Dynamics University Winter 2012 by Dynamics University

Winter 2012 Providing Learning Opportunities for Microsoft Dynamics® Users

Power Up! DEVELOPING WITH HTML 5.0

Real ROI: What’s a Customer Worth?

Go Green right out of the box

GP YEAR END

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Bolstering Business in the Cloud

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Winter 2012

contents

Welcome

n behalf of all the Dynamics University Partners, we are excited to provide to you the Winter Edition of Dynamics University magazine. We hope you find the articles informative and that they help you become a more productive Microsoft Dynamics user. Please don’t forget to visit the Dynamics University website for additional content, archived articles, and more. The community of Microsoft Dynamics users includes an extremely broad mix of industries and experience levels – from companies preparing to go-live on January 1st to others approaching their 20th year-end close on their Microsoft Dynamics GP system. I have had the pleasure of helping organizations in many unique industries implement Microsoft Dynamics. Some of those industries include swine production, biochemical profiling, portable storage unit rentals, and kitchen cabinet distributors. The list of unique businesses and industries is impressive within the group of Dynamics University Partners.

Features

Year-End Procedures Sheila Ochoa outlines techniques for making yearend closing run smoothly.

Automating Electronic Payment Processing Azox makes online bill payment easier to access and manage.

Quick Ideas! Learn efficient functionality, user preferences, and shortcut techniques in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

There is one commonality among every organization using Microsoft Dynamics today – recognition that their Microsoft Dynamics solution (the product and the consulting service that supports it) is critical to the success of their business. As you read this quarter’s issue, I encourage you to take the time to review the concepts discussed in the articles and discuss how they might help your business become more successful. The answer will most likely be unique to your industry and your business!

As many are aware, the tools and offerings that encompass Microsoft Dynamics cover a broad range of features – from core modules, to ISV products, to report writers, and Business Intelligence tools. We hope Dynamics University magazine, online content, and your Dynamics University Partner will help you see beyond the “how-to and technical tips” to arrive at a well-defined vision for a Microsoft Dynamics system that is an important part of the success of your business.

Thank you for your continued support and please share with us how we can continue to provide value and benefit to your business. ▲

What’s a Customer Worth? Discover the real return on investment by retaining customers using Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Developing with HTML 5.0 What is it, how can it be used, and a HTLM5 and JQuery friendly endpoint.

Bolstering Business in the Cloud Myappsanywhere examines practical reasons for using the cloud to run your organization.

Power Up! Overview of the PowerView and PowerPivot tools.

Bob Callahan, Business Ready Solutions

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DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY MEET THE PARTNERS

PARTNER

LOCATION

WEBSITE

Business Ready Solutions, LLC

Durham, NC

www.businessreadysolutions.net

Cargas Systems

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

Technology Management Concepts

Marina del Rey, CA

www.abouttmc.com

The Resource Group

Renton, WA

www.resgroup.com

The TM Group

Farmington Hills, MI

www.tmgroupinc.com

www.DynamicsUniversity.com

PRODUCTS

Winter 2012

contents

IN EVERY ISSUE

DU Interview: Andy Sather Discusses year-end musts and pitfalls to avoid.

Book Review Review of Richard Knutsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book Building Business With CRM.

CRM Tips & Tricks

Information designed to increase efficiency for Microsoft Dynamics CRM users. This issue highlights using Excel to clean up data and tips on flagging and categorizing email.

GP Debits & Credits Tips on saving paper, reducing payroll errors, and adding documents to Vendors.

Change: Necessary, Not a Nuisance Corporate Renaissance Group eases the processes of changing and updating Microsoft Dynamics GP data.

To Email or to Task? Examine the differences and decide the best method for you.

Forget the Cash Register Learn the advantages of moving to a PC-based solution for retail merchants.

Going Green

Microsoft Dynamics GP has ecofriendly features right out of the box.

GP2013 Favorite Features Discover more features to love with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013.

44 1405 Prairie Parkway, Suite A West Fargo, ND 58078

Performance Monitors Microsoft Dynamics CRM dashboards allow organizations to maximize team performance and ascertain the analytical results with clarity.

Refreshable Xcel Reports

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Use Microsoft Dynamics GP with SmartList Builder to publish refreshable Excel reports into Outlook.

Show Me the Money!

For Advertising Information send an email to learn@dynamicsuniversity.com

Reporting the value of employer provided healthcare becomes easier using Microsoft Dynamics GP Human Resources and Payroll modules.

Executive Editor: Josh Behl Editor in Chief: Geniece Kizima Online Editor: Kristen Juven Copy Editor: Betsy Stadick Layout: narrative. Printing and Distribution: Midstates Printing, Inc. DynamicsUniversity.com

The

GP Year End

Resource Center

The Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center will house all of the Year-End information you need! We look forward to sharing these rich resources with you: BLOG Search for helpful Year-End tips and insight posts from DU’s Partner Consultants.

VIDEO Watch Year-End video content for how-to’s at your own pace and in your own time. TRAINING Attend free Year-End closing seminars online or in-person.

RESOURCES Click on links to Year-End information on CustomerSource and Microsoft Dynamics GP Community Pages.

Get started by reading the articles in this issue of DU! Interview with Andy Sather of Microsoft Year End Closing Procedures Access the GP Year End Resource Center here:

www.dynamicsuniversity.com/gp-year-end

[Interview]

Andy Sather The One to Talk to as the Year Comes to a Close Interview by Eric Gjerdevig, Summit Group Software

ndy Sather is a Senior Support Engineer for Microsoft at the Fargo, ND campus. He is a member of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Applications Support Team and is a graduate of Valley City State University with a degree in Computer Science. He worked for a Microsoft Partner called Datatranz before joining Microsoft about five years ago. In addition to being an application support engineer, Andy is the product captain for Microsoft Dynamics GP Word Templates. In October 2012, I visited with Andy to talk about Microsoft Dynamics GP year-end and what Microsoft is doing to educate and support clients through the annual year-end close process. Eric Gjerdevig: You’ve helped hundreds of Microsoft Dynamics GP customers make it through year-end close over the past five years. That makes you an expert in my book. What helpful tips do you have for a successful year-end with Microsoft Dynamics GP? Andy Sather: The first tip is very important and should be an obvious one to everyone. That said, I can tell you that each year we run into someone who doesn’t follow the advice. MAKE A BACKUP! Backup all of the databases related to Microsoft Dynamics GP and even make an export of your modified reports. If customers follow the correct process it should go very well, but there are an extremely small percentage of customers that will experience an issue such as a power failure or make a mistake. When that happens, having a backup is extremely important! I can’t stress it enough. Eric Gjerdevig: Great place to start! Making a backup is the first suggestion. What other tips do you have? Andy Sather: Year-end close in Microsoft Dynamics GP is not necessarily a technically challenging task. Why customers have challenges with closing Microsoft Dynamics GP is because they only do it once a year. That makes it hard to remember the process. The next important Interview, continued on page 11 DynamicsUniversity.com

Simplifying Year-End Procedures for Microsoft Dynamics GP

I By Sheila Ochoa, Summit Group Software

t’s that time of year again! It’s time to start discussing year-end closing procedures for the modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Although these procedures are not cumbersome, they do tend to make some people nervous just because it’s only done once a year. Worry no more! Dynamics University is happy to announce a brand new component where information is centralized in one place to assist with the year-end close process. The Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center contains year-end close procedures, demos, and FAQs. This website, www.dynamicsuniversity.com/year_end is the place to go for anyone looking for year-end close information! Additionally, this website contains BLOG articles about year-end close as well as many other important articles regarding the Microsoft Dynamics products. Finally, use the Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center to register for one of the FREE Dynamics University webinars to review the year-end close process!

Year-End Closing Procedures First and foremost, the number one action item is to make a backup of the databases BEFORE doing the year-end close. The second action item is 8

Dynamics University Winter 2012

to review the closing procedures for each module being closed. Whether this is the first time closing or the tenth 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. Module close instructions will be published at the Microsoft Dynamics GP YearEnd Close Resource Center as soon as they are released by Microsoft in the November/December timeframe.

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Closing the modules could differ depending upon the fiscal year. Some modules are date sensitive and are calendar and fiscal years, while others are just for fiscal years. To ensure accuracy in summary windows and reports, modules should be closed as Microsoft recommends.

Close Order Below is a list of modules in the order they should be closed along with information on when they should be closed. • Inventory – Fiscal • Receivables – Fiscal/Calendar • Payables – Fiscal/Calendar • Fixed Assets – Fiscal • Analytical Accounting – Fiscal (Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 SP2 and higher) • General Ledger – Fiscal

Payroll For customers using Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll or Canadian Payroll, it is extremely important to complete all 2012 pay runs prior to processing payroll year-end procedures. With anticipated changes to 1099 and EFW2, there will be a yearend update in the form of a service pack, along with the payroll tax updates. Microsoft typically releases the service pack in mid to late November, and the payroll tax update is typically released in December. Microsoft will provide updates for versions Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and

Beyond FRx with TARGIT With TARGIT Business Intelligence & Analytics, you can continue to build your organization’s financial reports even after Microsoft retires FRx - and without having to migrate to Management Reporter. TARGIT offers seamless integration to Dynamics GP, out-of-the-box dynamic reports with drill-down capabilities plus gives you the added advantage of integrated dashboards and analyses – all within a matter of hours. It’s more than just a replacement. It’s reporting and analyses like they should be. TARGIT BI Suite.

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Year-End, continued on page 11 DynamicsUniversity.com

[Book Review]

Building Business With CRM By Richard Knudson • ISBN: 978-0981511849

Not Merely a “Must Read,” but the “Best Read” on Business Applications

ichard Knudson is well known and respected in the Microsoft Dynamics channel as both a writer and a trainer. I began reading his book, Building Business with CRM, with high expectations and am happy to say it did not disappoint. He focuses not only on the conceptual aspects of business process automation but delves into the practical and procedural as well.

Review by Josh Behl, Summit Group Software

Richard sets the stage for readers and nicely correlates common business concepts and examples from today’s business world with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011’s Process Automation features. Additionally, he succinctly introduces some of the basic Microsoft Dynamics CRM Process concepts for readers as they begin to engage the topic. For readers with a business background and some background with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, his writing style will be engaging and easy to understand. In Chapters 2 and 3, Richard does a phenomenal job of walking through the step by step instructions for not only creating simple workflows, but also explains the purpose of the process each step along the way. The voice the author uses in this book is one of an experienced trainer and consultant. To sit down with an instance of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and his book, you could get a very strong understanding of not only what to do but why you are doing it as well. He goes on in these chapters to discuss workflow and dialog design concepts. The importance Richard places on proper design upfront in the process is really appreciated. He takes a very pragmatic approach to the use of dialogs and workflows in that he does not present them as the end-all-be-all for any business problem. He clearly explains to the reader when dialogs and workflows are appropriate and when alternative approaches are desired. In Chapters 4 and 5, Richard provides one of the best explanations of dialog design, troubleshooting, and examples out there. I found the explanations and examples so effective that I plan on adding some of Richard’s examples to my own arsenal and leverage how he explains certain concepts as well. For users looking to learn how to use dialogs and workflows in Microsoft Dynamics CRM (even if you have done it in previous versions) all the way up to experienced consultants, this book is highly recommended. It is hands down one of the best business applications books on Microsoft Dynamics CRM available today.▲

Dynamics University Winter 2012

Interview, continued from page 7

suggestion is to make sure to review the process, understand the correct order, and have access to the necessary resources and documentation for help. For example, start first with closing Inventory Management. Then close Receivables Management, Payables Management, and Fixed Assets. The order is very important. Those are all necessary before closing the General Ledger. There are a lot of details customers need to be aware of. Customers should make sure to work with their Microsoft Dynamics Partner, contact Microsoft support, or review the Knowledgebase articles on CustomerSource and the blog entries on the Microsoft Dynamics Communities. The Community Forums are a great way to get a ‘how-to’ question answered. These are all great resources to help Microsoft Dynamics GP customers have a successful year end. Eric Gjerdevig: Are there special considerations when closing Payroll in Microsoft Dynamics GP? Andy Sather: It is of course a separate process and one that again starts with getting the proper information. Customers need to watch CustomerSource and the Community page for Microsoft Dynamics GP – all of the information will be out there no later than December. One important note here is there will only be a Payroll Year-End Service Pack for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, 2010 and 2013. Eric Gjerdevig: You mentioned the Community Forums – would you explain to everyone how those can be used?

Andy Sather: Absolutely! The Community Forums are a great resource for customers on any question or how to scenario. Customers can access these and submit a question without paying for a support incident. They are monitored by our partner MVP’s as well as by our support teams. Questions get answered pretty quickly and it’s proving to be a great way to get answers. If customers have a break-fix issue and need a deeper level of assistance, a support request still may be the most effective tool, but the Community Forums are a great place to answer many questions. ▲ Editor’s Note: The Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center at www.dynamicsuniversity.com/year_end includes links to all the resources described in this article. Year-End, continued from page 9

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013. Communication regarding year-end close and links to needed service packs and payroll tax updates will be located at the Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center. Remember, plan ahead! And if unsure about closing procedures, do not hesitate to contact a Microsoft Dynamics Partner. Additionally, there are other resources designed to help, such as Community Forums, and don’t forget to visit and bookmark the Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Close Resource Center. www.dynamicsuniversity.com/year_end. ▲

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[Tips & Tricks]

Flagging and Categorizing Email By Josh Behl, Summit Group Software

ne of the most utilized Microsoft Outlook features when interacting with emails is to flag and categorize those emails for future use. Often, these are categories users set up themselves for their own personal way of grouping emails, contacts, tasks, and other Outlook records. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 operating within Microsoft Office Outlook 2010, Microsoft Dynamics CRM records can be interacted with in much the same way as Outlook records. Within Outlook 2010, when accessing a Microsoft Dynamics CRM view such as Active Accounts, notice that the last two columns on the right are the Category and Flag columns. Simply right click the category column to categorize Microsoft

2 I

Dynamics CRM records or click the flag column to create a follow up for that record. Keep in mind that these categories and flags have no impact on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM data itself, they are strictly for personal use and categorization of these records. Once accounts or any other Microsoft Dynamics CRM records are categorized, users can create search folders within Outlook based upon those categorizations. The other feature users find to be very handy is the ability to right click a Microsoft Dynamics CRM record within a view and then take some sort of action on that record. For example, go to the Active Accounts view, right click an account; then add an activity to that account without having to actually open the account… just like with other things in Outlook! ▲

Using Excel to Clean up CRM 2011 Data By Jim Scarff, Express Information Systems

t is often necessary to update multiple records in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. A common example is cleaning up account or contact information. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 gives a couple of options for doing this.

If all records need the same update, the Edit button in the menu ribbon makes this a quick task from any view. Simply select multiple records and click Edit. This presents the entity’s data entry form in with the caption “Edit Multiple Records.” Enter new values only in the fields to be updated. Fields left blank will retain their original values. Click Save and the new values are applied to all records. While this is the easiest way to make mass updates, it has two limitations. The first – all records must need the same update. The second – this technique is limited to 250 records at a time. This is the maximum number of records that can be displayed in a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 window. The real power to edit a large number of records lies in exporting to Microsoft Office Excel and re-importing data to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. The first

Dynamics University Winter 2012

Our PROVEN Payroll & HR enhancements make a GOOD thing GREAT! step is to export the records to be updated to Excel. Use Advanced Find to retrieve the records to be updated. Edit the columns to include the fields to be edited. Then use the Excel button in the ribbon to initiate the export. Mark the check box to Make this data available for re-importing and complete the export. The file that is created is actually an XML file and it must stay in that format. Depending on the Excel security settings, an error may generate when trying to open the file. To resolve, right-click the file then select Properties and Unblock. On opening the worksheet, the left-most columns are hidden. These columns contain the record identifiers (GUID’s) that Microsoft Dynamics CRM uses to match the data on re-import. Before making any changes to the file, make a backup copy. This can be used to “undo” the updates should something go wrong during the re-import. Make the required updates to the worksheet and save the data for re-import. Take care if sorting the data to keep the hidden columns aligned with the rest of the data. To perform the update, start the import wizard from Workplace and select the modified file. Microsoft Dynamics CRM proceeds directly to the Submit or Cancel options, bypassing the usual field mapping process. Microsoft Dynamics CRM recognizes this is a re-import by the presence of the GUID’s in the first columns. Click Submit to complete the update. Check the status of the update under Imports in the My Work section of Workplace. If there are any errors, view the details by double-clicking the import. ▲

Microsoft Dynamics® GP Payroll and HR is good at managing payroll and human resources functions. But it could be great, with the enhancements we have developed at Integrity Data. We understand the challenges you face, such as correcting inaccurate payroll entries, calculating overtime and tracking leave and FMLA. We know it would be easier if you could automatically e-mail direct deposit statements and W-2 statements to your employees. And we’ve worked with Microsoft Customers and their trusted Microsoft Partners across the globe for over 15 years, making Microsoft Dynamics® GP Payroll and HR work even better, making it what they need it to be. We can do the same for you.

www.gphrp.com (888) 786-6162 DynamicsUniversity.com

[Debits & Credits]

Printing Edit Lists Reduces Payroll Errors By Sheri Carney, The Resource Group

ne of the most common Payroll posting errors occurs when a new Department/Position/Pay Code combination is processed that was not previously accounted for in the Payroll Posting Accounts Setup window. Using Payroll edit lists helps identify this scenario and gives the opportunity to either edit for the current posting or go back and fix the posting accounts setup for future payroll runs. To Print Edit Lists in Payroll: 1

Go to the Administration Pane, click Setup, click Posting, and choose Posting again.

Choose Payroll for Series and Computer Checks for Origin.

Mark the PPR reports. A pre-posting payroll report prints after Calculate Checks is run during the Payroll process.

In addition, go to the Payroll pane by clicking Transactions and choosing Payroll. Then choose the Posting Edit List option. This shows the accounts/amounts about to be posted. Even better, any of the account numbers can be changed right here for this posting. Then update the Payroll Posting Accounts Setup to fix it for future pay runs. ▲

Adding Documents to Vendors:

A Different Method

By Jackie Smith, Integrated Business Group

any may already know that a document located outside Microsoft Dynamics GP can be added to a vendor’s card using the OLE functionality. There is another way to do this and some users prefer it. Here is an example of adding a vendor’s W9 to the vendor card (the same functionality can be applied to employees, customers, etc.): 1

On the Home Page, click the Administrative button. Expand the Company Setup menu and select Company. Click Internet User Defined at the bottom of the window. Use any of the labels on this window – typically one of the User Defined fields. For this example, select Label 7 and change the field name to Vendor W9.

From the Microsoft Dynamics GP Home Page, click Purchasing and open the Purchasing area page. Expand the Cards menu and choose Vendor. Click on the lookup button and select the vendor. Select the “i” icon to the right of the Primary Address id.

The Internet Information window for the vendor opens. Notice that Label 7 says “Vendor W9”. Select the yellow folder to the right of the field and navigate to the place on the server where

Dynamics University Winter 2012

the W9’s are kept. Specifically, path the field to vendor’s W9 form.

There are two ways to access the vendor’s W9 form: • The first is to select the zoom field Vendor W9 (blue words). Once selected, the system will “zoom” to the W9 and open it. Save and close all of the windows including Vendor Maintenance. • The second requires a custom link setup. On the Home Page, select the Administrative button, expand the Company Setup menu, click Custom Link, and choose New. Following is an example of linking to the Vendor W9 field that was setup previously. a In the Prompt field select Vendor. b The Custom Link Label field is a user defined

field, type in Vendor W9. c In the Address Type field select Primary. d The Address Field has several selections, choose

Vendor W9. 4

Open any vendor related window where “Vendor ID” is a zoom field. Zoom fields are either blue and underlined (assuming default colors) or if a required

field, then red or black and underlined.

For purposes of this example navigate to the Purchasing area page, expand the Inquiry section and select Transaction by Vendor. Choose the vendor. Select the Vendor ID zoom field. There are two choices, either Vendor Maintenance or Vendor W9. Selecting Vendor W9 will open the vendor’s W9 form on the server. This same functionality can be applied to the employee card… think I9 and W4. Just like OLE links, this works fine as long as the documents stay in the same place on the server. If they are moved, then the documents location (path) will have to be changed. ▲

3 E

From the Series drop down, select the module being worked with; for example, Purchasing.

From the Origin drop down, select the function being worked with; for example, Computer Checks.

In the scrolling window at the bottom of the Posting Setup window, several reports are listed. The window contains a column of check boxes, one next to each posting journal. By unchecking the box next to the journals not needed to print, either the wasted paper or the wasted mouse clicks are eliminated. These posting journals can always be turned back on if needed. Most posting journals can be reprinted from the reports menu by selecting Posting Journals from the list of reports. (In the Financial series the posting journals are reprinted from the Cross-Reference report list.)

Saving Paper By Linda Brock, The Knaster Group

veryone is interested in saving paper and/or keystrokes. There is nothing more annoying than clicking cancel on six reports after posting a batch or having to recycle stacks of reports that are not needed. The easiest way to prevent this in Microsoft Dynamics GP is to unmark all of the posting journals that are not wanted or needed. 1

choose Posting again.

Open the Posting Setup window by accessing Administration, click Setup, click Posting, and

Once the selected reports for this particular Origin are unmarked, click Save and select the next Display and Origin combination to turn off posting journals.

Note : On a Microsoft Dynamics GP system that is already up and running, most organizations typically do NOT want to select ALL as the origin for any Display series, as it is too easy to globally change other posting settings that can affect the sub-ledger to general ledger interface. ▲

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Automating Electronic Payment Processing O

rganizations want flexibility when it comes to accepting payments from customers. With so much financial insight already existing in Microsoft Dynamics GP, it can be an ideal spot for companies to handle credit card transactions and speed up the payment settlement process altogether.

By Giuseppe Ianni, Azox

Keeping customer payment records and accounts all in one place makes it easier to access and manage customer’s sales, voids, and returns. From connecting gateways, processors, and financial management software – payment processing in Microsoft Dynamics GP can save companies valuable time and resources.

Processing Payments Payment processing doesn’t have to be complex. Yes, there are a lot of entities involved in a payment transaction; gateways, processors, and proper cardholder security measurements to name a few. But the advantages of integrating these entities together inside of financial management software like Microsoft Dynamics GP can provide a more flexible way of accepting credit cards. Credit Card Extension from Azox makes the process less complex and brings gateways, processors, and Microsoft Dynamics GP together. There 16

Dynamics University Winter 2012

is no need to go out to a gateway to process a card. The solution automatically passes the transaction to a gateway, which then hits the merchant bank’s processor, the customer’s bank, and the merchant’s bank before finally passing back the transaction results instantly to Azox Credit Card Extension in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Funds from the customer’s credit card issuing bank are deposited into the merchant’s bank during the settlement process period. By combining all of these processes into a simple click in Microsoft Dynamics GP, it streamlines the entire process of accepting credit cards. Working in Sales Transaction Entry or Cash Receipts provides an ideal place to take a new sales order or invoice and process a credit card through Azox Credit Card Extension. Whether it is an authorization, post-authorization, sale, void, or credit, the flexibility to handle multiple transaction types is there. In addition to multiple transactions, companies may need the ability to deal with a high volume of transactions and process multiple sales orders or invoices all at once instead of just a single sales document. This is handled through batch processing which charges or preauthorizes any credit cards associated with that

batch of sales documents. This is definitely a time saver and a necessity for many businesses that batch out at the end of the day. Companies are also looking to save money on transaction fees and increase payment processing options. For that reason, many will set up multiple merchant accounts which are also supported by Azox Credit Card Extension. In addition, multiple credit cards can be saved and accessed from a wallet lookup for a particular customer. Credit cards are masked except for the last four digits to allow for easy identification while keeping cardholder data secure. Credit card security is another important factor that needs to be taken seriously when dealing with any type of credit card payments.

Keeping Sensitive Information Secure Automating payments inside of Microsoft Dynamics GP does not go without consideration for security. According to a recent survey conducted by McAfee and the Nation-

al Cyber Security Alliance, 26% of Americans have been told their personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers may have been exposed to a data breach. With the rise in data breaches, keeping credit card data secure is a concern now more than ever.

Any payments the customer makes online will automatically be applied to invoices in Microsoft Dynamics GP When credit cards are processed in Microsoft Dynamics GP there are multiple ways in which credit cards are kept secure. Having credit card transactions that are processed through solutions that meet PA-DSS standards is one way. PA-DSS standards are established by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards Council and provide guidelines

for credit card processing software. These guidelines help ensure software has the proper security and that fraud prevention measures are being taken when credit cards are encrypted, processed, and stored. Many companies prefer not to store credit card information on their end at all to avoid being held liable in case a security breach happens. Luckily for them, there is a solution to this through a process called tokenization. This process allows third party gateways to take the credit card number and generate a token in its place as a reference. This token is then sent back to the business in place of the credit card number – leaving the customer’s credit card data securely on a third party server and reducing the scope of PCI compliance security standards for the merchant.

Extending Payment Functions to the Web Another powerful way of automating payments and speeding up the recAutomating, continued on page 21

Why can’t people pay their bills online?

Automate the Collection Process with Online Bill Payment Allow customers to pay online and have

payments processed into Microsoft Dynamics GP. Contact Us: 734-928-6010 | sales@azox.com | www.azox.com DynamicsUniversity.com

A Few Quick Ideas

to Improve Efficiencies in Dynamics GP A

s an end user of many software packages, it is exciting to find a faster way to do something. Saving a couple of steps on a process repeated multiple times per day, adds up! There are several features and tools in Microsoft Dynamics GP designed to save users steps and gain efficiency. By Jodie Macariola, Cargas Systems

Microsoft Dynamics GP Functionality Classes: Classes are a common theme throughout Microsoft Dynamics GP – on vendor, customer, item, and employee maintenance windows. Classes serve a couple of functions. One important function is the default of information when creating a new record. For example, the customer class can default several fields onto the customer record, such as the payment terms, tax schedule, price level, credit limits, and the default GL accounts. There should be at least one class of each type (vendor/customer/item/employee) setup in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Recurring Batches: For transactions that recur (such as rent), setup a recurring batch in order to avoid re-entering the transactions. In the batch setup window, mark the batch as recurring by selecting any frequency other than “Single Use.” When posting a batch, it will not disappear as single use batches do. The posting and document dates for the transactions in the batch will increment by the frequency. Recurring batches are used most commonly for General Ledger journal entries and Payables invoices. They are also available for Receivables and Inventory transactions. Note – if planning to use recurring batches in payables, make sure the setup is set to allow duplicate invoices per vendor for recurring transactions. This is accessed

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within Tools, click Setup, choose Purchasing, and click Payables. Allocation Accounts: If expenses are divided across multiple accounts based on a set percentage, a fixed allocation account can be utilized to reduce the input time of the related transactions. Fixed allocations are setup by accessing Cards, choose Financial, and click Fixed Allocation. A new account number is set up for the allocation account. The allocation account can then be entered on transactions in place of multiple posting accounts. The allocation serves as a pass-through to the posting accounts and never has a balance. Sales Order Transaction Copy: For the customer who calls up and requests “Send what was sent last time,” start an Order. Go to Actions and select Copy. A prompt allows users to select the order to copy from and users can preview what will happen before selecting to Copy.

User Preferences and Shortcuts User Preferences: In Microsoft Dynamics GP menu, choose User Preferences. Several user specific settings and defaults are established here. Regarding the Entry Key option in this window – Tab means the TAB key moves the cursor from field to field and the ENTER or RETURN key will select the default button in the window (such as OK or SAVE). Return means the ENTER or RETURN key also act as a tab, and SHIFT+ENTER will select the default button in the window. Shortcuts: In any Microsoft Dynamics GP window, add the window to the shortcut menu by selecting File and clicking Add to Shortcuts. Once done, the shortcut appears on the Home Page navigation pane. As an additional option, assign a shortcut key to the shortcut by rightclicking on the shortcut and selecting Shortcut Properties. Add shortcuts to the Home Page Navigation area by right-clicking and selecting Add from within the Home Fast!, continued on page 20 DynamicsUniversity.com

Fast!, continued from page 19

navigation pane. That also adds any SmartList favorite, Macro, Web Page, or External Shortcut. Create a folder to organize these shortcuts. If encountering an issue trying to drag and drop a shortcut into a folder, add a new item to the folder first. Once there is at least one item in the folder, the drag and drop should function.

Keyboard Shortcuts Looks Ups: Once in a field to lookup information (for example a customer), typing CTRL+L will open the lookup. Type in the first few characters of the ID before and the lookup goes to the position in the list. This is referred to as a partial lookup, and typically works well if utilizing alpha characters in the ID scheme. After typing in a few letters and typed CTRL+L, arrow down selections and press ENTER (or SHIFT+ENTER) or use the mouse to make the selection. If using a numeric ID and need to search by name, there are a few additional steps since a partial lookup will not help. Type CTRL+L, click in the header of the customer name column, type the characters in the find by field, then type TAB to get to the position in the list. Note – With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, there is a new feature to default the sort order of customer and vendor lookups. So, if wanting the search to default by a field other than the ID, hang tight! Other Keyboard Equivalents: If entering a Payables Transaction and needing to open the distribution window, on the “Distributions button, the letter “b” is underlined. This means that typing ALT+B will press the button. Look for these shortcuts throughout Microsoft Dynamics GP. There are also several menu selections where keyboard equivalents appear next to the menu item. CTRL+W to close a window is a handy one. Another tip related to the above Payables Transaction entry example - to

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close the distribution window, type ENTER (or SHIFT+ENTER), then tab to the Save button and type ENTER (or SHIFT+ENTER) again to save the transaction. If typing ENTER without tabbing, the distribution window will probably open again. Anytime a button is focused on in a Microsoft Dynamics GP window, typing ENTER it is like clicking the button. It is sometimes hard to see, so look carefully.

Other tools Macros: A Microsoft Dynamics GP macro is a pre-recorded series of mouse-clicks and/or keystrokes. When recording a macro, the necessary clicks and keystrokes must be precisely captured. When running a macro, it must be run from the same starting point. For example, a user may print picking tickets multiple times per day. To do this, open the daily order batch, click Print, then make various selections that are always the same. This could be anywhere from five to ten mouse clicks after selecting the batch. To automate these clicks, record a macro right before clicking the print button and stop recording it after the output is sent to the printer. Then add the macro to the Home Page Navigation pane and assign a shortcut key. The next time picking tickets need to be printed exactly this way, select the batch and click the short cut key for the macro, which then performs all the additional clicks. These can be tricky to setup and take a little trial and error, but once it is working, it can be a real time saver. Modified Windows: For transaction entry windows with high volume it may be a worthwhile investment to ask a Microsoft Dynamics partner to modify the window to streamline the data entry. For example, the tab sequence of the window could be modified to skip unused fields and to put focus on buttons to open subsequent windows in the sequence needed. Other tools can be utilized to default specific settings each time the window is open. Importing Data: If a user must frequently enter data from a spread-

sheet or another system into Microsoft Dynamics GP, integration may be possible. There are two primary tools for integrating data into Microsoft Dynamics GP, Integration Manager and eConnect. Integration Manager is a tool end users can utilize to map data from a source such as Microsoft Office Excel and then run the integration when the source file is ready. eConnect allows for more advanced integrations, such as situations where additional logic must be applied in order to define the field settings in Microsoft Dynamics GP, high transaction volume, and automation. Try some of the above and contact a Microsoft Dynamics partner for more ideas on how to be more efficient with your use of Microsoft Dynamics GP. ▲ Automating, continued from page 17

onciliation process deals with taking invoices in Microsoft Dynamics GP and reflecting those invoices onto a web portal where customers can pay them. This reduces the waiting time of sending paper invoices in the mail and can save companies from carrying overdue invoices from month-tomonth. Integrating online bill payment with Microsoft Dynamics GP can also reduce a company’s operational cost and empower customers to schedule recurring payments, login monthly to check payment history, or change payment methods. Any payments the customer makes online will automatically be applied to invoices in Microsoft Dynamics GP giving a company greater insight into accounts payable and financial reporting all within one system. Whether it’s accepting credit cards inside of a financial management system or opening up invoice payments to customers online, Azox has experience helping companies address the challenge of implementing secure payment processing systems. Learn more about payment processing and how to address PCI compliance security standards by having a discussion with our team at Azox. ▲

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a customer worth?

The Real ROI on C By Dave Packard, Cargas Systems

Dynamics University Winter 2012

“Never neglect details. When everyone’s mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.” ~Colin Powell

any have done the research and are aware of system costs/ per user/per month and the benefits of Customer Relationship Management systems. Some of those benefits are sales pipeline/ forecasting, lead scoring, customer segmentation for marketing, campaign ROI, and case management – to name a few. Knowing the system’s expense is always relevant but the ROI on CRM really comes down to one simple question: What is a customer worth? For illustration sake, a company’s average customer stays five years and makes five $1,500 purchases each year. That is $7,500 a year – $37,500 over 5 years. Assuming an average gross margin of 25%, the average customer is worth $9,375 over the lifetime of their relationship with the company. That is just one customer. More customers equal more revenue – a rather obvious statement given the math: • 500 customers = $4,687,500 • 1,500 customers = $14,062,500 • 5,000 customers = $46,875,000 • 25,000 customers = $234,375,000

So, why do customers often leave? Neglect. Neglect can cover a wide range of issues: Customers who feel underappreciated, undervalued, or forgotten are most likely to leave. It was hard work obtaining those customers. Do not let them leave for such a poor reason. Everyone knows that keeping a customer is more cost-effective than finding a new one. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides account managers information to allow a response to customer issues before it is too late. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is built to show all activity for each customer—from sales – to marketing – to complaints.

When all front lines (those who touch the customers most often) are working from the same system, customer details are visible to everyone. Customer Service can see that Sales recently presented a proposal; Sales can see the customer just received the latest campaign from Marketing; Marketing can see all the products the customer owns and start targeting them with cross-sell promotions. The customer believes your company knows their account, gains confidence, and sees no reason to leave. Avoid losing sight of the details and think of the possibilities of turning that five year customer average into six years, seven years, and longer. Perhaps the real ROI on Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not how much it costs but how long it can help maintain the customer relationship. The longer the relationship – the greater the reward! What is a customer worth to you? ▲ DynamicsUniversity.com

By Matt Bitzegaio, Summit Group Software

here have been many changes and advancements in the web development arena over the last few years, but none more important than the advent of HTML5.

What is HTML5?

“What exactly is HTML5, and why does it make sense to use for web development projects?” HTML5 is the newest standard for Hyper-Text-Markup-Language (HTML), the core mark-up language that has been used to build websites since the early 1990’s. The original intention of the HTML standard was to allow for the creation of static documents that could be shared on the web. In its early incarnations, HTML was very limited in interactive functionality. Because of this, other languages such as JavaScript and tools such as Flash and Silverlight were required to bridge the gap between desktop and web applications to enhance the presentation and interactive capabilities of web applications. HTML 5 was designed to give web developers and designers a more flexible toolset to enable more exciting and interactive websites and a more efficient

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way to develop web applications. Many of the things that were a challenge to do with HTML4, including drawing, geo-location, data management, audio and video are inherent in the HTML5 standard. It is also designed to make crossbrowser development easier and more efficient.

Both mobile websites and mobile applications can be built using HTML5 The biggest advancements in the new standard lie in mobile development. Both mobile websites and mobile applications can be built using HTML5. Through the use of libraries such as JQuery Mobile or Sencha Touch, rich mobile client applications can be developed using HTML5 and take advantage of many of the features found on most smartphones and tablets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GPS, cameras, and storage. The use of HTML5 for mobile development allows for the consolidation of development efforts on one language and platform and being able to develop applications that can be easily consumed by many types of devices, from desktop computers to phones. The JQuery JavaScript library also helps to expand the capabilities of HTML5 and allow support for functionality such as remote data calls utilizing AJAX and HTML 5, continued on page 29

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Bolstering Business: a Few Down-to-Earth Reasons to Use the Cloud A

n August survey – conducted by Wakefield Research and commissioned by Citrix – illuminates what many cloud service providers have long suspected: Most people are still struggling to understand what, exactly, the cloud is. Thanks to recent appearances in the well-known business cartoon Dilbert, it’s safe to say that the concept of cloud computing has gone mainstream. Nonetheless, many respondents of the Citrix study seemed a little uncertain on the fine print—and the benefits—of doing business in the cloud.

By Carl Hentsch, Myappsanywhere

Take the survey at face value, and it suggests that 95 percent of respondents claiming they never use the cloud have no idea that they are actually using the cloud every time they conduct online banking, check their status on social network sites, upload photos to online accounts, or store their music on iTunes. Furthermore, many of these respondents seem to believe that the cloud requires a raincoat—51 percent think that bad weather could actually interfere with their cloud computing. (It can’t). General confusion can be a powerful obstacle to cloud adoption, especially with regard to the business aspects of the cloud—namely, hosted ERP solutions, CRM, ISV enhancements, and hosted services like data backup or Bolstering Business, continued on page 28

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The most apparent benefit of moving business software to the cloud is that the software will be available via any internet location.

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Bolstering Business, continued from page 26

mobile device management. Looking back to the Citrix survey, one in five Americans admit to pretending that they know more about cloud computing than they actually do. This seems to indicate cloud’s growing importance in the workplace even if its importance is often misunderstood. Dilbert’s most current strip about cloud computing reflects the notion that whether or not you know what cloud is, it’s in your best interest to seem informed. As Dilbert’s PointyHaired Boss remarks, “No one will take us seriously unless we’re doing something in the cloud.” The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that over the next five years, global spending on cloud computing services will increase at a pace that is five times greater than the growth of the IT industry as a whole. This same data set projects that companies will spend $100 billion in cloud services by 2016. Nearly $40 billion will be spent this year alone,

with the majority of growth coming from small and midsized businesses. Even the Citrix survey respondents could readily see the benefits of moving their business to the cloud once they were told what that meant: Sixty-eight percent could recognize the economic benefits of the cloud with consumer engagement, small business growth, and lower operations costs sited as the top potential benefits.

Cloud services enable the organization to pay for the software and services actually used—nothing more, nothing less. Whether or not client opinions play a role in the decision to move to the cloud, business leaders certainly

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don’t make major business decisions based on trends and surveys alone. When considering the cloud, most businesses begin with looking at the benefits of hosted applications—their business software delivered to their desktops via the internet. As these applications have an internet delivery model, the most apparent benefit of moving business software to the cloud is that the software will be available via any internet location, whether that means a local coffee shop, the employee’s home, or from the road. Hosting business software offers a far greater benefit than just remote access. Because cloud applications (i.e., business software) are delivered via a secure internet connection, there is no need to sink valuable resources into hardware investments onsite. Similarly, upgrades to business applications are included in the monthly costs, thus eliminating expensive lapsed software license fees and the cost of upgrades. Since cloud services are offered on a subscription basis, typically on a month-to-month cycle, moving applications to the cloud means that an organization will always know the payment amount in advance. If the business experiences major shifts in the number of users (i.e., school enrollments, holiday shopping or emergency response needs), cloud applications enable the infrastructure to scale up for heavier traffic or scale down the infrastructure and licenses for lulls in action. This can translate into big savings for an organization. On-premise software often requires licensing a whole package for extra users only needed once in a while. Cloud services, on the other hand, enable the organization to pay for the software and services actually used— nothing more, nothing less. Most business leaders looking to move to the cloud are first and foremost interested in hosting CRM or accounting applications like Microsoft Dynamics GP. Because user licenses

in these applications are fairly expensive, the ability to scale these applications to the exact number of users is indeed an appealing feature. Look beyond cost savings and the cloud has even more to offer: Whether an organization is based in education, nonprofit, finance, healthcare, transportation or another industry, cloud technology can deliver custom-fit solutions for business pain points. Traditionally, regulated industries such as banks and medical practices have been skeptical of cloud computing because of the associated security risks or data breaches. For companies in these industries, increased security features are encouraging businesses

to take the leap into the cloud at a growing rate. Teaming up with a cloud service provider whose cloud operates in an SSAE 16 attested data center could help the regulated business pass audits, inspections, and checkpoints to ensure security compliances are met. In the transportation industry, the cloud has developed as a remoteaccess bidding tool for independent contracting companies. With the cloud, these companies are able to keep track of data, loads, and drivers from any location. Since truck drivers spend a majority of their time on the road, this type of remote access is beneficial to the company’s bottom

line. Not only is the new option cost effective but drivers can save time by inputting data from the road. Remote access has also proven beneficial for emergency response organizations – once a team is onsite at a disaster, an internet connection can deliver them access to all the critical data and communications needed to complete their mission. Despite the winds of confusion, the cloud has more to offer than its buzzword status might suggest. From cost savings to remote access, scalability, and industry customization – your business model could gain more from the cloud than you think. ▲

HTML 5, continued from page 25

other client-side technologies. This creates a scenario in which the HTML5/JQuery/CSS3 stack can be used to build any type of application that can run completely on a client device and make use of a service-oriented-architecture to distribute the computing needs more efficiently than a traditional client-server application.

HTML5… Now What? As excitement and interest build around HTML5, the next natural question is…

“Great! Now how do I use HTML5 and JQuery to integrate my website or mobile application with my Microsoft Dynamics CRM software?” Unfortunately, the answer today is that it is very difficult. While Microsoft does have a REST endpoint (a web service endpoint that is HTML5/JQuery friendly) included in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 platform, that endpoint can only be used from within the Microsoft Dynamics CRM application itself. This limitation makes it impossible to use this endpoint for website or mobile application integrations. This means one is left with using SOAP and the WCF endpoint. While this option certainly works, it does require much more development time and is a much heavier protocol, making it not as well suited for website and mobile integrations.

HTML5 & JQuery – An EndPoint Of course, a very reasonable thought may follow…

“It seems like there should be a web service endpoint for working with HTML5 that is inherent in Microsoft Dy-

namics CRM. After all, that is the direction web development is going.” This is a question that has come up in several customer projects lately, and because of that Summit Group Software has been building an HTML5 and JQuery friendly endpoint that allows for communication with Microsoft Dynamics CRM using the JSON protocol. (JSON is a very lightweight object notation protocol.) The lightweight nature of JSON makes it perfectly suited for website and mobile application integrations. Using this library is actually quite easy. A web developer simply includes a JavaScript file on the page intended to use the library. This allows the use of predefined JavaScript functions to execute the operations needed to meet the requirements of the application. The JavaScript library utilizes callbacks for both successful and unsuccessful operations – allowing the developer complete control over the user-interface and the resulting actions from the procedure calls. Because the library utilizes late-bound calls to the CRM WCF service, it is completely flexible and requires no compilation of code to make changes to web application. The library supports all major CRUD (Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete) methods, along with other custom methods to do actions such as add contacts, leads, or accounts to Marketing Lists in CRM or re-assign records in CRM. This library will be available soon and will work with both on-premise and cloud-hosted versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For more information about this library, contact your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner. ▲

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Power

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Power View

By Josh Behl, Summit Group Software

Power View is a new tool available through Microsoft SQL Server 2012 that provides an additional tool in the area of ad-hoc reporting for data analysts, decision makers, and data-driven users. The tool allows creation and interaction with data based upon a data model designed in a PowerPivot workbook or even Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services. The Power View report designer and viewer leverages Silverlight and is a browser based application that is launched from within Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. PowerPivot

PowerPivot is an add-in to Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and Microsoft Office Excel 2013 used for adding and integrating large amounts of data in Excel workbooks. The data added to the workbook is stored internally as an embedded PowerPivot database inside the .xlsx file. This database can be used in Excel or in Power View reports. In Excel, the workbook provides all of the data visualization and interaction features. Using Power Up, continued on page 35

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Change May Be Necessary:

But it Doesn’t Have to be a Nuisance

he French writer, François de la Rochefoucauld wrote, “The only thing constant in life is change.” This is also true with business systems. Usually, an organization’s Microsoft Dynamics GP business system works great when it is first set up. However, as the company evolves, some of its business data fails to keep up. There is no need to work with outdated master records (such as the Chart of Accounts) as this can be inefficient and susceptible to errors. Depending on the changes that need to be made; there are a number of different tools available to organizations. Changing or updating Microsoft Dynamics GP business data with more relevant master record IDs can make an organization more efficient. From small to large, typically the following three types of changes are seen to Microsoft Dynamics GP business data:

By Janice Zwetko, Corporate Renaissance Group

Changing and merging of master record IDs, such as GL account numbers.

Restructuring of the underlying Microsoft Dynamics GP account structure.

Consolidating or expanding a chart of accounts for multiple companies.

Changing or Merging Master Record IDs The simplest change that companies can make to Microsoft Dynamics GP data is to update master record IDs such as GL Account Numbers, Customer IDs, Vendor IDs, Inventory Item Numbers, Employee IDs and Project/Contract Numbers. CRG Changer allows for organizations to change and merge the following Microsoft Dynamics GP master record IDs: • Modify or merge GL account numbers. As well, organizations can choose to make changes to their general ledger from a specified date onward. • Change customer IDs to a new or existing customer ID. • Change vendor IDs to an existing or new vendor ID. • Merge and change inventory item numbers. Change, continued on page 34 32

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CONVERGENCE 2013

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Active learning. Networking opportunities. Solution optimization. As the premier event for the Microsoft Dynamics community, Convergence is where opportunity and innovation meet to deliver real business value. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the chance to make key business connections and to discover the full potential of Microsoft Dynamics solutions.

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Change, continued from page 32

• Maximum account length.

• Change an employee payroll ID to a new employee payroll ID.

• Maximum number of segments.

• Modify or merge project and contract numbers in Project Accounting.

• Maximum length for each of those segments.

CRG Changer is an easy and efficient way to update all historical transactions to new numbers and IDs with no trace to the original information. Drill downs, balances, and reports will treat the modified information as if it had been posted to the new master record IDs from the beginning. CRG Changer also supports updates to many non-core modules and 3rd party applications, such as Project Accounting, Fixed Assets, Collections Management, Mekorma MICR Cheque, WennSoft, and Horizons Manufacturing – to name a few.

Changing Account Structure Most changes to the GL account structure can be accomplished with CRG Changer including adding or removing characters or complete GL segments. However, there may be an occasion when it is necessary to modify the underlying account framework and structure that were set during the original install of Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Extend of Microsoft

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Expand your possibilities

With CRG Solutions

With both CRG Changer and CRG Re-Formatter: • Organizations can maintain the integrity of financial systems during periods of restructuring and growth. • Companies can better control the Chart of Accounts. • Organizations can modify account structure to enhance reporting requirements and improve data output.

Consolidating or Expanding a Chart of Accounts In today’s economy, some companies are expanding and others are consolidating operations. The strategic decision to either expand or consolidate has an impact on the company’s Chart of Accounts. Companies are forced to either manually combine the chart of accounts or maintain multiple Microsoft Dynamics GP companies. Both of these

amics AX, G n y P, tD NA f so Data Automation

SL V,

the Reach

Not only is the current Microsoft Dynamics GP data changed, all historical data is modified as the old account format is mapped to the new account format. In addition to the historical data, information in third-party applications and non-core modules can be updated.

Mi cr o

CRG Re-Formatter is a tool that will easily change the GL Account Framework. Re-Formatter seamlessly reformats the original Account Framework, altering the format of all data. Re-Formatter changes:

• Segment sorting options.

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sales@crgroup.com

Power Up, continued from page 31

options lead to inefficiencies and the potential for errors. There is another solution: Company Combiner. Company Combiner allows organizations to merge multiple Microsoft Dynamics GP company databases in a simple and repeatable process. With a systematic method, Company Combiner reduces the amount of time required to join Microsoft Dynamics GP databases and eliminates the chance of errors associated with manually entering data. Using a single company makes accounting activities more efficient: Transactions can be processed in a single transaction and reporting can be completed without performing consolidations. Change does not have to be feared nor does it have to be hard. Big or small, there are tools available to help organizations manage and update Microsoft Dynamics GP business data. Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG) is a global provider of innovative products and services that help Microsoft Dynamics customers improve financial performance and increase operational effectiveness. CRG helps companies improve productivity and make better decisions by offering a diverse suite of products for data automation (Changer, Re-Formatter, Company Combiner, AA Tools for Analytical Accounting, Reverser, PA Tools for Project Accounting, Merger Series and Linker Series), financial planning and analysis (Cost Allocator, FlexABM, Budget Maestro™ and BI Cubes) and employee performance management (emPerform). CRG Changer, Certified for Microsoft Dynamics GP, is used by thousands of end customers around the world. CRG is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network providing expertise that extends beyond Microsoft technologies: costing, business intelligence, management consulting, and employee performance management. ▲ For more information about CRG and its products, Changer, Re-Formatter and Company Combiner, please visit www.crgroup.com, email sales@crgroup.com or call 613.232.4295.

the PivotTable reportingskills users may already have, sophisticated workbooks based on rich analytical data can be created. PowerPivot enables data-minded users to pull data from various data source such as: • Microsoft SQL Server • Microsoft Access • SQL Server Analysis Services • SQL Reporting Services Reports • Azure Data Markets • OData • Text files • Other OBDC Compliant data sources

Practical Applications One of the primary reasons organizations purchase business applications (regardless if it is a Microsoft Dynamics application or not) is to look at its data, bend and twist it a little, and then make decisions about managing people, customers, strategy and so on based on that data. For more datadriven users, retrieving and manipulating data is not all difficult. However, the reality is that many of those who need to make the decisions are not always data-minded and typically not familiar enough with the actual sources of data to create reports or do analysis on their own. Coupled with that reality is the continuous blur of personal computing experience and how users expect that experience to translate into the business applications used on a daily basis. Designing one, single report that is flexible enough to handle the ad-hoc requirements of various users is very difficult. In all reality, those users do expect flexible, dynamic reporting that quickly and accurately shows what they want to see in a way that makes sense. This is where these two tools come into play. Both Power View and PowerPivot provide this kind of flexible, dynamic ad-hoc reporting experience. Furthermore, when considering business applications that reside within the Microsoft Dynamics family, this is a logical combination. A key piece to this solution is another application – Microsoft SharePoint 2010. To leverage Power View, SharePoint 2010 Enterprise Edition must be running. Incorporating SharePoint into the solution mix is a smart idea for many reasons. Both of these tools create significant value for both organizations in data analysis and for report writers. Power View really expands on some of the reporting power of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and offers a far more interesting and flexible user experience. With the release of Microsoft Office 2013 coming soon, Microsoft has built in a very tight integration between Power View and Excel. That said, Power View is not a solution to every reporting need. There are many things that Excel, PowerPivot, and SSRS do that Power View does not yet handle – so a discussion with a Microsoft Partner on the best option for your organization is recommended. For more great information and links to valuable resources, check out our blog at DynamicsUniversity.com/blog. ▲

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To Email or to Task?

That is the Question T

By Ken Jacobson, TM Group

here is a debate brewing about whether to use activities such as tasks and phone calls or use emails to enable business processes within the organization. It really is a question of workflow and dialog design and what is most effective. Microsoft Dynamics CRM workflow makes it easy to create and send emails to users and non-users of Microsoft Dynamics CRM based on updates of data such as an opportunity closing. Also, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Add-on makes it really easy to track emails by simply clicking the Track in CRM button in the Office Ribbon. Using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Add-on for Outlook, emails can be promoted automatically if the email is a reply to a previous email already tracked in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Or, to really track all emails in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, it can be configured to automatically track all emails from email addresses of users, leads, contacts or accounts that already exist in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. What Microsoft Dynamics CRM users often forget is that besides tracking emails

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and synchronizing contacts and appointments, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Add-on also synchronizes Microsoft Dynamics CRM tasks, phone calls, letters, and faxes with Outlook’s Tasks. Consequently, when completing a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Task in Outlook or on a phone, it will also automatically mark it as complete in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. With the relative ease of creation of emails and tasks with Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s workflow engine, the perplexing question still remains of which should be used by companies to drive their business processes. We spoke with Microsoft Dynamics CRM consultants to gather feedback on how to decide when it is appropriate to use emails versus activities within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “People’s tendency to want to use emails to drive business processes is really the result of people’s comfort and dependence on Microsoft Outlook,” explain Kevin Alexander, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Solution Architect. “Other people in an organization can’t really see the status of an email, so you can’t really drive business process activities around emails. Emails are good for communicating with customers, prospects, vendors, and other employees that aren’t Microsoft Dynamics CRM users. However, emails should not be used to drive activities related to a specific business procedure.” Here is an example of the challenge: An organization uses a custom entity and associated workflows to process and track lab tests. The organization requested the creation of an activity and to send an email to the head of the lab. This process was previously managed using email and the organization was very comfortable with email. Once the workflow was live, there were numerous emails created as well as the associated activities for the lab tests. Because all the detail needed for the task at hand was included in the email, the users never went to look at the tasks and only

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Email or Task?, continued on page 39 DynamicsUniversity.com

Microsoft Retail Management –

Forget the Cash Register

By Wendy Johnson, Cargas Systems

ore and more retail merchants are switching from cash registers to PC-based solutions. It gives them better reporting, better inventory tracking, better marketing information, and is user friendly. Why does it make sense to automate with a PC based retail solution?

Microsoft RMS is… • Affordable. Large or small – there is a solution to fit the organization’s needs. • Easy to use. Most users can easily learn the basics in 10-15 minutes. • Easily customized with many pre-existing 3rd party solutions already available.

Microsoft RMS… • Eliminates double entry bookkeeping. RMS can create a journal entry that will integrate directly into Microsoft Dynamics GP and other accounting software. • Tracks inventory. RMS suggests purchases based on sold items, track sales by customer, returns, damaged goods, serial numbered items and lot numbered items easily. • Hardware requirements are minimal. Required hardware is a PC, cash drawer, scanner and swipe reader if integrating credit cards. • Uses Active Reports, which makes filtering, grouping, sorting and saving report versions user friendly. • Allows quotes, layaways, work orders, back orders, returns\voids and completed sales from one user friendly interface. • Integrates with various credit card processing providers. 38

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Email or Task?, continued from page 37

• Covers 31 different levels of security. Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) or Point of Sale (POS) is an ideal solution for specialty retailers. Some examples are gift shops, boutiques, sporting goods, garden centers, auto parts stores and cafes – the list is endless. RMS has the perfect solution for shops that break master packs into single saleable units. For example, a store may have cases of drinks in inventory, take out one unit to sell and the system easily transfers the entire case into individual sale units. New clothing styles can be easily entered as new items by size and color using the inventory matrix. The inventory options are very comprehensive. With the Headquarters program, businesses can manage multiple store locations from the corporate office. Informed buying decisions can be made based on overall sales by region or season. Local stores can easily check the inventory of other locations for product availability and initiate a between store transfer. Customer in store charge accounts can be managed. RMS allows the creation of customer records to track receivable charges and payments. Monthly statements can be created for customers and historical purchases reports can be run. Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System is the most complete retail package this former retail employee has ever worked with and can only improve any retailer’s profit and productivity. The next generation Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System is slated for release into the market by 2013. For more information, please contact your Partner today. ▲

sporadically completed them. The result of this was users were not completing the activities and the business process workflows creating tasks for the next steps got hung up. This caused confusion within the organization and people would have to call the lab or send emails to ask the status of the tests. Consequently, this process was re-crafted and the organization is now using activities to manage their lab tests – and no more emails. “When you really want to get into driving your organization,” said Kevin. “You really want to use activities like a task because based on completion of the activity, Microsoft Dynamics CRM can trigger additional workflow events. You can drive additional workflows and other activities from the beginning of the process to the end. You can also monitor if a task has been completed by a due date using an activity like a task or phone call. You can’t do that with an email.” ▲

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By Diann Fariss, Express Information Systems

oday, many companies are looking for ways to “Go Green” with positive incentives like being earth-friendly, saving costs on paper, storage space, postage, and staffing. Whatever the motivation may be, Microsoft Dynamics GP offers many ‘out of the box’ possibilities. Here are a few ways to begin taking your organization to a greener place!

Audit Trails Microsoft Dynamics GP generates an abundance of audit trails during the posting process. These can be turned on and off, set to Print To Screen, File, or Ask Each Time as desired. If an audit trail isn’t printed during posting, it can be re-printed at a later date. To change the print settings go to Microsoft Dynamics GP, click Tools, choose Setup, and click Posting. Then choose the Series desired and the Origin of the transaction.

Going Green

GP is Better, Right out of the Box! 40

Dynamics University Winter 2012

In the Reports section, unmark any of the audit trails under the Print column and this keeps the unmarked audit trails from printing during posting. If a report is desired, but it should not go directly to the printer, use the Send To selections to change the destination. The question mark (?) icon asks the user for a destination during posting, the Screen icon sends the report to the screen, the Printer icon sends directly to printer, and the File Folder icon writes the report to file. If using Send To Screen, the report can be printed from screen if desired. When using Send To File use the Show Details arrows to see the second line for each entry. Choose the file type (Text File, Tab -Delimited, Comma - Delimited, or HTML File) and whether to append or replace the file, then specify the path that should be used. All users performing this function should have access to this path. Audit trails can always be re-printed from the Reports menu of the Series under Posting Journals.

Implement Emailing of Documents Microsoft Dynamics GP has the capability to email documents directly to customers and

vendors. Documents can be sent as PDF, XPS, HTML or DOCX formats and include the following: • Sales quote • Sales order • Sales fulfillment order • Sales invoice • Receivables invoice • Receivables return • Receivables debit memo • Receivables credit memo

• Receivables finance charges • Receivables warranty • Receivables service/repair • Standard purchase order • Blanket purchase order • Drop-ship purchase order • Vendor remittances

Predefined messages can be set up that include information from the documents being sent. Find detailed information to set this up by searching on ‘Email functionality’ in the help area. Stay green by emailing customer and vendor documents and request receiving yours that way.

EFT for Payables Many companies are moving away from printed checks and implementing EFT. EFT produces a file that can be uploaded to the bank to process vendor payments. When combined with emailing the Vendor Remittances, the savings are significant. There is less check stock, envelopes, and postage to buy; and, time is saved with no need to manually fold and stuff. Find more information about Payables EFT in the Printable Manuals, under Financial – Electronic Banking. Attach Soft Copy Images to Records in Microsoft Dynamics GP Whether receiving documents from customers and vendors electronically or choosing to scan the paper copies, Microsoft Dynamics GP allows the attach-

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ment of those documents to the specific record related to including the Vendor, Customer, Employee and individual transactions such as Payables Invoices. To attach a note while entering a transaction, click the Note icon next to the transaction number (such as the Voucher Number on a Payables Transaction). From the Note window, click the paper-clip icon. From the OLE Container window, choose Edit and click Insert New Object. Select Create From File and use the Browse button to find and select the file to attach (can be any type of file including image files, PDF files, Microsoft Word and Excel Documents). Click OK and close the OLE Container window answering Yes to the Save Changes prompt. Click Attach on the Note window. Remember to shred and recycle what’s attached it if originated hard copy! If the Paper-clip icon is not available, Microsoft article 850041 (available Go Green, continued on page 43

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Our Favorite Favorite Features of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 By John Hoyt, Technology Concepts Management

onsiderable attention has been given to the new Web Client in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013. With the Web Client, much of the core Microsoft Dynamics GP functionality (core Financials and Distribution modules to start) are available through a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s browser, meaning no more direct network connection required. With all the attention the Web Client is receiving, the many new features for the desktop client may be overlooked in the process. There are over 100 new features and functions, and three features in particular deserve to be highlighted. General Ledger to Sub-ledger Reconciliation Expands: Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 saw the introduction of the General Ledger to Sub-ledger reconciliation tools, allowing transactions posted in both the Accounts Payable and the Accounts Receivable sub-ledgers to be reconciled with the transactions posted to the corresponding General Ledger account(s). Using this tool results in a detailed Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet that groups relevant transactions into three sections in the spreadsheet: Fully matched transactions, partially-matched transactions, and unmatched transactions. Based on the spreadsheets, the month-end or year-end close process is streamlined by quickly identifying those transactions that need further review and analysis. For example: Identifying transactions posted in a sub-ledger but not yet posted to the General Ledger and GL Journal Entries that have impacted the account balance without a corresponding transaction in the Sub-ledger. With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, this outstanding tool has now been expanded to include both Inventory sub-ledger and the Bank Reconciliation module. Add these four routines

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to the month-end close process and quickly see how much time and effort is saved. Select Printer AFTER the Report Destination Window: Users can now select which printer to use AFTER starting the process of printing a report or document. The process is both very intuitive and very welcomed. Print a report to the screen as a preview, and the click on the Print button. Next, when the Report Destination dialog box opens, select Printer as the preferred output and choose from any of the printers associated with the computer. Unique Contact Names Per Ship-to Address ID: A unique Contact Name per Ship-To Address ID is now allowed within the Customer Card. For those Microsoft Dynamics GP users that utilize the Drop Ship functionality when delivering purchases, each Ship-To Address ID allows for the appropriate Contact Name at the specific Drop Ship Location. No more confusion about who is to receive the merchandise and no more references to a Customer Contact Name that may not be known to the shipments destination. While this may sound like a small change, it is crucial to any company utilizing the Drop Ship feature within the Distribution / Advanced Distribution modules. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is nearly here and along with the new Web Client, these three examples are just the tip of the iceberg for all of the many new features and functionality available. For those companies investing in purchasing (or upgrading to) Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, each feature discussed here has the potential to greatly increase both the satisfaction and efficiency of the new system. Increasing user satisfaction with Microsoft Dynamics GP should also increase use of Microsoft Dynamics GP – and that will resonate throughout the organization. ▲

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Go Green, continued from page 41

by searching on the web) discusses the needed setup. In Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 additional options for attaching files will be available.

Email Reports to Recipients Another green feature of Microsoft Dynamics GP is the ability to email reports. This can be done with reports that are printed from the Reports menu of each series. This is useful for anything from sending managers details of expenditures for a period to sending a customer or vendor a detailed aging. From an existing report option, choose Email Options. On the Email Options window, enter an email recipient. Choose whether the report should be embedded in the email body or attached to the email. To personalize a message, click Message and type the desired text. After saving, re-open the report option and click Email to send the report.

User Preferences and Report Options The user preferences window allows users to set the Default Report Destination to Screen. From the Home Page in Microsoft Dynamics GP choose User Preferences.

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The next time printing saved report options, click Modify and then Destination. Change the destination to Screen or to Ask Each Time prior to printing and Save the report option. Saving time and money is a high priority for most businesses. Now, more than ever, so is helping save the environment. With so many ‘out of the box’ green features, Microsoft Dynamics GP can help do more of both today! ▲ DynamicsUniversity.com

Performance Monitors: CRM Dashboards Drive Business

M By Jennifer Swiderski, TM Group

any organizations across industries wrestle with some of the same challenges related to insight into their business. What is working to drive new business and what isn’t? Were leads obtained? Is it the latest on-line advertisement campaign or a trade show event the sales team was exhibited at? Organizations realize the need to maximize team performance and ascertain the analytical results with utmost clarity.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Dashboards give a logical and progressive overview of team performance. These dashboards can be refreshed, offering updated “real-time” instantaneous graphs, charts and statistics. The following are some of the many standard (without configuration or customization) dropdown dashboard lists that are offered from Microsoft Dynamics CRM, complete with colorful graphics that can be used to analyze statistics: Record Counts: This is the best way to count records inside of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For example, how many completed phone calls each salesperson made in the last seven days? How many active opportunities is each salesperson working on this month? Exception Management: View all exceptions to the handling of some records such as overdue sales activities or even the open service cases per owner. It allows managers to monitor these outstanding actions and understand how they are being handled. Salesperson Goals and Metrics: Review the sales team’s individual Goals and Metrics. This can be used to define sales quotas per month, quarter, or fiscal year. These records are drillable allowing managers to see who is responsible for opportunities and the actual vs. revenue forecasted for each sales member. Filter by hovering over the owner to view by opportunities, and click to a drilldown menu that allows personal performance to be viewed. Dashboards can also show

Dynamics University Winter 2012

Refreshable Excel Reports Mean Right-to-the-Minute Data By Nina Clarke, Express Information Systems

the percentage of their quota that is completed. Opportunity Pipeline by Sales Stage: Open opportunities are broken down by sales stage; for example, who is responsible for these opportunities in the closing stage. Drill into the data and information by owner to look at the revenue by owners and by dollars. See the assets of each member of the team – viewing all the forecasted revenue.

Organizations realize the need to maximize team performance and ascertain the analytical results with utmost clarity Percentage of Leads per Source: This dashboard chart analyzes the percentage of leads generated per lead source. Use this information to determine where the organization is successfully gathering the most leads - via referrals, trade shows, website visits, or other marketing campaigns.

high priority on every CFO’s task list is equipping employees with the best tools to gather the correct and most current information in order to make the best decisions with real time results. Using Microsoft Dynamics GP with Smartlist Builder to publish refreshable Microsoft Office Excel reports into Microsoft Outlook is a fantastic way to put a check on that list. With the ability to format the reports to include graphs, arrange information so its best understood by the user, and refresh at any time to gather the most current data – making an informed decision goes from burdening task to smooth solution. How it Works: SmartList Builder installed in Microsoft Dynamics GP provides an extra set of tools that allow the creation of specialized reports. The User creating the report must be one of the following: • SA user or DYNSA user • Any user in the db_owner database role, SysAdmin fixed server role, or dbCreator fixed server role in SQL Start by going to the Microsoft Dynamics GP menu and select Tools, click SmartList Builder, click Excel Report Builder, and choose Excel Report Builder. Choose which tables from Microsoft Dynamics GP to pull together to create the report. Notice that the table and field names in SmartList Builder are in simple and easy to understand terms just like the screens in Microsoft Dynamics GP. (Knowing the SQL coding behind the report is not necessary.) To Pivot or to List: Next, decide what format to display the data in. For a Go To or Drill Down link, use a List format. To summarize and control the look of the report, use a Pivot. Remember there will not be any Columns. Columns will be arranged in Excel since Excel Calculations and Restrictions look the same and work the same as Smartlist builder. Publishing Reports: Once all the tables are added, publish the reports. Be sure to set up a secure location for saving the files. Select the secure location and set up the desired permissions.

Opportunity Revenue Stream: This line graph dashboard shows the opportunity estimated revenue per month and the projected close dates for those opportunities. This gives a projected profit analysis for the team.

When setting up permissions it can be a two part process if there are external users. Have the IT team set up external users in the right groups within SQL. Then choose which groups have access to the reports by using the check boxes listed.

To learn more about the possibilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Dashboards and brainstorm ways to visualize this business critical data for your team, talk with your Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner today. ▲

Next post the reports Excel file in that public folder by going to Outlook. Click New Items, click More Items, and choose Post in this Folder. An Outlook screen opens to the file created.

Getting Reports into Outlook: First, have the IT team create a public folder using the Mail and Post Items option in Outlook.

That’s it! Refresh the results each time the report is opened. The security of the Outlook folder and who has access to the data in the Excel reports can be controlled. This makes sure numbers are up to date, allows the most informed decision to be made, and keeps the boss happy! ▲ DynamicsUniversity.com

Show Me The Money: An Easier Way to Show the Value of Your Employer Health Care Plan

T By John Hoyt, Technology Concepts Management

he Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers to report the value of employer provided health care plans. This includes the premium portion paid by the employer as well as the employee. Compliance with this law can easily be met using Microsoft Dynamics GP Human Resources and Payroll modules. It requires company health insurance plans to be set up as a benefit for the employer paid portion and as a deduction for the employee paid portion.

In Microsoft Dynamics GP, setup the employer paid portion of the health care premium. If using the Human Resources module, a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s procedures might have the benefit setup start there first. After that, the steps follow the normal payroll setup. Access the Payroll Benefit Setup window from the Setup section of the Payroll Center page. When creating the new code (or modifying the old code), enter data in the W-2 Box and Label fields. Then, roll this change down to all employees already using the benefit code. Next, setup the employee paid portion of the health care premium. This can be done by setting up a deduction code. Access the Payroll Deduction Setup window under the Setup section of the Payroll Center page. Like the benefit setup, when creating the new code (or modifying the old code), enter data in the W-2 Box and Label fields. Then, roll this change down to all employees already using the deduction code. These settings will take effect at the time they are entered. When W-2s are generated, all amounts collected by the codes for the year will be in this box and label. The code can be entered just before creating the year-end wage file and generating W-2s or at any time before. Compliance with The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is crucial for companies of all sizes. With Microsoft Dynamics GP, compliance is easy to set-up and easy to manage. â&#x2013;˛

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GP2013

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMING...

A business solution from Microsoft helps you take control of your future. And the next release of Microsoft Dynamics GP will transform how you and your team work, increase efficiency, and ultimately help drive your business growth. Here are a few of the new features you can look forward to: WEB ACCESS Provide all of your employees easy access to Microsoft Dynamics GP with the new web client, so they can connect and contribute wherever they are, from their PC or mobile device. BUSiNESS ANALyzER Equipped with the Business Analyzer dashboard that is now easily accessible over the web, you and your team will be able to quickly track key performance indicators, anticipate opportunities, delegate tasks, or take informed action. The Business Analyzer delivers role-specific insight across your business, so each member of your team can drill down to relevant details, collaborate with others, and take quick action right from their Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 home page. BUSiNESS iNTELLiGENCE Broaden the reach of your business intelligence. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 offers both full-service and self-service users a more complete look at the business, with even more out-of-the-box Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft Excel reports. WoRD TEMPLATES Create professional-looking documents like invoices, purchase orders, statements, and more with the Word form templates in Microsoft Dynamics GP using Microsoft Word capabilities. Now, any report can be created using Word templates, eliminating the dependency on Report Writer.

DoCUMENT ATTACH Connect relevant context to each transaction. Use the Document Attach capability in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 to append informative details, pictures, notes, or contracts directly to a transaction or line item, giving your employees, customers, and suppliers the information they need, right where they need it. SUB-LEDGER RECoNCiLiATioN

Balance ledgers with ease. The sub-ledger reconciliation tool in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 automatically identifies discrepancies between your general ledger and sub-ledgers, eliminating timeintensive, manual inventory and bank reconciliation processes. For more information on GP 2013 please contact your local Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner!

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