eEnterprise – old Great Plains Software ERP application reactivation

Great Plains eEnterprise was renamed into Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains Professional, later on in September 2005, Great Plains was renamed into Microsoft Dynamics GP.  But anyway, if you or your company had hard time back in earlier 2000, then you might be on Great Plains eEnterprise or Great Plains Dynamics for Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.0 or 7.0.  Let’s review eEnterprise upgrade and walk away paths:

1. DB Platform.  eEnterprise was available on Microsoft SQL Server only, so more likely you are on Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or even MS SQL Server 2000.  So, considering the fact that high-end version of Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 or 9.0 is available on MS SQL Server 2005 and 2000 only – from DB perspective there are no challenges
2. GP Licenses and MBS Great Plains annual enhancement program status.  Well, considering the fact that you are supposedly still on GPS eEnterprise ERP version, chances are high that you lapsed in Microsoft Business Solutions GP annual enhancement program.  If our assumption is correct, then you will have to contact you Microsoft VAR to understand your annual enhancement reactivation options.  If you have no idea on what we are talking about – call us
3. eEnterprise upgrade scenarios.  If you are on Great Plains Software eEnterprise, more likely you have more than 10 Great Plains system manager users and so, you are valuable customer (meaning that you are large or mid-size business from the ERP perspective).  If you didn’t downsize in 2001-2004, then your upgrade path is to Microsoft Dynamics GP Professional
4. Microsoft Dynamics C/S+.  This is the predecessor of eEnterprise, C/S+ versions were 5.5, 5.0, 4.0 and 3.2.  Those  days Microsoft SQL platform was in the formation stage, so your version might be MS SQL Server 6.0 or alternative DB platforms: Btrieve or Ctree/Faircom.  Your migration path is likely to be to Microsoft Dynamics GP Professional as well.  If you are on non Microsoft SQL Server DB platform – you will need to migrate to MS SQL Server.  The migration tool is available fro Microsoft Business Solutions, however it is not trivial and we recommend you to deploy GP technical consulting firm to do migration and version upgrade job.
5. Great Plains Dexterity customizations for eEnterprise.  Dex programming was very popular in late 1990th, and this is not a surprise if you have Dex altered Dynamics business logic.  Please review you Dynamics.set file to figure out if you have Dexterity custom logic and if so, try to find Dynamics.dic with your Sanscript scripts in not stripped out
6. eEnterprise custom reporting.  The most likely you have GP ReportWriter modified reports: SOP Long Invoice or Blank Form, POP Purchase Order.  RW is in fact Dexterity module and reports migration and upgrade require Dex architecture expertise and software development experience.
7. Dinosaur versions of Great Plains.  GPA for DOS, MS Windows or Macintosh were discontinued to support in earlier XXI Century.  If you are still on one of those, you got to consider walk away migration option: to Microsoft Dynamics GP would be the natural way, however you may theoretically migrate to Oracle, Sage, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, Scala, or other ERP application
8. GP Licenses.  You are probably familiar with ERP industry rules – besides initial MRP application purchase you have to be current and pay annual fee for ERP enhancement program.  You are lapsed in enhancement program, you should expect re-enrollment fee.  The GP re-enrollment fee depends on the number of lapsing years, and in some cases it is more beneficial to do new GP software licenses purchase, please contact your Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains reseller for details.
9. Dex Customization upgrade.  If you have custom Dex logic in your eEnterprise installation version, you should not assume that modified logic update will be automatic.  Typically Dexterity developers and programmers need to be involved to estimate upgrade efforts
10. Crystal Reports and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SRS vs. Great Plains ReportWriter.  RW is Microsoft Dexterity module, so you should not expect miracle from Report Writer interface.  RW has access to GP Dex reports, stored in Reports.dic file, plus these mentioned reports have Dexterity parameters entry screens in regular GP logic.  CR is Dex-independent tool and you should try to base Crystal Reports on SQL Stored Procedures and Views logic.  The same should be said about SRS
11. Dexterity sanscript advise.  Dex historically deploys cursor base logic in its Sanscript scripting language.  This logic might not be optimal for MS SQL Server 2005 and 2000 platforms.  Please consider calling MS SQL Server stored procedures from Dex sanscripts directly
12. eConnect programming.  Again, eConnect was not available in 1999, eConnect was introduced for eCommerce developers in earlier 2000.  eConnect is the set of encrypted stored procedures, assuming that you have already upgraded to GP 7.5, 8.0, 9.0 or 10.0
13. eEnterprise and Great Plains Software Dexterity traces.  You should know that Dynamics.dic for eEnterprise is similar to the one for Dynamics for MS SQL Server.  Dexterity places the following rules on MS SQL Server DB design: DEX_ROW_ID – this column is use in Dex internal logic, Dex.ini – here you place the instructions to Dexterity to log certain events
14. If Upgrade stalls.  Typically this is due to inconsistent Company DB records.  First consider check links rescue, however it doesn’t work in 100% of the cases.  If you don’t have a luck with check links, then you will have to do manual data repair SQL scripting
15. Most Typical Pitfalls.  GP Upgrade process is not easy and this is not because Microsoft Business Solutions has inefficient upgrade path, in the opposite – GP upgrade fails, due to the data inconsistency in your GP tables, typically in Purchase Order Processing: POP10110, POP30110 and IV10200
16. Manufacturing, Project Accounting, Fixed Assets special considerations.  These mentioned modules were integrated with Great Plains Dynamics in late 1990th.  PA was the result of MatchData purchase, Philippines base Dexterity development partner, GP Manufacturing was Icontrol Purchase, Fixed Assets module is the successor of Forestar FA application for GPS Dynamics.
17. Intellisol Advanced Purchase Order Processing and Project Accounting upgrade to GP PO Processing.  To have you informed, Intellisol International, Australian based company tried to relocate to Fargo, ND in 1998.  Then GPS negotiated with MatchData and Icontrol to purchase and incorporate their respective modules over Intellisol PA and Advanced POP.  Intellisol APOP upgrade path is still available to GP 7.5, please contact us for further details
18. Mekorma Modules,  This Los Angeles based software vendor was famous in GP secured check printing. Please contact Mekorma if your new intended for upgrade version of Mekorma GP is available
19. Local and State Tax calculation and filing partners, such as Avalara.  Alba Spectrum initially helped Alalara to develop Avatax GP 7.0 and 7.5, later on Avalara decided to outsource Avatax development to India Great Plains Dexterity developers, where Alba Spectrum provided Avalara with Dex source code
20. French Canadian and European Dynamics GP ERP market.  While French Canadian GP version 10.0 as well as Latin American Spanish version, German GP 10.0 version is scheduled to be phased out – in Germany and many of European countries Microsoft Axapta and Navision will be supported instead

If you like us to help you with GP upgrade, integration, software licenses, reporting, please give us a call