Microsoft Great Plains Installation - Overview for IT Director/Controller

Microsoft Great Plains is main mid-market application of Microsoft Business Solutions. This article is very short, written in question / answer / FAQ style to give IT Director / Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains implementation. If you have decided on Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains installation and implementation, and what goes on behind the scenes. From now is the latest version of Microsoft Great Plains 8.0

What installation in the language of technology? Installation has server and client side sides.



Server - Installation creates security environment (logins) on MS SQL Server or MSDE, creates database system - and then DYNAMICS companies databases. All these tasks are performed by Microsoft Great Plains Utilities

Workstation side - copies workstation installation of the client-side application installs current version of MDAC (we need SQL ODBC drivers - please documentation on ODBC DSN setup), registers the application. If you intend Great Plains Utilities from the workstation to create server side (see above) - you need to client and server installation is Components



What following implementation? Implementation requires combination of technological and accounting skills



System setup - you should refer to GP documentation. In general setup consists of Company information, General GL / AR / AP / Payroll setup, user classes, customer / vendor / employee classes to name few

Master Records - They should either integrate tools, such as Integration Manager, SQL queries or To give users and all your GL accounts, customers, suppliers, employees.

Beginning balances - this approach is recommended - you next to the old accounting application for querying the historical data and enter beginning balances in Great Plains GL, AR, AP, SOP, POP, Payroll. If you agree with the balances in the system you are ready in the production

Historical Data Conversion - it is optional to do historical data conversion you need to know basic Great Plains tables structure (Setup > Tools & gt ; Resource Description > Tables Structure). This is similar to surgery - so you probably need outside consultant to help. If the volume of historical data is small - you can the Great Plains Integration Manager and then to the records in the modules.

User training - we are only offering - it is up to you to decide on the way to train your users

Using Two Parallel Systems and - this is recommended. It is the reports from both systems during this test period and compare the results

Customization - typical Adjustments: Accounting, Crystal Reports, pulls information from a variety of databases, including the Great Plains database, Great Plains forms change with Modifier / VBA, Great Plains forms skill and logic customization, integration with CRM, RMS and other business systems, Web publishing from Great Plains tables, EDI with your suppliers, SQL Data Transformation packages



Do I need consultant? We recommend you to use consultant in the following cases



You have identified the need for Great Plains skill customization

You do migrate from Pervasive / Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server / MSDE, especially if you have third parties without migration tools

You do migration of Great Plains Accounting to Microsoft Great Plains

You have a lot or Report Writer Last Great Plains Reports

You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics eEnterprise or 6.0 or above - in this case, you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued

Your Great Plains has more than 20 Users in this case, the error can cause serious matter problems

You have no support for your old Great Plains - then you have to your Microsoft Business Solutions partners and for the payment of the annual support / enhancement plan - Obtain new registry key, and are ready Fortunately for the upgrade



Good with installation, implementation, upgrade and if you have any questions or concerns - we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! The help@albaspectrum.com

About Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Arizona, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, New York, Washington, Georgia, Canada, Britain, Australia and the locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, dexterity, SQL, C . Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: andrewk@albaspectrum.com; akarasev@albaspectrum.com galileo demetrius



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