Dynamics University Fall/Winter 2015 by Dynamics University

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY ISV EDITION

PROVIDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS速 USERS

YEAR-END

FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

10 6 TIPS

BOOST ONLINE PAY ADOPTION

ACA

MARTIN CRM 2016 OLSEN QUESTIONS& &ANSWERS

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

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DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY Dynamics University represents the culmination of great ideas and content from the best reselling Microsoft Dynamics partners with a focus on helping Microsoft Dynamics customers achieve more for less. The idea for Dynamics University was born out of a desire to drive greater educational offerings within the Microsoft Dynamics community.

Partner

Location

Website

Advanced Solutions & Consulting Cargas Systems

Solana Beach, CA

www.solutionsco.com

Lancaster, PA

www.cargas.com

Express Information Systems

San Antonio, TX

www.expressinfo.com

Integrated Business Group

Altamonte Springs, FL

www.ibgnet.com

Knaster Technology Group

Englewood, CO

www.theknastergroup.com

Summit Group Software

West Fargo, ND

www.summitgroupsoftware.com

The TM Group

Farmington Hills, MI

www.tmgroupinc.com

Turnkey Technologies, Inc.

Chesterfield, MO

WebSan Solutions Inc.

Toronto, Ontario CAN

Products

www.turnkeytec.com www.websan.com

GP CRM RMS SL NAV AX 2

DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

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FALL/WINTER 2015

Articles

08 Affordable Care Act Answers to ACA Questions 10 Time to Start Thinking About Year-End | Pt.1 GP Year-End Close Procedures 13

Year-End Pt.2 Year-End Close for General Ledger

ISV

ACA

CRM 2016 Realization of Great Customer Experiences 18 Online Bill Pay ISV 10 Ways to Boost Adoption 14

22 Navigating Sales Tax 5 common Compliance Errors 30 Is Your Business Audit Ready? Automating Controls in GP 34 Reduce Office Clutter Simplify Processes with PaperSave

ISV

36 GP and Property Management 5 Ways to Achieve 100% Occupancy Goal

features 4

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welcome

ISV EDITION

Letter

Summer is behind us, and fall is upon us (at least it is in the United States). Summer is a time of warmth. We vacation, hang out with family and friends, and relax. Hopefully, the summer has also allowed us to unplug for a while and gain greater perspective and energy. In business, fall is when we often make business improvements, launch new projects, and start thinking about plans and budgets for next year. To fully leverage investments made in our Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics GP solutions, clients and partners are always looking at new ways to automate more processes and eliminate any lingering, isolated islands of information. New releases of Microsoft Dynamics bring new capabilities that need to be evaluated and incorporated into our business processes. There is also a rich ecosystem of add-on solutions available to enhance Microsoft Dynamics. Microsoft and your partners call the companies that develop and support these solutions independent solution vendors, or ISVs. However, for years I thought ISV stood for integrated software vendors, because that is what they are and what they do. The power of these solutions is that they are typically either written in the native application language of Microsoft Dynamics or fully integrated. When written native to Microsoft Dynamics, they function just like an additional module with the users often unaware that it is an add-on solution. Integrated solutions offer the capability of eliminating redundant data entry and processing inefficiencies. In this issue you will find information about several Microsoft Dynamics ISVs as well as an interview with Martin Olsen, owner and product director of eOne Integrated Business Solutions. eOne has worked closely with Microsoft under OEM agreements for seven years with its SmartList Builder and Extender products before resuming full control for these products in 2014. The company also offers SmartConnect, which offers “developer-free” integration and automation. This issue also contains information on: • ACOM forms creation, check and document production output, payment processing, and enterprise content management solutions. • Avalara cloud-based sales tax and compliance applications. • Budget Maestro budgeting and planning software products. • Fastpath security, audit, and compliance applications. • Greenshades payroll tax filing and employee portal solutions. • Nodus electronic payment, e-commerce, and business process automation software. • PaperSave complete document management, electronic workflow, and invoice automation solution. • Scribe active integration hubs that combine data from multiple applications across multiple platforms. Enjoy this issue of Dynamics University, and good luck with your fall projects. Don’t forget your Microsoft Dynamics partner isthere to offer guidance and assistance with these projects.

Ken Jacobsen, Jr. Vice President of Business Development The TM Group, Inc.

magazine Dynamics University

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36 30 41

Why GP Data Matters To the Financial Professional

42 ISV

42 Conventional Wisdom, Software, & Your Business Unique Value = Advantage 44 Introducing Peak Engagement ISV Your Engagement Solution

Content

05 Welcome Ken Jacobsen Jr. | The TM Group, Inc. 24 Interview Martin Olsen | eOne Solutions 38 Debits & Credits for GP Users 46 Tips & Tricks for CRM Users

Dynamics University is a free magazine published two times a year. Request a subscription by going to

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It’s time to go paperless

PaperSave® can dig you out of a landslide of paper PaperSave gives you the ability to go paperless and focus your efforts on critical tasks, and not the mountains of paper. We integrate seamlessly into your Dynamics system and help streamline your organization’s documents and workflow. Available now on-premises or in the cloud!

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ANSWERS TO AFFORDABLE CARE ACT QUESTIONS

ISV

ACA

By Chris Hadden, CPP, Greenshades Software

t Greenshades, we’ve spent the last 20 years working with payroll, human resources (HR), benefit, and financial users on a daily basis; however, rarely before have we talked with them all at the same time. ACA impacts everyone in an organization, but it presents significant challenges to those particular departments and takes team building to a new level. With so much data needed from so many departments and records, many running different systems and databases, ACA is a huge challenge for any business. For the past 12 months, I’ve been running a series of webinars and presentations geared around the ACA, which has allowed me the opportunity to speak with hundreds of companies around the country, all of whom have varying levels of familiarity with the Affordable Care Act. One thing they have in common, though, is that they are all very scared. If there wasn’t enough fear in the heart of businesses around the country already, the IRS just kicked it up a notch by recently increasing the penalties for non-compliance. After talking with so many of these Microsoft Dynamics users over the past year, I’ve seen a number of reoccurring questions.

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IS IT TOO LATE? WHAT ABOUT HISTORICAL INFORMATION? Any employee who works more than 30 hours of service per week or 130 hours of service per month over the course of his/ her measurement period is considered a full-time employee for the purposes of ACA, so historical data is essential. The form 1095-C issued to these employees also presents complications because a historical offer of coverage needs to be tracked continuously throughout the year to have a full scope of what to report on the form at year end. It’s important that any business react as soon as possible because this is no time to give up and hide. By pulling historical payroll and HR data from Microsoft Dynamics, Greenshades is able to calculate the full-time status for employees and capture historical coverage details, with minimal edits. The longer you wait, however, the more complicated this becomes.

I WANT TO GO GREEN. WHAT ELECTRONIC OPTIONS DOES THE IRS OFFER RELATED TO ACA? The IRS offers various ways to go paperless; some are voluntarily and some are mandatory. Any business that is filing more than 250 1095-C records to the IRS must file the 1094-C transmittal electronically. Even if a business has less than 250 records, it can optionally file electronically with the IRS. Please note: If you already have a Transmitter Control Code (TCC) for filing other 1099s electronically, in order to file the 1094/1095 electronically, you must register for a new TCC with the ACA Information Reports (AIR) system. By using the Greenshades applications, however, you can avoid this registration process, which gives you one less headache to deal with. The IRS also allows the 1095-C form to be issued electronically to the recipient so long as the recipient explicitly agrees to receive this form electronically. The Greenshades Year End Forms module will track this consent process for you, saving you both time and money in January by avoiding the need to print and mail paper 1095-Cs to recipients.

OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE ENROLLED IN SELF-INSURED PLANS; CAN YOU HELP?

I’M NOT PROCESSING PAYROLL IN MICROSOFT DYNAMICS. IS THAT A PROBLEM?

Self-insured coverage leads to some additional challenges with the Affordable Care Act, but nothing that cannot be tackled with the appropriate resources. Because self-insured companies will not have an insurance carrier to issue a form 1095-B to all covered individuals, an employer that offers health coverage through an employer-sponsored self-insured health plan must complete form 1095-C, Parts 1, 2, and 3, for any employee who enrolls in the health coverage, whether or not the employee is a full-time employee for any month of the calendar year. Part 3 includes information on which dependents were covered throughout the year. This means that a business must take additional steps in ensuring that dependent election data is collected and stored throughout the year. Coverage offered to non-employees must also be reported; however, this will be reported on form 1095-B.

Many businesses who outsource their payroll have come to the unpleasant truth that their payroll providers may not be offering any support for the Affordable Care Act, unless they are prepared to use a large amount of financial and personnel resources to implement an entire HR suite. Not to worry; Greenshades can help. Greenshades offers a Microsoft Excel® template that can be used at year end for populating employee and coverage details, which will be used for populating form 1095-C or 1095-B in January. Greenshades will assist with the electronic reporting to the IRS as well.

An employer that offers employer-sponsored self-insured health coverage, but is not an applicable large employer subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions under section 4980H, should not file forms 1094-C and 1095-C, but should instead file forms 1094-B and 1095-B to report information for employees who enrolled in the employer-sponsored selfinsured health coverage. Greenshades has full support for employers with self-insured plans and will support both the form 1094/1095-C, as well as the 1094/1095-B. Greenshades will also assist in tracking and storing the dependent elections throughout the year, making the completion of 1095-C Part 3 a breeze at year end.

WHAT VERSIONS OF MICROSOFT DYNAMICS DOES GREENSHADES SUPPORT? Greenshades offers support for multiple versions of Microsoft Dynamics (AX, GP, NAV, and SL), including versions of Microsoft Dynamics no longer officially supported by Microsoft (such as Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, or Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 as of October 2015).

THE IRS TELLS ME I’M PART OF AN AGGREGATED ALE GROUP. CAN GREENSHADES HELP WITH THAT? As a business associated with an Aggregated ALE Group, it’s key that employeelevel data is properly accessible and tracked throughout the year, especially if you have an employee who works across multiple employer groups. Any hours of service accumulated throughout the measurement period for the employee must be aggregated across all of the reporting companies. Just because the employee does not work more than 30 hours of service per week in any one particular company does not mean the employee is not a full-time employee. In addition to tracking employee hours across multiple companies, the companies in question must also work together for reporting the form 1095-C at year end to determine which company should be responsible for reporting in January. Greenshades provides businesses the ability to set up Aggregated ALE Groups to make employee tracking very manageable throughout the year, and all required logic will be applied by Greenshades reporting at year end to keep you and your business in compliance. Visit www.greenshades.com or call 888-255-3815 to learn more.

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t is once again time to start discussing year-end closing procedures and updates for modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Although Microsoft typically releases the Year-End Update around the middle to end of November, now is the time to be talking to your partner. Planning ahead is very important.

A very big topic this year for businesses regards the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ACA is new for everyone. Many business are not sure if or how ACA affects them; as such, we recommend you talk with your accountant or lawyer to get more information on the ACA requirements for your business. Many businesses that offer employer-paid health insurance are discovering they still need to report on it and complete the ACA forms for their employees. ACA reporting is not just for businesses that do not offer affordable health insurance or for businesses with part-time employees. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 and higher contain new fields and functionality within the Human Resources module to track general ACA information and print ACA forms. Additional ACA reporting, tracking, and electronic filing options are available through ISV products. NOW is the time to start talking with your partner about a solution so you potentially limit any penalties and are not scrambling at the end of the year!

SUPPORTED VERSIONS

icrosoft will provide YearEnd updates, payroll tax updates, and information for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015. Mainstream support for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 ends on October 13, 2015 which means you will no longer receive regular support from Microsoft, payroll tax updates, or yearend updates and information. If you are currently on Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 or a prior version, now is the time to be talking with your partner about upgrading.

DIVE INTO YEAR-END CLOSE FOR PG 13 GENERAL LEDGER 10

CLOSE PROCEDURES

CLOSE ORDER

irst and foremost, the number one action item is to make a backup of all Microsoft Dynamics GP databases BEFORE starting any year-end close procedures. The second action item is to review the closing procedures for each module being closed. Whether this is the first time closing or the 10th time closing, review the procedures; make a checklist of the steps to follow and close the modules in the correct order. The closing procedures are created by Microsoft and provided for each module. You can find more information and links to the Microsoft instructions at www. dynamicsuniversity.com/gp-year-end.

Below is a list of modules in the order they should be closed and when:

Closing the modules could differ depending upon your organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiscal year. Some modules are date-sensitive and are for the calendar year; others are just for fiscal years. To ensure accuracy in summary windows and reports, modules should be closed as Microsoft recommends.

DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

PAYROLL For customers who use Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll or Canadian Payroll, it is extremely important to complete all 2015 pay runs prior to processing payroll year-end procedures. In past years, Microsoft has released the Year-End Update at the end of November, and the payroll tax update is typically released in December. Information regarding year-end close, ACA, links to needed service packs, and payroll tax updates will be located at the Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Resource Center.

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT

YEAR-END IN GP By Janelle Montplaisir, Summit Group Software

Make sure to bookmark additional resources, such as the Dynamics University website, where information is centralized in one place to assist with the year-end close process. For organizations looking for year-end close information, www.dynamicsuniversity.com/ gp-year-end is the place to go! Now is the time to be proactive and get time scheduled with your Microsoft Dynamics partner if your organization needs assistance with year-end.

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MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

GP YEAR-END CONT.

TALES FROM THE TRENCHES YEAR-END CLOSE FOR GENERAL LEDGER IN MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

1 2 3

By Nathan Tyson, Integrated Business Group, Inc.

ne of the first items on the year-end close checklist that might not get enough attention is to print an account list and to verify the posting types of each account. Profit and Loss accounts are closed to the Retained Earnings account you specify, and Balance Sheet accounts are rolled to the New Year with Balance Brought Forward entries. Incorrect account types will be more obvious and are caught when Retained Earnings is off or BBF balances are seen on P&L accounts.

The Year-End Close process has gotten better. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 added a progress bar to display the completion process. Prior to this in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and earlier versions, the system would appear to be unresponsive during the close, and users would sometimes force close Microsoft Dynamics GP, resulting in a failed close and necessitating a restore from backup.

In versions prior to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2, if you have the posting types for accounts marked incorrectly, then you have a few options available to correct the accounts and balances:

Restore from backup, correct the posting types, and then perform the Year-End Close routine again. Having a good backup before closing any of the modules is critical. If the close process fails, this is your safety net. There are steps that can be taken to correct the posting types of accounts, but they involve changing Posting and General Ledger Setup settings for Posting to History as well as executing a SQL script or two. If you are on Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 or later, the option to Reverse Historical Year has been added. This reverses the close process, allowing you to change the posting types of the accounts, and then the close routine can be ran again.

There are still a number of organizations that have not upgraded to at least Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2. If your organization is one of them, perhaps new features to the Year End Close process such as Reverse Historical Year, Maintain Inactive Accounts, the YEC progress bar, and Clear Balance During YearEnd Close would benefit your organization. Contact your Microsoft Dynamics GP partner for assistance with Year-End Close or to schedule an upgrade. DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2016 Welcome to the Realization of Great Customer Experiences! By Josh Behl, Summit Group Software

DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

round 15 years ago, I started my journey working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM (of course back then, it had a different branding and naming convention). For those of you who might recall the application from the deep recesses of your brain, you will remember it was not what one might call overly memorable. As versions have come and gone, there have certainly been versions whose updates to features and functionality have fallen flat or were severely lacking in any sort of shock-and-awe sort of user experience. However, there have

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

[

access at your fingertips... wherever you may be.

certainly been those versions that have not just moved the bar forward, but have essentially broken the bar, burned it to ashes, and created the most amazing bar you have seen! Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 – from a feature, functionality, and scalability perspective – finds itself (in this writer’s opinion) on the end of the spectrum where partners and customers are jumping for joy. As the versions have gone through their paces, the world in which we sell, engage, and make sense of our custom-

ers and their needs has morphed into a reality that stands in stark contrast to the one Microsoft Dynamics CRM 1.0 found itself within. Today, the customer experience and the journeys our customers find themselves on relative to their personal business and their relationship with us are of utmost importance. This newest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM empowers organizations to deliver amazing customer experiences through informed, and intelligence, customer insights by empowering organizations and their team members to not only be more

proactive, but also to make the customer experience more predictive for both the organization and their customers and clients. In the paragraphs below, I will highlight some of the investments and key features and functions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 in an effort to align what the product brings to market relative to the new realities of customer engagement in our respective business life cycles. CRM 2016, continued on page 16

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A responsive experience. One of the key features of the product for some time now has been the integration with Microsoft Outlook. One significant challenge, however, has been that the great integration between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Outlook has been relegated to the desktop version of Outlook. If you managed your emails from Office 365 via a browser or your phone, you were out of luck as it related to tracking emails. Now you can track emails and look at contextualized information about your customers and prospects from a browser, device, or the desktop installation of Outlook. For those of you who have an inclination for using Outlook via a Mac, you are also in luck. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 has extended its features and functionalities to Mac users as well.

Document Management Generate documents with One Click. In previous versions, if you wanted to do “document management” within Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you found yourself having to integrate it with SharePoint. While this worked and continues to be part of the document management landscape, more and more business users are using OneDrive for Business to share and manage documents. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, not only can users store and share contextualized documents using SharePoint and OneDrive for Business, but they can also leverage some newer features of document management and categorizations found through the use of a tool called Groups for Office 365.

Customer Care Engage with Customers on their terms. One area of Microsoft Dynamics CRM that is becoming of deeper relevance to organizations in the increasingly digital and connected world is the features and investments made by Microsoft relative to what has previously been dubbed as “customer service”. It is my belief that customers are largely not looking for someone to provide the service of helping them. They are looking for someone to care about them and/or make them feel that way. The feeling of being cared about has a greater inclusive impact on overall customer satisfaction than other metrics commonly tracked when organizations 16

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2016

Application for Outlook

[Microsoft Dynamics CRM[

CRM 2016, continued from page 15

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS evaluate customer care effectiveness. While this seems perhaps like a lofty aspiration for an organization, the path to establishing the emotive notion of feeling cared about or cared for is often very simple. Being able to communicate and engage with your customers in a way that is convenient and simple for them gets you a long way down that path. Additionally, organizations that empower those representatives to provide that care do so partially by solid strategies and hiring the right people. However, equally important is having the right tools. Here are a few new tools and features that (along with the current functionality) make this reality even more possible.

Survey Designer In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, organizations can now design and launch surveys from within Microsoft Dynamics CRM and enable customers to take these surveys from multiple devices. Moreover, as customers complete these surveys, automations can be triggered that notify others, create follow-ups, or perform other actions automatically. Finally, because their responses are stored within the database, this information is reportable and easily viewed directly from the customer record.

Interactive Service Hub A key piece to understanding trends, being proactive, and managing customer issues, questions, or requests is to provide intuitive interfaces that make visualizing that data simple and understandable as well as capable of immediate action. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 provides a multi-stream dashboard that allows users to view and act upon their work items across multiple streams of information. Additionally, enhanced capabilities in the chart functionality allow managers, users, and administrators to visualize that information in a larger variety of ways.

Service Intelligence In the 2015 version, users of Power BI online dashboards were provided a convenient sales dashboard that provided keen sales insights for users and empowered them to leverage the functionality of PowerBI. Microsoft has continued to invest in this analytic platform and how it works with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, organizations and customer care team members can leverage preconfigured service intelligence dashboards that pull from their Microsoft Dynamics CRM data.

System Mobility Access at your fingertips...wherever you are. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, we have seen a vast improvement in the mobility story. In earlier versions, there was technically a mobile story and experience for users, but it was drastically anemic in functionality and was frankly not something I personally tried to push to customers because it was a bit like that embarrassing relative who you need to invite to family events, but you really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to. Now, on the other hand, we have had a very acceptable, functional, and useful mobile experience. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, this experience is getting better. With improved offline support, document management (leveraging SharePoint or OneDrive for Business), better record navigation, better controls to use on mobile devices such as slider and calendar controls, and a richer task-based experience versus record-based experience, users can be far more productive when they are on the go. Beyond Microsoft Dynamics CRM, deeper investments in Microsoft Dynamics Marketing and Microsoft Social Engagement (not to mention their quality and depth of integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM) have further empowered organizations to not only provide world-class customer care, but to better understand custom-

ersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs, react to trends, predict trends, and reach customers and prospects where they are at in their customer life cycle instead of their customers having to fumble around to figure out how to engage. While each release brings new and heightened levels of excitement across Microsoft, customers and prospects,

and certainly across the partner channel, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 truly provides a deep suite of tools that can help organizations realize their customer relationship management strategies in the new and complex worlds of customer engagement and expectations. DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

ISV

Effective communication strategies and marketing campaigns must be developed, creatively positioned, and consistently distributed in a manner that educates and promotes the business’ desired behavior. The new customer billing and payment experience must be optimized to accentuate speed, ease, convenience, and security. Ideally, the system should be flexible enough to allow multiple avenues of electronic payments while providing a solution for those who don’t want to log into a website every time they need to review a bill or submit payment.

02 Conventional techniques to promote adoption include recurring messages printed on bills, inserts, and envelopes, informational letters via direct mail, promotions on websites, social media, and through telemarketing, “on hold” messages, and email. Customer service representatives (CSRs) are often trained to optimize payment behavior at the time of service, while new customers can be prompted to receive electronic statements when opening an account.

03 Businesses should recognize customers are likely to pay their bill according to the manner in which they received it. Statements sent via mail tend to be paid via mail or pay station. Invoices distributed online are likely to be paid via credit card, debit card, or electronic check. While many companies accept electronic payments, real savings can be achieved through electronic billing, and hence, this should be the primary goal of longterm payment strategies.

o what can companies do to promote the acceptance of electronic bills and payments in lieu of paper billing? Clearly the benefits for businesses are considerable with regards to cost reduction, expedited funding, call center demands, environmental impact, and customer satisfaction. However, in order to effectively board online bill pay participants, companies must integrate payment strategies across departments and form a solid understanding of their particular customer segments, their pain points, and the experience they expect as a result of enrolling.

WAYS TO BO ONLINE BILL PAY AD 18

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04 Organizations need to consider offering incentives and discounts to foster enrollment in online bill pay. The incentives should be reasonable and properly aligned with the extra work that customers must do in order to change their routines and participate. Note that surcharges and additional fees are likely to thwart adoption. Hence, all strategic initiatives should be carefully positioned to drive customers to adopt the lowest cost payment options and methods available to the business (i.e. paperless statements and recurring ACH [electronic check] payments transfer).

05 Companies must focus heavily on perfecting their online bill pay experience in order for the adoption of electronic billing and payments to flourish. This begins with making sure registration (if required) is fast and easy. Electronic statements should look exactly like traditional paper bills that customers are used to. The option to stop paper bills (the key objective) should be very simple to initiate and always accessible, along with the ability to manage payment information, enable reminders and alerts, and review billing and payment history (customers will be less likely to require paper bills if they can always log on and review them). Customers should be allowed to choose from as many payment options as appropriate, including scheduled, one-time, inadvance, on-account, and automatic or recurring payments. In addition, businesses should be positioned to accept multiple paymentmethods, including credit cards, debit cards and ACH.

OOST ADOPTION

Billers often emphasize the added savings and 24/7 convenience that accompany the adoption of online bill pay. Customers can omit mailing and postage and rather receive email and SMS alerts to inform them when a new invoice is available to view and pay, when payment is due, and when payment information needs to be updated as well as other account activities. Some solutions offer the ability to issue a payment link via email or SMS, thus allowing customers to instantly view invoices and submit payment online – without registering for an account or logging into a website. These alternative solutions can be especially effective if conventional online bill pay site adoption rates are slow.

Increasingly popular “go green” initiatives have also been shown to promote enrollment in online bill pay. By providing creative incentives, such as planting a tree or donating to a beach or highway clean-up fund each time a customer signs up for online billing, organizations can gain social momentum and simultaneously promote enrollment – all while vividly exemplifying the cost savings associated with adoption.

Online Bill Pay, continued on page 20

By Fauwaz Hussain, Nodus Technologies

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Online Bill Pay, continued from page 19

By understanding the needs and pain points of different customer segments, companies can fine-tune their online experience.

08 Merchants can reduce PCI compliance challenges and educate customers on the reduction of risk that can be accomplished by enrolling in online bill pay. This technology delegates the entry of sensitive payment information to customers and can protect data through encryption and tokenization. Electronic statements and online payments can also help prevent sensitive information from being stolen from postal mailboxes – a very common tactic for thieves. In addition, paperless statements and electronic payments do not require document shredding services, thus saving businesses time and money.

09 Accounting teams looking to boost adoption rates should review customer records and payment data to identify accounts that prefer using recurring ACH transfers. This segment should be strategically targeted with campaigns that promote electronic billing. The combination of direct debit or recurring ACH – together with paperless billing – requires the smallest payment processing cost, and as such is an ideal scenario for online billing.

10 Customers with persistently late remittances should be strategically targeted with campaigns that offer email and SMS payment alerts, together with recurring ACH transfers. Since timely remittance is the pain point for this particular segment, providing simplified payment links that allow the customer to view and pay invoices instantly – without logging into a website or payment portal – is key. Accounts with records of bounced checks, similarly, should be directed to solutions that provide recurring payments via credit card.

The adoption of online billing can be sluggish, primarily due to its inherent obligation to change consumer behavior. In order for customers to participate in electronic bill presentment and payments, they usually must log onto a website, register for an account, confirm their email address, submit account and billing information, remember their user name and password, and often, decide whether or not to turn off paper statements. This shift in the legacy model of paper billing and postal remittance must provide adequate value in the consumer’s mind in order for adoption to be fruitful. By understanding the needs and pain points of different customer segments, companies can fine-tune their online experience, as well as develop strategic and tactical initiatives that not only help improve the relationship with the customer, but also help boost the adoption rates of online billing – clearly a win-win scenario. For additional insight on how to boost adoption of online bill pay, please contact Nodus Technologies at 909-482-4701, email sales@nodus.com or visit http://www.nodus.com. 20 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

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ISV

Navagating Sales Tax 5 COMMON COMPLIANCE ERRORS FOUND BY AUDITORS By Avalara (reprinted with permission)

f South Dakota, Colorado, and Connecticut are any indication, states are starting to publicize common sales tax management errors. Though they provide a road map for sales tax compliance, these lists are by no means exhaustive. Rules, rates, and boundaries vary between states and localities, but one thing is certain: Sales tax is complicated, and the road to compliance is bumpy and long. Here are five common errors and what you can do about them:

Under-reporting sales or use tax due to poor record keeping

Manually collecting rates, tracking rules, or following boundary changes can lead to errors. Even savvy tax managers with accurate spreadsheets and regular Department of Revenue updates have difficulty keeping accurate records. Many companies choose to

Sales tax is complicated, and the road to compliance is bumpy and long.

automate sales tax within their financial systems to lower audit risk.

Not remitting use tax on items taken from inventory for business or personal use

Consumer use tax rules vary by state, and they apply between businesses as well as consumers and sellers. In states that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impose sales tax on out-of-

22 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

state sales, for example, the retailer purchasing goods from a wholesaler would be required to pay consumer use tax. South Dakota reports that use tax errors are the most common reason for audits.

Incorrect returns filing Filing is one of the many bugaboos of sales tax compliance. Minor errors

MSTS-Dynamics University Ad_4.75"x4.75".pdf

such as address or customer TIN can indicate systemic errors. Many jurisdictions penalize for late filing or incorrect forms or missed extension deadlines. Increasingly, following the example of the feds, states are only allowing electronic filing.

11:33 AM MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

3/20/15

“There’s no avoiding it, Betty... we have MSTS”

Failure to register in the correct jurisdictions

Companies are often surprised to learn that they are required to register in the states into which they sell. Failure to register is not only a red flag for auditors, but it also can make a material difference to companies. For registered companies being audited in Ohio, for example, auditors require only four years of documented transactions; for the unregistered, auditors need to see seven years of transaction records. Such audits and penalties can be costly.

Not having valid exemption certificates on file

If you’re struggling with “Manual Sales Tax Syndrome,” isn’t it time you asked your accountant about AvaTax?

Find out if is right for you:

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Given that tracking and filing exemption certificates are incumbent on the seller, it is crucial to know how to maintain accurate exemption certificates. Without valid certs, a company is open to audit based on iterative assumptions. In other words, auditors take a sample, find one error such as an incorrect address or out-ofdate certificate, and assume that a similar error occurs across all certificates, thereby increasing fines, penalties, and fees exponentially. It is easy to assume sales tax compliance is merely an administrative annoyance, but the consequences of error can be dire. In Connecticut, for example, companies owing back taxes without a plan to repay led to 34 arrests in 2012 to 2013. For more information, visit www. avalara.com or call 855-259-3274.

Visit: ScribeSoft.com Call: 603.622.5109

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

By Eric Gjerdevig, Summit Group Software

e i v r e

with

t MARTIN n I OLSEN of eOne Solutions

24 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

w e

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

What we are trying to do is add fi significant value that fi drives real efficiency.

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

So, how does an accountant from Australia end up owning a software company in Fargo, North Dakota and living here?

I studied accounting with a computer minor. I worked for a partner for a few years but then left to start a Microsoft Dynamics GP reselling partner organization in Australia. That was in 2001. We quickly hired a developer and started writing products to differentiate ourselves in the market. That’s how Extender got its start. Our reselling business grew over the following five or six years, but we kept investing on the product side as well. We had the opportunity to sell our consulting practice and were able to keep the product side of our business. That really was the point we went all-in on products. The decision to move to Fargo came later.

The decision to change hemispheres and continents must not have been easy. There can’t be too many Australians who have moved to North Dakota.

Q&A

marti

From Australia to North Dakota...

26 26 DYNAMICS DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER FALL/WINTER2015 2015

The decision to move was really based on the fact that we needed to grow our team here in the U.S. I felt I played an essential part in that strategy but wouldn’t have been as successful doing so remotely. It’s been a lot of fun and was a great business decision. Fargo is a great place to live, and the large Microsoft presence works in our favor. The Fargo area population being closer to 200,000 instead of the five million in Sydney means we go out more. It’s much easier to get around, and it is calmer. There are four other Australians in Fargo, and I know all of them. Talking with fellow Australians is what I miss most.

In regards to the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem, where do you think things are going over the next few years?

The buying process has certainly changed in the small and medium business space. Customers are finding and researching applications on their own. They are more willing to buy small “apps” and to some degree, they are viewed as disposable. These niche applications for things such as timesheets can be bought easily but still need to be integrated or tied into the core Microsoft Dynamics GP application. This represents where we believe eOne can drive significant value to customers: Facilitating this trend through an easy-to-use, configurable integration tool like SmartConnect. Small companies shouldn’t need to employ a developer to make this happen. That’s our goal.

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

So has Microsoft’s strategy around SmartList Designer or the Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector hurt your business? No, those things have a place; options are important. I think of the Connector as “free” like a “free” puppy. The software may be free, but if it takes you months to get up and running, are you really better off? What we are trying to do is add significant value that drives real efficiency. That’s worth the software cost because it saves you time in both the implementation as well as on a go-forward basis.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend time coaching my boys’ soccer teams, golfing, wake surfing Minnesota’s endless lakes. I also love to watch Rugby League and Australian Rules football (I stream them online), and I’m rekindling a teenage passion for the NBA. There are more Australians in the NBA today than ever in history. I’m a little horrified that one of my sons is now playing hockey and the other just started 7th grade “American” football. Not sure how that happened!

Last question: I see there’s a ping-pong table in your office. Who is the office champion?

Let’s put it this way: Everyone is always trying to knock me off the leader board!

about Martin Born in Sydney, Australia; 43 years old Has two sons with his wife, Kylie Founded eOne in 2001 Studied at Avondale College, a small Christian college in New South Wales Moved to Fargo in April of 2013

eOne’s mission

Our mission is to provide highly configurable and intelligent tools for ERP and CRM that increase efficiency while reducing costs... Representing an unprecedented value proposition. eOne is a highly creative and agile team; we like to do things our own way...The Smart Way.

ct e n tcon r a er sm d n e ext iew der v t r uil sma b e nod er st d o c i flex smartpo der il u b t tlis r a sm

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

Marketing with Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Get the resources you need. UPDATED for 2015

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Email marketing and Marketing Automation for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

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We are proud to continue to help simplify Payroll and HR processes for members of the Microsoft Dynamics Community.

Online benefit management module that automatically updates employee elections within Dynamics

Dynamics Payroll Inspector Eases the headaches of keeping up with regulation changes like Affordable Care Act and tax reciprocity

Automates payroll tax compliance for federal, state, and local with our assisted E-Filing and payment services Correctly calculates complicated garnishments including child support, tax liens, and other deduction orders A self-service website for employee paystubs, timesheets, documents, and much more E-Filing software that easily creates tax returns for submission to federal, state, and local agencies

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DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

GP GP

ISV

AUDIT SAVINGS

By Andy Snook, Fastpath Inc.

160 Hours

$65

Rate Per Hour

$10.4k Total Cost

$54.6k Annual Savings

Is Your Business

AUDIT READY? 30 DYNAMICS DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER FALL/WINTER2015 2015 30

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

Best Practices and Reasons to Automate Controls in microsoft Dynamics GP. There is no magical “audit software” to make you audit-ready. First you must know your risks, adopt a framework to control them, and then actually control those risks using Microsoft Dynamics GP. QUICK QUESTION: IF DELOITTE OR KPMG (OR WORSE, THE SEC) KNOCKED ON YOUR DOOR TODAY, COULD YOU PASS AN AUDIT? Don’t have to,” you might say. “We’re a small, private company that makes school supplies and operates in the U.S. only.” So, no SOX compliance, no FDA requirements, and you’re not subject to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) rules. “Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are good enough for us.” The correct answer, respectfully, is that they’re not nearly enough. There are several instances in which clean books and auditability benefit you: • If you are considering an IPO, you’ll be required to hire an audit firm. • Banks are more willing to offer loans to small companies who have audited financials. • Larger companies are more willing to acquire companies that demon strate an understanding of risk. • Nonprofits can protect their status and donor confidence by mitigating risks (whereas fraud can quickly put an end to even the best of causes). • A $150,000 embezzlement is a rounding error for a Fortune 500 company. An event of that size may put a small company or nonprofit out of business.

If you have Microsoft Dynamics GP installed, you’re halfway there. John Livingood, director of ERP Solutions at Protiviti Inc., a global consulting firm, told me, “Running an ERP system such as Dynamics GP enables companies to systematically enforce business and IT controls and run standard reports that can be used for manual controls. As part of an audit, an auditor might look at the completeness of these controls and the approval process for the control design. In most cases, companies will want to make sure that their business process leads are included in the control design and provide their approval.” So with Microsoft Dynamics GP, you’ve got the tools in place to manage and control risks at your operation; but there’s more to being audit-ready. You need 1) a clear understanding of your business and its risks; 2) a framework to manage those risks, and; 3) control of those risks (which is where Microsoft Dynamics GP comes in). Automate, continued on page 32

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

Automate, continued from page 31

KNOW YOUR COMPANY (AND ITS RISKS) A lot of companies have never put a framework or controls in place and ask, “Where do we start?” We advise clients to “Know thyself as a company,” which tells you where your key risks are. There will be obvious risks – say, from natural disasters. If you’re based in Iowa as Fastpath is, your hurricane risk is practically non-existent, but if you’re in a flood plain, that’s worth insuring against. Then there are risks specific to your business. Heineken has inventory, and its risks include spoilage, recalls, and interruptions to the supply chain. Kentucky Fried Chicken cannot let its secret recipe get out. General Motors cannot allow a costly defect to trigger a recall. Accounting risks affect every company, for example, in procure-to-pay. Say you buy Xboxes for everyone at the company as a reward for a great year. You risk exceeding a budget, or having someone slip in a couple of extras for their own use, or a “fat fingers” error in which someone orders 300 instead of 30. Ultimately (we’ll visit this in depth later), you want automated controls over the procure-to-pay. You want, for example, segregation of duties (SoD), so the person writing the PO cannot approve and release the PO. You want POs over a threshold amount to trigger an approval process. Bear in mind, a $100,000 error is just a rounding error for Microsoft; it can kill a small business’s ability to meet payroll. And how often does a company recoup embezzled funds? Embezzlers tend to spend the money ASAP. Once the cash is gone, it’s either slow in coming back, or it’s just plain gone. You will mitigate or control all these risks, but understand that you don’t have to do everything at once. Ordinate your highest risks first, and understand that some risks are inevitable and out of your control (like natural disasters). You can mitigate them, but you cannot eliminate them. A very good resource for conducting a risk analysis is from the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides all the steps of conducting a Risk Assessment (www.ready.gov/risk-assessment) and a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) (www.ready.gov/business-impactanalysis). The risk assessment asks, “What could happen?” while the BIA asks, “What are the consequences?” While FEMA’s framework includes such unlikely risks as terrorism and pandemic disease, it also covers such business process-oriented risks as supplier failure and cyber-attack.

ADOPT A FRAMEWORK A framework is in essence a plan to control risks. It is not a software solution, but software controls are included in the framework. There are a few official frameworks out there, most based upon COSO, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission Internal Control Framework 2013. COSO is typically used by SOX and SECregulated public companies, multi-nationals and Fortune 1000 companies. SMEs are usually less bound to implement a framework; for that matter, COSO is not mandatory at any company. But lack of a framework is, as the phrase goes, “frowned upon” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Still, a framework is perhaps more important for an SME to have such oversight – again, because smaller organizations cannot bear a loss of capital the way that a Fortune 500 can, and because any organization seeking an IPO or an acquirer must submit to an audit as part of due diligence. COSO covers financial systems, largely, while the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) provides a framework that is more specifically IT-based. As PCAOB describes itself, the organization is directed by the SarbanesOxley Act of 2002 to establish auditing and related professional practice standards for registered public accounting firms to follow in the preparation and issuance of audit reports. When a company lacks in-house audit capability, execution of these frameworks

32 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

falls to what we call the “inconvenient auditor,” who might be the controller or CFO at a small- to mid-sized organization. But the gist of a framework is a plan to “patch the holes” that you identified in understanding your business and performing a risk assessment. This brings us to automated and configurable controls.

USE CONFIGURABLE CONTROLS Microsoft Dynamics GP includes numerous configurable controls you’ll use to put a framework in place. A few example are: 1. Module settings 2. Workflows 3. GL posting profiles or groups 4. Tolerance limits 5. Activity tracking 6. Customized reports As Livingood describes the setup, “As an example, most companies have at least a 2-way match control that requires vendor invoices to be cross-referenced with an approved purchase order and fall within the company’s allowable tolerance policies. So are we being billed for what we ordered, and how much we ordered? If the answer is yes, then, permit the billing. If not, then require further analysis prior to allowing the billing.” “In order to make that happen in Microsoft Dynamics, you have to have the appropriate configuration settings to enable that systematically.” Tolerance limits are quick-set configurations; POs below $2,500 require no approval while those above that tolerance trigger a hierarchical approval process. Very simple. Microsoft Dynamics GP’s Activity Tracking is not specifically in the audit trail, but it enables you to track, for example, failed login attempts. Activities like that can be charted on a configured, custom report. There are a few simple steps to take to implement a control framework around Microsoft Dynamics configurations:

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS 1. Set a baseline for the configuration settings and document it. 2. Include configuration changes in the company’s standard change management process. 3. If changes are approved, update the relevant documentation accordingly. 4. Do a risk assessment to determine the key configurations. 5. Set up a periodic review and sign off on key configurations. 6. Consider deploying a tracking or audit trail solution that monitors changes to key configurations. Number 5 above is important – very important, else your configurations fall to the negligence of, “set it and forget it.” You’ve created an elegant workflow; however, did someone turn off those workflows in an upgrade? Did someone

included in those workflows leave the company? Have your business process rules changed? Workflow must be periodically monitored to ensure they were never accidentally, purposefully, or fraudulently disabled. The approval hierarchy should be reviewed to ensure accuracy after users have moved in and out of the company and positions. Finally, adding an audit trail to this configuration and setup information will help notify the business process owners of any changes and help prevent unauthorized transactions from leaving the building. Do not expect users to tell you that a workflow has changed or been disabled, especially if the workflow lifts restrictions upon them. In Fastpath’s experience, no one ever raises a hand and says, “Please control me more.”

ADD-ONS AND BENEFITS Microsoft Dynamics, of course, has a rich ecosphere of independent software vendors (ISVs), Fastpath included, that can further automate and “turbocharge” the solution’s capabilities. Our own Fastpath Assure, a SoD compliance tool for Microsoft Dynamics and other ERP packages, automates SoD risk analysis. It detects SoD conflicts, sensitive access, and potential policy violations for existing users. It provides access certification which automates periodic recertification of user access by supervisor, role owner, or process owner (that maintenance we described above) as well as role management to reduce SoD conflicts and improve administration efficiency by providing mechanisms for role design.

AUDIT SAVINGS Our aim is to reduce the need for internal employees or hiring third-party firms to perform SoD risk analysis, and we can prove that we save up to $55,000 in total savings in labor hours per audit. A feather in our cap is GameStop, the provider of electronic games, consoles, and tablets. They took four weeks a quarter in audit preparation and reduced it to one day.

Outsourced

Internal

Fastpath

1000

160

$250-$400

$130k

$65

$250k

$65k

$10.4k

Hours

Rate Per Hour

Total Cost

Hours

Rate Per Hour

Total Cost

Hours

Rate Per Hour

Total Cost

$54.6k Annual Savings

THE SHORT STORY IS THIS: Configurable controls benefit any size of organization, especially smaller organizations with their thin margins and lower risk tolerance. Microsoft Dynamics GP users have elegant tools at their fingertips, and even more tools available through the Microsoft Dynamics partner channel. The goal is not simply compliance – you may fall under the compliance radar – it is also a healthier organization with more capital left over. DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

CRM

ISV

REDUCE OFFICE CLUTTER &withSIMPLIFY PROCESSES PaperSave By PaperSave

he modern office has little use for paper in most cases. Almost every operation can be completed digitally, and key files can be shared among contributors using cloud-based document management systems. The name of the game is efficiency, and paper simply does not cut it anymore in the midst of countless technological innovations.

“COMPANIES SPEND A YEARLY AVERAGE OF $200 PER USER ON PAPER AND COPIER EXPENSES.”

However, some organizations have yet to realize the inherent advantages of switching to a paperless office. While many might hide behind the old moniker “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the truth is that companies that fail to adopt cutting-edge software in the contemporary business world will invariably fall behind – so in this case, it is “broke”, even if paper users might not realize the extent to which their workflow is suffering. “Companies spend a yearly average of $200 per user on paper and copier expenses.”

PAPER IS WASTEFUL IN TERMS OF BOTH TIME AND MONEY. Expert Howard Brown wrote in an article for AccountingWEB that businesses that remain steadfast in their 34 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS reliance on paper* are wasting their employees’ time – not to mention losing money. Brown reported that in the average accountant’s office, staff members run to the photocopier 60 times a week. He also noted that the average employee in such a setting spends 15 hours each month printing files. That’s almost two full work days of time per employee being thrown away waiting for documents to print. From a fiscal perspective, the author estimated that companies spend a yearly average of $200 per user on paper and copier expenses. For an office with a staff of dozens – or even hundreds – of employees, this figure can be astronomical by the end of the year. Brown argued that electronic document management systems can cut down an office’s total number of photocopies made by 75 percent. This would also essentially wipe out those lost 15 hours of printing, freeing up extra time for workers to complete their workloads without being delayed by printers.

ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CAN CUT DOWN AN OFFICE’S TOTAL NUMBER OF PHOTOCOPIES MADE BY

75%.

MAKE DAILY OPERATIONS LIKE INVOICING EASIER BY USING DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT. Kurt Meemken, a veteran of the industry, wrote in a Technology Insight blog for Marco that necessary business functions can be streamlined** by implementing an effective document management solution. Primarily, he stressed the importance of adopting invoice automation, which can make the payments more efficient. Meemken described the largely ineffective process of sending and receiving a paper invoice: The bill must be mailed, faxed, or emailed and then sorted by accounts payable staff, who place them on the appropriate recipient’s desk. Then the payment is made and sent back over to the company that originally sent the invoice. This transaction is typically completed in about one week, but can sometimes – and often does – take up to and beyond four weeks, according to Meemken. Document management systems consolidate this entire operation onto a single platform, allowing both the sender and recipient of the invoice the opportunity to view and make changes to an invoice in real time. The distributor can more easily keep track of its outstanding invoices, which are automatically updated when they are fulfilled. Rather than spending days or even weeks waiting around for a payment to be received via mail or fax, businesses can complete the entire process within a couple of hours, assuming all goes well on both ends. Organizations that have yet to adopt document management solutions are falling behind the pack and hindering their own workflow. To achieve optimal levels of efficiency and productivity in the workplace, eliminating paper is a necessity. To streamline processes, improve collaboration and eliminate the waste, PaperSave delivers an out-of-the-box integrated solution for Microsoft Dynamics that can be deployed in the cloud as well as on-premises. For more information, visit www.papersave.com. *www.accountingweb.com/aa/auditing/roi-and-efficiency-the-advantages-of-using-a-document-management-system ** http://blog.marconet.com/blog/how-to-simplify-invoice-processing-with-a-document-management-workflow

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

ecently, a client mentioned that when she first transitioned her property management companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accounting to Microsoft Dynamics GP, she configured it to send her a text alert any time the occupancy rate hit 100 percent and all rents were paid in full and on time. As anyone familiar with managing several multi-unit properties will tell you, she may be waiting a long time before getting that notification. Despite her boundless optimism, the ability to initiate such an alert point is just one of the many features of Microsoft Dynamics GP that property managers are using to stay on top of their rental finances.

Ways Microsoft Dynamics GP Helps Property Managers Achieve the Ever-Elusive 100 Percent Occupancy Goal By Patricia Porras, Advanced Solutions and Consulting, Co.

36 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

Alerts Microsoft Dynamics GP’s alert feature allows you to “manage by exception” by notifying users of items that need immediate attention such as delinquent rents, below-threshold bank account balances, or construction contractors at risk of going over budget. Alerts are fully customizable and can be created easily using SmartLists or by unique SQL queries. When an alert is triggered, users are notified by email or SMS text message. With Microsoft Dynamics GPs’ role-based web interface, they can even log in and drill down on the issue, taking immediate action whether they’re in the office or out in the field.

Recurring billing Microsoft Dynamics GP allows you to set up monthly or annual recurring billing batches. The resulting invoices can then be automatically emailed to renters using the type of email they want to receive, embedded invoice or PDF attachment. An additional benefit to the automatic emails is that property managers can be automatically notified of unsuccessful deliveries. Users can then view these exceptions and immediately resolve the issue. Tenants, and potentially arbitrators, will be hard-pressed to dismiss a notice when you explain that the email was tracked and received. Another great feature – and included in the Microsoft Dynamics GP starter pack – allows staff to set rent increases ahead of time. Rent can be can charged globally, for a group, or for an individual.

Reserve Planning Knowing what to expect, even several years down the road, is critical to ensure there’s always adequate funds for the upkeep of units and common areas. For managers facing a reserve study, Microsoft Dynamics GP allows them to analyze realtime data and track both short-term and extended overhead including utilities, contracts, and vendor fees. The reports are easily set up on your Microsoft Dynamics GP home page, so that when you log in, you can immediately identify the state of your business. This knowledge will not only help you plan your reserves for long-term maintenance projects, but it will also help you identify when your company needs to increase rent to cover the ongoing costs of doing business.

Alert:

100% occupancy and

all rent paid on time . . . Just kidding.

4 5

Human Resources Management Property managers love the improved flexibility, timesaving automation, and real-time financial data that Microsoft Dynamics GP provides. Another tool included with Microsoft Dynamics GP is a complete, integrated system for managing financial, payroll and personnel-related information. Not only can your staff manage all of your HR needs in one system, but you also have the choice to allow staff to log in to role-specific home pages and record their hours, including sick and vacation time, freeing up HR staff for other important tasks.

Add-ons to Further Improve System Management Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 starter pack comes with multiple modules that allow you to tailor Microsoft Dynamics GP to your needs. There are also innumerable inexpensive third party add-ons that seamlessly connect to Microsoft Dynamics GP, allowing you to further improve your processes with tools for collections management, online payment, customer relationship management (CRM), and so much more.

Microsoft Dynamics GP gives your property management company the ability to “automagically” invoice your tenants and homeowners, monitor the financial status of your properties, and manage by exception. This can greatly reduce your staff busywork time, freeing them up to do what is important: Managing tenant communication, unexpected repairs, and planned upgrades. Happy tenants not only pay their rent on time because they want to stay, but they also recommend your units to their friends, leading you towards the ever-elusive 100 percent occupancy goal. DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

Debi t s &

Credits

SAFEPAY ALTERNATIVE FORMATS By Dave Dery, Integrated Business Group, Inc.

f your bank requires you to submit something other than the standard comma or tab delimited formats, you can accomplish this task by using Fixed Field as your output type.

We recently had a customer that requested an unusual format. Their bank required ‘#’ as the delimiter. Using fixed format, I was able to accomplish this relatively simply by following the steps below. To create a detail row SafePay file, open Microsoft Dynamics GP, go to Financial Routines SafePay Configurator. Create the name and description for your new format and save when prompted. As the output type, select Fixed Field, add the appropriate row details, and click add. Keep in mind that with this row, you are adding in the delimiter manually, so you will likely have to double the number of fields that the bank actually requires. For example, if the bank requires five fields, you will actually have nine or 11, depending on opening and closing constraints. Define your data fields as normal, but in-between each standard data field, simply drop in a constant with the ‘#’ symbol. This way you can meet your bank’s requirements and still work within the typical SafePay model. Once this new template was complete, our final output looked something like this: #NAD#ISSUE#7200360604#SINGLE###NG20 160309#4405.10#20012#######20991231#############

TEST DRIVE INTEGRATION MANAGER BY UPGRADING YOUR ACCOUNT SYSTEM TO MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP By Express Information Systems

ntegration Manager (IM) is a tool that allows Microsoft Dynamics GP to import data and connect with other systems, all without the hassle and difficulty of coding or programming. Its functionality is meant to be user-friendly, therefore providing an easy integration process.

order to eliminate time-consuming processes and software disparity. One of the most challenging processes in doing so is converting data and transferring multiple applications into Microsoft Dynamics GP. With the IM tool, this process is simplified and allows users to convert data without the hassle of manual processes.

It is common for new and upcoming companies to start out using QuickBooks software solutions or industry-specific accounting systems and add on separate applications as the company begins to expand. This temporarily solves the issue by allowing rapid growth. Eventually companies reach a turning point where they begin to experience major setbacks due to owning a collection of disparate systems that don’t work together collectively, which in turn, becomes less efficient and more expensive. At this point, most of our small business clients find it necessary to adjust their systems accordingly by updating their accounting systems to Microsoft Dynamics GP in

By upgrading your accounting system to Microsoft Dynamics GP, the IM tool is available free of charge for 240 days. The test drive allows users the opportunity to experience the capability of the tool by being able to manage changes in the system, integrate processes, and import/share data.

38 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

AN EXPLANATION OF THE CHANGE ITEM STANDARD COST WINDOW By Linda Brock, Knaster Technology

revious to version Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, if you changed the standard cost of an item, no journal entry was made in the general ledger. This caused an out-of-balance situation between general ledger and inventory. In addition, the Historical Inventory Trial Balance report did not track this change, making it more difficult to reconcile inventory and general ledger. On Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, the Change Item Standard Cost window was added. This allows a user to update the standard cost of an item and update the GL simultaneously. This function is used on items set up with either the FIFO Periodic or LIFO Periodic valuation method. A new Standard Cost Revaluation account is used to handle the transaction. In order to use this new function, you must set the Standard Cost Revaluation account in one of the following windows where a new ac-

count – Standard Cost Revaluation – was added: Item Account Maintenance, Posting Accounts Setup (choose the Display of Inventory,) and Item Class Account Maintenance. In addition, the Standard Cost field in Item Maintenance is now read only for items with a periodic valuation method. If you attempt to change the standard cost of a periodic item, you receive an error directing you to use the Change Item Standard Cost window instead. Also, you will no longer be able to use the Adjust Cost Utility window to change the cost of a receipt for a periodic valuation item. To assist in tracking these changes there are two new reports. The Standard Cost Posting Journal report, which is printed after you click Process and close the Change Item Standard Cost window, shows both the old and new cost. This report is also gener-

ated from the Inventory Year-end Closing window, if you choose to update the item’s standard cost during year end. During processing, if the Inventory or Standard Cost Revaluation GL accounts are not found, the Item Standard Cost Change Exception report is printed, indicating that you must set up the revaluation account(s) and process again. Finally, the Historical Inventory Trial Balance report shows the standard cost changes as a variance transaction with a DOCTYPE of 8 (the same as the Adjust Cost Utility,) since the change only resulted in a value change for the item and not a quantity change. This excellent feature should help with the potentially tricky process of keeping inventory and general ledger in agreement. Happy accounting.

Are you ready to work simpler & easier ®? Extend the power of Microsoft Dynamics GP with tools that will rock your world.

sales@rocktonsoftware.com • www.rocktonsoftware.com • 877.476.2586 DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

CLASSIFYING VENDORS FOR FASTER CHECK BATCHES By Brad Vorbeck and Ashlynn Weiss Turnkey Technologies, Inc.

o you routinely pay out vendors using check batches, manually entering your vendors into each and every batch? That can get a bit mundane, not to mention timeconsuming. Luckily, vendors can be grouped in a couple of different ways in Microsoft Dynamics GP. By classifying your vendors using either of the following two methods, you can import all the vendors into a check batch at one time, rather than entering each vendor individually. Classifying by “Class ID” The first step is to identify your vendor classes based on your specific classification needs. For example, let’s say your organization pays its inventory vendors on a routine, weekly basis. You can create a Class ID for “Inventory Vendors” in the Vendor Class Setup window, and assign that Class ID to the appropriate vendor cards (in this case, all your inventory vendors). From there, you can assign the Class ID to your check batch on the Select Payables Checks window. Your check batch will then automatically include each vendor from that Class ID. Classifying by “Payment Priority” This same concept can be applied by utilizing the Payment Priority field in your Vendor Maintenance Options screen. Like Vendor Class ID, this only requires a simple one-time setup. Simply populate the Payment Priority field for each vendor with a word or number you’ll use to classify them by. When starting a check batch from the Select Payables Checks window, select “Payment Priority” from the drop-down menu instead of “Class ID”. After choosing the specific payment priority, the check batch will be populated with all vendors assigned to that payment priority. A good example of how to use the Payment Priority field might be adopting a numerical type priority model. Assign a “1” to the Payment Priority of inventory vendors, “2” for maintenance vendors, “3” for utility vendors, etc. The way you classify your vendors is arbitrary to your needs and your routines for creating check batches. Examples may include vendor type, vendor invoice due dates, vendor relationship managers, etc. By utilizing Class ID or the Payment Priority field, Microsoft Dynamics GP enables accounting departments to regain valuable time that was spent manually adding vendors to every routine check batch. For more Microsoft Dynamics GP tips, contact Turnkey Technologies, Inc., a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner dedicated to working closely with clients to facilitate user adoption and best practices.

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MICROSOFT DYNAMICS ISV GP

WHY DATA MATTERS TO THE FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL USING MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

By Alan Hart, Pacific Shine Group

iven the interest (and hype) around big data, every organization has contemplated how and why data is so important to their business. Data is no longer just the concern of the IT team; it impacts the roles and responsibilities of nearly everyone throughout the business.

Therefore, when the monthly analysis is performed, the budget can be adjusted. And, more importantly, the organization can implement changes to business processes – what I call “Using the Budget for its Intended Purpose”. Additionally, this type of integration eliminates the need to maintain multiple (monthly) versions of budget data in the accounting software.

Perhaps no one is more aware of the critical impact data has on the business than finance and accounting professionals. Microsoft Dynamics GP customers use their application on a daily Another common scenario involves generating a trial balance. In basis to help their organizations make major business decisions. order to prepare accurate financial statements, financial profesTheir handiwork helps the business make tactical and strategic sionals must rely upon the accuracy of the trial balance (among decisions: Do we buy that company? Do we other things). However, they often infuse additional dollars into a professionneed better insight into what activial development budget? Do we restrict ties or spend come together within In today’s hyper-competitive travel for Q4? a trial balance. User input on budget business environment, every items should ideally be posted into But getting the answers to those a “budget GL” outside of Microsoft company needs to make the most questions is often a real challenge. Dynamics GP that can be used to of its data – big or otherwise – These individuals need the ability to slice produce a reliable forecast for future and dice data any which way within their financial statements. in order to make the best Microsoft Dynamics GP environment bebusiness decision possible cause not every question can be easily In today’s hyper-competitive business answered with one forecast or one query. environment, every company needs and do so quickly. to make the most of its data – big or For example, every CFO needs a otherwise – in order to make the best high-level budget versus actuals. For business decision possible and do so financial professionals, the process can be a bit of a round robin to quickly. As most Microsoft Dynamics GP users know, analyzing bring high-level planning information into the Microsoft Dynamics what happened within a certain time period is no easy task. The GP system, build a budget in Microsoft Excel, and then return the ability to supplement data from external sources such as buddata back into Microsoft Dynamics GP to get their “budget card”. geting and forecasting software enables financial professionals This tedious process often happens every month as budgets are to better identify exceptions, errors, and opportunities. The more reforecast, which means financial professionals are often left with quickly and accurately a company can analyze its budget and 12 versions (one per month) of the same budget. financial forecast by using its accounting and budgeting tools in harmony, the better its chances of staying ahead of the Streamlining the process and adding more data manipulation competition. tools help financial professionals to view the information in more meaningful ways. Ideally, this kind of analysis should be done in See in three minutes how you can transform the data already budgeting software separate from Microsoft Dynamics GP. in your Microsoft Dynamics GP GL into actionable information. View here: http://go.centage.com/dugpdemo. DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

CRM

CONVENTIONAL

WISDOM, SOFTWARE & YOUR BUSINESS By Jon Clemens, Cargas Systems

Unconventional = Unique Value

e use this phrase to refer to commonly held ideas and beliefs that seem like they should be true: It’s – well, conventional. According to Wikipedia (and what better place to find a definition for the term “conventional wisdom”), it means a “body of ideas or explanations generally accepted as true by the public or by experts in a field.” But what happens when you want to do something “unconventional” in your business? Doing something in an unconventional way, or providing a product or service that is “unconventional”, can give your business a real advantage. Sometimes marketers refer to this as “unique value” – and who doesn’t want that?

Business Software & My Business The conventional wisdom for business software – accounting, sales, and operations – is that “out-of-the-box” is better. And there are many good reasons why this has become the conventional wisdom. Microsoft Dynamics products have significant capabilities to help your business with a full range of requirements, out-of-the-box: Marketing, sales process, sales order, inventory, purchasing, 42 DYNAMICS DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER FALL/WINTER 2015 2015 42

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS core accounting, manufacturing, project accounting, analytics, reporting...the list goes on. Among our several hundred customers, many of them use Microsoft Dynamics products with little to no adaptation. On the other hand, your business is not “out-of-the-box”; it is not the same as all your other competitors. So, when does it make sense to become “unconventional” and adapt your business software to fit your uniqueness?

Specialized Business Process Some businesses – maybe even most – have some business process that is very specific to their company. Or they have adapted a common process in some way that provides a strategic advantage over their competition. In this case, out-ofthe-box software may not fit this process well. For many companies, this is where they build up a complex web of spreadsheets to address their needs. This type of solution may work okay for a while, but eventually it becomes inefficient for the business to maintain this process. Do you have any processes where spreadsheets are your answer to the challenge? We have a customer that uses a very specific process for managing the prototyping and product development cycle. At each point along the way, there is a particular set of information that has to be collected and documented so that management can make a decision to continue the development process, refine the product, change the pricing, or abandon the product all together. They have adapted a well-established product life-cycle management process to give them a competitive advantage. Together we created an application that captures, organizes, and presents the specific information that they need for each step of their process. They are able to make more efficient, real-time, and collaborative decisions for their business using this application.

Unique Value For some companies, they use software to enhance their unique value to their customers. –In other words, they use

software to make deeper connections with their customers or vendors. Deeper connections – that sounds like that could translate into more and better business for everyone. We have a customer that delivers a commodity product with a relatively short shelf life. They realized that they had information regarding their customers’ ordering history and the availability of their products. How could they turn this into a value to their customers? What they needed was software that allowed their customers to securely access this information when they need it wherever they need it so they could make better decisions. In short, they needed a customer portal.

Streamline/Efficiency In other cases, companies have standard processes that out-of-the-box software can address in a standard way, a “conventional” way. What if this process is repeated hundreds of times a day? Adapting the software to make this process even two minutes faster can save more than three hours every day. As conventional wisdom says, “Time is Money”, and this amount of time can translate into real dollars. Where could this efficiency come from? Think about some of your own processes. Are there cases where there are fields of information that you have to fill in, or tab through, that you never really change? Are there extra button clicks to get you to additional information that you often have to use? Are there any external resources that you access during this process? If your interaction with the software could be “just what you need, no more, no less”, could this be more efficient? We have a customer where the customer service team takes thousands of orders a day, over the phone. These orders are then organized into routes for delivery the next day. For them, the information that they need to enter to complete an order is very limited, and many of the “conventional” values can simply default; the user never even needs to see them. And, since they are on the phone with the customers, they need to quickly see other information such as order totals, account balances, month-to-date activity, and typi-

DOING SOMETHING IN AN UNCONVENTIONAL WAY, OR PROVIDING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT IS “UNCONVENTIONAL”, CAN GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A REAL ADVANTAGE.

cal delivery day and route. The customer service team is able to quickly provide their customers with the information they need over the phone, and process orders in seconds, rather than minutes. The delivery team is able to organize the orders into efficient routes without printing the “conventional” raft of reports.

Scaling with Less Cost Finally, some business processes have the potential to scale out to tens, hundreds, or even thousands of users. One obvious example would be timesheet entry for project-based businesses – a process that could scale out to all employees. Other examples may involve adding access for business partners such as vendors or customers. Scaling out select processes in this way can be a significant benefit. However, to use another “conventional” phrase, “Nothing in life is free.” Often, licensing fees to software providers will scale up as you add users. This may be very cost-effective, or it might not be. Adding a custom solution in this scenario may be a more cost-effective solution – build it once and scale it out to many users.

Conclusion What is the right balance for your business between “conventional wisdom” and being “unconventional”? You may be thinking that one or all of the above scenarios apply to you. Or maybe you are not sure if there is a good value for you in adapting your software solution. A good place to start is with your partner, who knows your business and your solution. Challenge yourself and them to consider this: What if in our case the “conventional wisdom” is wrong?! DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY.COM

CRM

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ENGAGEMENT By Christen Anderson, Peak Engagement

Engage Your Customers. On October 1, we announced to our CRM Vertex customers and partners our rebrand as well as multiple company enhancements. This included our new and much-anticipated company name, Peak Engagement. The new name truly encompasses our company’s mission, vision, and products. What is Peak Engagement? Peak Engagement provides customer and end-user engagement solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers. Peak Engagement puts a strong emphasis on providing affordable and easy-to-use products and services that simplify complex business processes. When you interact with Peak Engagement, you can expect the highest level of engagement, including a supportive and competent team not only available when you need them, \but also laser-focused on getting the answers you need to support your technology decisions.

Our current product offering includes Peak Portals, which you may know as CRM Vertex. This is our portal product that drives deeper engagement for brands by enabling multiple engagement channels through a web portal solution. The portal reflects a company’s brand and is equipped with features that fit the company’s needs. The solution is easy to set up, intuitive to use, and affordable for any business; portals start at $99 per month for unlimited external users. For our partners, we launched our Peak Portals certification program that includes a robust set of new benefits including a partner portal, refreshed

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training, revised margins, new marketing collateral, and more. To start a free 30-day Peak Portals trial, become a partner, or to learn more about our exciting announcements, visit www.peakengagement.com. We look forward to having you join us at the peak!

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CRM TIPS & TRICKS

frequently viewed calculations, removing the need to manually calculate this data each time it is needed. Christine provided us with a creative example of how to use calculated fields for tracking order turnaround times: “I’m often asked for a quote-to-delivery turnaround time, which currently requires me to download data and manually add a ‘calculated’ column to the spreadsheet before sending it to the requestor. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015, I am able to create a calculated field that calculates the difference between the request date and the delivery date. Now, users and I see this data dynamically and are able to include charts to see our average across multiple service lines.” Another use of calculated fields is for quote generation. Let’s say your company provides an incentive where purchases that exceed $500 receive a discount of 10 percent off the entire order. Using a calculated field for totaling your quote, you can have the field automatically apply a 10 percent discount once the total amount of your products or services reaches $500. Not only does it save you time, but it also standardizes and enforces the use of the 10 percent discount across the entire company, for each sales representative. Best of all, this is all accomplished using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM user interface, so there is no need to write code. Some other common uses of calculated fields include: • Net Worth: Assets subtracted by the liabilities for a given account • Cost of Labor: Base rate up to 40 hours, plus a additional overtime

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM 2015: UTILIZING CALCULATED FIELDS By Brad Vorbeck and Ashlynn Weiss Turnkey Technologies, Inc.

s an involved Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner, we work closely with each of our clients regarding their ongoing utilization and results achieved with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It’s through the creativity and resourcefulness of customers and end-users that many unique insights for the Microsoft Dynamics community are surfaced. In this spirit, Christine Shobe, the CRM administrator for ABC Laboratories and valued client of Turnkey Technologies, shares her insight on utilizing calculated fields in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and we pass the information on to you. Similar to rollup fields, calculated fields are a user-friendly field customization that enable you to automate manual calculations used in your business processes. In a simple, drop-down menu fashion, users can define the field calculation, which populates the field using conditional logic, equations, and data from select Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities and fields. Calculated fields are great for providing convenient, real-time visibility into 46 DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY FALL/WINTER 2015

• Contact Number: Phone number for an opportunity based on account or contact phone number • Lead Score: Single field that provides insights to the quality of a given lead • Follow Up By: Follow up on an activity by a specified n umber of days based on priority Calculated fields can be used in virtually endless ways, and not only to display numerical results. The types of data available for calculated fields are: • • • •

Single Line of Text Option Set Two Options Whole Number

• Decimal Number • Currency • Date and Time

Note: To create a calculated field, you must have the “Write” privilege on the Field Security Profile entity. If secured fields are used in your calculation, the calculated field editor will warn you and encourage you to secure the calculated field to prevent users with insufficient permissions from accessing secure data. Thank you to Christine for providing her insight into thoughtful ways to utilize calculated fields in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To learn more tips about Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015, contact Turnkey Technologies, Inc., a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner dedicated to working closely with clients to facilitate user adoption and best practices.

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

EMAIL A LINK BUTTON By Ken Jacobsen, Jr., TM Group

here is a great but little-known feature in Microsoft Dynamics CRM that makes it easy to quickly email someone a link to a CRM record. This “Email a Link” button is in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM record’s ribbon menu. I use this functionality when I’m emailing a salesperson or another employee for an update on an activity, lead, or opportunity. It’s very convenient for them as they can simply click on the link to open the record the email is related to. They can then quickly review history and make updates directly to the record without having to look it up. I also like to track all of my emails through the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook client. Unfortunately, when you email a link from an opportunity, lead, or an activity, Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn’t automatically track this email. However, there is a quick and easy way to do this. After you select “Email a Link”, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM generates the email, it will take the topic of the opportunity, lead, or activity record and make it the subject of the email. You can then copy the subject, hit “Set Regarding” and choose the record type you wish to associate with in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and paste the copied subject into the Search field. Then when you hit enter, Microsoft Dynamics CRM will quickly find the record to which the email will be attached without ever having to type in a single character. This is an easy way to set up the tracking information so that the email sending the link will be tracked automatically in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

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ENGAGEMENT Providing customer and end user engagement solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers. Peak Engagement puts a strong focus on affordable and easy to use products that simplify your complex business processes. Current product offering includes Peak Portals, a web portal that drives deeper engagement for your end users and customers. Start a free 30-day trial and join us at the peak!

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Affordable.