| Formerly this Corporate MRP/ERP application was | | | | Data migration service is available. In our opinion the |
| known as Great Plains Dynamics. Microsoft | | | | most important in data conversion is planning (measure |
| Dynamics GP is well positioned to be implemented as | | | | seven times and cut once), data massage and |
| MRP platform for small or mid-size production | | | | conversion risk is typically associated with large scale |
| company, where you classify as discrete | | | | of manufacturing operations, where you cannot stop |
| manufacturer If you are large manufacturing mill, or if | | | | production (sometimes customers like the idea of pilot |
| you are engaged in process manufacturing (such as | | | | project or parallel data entry in Dynamics GP and |
| food processing, meat, poultry, mining, diamonds | | | | Legacy Accounting and MRP) |
| processing) — we recommend you to take a | | | | 8. Walking away from Great Plains Dynamics GP |
| look at Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly known as | | | | Manufacturing to larger packages, such as Oracle |
| Axapta), but for the rest of us Great Plains is good | | | | Applications/eBusiness Suite, SAP, Dynamics AX |
| choice. Let’s come through Great Plains | | | | Axapta. Dynamics GP MA data export service is |
| manufacturing implementation and support highlights: | | | | recommended, and data could be exported into tab or |
| 1. Full featured manufacturing suite versus distribution Bill | | | | comma delimited text files, XML, MS Access, MS SQL |
| of Materials. If you do not need such high-end | | | | Server Database (sometimes accountants suggest |
| manufacturing functionalities as Floor Capacity Planning, | | | | MS Excel, this is also fine, smile). And good luck in |
| Quality Assurance, etc., we recommend you to look at | | | | going public and entering Corporate World, typically |
| Distribution BOM module, where you can do simple | | | | associated with big tickets accounting and Corporate |
| assembly (including phantom BOMs). Dynamics GP | | | | ERP packages |
| Bill of Materials module is budget oriented and well | | | | 9. Manufacturing and Bill of Materials Custom |
| positioned for small manufacturing firm | | | | Programming. We often hear the request, especially |
| 2. When Manufacturing Suite is required. For mid-size | | | | from small and mid-size businesses, when they do not |
| manufacturing facility it is important to automate often | | | | need full-scale manufacturing functionality, but rather |
| complex steps in creating manufacturing order (it often | | | | prefer to have either Inventory Control transactions |
| comes from external manufacturing custom system), | | | | (typically adjustments) or Bill of Material documents to |
| process it and finally post all the way through General | | | | be modified (or customized in Microsoft Dexterity). |
| Ledger. Besides Manufacturing Suite implementation | | | | These request are often related to unique (often |
| services we recommend you to take a look at Alba | | | | confidential) production business logic. We do Great |
| Spectrum Workflow and Posting Server, where you | | | | Plains Dexterity programming since 1997 (or 1994, if we |
| can automate standard MO processing and | | | | count programmers who are no longer with us) and |
| route exceptions to GP Manufacturing screens | | | | we are very comfortable to help you in Dex code |
| for decision maker action (component replacement, | | | | analysis, upgrade, performance optimization, porting |
| backordering, obsolete part) | | | | legacy GP Dexterity cursors to MS SQL Server |
| 3. Manufacturing and Barcoding. Modern production | | | | Stored Procedures |
| facility often relies on Barcode scanners (parts picking | | | | 10. Dynamics GP Manufacturing and Linux/Unix World. |
| from the bins), inventory restocking (Great Plains | | | | We respect the fact that some (or better to say |
| Purchase Receipts) and of course, when your make | | | | may) of manufacturing factories and mills deploy |
| on order item is finally assembled, you fulfill the Sales | | | | mainframes and Unix operating system and |
| Order on your warehouse floor via scanning the | | | | applications (often Oracle, Sybase, Progress, etc.). |
| barcode label. Those and other barcoding features | | | | We also respect the desire of small manufacturing |
| are available in Dynamics GP ISV barcoding | | | | businesses to adopt Linux (it is free and cost efficient, |
| extensions | | | | plus such nice features are PHP, Magento ecommerce |
| 4. EDI channels in Manufacturing. Electronic | | | | shopping cart, MySQL). You should know that |
| Document Interchange might be an imperative, | | | | Microsoft Dynamics GP is available on Microsoft |
| especially when you are placing your Purchase Orders | | | | Windows platform, where database is exclusively MS |
| to Leading Nationwide Distributers. From your | | | | SQL Server (2008, 2005, 2000 7.0 and earlier |
| homework you might get the impression that EDI for | | | | depending on the version, legacy Great Plains |
| Dynamics GP is something complex and very | | | | Dynamics was available in Pervasive SQL 2000 |
| expensive. Well, you should be conservative and | | | | Btrieve and Ctree/Faircom including Macintosh version). |
| expect sales pitch. Of course, if your EDI module is | | | | In our experience we saw many customers where |
| required to support all the EDI formats (formatted text | | | | Linux/PHP/MySQL platforms were integrated to |
| file, XML) and all the EDI delivery methods (ftp, http | | | | Dynamics GP via Integration Manager, eConnect, direct |
| post, email). On the other hand, if all your EDI partners | | | | cross-platform SQL stored procedures |
| have one or two flavors of the EDI interface and | | | | 11. Dynamics GP Manufacturing Reporting. As Great |
| delivery methods — it is probably reasonable to | | | | Plains Dynamics resides in MS SQL Server, it is open |
| program EDI in precise SQL Select statement | | | | to such industry reporting tools as SSRS (Microsoft |
| 5. Great Plains Manufacturing Support. If you got | | | | SQL Server Reporting Services), Crystal Reports, MS |
| your Dynamics GP implemented through relatively | | | | Access Forms and Reports, Excel Reporting, or |
| expensive nationwide Great Plains Partner (or if these | | | | virtually any ODBC compliant reporting tool. We are |
| people screwed up the GP implementation) — | | | | happy to help you with Manufactured items barcode |
| and now you are in recovery or maintenance mode, | | | | label printing |
| there is the time to request support quote or second | | | | 12. Vintage Great Plains Manufacturing support. We |
| opinion. Dynamics GP manufacturing implementation | | | | see reasonably large number of customers, who are |
| is often associated with complicated data conversion | | | | on Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac |
| from your legacy production database and application, | | | | (typically deployed on Btrieve DB platform). Great |
| also often customers like to stay with legacy system | | | | Plains Accounting was a predecessor of Great Plains |
| and keep ongoing integration to GP manufacturing | | | | Dynamics for Windows and Mac operating systems |
| modules (the most popular is Manufacturing Order | | | | (released in earlier 1990th). We support all the |
| integration), especially when Manufacturing in-house | | | | versions of GPA and we are happy to provide |
| programmed system reflects company credo (and | | | | upgrade quote and service all the way up to the |
| possibly business success secrets of the initial | | | | Dynamics GP version 2010/11.0. There are some |
| entrepreneur) | | | | myths about Great Plains Accounting limitations and |
| 6. Current Microsoft Dynamics GP version is 2010 (also | | | | restrictions to only WindowsNT 4.0 and Novell |
| known as 11.0), however we can support | | | | platforms, please be aware that we can move you to |
| Manufacturing in earlier versions, such as 10.0, 9.0 | | | | Windows 2003 Server or even 2008 (the important |
| (these two are supported also by Microsoft Business | | | | point is — it should be 32 bit versions, not 64) |
| Solutions, as we write these lines in August 2010), as | | | | 13. Dynamics GP Manufacturing and Java/EJB. For |
| well as no-longer supported by MBS versions: 8.0, 7.5, | | | | small manufacturers we believe that such technologies |
| 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0 (you may have earlier versions of | | | | as JDBC/ODBC bridge should work. If you are |
| Icontrol Manufacturing — in late 1990th Icontrol | | | | working for nationwide manufacturing company, you |
| Manufacturing Suite was acquired by Great Plains | | | | may also go all the way down to the native Java DB |
| Software and put into the foundation of the future | | | | access drivers and have them talk to Microsoft SQL |
| Great Plains Manufacturing). If you are on older | | | | Server (where Dynamics GP Dynamics, and |
| version of Dynamics GP Manufacturing, we | | | | Companies databases are residing) |
| recommend you to consider upgrade to Dynamics GP | | | | 14. How to call or contact us? We are available via |
| version 10.0 (in few months we will begin evaluation of | | | | Nationwide 866 number: 1-866-528-0577, or feel free |
| mass upgrade to version 2010/11.0, when we see | | | | to email us By the nature of our consulting business |
| several service packs released) | | | | we serve you USA, Canada, Mexico nationwide and |
| 7. Switching from Small Business Manufacturing | | | | internationally. Local service is available in Michigan |
| packages to Dynamics GP MA (it might be SAP | | | | (Kalamazoo, St. |
| Business One, Accpac, Platinum, to name a few). | | | | |