Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers the ability to manage finances, manufacturing, supply chain, sales and marketing, project and service management, and other operations in a single software solution.  When you know what is going on behind the scenes and how one thing can have an effect on another, you can streamline operations to optimize productivity and profitability.  Getting a clear view of business operations is much easier with Microsoft Dynamics NAV.  Deep drill-down capabilities and detailed audit trails will give you the data needed to make quick, informed decisions.  Real time data can be reported in any number of ways that will highlight your best customers, top products, and other key financial data that you can use to improve cash flow.  Use this insight to discover new opportunities that can further business growth.  Equally important, you can spot potential problems early on, and take quick action before budgets get too far off track.

Track budgets, sales goals, and any other key metrics in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.  Monitoring your metrics, in real time, will keep your business moving forward.  Like other commonly used Microsoft products, Microsoft Dynamics NAV is easy to use.  Automating data-entry and data-sharing will improve productivity and save valuable time.  When you spend less time chasing data, you have more time to spend with customers and on efforts that grow your business.

There is a reason that more and more businesses are choosing to use ERP software like Microsoft Dynamics NAV to drive business growth.  The increased visibility and control over business operations improves productivity, profitability, and drives growth.  Contact Concentrix TSG for more information about Microsoft Dynamics NAV and how it can help you make the smart decisions that will support your business as you grow.

By Peter Elgar with Concentrix TSG, Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner based in the United Kingdom

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Here’s a summary:

SL Holds Its Own

One of the nice things for us was having a nice large group (25 people attended) see that Dynamics SL still carries a big stick in the services industries. For example, SL still impresses customers and professionals with its ability to keep open multiple screens within multiple companies at the same time-while sharing vendors, customers and a chart of accounts.

GP Impresses on Data Management

Dynamics GP is smooth and easy to use. Both the Smartlist option and Smartlist Builder module are hard to beat for easy data export and drill down/drill around into important data.

Dynamics GP also showed a simple but powerful and useful mail merge with Word where a Smartlist was used to filter out only vendors with no Tax Identification number for 1099 vendors. A simple letter was then produced requested the W-9 form for all vendors who did not yet have this needed information.

AX Makes Strong Enterprise Market Play

AX clearly has features that service firms in the middle market want. Namely, they want CRM built into the program so there is only one database and they want to ability to both forecast and schedule work based on backlog and skills, respectively.

While Dynamics AX looked very strong in its ability to plan (create a quote, find the right resource) and manage (create PO’s, invoice) right from the project, Dynamics SL showed its ability to issue inventory to a project, include line items on a sales order on a project, and even automatically create a project and tasks as part of entering a sales order.

Competing on the Microsoft platform

All of the products showed how serious Microsoft is about continuing to commit resources toward integrating its ERP and accounting products with the rest of their ubiquitous product platform. Dynamics SL and Dynamics AX showed nice integrations with SharePoint; with a few clicks, a SharePoint site can be created right from the Project Maintenance screen. Dynamics GP showed its ability to read Exchange data such as undone tasks, unread emails, and Calendar appointments-right from the opening sign on screen in Dynamics GP.

All three products, Dynamics SL, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics AX, showed off simple and useful exporting of data to Excel. All products demonstrated the role of a “Light User” and its ability to read live data from the main SQL Server database in the Dynamics ERP product. For only $195 per user, most attendees were impressed by Microsoft’s ability to extend the usefulness of the ERP applications and their ability to present data in the way the user wanted it.

The other similarity that the Dynamics ERP products shared was the ability to fetch data in easy to view web pages via Business Portal. Microsoft has created many highly consumable pages via Business Portal that show useful information such as bank balances by checking account, including deposits and withdrawals by transaction, and project profitability. Project timecard review and approval, pages that go beyond mere consumption were also shown as available and quite useful.

We believe the event was very informative and useful to everyone that attended. It certainly did not hurt to choose the new Microsoft Technology Center in Minneapolis as the venue. Microsoft’s impressive 30 plus years of success was on display and obvious simply be walking into the lobby and past the server racks. Of course having 3 killer ERP products shown together was the most impressive part as most people were there to solve specific, mostly project-related, issues.

Contact us if you are interested in learning more and to see if Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions are right for you.

By Jack Boyer, Boyer & Associates, Minneapolis-based Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner 

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SmartList Builder is an add-on for your Great Plains software.  It is quite simple to configure, and it starts by letting you choose your data source from a list of all the tables within Dynamics GP. There is even the ability to include external SQL Server tables.

You’re then given the option to select the fields to include in the report as separate columns. And yes, the column names can be edited to be different from perhaps less user-friendly field names in a Dynamics table.

And that’s about it, in terms of the basics of building a SmartList. At this point, you can go into the actual SmartList to view the multi-column report you’ve created.

But there’s a powerful feature that can turn a static SmartList report into something more interactive. SmartList Builder provides a “GoTo” function that allows your users to trigger a pop-up window containing the complete Dynamics GP record. They do this by just clicking on a line in the report.

Say that you’ve created a SmartList for your Account Receivables, in which the vendor, amount, and the days-past-due fields are listed as columns.

If you go into SmartList Builder, and click on the “GoTo” menu item, you’re given a list of all the Dynamics GP forms connected to the Receivables table. Be sure to then add a “task” and give it the key fields you’ll need to fetch the record.

Now when users are viewing the Receivables SmartList report and need to learn more about a bill, they can pop it up without having to navigate through the form.

MIG & CO. – MIG is a Professional Consulting Firm that specializes in the implementation of business management software solutions including Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, NAV, AX, and CRM. We automate business processes to ensure our customers work efficiently. A New York City based Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner, primarily serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

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Many start-up or small businesses start with the most basic of accounting procedures, usually a pencil and ledger or spreadsheets.  When you have little data to collect, accounting ledgers and spreadsheets can be satisfactory – if you know what you are doing.  However, as you grow your business, the volume and type of data you need to collect and track becomes larger and, often, too much to track by hand.  In addition, if you are tracking the wrong data or not recording all data you need, you could end up with a big headache when it is time to pay taxes or supply financial records to your bank or other regulatory agencies.

Accounting and business management software like Microsoft Dynamics® GP will make it easier to collect and manage your important accounting data.  This software can manage financials, manufacturing, supply chain, project and services management, and other business operations in a single software solution.  This popular software was designed for small businesses and is affordable for almost any start-up or small business budget.  Choose the features that meet your business needs, and budget, today, and add or change features as your business needs change.  Microsoft Dynamics GP will automate much of your accounting data-entry, saving you time and improving the accuracy of your data.   With hundreds of built-in and customizable reporting options, you can print off balance sheets, profit/loss statements, and other important financial records to share with regulatory agencies, banks, shareholders, or others.  The added time you will save from entering and analyzing data by hand, you can spend with customers and growing your business.

The proper accounting software can often provide you with more information than your pencil can, as well as save you time.  Contact Perimeter Business Solutions for more information about Microsoft Dynamics GP and how it can help you manage your accounting with more efficiency than your favorite #2 pencil.

By Perimeter Business Solutions, certified Microsoft Dynamics Specialists out of Atlanta

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Tax season causes many people to cringe at the thought of having to find the resources to write a check to the IRS.  If you owe money this year, work with your tax advisor to find the best solution for managing the payment.  Not filing will result in a failure-to-pay penalty which is 5% of the tax due for every month (or fraction of a month) that the return is overdue, with a cap of 25%.  You could also be liable for levies and liens which could impact your credit rating, causing more problems.  You can borrow money or charge your tax bill, work with the IRS for a payment installment agreement, or in certain situations, you may be able to reach a compromise with the IRS.  Working with your tax advisor, you can come up with a plan that will satisfy your obligation with the IRS, with the least amount of financial penalties.

After you’ve made it through this tax season, take a deep breath and do an analysis of what you could do better and get ready for the next time around. If managing your business’s financials is part of the problem, consider working with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software such as Microsoft Dynamics® GP.  This comprehensive software solution will organize your finances, as well as streamline your financial operations.  Microsoft Dynamics GP provides management capabilities for finances, supply chain, manufacturing, project and services management, and other business operations.  Organizing critical data into a single software solution will highlight the relationships between the products and services you offer with your productivity and profitability.

The business intelligence and reporting features built in Microsoft Dynamics GP will provide greater insight into managing your money.  Use the forecasting and predictive analysis features to estimate potential tax liabilities and set aside the cash you may need so that you can write your tax check when it is due.  Paying taxes on time will eliminate penalties, interest charges, and other levies that could have a significant, and long-term, effect on your business.

Instead of dreading tax season, put your business on the right path to being better prepared when it’s time to pay the IRS.  Microsoft Dynamics GP will help you manage your finances so that you are ready to pay your taxes when they are due.  Contact eIS Business Solutions for more information about Microsoft Dynamics GP and how this ERP software solution can provide deeper insight into your financials.

By Robert Smith of eIS Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM Partner out of California

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Imagine if ONE solution could…

• Manage the complete rental process for your rental fleet
• Give you instant visibility to the status and location of any rental asset
• Provide flexible rental terms and pricing to meet your customer requirements
• Track all rental inquiries in rental quotes and easily convert them to rental orders
• Service all equipment to ensure your rental fleet is properly maintained
• Provide real-time access to information with an integrated ERP/accounting system
• Utilize data cubes from a business intelligence system to quickly analyze trends and profitability
• Get those invoices out faster and improve your cash flow
• Connect your yard and field workers with mobile devices

These are only some of the benefits for your organization that will eliminate those headaches. Join us to learn how to gain control over your rental business on Thursday, May 10th at 11:00 am MT or on Wednesday, May 16th at 2:00 pm MT. 

Learn even more about how to alleviate rental challenges with this easy-to-read infographic from Open Door Technology:

By Malcolm Roach of Open Door Technology, Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner based out of Calgary, Alberta

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Microsoft Dynamics NAV now includes Jet Reports Express, an Excel-based business tool that allows users to build their own reports utilizing tools they are familiar with. Information can be based on financial or operations data and is pulled real-time from the database.  And the best part is that the reports can be done by the users themselves with no involvement from internal or external IT resources resulting in savings of both time and cost.

The Microsoft Excel base of this tool makes it especially user friendly and requires minimal training. You can create reports pertinent to your role and, if needed, make changes as your business and role evolves. Having this type of flexibility empowers you in your job and creates numerous benefits for your company.  Optional upgrades are available to automatically schedule reports with automatic delivery in a variety of formats and destinations.  An optional business intelligence module, Jet Enterprise, is also available as a cost-effective choice and can be installed in a day for use with Jet Reports.

For any questions about Jet Reports for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, please contact us at Open Door Technology.

By Malcolm Roach of Open Door Technology, Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner based out of Calgary, Alberta

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In an organization where CRM and ERP are distinctly separate systems, the workforce can never benefit from 360-degree view of the customer.  Here are a few questions salespeople often ask that drain time and efficiency in this environment:

• What’s on the order?
• What’s the order status?
• Has an order shipped?
• What is the order’s Tracking Number?
• Has the order been invoiced?
• What was on the invoice?
• Has the invoice been paid?

If you are considering purchasing new ERP and CRM systems, or if you have two separate systems today, it may be sensible to ensure that these technologies can integrate.  The goal should be to knock down the walls that are keeping your departments in a perpetual bottleneck.  Microsoft offers some exciting solutions in both areas.  In the ERP arena, Dynamics GP and Dynamics AX provide powerful ERP tools to meet your needs.  The best part is that Dynamics CRM will integrate with both, providing the desired customer-centric view of all data available.

Here are just a few of the features you can expect from CRM in an integrated ERP and CRM environment:

• Allow your sales force enter orders directly into CRM and push those orders to ERP, eliminating data entry errors and re-keying of data. (This also eliminates the need to purchase additional ERP licenses to accommodate your sales team.)
• See current inventory on hand, enabling salespeople to let customers know if items are back ordered so that alternate suggestions can be offered
• Provide clients with updates on order status, shipping information, and tracking numbers right out of CRM
• Identify immediately when an account has been put on credit hold
• Allow your non-accounting staff to enter purchase orders, go through an approval process, and push these PO’s to ERP without re-keying the data

All of these features are enabled through the use of the combined tools of the CRM Connector for Dynamics ERP and code written by the certified CRM consultants of Armanino Consulting.  Perhaps the best part is that the CRM Connector is a free utility available as part of your Dynamics GP or Dynamics AX implementation.  If you have a combined deployment of Microsoft CRM and Dynamics GP or AX, you should be taking advantage of these tools to provide the best view of your customers on the market today.

Our customers who have deployed the CRM Connector are using it to enable their sales force to enter their own orders.  In many organizations, the sales team is already creating quotes.  Why not take advantage of that effort and push that quote to be an order in CRM and, with a push of a button, submit it to ERP.  Here is a typical process that we see:

1)      Create a quote in CRM.

2)      Convert that quote to be an order in CRM.

3)      Submit that order to ERP.

4)      Fulfill and invoice in ERP.

5)      Send the order and Invoice information back to CRM, providing that all-important status visibility all along the way.

A fully-integrated environment provides the highest return on investment and brings your sales process full-circle.  It increases scalability, data accuracy, and customer satisfaction.   If you are wondering how this integration functionality works for other companies, please take a moment to read this case study which outlines how one our customers was able to speed order processing and invoicing by using Microsoft Dynamics GP and the CRM Connector.   If you would like to learn more about ERP, CRM, or how these technologies can help your company become more productive, please contact us.

By Armanino Consulting – the West Coast’s largest Gold Certified, Microsoft AX and GP Partner in Oregon, Washington, and California.

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Many businesses today have found success with current business management software, like Microsoft Dynamics® GP.  This particular software solution offers robust management of financials, as well as supply chain, manufacturing, project and service management, and much more.  It is scalable so that you chose the features that match your business today, and flexible so that you can add the features you may want in the future.

Microsoft Dynamics GP automates and streamlines even more of the accounting process by integrating the financials with the other parts of your business – outside of the accounting department.  Different departments can enter important financial data that accounting can use to manage accounts payable and accounts receivables, for example.  This saves time for the accounting team that would have to track down the information they need, eliminates the need for double-entries, and gets tasks completed much faster.  The automation removes even more of the risk for human error and calculation mistakes.  In addition, the real-time data in Microsoft Dynamics GP can be accessed at any moment, giving you the important information you need to drive your business.

As technology continues to advance, so does our accounting software.  Software solutions like Microsoft Dynamics GP add productivity and accuracy to our ability to manage the accounting, as well as visibility into our other business operations.   For more information about accounting software, please contact eIS Business Solutions.

By Robert Smith of eIS Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM Partner out of California

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There are many types of accounting software options available from basic bookkeeping to fully integrated business intelligence software.  It won’t do you any good to have a program that does so little that you spend more time keeping books than running your business.  On the other hand, you don’t want to invest in an overly-complicated software program that has more features than you need.  You need a software that matches your business needs.

Many businesses have found success with Microsoft Dynamics® GP, a comprehensive business management software that is scalable to match your immediate needs, but flexible to change as your business needs change.  This cost-effective software can manage your finances, as well as supply chain, manufacturing, project management, field services, and other business operations.  You pick and choose the features that are applicable to your business now, and modify those features as needed.  When your software works the way you want it to work, you spend more time driving your business and less time figuring out how to fix your software.

Microsoft Dynamics GP also offers built-in business analysis so you can easily get the information you need to make important business decisions.  Accessing real time financial data will enable you to spot trends in your products or services, so you can take advantage of new opportunities.  This insight will help you cross-sell or up-sell your products, and target new customers more effectively.  In addition, you’ll be able to identify inefficiencies or budget problems and take quick action before they become larger problems.

Careful management of your finances is what keeps your business thriving.  The wrong accounting software will not only lead you in the wrong direction, it will distract you from important business tasks.  Microsoft Dynamics GP will keep you on track and provide business intelligence to grow your business.  Contact T3 Information Systems to see how Microsoft Dynamics GP will give you greater control and insight over business operations with far less effort than your basic accounting software.

By T3 Information Systems, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner out of Washington, DC

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