ERP modification is not always required, but in some situations you have to rescue to this channel. Custom developing project always requires homework and we will try to give you basic understanding on the next steps.
As the first observation, please, note that Great Plains is mid-market Corporate ERP platform, which requires professional programmer to do the surgery of the software modification. Such tool, as Microsoft Dexterity is not open to generic programmer, it requires development license, and even if you get it – learning curve is at least several months of extensive programming under the supervision of the experienced Dex software development manager. Let’s come to the details and begin with the customization firm location and selection:
1. Probably nationwide GP technology firm with Dexterity development factory. Sanscript programming is not an abstract routine, it requires profound knowledge and understanding of the GP architecture: tables, forms, fields, windows, string, constants, procedures, triggers and functions. Plus developer should have access to so-called Dex Source Code program, where she or he can see the original codes to make the judgment on how interface could be further modified. When you call to prospective technology partner, please check if they are in the Source Code program with Microsoft Dynamics. One of the disappointing experience you might discover is the potential fact, that local consulting organizations do not carry Dex programmers in their staff, but rather trying to subcontract them
2. Modification Tool Selection. There are numerous options to customize the application, but, when you analyze the tools, you may discover that Dexterity expertise is needed to deploy such option as Microsoft Visual Studio SDK. If you are too optimistic about Extender Enterprise – please know that there is no way to debug Sanscript code there. eConnect is perfect in the integration project, but it doesn’t modify existing interface, you can still use eConnect if the interface is created outside of the user workstation and Great Plains security realm. Modifier with VBA allows you to modify existing forms, but it is not recommended for large scale projects, especially where you need to switch dictionaries (it is possible in Continuum SDK, but no debugging for Sanscript). Dexterity does all what other tools don’t do, but it is proprietary, so please read paragraph one on the programmer selection
3. Web Based Business Portal. If you plan to modify BP interface, it could be done in its SDK directly, you do not need Dex. Business Portal is excellent choice if your organization is innovative and looks into the future, ready to invest into the technology education for your IT personnel. Here we are talking about such modules as Order Management, Requisition Management, HR Employee Self Service, Electronic Document Delivery and others
4. Integration Manager. If your development project is actually about integration, IM is the tool to explore the first. We often hear potential customers speaking about eConnect programming in order to bring over shopping cart with credit card payment into GP from ecommerce website. In Integration Manager this job could be done without programming at all or with some VBA scripting. Then you are scheduling the integration to fire every half an hour (or even every ten minutes) and you are done with quasi real time ecommerce integration. Of course eConnect libraries could be included into your MS Visual Studio web project and in this case you can get documents transferred to your ERP application in real time, but are you ready to pay for this fifty plus programming hours software development project?
5. Corporate ERP localization for the foreign country. If you are working for the multinational corporation, expanding to the new markets and you would like to deploy Great Plains in the facilities overseas, you should be aware about the restrictions. First of all it doesn’t support Unicode based alphabets, or say in simple words the alphabets, based on the hieroglyphs: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. There are some tools, enabling Chinese characters entering, such as NJ Star, plus you can certainly deploy Crystal Reports or MS SQL Server Reporting Services to print out Invoice in Chinese, but considering the fact that Great Plains is not localized for China People Republic, Taiwan, Korea, Japan – it is better to consider another Corporate ERP for your East Asian subsidiary. If you are Microsoft shop, consider Dynamics AX or former
6. Axapta. Or for small foreign subsidiary or manufacturing facility we recommend to take a look at the competition, SAP is offering SAP Business One for small companies internationally. Similar advise is in place for such regional powers as Brazil, Russia, India, where GP is not localized
7. Customization where you plan to enable Barcode scanning or RFID tag reading. Before you jump into the customization project, be sure that you have already looked at the all options of Warehouse Management Systems and Supply Chain Management for GP
8. Programming project infrastructure and Critical Success Factors. Here the most important is to establish test server and Quality Assurance there. Of course, there is always the possibility to try custom application logic in TWO sample company. But, custom module programming is often data driven and it should be tested against the copy of your production company. Test server will help you to avoid 70% of the project failure pitfalls, and it is very simple to establish. All we need to do is to dedicate low profile Windows Server (2003, 2008, your choice), install MS SQL Server 2000/2005/2008 there, move your Dynamics and companies databases, install Dexterity IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
9. Migrating from small business accounting. Again these projects do not require custom programming, these could be done in Integration Manager or you can purchase migration service directly from Microsoft Business Solutions
10. Implementing GP for Global Corporation. Here our advice is to consider the best options for the Accounting application selection for your local international subsidiaries, and then consolidate everything in Great Plains on the General Ledger transaction level, or simply to do it via Consolidated Financial reporting- consolidated P&L, Balance Sheet in FRx or newer tool (replacement to FRx, is you are already on GP 2010) Microsoft Management Reporter (MMR). FRx and MMR are available for such Dynamics ERP family applications as AX, SL, GP, NAV, Small Business Financials
11. XML. There is support for XML in eConnect, Integration Manager, MS Visual Studio SDK
12. For further information, please call us 1-866-304-3265 or email help@efaru.com
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