| If your organization has Microsoft Dynamics GP as its | | | | route is picking ERP Warehouse Management |
| Corporate ERP application, or you are on earlier | | | | Extensions, working directly out of your ERP |
| version, known as Microsoft Great Plains, or Great | | | | application logic, and extending its with Barcode |
| Plains Dynamics, eEnterprise and Great Plains Select | | | | scanning and uploading support |
| on Pervasive SQL Server 2000 and Ctree, we | | | | 5. Dynamics GP SCM and Custom business logic. If |
| recommend you this paper. It is probably not a | | | | you are large organization with extensive |
| rocket science to implement Small Business ERP | | | | manufacturing and inventory management oriented |
| application, where customer only needs core | | | | operations, you may expect some degree of |
| Financials: GL, AP, AR, probably Payroll modules. | | | | modifications, required for the final implementation. |
| However if you are looking for the elements of MRP, | | | | You may try phased implementation approach, when |
| Production, Supply Chain Management System, | | | | you do not do customization until first phase is done |
| Warehouse Management (all these modules typically | | | | and proved to be reliable (generic Dynamics GP |
| rely on Barcode scanning, RFID and related | | | | implementation). Second phase could be what is |
| technologies) as being required in your business | | | | next in importance row - maybe Retail Sales Day |
| processes automation, then you should be very | | | | integration to Dynamics GP SOP or RM modules. |
| careful in choosing your Corporate ERP consulting | | | | And then you are in control of the priorities as you |
| partner. We saw various scenarios, where Great | | | | move down the road |
| Plains initial implementation failed due to poor | | | | 6. Old Great Plains versions support. If you have to |
| expertise of initial Dynamics GP consultants in data | | | | stick to legacy Dynamics GP, Great Plains Dynamics |
| conversion, integration with your external WMS or | | | | 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, or earlier or even Great |
| eCommerce applications. Let's go to paragraphs: | | | | Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac 9.5, 9.2 |
| 1. Corporate ERP VAR Expertise. Typically your | | | | or earlier - first of all we respect your situation and |
| Corporate ERP reseller doesn't make a secret about | | | | we are happy to support All versions of Great Plains |
| its specializations and typical customer profile. Very | | | | Software ERP applications and we have dedicated |
| large number of Corporate ERP vendors are | | | | consultants to do the job. If you decide finally to |
| positioning themselves as CPA oriented companies, | | | | go technology synch route and upgrade to current |
| where their goal is to provide reliable implementation | | | | Microsoft Dynamics GP version 2010 (as we are |
| of Great Plains Financials and, if you have challenges | | | | writing these lines in May 2010) - we will be the right |
| in technology - these Dynamics GP Partners will still | | | | resource to do the complex multi step upgrade work |
| try to make you their customer, hoping to outsource | | | | 7. Dynamics GP Data Repair. This job is typically |
| technologically challenging issues or projects to | | | | done by experienced Dynamics GP technical |
| external Dynamics GP ISV or Technology oriented | | | | consultant, who has exposure to Great Plains tables |
| Dynamics GP resellers. If technology exposure is | | | | structure and data workflow. It is not probably a |
| your initial expectation - you should try to locate | | | | big deal to repair batch, failed in posting, as there are |
| Corporate ERP consultant, who is experienced in the | | | | likely several articles on Dynamics GP Partner Source |
| required field | | | | explaining in detail what to do, but for real Great |
| 2. Corporate ERP Second Opinion. If your | | | | Plains data surgery you should expect higher level of |
| implementation failed by any reason, there is no | | | | the expertise |
| reason to blame ERP system itself, as typical Small | | | | 8. What else is left over? Probably Microsoft |
| Business ERP (or Mid-size business ERP) is already | | | | Dynamics GP implementation for the customers, who |
| implemented in tens of thousands and it is likely | | | | have the needs in foreign language support - this |
| reasonably reliable in its core features. As we see in | | | | topics seems to be very popular and even growing in |
| our Dynamics GP consulting practice ERP | | | | its popularity. Well, here you have to understand |
| implementation failure is typically attributed to either | | | | two sides of the coins in going internationally. First |
| lack of the technology expertise of the chosen ERP | | | | side is local language support. Current version 2010 |
| consultant, or when you management and key | | | | of Microsoft Dynamics GP supports English in USA, |
| proposed ERP user teams are not cooperative with | | | | Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, |
| your consultants | | | | and with some restrictions in English speaking South |
| 3. Microsoft Dynamics GP Logistics and Distribution | | | | East Asia and Oceania. Plus it is available in Spanish |
| modules. In the Great Plains architecture, these | | | | speaking Mexico and Latin/South America (except |
| modules stand two steps away in the integration to | | | | Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken). Dynamics GP is |
| General Ledger, and they are Sales Order Processing, | | | | also localized to reasonable level in Arabic speaking |
| Purchase Order Processing, Inventory Control. And | | | | countries of Middle East, Arabic Peninsula and |
| further down the SCM and WMS route, those listed | | | | Northern Africa. And second part of the coin is local |
| modules are often chosen as the base for custom | | | | language support. With Dynamics GP ISV add-ons it |
| extensions, often programmed and supported by | | | | is possible to support GP in Chinese, Japanese, |
| dedicated Dynamics GP ISV partners | | | | Korean, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, |
| 4. Dynamics GP WMS and SCM options. In our | | | | Lithuanian, Russian and more languages are coming. |
| opinion you have two routes to chose from. The | | | | If you are trying implement Dynamics GP in the |
| first would be external Warehouse Management | | | | country where it is not localized, we recommend you |
| Systems, where you should not question system | | | | to consider instead either Microsoft Dynamics AX |
| reliability and number of successful installations, | | | | (high end Corporate ERP solution) or SAP Business |
| however you concern should be in the reliability of | | | | One (for smaller branches) |
| external WMS integration to Microsoft Dynamics GP | | | | 9. How to get further orientation and help? |
| or whatever your ERP system brand is. Second | | | | |