Dynamics GP New User Interface Notes

User interface has numerous new features, where navigation could be done via various methods, such as navigation panel, address bar (similar to Internet Explorer), initial page of each Series (where you have all the plugged in links on your main panel), plus via Smartlist plug in, where you can mark records and available actions, such as post, transfer will be available for the selected set on the top in Action Pane.  The good news for the users who are not comfortable to have too many new features, where they could lose the directions – the old navigation interface is available as well: cascading menus.  We are also placing here the picture of the old interface of Great Plains 7.5 and new interface of GP 2010/11.0.  Let’s take a look at some details:

1. Classical User Interface.  This was really revolutionary one back in mid 1990th with Cascading Menus on the top, then daily operations were menu side was presented on the second line or so-called tool bar with icons.  Toolbar drop down menus were opening so-called panes (which could be pinned to stay after specific form selection).  For versions 7.5, 7.0, 6.0 you also had options to see Shortcuts on the left pane.  Company name and user ID was shown on the same line as toolbar.  To our knowledge older versions, such as 4.0 and 5.0 didn’t have shortcuts on the left side.  All the windows were opened inside the application window

2. New User Interface.  The real revolution was done in version 10.0 and especially 2010/11.0.  User specific home page was introduced, where you can see such features as metrics (be default Office Web Components, but you can deploy SSRS), My Reports, To-Dos, Quick Links, Office Outlook Integration Objects, Connect (Microsoft controls this section via web publishing).  User with privileges can customize homepage by enabling or disabling its sections, by changing their position.  User ID and company is now shown on the bottom left side (some customers told us that they would like Company name to be shown somewhere on the top left side, as they are serving multiple companies as accounting services outsourcers – this could be done in Debugging Tools – free module, developed by David Musgrave, Microsoft insider and legendary Dexterity developer from Australia)

3. Smart List and new Interface.  In version 2010 Smart List seems to be part of the navigation pane directions, where you are selecting subsection of the series (for example Sales -> Customers).  If you decide to use this interface route, there are additional advantages, as in Action Pane on the top you can do something that is not available via traditional functionality.  For example you can select sales series, All Sales Transactions, then mark documents in the Selection Pane and post, transfer or email them using options in Action Pane above.  In the old interface you could do Sales Order Transfer or Invoice posting only individually or through the batch mechanism.  Smart List has the option to drill down to individual documents as well as export the result set to Excel or Word

4. Opening Multiple Windows.  This change was introduced in version 10.0 and obviously it is also present in 2010.  Instead of dealing with just one master window, you have to deal with application group.  We addressed this question to Microsoft presenters on Convergence.  The answer was – this is due to Microsoft Workflow enabling

5. What else to expect in the new version.  We should mention security model redesign in 10.0, where security model switches from Windows, Tables, Reports to Tasks and Roles.  Upgrade offers the option to migrate security from version 9.0 and prior to the new security model.  However for the new users we recommend you to base security on new rules

6. Some Fresh Air – what other customers are saying after upgrade.  Well, in fact we got pretty positive user related responses.  Most of the customers looking at the new interface recognized and did all the daily procedures and scheduled routines via self-discovery.  Training cost is not a big item in the version update budget.  We also got very positive responses from IT people, where they liked new technologies, such as eConnect and its various interfaces, including Web Services, Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for GP.  eConnect really opens the door for ecommerce, EDI and generic integration development, where your ERP is implemented on Dynamics GP platform.  64 bit Windows and SQL Server editions – this is where you can break through such known limitations of 32 bit platform as 3.5 GB of RAM per workstation

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