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.

If you have used Microsoft’s Business Portal solution for tracking your employee time and expenses even once in the past, you will definitely understand the meaning of this title. Do you find Business Portal too complicated for your business needs? Are you looking for a simpler and more effective way to track your employee time towards clients and projects?

WebSan Solutions offers a robust, out of the box Time & Expense Management System that keeps track of your employee’s time and expenses easily. Our system not only allows you to record your time and expenses, but also you can request and approve time off for holiday, vacation or sick time as well as create and approve Purchase Requisitions. What is more, all of these options are accompanied by powerful and flexible reporting tools in order to review your progress in a presentable manner.

This September 2013, we are releasing the newest version 4.0 of our Time and Expense Management System for all hosted and on-premise clients. The updated version will include enhanced user settings and group management features to provide better control to system administrators. Additionally, new menus, dynamic resizing and re-designed color schemes make user environment and navigation more appealing.

For more information, you can view our Time & Expense Management System in action or contact us to request a demo.

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

Our Time and Expense Management System offered by WebSan Solutions Inc. allows the employee to easily include and process any expenses that he or she may incur on a company credit card, along with any expenses that were not processed through the company credit card.

This feature is great for the finance department, as they don’t need to do any additional work on their end to process the expense, or to make sure that the appropriate amounts get paid to the employee and the credit card issuer.  All that work is done by the employee who incurred the expense.

When an employee is set up with a company credit card, all he or she needs to do when entering in an expense, is to select the option in the drop down box that is provided and the system automatically sets up payments in Microsoft Dynamics GP to be paid to the credit card vendor for the marked entries.

By: Matt Locke, Application Developer, WebSan Solutions Inc. a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner and 2013 Canadian Channel Elite Awards Finalist.

It's a Friday afternoon, 3pm, going into a long weekend. You are already going to hit traffic heading up to the cottage if you leave now, however it won't be as bad as in a couple of hours. You just finished a modified SOP Blank Invoice Form and would like to import it into your client's production environment. As you click the import button in Customization Maintenance, your heart starts to race as you cross your fingers and pray that the REPORTS.DIC file is not locked by any users....and you get the "Unable to open customizations dictionary" message. The afternoon sun will have to wait until tomorrow.

When importing customized reports through Customization Maintenance, users accessing the reporting dictionary will need to log out of Dynamics GP to have the report import successfully. This can be a pain and a scheduling nightmare for users and yourself alike. "There has to be a better way!" Well, luckily, there is. If you have access to the REPORTS.DIC file found in the "Microsoft Dynamics/GP/Data" directory, then you can import the modified report straight from this dictionary file using Report Writer (this is assuming that you developed the report in a test environment and would now like to push it through to production). To do this, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Copy the REPORTS.DIC file from your test environment to a local or network shared drive that is accessible from the production server.

Step 2: Log into the production environment with 'POWERUSER' access and launch Report Writer (Microsoft Dynamics GP menu >> Tools> Customize >> Report Writer).

Step 3:  Click 'Report', then click the 'Import' button:

WebSan Support plans are available for purchase online using PayPal and all major credit cards.  Enable your team to get the cost-effective support it needs.  Get started now!

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

Want to learn more about Dynamics GP, enroll in one of our WebSan University courses.  Course are instructor lead, contain certification tests & all students receive a certification of completion.

Our next course in August 29th from 1 - 5 pm.

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

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

In recent news, there has been an uproar amongst US companies regarding the NSA Prism Program.

It’s been said that the US government had direct access to data stored on servers of well-known companies; this news was leaked by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

"The PRISM disclosures are damaging, and I think I'm prepared to speculate extremely damaging to commercial firms that have offered cloud and related kinds of services, and that do or would benefit from efficient cross-border data flows," says Philip Verveer, the former U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy at the State Department.

With that being said, we at WebSan Solutions believe that everyone should have a right to have secure data.

WebSan Solutions Inc. has a SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre, located in Toronto Canada. We can assure our customers our its data center operations meet the higher level of quality. Independent auditors review WebSan's processes, policies, and procedures and validate our security, availability, and operating integrity.

Andrew King, Managing Director at WebSan Solutions shares 10 different tips and tricks about Microsoft Dynamics GP. Watch the following video to learn more:

WebSan Solutions offers an online (SaaS) hosted-enterprise business software solution, leveraging the vast capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics GP. For more information, please contact us.

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

Project Accounting connects project activities with company financials and provides extensive reporting capabilities. Watch the following video to learn about invoicing, posting costs from Purchasing as well as timesheets and revenue recognition:

WebSan Solutions offers an online (SaaS) hosted-enterprise business software solution, leveraging the vast capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics GP. If you are interested in GP Project Accounting, please contact us for more information.

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

Join our growing & diverse team at WebSan.  We have a number of positions currently available & offer a wide range of benefits.

See our Careers page for more information.

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

Wouldn't you like to look sharper than your competitors? Then training is what makes your employees stay within your company or stand out from those at another.

Corporate training is an extremely valuable resource because it gives your employees a sense of empowerment. Once you invest in programs to help them enhance their skills and boost their knowledge they will feel better about working for your company. In turn, this fact will improve company retention rates and is an excellent motivational tool.

WebSan University is taking corporate training to a whole new level by offering live, instructor - led online courses. For more information on WebSan University and our upcoming course Microsoft Dynamics GP General Ledger, visit our website or contact us here.

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

Want to learn how better management of billable hours can help you become more profitable?  Contact us to get a free assessment of your financial accounting software!

OR

Want a Demo of Dynamics GP.  Request one for free!

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

In October 2009 I wrote a blog about using Checklists in GP.  I find this blog is still useful today as I have clients wherein turnover has forced the need to document processes within the system.  Checklist are the perfect tool to allow these processes to be documented.  See my blog below:

Lots of us make checklists for a variety of tasks from grocery shopping to complex projects.  Microsoft Dynamics GP offers built in checklists in the Routines section of every module that can help walk users through a diverse range of topics.

Once you have accessed the appropriate Checklists window, ensure the frequency is appropriate for the checklist you are about to create.  Click Add to create a link to a Microsoft Dynamics GP window.  Name the checklist item & select the appropriate in the Command (Dynamics GP window).  Once your list is complete, order the items appropriately by using the Up & Down buttons.  Now every time a user performs this particular task, all they are required to do is click the checklist item in order & populate the fields with new data.

Checklists are particularly beneficial when turnover is an issue or roles require extensive training.  Two tasks I recommend clients create checklists for are performing payroll & completing year-end.  Mistakes made performing either of these functions can have wide-reaching effects.  In my next blog, I will cover a few tasks that should be on your year-end checklist.

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

This year we are honored to be selected as a finalist in 5 categories for the Channel Elite Awards 2013. Every year IT Solution Providers are recognized from the Canadian Dealer News (CDN) for their innovation, leadership and commitment to creating value for their customers.

WebSan Solutions Inc. is running as a finalist for the following 5 categories:

• Provider of the Year
• Best Small Business Solution
• Best Mid-Market Solution
• Best Enterprise Solution
• Best Service Organization

The winners of this year’s Channel Elite Awards will be announced at the awards ceremony on September 11^th, 2013 in Woodbridge, Ontario.

We are proud of our team and the amazing work they do.

Wish Us Luck!

Dynamics GP allows users to enter invoices through a number of different methods.  When first accessing the invoicing windows in GP, users will often encounter a system alert warning them of the fact that they have multiple windows with which to enter the data.  Without intervention, this warning will always appear for users moving forward.

To get rid of this warning, run your GP Utilities (from your Start menu).  In the Additional Tasks window, select the ‘Remove SOP and Invoicing message’.  Proceed to uncheck ‘Warn in Sales Order Processing’ & ‘Warn in Invoicing’.  When complete, the warning will be gone forever.

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

Many times, usually around month-end, I will get a call from a client that has a mis-match between their sub-ledger balance & their General Ledger.  The first thing I will ask them is whether or not all batches in their Financial Series Post are posted.  You can see from the screenshot below that GP will automatically create a number of batches in the Financial module after transactions have been posted in the Sales or Purchasing modules.  Company configurations can vary, however, in general, a transaction posted individually in a subsidiary ledger will have to also be verified & posted in the Financial Series Post before it will affect the GL.  Most transactions that are saved in the Financial Series Post have already affect the appropriate sub-ledger but NOT the General Ledger.

I advise clients to clear out all entries in the Financial Series Post daily to ensure accurate reporting and to be able to deal with any issues as they arise.

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

We have all heard about the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon in which employees bring their own computing devices to their work, such as their laptops, tablets or even smartphones to complete their job tasks more conveniently. Now Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) is arising and reshaping the world of IT management.

Bring your own cloud is a concept about employees being allowed to use public or private third-party cloud services to perform certain job roles, according to techopedia. Many of the services are web based and cross-platform with Dropbox being probably the most famous among them. Other popular personal cloud services are iCloud, Google Drive and SkyDrive. Additionally, these private cloud services are free to use under a certain storage limit, usually between 2 and 5 GB which is enough for storing emails, documents and other raw data.

Therefore, these BYOC services offer an efficient option for storing files off-device for greater protection, automatic backup and constant availability. However, at the same time they provide an avenue for corporate users to compromise security by storing important data outside the company’s secure barriers. The concern here is not about the Bring Your Own Cloud trend taking over the Bring Your Own Device. The real question is:

How securely can the two concepts coexist in a corporate environment, where you cannot really stop users from using private cloud services when they bring their own devices?

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

Most office staff today perform a lot of analysis in Excel.  Staff are comfortable in Excel & familiar with its various functions.  As a result, staff may prefer to upload general journal entries through an excel based template.  Many times, large entries, such as those to a payroll clearing account, may need to be calculated in Excel before they can be entered in the system.  When staff already have the entry in Excel, its very convenient to be able to directly upload into GP.  As such, WebSan offers it's clients an Excel based Journal Entry upload tool capable of handling multiple journal entries spanning as many lines as required.

All customers should ensure their ERP partner / VAR offers the same baseline functionality in their system.

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

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.