Quantcast
Channel: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Community
Viewing all 1376 articles
Browse latest View live

Dynamics GP Customers: The Cloud Could be 3 Steps Away

0
0

3 steps to the Cloud for Microsoft Dynamics GP Customers

If you are a Microsoft Dynamics GP customer and you haven’t moved to the cloud yet, odds are it is on your mind to start planning for the cloud. Microsoft has designed the newest versions of Dynamics GP with the cloud in mind, and with a simple 3 step process it might be easier than you think to upgrade to the cloud and get the latest Dynamics GP release.

Here are a few benefits of a cloud upgrade for Microsoft Dynamics GP customers:

  • Improved mobility, security and scalability over an on-premise deployment.

  • Your hosting provider maintains the software so updates and upgrades are including in monthly pricing.

  • Scale your system without growing your IT staff as GP is managed by your provider.

  • Never lose money on a user license again with the convenience of monthly subscription pricing

  • Customers with lapsed Dynamics GP maintenance plans can eliminate back-fees by upgrading to the cloud so they can add modules and new users.

Despite the benefits of the cloud, any big change to an organization creates fears around cost, compliance and interruption to the flow of business. The following three step process will make the move to the cloud seamless and minimize interruption to business while saving money for Dynamics GP customers. The following three steps will help you on your way to launching a Microsoft Dynamics GP cloud solution.

Step 1:  Determine current and future requirements 

  • Determine the upgrade path and what ISV solutions you are currently using

  • Determine if the right mix of modules are being used and if additional functionality is needed

  • Determine types of users needed (Full vs Limited, vs Self-service)

  • Determine your company’s regulatory requirements (SOX, HIPPA, FDA, etc.)

  • Choose a hosting environment (cloud, multi-tenant hosting or dedicated hosting)

  • Determine your disaster recovery requirements and propose a plan that meets your needs

  • Provide a pricing quote that best matches your needs today with flexibility for growth

  • Validate all your requirements in a comprehensive contract

  • Work with your partner to help determine the right mix of modules and ISV or add-on solutions that might be needed.

 

Step 2:  Work with your Dynamics Partner to determine timing or TEST and LIVE dates:

  • Validate timing of TEST and LIVE migrations

  • Obtain copies of your existing database and load it to cloud servers for testing. Simple migrations can be performed over a weekend or week-night with no downtime to the customer. More complicated migrations require a two-step migration in which you continue to use your existing system during the TEST phase. 

    • Two-step migrations, especially those converting from one version to another will require the Dynamics partner to assist with data conversion, validation and training on new features and functionality. Scheduling is done at your convenience typically with little or no down time.

  • Turn your system over to your partner for configuration and setup of any new modules or functionality

  • Test and validate the installation of all products with your Dynamics Partner

 

Step 3:  Getting your users connected and finalize monitoring of services

  • Connect your users to the cloud (any device any printer) and validate all applications

  • Finalize all integrations (Office applications Word, Excel, Outlook) and connecting to all external applications

  • Set up all monitoring of servers and services

  • Invoke your backup plans and test restore-plan dates

 

Keeping in mind seasonality, reporting requirements and compliance requirements, timing your cloud upgrade path is critical to ensure that your Dynamics GP Cloud solution is up and running in a timely manner in order to reduce friction and gain the fastest time to value. 

Whether your company is a large enterprise or a small mom-and-pop, the 3 steps to the cloud for Microsoft Dynamics GP users listed above will help existing Dynamics GP customers be successful on their path to a Microsoft Dynamics GP cloud system.   

With more than 20 years of experience implementing Microsoft Dynamics GP with 15-plus years hosting ERP in the cloud, RoseASP has perfected the Dynamics cloud experience for our customers. We offer each of our customers a unique timing requirement for transition. For implantation emergencies our team can deliver a go-live date within 24 hours when necessary, and even the most detailed planned deployments with heavy compliance requirements can be achieved in 90 days or less.


Handy IT-Related Services in Dynamics GP 2013 R2

0
0
Here are a couple features that were added in GP 2013 R2 . These are handy IT-related services to ease file maintenance and system updating that may require users to be out of the system during these processes...(read more)

Will you go ALL IN at #Summit2015?

0
0

GPUG Summit 2015 is just a few short weeks away. We know you will walk away from the event with valuable learnings to help propel your career, new and rekindled connections with your peers and maybe a few fun stories to share. But the big question is – will you go ALL IN at #Summit2015? We encourage you go ALL IN to Learn, Engage, Share, and Volunteer while at Summit; by going ALL IN you will have the opportunity to win a daily grand prize worth $500+.

You will learn much more about going ALL IN in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, tell the Twitter-verse that you are ALL IN and attending #Summit2015. Be sure to include @GPUG and #INreno15 and if you include a selfie will earn you extra freebies from the Expo Hall (not really but you can go back twice to stock up– no one will notice!).

See you #INreno15!

Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal for Canadian Payroll Announcement

0
0

With the new functionality delivered in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 with Self Service and the discontinuation of Business Portal noted HERE, many are asking about Canadian Payroll Business Portal for Microsoft Dynamics GP.

 

The following Business Portal functionalities will not be available in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 and are not planned for replacement (ISV solutions are available): 

Canadian HRM Self Service Suite in Business Portal which included integrations with
Employee Profile

Time and Attendance

Skills and Training

Recruitment

Customers can continue to use these products on Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 through the support of the Lifecycle of the product.

Please refer to the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace for the alternative solutions that are available.

Thanks

Terry Heley

Microsoft

Profitable Distribution in a Consumer-Driven Supply Chain

0
0

Profitable Distribution in a Consumer-Driven Supply Chain

The growing adoption of eCommerce and mCommerce give today’s consumers an unprecedented amount of information to make purchasing decisions, as well as new fulfillment options like “purchase online and pickup in store.” Using smartphones and tablets, consumers can quickly make complex purchasing choices without speaking to a sales representative or setting foot in a retail storefront.

In this new paradigm, consumers believe they have more leverage over the purchasing process than in the past. Thanks to the Internet they can find multiple sources of the same product or identify alternatives, effectively putting price pressure on retail channels. Consumers want increased product selection, faster delivery, and better service... at a lower cost.

Conventional wisdom suggests that consumers can ask for faster or better or cheaper, but not all three. How low can prices go without sacrificing quality? Does this trend put the consumer-driven retail supply chain on a collision course with shoppers’ ever-rising expectations? Or is it possible for distributors to offer retail customers “more for less?”

Our experience indicates that there is, indeed, room for improvement. A combination of supply chain network optimization, business process optimization, and IT investments can yield a supply chain that delivers goods faster through a greater number of channels.

Today’s Omnichannel Retail Supply Chain

The most basic enabler of today’s omnichannel retail capabilities is accurate, real-time data across the supply chain. This is the critical factor that determines how and when an item can be fulfilled. It also provides the best predictor of the cost of fulfillment to the supply chain and the price to the consumer.

To that end, supply chains (not just retailers) require integrated systems that expose inventory data and provide forecast visibility that extends from the point of purchase to the factory floor. Consumers don’t care who makes it or how it is shipped: “Just tell me when it will be delivered or where I can pick it up!”

“Independent” (that is, nonintegrated) and inflexible channels and data systems are doomed in this context. Retailers and distributors must build new supply chains that can rapidly adapt to market conditions, including disruptive service enhancements like parcel drones and free two-day shipping. Analytics are key to planning for success and adjusting instantly and accurately to trading partner and customer demands.

Maximizing customer satisfaction means leveraging improved visibility into inventory and processes to ensure order accuracy and on-time shipment while meeting supply chain partners’ information needs. Minimizing costs means minimizing “touches”—both human and electronic—on orders. These goals require technology that lets distributors optimize critical fulfillment processes, as well as space and labor in the warehouse, without adding to the burden of IT complexity.

Optimizing Omnichannel Fulfillment

To enable omnichannel capabilities, business processes must deliver efficient, integrated communication of commitments around materials purchasing, payment, and the direction of movement between points in the supply chain. To reduce the cost of meeting those commitments, systems must also enable efficient operational processes, especially:

  • Retailer communication: Commitments to purchase are often communicated through electronic data interchange (EDI). The first step is to integrate EDI with ERP (on both sides of the transaction) so that order data is accurately reflected and immediately exposed in those systems.

  • Picking/packing efficiency: The key to reducing warehouse costs per transaction is to reduce the labor associated with inventory movement. This requires Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) software that optimizes aggregate product movement in a warehouse or improves inventory conveyance from point A to point B.

  • Compliance: Whether it’s serial and lot tracking, managing expiry, or logging transactional information, regulations continue to weigh on the supply chain. Efficient systems incorporate attribute data into the physical process in the most efficient manner possible.

  • Small parcel shipping: Shipping is becoming more complex with the introduction of DIM (dimensional) rating across the major carriers. Rather than incorporating shipping silos into outbound processes, efficient systems manage shipping data in the background, so shipping complexities don’t burden outbound processes. This makes the shipping process transparent to users and eliminates bottlenecks during seasonal spikes.

The Blueprint for Success

Many SMB supply chain participants have stitched together point solutions that were adequate under retail distribution models. However, those solutions are buckling under the increased volume pressure that omnichannel models create.

Optimizing operational efficiencies requires an integrated supply chain execution (SCE) solution, which incorporates a WMS to drive multiple efficiencies and improve speed and accuracy in the distribution center. For example, a configurable WMS is vital to managing and automating complex omnichannel order types; i.e., drop- shipping, direct-to-consumer, retail replenishment, and wholesale.

Of course, accelerating time-to-value and maximizing ROI for a SCE solution takes not just adaptable software, but also aligning it with each distributor’s unique workflows. The SCE vendor, in partnership with the distributor, can determine and implement best practices for system and warehouse configuration.

Your company needs to move quickly, manage more channels than ever, and keep up with consumers’ demands of faster, better, and cheaper. This is no easy feat when competitiveness is at an all-time high and margins are razor-thin.

What does this mean for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers? In many cases, the lines between each are fading. Whether or not your outfit manages one or all of these functions, it is increasingly important that your technology strategy is ready to face these evolving complexities to keep up with consumer behavior.

What is a better mousetrap?

0
0

At reIMAGINE 2015 our theme is You, reIMAGINED.  To reimagine yourself you need to seek improvement in yourself so you can contribute to business success.  This blog talks to this.

Pam

 

What is a better mousetrap?

Meaningful business success always comes down to one thing: improvement.

Improvement means building a better mousetrap. Of course the question is, what makes the mousetrap better? More mice caught over time? Mice caught with less energy?   Mice caught more sustainably?

Quality professionals in an organization are frequently relegated to back of the room status. Their contributions are seen as necessary, but costly, as “takers away” not “adders to” the profit side of a business equation. Yet, they truly are one of the few groups in a company with formal training and focus on the process of improvement. They know what makes the mousetrap better and why.

So why don’t we use quality professionals more?

Often the IT department is tasked with finding a solution to help an organization achieve a cost reduction or data management efficiency… an improvement. But the IT department is just the research team. For a solution to become a better mousetrap, to be embraced and to be successful it must engage the users. The quality department is the best team to explain why it is important to ALL the users.

The individuals in your quality department are willing to support and advocate improvement efforts because they share these characteristics and training:

  1. They have formally engaged customers to better identify details of the products and services that they really need.

  2. They understand the need for the discipline of iterative approaches for analyzing big data to solve problems that were once considered unsolvable.

  3. They demonstrate adaptive skills based on networked structures rather than the old pyramid shaped decision making.

     

    The relevance of quality in understanding and explaining “it is a better mousetrap”, and in leading adoption of efficient solutions to support such efforts, in our mind creates the greatest opportunity for achieving the goals of the improvement state.

    Quality improvement processes lead to the best mousetraps and the greatest successes of an organization. Ask your quality department how! Or read more about quality improvement here: http://www.qualityessentialssuite.com/business-success-comes-through-improvements

Why #MSDYNGP Customers Should Consider Adding an Indirect Tax Automation Solution

0
0

Why Microsoft Dynamics GP Customers Should Consider Adding an Indirect Tax Automation Solution

 

The High Cost of Transaction Tax              

              

In the Global 2000, for every $1 billion in transactions, approximately $6M is wasted in transaction tax costs annually. Small-to-mid-sized businesses average more than $327K in annual costs to manage sales and use tax compliance.

 

Source:  Independent survey by Tallman Insights and fielded by Mindwave Research

 

Like other areas of taxation, Indirect taxes are continually changing and increasing. Corporate tax rates are at an all-time high, as government agencies must solve their budget shortfalls. They look to increase indirect tax rates and audits for additional revenue sources. Simultaneously, auditors are becoming even more sophisticated at identifying errors and recovering taxes, putting an even greater strain on a company’s revenue. Due of constantly changing indirect taxes, companies of every kind throughout the world are struggling to achieve compliance. Faced with this type of aggressive audit environment, tax departments are more focused now on reducing risk by increasing accuracy, streamlining end-to-end automation, and centralizing control of tax determination and compliance.

 

Professional indirect tax software and Microsoft Dynamics GP integration enables corporations to:

 

  • Increase tax accuracy and compliance, including support for origin-based states and complex tax rules

  • Simplify the tax reconciliation process

  • Reduce the need for manual adjustments

 

To manage this ever changing and complex environment, indirect tax automation software makes more sense today than ever before for companies leveraging Microsoft Dynamics GP.

 

 

Blogger:

Steve Lebahn


Manager, Professional Services- Mid-Market/SMB

Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE Indirect Tax

October Hotfix-Canadian Payroll Tax Update for Alberta has released!

0
0

I'm mixing it up a little!  This update is primarily intended for the Canadian Payroll Tax update to include changes for Alberta, but, we like to be sneaky and put some fixes in there too!

Many times we are asked can I install this update I do not use Canadian Payroll?  Yes you can!

We label the update as it mainly contains changes for Canadian Payroll, but any U.S. or Canadian customer can install this update as they may want a fix that is in this release.

Click HERE for Canadian Payroll specific documentation and install steps.

Here is a list of changes in this update by product version.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 (version 14.00.0817) (Includes GP 2015 R2 and all prior patches)
****Should release later thisweek****

Canadian Payroll - 14.00.0813 The 2015 Canadian Payroll Tax Update contains changes for Alberta.

Project Time and Expense - There are a variety of fixes for Project Time and Expense it would be encouraged to install this hotfix if you are going to use this area of the product.

Workflow
Ability to add domain accounts to Workflow Managers and Workflow Approvers in separate domain/forest.

Employee to Direct Manager Workflow going to skip level or workflow manager instead of direct manager

 

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 (version 12.00.1920)

Canadian Payroll - 12.00.1928 The 2015 Canadian Payroll Tax Update contains changes for Alberta.

 

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (version 11.00.2390

Canadian Payroll - 11.00.2410 The 2015 Canadian Payroll Tax Update contains changes for Alberta.

 

Download links:

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015  Customersource                Partnersource

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013  Customersource                Partnersource

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010  Customersource                Partnersource

Enjoy!

Terry Heley

Microsoft


Business Analyzer installation and configuration

0
0

I wanted to get a blog out here with a brief walk-through of setting up Business Analyzer for Microsoft Dynamics GP and SSRS. I’m also going to discuss some of the main issues we see coming in for cases.

I will also briefly discuss Excel and MR reports but in a limited fashion.

You can find some official documentation and a Q&A here:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn508393.aspx

Certificate Requirement

You need to have a certificate available for the installation of Companion Application Services. Companion Application Services is required to use the Business Analyzer App. The requirements for this are similar to Web Client in that you can use a Self-Signed certificate, 3rd party certificate or a Certificate Authority.

Companion Application Services

The first thing you need to do for a deployment of Business Analyzer is install Companion Application Services. This can be found on the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 installation media in the AdProd folder. This is the windows service that will manage the incoming requests from Business Analyzer and route them accordingly. You can install this service on pretty much any server you want (2008 R2 and later) that you have available. You can also download the installer from the following location:

https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/northamerica/GP/downloads/service-packs/MDGP2013_CompanionAppServices

Once you’ve downloaded and run through the Setup.exe you will have a ‘GP Companion App Services’ program available. Clicking this will launch the ‘Companion Application Services Configurator’. When you first launch the configurator you will be presented with the following screen:

This will contain a non-functional, generic URL until you finish running through the setup. Click Next and you will be taken to this screen:

This is where you will specify your Azure Service Bus info if you are configuring this in Azure on a virtual private network. Our good friend Mariano Gomez has already written an excellent blog explaining how to set this up. His blog combined with the following Azure Service Bus information should be enough to get you up and running.

http://community.dynamics.com/gp/b/gpmarianogomez/archive/2014/08/06/deploying-business-analyzer-companion-app-services-on-windows-azure-service-bus

 http://blogs.msdn.com/b/servicebus/archive/2014/09/03/change-to-azure-service-bus-portal-default-authentication-mechanism-for-service-bus-namespaces-now-sas.aspx

On the next screen you will pick your certificate:

If you’re planning on setting this up for people to use externally you will need to use a 3rd party certificate. If you’re using a self-signed certificate you will have to export it and import it onto every single user machine that will be using Business Analyzer.

On the Next Screen you’re basically just selecting to install the Business Analyzer piece:

Why is this screen here you ask? If they ever decide to push out another application that makes use of Companion Application Services, you’ll be able to choose which pieces you want to install.

On the above screen you’re going to select which type of reports you want to make available to the Business Analyzer users. There are several things here I would like to point out.

Excel Reports– If you decide to make the Excel reports available to the users based on a network share, they will not display within BA. What I mean by this is they will basically have a box with the report name that when clicked will simply link them to the report and open it in Excel. This means that they need to have access to the share where the reports are stored for it to even work.

A better way to do this is to use SharePoint online. When you set it up this way you can actually save the Excel charts to the document library\folder. If you do it this way, the charts will display in BA without the need for them to open the report in Excel. The catch here is that you can only pass 1 set of credentials through the BA App. So if you’re trying to set it up so that they can access both an on-premise SSRS reports server and Excel reports in SharePoint online you’re probably going to run into a problem. Most companies are going to be setup so that the users have separate internal credentials from their Office 365\SharePoint Online credentials. So you’re essentially going to have to choose one or the other or get ADFS setup in a way that it recognizes one set of credentials for everything.

Management Reporter– You can setup Management Reporter reports for viewing as well. This is also not going to show them a report in the Business Analyzer window. It will have a box with the name of the report that when clicked will open the MR Web Viewer in an IE window. This will work for internal deployments without a problem. If you want to set this up on Azure, you must also setup ADFS and the Azure Service Bus.

Depending on the types of reports you selected to make available to Business Analyzer, the next screens will ask you for the location of these reports. The above screenshot is showing you the SSRS setup screen. This is fairly self-explanatory and you simply need to put in the URL’s and select the options that align with your reports deployment.

When you click Next on these screens it will attempt to call out to the locations you specify to confirm that they are valid. So you can get an error on this screen if it is unable to communicate with the reports location that you are specifying.

When you’ve finished setting everything up you will be taken back to the original screen that you saw when you first opened the wizard. You should be seeing a new URL specified though. This is the URL that you will have the users specify in the Business Analyzer settings when attempting to connect.

Business Analyzer

The Business Analyzer app can be downloaded and installed from your respective app store. When you first open the app it will be in ‘Sample Report’ mode. You must go into Settings > Configuration to disable ‘Sample Report’ mode and enter your Companion Application Services URL and a username and password.

The username and password that you enter here will be the Domain\User and Password of the windows account that has access to the reports. Once you’ve connected you’ll be able to add the Charts and KPI’s that are important to you.

After you've taken Business Analyzer out of 'Sample Report' mode and loaded up some reports, they will not automatically refresh.  You will need to use the Refresh option to get the reports to refresh.  Even after you close and reopen the app you will be looking at cached data, the only time the data will attempt to refresh is when you hit the refresh button.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Here are the most common troubleshooting steps that I use to identify connection problems.

  1. Can you ping the ‘Fully Qualified Domain Name’ of the services URL you are using? If you can’t then there is a DNS or other problem preventing your machine from seeing that server properly.

  2. Verify that you can access the reports as the user you are attempting to use in Business Analyzer

  3. Have you opened the port that the Companion Application Services URL is using? By default this will usually be installed to 48650, but you can change it to any available port that you’d like.

  4. Is the certificate that you are using Trusted by the host machine? If you used a self-signed certificate you are going to have to export it from the server and import it on to every client machine that is going to use Business Analyzer. You need to import it into the Personal and Trusted Root stores. If you are trying to use Business Analyzer on an iPad or Android device you should be using a 3rd party certificate.

  5. Make sure the service is started. When you install Companion Application Services on a server you will have a new windows service called ‘GP Business Analyzer Service’. This service must be running for Business Analyzer to connect successfully.

I hope that you find the above information useful in planning your deployment of Business Analyzer.

How can you go ALL IN at #GPUGSummit?

0
0

Momentum is building for #GPUGSummit and Members are already planning how they will go ALL IN.  Going ALL IN means different things to different GPUG Members.

 

 @KathyKim23 is ‘Getting ready to Go ALL IN at #GPUGSummit next month’

 

The good news is GPUG offers many opportunities to go ALL IN. Learn, Engage, Share or Volunteer. Perhaps you will join a Special Interest Group (SIG) (Engage) or answer a question on Collaborate (Share). Or maybe this is the year you will take the plunge to become a local Chapter leader (Volunteer) or register for an upcoming Academy course (Learn). It doesn’t matter how you go ALL IN– the GPUG community will thank you for paying it forward AND you will have the opportunity to win a daily grand prize valued at $500 by going ALL IN.

 

More details to come next week but we promise you won’t get wet when you go ALL IN– unlike the GPUG team who took the go ALL INidea literally.

 

Share how you will go ALL IN #INreno15. Tweet us - @GPUG- using the #INreno15 hashtag or comment below.

Top 5 Reasons to go ALL IN at GPUG Summit 2015

0
0

The Top 5 Reasons you should goALL IN at GPUG Summit 2015:

  1. Broaden your knowledge
  2. Grow your network
  3. Enhance your skills
  4. Give back to the GPUG community
  5. Become a leader

Summit will provide many opportunities to Learn, Engage, Share or Volunteer and you will be rewarded for doing so. When you participate in one of the ALL IN activities and then tweet about it using @GPUG and #INreno15 (selfies encouraged), you will be entered into a daily drawing to win a daily grand prize. 

Drum roll please…Prizes include a $500 Amazon gift card (Wednesday), a GoPro Hero 4 (Thursday) and an Apple iWatch (Friday). Visit the go ALL IN basecamp onsite at GPUG Summit near the registration table or Booth 120 in the expo hall for more details.

Thank you for a great week!

0
0
The Dynamics GP Engineering Team had an awesome week last week with our partners at reIMAGINE 2015 in Fargo. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated in the sessions and had discussions with us...(read more)

Are you protected from theft? Advantages of Cloud Payment

0
0

Although this blog article scared me a little, it has good information and insight into protecting yourself. 

Pam

Three Advantages of Cloud Payments

By: Anuj Shah, Nodus Technologies, Inc. 

                                                                                                             

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), as of July 12th there have been 478 confirmed data breaches in 2015, with more than 139 million records exposed. The business sector tops the list with the highest percentage of breach attacks, followed closely by the medical/healthcare sector. With government officials labeling cybercrime as the most prominent threat to national security, business leaders and technologists across the nation are inventing new ways to protect sensitive data and thwart cyber criminals. At the same time, consumers are growing increasingly conscious of where and how they make purchases, and with credit cards becoming the leading form of payment, protecting card holder data has never been of more significance.

Reflecting on media reports detailing recent data breaches, it is clear hackers are going after businesses which process and store their customers’ credit card information within their own environment. These breaches present strong incentives for hackers to gain unauthorized access to corporate servers and databases, with many incidents confirming the use of malicious malware and point of sale attacks, resulting in tens of millions of stolen credit card details (and immeasurable damage to brands and corporate reputations). This data is then turned and sold on the black market across the globe, with many notoriously operated websites openly promoting the sale of stolen credit card details.

Although nothing can be done to completely guarantee the security of card holder data, basic economics suggests that in order to make a dent in the problem, we must try to reduce the incentive and associated reward received by cyber criminals when they hack into company servers and steal sensitive payment information. By utilizing solutions that combine tokenization and cloud technology with payment processing, savvy merchants can eliminate the entry, transmission and storage of sensitive credit card details from their own local environment, and simultaneously divert hackers from accessing anything of value in the unfortunate event of a data breach.

While the benefit of eliminating sensitive data from local environments is in of itself solid justification for merchants to explore cloud payment technology, it is not the only operational advantage. Cloud payment engines can also empower hyper-simplified integration and sharing of payment data across multiple platforms and payment applications (conventionally, a rather intricate and costly development process). This is key for businesses that need to integrate payment data from different channels to a single ERP or CRM. With cloud payment technology, this process becomes less complex and more centralized, since a single remote cloud-based platform can serve as the hub for processing, storing and managing payment data from an unlimited number of sources.

In addition to better security, and easier integration and sharing across platforms and applications, cloud payment engines can also help businesses achieve more freedom and flexibility with regards to payment gateways.

Traditionally, merchants have been tied to one gateway for all their payment processing and service needs. This is due to the high costs and complexities often associated with changing payment gateways; however, with cloud payment engines, merchants can take advantage of universal tokens that work multiple gateways, resulting in the enhanced ability to rapidly switch gateways at any time, with minimal friction to existing systems and infrastructure. The result is a more competitive environment for credit card processing rates and service – since merchants can quickly shift to the provider that offers the best features, service or rates for a given transaction.

For additional insight on the benefits of tokenization and cloud payments contact Nodus Technologies at (909) 482-4701 or by email at sales@nodus.com.

GPUG Summit 2015 Sponsorships Sold Out - Thank You Sponsors

0
0

Thank You Sponsors!

GPUG Summit would like to announce that all sponsorship opportunities are sold out for this years’ conference.

 “We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our sponsors for Summit 2015,” said Janet Lampert, President and COO of Dynamic Communities, Inc. “The fact that we are sold out of sponsorship opportunities proves the value of this event for both the Dynamics Partner and User communities.”

 
The sponsor level packages offered for Summit 2015 included Premier, Platinum, Gold, and Exhibitor. For a complete list of 2015 sponsors, please visit the 2015 GPUG Summit Sponsors webpage.


Great news! Dynamics Partners will be able to secure their sponsorship for Summit 2016 during the Summit 2015 event in Reno-Tahoe. For 2016 Summit sponsorship opportunities, contact
nancy.anello@dynamiccommunities.com

Enabling PO and Req Workflow at the same time.

0
0

In this blog I will cover how to configure your Purchase Order Approval Workflow, so you can have both Purchasing Requisition and PO Entry Workflow enabled without sending your PO Req document through another Approval Workflow.

Below is a screenshot of how my Workflow is setup:

1. My first step is to create a routing workflow, so my manually entered PO's will go through the Approval workflow in Step 1.  You will do this by entering in a Condition. 

a. With your Workflow selected click New Step.

b. Enter in the Step Name, Description, Step Type: Approval.

c. In the Order section select the option "This step is a first step".  This should default once you create the Step.

d. In the Condition section select the radio button that says "Action is required only when the following condition is met".

e. Click the blue expansion arrow.

f. In the Workflow Condition Editor you will enter the following:

Where Purchase Order Line.Line Origin is Manual

g. Select the Compare to radio button to Constant and click Add.

h. Next you will create another Condition in the same window.  This time you will have check the box for "Display extended field list". Enter in the following Condition:

or Purchase Order Work.Revision Number is greater than and includes 1

i. Select the Compare to radio button to Constant and click Add.

J. Click OK.

k. Enter in your Assignment for who will be Approving.

l. Click Save Step.

Here is a screenshot of this setup for Step 1:

2. Once that is saved you will create another Step (Step 2) for the Requisition side:

a. With your Workflow selected click New Step.

b. Enter in the Step Name, Description, Step Type: Task.

c. In the Order section select the option "This step is a first step".  This should default once you create the Step.

d. In the Condition section select the radio button that says "Action is required only when the following condition is met".

e. Click the blue expansion arrow.

f. In the Workflow Condition Editor you will enter the following:

Where Purchase Order Line.Line Origin is not Manual

g. Select the Compare to radio button to Constant and click Add.

h. Click OK.

i. Enter in your Assignment for who will be completing the Task.

j. Click Save Step.

Here is a screenshot of this setup for Step 2:

3. Mark the Workflow as Active and Save your Workflow.

When you activate this Workflow, all Requisitions that are converted to a Purchase Order will skip the regular Workflow Approval in Step 1 and move to Step 2.  The users you assigned Approval on Step 2 will have a new option in the Workflow drop-down for Task Complete on the Purchase Order Entry window.  Here is a screenshot of what those users will see:

Once the user completes the Task they will be able to move forward with the PO Document that originated in Purchasing Requisition.  You will need to Save the PO and bring it back up to see the new options below:

You can assign all users or a group of users to be able to complete these Tasks.  It won't kick it back through the PO Approval.  It is just an extra drop-down selection to complete the Task to move the document forward.

I hope you find this information useful when setting up multiple Approvals.

Enjoy,

Andy S.


See you at GPUG Summit 2015

0
0

You ARE ready to go ALL IN at GPUG Summit 2015! The opportunities are (almost) endless but below are a few ways you can go ALL IN. Engage. Learn. Share. Volunteer. Most of these activities can be completed online at www.GPUG.com. Or if you prefer, stop by the ALL IN Basecamp near the registration table or Booth 120 in the expo hall for more details.

No matter your approach, just be sure to share how you went ALL IN on Twitter using @GPUG and #INreno15 (selfies encouraged) to be eligible for the daily grand prize drawing. If you need a reminder the prizes include a $500 Amazon gift card, a GoPro Hero 4 and an Apple iWatch. Why wouldn’t you go ALL IN?

Engage

  • Become a member
  • Register for a chapter meeting
  • Join a SIG
  • Update your profile
  • Join a Chapter community

Learn

  • Sign up for an Academy class
  • Register for webinar

 

Share

  • Post a Question or Answer a question on Collaborate
  • Refer a new Member
  • Provide a quote/testimonial (written or video)
  • Add staff members to membership

Volunteer

  • Lead a chapter
  • Present a Webinar
  • Write an article for the magazine
  • Sign up to be featured as a Member Profile

 

 

Time Management App - Troubleshooting

0
0

With the release of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 the Time Management is now available in the Microsoft, Android and Apple app stores for your PC and tablet form factor devices. This app allows salaried employees to enter time against pay codes (e.g. PTO and Sick) within a simple calendar interface and then submit their timecards for approval.

As we’ve been testing this application internally here in support and working through errors encountered by customers and partners we’ve been keeping a list of issues and their potential solutions. I wanted to get this information published as a resource for you should you experience any of these errors.

Each of the following errors was encountered while attempting to enter connection information into the Time Management (e.g. the User Name, Password and Service Connection)

Error #1:

 

Potential Solutions:

  • The Service Based Architecture application that is a prerequisite for the Time Management app requires that the Identity Management feature has been configured in order to tie your domain account to a Dynamics GP user. Please refer to the following article for more information on configuring Identity Management:

Identity Management for the Web Client

https://community.dynamics.com/gp/b/dynamicsgp/archive/2014/06/03/identity-management-for-the-web-client

  • You can also receive the above error if you either don’t have access to the SBA endpoint or if your user has insufficient rights. To test this you can have the same domain account you’re entering in the Configuration window of the app try to access a URL in the following format, which will pull back XML data for the ACK0001 Employee ID in the Fabrikam, Inc. company:

https://server.domain.com/GPService/Tenants(DefaultTenant)/Companies(Fabrikam,%20Inc.)/Dynamics/Payroll/Employees(ACKE0001).xml

If you’re in a multi-tenant environment just replace DefaultTenant with the name you’ve given the tenant you want to query against

  • Finally, the Service Connection URL that you enter into the Time Management app is case-sensitive. Be sure you’re using a URL in the following format:

https://server.domain.com/GPService/Tenants(DefaultTenant)/Companies(Fabrikam,%20Inc.)

 

Error #2

 

Potential Solutions:

  • Since the idea behind the Time Management app is that employees enter timecards and submit them to a manager for approval you are required to have a Payroll Timecard Approval workflow both configured and marked as Active. This is accomplished in Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Company > Workflow > Workflow Maintenance.
  • On one occasion we’ve also seen that this error was given when one or more deactivated Payroll Timecard Approval workflow existed along with the one that is actively being used. In this instance the solution was to delete all Payroll Timecard Approval workflow definitions and recreate just the one you intend to mark as Active

Error #3

 

Potential Solutions:

The best advice I can give for addressing this error message is to have the user receiving the error log into Dynamics GP using the GP user account tied to their domain user and test their ability to enter/save/submit a payroll timecard. This may very well give the user a message that leads you to something missing in your configuration. You can review the following article for the steps to setup self-service timecards:

Human Resource & Payroll Timecard Entry NEW to GP 2013 R2!

https://community.dynamics.com/gp/b/dynamicsgp/archive/2014/06/12/human-resource-amp-payroll-timecard-entry-new-to-gp-2013-r2

 

There will of course be times when the above won’t address the problem. In those instances, there is logging you can enable at the SBA-level to get further information. Enabled this logging is different for multi-tenant and single tenant deployments:

Web Management Console (for multi-tenant deployments)

  • Select Tenant Manager snap-in

  • Click Applications item

  • Highlight GP Services and click Edit

  • Click the plus (+) and type in the DevModeEnabled property, then click Save

  • Select Tenant item, highlight your tenant and click Edit

  • Highlight the GP Service application and set RequestLoggingEnabled and DevModeEnabled to true, then click Save

     

    TenantConfiguration.xml (for single-tenant deployments)

  • Navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics\GP Web Components\GPService on the SBA server

  • Backup and then open TenantConfiguration.xml in Notepad

  • Add the following before </Tenant>

    <RequestLoggingEnabled>true</RequestLoggingEnabled>

    <DevModeEnabled>true</DevModeEnabled>

  • Save the file

After making either change restart the GP Dexterity Service, GP Dexterity Service Control and GP Service services on the SBA server and reproduce the issue. This will write several logs to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft Dynamics\GPSvc\Logs. I’ve found that files in the following provide the best information:

 

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft Dynamics\GPSvc\Logs\Inst_DEFAULT_14\DexterityRequests

 

Start by reviewing logs that end with Error.log. Scroll to the bottom of the log and look for errors/stack traces before it rolls back for more information about your error.

If you look at the top of log file, you will see that it has a header section that gives the Full URI that SBA is using to connect to GP. This can give you an idea of what type of information the Time Management is asking SBA to retrieve from Dynamics GP.

Since so many log files are written when this option is enabled it is highly recommended to only enable logging long enough to troubleshoot the issue.

 

Enjoy!

Lucas

Management Reporter Configuration Console has stopped working

0
0

If the Management Reporter Configuration Console crashes when you open it, the fix is fairly simple. If you get this error:

 

You’ll want to open the Event Viewer on the MR server and clear the Applications log file.

To resolve this issue please do the following:

1. Open the Event Viewer on the Management Reporter Server.

a. Click Start | Administrative Tools | Event Viewer.

2. Expand the Windows Logs folder.

3. Highlight Application.

4. Right Click Application and select Clear Log.

After this is complete you should be able to open the MR Configuration Console.

Best Regards,

Greg

IT'S YEAR-END TIME AGAIN!! Microsoft Dynamics GP Year-End Blog Series for 2015

0
0

Hi GP users!

It's time to start thinking about Year-End again!  The Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Team will be publishing blog articles again with year-end closing information to assist you with planning for a smooth year-end close.  These articles include general questions about year-end processes for that module, and any changes that may affect your Year-End processes for 2015.  It is recommended to install the 2015 Year-End Update.  Below is the schedule of upcoming blog posts that I hope will be useful to you:

October 27, 2015 - Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 - Lifecycle and Upgrade Services

October 29, 2015 - Install and Upgrade

November 03, 2015 - Forms and Reports Upgrade

November 05, 2015 - Table and Column Changes in Year-End

November 10, 2015 - General Ledger

November 12, 2015 - Analytical Accounting

November 17, 2015 - Fixed Assets

November 19, 2015 - Payables Management

November 24, 2015 - U.S. Payroll

November 25, 2015 - Affordable Care Act (ACA)

December 01, 2015 - Receivables Management

December 03, 2015 - Inventory

December 08, 2015 - Canadian Payroll (ROE changes)

December 15, 2015 - W2 Self Service for U.S. Payroll (in GP 2015 R2)

Note:  The blog article will be directly linked to the above schedule as the articles are published. Dates may be subject to change.

How can I be notified when the above blog posts are published?

Click HERE to get yourCONNECTon!  You can utilize the CONNECT section on the Home Page in Microsoft Dynamics GP to get all the latest feeds and information as it is published.


When is the 2015 Year-End update expected to release?

The 2015 U.S. Payroll Year-End Update is currently targeted to release in mid/late November 2015.  

The 2015 Canadian Payroll Year-End Update is targeted for early/mid December 2015.

Where can I download the 2015 Year-End Update from?

You can bookmark and watch the pages below for the 2015 Year End Update to be released: 

U.S. Payroll:

Click HERE for U.S. Payroll Year End Update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015
Click HERE for U.S. Payroll Year End Update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013

Canadian Payroll:

Click HERE for the Canadian Payroll Year End Update for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015
Click HERE for the Canadian Payroll Year End Update forMicrosoft Dynamics GP 2013

Note:  The Year-End Update will be an all-inclusive update and includes all prior service packs, hot fixes, etc.

Note:  There will not be a 2015 Year-End Update available for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.  Visit the Microsoft Support LifeCycle page for more information.

Where can I get a PowerPoint deck for the year-end information?

  • Check out the new PowerPoint presentation for 'What's New in Year-End 2015'.  View updated slides for all the changes included in the 2015 year-end update.  (COMING SOON)
  • Here is a link to the 'standard' Year-End Close Procedures that generally do not change from year to year. 

What are some of the cool new features that I should be aware of for Year-End this year?

  • In Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 (14.00.0725), the Self-Service user can now view and print their own W2.  Click HERE to read more about this new feature in US Payroll.
  • Click HERE to find out how to create a SmartList Designer report of your ACA information. 

Where can I find documentation and other resources for Microsoft Dynamics GP in general?

• Have you heard about the NEW Microsoft Dynamics GP Directory?  The Microsoft Dynamics GP Directory is a one-stop shop for what you are looking for around Microsoft Dynamics GP.  It provides a consolidated view of relevant documentation, videos, solutions to known issues, new features, blog links, installation guides, Hot Topics, community sites, and much, much more....  Be sure to check it out!

• For any general questions, you can also utilize the Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner Community Forum to ask your peers for tips.

I hope the information above will help you to have a smooth and successful year end!

Thank you!

Cheryl Waswick | Sr. Technical Support Engineer | Microsoft Dynamics GP Applications Support

Time to start thinking about Year End

Viewing all 1376 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images