| We are writing this small publication for the mid-size | | | | your external legacy application, such as ecommerce, |
| and large businesses, deploying Microsoft Dynamics | | | | or Oracle based Sales Order Processing or CRM |
| GP (formerly known as Great Plains Dynamics, and its | | | | system, or IBM Lotus Notes, we recommend you to |
| predecessor Great Plains Accounting for DOS, | | | | consider eConnect SQL libraries inclusion into your |
| Windows and Mac) as their Corporate ERP | | | | Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB.Net project. |
| application. Dynamics GP could be considered as | | | | eConnect replicated Dexterity Dynamics.Dic business |
| flexible Accounting, ERP, MRP II platform, ready for | | | | logic and data validation and it is likely have your |
| simple or advanced customizations, modifications, | | | | intended Dynamics GP object or transaction |
| integrations, reporting, EDI interfaces However | | | | automating encrypted stored procedure |
| Dynamics GP is not a trivial small business application | | | | 3. Dynamics GP EDI (Electronic Document Interchange) |
| and its programming requires dedication, multiple years | | | | software development options. If your EDI |
| of experience and professional certifications (in | | | | requirements are relatively moderate, we recommend |
| Microsoft Dexterity Programming, Modifier with VBA, | | | | you Precisely Formatted SQL Select Statement to |
| Integration Manager and general Microsoft Dynamics | | | | generate text export from Dynamics GP, compliant to |
| GP functional consulting). It is recommended to | | | | EDI code |
| outsource Great Plains customizations and add-ons | | | | 4. Great Plains Reporting tools. Here you have FRx |
| programming to dedicated Microsoft Dynamics GP | | | | Financial Reporting (for Balance Sheet, P&L, Statement |
| technology partner, who has Great Plains Dexterity | | | | of Cash Flow and Consolidated versions of these |
| programming department with Source Code | | | | statements, FRx could also consolidate your overseas |
| programming experience (often referred as Great | | | | subsidiaries, where you have such Corporate ERP |
| Plains Dexterity Software Development Factory): | | | | applications as SAP Business One, Microsiga, 1S |
| 1. Microsoft Dynamics GP Programming Tools. Great | | | | Bukhgalteria) on the level of Excel worksheet (GL trial |
| Plains offers you multiple modification tools: Microsoft | | | | balance exported from SAP B1 for example). If you |
| Dexterity (formerly known as Great Plains Dexterity - | | | | are looking for non Managerial or Industry compliance |
| GP was originally programmed in Dexterity and Dex is | | | | reporting - consider Crystal Reports, Microsoft SQL |
| the shell programmed in C programming language with | | | | Server Reporting Services (SSRS) or Dynamics GP |
| Sanscript scripting language for Dex shell). Dexterity | | | | Report Writer (modifier SOP Invoice, Purchase Order, |
| is semi-proprietary and you should not expect generic | | | | Receipt, Monthly Sales Tax report, etc.) |
| programmers to turn out to become GP Dexterity | | | | 5. Dynamics GP internationalization. We are sort of |
| coders over night, over week and even over several | | | | skeptical on advising Great Plains Dynamics to be |
| months. Microsoft Dynamics GP Dexterity | | | | translated into your foreign country language (Great |
| programmer typically polishes his or her software | | | | Plains Dexterity doesn't support Unicode characters, |
| development skills over several years of intensive | | | | such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean hieroglyphs). |
| work for one of the major Dynamics GP Source | | | | Well, Dexterity theoretically supports ASCII table with |
| Code Partner (where developer has Dexterity | | | | such languages as English, French, German, Italian, |
| Dynamics.Dic source Sanscript scripts for all Great | | | | Russian, Polish, Arabic and most of East European and |
| Plains modules, procedures, functions, forms, windows | | | | Central Asian alphabets. Corporate ERP |
| and triggers) - these conditions are not compatible with | | | | internationalization also include the compliance to local |
| Dynamics GP customer IT department (assuming that | | | | tax code. Dynamics GP version 10.0 is localized for |
| you are not a huge public company, programming | | | | USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, English |
| Microsoft Dexterity in-house every day during several | | | | speaking Oceania, Spanish speaking Latin America and |
| years). Second tool to be mentioned is eConnect | | | | Caribbean, French speaking Canadian Quebec |
| SDK, it was initially dedicated to eCommerce web | | | | province, with some restrictions to Arabic Peninsula, |
| programmers to open Microsoft Great Plains master | | | | Egypt and African countries (where English is the |
| records (customer, vendor, GL account, US Payroll | | | | language of business). If you plan to localize internally |
| Employee) and transactions (SOP Invoice, POP | | | | Dynamics GP for your overseas subsidiary in the |
| Purchase, Order and Receipt, GL Transaction) for | | | | country, where Great Plains is not localized by |
| ecommerce shopping cart integration to Dynamics GP | | | | Microsoft Business Solutions, we would like to take |
| (typically Sales Order Processing module, but later on | | | | conservative approach and rather to discourage you, |
| eConnect was extended to cover most of Dynamics | | | | as Corporate ERP localization project is too challenging |
| GP core functionality modules: GL, POP, RM, PM, | | | | and not recommended |
| Payroll, Project Accounting, etc.). The third tool to | | | | 6. Microsoft Dynamics for Russian Federation. If you |
| mention is Modifier with VBA: Modifier itself is coded in | | | | are multinational corporation expanding to Russia, and |
| Dexterity and it opens Dynamics GP windows via | | | | you are Microsoft workshop, please consider |
| OLE server interface, where you can automate | | | | Microsoft Dynamics AX or NAV (Axapta or Navision). |
| custom fields with VBA scripts. If you need to | | | | If these Corporate ERP application options seem to |
| update custom or standard Dynamics GP tables, | | | | be overly too expensive, consider Microsoft |
| please consider deploying Microsoft ADO technology | | | | competitors, such as SAP Business One |
| in field event driven VBA scripts | | | | 7. Microsoft Dynamics GP for Afghanistan, Kabul or |
| 2. Additional Dynamics GP custom programming | | | | Iran, Teheran. In both countries alphabets are based |
| options. Since the version 8.0 Microsoft Dynamics | | | | on Arabic characters. Dari, Persian (Farsi), or Tajik |
| GP is available on Microsoft SQL Server DB platform | | | | are very close and educated individuals understand |
| exclusively (SQL 2000, 2005 and 2008). This fact | | | | each other (in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and even |
| opens Dynamics GP database for Microsoft SQL | | | | Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent Uzbekistan) |
| Server direct scripting: Stored Procedures, SQL Views, | | | | 8. Microsoft Dynamics for Brazil. As Microsoft |
| or direct SQL Insert statements. Even if these | | | | Dynamics GP Great Plains is not localized for Brazilian |
| methodic may look simple and attractive to Microsoft | | | | Corporate ERP market, we encourage you to |
| SQL Server Certified DBA or experienced SQL | | | | purchase and implement Dynamics AX Axapta in |
| Programmer, we recommend you to calm down and | | | | Brazil. If Axapta is outside of your Corporate ERP |
| to imagine the complexity of Dynamics GP business | | | | and Accounting system budget, please consider SAP |
| logic (the chances are close to 100% that you will | | | | B1 for Brazilian subsidiary |
| compromise GP business logic by intervening via SQL | | | | 9. |
| scripting). If you would like to move records from | | | | |