Microsoft Dynamics GP – remote support

Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics GP, NAV, AX, CRM, SL are new names for former Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, MS CRM, Solomon.  In realization of “Project Green” Microsoft will be unifying customization tools and technologies (moving away from proprietary technologies to XML web services and Visual Studio).  Microsoft, as well as all the high tech world is moving forward and one of the directions is remote support, when network administrator supports remote offices from one center.  Similar conception could be applicable to ERP worldwide support.  ERP support has certain nuances and in this small article we’ll discuss ERP remote support on the example of Microsoft Dynamics GP.

• ERP Remote Support Challenge.  In the case of ERP support – customer is often expecting extensive onsite evaluation and user training.  Well, it is a challenge for remote support people and they should be very skillful in deploying web sessions, VOIP/skype, etc.  But the most important – these remote support technicians should be experienced consultants, who knows how to deal with different type of clients.  This means that remote support centers should be preferably located in the country where the same systems are implemented for local clients.  In the case of Microsoft Dynamics GP these are: Philippines, Latin America, Brazil.
• From Microsoft Dexterity to XML Web Services.  This move will facilitate remote support over the internet.  GP Dexterity is rather so-called fat-client interface customization tool, when web services, which will have connectors to GP objects via eConnect or Integration Object SDK.  Web services could be easily supported by Visual Studio C#/VB programmers over the internet.
• Cross-platform integrations.  XML web services and eConnect are excellently positioned to provide integration with non-Microsoft ERP: Oracle, PeopleSoft , IBM Lotus Notes/Domino.  In addition to eConnect Microsoft has door open for direct MS SQL Server scripts and stored procedures integration (except for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, where MS CRM SDK doesn’t support direct SQL access to MS Dynamics CRM databases). 
• Cost Reduction.  If you are looking into local Microsoft Dynamics GP consulting hourly rates in US business metros, such as New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco - $170 per hour is a norm.  Remote support has natural cost reduction factor: consultants could serve several clients per day, because they do not have to waste time while traveling onsite