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, you can now bill in an unlimited user-defined set of billing frequencies. You can even specify to bill just once! To utilize this new feature, you now specify 3 fields:
Contract Entry/Update window (Transactions > Contract Administration > Contract Entry/Update)
Excel Report Pivot Tables
Dictionary: SmartList Builder
You will now be able to capture the Pivot Table functionality in Excel in addition to the standard Excel Reports available today. In Excel Report Builder, the user can choose whether they want the report to be a standard List or a Pivot Table.
From the Microsoft Dynamics GP menu, choose Tools > SmartList Builder > Excel Report Builder > Excel Report Builder. Choose Pivot Table for the Report Type.
Excel Report
Drill Down Builder
Module: SmartList Builder
You can be browsing an Excel report and drill right into the Microsoft Dynamics GP screen that is related to the data you are looking at. Drill Down builder allows you to further enhance the Microsoft Office and Microsoft Dynamics GP integration story. With the same model as the builder tools, Drill Down Builder is configurable by the end user: define the window you would like to be able to drill down to, in any module, from any product, including 3rd party Dexterity products.
The drill downs you build can be automatically embedded within Excel Report Builder Reports or manually added into any other office application such as Word, Outlook emails, SRS reports or within SharePoint pages.
How could customers use Drill Down Builder?
· Scenario 1: First, generate an Excel Report Builder report that shows total inventory per item. Embedded in the report is a drill down to the Item Quantities Inquiry window in Dynamics GP. If the user needs to know more about the stock for a particular item, they simply drill down from the Excel Report into the details you need in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
· Scenario 2: A users wants a colleague to take a look at three purchase orders within Microsoft GP. Rather than sending them a list of PO numbers, they can send an email with links which will open the Purchase Order window and populate it for them.
· Scenario 3: A user has configured an SRS report containing weekly timesheets for consultants. The consultants are able to review the report and if they need to make a change can drill straight into the related timesheet to make the changes required.
The drilldown builder windows are very similar to the GoTo screens in SmartList Builder. Here we have defined drilldown into the item quantities inquiry screen in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
Drill Down Builder window (Microsoft Dynamics GP menu >Tools > SmartList Builder > Drill Down Builder)
When we are browsing GP inventory data in an Excel Report we are now able to drill down into the Item Number field which will open the pre-populated Item Quantities Maintenance window.
Manufacturing Single Item
Module: Inventory
Costing Preferences Defaults (Tools > Setup > Manufacturing > System Defaults > Costing)
Standard Cost Changes widow (Cards > Manufacturing > Inventory > Standard Cost Changes)
Hello Friends of Microsoft Dynamics GP!
We are excited to announce the availability of the Partner Ready Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA “Core” – 32 Bit Microsoft Virtual PC Version #2 Technical Demonstration Toolkit!
This Technical Demonstration Toolkit will include the following technologies/applications (This Technical Demonstration Toolkit is geared for Business Essentials type demonstrations):
What has been deployed:
Technical Requirements: Current Class Hardware, 4 GB+ RAM, 40 GB of free disk space (External HD recommended), Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1
We will be releasing an upcoming Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA “Core-Plus” Hyper-V Version #2 Technical Demonstration Toolkit which will include all of the features and functionality of the “Core” Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 BETA Version #2 Technical Demonstration Toolkit plus:
This “Core-Plus” Version #2 BETA Technical Demonstration Toolkit will be available in late February/early March 2010.
These “Core” and “Core-Plus” Version #2 virtual machines will be utilized for the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 U.S. Partner Readiness Roadshows
IMPORTANT: There are NO Demonstration Scripts or “How To Use” documentation for this demonstration toolkit as these Technical Demonstration Toolkits are in BETA. We will be providing demonstration scripts and “How To Use” documentation for the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) releases of the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Technical Demonstration Toolkits.
A HUGE THANK YOU! to John Dooley (Microsoft Dynamics GP East Region – PTA) for building this fantastic new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Technical Demonstration Toolkit/VPC!
PartnerSource Download Page:
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/deployment/methodology/vpc/MSDYGP2010_CoreVPC2Toolkit
Thanks, Ben
Rapid Migration Tool: Edit Chart of Accounts
Module: Rapid Implementation Tools: Rapid Migration Tool v1.1
Former QuickBooks users who are migrating to Microsoft Dynamics GP often want to improve the structure of their chart of accounts. Typically these businesses have grown and become more complex in their financial accounting needs. While QuickBooks doesn’t require a customer to use an Account Number, many customers may have some informal method for numbering their QuickBooks accounts. When moving to Microsoft Dynamics GP, users often want to change or modify their existing chart of accounts structure and existing account numbers to better define how transactions are distributed and reported in Dynamics GP. The problem is that once the QuickBooks data is imported into Dynamics GP, making changes can be a time consuming process.
In the Rapid Migration Tool v1.1, once the data is extracted from the QuickBooks data file, users are now given the opportunity to modify their chart of accounts (edit account descriptions and numbers) before their data is imported into Dynamics GP. New segments can also be added to existing numbers, allowing users to go from the seven character QuickBooks limitation to Dynamics GP’s more robust segmented account structure. Migrating from QuickBooks is now faster and easier than ever.
Splitting the QuickBooks account number field:
Editing the chart of account format:
Editing the Chart of Accounts before import:
Project Accounting SSRS Reports
· Adds new SQL Server Reporting Services reports for the Project Accounting module in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
· Provides more user more intuitive access to the data users, accessible from both inside of Microsoft Dynamics GP and to users outside of Microsoft Dynamics GP through their web browser
Report Name
Description
Pre-Billing Worksheet – Cost Plus-Fixed Price (Billable)
Allows the user to view a pre-billing worksheet for Cost Plus/Fixed Price type projects that are billable.
Closed Projects
Provides details on closed projects.
Profit and Loss
Provides the profit and loss for a selected project or range of projects during a selected period of time.
Expense vs Retainer - Open Projects
Compares the project retainer against the charged expenses and the retainer balance for a given project.
Revenue Recognition Transactions
Displays the revenue recognition transactions for a given project.
Budget vs. Actual with Variance
Provides the ability to group budget and actual expenditures for a project for selected cost categories and time period.
Combined History Report
Transaction detail report for cost transactions of any given project or range of projects.
Aged Trial Balance
Provides a receivables aged trial balance for selected projects. - Detail" can also be appended to the name if the detail check box is marked.
MRP Move-Out Enhancements
Module: Materials Requirements Planning (MRP)
Item Resource Planning Maintenance window (Cards > Inventory > Item Resource Planning)
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Web Services
What’s new for Web Services in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010?
Upgrading web services to WCF provides Partners and Customers many benefits:
Experience the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Launch Portal for Customers and Prospects Today!
Another exciting milestone has been reached to support the upcoming launch of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010. Customers and prospects can now access the interactive launch portal to learn more about the upcoming release, watch product videos, register for launch events, and more!
There are currently 14 events across the US being promoted and we will soon be adding 16 additional events. In additional Microsoft Dynamics GP Partners can add their own local events and leverage the launch portal in their own marketing activities. We will continue to add to the portal as new launch resources are available.
We hope you are gearing up for a great launch!
Jen
Inventory Auto Lot Numbers
· Allows users to setup a pre-defined lot mask for designated items
· Provides the ability to split individual receipts into multiple lots
· Similar user experience to the Auto Serial Number feature, resulting in a very short learning curve
Item Serial/Lot Number Definition window (Cards > Inventory > Item > Options > Track expansion button)
Purchasing Lot Number Entry window (Transactions > Purchasing > Receivings Transaction Entry > opens when receiving a Lot numbered item)
Vendor Workflow
When a new vendor is added to the system, there is certain data that needs to be entered in Vendor Maintenance. Often times this information is entered by multiple individuals and involves a step by step process. Furthermore, there might be tasks that need to be done outside of the system, such as ensuring that there is a signed contract with the vendor. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 will incorporate a new vendor workflow that will provide users the ability to route vendors for approval and assign actionable tasks to users to help facilitate the setting up of a new vendor.
· Vendor tasks are displayed in Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft SharePoint (Windows SharePoint Services or Office SharePoint Server).
· The vendor can be routed to one or more people for approval or to complete an actionable task.
· The conditions in which a vendor can be routed can be specific to each business. (Example: Route to a user if a shipping method doesn’t exist.)
· If users are out of office, their approval tasks can be automatically routed to another user to act on their behalf.
· If a user does not take action on their task, there are various options for escalating the vendor for approval.
· The workflow history of a vendor approval is consolidated and easily visible within Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft SharePoint.
· When a vendor is approved, the person submitting the vendor workflow (an originator) will receive a notification that the vendor has been approved.
Vendor Maintenance (Cards >> Purchasing >> Vendors)
Purchase Order Date Roll Down
Module: Purchase Order Processing
There are times after a purchase order is entered that the user needs to update the Promised Date and/or the Promised Ship Date for the purchase order. Users can now enter the updated dates in the PO Date Entry window, and those new dates will be rolled down to each individual line item in the Purchase Order automatically.
Drill Thru to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
Module: System
Enables users to view a report and drill thru to the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 form that contains the actual record.
· New Dynamics GP protocol handler allows drill thru from any external location that provides hyperlinks
· Creates a seamless link between external reports and data within the Microsoft Dynamics GP application
· Twenty-three drill back fields across multiple reports
· Additional detail reports are available to display information pertaining to data point selected in the metric
· Supports multiple drill fields on each detailed report
· Drill back fields can be added by Partners, ISV’s, and Customers to new or existing reports
SSRS Metric (from GP Home Page, SSRS Report Manager, or Microsoft SharePoint)
When you click on a data point in the metric, a detailed report or metric appears displaying additional information
On the detailed report, additional fields (such as SOP Number, Item Number, Customer Name, Salesperson ID) are drill thru enabled to take you back to the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 application and relevant window (Customer Card below)
Sales Forecasting Enhancements
Module: Sales Forecasting
· Increased usability allows the user to process forecasts more efficiently and accurately
Changes:
1. Changed header details from “Issue To” to “Site ID”
2. Added tool tips to browse buttons to aid navigation
3. Sort the grid by either Item Number or Unit Cost.
4. Added a new lookup to the Find Item Number.
5. Updated grid so when focus is on one field and browse buttons are used the focus changes with the move.
6. Updated report prints by item – date, the next item – date, then back to first item, next date.
Sales Forecasting window: Transactions > Manufacturing > Forecasting > Sales Forecasting
Enhanced Navigation to External Reports
BI Tools: SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft Office Excel Reports
Provides navigation enhancements for SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft Office Excel that appear within Microsoft Dynamics GP.
· Added new view for SQL Reporting Services Reports in all Module buttons
· Added new view for Microsoft Office Excel Reports in all Module buttons
· All Report Writer reports are available in a single view; Microsoft Dynamics GP Reports
· Reports are automatically filtered, except on the Administration Module button, by the series related to the module button selected.
New views available on Administration button
New views available on other Module buttons
E-mail – Customized Messaging
The email feature for Microsoft Dynamics GP will provide the user with the option to create predefined messages for customers and vendors. The messages can be assigned at a document level, so that all customers/vendors get the same message for the selected document. Otherwise, the messages can be assigned to an individual customer/vendor and document combination. The user can also change the message on the fly from the Receivables Entry Window, Sales Transaction Entry Window, and Purchase Order Entry window.
Message Setup window (Microsoft Dynamics GP>>Tools>>Setup>>Company>>E-mail Message Setup)
E-mail Detail Entry (the E-mail Detail Entry expansion button next to the Customer ID field)
Health Supplement Maker Gains 25 Percent Faster Service, Reduces Development Costs
Customer
Industry:
Food and Beverage Industry
Products & Technologies:
Summary:
BSN, a leading manufacturer of health and fitness supplements, needed a way to merge sales order and customer contact information from Microsoft Dynamics CRM with order and invoice data in Microsoft Dynamics GP. For several years, the company used a proprietary integration tool to move data between the two systems. However, this tool did not always enable the efficient integration of various fields between the two databases, requiring BSN staff to rely on manual data entry. After learning about the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics GP, BSN opted to install the integration tool, completing the process in a matter of hours. Now, the company has accelerated customer service delivery by 25 percent, reduced development costs, and gained greater IT self-sufficiency while maximizing the return on its technology investment.
Links:
Internal: http://mscomapps/gcrpinternal/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000006479
External: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000006479
User Copy
· Provides the ability to quickly copy all security access from one user to another
· Copies all security operations, tasks, roles and company access
· Increases efficiency for the Security Administrator and reduces security setup errors for new users
Changes: Once a new user is entered, the administrator will have the ability to “copy access” from another user, greatly decreasing the time needed to setup a new user.
User Setup (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System > User)
Copy User Security (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System > User > Copy Access)
Have you heard that Management Reporter is now in beta? Whether you are interested in downloading the beta or not, the information on these link is what you need to know about Management Reporter.
They have functionality lists, plans for future releases, migration guides, and tons of stuff. Check it out!
CustomerSource Management Reporter Pre-Release
PartnerSource Management Reporter Pre-Release
Happy Reading,
Pam
New Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Series Fact Sheets Now Available!
These are not your grandfather’s fact sheets….with an all new design and filled with customer quotes, quantifiable statistics, and specific information on how Microsoft Dynamics GP can help customers across all areas of their business.
What’s cool for partners is they can customize these Fact Sheets with their own contact information and use them within their own sales and marketing efforts!
Spread the news that these new brochures are now available on the Microsoft Dynamics GP Launch Portals on Infoweb and PartnerSource!
Hope you start to use and promote these new resources along with all the new sales and marketing materials available for the GP 2010 Launch.
Security Sorting
· Streamlines security setup & maintenance by allowing the Security Administrator to filter security windows in order to view only the selected:
o Operations assigned to tasks o Tasks assigned to roles o Roles assigned to users
· This ability to filter security operations, tasks, and roles helps increase the Security Administrator’s efficiency and reduce the likelihood of incorrectly assigned security permissions.
Changes: New checkbox displays only the selected operations, tasks and roles making it easier for the Security Administrator to review assignments.
Security Task Setup (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System > Security Tasks)
Security Role Setup (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System > Security Roles)
User Security Setup (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System > User Security)
Action Step Workflow
Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 offers an “approval” workflow, which routes objects to various individuals for document approval based on user specified field values of the transaction in question. However, organizations typically have additional processes that they follow when creating a master record, such vendors, or when creating transactions, such as Purchase Orders or Quotes. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 includes the added ability to perform an “action step” workflow which helps users take action for a specific business process.
These business processes may require the routing of the record for an action that needs to take place before the record can be used or posted within the system. Often times these actions need to take place outside of Microsoft Dynamics GP. For example when setting up a new vendor, a user may need to perform a check with the Better Business Bureau. The action step feature allows for the creation of a workflow task that indicates to the user that they need to perform the check before the vendor can be used in the system. Action step workflow features include:
· Create a workflow that is customized to the organization’s process.
· Assign an activity to a user based on criteria of the record.
· Users can be notified of an activity that needs to be completed in Microsoft Office SharePoint (either Windows SharePoint Services or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server), Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
· Action tasks are flagged with “ACTION NEEDED” on all notifications.
· Users can mark the task as complete, reject the task, or delegate the activity to another user.
Setup:
Alerts/Notifications from the Home Page:
Alerts/Notifications from SharePoint:
Home Page Metrics
The metrics, charts, and KPI’s that are available on the Microsoft Dynamics GP Home Pages now leverage SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports. This enables greater flexibility for our customers in regards to the metrics that are displayed and how they can be accessed.
· Metrics built using Office Web Components are still available to the users
· Customers can choose SQL Server Reporting Services as their metric source
· Over 100 fully customizable metrics that can appear on the Microsoft Dynamics GP Home Page
· Companies can easily create their own metrics they want displayed on the Home Page
· Metrics are part of the SQL Server Reporting Services Deployment Wizard
· Metrics may be deployed to SQL Reporting Services in either Native or SharePoint mode
· Reporting Services metrics will appear in the SQL Reporting Services Report List; making them available to add as links on the Home Page
· All metrics are available to use in Business Portal as well
· Users can display multiple metrics on the Home Page at one time, or display just one at a time with the option to scroll through the metrics
Reporting Tools Setup window (Microsoft Dynamics GP>>Tools>>Setup>>System>>Reporting Tools Setup)
Microsoft Dynamics GP Home Page (with multiple metrics displayed)
Users can customize the metrics they see using the Metrics Details window (Customize this Page link on the home page>>Customize Home Page>>Metrics Expansion)