Category: Accounting Firm

By Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is mid and even corporate market ERP and as being relatively complex and difficult to do self-support in-house, Microsoft Business Solutions requires you first to have so-called VAR of record, or your MBS partner and second – pay annual enhancement program, which is typically 16% of you software price list. Enhancement program allows you to get new version of the product as well as purchase and add new modules you might need. Plus you get discounts on the technical support cases placed to Microsoft Business Solutions technical support directly.

In the recession time of recession 2000-2004 – a lot of clients decided not to pay the enhancement program and save some money, needed for staying in business. Among them were mostly small and mid-size businesses, however we see corporate clients as well with 40 users Great Plains eEnterprise and more. In 2004-2005 the economic situation improved substantially and businesses are back to IT investments. In this small article we’ll show you your options to re-enroll into enhancement program and upgrade your system:

— Re-enrollment fee. If you need to get back to enhancement program, minimal re-enrollment fee is 35% of the software price list. This amount incorporate 16% enhancement program plan. So, the penalty of being out of the program is 19% – if you stayed without support all the recession years – say four – you saved some money and I don’t think you should be unhappy. Go ahead and re-enroll

— VAR of Record. Your company had tough time three years ago, your former Great Plains Partner had the same of even larger problems, trying to stay in business. Maybe it is not around anymore. Then you need to do research – who could be your new MBS reseller. Choose between local and nation-wide MBS partners. If you have a lot of customization and integration – you probably have to sacrifice local presence and seek somebody who has very good customization experience. The switch from your old partner to the new is very straightforward – you need to sign Change VAR form and fax it to MBS or your new MBS partner

— Upgrade. If you on MS SQL Server and do not have customization, only ReportWriter reports: SOP Invoice, POP Purchase Order, etc., then the upgrade should be simple. Great Plains Professional (high end, more than 10 users) and Standard (low end, up to 10 users) are still Great Plains Dexterity based applications and now they are on MS SQL Server only (Pervasive SQL and Ctree support and upgrade is discontinued). Upgrade should be done by outside consultant through Great Plains Utilities. If you have customizations, then your new partner should explore your Great Plains Workstation: DYNAMICS.SET (to identify Dexterity third parties, you use), FORMS.DIC (Modified forms: Modifier/VBA), REPORTS.DIC (Modified reports: Invoice, PO, or the like) plus if you have Integration Manager integrations (IM.MDB) and SQL custom stored procedures – if any. This might be paid assignment to estimate – and you will have the clear picture on what you have, and what you might need for the new version.

— Additional Considerations. Other custom pieces you might have could be: Crystal Reports, web applications, such as eCommerce – this is good candidate to be rewritten in Vb.Net or C#.Net with Great Plains eConnect

Good luck and you can always seek our help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

About the Author: Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Continental Europe, Russia and internationally (

albaspectrum.com

)

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=5234&ca=Computers+and+Technology

By Andrew Karasev

Being in MRP implementation, customization, integration, data migration/conversion business for many years, we would like to give you some orientation, in the case if you are on the way of ERP selection for your company. In this small article we will be talking about Microsoft Business Solutions ERP brands only, you can check our future publication to get similar orientation on Oracle and SAP ERP products.

— ‘Legacy’ vs. ‘Modern’ ERP. It might not be the focusing question, however we’d like you to look at the ERP products from this perspective: Java/EJB Sun Microsystems conception is less then 10 years old, and now Microsoft .Net/C# construction is in the process of getting market from Java. Similar time test should be given to ERP system – if the system has legacy architecture – it might be candidate for replacement or be seriously re-written/renovated.

— International aspect. If you think your company is and always be focusing on the US market and will do business with local folks only – this paragraph might be skipped. For the rest of us – and we are in this cohort – we should watch closes Microsoft Business Solutions international policies. When Great Plains Software and Navision Software were independent software vendor and being forming their international policies completely independently from one another – both had intentions to expand to all the world markets: USA, Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, South and Central America. Now, when Microsoft sells all former GPS and Navision ERP products – it can choose one product over the other to promote on the regional market – simply due to the fact that it has to invest into ERP localization.

— Microsoft Dynamics GP – Great Plains. Great Plains Software pioneered in the earlier 1990th with its graphical and DB platform independent product for Mac and Windows: Great Plains Dynamics. The shell was written on C programming language and was named Great Plains Dexterity. Currently with Microsoft Dynamics project initiative – Microsoft renovated Dexterity – it supports now COM object calls and so XML web services, but it is not pure .net application/shell – Microsoft is investing in web interfaces for Microsoft Dynamics GP – Microsoft Business Portal for GP is very good example. Microsoft Dynamics GP incorporated all the best technologies from Microsoft Office to .Net, but its design was done more then 10 years ago. Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 is available in English, Latim Americal Spanish and Canadian French, plus German, Dutch and French/France versions will be available for version 9.0 only – they will not be supported for future version of Dynamics GP.

— Microsoft Dynamics NAV – Microsoft Navision – Navision Attain. Navision Software was established in 1994 and since then it gained European ERP mid-size and portion of USA market, especially for light manufacturing. Navision success should be attributed to Denmark software development market miracle of earlier 1990th. Navision went even further into graphical and DB platform independence – it designed its own database platform – C/SIDE – Navision separated SQL coding from the database itself. Currently MBS promotes Navision on MS SQL Server platform and its database independence is losing its actuality. Navision was localized by MBS to the majority of East European, South American and other emerging markets – if you are in Europe, South America, Asia and looking for supported reliable solution on your regional market – you should look at Navision first.

— Microsoft Dynamics AX – Axapta. Axapta was the newest ERP designed by Navision Software prior to its acquisition by Microsoft. The architecture is dated at the end of 20th century. Axapta needed some time for Microsoft to get upper mid-market ground – traditionally occupied by SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards. Currently Microsoft is localizing Axapta to Brazilian market – due in April 2006. Very good chances are in East and Continental Europe, including UK. In 2005 US Microsoft Business Solutions regional and nation-wide VARs invested into Axapta consulting practice – training and certifying consultants, marketing campaign, etc. Very good chances for Axapta for US mid-market and and upper mid-market clientele and prospects

— Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 or simply Microsoft CRM 3.0 is promoted by Microsoft Worldwide. So, do not question it from the international perspective – you will have integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP, Navision (through third party integration), Axapta – in progress, plus with IBM Lotus Notes Domino – via Alba Spectrum Lotus Notes integration.

About the Author: Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies (

albaspectrum.comgreatplains.com.mxenterlogix.com.br

)Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=27289&ca=Computers+and+Technology