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Part of what makes ERP software so popular within various industries is its ability to adapt alongside growing companies. Gone are the days where organizations were required to spend tens of thousands of dollars for system update fees. Instead, companies now have the freedom to grow freely, and no longer need to be tied down by software limitations. In this post, we discuss the three features of scalability in ERP software and how this benefits businesses:

Enhance customer account management:

As your company grows, so too will your list of clients and customers. Your systems must be able to handle this increase in customer information, ensuring you have the necessary space to add additional data entries and ensure that your systems continue to run smoothly under heavy workloads and across multiple applications within your system.

Cross-platform capabilities:

This blog is part 1 of 2 where we will walk through a step-by-step of how to complete the prep for Year-End closings for companies using Calendar Year-end. There are four modules that come into effect during the year end process.

1. Inventory (INV)
2. Receivables Management (RM)
3. Payables Management (PM)
4. Finance

Year-ends can get very tricky however, there are no financial impacts for three of the modules listed above- RM, PM and INV as they only provide statistical figures and reset the statistical counters. Therefore, in the case of any errors, you are able to complete a database refresh to go back. The module that has statistical updates and financial impact is the Financial module, this is the module you must be most careful with prior to completing.

Prior to beginning the process ensure these steps are taken:

• Complete a backup
• All users should be out of the system
• Batches should be closed and completed (Best Practice)
• Close Fiscal Periods (GP >>Tools >>Setup >>Company >>Fiscal Periods)
• Print Control Reports (AR and AP Trial Balance, Current Inventory Report, Reconcile (Chequebook, Inventory, AP and AR subledgers to GL) (GP >>Tools >>Routines >>Financials >>Reconcile)

Once all the steps above are completed you are ready to begin Year-end Closing. Since the Financial module has the highest impact it must be closed last. For best practices, close in the following order INV, RM, PM and Financials.

Look out for part 2 of the blog which will discuss where the closing process will take place.

With ERP software, redundant and repetitive tasks can be greatly reduced thereby improving overall organizational management and employee productivity. With Microsoft Dynamics GP, here are 3 ways that ERP software can help your company maximize its potential and improve overall efficiency: 

Payroll Management

With certain employees undertaking various roles within your company, it can be difficult to track their time and expenses. Employee Accounts and Splits organizes employee cost and expense distribution, allowing companies to manually control how an employee’s time and expenses will be divided based on department, position, pay code, or general ledger account.

Manage Employee Absences

Whether it be due to vacation time, sick leave, or administrative leave, employee absence can disrupt work flow and result in extra work for payroll to manage absences. Moniroo, a time and expense system integrated with Microsoft Dynamics GP, helps to streamline this process by calculating accruals and managing employee absences through pre-configured leave plan details. Additionally, Moniroo allows companies to track employee expenses and generate automated expense reports and reimbursements.

For most, it is a day of thrills and excitement *eye roll*. For system administrators, it is a day of skepticism and uncertainty. It reminds me of an old adage you may be familiar with, “When a door closes, five windows break”.

Microsoft released an update for Remote Desktop Connection (8.1) back in February (KB2830477) to introduce new (native) features from Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 to computers running Windows 7 SP1. There were a few issues that stemmed from the release, including the inability to use smartcard and smartcard devices in RDP sessions. One issue that directly affected our clients was the inability to launch RDP packages from our remote desktop websites. Users could click an application icon, but the packages would not run.

One solution is to uninstall the update (KB2830477) from the respective user’s workstation, thereby reverting back to the original RDP client version. However, this did not resolve the issue for all of our client users. Interestingly, we had a mix of users within the same client organization that either had or did not encounter the issue.

After some extensive debugging, a second solution was found that requires a change to the registry on the user’s workstation. These steps are outlined below:

*Note: Serious issues can occur if registry changes are made incorrectly. Have your system administrator make the required changes, if needed.

Apart from selecting the right ERP software, one of the key components to identify before purchasing is the ERP software’s integration with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and a Time and Expense system such as Moniroo.  

While a CRM system gives insight to help analyze different points of contact between the customer and the company, a time and expense system keeps track of how you utilize your resources and enables you to better leverage your employees’ time.

Below, we outline the top benefits of integrating your ERP software with a CRM and time and expense system.

1. Data synchronization

An integrated solution eliminates the duplication of data entry and streamlines order and customer data processing.  Data that can move seamlessly between systems include product and customer information, sales orders, inventory levels and shipping updates.

    2. 360 degree view of your customer

Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and projects are no easy tasks. With many moving parts and personnel involved in the mix, the process becomes all the more daunting. To help avoid common pitfalls and offer some considerations, Software Advice, a trusted resource and advisory firm for ERP software buyers, recently conducted an analysis of 22 failed implementation projects and looked into the most common reasons for failure in this e-book.

The e-book notes that ERP implementation failure can often be attributed when one or more of the following key goals are not met:

• On-time implementation
• On- or under-budget implementation costs
• Minimal disruption to business operations
• Improved organizational efficiency
• Reduced operating costs
• Increased sales or revenue

One main takeaway from these is that “ERP implementation rarely fails because of the software itself,” as only 18 percent of the failures included in the study were due to buggy software.

To avoid implementation failure, it’s best if the organization take the time to do due diligence and fully research the ERP system, have personnel, particularly consultants completely understand the client’s needs and have a trusted vendor give you a realistic view of the system’s capabilities.

Implementing an ERP solution takes time, so it’s worthwhile to test drive the software and plan ahead for your IT team to prepare for the implementation and additional customizations and decisions that may need to be made at a later date.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software offers the benefits of streamlined and integrated business processes, lower cost of operation, improved reporting capabilities, data security and increased productivity. With multiple benefits brought about by an efficient ERP system, the process of selecting the right system that can help support your organization’s needs can at times be daunting.

To help increase the odds of choosing the right ERP software, below is an ERP selection tip sheet that outlines key steps for selecting the right ERP software.

1. Know and prioritize your software requirements

• Start by identifying what challenges you want to solve and what your current system is unable to do for you. It’s best to divide the list into features that are must-haves and nice-to-haves. The more specific you can be about your software requirements, the better. As an article from Software Advice notes: “by knowing what you need, you’ll be in a better position to control the selection process, rather than let software vendors dictate your needs.”

2. Carefully evaluate your options before deciding on an ERP system

• It’s important to consult management and key stakeholders and ask them for their input in the evaluation phase. It’s also worth considering how the systems you’ve shortlisted affect integration with your existing office systems, the ERP system’s reporting capabilities and metrics.

3. Build a short list of software vendors

Customers are always looking to find the best deal possible, no matter what the product or industry.  Why not shop around?  Use our quote generator today to ensure you are saving money on your IT systems.  We offer hosting services, on-premise support, free upgrades, and more.

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https://www.websan.com/quote

You are using Microsoft Dynamics GP and you’ve already discovered how the system’s capabilities benefit your organization’s performance and growth. Have you ever considered switching from your on-premise accounting system to a hosted solution?

Here are 5 reasons that can convince you to get Hosted Microsoft Dynamics GP:

1. Cost-effective – With hosted Dynamics GP you no longer have to worry about purchasing expensive software. Instead, you get a simple subscription based pricing that can help you forecast and manage your costs effectively.
   
   
2. Scalable – You can easily upgrade, downsize, add and remove users, allowing you to react quickly to changing needs.
   
   
3. Simplified – Your applications will always be up to date and secure in our state – of – the - art SAS 70 certified data center, in Toronto.
   
   
4. Flexible – You can access Dynamics GP with your unique login credentials practically anywhere, anytime and on any device.
   
   
5. Secure – You don’t have to rely on hardware, since if one device is broken you can easily choose a different one, login and continue your work from where you’re left before.

See what Hosted Microsoft Dynamics GP can do for your business  

Doriana Kote, Web Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., an Ontario Business Achievement Award 2014 Finalist

Contemplating the security of your company’s data or server backups may make you want to just keep your head in the clouds. When deciding between going hosted or on-premise for your ERP system, there is much to be considered. However, going hosted offers some crucial benefits that cannot be overlooked. Here are the top three reasons why switching to a hosted ERP system is worth the effort:

1. Security

Going hosted means that you no longer need to worry about the state and security of your data. Your hosting provider’s data center can ensure that data is consistently backed up. You can go about your day knowing that you’ll always have access to your data when you need it.

2. Technical Know-How

Securing your data in the cloud and having a hosting vendor means that you can leave all the technical terms to those who know them best. You no longer have to think of “customizations,” “compliance” or “rebooting” and instead, you can focus on the data at hand and performing your day-to-day tasks.

When investing in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, cost is always one of the first considerations that comes to mind. According to a study conducted by Software Advice, which helps buyers connect with software vendors, a number of factors come into play which influence the final price of an ERP system.

Number of Users and Customization Requirements

The study points out that larger businesses would typically have more users who need access to the system, requiring more applications and functionality, calling for a higher-priced system.

Customizations can increase the price as some businesses have more specialized processes, and in turn, need specific customizations that will support these.

Deployment Model

The official Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 release is out and available to partners through PartnerSource. The new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 includes more than 120 new features. As already mentioned before, some of the major changes in GP 2015 include:

• Service Based Architecture (SBA) - offers the ability to centralize and automate the management of your GP system, giving users secure cloud access quickly, upgrading new customers and adding new companies as needed.
  
  
• Identity management - enables users to log into their Dynamics GP web client account via the organizational account. This update allows for a single secure log in for access to the GP workspace.
  
  
• GP 2015 will also add an Employee Self-Service (ESS) app for time management since Microsoft Business Portal is going to be discontinued.
  
  
• Azure procurement
  
  
• Apps on multiple platforms.

The Dynamics GP releases will be coming out in six month intervals, so they can deliver new features as soon as possible to clients. The following two releases in 2015 are expected to be named GP 2015 R2 and GP 2015 R3.

If you are curious about seeing Microsoft Dynamics GP in action, try our Microsoft Dynamics GP Interactive Demo.

Download a FREE Microsoft Dynamics GP Demo now!

Doriana Kote, Web Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

Microsoft has announced that Business Portal and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 runtime will be discontinued from Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015.

However, the core Business Portal functionality will be included in the GP 2015 web or desktop client. According to Microsoft's Kelly Obach, Manager of the Executive Business Center:

"The plan is to basically phase out Business Portal as we release apps or modules inside Dynamics GP that replace the same functionality".

So, for those clients that would like to purchase or upgrade to Dynamics GP 2015, Business Portal will no longer be available.

In the meantime, you can have a look at WebSan's Time and Expense Management System that seamlessly integrates with Dynamics GP and offers similar, if not better, functionality to Business Portal. From timesheet and expense management to approvals, advanced reporting and purchase orders, our Time and Expense System can improve your employee's productivity and your company's profitability.

See a Complete List of GP FeaturesTop 5 Reasons to get Dynamics GPRead our Hosted Dynamics GP FAQ

The Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 release date is set for early spring. Here is some information that has already been released on the new features:

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 HTML5 Interface

This eliminates the need for the Silverlight interface for the GP 2016 Dynamics Web Client.  The HTML5 web client is expected to improve performance and navigation in the Cloud. 

The new interface is expected to cover the entire product in its initial rollout.

Microsoft recently released a ton of new financials, distribution, human resources & payroll and system enhancements in their recent October release of Microsoft Dynamics GP. One of the most anticipated features is being able to schedule check links. Users can now set up a schedule to run check links outside of regular business hours. Users will be able to run the processes without having to select the Check Links process manually.

This process uses Report Scheduler setup and functionality as long as Microsoft Dynamics GP is open, and you’re logged into the correct company. To learn more about this feature, click here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-gp/whats-new/schedule-check-links

Dynamics GP continues to thrive, both for on-premise and cloud customers. Microsoft Dynamics GP is a mature solution with over 45,000 customers around the world, so it isn’t going away anytime soon. However, Dynamics GP isn’t immune from Microsoft’s consistent push towards the cloud.

So why move GP to the cloud?

Here are some reasons why GP customers move to the cloud:

•           They need to invest in new hardware to support new versions of GP
•           They are concerned about backups, recovery, security and 24/7 remote access
•           They are not current with Microsoft on your maintenance and want to add users/capabilities to the system
•           They are looking for better access to information/reporting (GP2018 required for Power BI)

So what can we expect in future releases of Dynamics GP?

First, Dynamics GP releases and development will continue from Microsoft. The current roadmap is projecting two additional version releases. This clearly indicates a commitment by Microsoft considering these are typically released every two years. Customers should expect various user community requested enhancements and fixes.

Picture This.

It’s a lovely Tuesday afternoon, and the sun is shining birds are singing as you are packing up your car to go to your first meeting. As a business owner, there is no such thing as a 9-5 schedule but today seems possible, you only have two meetings today and maybe even have time to make a pit stop to the office.

After your first meeting, you realized that you missed a call from the office and tried calling back, but there is no answer. Your first meeting took a little longer than normal, and you’re running a little behind schedule, so you check your email just to double check and no luck. Once you have finished with the second meeting you check again to see if there is anything and finally there is an email from one of your employees about a possible lead that wants to schedule up something today.

Now you are running behind schedule even more now cause the last meeting took longer than expected with a whole bunch of questions. Now, as you’re on route to your “final” meeting you try following up with this lead and no answer on the phone call and you send them a quick email right before you walk into your third meeting. The final meeting ends and as you check your email, you see that they had an opening for today but are booked until Friday and could book something then. You realize that you could be Missing Opportunities.

We are in the year 2018, the time of digital transformation and moving to the cloud; missing opportunities is not an option anymore. With the hectic life of a business owner, you need something that can help you and your company work in harmony and work more in sync. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales your team can add a lead into your system with little information and you can get a notification about the new lead.

I thought I would share a couple useful posts from our friends at Dynamics University

Who Posted this Journal Entry?

http://dynamicsuniversity.com/article/dynamics-university-summer-2013/who-posted-journal-entry

Encumbrance Management for Non-Profits

Do you have a suggestion for an improvement to Dynamics GP.  Let Microsoft know via Microsoft Connect:

connect.microsoft.com/default.aspx

Adam MacIntosh is  a Senior Project & Account Manager with WebSan Solutions Inc.

The Microsoft Dynamics GP Professional Services Tools Library (PSTL) is a group of tools that allow users to improve system capabilities & increase productivity.  Users generally have access to these at no cost but do not take advantage of them.

Within the Finance module, one can Modify Accounts, Fiscal Periods, or Fixed Assets, allowing end users to convert historical records to new records, maintaining the necessary history & without corrupting your database.  Within the Purchasing module, users are able to update / convert vendor records, similar to the above.  Further, users have the ability to set minimum values for payabales cheques or combine cheques where necessary.  Similar updates are available throughout the system, allowing updates to master data records such as salespeople, territories, customers, employees, inventory, etc while maintaining the proper history.  One key feature many users like is the ability to unapply receivables documents, opening them back up for one to enter transactions against.

Ask us about how you can get free access to this wonderful tool today.

Adam MacIntosh is a Senior Account & Project Manager with WebSan Solutions Inc, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner and 2012 Microsoft Impact Awards Finalist.  Adam can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 416-499-1235 ext 213.