Cloud ERP Gains Ground

The cloud has been advancing steadily into the enterprise over the past years. However, many ERP users are still hesitant to move their business into the cloud.

As SaaS ERP emerges, enterprises seem to eagerly cloud-enabling their offerings. In the meantime, new organizations come on stage claiming their offerings are "true cloud" or "more cloud" than others. Thus, there is nowadays a misunderstanding in the market about what is considered as a "real cloud" solution, which makes the buying decision even more difficult for potential customers.

"As companies that have not traditionally been cloud ERP clients turn to the cloud, competition in the market will increase," said Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. "This will require customers to carefully evaluate cloud ERP vendors across specific industry benchmarks before purchasing a new cloud solution."

Business Intelligence

In 2014 Business Intelligence will be a must, since large and small organizations continue to look towards BI tools in order to benefit from data and maximize their investments in Enterprise Resource Planning solutions. Users are constantly looking for accurate and comprehensive information through visually appealing dashboards. In turn, by having real –time access to relevant data, companies can use this information proactively to make business decisions more effectively.

Mobility

Mobility is not only a trending topic but an everyday reality across most businesses. It is expected to be seamlessly integrated into business applications as part of the whole delivery experience for both customers and employees.

Security concerns have taken the Internet by storm the last couple of days since a new bug called "Heartbleed" has been exposed by Codenomicon, a Finnish security company, and Google.

Heartbleed is an exploit that compromises secure communications using OpenSSL which is typically configured on servers in a *nix environment. The bug has exposed millions of usernames, passwords and reportedly credit card numbers. It was named Heartbleed because it affects an extension to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) which engineers simply nicknamed Heartbeat. The two companies disclosed knowledge of the Heartbleed bug on Monday, but they noted that it went unnoticed for as long as two years.

SSL is one of the most commonly used encryption tools on the internet, deployed by almost 66% of all websites. If you ever see a little padlock symbol in your browser then it is likely that you are using SSL.

It's as if someone left their house not knowing the lock on the front door was broken.Could someone walk in? Yes. Have they actually walked in? No one knows.The WebSan cloud is not affected by this issue; we run state of the art security counter measures and ensure our hosting infrastructure is up to date with all security patches as well as SAS70/SSAE16 compliant. Our mandate is to keep your data safe and secure!

Doriana Kote, Web Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

If you use Microsoft Dynamics CRM, chances are you are also using the Outlook Integration that allows you to access and update CRM data directly from Microsoft Outlook. Have you now noticed that the CRM tab in Outlook has disappeared?

The most common cause of this is that the CRM add-in has been disabled in Outlook (unfortunately, why the add-in got disabled is difficult to determine). This has been known to happen in Outlook with several add-ins, but particularly CRM.

To get your CRM integration back, use the following steps:

1. In Outlook, go to File > Options
2. Select the Add-ins tab from the left side
3. Under the “Manage” dropdown at the bottom of the window, change the selection to “Disabled Items” and select the “Go…” button
4. Highlight the CRM add-in and select the “Enable” button
5. Hit OK to close the Outlook Options window

You may have to close out Outlook and restart it for the changes to take effect, but that should be all you need to get your CRM functionality back in business.

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.

WebSan Solutions has launched the Project Accounting Webinar Series, aiming to take your skills to the next level, whether you are a total beginner or an advanced user in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Why do you need Project Accounting?

By taking an ordered and logical approach to your project accounting and training methods, you will be able to cut financial costs to your overall business activity.

Also, through logical project accounting and fundamental organisation techniques, you will be able to quickly see a marked improvement in expenditure and customer satisfaction.

Each month our Project Accounting Webinar Series will cover one of the following topics:

A common issue in Dynamics GP processing is determining whether transactions originating in your sub-ledger (Sales/Purchasing Modules) have actually created a subsequent Journal Entry in financials for the specified distributions.  Clients often will post a transaction in purchasing not belonging to a batch and assume it has posted to their General Ledger. Since transactions are only posted through to the GL when belonging to a batch that has been posted, confusion often follows as to whether the correct accounts have been posted to. Perform the following steps to help reconcile and trace transaction account entries.

1) Depending on the transaction (Sales or Purchasing) document, navigate to the appropriate module in GP. For this example we will use the Sales Module

2) Upon entering the Sales module, select the Transaction by Customer option to open the Receivables Transaction Inquiry – Customer window as shown below:

3) Enter the Customer ID for the transaction which will bring up a listing of all transactions for the customer. Alternatively, you can then filter for a specific document number to narrow down your search results:

4) Once you find the document in question, select the document line such that it is highlighted and click the Document Number hyperlink (Column Title) to bring up the Sales Transaction Inquiry Zoom as shown below. Here you can view further information relating to the document (Note the date of the document for reference purposes). Once you have this window open, select Distributions:

Preparing monthly tax returns are often dreaded as the thought of pulling backup, reconciling transactions, and preparing reports is time consuming and takes a lot of effort.  Microsoft Dynamics GP has a Value-Added Tax (VAT) Daybook tool that will prepare the detailed and summarized reports needed for tax filings.

VAT is the taxes on goods and services used throughout various countries.  A VAT Report will produce a summarized tax report that can be used to remit taxes.  It will summarize the total taxes charged on sales and total taxes paid to vendors.  It will also produce a finalized tax return form used to remit.

Traditionally, users use the general ledger and/or trial balances to remit taxes.  However, with the VAT Daybook, it can now automatically produce the report without manual updates/manipulations to prepare a tax return report.

The advantage of using a VAT daybook is that it will capture any transactions posted to prior periods that were not remitted in the tax return.  It will eliminate reporting errors when a user reports using the general ledger.

This function also allows a user to review the tax return before submitting.  The draft and finalized reports are easy to follow and for readers that need to review before submitting, the reports generated have a systematic flow and a reader does not need to flip back and forth between pages to find a trail of where figures are coming from.

WebSan Solutions leverages an online learning environment to offer a comprehensive online training solution for Microsoft Dynamics GP. We created a catalogue of Dynamics GP courses in our Learning Management System (LMS) with rich content, including multimedia such as videos, documents, presentations and embedded video conferencing. Also, we developed a variety of learning activities with tests that assess and reinforce what trainees have learned.

Our e - Training solution puts emphasis on usability and aims at offering a solid learning experience with the minimum possible hassle. Using a set of e-learning tools, users can understand and apply procedures easily at the convenience of their own time and place. Plus, our system is mobile friendly and you can easily work on your course 24/7 using your tablet or smartphone device.

Throughout each course, users can ask their instructor questions any time directly through the learning management system. At the same time, instructors will be able to have a clear overview of their progress with detailed reports and manage their individual needs accordingly.

With a variety of courses for both beginners and advanced users, we can help you build fundamental knowledge in Microsoft Dynamics GP. From General Ledger and Accounts Payable to Project Accounting and Purchase Order Processing, you will find the right training to fit your needs. What is more, you have the option to setup your company’s unique course catalogue customized to your business in a secure and encrypted channel for all data communication.

All in all, WebSan Solutions aims at delivering Dynamics GP training programs that combine simplicity and efficiency.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is a powerful accounting system with enhanced report design capabilities that will certainly improve your decision making processes. Microsoft Office and Microsoft Dynamics GP offer what is known as Office Data Connection (ODC), a method to integrate both systems and allow users to view Dynamics GP data in an Excel worksheet. This means, you can view your Microsoft Dynamics GP data in your MS Excel and have it refreshable at any time.

Not only are there more than 200 out of the box Excel reports included in the core system but also users can design and customize Excel reports to meet the individual needs of their businesses. These reports retrieve data from the Dynamics GP SQL database, thus offering real time reporting.

Furthermore, you do not have to be a user in Microsoft Dynamics GP to have the ability to view the Excel reports that come with the system. By using Windows Authentication and setting appropriate permissions for security, anyone in your company will be able to see these reports.

Finally, the default Excel Reports in Dynamics GP are created from the existing SmartList favourites. They are basically Excel files that can be tailored to the user’s needs and provide you with the familiar look and environment of Microsoft Office Excel. In addition, if you need extra customized Excel reports for your business, you can use the Excel Report Builder that comes with the SmartList Builder, though you will have to get a separate license for it.

If you want to learn more about Excel Reporting in Dynamics GP, join our free webinar on February 19, at 11 am EST and find out how to create powerful and easy to read reports.

With the 48^th NFL Super Bowl around the corner and the teams competing for the big prize, let’s take the chance to find out how Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 can relate to this sports event.

Microsoft successfully introduced Dynamics CRM 2013 to the sports industry by releasing special industry standard templates for free including a sports management template. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 sports management industry template has been developed particularly for helping sport clubs in their efforts for recruitment, ticket sales and various opportunities.

Following is a list of the template’s features:

• Dashboards for performance management by athlete and/or team, ticket sales, recruitment status and team standings
• Business Processes to manage recruitment, opportunities and ticket sales
• Business rules, workflows, and security roles to support the business processes.
• Custom entities including drug tests, event management, merchandise sale, profile album, injuries, results, scout reports and ticket sales
• Sports demo to experiment with the different capabilities of the solution

Notice here that this solution is only a template for customizations in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. WebSan Solutions offers a hosted Dynamics CRM solution along with other integrated end-to-end software to improve your company’s efficiency. We simply provide you with peace of mind by taking care of all your business needs so you can enjoy the Super Bowl game. Take advantage of Dynamics CRM’s versatility and contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more.

Doriana Kote, Web Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

We are proud to announce the new features released with our Time and Expense Management System version 4.3. Expense group uploads, General Ledger uploads and overriding default supervisors are a few of the new enhancements that have been added to our system.

Expense Group Uploads

This feature will enable the upload of multi-user expense files. That is, specified users set in the security options have the ability to upload expenses for submission on behalf of other users. So if your department is responsible for submitting expenses, you can now gather all the expense sheets and submit them at once.

General Ledger Uploads

Upload journal entries through a downloadable template and synch them to your Microsoft Dynamics GP General Ledger.

If you are in the market for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system or you are just not satisfied with your current CRM solution, then you should consider Microsoft Dynamics CRM for the following reasons:

One of the main advantages of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is its familiar look and feel. If you are using Microsoft Outlook and/or Microsoft Internet Explorer, then you will find Dynamics CRM's interface very user-friendly. Research has proven that employees spend a significant amount of time daily using their Microsoft Outlook account. Compared to other CRM vendors, Microsoft doesn’t have to worry about integrating Dynamics CRM to Outlook because this is an inherent feature of Microsoft’s CRM solution.

Another reason to consider Microsoft Dynamics CRM for your business needs is flexibility. Not only can the system be customized to support your tailored needs but also the total cost of ownership (TOC) provides the best value in the market.

Last but not least, Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a unified customer experience, connecting your employees around the world and empowering them with an integrated yet localized set of tools for success.

WebSan Solutions offers a robust hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution along with other integrated, end-to-end business solutions.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has been a growing trend in the last couple of years. Any business owner knows that your sales team is only as good as the tools and the people it employs. Dynamics CRM is the right solution for your unique business needs because your sales team is able to market and sell your goods or services efficiently and effectively.

Sales people need a way to monitor, track and record sales force automation, marketing campaigns and funnel management. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 focuses on 5 aspects of the sales cycle: Sales, customer care, marketing, social and technology.

Here is a list of benefits that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 as to offer:

• Easily configurable
• Powerful tablet applications
• Touch-optimized phone applications
• Communicate with ease (Microsoft Lync, Skype, Yammer)
• Real Time Workflow
• Enhanced business processes

At WebSan Solutions, we offer robust, integrated end-to-end software solutions for managing your business.

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

Cloud computing has become the rule and not the exception for applications in today’s business world. It is with no doubt the default IT platform and the reality is a lot of organizations use multiple cloud environments delivered within different platforms.

The challenge of managing these cloud environments in a consistent way has created the need for what is known as cloud brokerage. That is, a third-party, vendor-neutral business that serves as a single point of contact when working with multiple providers. Cloud service brokers help users benefit from best-in-class offerings from different providers, while keeping the back end simplified.

Another trend is to certify trustworthy cloud providers. Certified clouds will lead to better take up and wider use of different services with the assurance they bring. After the NSA revelations, there has been an increasing need for cloud security in the business world that can be reassured by cloud certifications. WebSan Solutions has already amplified the importance of security by maintaining its hosted Dynamics GP solution in its state-of-the-art Tier II SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre located in Toronto, Canada.

Finally, cloud - based applications are gradually gaining ground against on-premise software. Taking into account there is a Google or IOS application for almost everything in today's business world, people can work on one device, either it is a desktop, tablet or mobile and then stop and pick up right where they left off on a different device in another location.

Doriana Kote, Web Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

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. 

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. 

Saturday’s ice storm was one of the worst ice storms in Toronto’s history. A utility company described the ice story as‘ far worse than imagined. Forestry crews have been brought in to help cut up and move massive tree limbs littering streets and roadways. Over 225,000 homes and businesses are still without heat and light across the city. The city is currently working to restore power and heat across Toronto. (Source: metronews)

It was business as usual here at WebSan Solutions! We experienced no issues throughout the storm and our backup generating system was on standby if needed. Our Microsoft Dynamics GP Hosted environment was up and running without a hitch. You always have access to your data, through our secure network, in our SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre!

WebSan Solutions is dedicated to helping all businesses make better business decisions by improving their access to important company data and information, in rain or shine!

Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

WebSan Solutions is featured again in the Globe and Mail Challenge Revisited column, where experts provide advice to help small and medium – sized companies overcome key issues. This time WebSan, is showcasing the challenge of clients failing to stick to their testing and training schedules.

Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc., explains how he had a problem that was spiralling out of control. “How do I manage a positive client relationship while enforcing my contractual terms?” he wondered last spring.

Check out the full article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/the-challenge/what-happens-when-customers-are-naughty-not-nice/article16003601/

Doriana Kote, Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

As 2013 comes to a close, we are all considering our New Year’s Resolutions to make 2014 the best year ever. This is a great opportunity to consider last minute adjustments for fine-tuning your business. Remember to follow all the recommended year-end procedures so that all associated systems are ready for the challenges of the New Year.

• Reconcile all your books - Prepare your Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement, Statement of Cash Flows and Statement of Retained Earnings.
• Complete the posting procedures and the closing procedures for all relevant modules.
• Post the final adjusting entries in General Ledger.
• Make a backup.
• Print any year-end financial statements that are required.
• Set up a new fiscal year.
• Close the fiscal year.

Another thing to verify as part of the year-end closing process is the company’s backup procedures. Many organizations have poor or non-existent backup procedures. If there is a hardware failure, the organization may not have a secure offsite copy of its business data to ensure things can pick back up quickly. WebSan provides top cloud security with our Hosted Dynamics GP solution, maintained in our state-of-the-art SAS 70 certified data centre located in Toronto

If you want to learn more about year-end procedures in Microsoft Dynamics GP, join our webinar on Thursday, December 19^th, at 11:00 am EST and learn how to successfully close your books.

We help you make it a success every year!

Doriana Kote, Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013

Learn more about Dynamics GPView Dynamics GP PricingFree Dynamics GP Training

Printers get jammed!  It happens ... sometimes even when you are printing a cheque.  Fear not, there is a solution.  If your GP environment does not allow Duplicate Cheque Numbers (as per the Chequebook Maintenance window), you can simply add (or subtract) a leading zero from the Next Cheque Number field & voila, its a new, UNIQUE cheque number for GP to use.

Adam MacIntosh is a Senior Account & Project Manager with WebSan Solutions Inc, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner and 2013 Canadian Channel Elite Awards Silver Winner.  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.

It is essential to promptly prepare your Bank Reconciliation and reconcile the transactions of your bank statement to the transactions in your General Ledger. In this way, you will match your cash balance in the bank with your company’s financial records. Bank reconciliation usually occurs at the end of the month; however some smaller companies might perform it daily.

What happens though if you want to edit or delete a transaction that has already been entered and posted in Bank Reconciliation? You should use the Bank Transaction Entry window to void the transaction. The following steps will show you how to void a bank transaction:

• First, open the Bank Transaction Entry window by going to Transactions-Financial-Bank Transactions
• Then choose Void Transaction
• Type or select the checkbook ID for the particular transaction you want to void
• Select or type the transaction number to void and make sure the transaction has been distributed
• Select Void to void the transaction. Now the checkbook has been updated and the distributions have been posted to GL
• Exit from the Bank Transaction Entry window. Notice that the Bank Transaction Posting Journal has been printed. An asterisk (*) will indicate which Transactions have been voided since you opened the window

If you want to learn more about Bank Reconciliation, join WebSan University, WebSan’s comprehensive e - Training solution for Microsoft Dynamics GP. This month’s course on November 28^th, focuses on Bank Reconciliation in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Videos, tests and a lot more of interactive documentation will help you understand and apply procedures easily in the convenience of your own time and place.

Doriana Kote, Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Channel Elite Awards Winner for 2013