| If you remember the XXI century story about | | | | purchase, please contact your Microsoft Dynamics GP |
| Microsoft purchase of Great Plains Software - this is | | | | Great Plains reseller for details. |
| where eEnterprise, that was the last GPS ERP name | | | | 9. Dex Customization upgrade. If you have custom |
| invention ceased to exist in its MRP name consistency. | | | | Dex logic in your eEnterprise installation version, you |
| Great Plains eEnterprise was renamed into Microsoft | | | | should not assume that modified logic update will be |
| Business Solutions Great Plains Professional, later on in | | | | automatic. Typically Dexterity developers and |
| September 2005, Great Plains was renamed into | | | | programmers need to be involved to estimate upgrade |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP. But anyway, if you or your | | | | efforts |
| company had hard time back in earlier 2000, then you | | | | 10. Crystal Reports and Microsoft SQL Server |
| might be on Great Plains eEnterprise or Great Plains | | | | Reporting Services SRS vs. Great Plains ReportWriter. |
| Dynamics for Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.0 or | | | | RW is Microsoft Dexterity module, so you should not |
| 7.0. Let's review eEnterprise upgrade and walk away | | | | expect miracle from Report Writer interface. RW has |
| paths: | | | | access to GP Dex reports, stored in Reports.dic file, |
| 1. DB Platform. eEnterprise was available on Microsoft | | | | plus these mentioned reports have Dexterity |
| SQL Server only, so more likely you are on Microsoft | | | | parameters entry screens in regular GP logic. CR is |
| SQL Server 7.0 or even MS SQL Server 2000. So, | | | | Dex-independent tool and you should try to base |
| considering the fact that high-end version of Microsoft | | | | Crystal Reports on SQL Stored Procedures and |
| Dynamics GP 10.0 or 9.0 is available on MS SQL | | | | Views logic. The same should be said about SRS |
| Server 2005 and 2000 only - from DB perspective | | | | 11. Dexterity sanscript advise. Dex historically deploys |
| there are no challenges | | | | cursor base logic in its Sanscript scripting language. |
| 2. GP Licenses and MBS Great Plains annual | | | | This logic might not be optimal for MS SQL Server |
| enhancement program status. Well, considering the | | | | 2005 and 2000 platforms. Please consider calling MS |
| fact that you are supposedly still on GPS eEnterprise | | | | SQL Server stored procedures from Dex sanscripts |
| ERP version, chances are high that you lapsed in | | | | directly |
| Microsoft Business Solutions GP annual enhancement | | | | 12. eConnect programming. Again, eConnect was not |
| program. If our assumption is correct, then you will | | | | available in 1999, eConnect was introduced for |
| have to contact you Microsoft VAR to understand | | | | eCommerce developers in earlier 2000. eConnect is |
| your annual enhancement reactivation options. If you | | | | the set of encrypted stored procedures, assuming that |
| have no idea on what we are talking about - call us | | | | you have already upgraded to GP 7.5, 8.0, 9.0 or 10.0 |
| 3. eEnterprise upgrade scenarios. If you are on Great | | | | 13. eEnterprise and Great Plains Software Dexterity |
| Plains Software eEnterprise, more likely you have | | | | traces. You should know that Dynamics.dic for |
| more than 10 Great Plains system manager users and | | | | eEnterprise is similar to the one for Dynamics for MS |
| so, you are valuable customer (meaning that you are | | | | SQL Server. Dexterity places the following rules on |
| large or mid-size business from the ERP perspective). | | | | MS SQL Server DB design: DEX_ROW_ID - this |
| If you didn't downsize in 2001-2004, then your upgrade | | | | column is use in Dex internal logic, Dex.ini - here you |
| path is to Microsoft Dynamics GP Professional | | | | place the instructions to Dexterity to log certain events |
| 4. Microsoft Dynamics C/S+. This is the predecessor | | | | 14. If Upgrade stalls. Typically this is due to inconsistent |
| of eEnterprise, C/S+ versions were 5.5, 5.0, 4.0 and 3.2. | | | | Company DB records. First consider check links |
| Those days Microsoft SQL platform was in the | | | | rescue, however it doesn't work in 100% of the cases. |
| formation stage, so your version might be MS SQL | | | | If you don't have a luck with check links, then you will |
| Server 6.0 or alternative DB platforms: Btrieve or | | | | have to do manual data repair SQL scripting |
| Ctree/Faircom. Your migration path is likely to be to | | | | 15. Most Typical Pitfalls. GP Upgrade process is not |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP Professional as well. If you | | | | easy and this is not because Microsoft Business |
| are on non Microsoft SQL Server DB platform - you | | | | Solutions has inefficient upgrade path, in the opposite - |
| will need to migrate to MS SQL Server. The migration | | | | GP upgrade fails, due to the data inconsistency in your |
| tool is available fro Microsoft Business Solutions, | | | | GP tables, typically in Purchase Order Processing: |
| however it is not trivial and we recommend you to | | | | POP10110, POP30110 and IV10200 |
| deploy GP technical consulting firm to do migration and | | | | 16. Manufacturing, Project Accounting, Fixed Assets |
| version upgrade job. | | | | special considerations. These mentioned modules were |
| 5. Great Plains Dexterity customizations for | | | | integrated with Great Plains Dynamics in late 1990th. |
| eEnterprise. Dex programming was very popular in late | | | | PA was the result of MatchData purchase, Philippines |
| 1990th, and this is not a surprise if you have Dex | | | | base Dexterity development partner, GP |
| altered Dynamics business logic. Please review you | | | | Manufacturing was Icontrol Purchase, Fixed Assets |
| Dynamics.set file to figure out if you have Dexterity | | | | module is the successor of Forestar FA application for |
| custom logic and if so, try to find Dynamics.dic with | | | | GPS Dynamics. |
| your Sanscript scripts in not stripped out | | | | 17. Intellisol Advanced Purchase Order Processing and |
| 6. eEnterprise custom reporting. The most likely you | | | | Project Accounting upgrade to GP PO Processing. To |
| have GP ReportWriter modified reports: SOP Long | | | | have you informed, Intellisol International, Australian |
| Invoice or Blank Form, POP Purchase Order. RW is in | | | | based company tried to relocate to Fargo, ND in 1998. |
| fact Dexterity module and reports migration and | | | | Then GPS negotiated with MatchData and Icontrol to |
| upgrade require Dex architecture expertise and | | | | purchase and incorporate their respective modules |
| software development experience. | | | | over Intellisol PA and Advanced POP. Intellisol APOP |
| 7. Dinosaur versions of Great Plains. GPA for DOS, | | | | upgrade path is still available to GP 7.5, please contact |
| MS Windows or Macintosh were discontinued to | | | | us for further details |
| support in earlier XXI Century. If you are still on one of | | | | 18. Mekorma Modules, This Los Angeles based |
| those, you got to consider walk away migration option: | | | | software vendor was famous in GP secured check |
| to Microsoft Dynamics GP would be the natural way, | | | | printing. Please contact Mekorma if your new intended |
| however you may theoretically migrate to Oracle, | | | | for upgrade version of Mekorma GP is available |
| Sage, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, Scala, or other ERP | | | | 19. Local and State Tax calculation and filing partners, |
| application | | | | such as Avalara. Alba Spectrum initially helped Alalara |
| 8. GP Licenses. You are probably familiar with ERP | | | | to develop Avatax GP 7.0 and 7.5, later on Avalara |
| industry rules - besides initial MRP application purchase | | | | decided to outsource Avatax development to India |
| you have to be current and pay annual fee for ERP | | | | Great Plains Dexterity developers, where Alba |
| enhancement program. You are lapsed in | | | | Spectrum provided Avalara with Dex source code |
| enhancement program, you should expect | | | | 20. French Canadian and European Dynamics GP |
| re-enrollment fee. The GP re-enrollment fee depends | | | | ERP market. While French Canadian GP version 10.0 |
| on the number of lapsing years, and in some cases it is | | | | as well as Latin American Spanish version, German |
| more beneficial to do new GP software licenses | | | | GP 10. |