WebSan Solutions, largest Canadian Cloud Dynamics GP Partner, has been named a 2013 VAR Star by Bob Scott’s Insights magazine. http://bobscottsinsights.com/

The Top 100 are chosen from organizations specializing in the sale and implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning and accounting software.

The selection of mid-market accounting software resellers for Bob Scott’s VAR Stars rest on one basic principal: quality, not revenue, as the deciding factor in picking the 100 businesses that are selected for this honor.

A variety of criteria go into the definition of quality including including awards resellers have received from vendors, such as the Microsoft Dynamics President’s Club and Inner Circle, Million Dollar Club and Chairman’s Club of Sage North America. Other factors involved in the selection include performance, contribution to the industry and reputation.

“We are pleased to be recognized as a Top 100 VAR” said Andrew King, Managing Director. 

If you have a lot of data that doesn’t quite fit into one of Dynamics CRM 2011’s existing entities, you may decide to create your own custom entity and fields to house that data of yours.  If you take this route, don’t waste your time building the entity and creating all of your fields ahead of time!  Instead, you can use CRM 2011’s Import Data Wizard, which allows you to create entities and fields on the fly as you import the data for this new entity.

After selecting the file you want to import in the Import Data Wizard, you will reach the Map Record Types step of the Wizard – here, you can select to “Create New” Dynamics CRM Record Type, which will prompt you for more information to create the new entity within the Wizard.  Next, you’ll reach the Map Fields step – here, you can dynamically create new fields for each column in your import file (or ignore fields that you don’t want to bring into CRM).  While doing so, it even defaults the Field Name to match the column header from your import file, so all you really have to do is select the type of field that it is.  And if that wasn’t enough – if you select “Option Set” as the field type, the Wizard will automatically create values for your option set based on the unique values in that column of your data file!  The only thing left to do at this point is to set any additional options on your new entity as necessary and configure the entity form that will be used to manage the data – both of which can be done through the usual customizations window.

So if you find yourself needing to create a new entity along with having to import your data into this new entity, save yourself some time by combining both steps into one using this helpful trick in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Import Data Wizard.

Rahim Jiwani is an Implementation Lead at WebSan Solutions Inc, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Silver Partner & 2012 Microsoft Impact Awards Finalist. Rahim can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 416-499-1235 ext 217.

When developing Dynamics GP customizations in our WebSan environment, our development phase is contained within a local server configuration to ensure that all modifications to the forms and reports dictionaries are local and will not affect our hosted users. However, there are a few more items to note when separating a development from a production environment.

When enabling and granting access to modified forms and reports in GP, administrative users would navigate to the Microsoft Dynamics GP menu >> Administration >> Alternative/Modified Forms and Reports and grant access to the modified item by selecting the ID, Product, and Type (Windows: Forms or Reports), then checking the box beside the version they would like accessible:

The ID field at the top of this window is used to specify which group of users has access to the forms and reports chosen in the list underneath. Users are assigned an “Alternate Modified Forms and Reports ID” in the ‘User Security’ window:

TSQL doesn't handle multiple transactions very well.  In fact it doesn't handle it at all.  So what do you do when you have nested stored procedures, all which require transaction handling?

TSQL has a built in function that will return the number of BEGIN TRANSACTION statements that have been called on the current connection.

@@TRANCOUNT

Using this you can choose whether to begin a transaction or not based on the value it returns.  If it returns a number greater than 0 then you are currently in a transaction.

However if it returns a 0 then there were no other transactions and you are free to start one.  The best way to do this is to set a variable that indicates if a transaction is needed, since when you start your new transaction and you try to check again when you need to do a rollback or commit, @@TRANCOUNT will not return 0 since you recently started a transaction.

Setting up EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) to make payments within Dynamics GP 2010 is a useful feature many clients aspire to take advantage of. As with any organization from a small to large scale, manually writing cheques to make vendor payments is both time consuming and not efficient. As such, Microsoft has made the EFT process easily accessible for setup and processing to save time and make payments easier. Setting up and generating EFT at a high level requires the following setup within GP:

• Specifying a file format for EFT Files (The file format to follow is provided to you by your financial institution and defines a layout of the file GP will produce to eventually upload to your online banking website
• Setting up vendor cards and chequebooks in GP (This is completed within the Purchasing Module in GP and involves specifying specific banking details to transfer EFT Payments to)
• Entering and posting payables transactions in GP representing payments to be made to specific vendors
• Conducting an “EFT Run” similar to a “Cheque Run” in GP. This involves specifying which transactions to include in the EFT payment
• Once completed, users can generate an EFT file for upload to their financial institution

Important Notes for EFT Setup:

• EFT setup in GP requires minimal interaction with your financial institution (Certain setup instructions are provided by them and require tests before activation)
• Multiple chequebooks can be setup for EFT processing within GP (Note: Financial institutions generally charge service fees based on the number of accounts with EFT processing enabled)
• GP 2010 allows users to print and keep records of all payment remittances

For more information on EFT processing within Dynamics GP including setup & configuration, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By: Praveen Parameshwaran, Application Specialist, WebSan Solutions Inc, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner and 2013 Canadian Channel Elite Awards Finalist

WebSan Solutions Inc., a cloud Microsoft Dynamics Certified Partner and IT consulting and solutions provider,  has been recognized as one of Canada’s top 100 Solution Providers in 2012 by Computer Dealer News (CDN). WebSan has over a decade of experience in Enterprise Software solutions, business and financial accounting software.

The list was announced April 16th, 2013 at the Top 100 Solution Providers Awards Gala. CDN is the voice of Canada's IT channel community for more than 25 years and defines an information technology solution provider as an organization that resells computer hardware, software or peripheral products along with providing IT related professional services, support services, consulting in a cloud or on-demand environment, on-premise fashion or as managed service.

“WebSan Solutions Inc. of Toronto makes the CDN Top 100 Solution Providers list this year and with that they join an exclusive club of the best technology minds in the country. WebSan really made a name for itself this year by offering cloud services based on Dynamics GP. They are part of a group of young and up-and-coming cloud specialists that CDN has noticed on the Top 100 list over the last few years,” said Paolo Del Nibletto, editor and associate publisher of CDN – Computer Dealer News, Canada’s No. 1 IT Channel Publication and Web site.

“We are very pleased to have made the list this year.” says Andrew King, Managing Director, WebSan Solutions Inc. “Our relentless focus on customer service and growth has enabled us to reach this milestone. More and more small to medium businesses our choosing our Cloud Dynamics GP Accounting solution for ease of use and cost every day.”

To view the list of the top 100 Solution Provider click here: http://www.computerdealernews.com/top-100-solution-providers/top-100

Each week, the Globe and Mail seeks out expert advice to help a small or medium-sized company overcome a key issue. WebSan’s challenge was: How can WebSan persuade its clients to take training and implementation more seriously while preserving good business relationships?

We had three experts give us advice, and they came up with the following:

Make a case

Spend time with the senior management of its clients to press the importance of both sides adhering to the original training schedule.

A different financial solution

As Cloud technologies continue to evolve, more and more software buyers are seriously evaluating software as a service (SaaS) solutions against on-premise offerings. While there are many factors that influence which deployment model is best for any particular business (e.g., ability to manage IT internally and speed of deployment) the cost of the system is often a key factor. But comparing the true cost of a Cloud-based system against an on-premise system can be time-consuming and is often a complex undertaking.

For instance, most buyers understand that on-premise licenses are typically purchased with a large, upfront investment and SaaS licenses are purchased for a relatively cheaper subscription price. But many forget to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) of their investment. That is, they don’t look beyond the licensing costs to consider how other factors such as the need to customize the software and integrate it with existing applications can influence the TCO of their software purchase.

Even then there are intricacies like maintenance and support and training requirements that can make creating an apples-to-apples comparison of the TCO on-premise and Cloud software difficult. If you’re not a seasoned veteran in modeling all these costs, comparing them can become overwhelming.

To help buyers ballpark the true costs of each software model, Software Advice--a research firm that reviews and evaluates enterprise systems--created an interactive TCO calculator that software buyers can use to compare SaaS against on-premise software over a 10-year ownership period.

The calculator models annual and cumulative costs over this time period and shows buyers at which year of ownership the TCO of a SaaS system will equal that of an on-premise solution, based on user inputs. Although the data comes pre-populated with an example case, users can override every value to see the impact that changing any particular value will have on the TCO as a graph at the top of the calculator automatically refreshes after each update.

Still wondering what choosing Microsoft Dynamics GP ultimately means for your business? Our clients who have adopted Dynamics GP often mention terms such as Value Added, Productivity, Familiarity and Innovation within days of implementation and it’s easy to see why.

Exceptional customer experiences begin with the people who make your business possible. By providing these very people with the right tools to boost their productivity and in turn increase their value added activities, they will ultimately help your organization to achieve your goals and generate maximum return. These very tools are found in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Reducing administrative overhead and the redundant tasks costing your business daily only begin to describe the advantages your business will experience. Dynamics GP will justify your existing technology investments with its seamless integration capabilities and will help to streamline your business processes with a fast, easy configuration that doesn’t require writing any new code.

Who’s going to help you make this important transition in your business life cycle you ask? WebSan Solutions Inc. will help support your transformed business processes using Dynamics GP by providing you with exceptional support and training wherever and whenever  you need it. We work hard to understand your business and provide you with support solutions to once again ensure your business is optimizing its functional capabilities.

Contact WebSan Solutions Inc at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to hear more about how your business can benefit from Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Praveen Parameshwaran is a Dynamics GP Support Specialist capable of assisting companies with a wide variety of business challenges.

Implementing a new ERP Software is a time for new learning experiences and challenges. There are some common mistakes that you want to avoid when implementing ERP software, remember this list so you can become a hero and not a victim of poor planning.

Mistake 1: Not selecting the right vendor

Browsing through a vendor’s website can’t determine if they are right for you. Call the company and speak with someone, this gives you the chance to ask questions about the company and their services. Don’t forget to ask for references so you can hear more than one opinion of the vendor.

Mistake 2: Not taking advantage of all the features that you are paying for!

For any kind of service you pay for, be mindful of what’s included. If you are unaware of a feature that you have but never use, just ask!

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Jon Rivers. In this interview he discusses his book, current projects and his views on user problems.

In a short summary what do you describe your job is?

I am currently the Channel Partner Manager at Data Masons Software an EDI ISV solution provider who helps to solve the EDI needs of clients who are running Dynamics GP, AX or NAV. When I am not helping the partners I am managing all of our Social Media outlets if that be our Blog, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts.

You can also find me presenting at Dynamics-focused conferences, educational forums and Web events, including the annual GPUG Summit, AXUG Summit, NAVUG Forum, Microsoft Convergence and numerous regional user groups.

How long have you’ve been in the Microsoft Dynamics GP Industry?

WebSan Solutions Inc. has been named a finalist in the Best Small Business Solution category for this year’s CDN Channel Elite Awards. http://www.itbusiness.ca/cea/home.html

This award honors the partner that has created the most innovative and problem solving hardware, networking, cloud or software-based solution for an organization or department with up to 100 seats or less using the solution.

CDN’s Channel Elite Awards recognizes IT Solution Providers for their innovation, leadership and commitment to creating value for their customers.

As a finalist, we will be judged by a panel of CIO or IT director level executives. Category winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:

Innovation - originality in the application of the IT solution to the business problem

We recently attended the CDN Channel Elite Awards Gala, and even though we didn’t win, were a top finalist. CDN Canada’s number one IT channel publication recognizes Canadian solution providers in ten categories. WebSan Solutions Inc. was nominated for “Best Small Business Solution”. This award honours partners that have created the most innovative and problem solving hardware, networking, cloud or software-based solution for an organization or department with up to 100 seats or less using the solution. “The Channel Elite Award program demonstrates that Canada has a growing number of talented, innovative Solutions Providers that are capable of delivering solutions that help businesses of all sizes.” said Paolo Del Nibletto, editor of CDN.

We are very honoured to be nominated. Being recognized for our talents in this industry drives us to work harder and to continue to keep our customers satisfied.

CDN recognizes IT Solution Providers for their innovation, leadership and commitment to creating value for their customers.

WebSan Solutions Inc. announced that it has been selected as a finalist in the ERP Partner of the Year category for the 2012 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards. The tenth annual IMPACT Awards recognize excellence within the Microsoft technology partner community in Canada.

 “This year, we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the IMPACT Awards, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of Canadian Technology Partners, such as WebSan Solutions Inc.,” said Mark Dodds, Vice-President of Small Business, Midmarket Solutions & Partners, Microsoft Canada Inc.  “Microsoft depends on our Partners now more than ever before as we enter a new era of cloud-based computing. Our partnership is pivotal to growth and success and we look forward to celebrating the commitments of our Partners this year at the IMPACT Awards gala.”

WebSan was chosen as a finalist in the ERP Partner of the Year for its Dynamics GP implementation of an Electronic Bank Reconciliation solution for Cash 4 You, a Canadian Retail Financial Services provider.

“We are pleased to receive this recognition for our efforts. We always focus on delivering tremendous value to our Clients through the implementation of the Microsoft suite of products, including Cloud and On-Premise Dynamics GP, CRM and Office”, states Andrew King, Managing Director.

WebSan, along with other technology partner winners and finalists in each of the award categories, will be honored at an awards ceremony at the new Four Seasons Hotel located in Yorkville, Toronto on November 13, 2012.

This year’s Microsoft convergence in Houston announced that Dynamics GP 2013 is due to be released Q4 of this year. With over 150 new features that will help organizations with their functionality, the WebSan team is quite excited! Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 will transform the way your organization is run by helping you become more connected, provide support for growth, increase efficiency, and lower your IT costs through the new features that are available.

Here are a few features that we’re looking forward to upon its release:

• Web Access – Employees will gain easier, convenient access to information and will be able to better collaborate with the new web client from their PC or mobile device.
• Business Analyzer – Delegate tasks, track KPI’s, forecast potential opportunities, and take informed action by having better role-specific insight in to your business.
• Business Intelligence – Enhanced SQL Reporting offers better visibility to key business metrics.
• Office 365 Integration – Integration will provide better collaboration and communication within your organization.
• Word templates – Templates can be applied and reports can be created for anything in GP 2013.
• Document attachment – Capability to apply related documents into each transaction.
• Printing – Conveniently choose a printer at the time of printing a report or document

With the increased functionality Dynamics GP 2013 offers, you can be sure that you will have more control over your organization, allowing you to transform and improve the way you conduct business.

For more information about Dynamics GP 2013 and upgrades, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.@This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By: Mabelle Gonzales, Marketing Coordinator at WebSan Solutions Inc, a Canadian Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner.

For some of the more technical Microsoft Dynamics GP users, you may want a little more control and customization when reporting on your GP data.  SmartLists provide a fairly quick and dynamic option to custom reporting, but they may not be visually satisfying.  On the other hand, integrating BI360 with GP will allow you create very clean and organized reports in an Excel-like environment, but won’t give you that rudimentary control that your technical mind may crave.  If you’re looking for some sort of middle ground between these two options, take a look at SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for Dynamics GP.

The key to creating effective SSRS reports is having a good knowledge of SQL – or at the very least, a fairly strong knowledge of databases.  This is what scares away some users, but for those that have this type of background, SSRS Reports could be your salvation in the pursuit of both visually appealing and fully customizable reports.

While SSRS Reports can be easily viewed within Dynamics GP, they are created in Microsoft Report Builder – a separate software program that is offered for free by Microsoft.  Using Report Builder allows you to take a custom SQL query that you have created (either from scratch or by using Report Builder’s intuitive Query Designer) and turn it into an appealing report.  With the ability to easily create tables, charts, and even visual scales/gauges, you can turn a simple list of data into a work of art!

If you have SSRS Reports deployed in your GP environment, you can view them by going into any series and selecting the “Reporting Services Reports” item in the Navigation Pane.

[caption id="attachment_674" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="SSRS Reports in Dynamics GP"][/caption]

A while back Microsoft offered two new cloud-based services that can be very beneficial to your company if you are already in the cloud or if you’re planning on moving to the cloud.

Microsoft has announced the first two accounting offerings for Dynamics GP 10.0 and GP 2010. Payment services and commerce services are the new two new services that are cloud based. Payment services have credit and debit card that is processed from Dynamics GP. Payment services work with: VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express and PayPal. The good part about it that there will be the same existing data entry screen and you don’t have to install or integrate new software and your customer benefits from this service because they have more options to make payments.

A commerce service has item catalog functions also with integration to Dynamics GP, using the same tool used to connect Dynamics CRM to Dynamics GP. This service is to support a business to consumer website it also allows you to extend your sales reach.  The great benefit about commerce service is that you can expand your sales across different channels and enabling online shopping, therefore, using another resource to increase your sales.

By: Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner

A lesser-known method for reporting on your Microsoft Dynamics GP data is through Solver’s BI360.  BI360 is an Excel-based business intelligence tool that offers out-of-the-box integration with Dynamics GP for reporting, budgeting, and dashboards.  It offers several key benefits to users:

• Familiar Environment – BI360 is an Excel add-on, which means all of your reporting is designed and displayed in the same Excel environment that you are already accustomed to.
• Simple Design – No SQL knowledge is required to design your own report or budget in BI360.  It’s a simple drag-and-drop interface that allows almost anyone in your organization to develop customized and effective reports quickly.
• Integration – BI360 automatically integrates with your Microsoft Dynamics GP environment and pulls data from GP in real-time when generating reports, so you never have to worry about synchronization.
• Easy Distribution – not only does BI360 give you an easy and effective medium to design and view custom reports, but also allows you to easily distribute static versions of your reports to non-BI360 users.

In a nutshell, BI360 is a simple tool that provides powerful Dynamics GP reporting in a familiar environment – what more do you need?

By: Rahim Jiwani, Application Specialist, WebSan Solutions Inc.

Some of us may have heard that using the ActiveX components in Microsoft IE is a bad idea. The overall system design has a very bad reputation. This notion makes sense because there’s a real hole within the security system of a user’s local computer. If you change the security level in IE (allow create and execute ActiveX components) then your system can be compromised and some random code can be executed on your system.

However, this risk could be controlled. In IE, you can create a list of “trusted” sites and apply your special security settings only to this list of sites. In other words, you allow ActiveX component only when you visit one of the trusted sites. Moreover, you can set up and control these security settings by using your company’s security group policies.

The firm’s intranet sites with corporate Web applications are the most probable candidates to be included into the list of “trusted” sites. If you control IE security settings and use ActiveX in your Web application on a “browser” side, it gives you a really powerful tool to create rich Web applications.

ActiveX can be used as a bridge between your Web application and software or even hardware on your workstation.

Basically, you can do the following from your Web application pages:

Welcome to the WebSan Solutions Blog!

This blog will feature posts about the latest ways to get the most out of your enterprise system and how to leverage a WMS to improve warehouse operations plus much more! Check back often for updates, there is also a RSS feed you can subscribe to for your convenience!