| Microsoft Great Plains is main mid-market | | | | you probably need outside consultant to help |
| application from Microsoft Business | | | | you. If the volume of historical data is |
| Solutions. This is short article, written in | | | | small - you can deploy Great Plains |
| question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director | | | | Integration Manager and then post the records |
| Controller balanced top level information on | | | | in the modules. |
| Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains | | | | |
| implementation. If you have decided on | | | | - User Training - we are just listing this |
| Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and | | | | item - it is up to you to decide on the way |
| ERP system you need to know some technical | | | | to train your users |
| details on Great Plains installation and | | | | |
| implementation and what is going on behind | | | | - Using Two Systems in Parallel - this is |
| the scenes. As of right now the current | | | | recommended. You should print the reports |
| version is Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 | | | | from both systems during this test period and |
| | | | compare the results |
| What is installation in the language of | | | | |
| technology? Installation has server and | | | | - Customization - typical areas of |
| client sides. | | | | customizations: Invoice form, Crystal |
| | | | Reports, pulling info from multiple |
| - Server side - Installation creates security | | | | databases, including Great Plains database, |
| environment (logins) on MS SQL Server or | | | | Great Plains forms modification with Modifier |
| MSDE, creates system database - DYNAMICS and | | | | VBA, Great Plains Dexterity forms and logic |
| then company databases. All these tasks are | | | | customization, integration with CRM, RMS and |
| performed by Microsoft Great Plains Utilities | | | | other business systems, web publishing from |
| | | | Great Plains tables, EDI with your suppliers, |
| - Workstation side - workstation installation | | | | SQL Data Transformation packages |
| copies the client side application, installs | | | | |
| current version of MDAC (we need SQL ODBC | | | | Do I need consultant? We strongly recommend |
| driver - please check documentation on ODBC | | | | you to use consultant in the following cases |
| DSN setup), registers the application. If | | | | |
| you plan to run Great Plains Utilities from | | | | - You have identified the need for Great |
| the workstation to create server side (see | | | | Plains Dexterity customization |
| above) - you need to check Install Client and | | | | |
| Server Components | | | | - You are doing migration from Pervasive |
| | | | Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, |
| What is following implementation? | | | | especially when you have third-parties |
| Implementation requires combination of | | | | without migration tools |
| technological and accounting skills | | | | |
| | | | - You are doing migration from Great Plains |
| - System Setup - you should refer to GP | | | | Accounting to Microsoft Great Plains |
| documentation. In general setup consists of | | | | |
| Company information, General GL/AR/AP/Payroll | | | | - You have to create a lot or ReportWriter |
| setup, User classes, Customer/Vendor/Employee | | | | Modified Great Plains Reports |
| classes to name a few | | | | |
| | | | - You have old version of Great Plains: |
| - Master Records - you should either use | | | | Dynamics or eEnterprise 6.0 or prior - in |
| integration tools, such as Integration | | | | this case you can not appeal to Microsoft |
| Manager, SQL queries or have users to type in | | | | Technical Support - it is discontinued |
| all your GL Accounts, Customers, Vendors, | | | | |
| Employees . | | | | - Your Great Plains has more than 20 users in |
| | | | this case the mistake may lead to serious |
| - Beginning Balances - this is recommended | | | | business problems |
| approach - you place aside the old accounting | | | | |
| application for querying the historical data | | | | - You don't have support for your old Great |
| and enter beginning balances in Great Plains | | | | Plains - then you have to select your |
| GL, AR, AP, SOP, POP, Payroll. When you have | | | | Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay |
| balances in the system you are ready to use | | | | for the annual support/enhancement plan - you |
| it in production | | | | will get new registration key and will be |
| | | | ready for the upgrade |
| - Historical Data conversion - this is | | | | |
| optional, in order to do historical data | | | | Good luck with installation, implementation, |
| conversion you need to know basic Great | | | | upgrade and if you have issues or concerns - |
| Plains tables structure | | | | we are here to help! If you want us to do |
| (Setup->Tools->Resource Description->Tables | | | | the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! |
| Structure). This is similar to surgery - so | | | | |