| Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly this ERP and MRP | | | | 4. Posting Server or Autopost. If you have |
| application was known under Great Plains Dynamics | | | | requirements to post SOP Documents all the way |
| and eEnterprise name, is very popular among mid-size | | | | through General Ledger, you probably already realized |
| businesses and it is natural to turn it into ecommerce | | | | that both eConnect and Integration Manager do not |
| back office. If you are launching your ecommerce | | | | allow you to Post, they do not have the functionality |
| from scratch, please consider deploying existing Great | | | | and methods to post. And this is natural restriction of |
| Plains ISV Partners products or add-ons | | | | original Great Plains Dynamics architecture, where |
| However, and this might be why you are reading this | | | | transaction and batch approval and posting are |
| small publication, your ecommerce web application is | | | | coupled together and left in the hands of GP user. |
| working and you have to program integration | | | | Posting Server deploys one user license and is add-on |
| connectors to Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing, | | | | to existing Dynamics GP workstation. It checks GP |
| Inventory Control and Receivable Management | | | | server if new batches are approved for being posted |
| modules. Let's come through the options: | | | | every few seconds and initiates Great Plains Batch |
| | | | | Posting process if new batch is ready for processing |
| 1. eConnect programming. GP is hosted in | | | | |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2008 or earlier, so | | | | 5. Dynamics GP Business Portal. Here you |
| you can always program eConnect via MS Visual | | | | can deploy ecommerce in B2B scenarios. Order |
| Studio. GP eConnect is Software Development Kit | | | | Management module in BP is natural base for such a |
| with libraries, that you can deploy in your integration C#, | | | | project. Current version of Business Portal is 10.0 |
| VB programming project. It has sample codes, so | | | | (looks like MBS synched it with Dynamics GP |
| that should be all you need. Some familiarity with | | | | versioning) Please, note that older Great Plains |
| XML and Dynamics GP objects could be | | | | ecommerce extensions, such as eOrder (ASP |
| recommended: SOP Invoice, Customer, Inventory Item, | | | | platform)are no longer available and you will have to |
| etc. | | | | migrate such solutions to Dynamics GP Business |
| | | | | Portal, which is now Microsoft Sharepoint application. |
| 2. Dynamics GP Integration Manager. For | | | | In Dynamics GP Order Management module you can |
| GP version 10.0 we see a lot of integration bases are | | | | deploy Items Catalogue and Price List, reflecting original |
| now rewritten in eConnect as general observation, | | | | Dynamics GP Inventory Price Lists |
| however IM is end user friendly (to some extent of this | | | | |
| term of course) tool. If you are OK with integration, | | | | 6. Dynamics GP Dexterity ecommerce |
| initiated by IM user or with scheduled integration (via | | | | programming. Dexterity is former Great Plains |
| Windows Macro utilities from small software | | | | Dynamics architecture and it is still one of the |
| development vendors, etc.), then you may decide to | | | | fundamental stones in Dynamics GP platform. In Dex |
| implement Integration Manager solution and close the | | | | you have unlimited power over Dynamics GP objects, |
| question | | | | including posted transactions, in fact Autopost is |
| | | | | Dexterity custom application, which is programmed |
| 3. Order Connector. This product allows | | | | with Great Plains Dexterity Source Code access. |
| you to deploy ecommerce integration in the case, | | | | You should consider Dexterity customization route if |
| when you do not want to come through eConnect | | | | your ecommerce integration requirements are really |
| programming learning curve, or you are on older GP | | | | challenging and you need access to the objects, |
| version: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, or you believe that | | | | coded in Dexterity add-ons (Dynamics GP ISV or your |
| eConnect performance is not too cool for real time | | | | former in-house Dexterity customizations) |
| integrations. This product is set of SQL Stored | | | | |
| Procedures with simple set of parameters to make | | | | 7. Sorry for being laconic, but it is the |
| your live as SQL programmer easier | | | | restriction of the article genre. How to get additional |
| | | | | info and help? |