Creating a GP 2010 installation package

Andy Nifong has a nice look at Creating a GP 2010 installation package.

Get More Information From FRx Using Transaction Detail Drilldown

Jan Harrigan from FRx Buzz has a nice look at drill down functionality in FRx. If you’re not an experienced FRx user this is a great place to start.

Upgrades and the DUinstall.log

Sandip looks at an upgrade problem and how the DUinstall.log file helped with troubleshooting in his incredibly long titled post: There was a problem ascertaining product version information. Microsoft Dynamics GP Utilities will now exit. Check DUinstall.log for more information.

How to get Great Dynamics GP News using RSS Feeds

Amy Walsh has a great new post up introducing people to RSS feeds. If you’re not keeping up with Dynamics GP information using RSS feeds you’re doing it the hard way. Check out Amy’s post How to get Great Dynamics GP News using RSS Feeds for an easier way.

Why making the Dex.ini file read only is evil

David Musgrave has a great post up looking at Why making the Dex.ini file read only is evil. We don’t use “evil” enough in Dynamics GP blogging. We should do more of that.

Updates to SQL view to show all GL distributions for AP transactions

Victoria Yudin has updated her SQL view to show all GL distributions for AP transactions. Even better, I needed a script just like this. Thanks Victoria!

Importing Unparsed Addresses Into Dynamics GP - Part 2

Steve Endow is back with the details of how he dealt with parsing addresses in Importing Unparsed Addresses Into Dynamics GP - Part 2.

Weekly Dynamic: Counting AP Transactions

I’ve got some SQL code that generates metrics about Dynamics GP transactions. I don’t think that I’ve done a good job of highlighting these in the past so I’m going to sprinkle them in to some of the Weekly Dynamics. This week it’s AP metrics.

This code came from a situation where we changed AP entry personnel. After a couple of months the new individual was complaining that they couldn’t keep up. We were growing but we weren’t growing that much so I wrote some SQL code to show how many AP transactions were being processed per week, since we cut checks weekly. We wanted to see:

1. How many AP vouchers were being entered per week
2. How many checks were cut per week
3. How many AP vouchers were entered EXCLUDING P.O. based invoices that were handled by someone else.

We cut checks on Thursdays so for us, Friday was the start of a week for payables.The code adjusts for that. Simply change “Friday” to you week beginning day and adjust the other days accordingly. A generic version of the code is included below and works in Fabrikam. It also works with all of the data already in Dynamics GP. This version uses DocDate which worked for us. It could also be changed to use posting date. The goal is not absolute data but change over time. A little imprecision due to the occasional old DocDate doesn’t change the trend enough to matter.

The code already in the SQL Scripts area and can be downloaded directly from this link.

Oh that employee, she wasn’t keeping up. AP volume had been steady. The amounts had been going up but the actual transaction volume was the same. The size of an AP voucher is generally irrelevant to how long it takes to enter after it has been approved. We also found (as expected) that the last and first weeks of each month had the heaviest AP entry volume.

-----------------------------------------------------

--The core is a view to collect all of the data

--AP Voucher Count per Week

--Create View to count AP Vouchers by Week
--View is needed to include data from both open and history tables with union
--Case statement used to select end of week
--Assumes end of week is Friday. Renaming days in order is fastest way to change this.
--To make Sunday the end of the week, put Sunday in the first line, then Monday, etc.

Create View Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek as

--Get Open AP
Select
--Get end of week
Case 
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Friday' then Docdate
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Saturday' then dateadd(Day,6,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Sunday' then dateadd(Day,5,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Monday' then dateadd(Day,4,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Tuesday' then dateadd(Day,3,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Wednesday' then dateadd(Day,2,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Thursday' then dateadd(Day,1,docdate)
else '01/01/1900' end as WeekEndDate, DocDate, VchrNmbr, DocType, Bchsourc
from pm20000

--Get History AP
Union

Select
Case 
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Friday' then Docdate
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Saturday' then dateadd(Day,6,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Sunday' then dateadd(Day,5,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Monday' then dateadd(Day,4,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Tuesday' then dateadd(Day,3,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Wednesday' then dateadd(Day,2,docdate)
when datename(weekday,docdate) = 'Thursday' then dateadd(Day,1,docdate)
else '01/01/1900' end as WeekEndDate, DocDate, VchrNmbr, DocType, Bchsourc
from pm30200

Go

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first query then counts all Dynamics GP Vouchers per week
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--SQL Query for APVoucherCount
--Use Weekenddate in where clause to limit range
--This is ALL AP Voucher transactions.
--Uses Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek View

Select WeekendDate, Count(VCHRNMBR) as AllVoucherCount
from Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek
--Exclude Payments
Where Doctype<>6
group by WeekendDate

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--The second query counts checks cut.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--AP Check Count per Week
--Uses Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek View
--Use WeekEndDate to limit range
--This is checks cut during a particular week

Select WeekendDate, Count(VCHRNMBR) as ChecksCut
from Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek
--Include Only payments
Where Doctype=6
group by WeekendDate

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--The third query counts vouchers and excludes PO/Inventory match created transactions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--AP voucher count per Week Excluding PO Transactions
--Uses Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek View
--This is AP Voucher transactions but it excludes PO based transactions since that work is usually done
--by a different department and its entry is transparent to the AP group.

Select WeekendDate, Count(VCHRNMBR) as VoucherCountxPO
from Metrics_APVoucherCountWeek
--Include Only payments
Where Doctype<>6 and bchsourc<>'rcvg Trx Ivc'
group by WeekendDate

Patriotic Theme this Week

With Independence Day coming up here in the U.S. on the 4th of July I’ve chosen a patriotic theme for the blog background this week.

Dynamics GP 2010 More “What’s New” in Field Service

Over at DynamicsCare Amy Walsh looks at “What’s New” in Field Service. and some great snack videos to show off the functionality.

Dynamics GP 2010 Developer Toolkit Documentation

Continuing our development mini theme, Steve Endow points us to the tough to find Dynamics GP 2010 Developer Toolkit Documentation.

Dexterity and IntelliSense: It's time to vote!

Following up on Mariano’s post yesterday, you can now go and vote for;Intellisense like functionality to be added to Dexterity.

Menus for Visual Studio Tools Build 9 Released

It’s shaping up to be a developer focused day here in the Dynamics GP universe. Let’s start with Menus for Visual Studio Tools Build 9 being Released  via Developing for Dynamics GP.

Three Tips for Avoiding the Dirty Data Trap

David Funk of McGladrey contributes Three Tips for Avoiding the Dirty Data Trap via the ERP Software Blog.

Drill Down Builder Deep Dive

ComputerationDynamics has a nice look at GP 2010’s new Drill Down builder in their GP 2010 Feature #6: Drill Down Builder Deep Dive post.

How to Sort EFT Check Remittance by Vendor Name

Over at at DynamicsCare, Amy Walsh has a nice look at How to Sort EFT Check Remittance by Vendor Name. You don’t necessarily need them in order to mail them but if you keep a copy for filing this is important.

Importing Unparsed Addresses Into Dynamics GP

Steve Endow looks at the challenges of Importing Unparsed Addresses Into Dynamics GP . I recently had to do this as well for an ongoing integration. Fortunately, I didn’t have the international address issues that Steve did. Be aware that this is part 1 post and Steve leaves us hanging.

Creating Price Level Based On Existing Price Level

Real Life Dynamics User has another new SQL Script available for Dynamics GP. This one looks at Creating Price Levels Based On Existing Price Levels

SQL View – Customers

Real Life Dynamics GP User has posted a unified view for Customer information including notes.

Dexterity and IntelliSense

Mariano really wants IntelliSense like functionality for Dexterity.

32 Ways to Keep Your Blog from Sucking

David Musgrave has gone off topic (sort of) for a look at Scott Hanselman’s 32 Ways to Keep Your Blog from Sucking. It’s not strictly GP related of course but then again. we don’t want any sucky GP blog either.

Using ORDER BY in a SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 View

Steve Endow has an interesting look at Using ORDER BY in a SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 View. Like Steve, I usually have to deal with this in ultimate delivery tool be that Excel, SSRS, SmartList Builder, whatever.

Weekly Review: Partial Month End Closing

At month end we tend to close module categories as they are finished. Done with AP? Check the Purchasing box and close the whole module. Every once in a while we get burned though. We balance the bank accounts but leave the whole Financial module open so that we can finish up JE's. Then someone posts a bank transaction into the month we're trying to close. Now the completed bank rec doesn't match the GL any more.

Well, you can get fine grain control of closing periods. Simply go to Tools->Setup->Company->Fiscal Periods, just as you always would, and then pick Mass Close. (I know, dumb name if you're using it this way.)

Limit the selections to the Series and Periods you want (Financial, Period 2 for example). Here you can check the boxes to close Bank Transactions, Bank Deposits and Bank Transfers, thus preventing them from posting while leaving GL, Clearing and Quick entries open for final adjusting entries. This works with all the modules (close PO's but leave AP open for example) to give you better control over the close.

A couple of observations:
1) If modules are partially closed at month end, the checkbox for the full module remains unchecked (i.e.: if you close Bank Trx, the main Financial box is still unchecked)
2) The main month end close boxes override the ones checked via Mass Close. So if you close Bank Trx, later close the Financial Module and then reopen the Financial Module for a last minute transaction, you've also reopened the ability to post Bank Transactions for that period.

Posted by Mark at 2/26/2007 09:57:00 AM

SmartList Builder based on SQL View not returning data

David Musgrave has a great look at a SQL view that works in SQL Management Studio but doesn’t work in a SmartList Builder view. David shows us the cause and the fix.

Update: Fixed Link

Account Level Security Setup

Mohammad Daoud has a great look at setting up Account Level Security. The only addition I would make is to turn on the Account Level Security checkbox last if you are doing this in a production environment. If you don’t, the chart of accounts disappears for all user not yet setup with Account Level Security. It’s rough on the career.

One Version of the Truth

I’ve got a new article up on MSDynamicsWorld.com looking at reporting and business intelligence around Dynamics GP. It’s titled,

Does Microsoft Dynamics GP Deliver One Version of the Truth to Your Organization?

Dynamic Solution: WilloWare GP PowerPack

This is the first installment of our new Dynamic Solution feature. The goal of this feature is to highlight third party solutions that can make a difference in your business. I’ve highlighted WilloWare’s free Spellcheck before but today we are looking at their GP PowerPack collection.
The GP PowerPack is a massive collection of enhancements for Microsoft Dynamics GP. There is a core set of features that include highlights like pop-up sticky note alerts for master records, AP templates for complex AP transactions and bin to bin transfers. In addition there is a set of very reasonably priced tweaks. Again, this is a massive collection of little improvement, all it takes for a couple of these items to be critical for your business to make the PowerPack worthwhile. Visit the site for the full list, they do a great job of highlighting the major features but I want pick out a couple of minor features that can have a huge impact.

• Next Number Generator – This comes up a lot and it’s easy to write custom code to do this but upgrading a 3rd party product is often easier than maintaining custom code over time.
• Lock Notes Field – Again a common request is to be able to lock down notes fields.
• Posting Controls - Set an allowed maximum dollar amount that a user is allowed to approve/post.   Posting Controls are set on a per-user, per-document basis, and are available for virtually every window in Dynamics GP with a Post button.
• Vendor Approvals - Vendor Approvals can be used to make sure that new Vendors are automatically placed on Hold.  Administrators can specify which users are authorized to remove the Vendor Hold.This is a huge control point to prevent vendor fraud and will make auditor’s smile. It’s also a great way to control 1099 setup. Without 1099 information, an AP supervisor can refuse to release the vendor hold until the information is provided. This will become a critical feature since most vendors will now get a 1099 starting in 2012 and the fines for missing information are going up.

The beauty of a suite like this is that a couple of features justify the price and a ton of other enhancements come along too. The list of features is just too long to show here. Hit the WilloWare GP Power Pack website for all of the specifics.

SQL Script – Default Item Class GL Accounts

Real Life Dynamics User is back with another SQL script. This time he looks at the Default Item Class GL Accounts.

How Not to Annoy Your Consulting Manager

After my partner focused post on How Not to Annoy Your Consultants went up at The Death of Reason, Dwight Specht posted a complimentary article, How Not to Annoy Your Consulting Manager. Some would call this a rebuttal, I would not since Dwight is involved in my review. I would however call it a great article. Having been on the management side of several companies Dwight has a lot of valid points.

This topic seems to have struck a chord since the number of people viewing it was through the roof. If you’re a partner, read both to see what all the fuss is about.

Change your Account Segment Names

Leslie is changing everything today. First it was Fiscal Period names and now it’s Account Segment Names. Well she’s right of course so go see how at her new post Change your Account Segment Names.

Change your Fiscal Period Names

Leslie Vail has a new post up encouraging users to Change your Fiscal Period Names! I have to agree. If you are still using Period 1, Period 2, etc. read Leslie’s post and do something about it.

Dynamics Confessor Blogspot: You NEED this book by Mark Polino!

Fellow MVP Leslie Vail is pretty excited about my upcoming Dynamics GP book, the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Cookbook. You can tell by her blog post: You NEED this book by Mark Polino!

Leslie is in a unique position to know, she helped with the technical edits on the book, making sure that I didn’t color too far outside of the lines. That means that Leslie got to read through the raw manuscript and help make it better. If she likes it this much from the raw manuscript, you’re going to love it.

On a side note, you can now sign up at Amazon.com to be notified when the book is available BUT they misspelled my name. My publisher is working with Amazon to get it fixed but for now I’m Marie-Noelle Polino. If you hurry you can see it here. Let the abuse begin.

Even better, just pre-order the book from the publisher with a 10% discount now. They managed to get my name right.

IM - Integration Manager Service Packs

Mariano has a nice look at service packs for Integration Manager.

SQL Views – Active Chart of Accounts

Real Life Dynamics User is back with another SQL view. This one shows all of the active accounts in the chart of accounts.

The Coolest GP 2010 Features

I’m doing a weekly series for a few weeks over DynamicsCare looking at what I think are the coolest features of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010. I’m starting with what I like about some of the big features and then moving to some cool stuff that has gotten less publicity. Check it out at the DynamicsCare GP blog.

The Perils of Page Breaks in FRx

In a new post, FRx Buzz looks at The Perils of Page Breaks in FRx. Hint, it can be messier than you think.

Get the Complete Guide to Use Tax before it goes away

My  Complete Guide to Use Tax in Dynamics GP is will be unavailable for a while while I rework it. If you want the current version grab it before Friday. It goes away for a while this weekend.

How NOT to Annoy Consultants

My new partner focused article, How Not to Annoy Consultants is up at The Death of Reason. If you have consultants working for, please read. Alternatively, you can send your best consultants my way and I’ll figure out how not to annoy them.

Electronic Banking with 2 Account Numbers for one Checkbook

Amy Walsh takes a look at an issue that we ran into recently. A client had two bank account numbers for a single account. Somewhere along the way the bank had merged or been acquired and the client’s account number changed. However, the number was never changed in their electronic reconcile file.The bank had simply associated the old and new numbers internally and kept sending the old number in the electronic reconcile files. We also had Safepay and Mekorma MICR in the mix just to make it interesting.

Amy has the full description and the resolution over at DynamicsCare.

Keep in mind that this can get more fun because it’s possible to have different routing numbers for different bank functions as well. For example, Suntrust uses a single routing number for incoming ACH transactions that is completely different from the routing number assigned for checks and deposits.

Multilingual GP

Mariano has a great look at the Multilingual GP product for Dynamics GP. I have to agree that I’ve heard nothing but good things as well.

SQL Scripts – Clear Users and Activity Locks

Real Life Dynamics User provides another SQL script, this time one that clears active users and activity locks.

Testing Framework for Microsoft Dynamics GP Available

From Developing for Dynamics GP I see that the Testing Framework for Dynamics GP is now available. This framework is a collection of scripts, .out files, samples, and utilities for testing Microsoft Dynamics GP. It also includes a SQL Reporting Services test framework as well.

Right now the samples are for GP 10 SP4 but GP 2010 examples are in the work.

Deploying Chunk Files

veeyeskay takes a look at what can go wrong with Deploying Chunk Files.

Weekly Dynamic: Customers Who Bought “X” Also Bought…

I was reworking the list of SQL Scripts for DynamicAccounting.net and I realized that it would be nice to have some SQL code that showed related items. In other word, something similar to Amazon.com’s “Customers who bought “X” also bought “A”, “M” and “Y”.

I wanted to add a frequency to make it more relevant. What I was looking for was “Customers who bought “X” also bought “A” 56% of the time, “M” 42% of the time and “Y” 38% of the time. I could swear I’ve seen code like this but I couldn’t find it, so…I created it.

I built a SQL Stored Procedure that accepts an inventory item as it’s only parameter and returns other items that were sold on the same invoices along with the percentage of how often they appeared together.
For example, executing the procedure with the item “5-Fee” looks like this: exec BoughtRelated '5-Fee'  and returns this:



This won’t work in SmartList Builder since SLB won’t use a Stored Procedure. To work around that I’ve included a download that does the same thing with Views instead of a stored proc. It’s not as efficient and it takes 3 views to make it happen though I suspect someone smarter than me can make it cleaner. The only other advantages (maybe) to the views is that you could return results for all items, not just one. This could be a plus or it could severely bog down your system if you have enough items and invoices. I told you it was inefficient.

Finally this works off of SOP invoices under the theory that it’s not really bought until it’s invoiced. Also, I didn’t bother including returns because it’s not really relevant from a sales/pairing standpoint. The returns piece is really a different question.

I’ll add these to the permanent SQL Scripts as well.

The files are here:

Related Items Procedure
Related Items Views

Beach Background

It’s summertime and what’s better than a little trip to beach. The kids are back from Kenya tomorrow so I’m going with a nice beach sunset this week.

New Podcast Episode - Reboot

The newest podcast episode went up yesterday afternoon. Convergence and Decisions 2010 just made it impossible to get one out for April and May. I’m still fiddling with the format. I’m trying a new format focused on GP related news, upcoming events, third party solution reviews and tips. Make sure that you check out the new format.

It's "Payables Management" NOT "Invoices I need to pay"

Belinda does a great job of highlighting why It's "Payables Management" NOT "Invoices I need to pay" in Dynamics GP. There is a ton of cash hiding in an inefficient AP process. Don’t settle. Unlock it now.

Resolution for the Issues with the TS RemoteApp Feature and Microsoft Dynamics GP

I see from Amy Walsh over at DynamicsCare that Microsoft has posted a fix for windows popping under the open screen when using the Remote App features of Terminal server. This is a big deal. We’ve had a few clients going live lately who have had to deal with this. It’s difficult enough to put in a new system but when things seem to keep disappearing it’s really frustrating. Thanks for getting this fixed MS.

Users (other than 'sa') unable to login after upgrade

David Musgrave does a great job of illuminating the various GP encryption versions and how they can affect upgrades in his latest post: Users (other than 'sa') unable to login after upgrade.

I keep learning stuff in this business. That’s what makes it fun. Well, than getting to share what I learn with you.

Weekly Review: Process Server

If you find that certain areas of processing really slow down for you in Dynamics GP, consider adding a Process Server. This is just a dedicated machine(s) that allow GP to offload the processing from the client to these machines.


So if you find that AP posting takes forever because of the number of transactions, you can easily setup a process server to process just AP posting and immediately free up the workstation for other tasks.

Setup is pretty easy. You simply install the GP client on the process server and then use Tools-Setup-System-Process Server to tell GP what process servers are available and processes you want to offload to the Process Server(s).

You can have more than one process server and different machines specifications are fine. The process servers don't have to be dedicated machines but it's better if they are. There is basic load balancing and the ability to track start and stop times for processes to improve load balancing.

Often companies have a few spare PC's lying around so if nothing else, this is relatively painless to try. Certainly it is easier than upgrading your server and client machines to better handle the load.

No, Process Servers aren't a panacea and they can introduce problems of their own but it's important to know that Process Servers are an option.

For more information, the Dynamics GP Help file actually has a lot of really good information. Simply search for Process Server and start there.

Originally posted by Mark Polino on 2/22/2007 02:16:00 PM

Updated Downloads and SQL Scripts

Now that the bulk of the book work is done, I’ve turned to cleaning up some things that have gotten messy.

• The tags have been cleaned for all 2019 posts. Whew!
• I’ve gathered all of the SQL scripts highlighted over time into a single, easy to use location.
• All of the Downloads are now gathered in to a single easy to use location as well.
• The GP 2010 Table Reference has been added as an online Excel file in addition to being available for download.

Both the SQL Scripts and Downloads are using the new Office Live Web Apps making it easy for you to download the lists and take them with you.This also makes it simple for me to keep them updated.

I’ve tried to make sure that everyone got proper credit for their SQL Scripts and Downloads. If I missed someone please let me know.

Speaking of downloads, Jivtesh also has a post up today pointing to the locations for downloading various versions of Dynamics GP.

GPUG Summit 2010 - this October in Orlando

When Mark extended me an invitation to blog on this page late last year, he indicated I should pound out whatever I’m passionate about surrounding Dynamics GP, and some days that list can be reasonably long.

Near the top of that list is my involvement with the Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG) – between hosting sessions, event planning, webinars, and classroom training, I’ve spent a lot of time helping to get this ball rolling with everyone involved. Its been a ton of fun thus far and only seems to be getting better. Anyway, the fourth annual GPUG Summit, next door to SeaWorld in Orlando this time around, is currently accepting ‘early bird’ registrations, but these particular discounts end June 30th (two weeks from today), so please be sure to put this on your task list sooner rather than later. GPUG members and non-members alike are encouraged to join us October 26-28, with additional training opportunities available on the Monday the 25th and Friday the 29th.

Based on post-Convergence numbers compiled thus far, this should be the largest GPUG Summit ever held, and if your organization also utilizes Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the CRMUG Summit will be running that very same week in very the same place. I’m looking forward to the numerous opportunities this conference has to offer for those who enjoy collaborating on all things GP, particularly now that GP 2010 has debuted!

Rumor has it we’ll even have Mr. Polino himself making an appearance or two this year. He doesn’t live that far away so I’m more than willing to drive to his house and transport him there myself if I must, but chances are good that won’t be necessary!





Thanks, and see you then…Bob McAdam

Remember Username and Password

DynamicsBlogger has a nice look at the new Remember Username and Password feature for Dynamics GP 2010.

How to Get GP 2010 New Reminder Cues To Render Right on 64bit Workstations

Matt Landis looks at How to Get GP 2010 New Reminder Cues To Render Right on 64bit Workstations. Always important as we see more and more folks using 64 bit systems.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Software Development Kits Released

Wake up your developers, unplug their XBoxes and let them know that the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Software Development Kits have been Released.

Dex - How to work with a passed anonymous table without changing table buffer contents

Developing for Dynamics GP has a nice look at How to work with a passed anonymous table without changing table buffer contents. If you don’t understand that don’t worry, you just don’t speak developer.

Realistic Expectations: How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Outside Project Managers for Implementing Microsoft Dynamics GP

Up now at MSDynamicsWorld.com is my new article, Realistic Expectations: How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Outside Project Managers for Implementing Microsoft Dynamics GP. I think the title speaks for itself and so far Vaidy seems to like it.

View Smartlists with SQL Tables

Vaidy looks at the security setting needed to View Smartlists with SQL Tables.

Taming the Accounts Lookup Window

Leslie Vail has a look at Taming the Accounts Lookup Window over at the Dynamics Confessor site.

Upgrading 150+ company databases

In his regular look at lessons from the newsgroups, Mariano Gomez provides thoughts on Upgrading 150+ company databases for Dynamics GP.

SQL DB Insert Trigger Breaks Dexterity Active Locking

Patrick Roth at Developing for Dynamics GP looks at a development scenario where SQL DB Insert Trigger Breaks Dexterity Active Locking.

Unable to connect to the Home Page Metrics URL

What happens when you are Unable to connect to the Home Page Metrics URL in Dynamics GP 2010? The Dynamics Blogger site has the answer.

GP 2010 Feature #5: Electronic Signatures Workflow

Computeration Dynamics takes a look at Electronic Signatures Workflow in Dynamics GP 2010.

Void an Invoice or enter a Return?

The GP CSI is a new blog dedicated to Dynamics GP. In the June 10 post, Belinda looks a whether to Void an Invoice or enter a Return?

An Interview with Andy – Corporate Responsibility

Amy Walsh continues her interview with Andy Vabulas of I.B.I.S. with a look at Corporate Responsibility .

Errors when importing Customization Maintenance Packages

David Musgrave has a great look at Errors when importing Customization Maintenance Packages up now at Developing for Dynamics GP.

Weekly Dynamic: Automatically Click the Mekorma Check Copy Button

In Mekorma’s ubiquitous MICR product for Dynamics GP there is a grey Check Copy toggle button. Pressing this button prior to check printing prevents the window from closing to allow the creation of non-negotiable check copies for filing. The problem is that this button is off by default and users frequently forget to push it when creating checks. In some companies this is a big focus of check printing training.
A client recently pointed out the presence of a Dex.ini switch that defaults this button to pressed or “on” by default. The switch is:
CopySwitchDown=1
The only downside is that if all the users have been trained to push this button, pushing it again the option off. Still, it’s often easier to train people to stop doing something.

This Week’s Theme Takes us to Africa

My kids are in Kenya this week so in honor of them, the blog background is a little wilder. If you want to follow their trip you can start with my personal blog site, mpolino.com.

Get It While You Can

I’m working on a big cleanup of the Downloads area of Dynamics GP. If you want something there get it now. Not everything is going to survive the cleanup.

Weekly Review: Matching Fixed Asset Costs In Multiple Books

As I work on year end tax returns for the company, one of the things we look at every year is our tax vs. book depreciation. One thing we find every year is that there are a few assets where the cost is different between tax and book. In our case, they should always be the same. It's getting better each year but we've still got a small handful this year.

This happens when we adjust the cost of an asset after the fact for additional costs that come in later. These are things like freight, tax, installation, etc. Sometimes these bills arrive 60 days after the asset is on the books. We tend to get the corporate book right and forget to make the same changes on the tax book. Also, if it's a new category for us, the Federal book relationship might not be setup (life, depreciation type, etc.). In that case, we get an error when setting up the asset but if you don't go back and fix it, you end up with a corporate book and no tax book at all.

Consequently, one of our processes at year end is to export the tax and corporate books to Excel via a Smartlists and then compare the two. We then make any adjustments to reconcile the two books. Since it's always federal that's out in our case (we're really conscientious about the corporate book) I can do this process after the year is closed and just rerun the depreciation on the federal book for any adjustments.
For this year, we've quit doing adjustments and are setting up second assets with the same asset number but a different suffix. It looks like a bunch of little assets when you glance at the FA ledger but it's simple to explain, easier to trace to source documents  and our auditors have been happy with it.

So there's really two tips that come out of this:
1) Compare your cost basis for your various books on some kind of regular basis.
2) Avoid adjusting asset costs whenever you can and use a suffix or master asset ID to keep all the pieces of an asset together.

Originally Posted by Mark at 2/15/2007 11:41:00 AM

Tags: Depreciation, Fixed Assets, Tax, Troubleshooting, Weekly Tips

VBA - Adding Extender Windows to GL Transaction Entry Lines

David Musgrave has a another new post up, this one titled VBA - Adding Extender Windows to GL Transaction Entry Lines. In it, David looks at issues with with the timing of when a number is a assigned in GP versus when Extender needs that number to properly link to a transaction.

This is one of those weird things where you really need to understand what GP is doing to make Extender work right. It’s also one of the reasons why you still need to do a bunch of testing before cutting an Extender configuration loose.

Sydney GP2010 Launch BIG Success

Over at Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP Error is blogging about the success of the Dynamics GP 2010 launch in Sydney, Australia.

So Errol, if you ever need someone to carry your bags on an Australia trip, my phone number is on the blog.

 

GP, ODBC DSN & 64 Bit Systems

In his latest post, Vaidy follows up on his adventures with Dynamics GP and 64 bit system ODBC setup.

2,000 Blog Posts

How did this happen? It took more than three and half years to hit my first thousand blog posts and now, with this post, DynamicAccounting.net hits 2,000 posts less than 14 months later. Even worse, I was writing a book while all this was happening. What was I thinking.

Frankly, there’s a lot more going on in the Dynamics GP community now than there was almost five years ago when I started this site and I don’t want you to miss any of it. Keep reading DynamicAccounting.net and you’ll stay on top of how to get the most out of Dynamics GP.

Introducing New Solution Centers on PartnerSource

David Musgrave announced the new New Solution Centers on PartnerSource. It looks like we won’t have to slog through AX, NAV, SL or CRM data to get to the juicy goodness that is Dynamics GP. Try not to overindulge too much with better access to GP support data.

As a frequent commenter on PartnerSource and CustomerSource I’m thrilled to see these improvements. Keep up the great work.

What Are the Requirements for GP 2010?

Matt Landis points us to a great resource listing the requirements for GP 2010.

Why can't I maximize my window?

David Musgrave look at why some windows can’t be resized in Dynamics GP in his new post Why can't I maximize my window?

A Tribute to Austin

I’m in Austin this week so I’ve updated the background to a theme more appropriate for Texas. Yehaw!

SmartList .ini switch Problems

Leslie Vail looks at some SmartList .ini switch Problems with the new setting designed to export Excel data as a recordset. We did say it was unsupported.

Making the Account Number SMALLER

There are plenty of resource out there looking at making the account number longer in Dynamics GP, but what if you want to make it smaller? Leslie Vail looks at that in her new post Making the Account Number SMALLER.

Converting Security to v 10 – it’s OK!

Leslie Vail looks at converting security to the version 10 (and beyond) security model in her new post Converting Security to v 10 – it’s OK!.

FRx Shortcut—Use Launcher Instead of Chaining

FRx Buzz shows us a shortcut to running multiple FRx reports, Use Launcher Instead of Chaining. Make sure to check out the post for details.

Dexterity DSCCS 2010 RTM should not be used

From Developing for Dynamics GP comes information that Dexterity DSCCS 2010 RTM should not be used. This only affects developers so don’t freak out and the fix is simple, roll back to a previous Dexterity version like v10 sp4. Make sure to check out the detailed post if you think this affects you. The issue will be fixed in GP 2010 SP 1.

Why Extender Information does not get transferred?

Vaidy has a great look at Why Extender Information does not get transferred? I think this is important. Extender can be a great fit in many situations but it’s important to understand the limitation to avoid creating a mess.

Summary SmartLists in Builder

Dynamics GP Builders & Reporting has a nice look at Summary SmartLists in Builder (Sales by Item for a date range, etc) in Dynamics GP.

Australian GST update for BAS & PAYG Reporting for FY10

For everyone down under, Developing for Dynamics GP is reporting that the Australian GST update for BAS & PAYG Reporting for FY10 has been released.

Management Reporter eLearning Available

Both Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP and Dynamics Corporate Performance Management are reporting that eLearning is now available for Management Reporter at https://dynamics.microsoftelearning.com/default.aspx?signedOut=true.

Weekly Dynamic: Run A/R Aging from SQL

Running A/R aging can take a while. In previous tips we’ve seen that cleaning up paid transactions via Paid Transaction Removal can help speed this up . Well, this week we look at how to run A/R aging from SQL, skipping the interface all together.
Running this script in SQL server will perform an A/R aging through the current date. Changing the @I_dAgingDate  variable changes the date the aging runs through.
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @O_iErrorState int, @I_dAgingDate datetime
  SELECT @I_dAgingDate = convert(varchar(10), GetDate(), 102)
EXEC dbo.rmAgeCustomer 0, '', 'þþþþþþþþþþþþþþþ', @I_dAgingDate, 127, 0, 0, '', @O_iErrorState OUT
--SELECT @O_iErrorState
SET NOCOUNT OFF

DynamicAccounting.net fan Mark Wiley was kind enough to supply this Weekly Dynamic and let me share it with the you.

Update: I missed that Michael Johnson posted this in April of 2009 so he get the credit too. Sorry about that Michael.

My Guest Post at The Death of Reason – Avoiding Signature Hell

I’ve had a partner focused post rattling around in my head for a little while. I didn’t want to post it at DynamicAccounting.net because I don’t want to create confusion by mixing in irregular partner specific posts.  Dwight Specht kindly gave me the opportunity to guest post over at The Death of Reason. 

If you’re a partner, take a look at my new post on Avoiding Signoff Hell up now at The Death of Reason.

Management Reporter on Workgroup

Janakiram M.P. has a look at trying to run Management Reporter on a Workgroup. I’m going to spoil the surprise and tell you that it won’t work without a domain. This is going to be one of the struggles with Management Reporter. It is more powerful than FRx but it takes more infrastructure to make it work.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor

Mariano Gomez has a look at the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Advisor designed to help companies as they move from older versions of SQL to the newest version.

New Post at MSDynamicsWorld.com

I’ve got a new article up at MSDynamicsWorld.com. This one is a little different. We’ve been working on our slate of upcoming DynamicsCare webinars at I.B.I.S. and it led me to write about how to deliver a better webinar.
More and more partners, consultants and salespeople in the Dynamics world are delivering webinars. More doesn’t necessarily mean better and while I’ve found a number of great guides for better public speaking, the webinar resources are pretty thin. So I decided to fill the void myself.
If you’re a partner, take some of these things to heart and don’t abuse you’re clients with crappy webinars. As a GP user, if you sit through a bad webinar, gently point the presenter to this article as way to improve future web presentations.

Weekly Review: Partial Month End Module Closing

At month end we tend to close module categories as they are finished. Done with AP? Check the Purchasing box and close the whole module. Every once in a while we get burned though. We balance the bank accounts but leave the whole Financial module open so that we can finish up JE's. Then someone posts a bank transaction into the month we're trying to close. Now the completed bank rec doesn't match the GL any more.

Well, you can get fine grain control of closing periods. Simply pick Fiscal Periods from Administratoin Area Page under Company, just as you always would, and then pick Mass Close. (I know, dumb name if you're using it this way.)

Limit the selections to the Series and Periods you want (Financial, Period 2 for example). Here you can check the boxes to close Bank Transactions, Bank Deposits and Bank Transfers, thus preventing them from posting while leaving GL, Clearing and Quick entries open for final adjusting entries. This works with all the modules (close PO's but leave AP open for example) to give you better control over the close.

A couple of observations:

1) If a series is partially closed at month end, the checkbox for the full series remains unchecked (i.e.: if you close Bank Trx, the main Financial box is still unchecked)

2) The main month end close boxes override the ones checked via Mass Close. So if you close Bank Trx, later close the Financial Module and then reopen the Financial Module for a last minute transaction, you've also reopened the ability to post Bank Transactions for that period

Using RW_Token to parse Runtime build numbers

Digging deep into Report Writer, David Musgrave shows how to use the RW_Token function to parse Runtime build numbers and not just for reporting.

More Blogs for Microsoft Dynamics GP

David Musgrave has managed to dig up some new Dynamics GP bloggers. Check them out at More Blogs for Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Modifying Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Word Templates

Up now at Developing for Dynamics GP, David Musgrave looks at Modifying Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Word Templates. A lot of people are excited about the new templates in Dynamics GP 2010 and David demystifies the process of creating new templates.

DynamicAccounting.net gets a Logo

I’m finally far enough along on the book to tackle a few other things on my list and one of  those items was a logo for DynamicAccounting.net. I settled on a flywheel/atomic energy style logo in Microsoft Dynamics colors to represent the dynamic nature of this site and it’s ongoing commitment to Dynamics GP.

This is just one of a number of improvements coming to DynamicAccounting.net between now and the site’s 5 year anniversary on September 5. I’m  also going to be changing the website background weekly in the spirit of Bing. But the changes aren’t just cosmetic. I'm adding another feature. The new Dynamics Solution feature will spotlight specific ISV solutions and why they might be applicable for your business. Stay tuned for much more to come.

Configuring Business Alerts to report posting errors

Mariano has a great new post up on Configuring Business Alerts to report posting errors.

Management Reporter: What’s next?

Now that Management Reporter has been officially released, the Dynamics Corporate Performance Management site takes another look at the MR roadmap in What’s next?

Dynamics GP 2010 What’s New in Advanced Distribution

Amy Walsh keeps snacking her way through new item in GP 2010. This time she looks at the new Advanced Distribution snack.

Error deploying GP 2010 SRS reports on SQL Server 2008

Andy Nifong brings us information on an error he had deploying GP 2010 SRS reports on SQL Server 2008 . Andy provides a fix as well.

Weekly Dynamic: Export Navigation Lists to Excel

SmartLists have a big green Excel button that makes the idea of exporting  a SmartList to Excel ridiculously obvious. But what about Navigation Lists? Navigation Lists can be exported to Excel too, it’s just not as obvious.
To export a Navigation List to Excel:

1. Pick Financial on the Navigation Pane
2. Pick Accounts from the list on the upper left
3. Check the white box on the header next to account number to select all accounts
4. Select Go To | Send to Excel from the ribbon on the right.

Even better, late last week, Patrick Roth debuted a new Dex.ini switch which dramatically speeds up the export to Excel process from Navigation Lists. All you have to do is add the following line to your Dex.ini file.
ListsFastExcelExport=TRUE
I expect David Musgrave to eventually incorporate these switches in the way cool Support Debugging Tool but until that happens, this method works just fine.