Microsoft Great Plains Subcontracting - Overview for Microsoft Business Solutions Partner

It is common norm on the MRP market, when mid-size accounting software requires professional installing, support, data migration and reports design. Microsoft Business Solutions sells GP through its business partner channel, securing proper software implementation support. Let's quickly review typical installation and setup scenarios:

1. Installing. Installation has two parts: server and client. You should be ready to host Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2000 on your server in order to implement Great Plains Dynamics. In simple case - you have just one office where you install the server and user workstations, however if you have multiple offices, you have two (or more) options, usually: either VPN connection to your central location, or Remote Desktop connection to your GP application server

2. Initial Data Setup. Here you can try to do just initial balances in your General Ledger and master records import: customers, vendors, employees, addresses, GL accounts. We recommend you first to consider simple initial balances only and keep your old accounting application for historical data lookup. In some cases you have to do more complex data conversion with history migration

3. Data conversion. Here you export your historical AR, AP, Payroll, GL data from your legacy accounting system, then sort of massage it in Excel and import into GP via Integration Manager or via direct SQL insert method. IM is preferred method, in some cases Integration Manager doesn't have connectors to help you, especially when you are deploying add-ons or third party ISV modules - if ISV doesn't have integration option, then you deploy SQL stored procedures and scripts

4. User Training. When you implement GP in your organization, the implementation is typically very specific and common ERP training may be too generic to help you work out your data entry and transactions approval and posting procedures. You can send your key employees for customer training in generic GP navigation and probably IT support, and we recommend you to hire your GP implementation partner (MBS VAR) to train your users more precisely, having your business processes addressed

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP/MRP applications in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, South Africa, Latin America. Considering high number of new Microsoft Great Plains partners and the desire to subcontract occasional customization, integration and reporting projects, we would like to advise you on Microsoft Great Plains subcontracting guidelines, based on our experience in dealing with Great Plains VARs
Great Plains allows you to grant access to so-called alternate and modified alternate Microsoft Great Plains forms and reports - this is where you enable our customization to take over standard logic. Please, invest reasonable resources into GP basics, before you get in touch with nation-wide subcontractor

o Central REPORTS.DIC - this is critical to serve mid-size and large clients. Usually you create your custom Sales Order Processing (SOP) invoice form from one of the GP workstations and then place your reports on the server. If you use IT subcontractors - these folks should be trained on installing new Great Plains workstations (or you should insist on working via terminal server/Citrix)

o Remote Support. The best scenario is VPN with remote desktop access (Windows XP Pro or Windows 2000 Pro). VPN will allow SQL Enterprise manager connect over the secured VPN connection. Less desired scenario would be Websession or PCAnywhere.

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns - we are here to help! USA VPN Only With PerfectVPN.NET & SeekVPN.COM, The Apple iPad Offers an Amazing Array of Functionality, Great Plains Support - Web Sessions and Remote Access Technology, The Apple iPad Offers an Amazing Array of Functionality, Great Plains Support - Web Sessions and Remote Access Technology, Great Plains Support - Web Sessions and Remote Access Technology, The Apple iPad Offers an Amazing Array of Functionality, USA VPN Only With PerfectVPN.NET & SeekVPN.COM, The Apple iPad Offers an Amazing Array of Functionality, Great Plains Support - Web Sessions and Remote Access Technology

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