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NexTec Blog
26

Voiding Transactions in Microsoft Dynamics GP

An area that causes some confusion for users of Microsoft Dynamics GP is the voiding of transactions.  For example, a client asked us last week “What date is used by Microsoft Dynamics GP when voiding a transaction”?

We thought it would be good to review the void process with everyone as this is a very common question that we get from clients.

[Read the rest of this article...]

26

Use Tax and Microsoft Dynamics GP 10

We were recently asked by a client if you can track use tax in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10. This is a great question as there are a couple ways to configure Microsoft Dynamics GP 10 to track use tax.  One such method to track use tax in GP 10.0 we detailed out below.

[Read the rest of this article...]

26

Assign Additional Default Distribution Accounts to Vendors

We recently assisted a client to assign additional default distribution accounts to a vendor. This is particularly useful when you consistently distribute an invoice amount to multiple GL accounts. One such method is described below in detail for you to follow.

[Read the rest of this article...]

11

Verification, Validation and Risk Management on ERP Projects

A key component of any ERP project is an adequate and thorough understanding of the client’s business and operations.  At NexTec we call this the Design Phase and include this phase on every ERP project.  To put into simple terms, this is:

Verification, Validation and Risk Management

During this phase which accounts for 10-20% of total project time, NexTec meets with key Company personnel.  Utilizing questionnaires and personal interviews, we decompose all aspects of daily operations to gain an in-depth understanding of needs and processes to determine if current processes can be continued or need to be revised for the new ERP system.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: NexTec General
09

Tap Into Dynamics GP Resources

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages to using Dynamics GP is the amount information available online. There is a very large community of users and many of these users post comments, tips & tricks, workarounds, and other useful information on the internet.
 
Simply entering the phrase “dynamics gp” and a question in a search engine will most likely turn up another user who has encountered the same situation that you are in.

[Read the rest of this article...]

04

NexTec Group Now Offers Sage ERP X3

NexTec Group, a leading provider for Sage and Microsoft accounting and ERP solutions, today announced that it has reached an agreement with Sage to sell and distribute their Sage ERP X3 enterprise software suite.

[Read the rest of this article...]

14

 

Sage MAS 500 Year-End Updates

With January 31 right around the corner, now is the time to prepare for 1099s! Sage wants your 1099 season to be a successful one. To help ensure this, please take a moment to review the following valuable 1099 processing information.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
10

How to process period-end closing or year-end closing in Sage MAS 500

 

I. SETTING UP GL OPTIONS

 

Before closing a fiscal year, configure the following options appropriately to achieve the desired results during year-end processing.

 

Go to the GL Maintenance menu and select GL Setup / Set Up GL Options. Verify the information on the following tabs:

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
09

PDFBlaster for MAS 500

Do you spend too much time printing invoices and mailing them to customers? Sage MAS 500 provides a document transmittal feature that allows you to submit documents electronically.  However, you can only send documents in .html and .rtf format while most customers would like to see electronic documents in .pdf format.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
02

FRx Service Pack Issues for Microsoft Dynamics SL 7.0

As a result of many Dynamics SL 7.0 upgrades, we have had the opportunity to perform many FRx 6.7 upgrades as well.  FRx 6.7 Service Pack 9 is the first version of FRx widely distributed with Dynamics SL 7.0, and using the same code base as prior versions of FRx, the application is extremely mature and stable.

[Read the rest of this article...]

20

Compacting a VPC Image

If you work with Virtual PC Images you must have noticed that over a period of time the size of the image file (.VHD) increases to two-to-three times of the original size. This happens because the physical image file size is increased when more data is added but not reduced when data is deleted.  
Here are some simple steps to shrink the file:

[Read the rest of this article...]

18

Upgrading to Dynamics SL Version 7 – Feature Pack 1 or Service Pack 2?

Due to the retirement of version 6.0 and older service packs for version 6.5, several of our clients have been upgrading to version 7. 

There are two upgrade paths to 7.0

  1. Feature Pack 1
  2. Service Pack 2

[Read the rest of this article...]

02

Executing SQL Server scripts using Dynamics SL DBUpdate

Dynamics SL has a utility called DBUpdate (Database Update). Generally this utility is used to initialize some system level important tables e.g. rptcontrol, messages, pvrec, etc. The initialization of these tables is one of the post-installation steps.

[Read the rest of this article...]

23

Avalara - AvaTax for Microsoft Dynamics GP & SL and Sage MAS 500 ERP

Businesses are having a tough enough time in today’s recession economy just staying afloat. While paying attention to what they do best, running their businesses, the last thing they need to think about is the constantly changing rates, rules, and boundaries of sales tax jurisdictions. But if they get it wrong, charging too much or too little to customers, they’re in the kind of trouble that will take away from their bottom line.

[Read the rest of this article...]

23

Financial Reporting and FRx Replacement for Sage MAS 500 ERP

Scott Zandbergen (Vice President Product Management at Sage Business Solutions) recently announced a replacement strategy for FRx Financial Reporting for MAS 500 Customers. An Extract from his announcement follows:

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
22

How to Personalize Business Insights Explore in MAS 500 v7.2

We get a lot of request on how to modify Business Insights Explore.  Now you can with version 7.2.  You first need to add the Maintain Business Insights Views / Context Menu task to the navigation pane.  Below are instructions on how to do this.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
19

Security Hints for Identifying a Task Description with the Task Name in Sage MAS 500

One of the biggest challenges in Sage MAS 500 is assigning security. The reason for this is that there are no documents that identify the task descriptions with the task names. Below is a workaround to identify the two challenges.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
19

How to Split a Batch in Sage MAS 500

We’ve heard stories from clients where they have deleted transactions from batches because they were not ready to process them. Well, there is no need to delete them. We suggest moving them from one batch to another and placing it on hold. You can do this using the Split Batch function.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
14

Increasing the Performance of Time and Expense Entry for Business Portal 3.0 in MS SL

 
We recently assisted a large Microsoft Dynamics SL 6.5 client that utilizes Business Portal 3.0 to enter time and expense information. They were experiencing significant performance issues while entering this information. They engaged us to correct these issues. After an initial fact gathering discussion with the client, we uncovered the following information:

[Read the rest of this article...]

14

API OptiView ECM: Seamless Document Management for MS Dynamics and Sage MAS 500

Advanced Processing & Imaging (API), developers of innovative electronic document and content management solutions, are pleased to welcome NexTec Group as an authorized platinum-level value added reseller (VAR). NexTec Group is authorized to sell and support API’s robust solutions to their existing and new clients as an added-value complement to their own products and services.

[Read the rest of this article...]

13

Microsoft FRx Report Writer – Most commonly overlooked features

FRx is a financial reporting and analysis tool broadly used in the mid-market of ERP systems. Despite its popularity, FRx is not 100% utilized by users and some of the most helpful features that facilitate the creation and distribution of financial reports are usually overlooked.

[Read the rest of this article...]

06

Excel VLOOKUP Function

Perhaps one of the most useful and commonly used functions in Excel is VLOOKUP. However, some users can be intimidated by this function. Here is a simple explanation of how it works.

[Read the rest of this article...]

06

Exciting New Feature in MS Dynamics SL 7.0 - Quick Send

Microsoft Dynamics SL 7.0 has a lot of very nice new features that add immediate value to your Microsoft Dynamics SL install.One of the most popular new features is Quick Send which allows you to automatically send invoices and purchase orders via email and fax. This new feature provides Electronic Documents Delivery giving users the capability of sending statements, invoices, order confirmations, purchase orders and other customer and vendor related documents in the format they prefer.

[Read the rest of this article...]

28

Important Version and Service Pack Support Updates for GP 10.0

Below are important announcments from Microsoft  regarding Microsoft Dynamics GP Version Retirement and Service Pack Updates. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your Microsoft Dynamics GP install, please contact your local NexTec consultant or email marketing@nextecgroup.com.

[Read the rest of this article...]

25

Creating Custom SQL Based Sage CRM SalesLogix Groups for SalesLogix Territory Realignment

I manage our internal installation of Sage SalesLogix CRM (we still use SalesLogix for Sales and Marketing; we currently use Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Service and Support. We are in the process of migrating all of our xRM activity to Dynamics CRM as our single xRM solution). One of the things I’m frequently asked to do is re-align accounts and contacts from one rep. to another. Reasons vary for this, but most frequently it’s to accommodate some sort of ad hoc marketing activity.

[Read the rest of this article...]

25

Are You Taking Advantage of Microsoft CustomerSource?

I’ve had people ask me, how do I access CustomerSource and what is it?  So, I thought I would provide a little more insight for you.

CustomerSource, available for those on a current Microsoft service plan, is loaded with tools and information that can help you increase efficiency and productivity. With many self-help resources such as Knowledge Base, technical documentation and access to online training, Microsoft CustomerSource gives you the tools to efficiently use and support Microsoft Dynamics solutions.

[Read the rest of this article...]

24

Report Center Functionality for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0

The new Report Center functionality was introduced in Dynamics GP 10 and is included as a part of Business Portal, this feature is a great one for the out-of-the-box library pages that are setup for Finance, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Payroll, HR, Manufacturing, and Executives.

[Read the rest of this article...]

24

Dynamics GP on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

 
With the release of Microsoft Windows 7  and Server 2008 R2 on the horizon (slated for an October 22, 2009) many companies will once again be faced with the decision whether to upgrade or not. You can rest assured that if you are running Dynamics GP 10 on one of the latest service packs (SP3 or SP4) that it will already be compatible with Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 from the time you install your new operating system.

[Read the rest of this article...]

21

Defining a Central Location to Store Report Files in MAS 500

We frequently get asked if there is a way to centralize the application reports directory for MAS 500 clients. In a typical MAS 500 installation, report files are stored locally at:
 
C:\Program Files\MAS 500 Client\<Module>\Reports.
 
When reports are customized, they have to be copied to each individual client workstation. Many MAS 500 sites prefer to maintain a central location that all clients can access to store report files.
 
Sage provides the following methods to define an alternate location for report files.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
21

Dynamics SL (Solomon) - Versions to Be Retired from Mainstream Microsoft Support

Below are two important announcments from Microsoft  regarding Microsoft Dynamics SL Version Retirement and Year End Tax Updates. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your Microsoft Dynamics SL install, please contact your local NexTec consultant or email marketing@nextecgroup.com.

Extracts from Microsoft Announcements regarding Version retirements and support for year end tax updates:

[Read the rest of this article...]

18

A Novel use for Landed Cost and an Explanation of Dynamics GP Landed Cost Postings and Options

This week I’ve been working on a deployment where one line of business sells containers of material which is purchased to order. The ultimate goal is to provide them with very accurate margin analysis on these container Sales Transactions both as a business measure and to provide feedback into their quoting process. Our client is coming from QuickBooks where they’ve been using ‘Job Cost’ to accumulate and report on these costs.

Most of these orders are coming overseas and have both import and overland freight and duty fees, etc. etc. associated with them.  Since these transactions have variable indirect and direct costs and they’re purchased to order, we needed to come up with a way to track both budgetary and actual costs against a  PO without having to go to a Project Solution (which would’ve taken too much setup and maintenance).

[Read the rest of this article...]

11

Why Create A Test Company in MS Dynamics GP?

There are many reasons for creating a TEST Company. These companies are typically used as a restore database point when testing new processes, procedures or proposed setup changes prior to making the changes in the production company. 

When creating a TEST company the Company Name in the test database should always be followed by the flag, <TEST>.  E.g.  Any Company, Inc.<TEST>

[Read the rest of this article...]

09

Cross-Database Queries & Dynamics GP Smartlist Builder

We encountered a situation with one of our Cleveland clients trying to use Smartlist Builder to create a Smartlist that was based on a SQL view that they had developed. The view was a query that was getting  result sets from multiple tables across multiple databases. We setup the security in GP correctly as stated in the Smartlist Builder manual, however we were not able to even see the new Smartlists listed once we logged in as a user that should have access to them.

[Read the rest of this article...]

04

Resolving Application Errors in Integration Manager on x64 Servers 

With the cost of x64 server architecture coming down and their relative performance going up, more and more of our clients are opting to move their SQL Servers over as they upgrade them. This has presented some issues with 32 bit applications and we’ve been running into client-side application compatibility errors with increasing frequency.
 
Yesterday, while working with one of our new clients, we repeatedly received ‘ADO field is nothing’ errors when trying to preview data source data and  ‘DOC 1 ERROR: Unable to cast COM object of type’ error messages, while trying to run Integration Manager to bring in master files. The application would open correctly and we were able to do create new integrations, but we were unable to proceed.

[Read the rest of this article...]

04

Sage MAS 500 v7.2 64-bit Server Registration Issues

Software manufacturers have gone to great lengths to ensure that their creations are not pirated by crafty programmers. The methods employed by companies such as Sage and Microsoft are becoming more and more sophisticated. However, sometimes this added layer of complexity can create installation issues and require extra steps to resolve.
 
Sage MAS 500 v7.2 requires valid registration information in order to work past the 30-day trial period. If you are experiencing registration issues with an installation on a 64-bit server, an understanding of the following may help.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
01

Hot Topic – Service Pack 4 for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Causes Errors in SmartList Builder and Excel Report Builder

For any of you who use Smartlist Builder and Excel Report Builder, the latest Hot Topic from Microsoft is an important bit of information.

After installing Service Pack 4 for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0, you will receive the error "Wrong number of arguments to 'Replace_Text'" when using areas of SmartList Builder and Excel Report Builder.  For example, the error appears completing the following:

  1. Clicking Publish in Excel Report Builder.
  2. Saving a calculation in SmartList Builder or Excel Report Builder.
  3. Exporting the SmartList Builder or Excel Report Builder setup to a file. 
The fix is an updated SmartList Builder dictionary which needs to be installed after loading Service Pack 4.  Please read on and see the following links for specific details and the workaround:

[Read the rest of this article...]

01

“Truth in advertising”

This morning, as I was going through my Inbox, I came across an interesting email that indicated that one of our competitors had ‘rebranded’ one of our client ‘success stories’ (see NexTec's original case study) to make it look like it was the competitors’ successful engagement (see competitor's rebranded version). I was a little taken aback by the audacity of this ‘rebranding’. The real question is, what would inspire someone to ‘push the envelope’ on something so far as to risk undermining their credibility with prospects (especially if the prospect found out that this was not their engagement)? Is this just poetic license or does this push out of the grey area of marketing?

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Posted in: NexTec General
21

Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Sql Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

As an ERP consulting company with offices in New Jersey, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston and Cleveland, we have a critical need to distribute data from our accounting software via the web on a timely basis. Several years ago, we chose SSRS, or Sql Server Reporting Services as our tool of choice, this is the same great tool that Microsoft Dynamics GP uses. We chose it for 3 basic reasons: it was web facing, could schedule report delivery automatically, and it natively integrated with MSSQL.

[Read the rest of this article...]

12

Does your organization have good backups of your critical databases?  Are you SURE?

We wanted to take a few minutes to highlight an important issue regarding the safety of your accounting data.  We worked with several clients over the last few months, who have suffered system outages and have discovered that they either had only old backups -- or worse, no backup at all.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: NexTec General
06

MS Desktop Search Tips Or when is not not "NOT"?

I find that some terms I search for occur very frequently, client or id - for instance are so common that the search results are meaningless. For instance, our Spam filter sends me emails every day with the word Sonicwall, the manufacturer of the device. Since each email also contains a line or so of text from each potential Spam item, searching for Sonicwall login or Sonicwall warranty might give me over 1,000 results.

[Read the rest of this article...]

07

“The Big Easy” Welcomes Convergence 2009

Convergence 2009 will take place in New Orleans March 10–13, 2009. Mark your calendar and make arrangements to participate in a program that includes a variety of speakers, detailed product demonstrations and hands‐on learning sessions.

[Read the rest of this article...]

12

The Key Ingredients That Make Up Our National Helpdesk's Success

A Helpdesk can be either a benefit or a burden to a company by increasing customer satisfaction and return on investment or making customers and consultants miserable. The key ingredients to achieving benefits are to define the processes, policies and procedures of the Helpdesk and select the appropriate technology to enable both clients and consultants quick access to knowledgeable resources. The alignment and  combination of these ingredients must meet the current and future needs of the client, while making the consultant's job more manageable and less complicated.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: NexTec General
12

Microsoft Instant Search – Ready for Prime Time!

I’d been a pretty happy user of Google Desktop search for quite a while. It was fast, easy to use and configure, and most of all – found what I was looking for. I tried MS Instant Search as well, and tried a few searches in both tools. More frequently than not, I couldn’t find an email with the MS search tool that popped up right away in the Google search. I’d often be looking at an email, type in a few keywords, and have Instant Search come up empty. After a while, I simply deleted the MS tool and moved on.

[Read the rest of this article...]

08

When Is It Time to Spend On IT?

In our Government Practice, we find that as budgets get tighter, there is an increased spend on technology and infrastructure geared toward creating efficiencies. This seems logical inasmuch as spending some money to save more money really makes sense as I write it. However, this isn’t often the case with privately owned companies. More often than not, we find that as the economy slows, IT spending decreases as the focus tends to shift to revenue generating activities.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: NexTec General
02

Microsoft Dynamics GP Users Summit Briefly Previews GP version 11.0

There is a really interesting article about Dynamics GP version 11 over on MSDynamicsWorld.com (registration required), describing the preview Microsoft delivered at the GP Users Group Summit this week. While it’s by no means comprehensive in its description of new features, it does reinforce what we’ve seen from Microsoft in the last two releases of Dynamics GP: a heavy focus on increased integration to Microsoft Office and improvement of end-user productivity through use of configurable workflow and the blurring of the lines between business productivity software (Microsoft Office) and the ERP system (Dynamics GP). The article put it in the following terms:

[Read the rest of this article...]

19

Is your Dynamics GP Database to Large? Company Data Archive can Help!

What is Company Data Archive? 

Company Data Archive (CDA) is a 3rd party tool for Microsoft Dynamics GP by Professional Advantage that provides an easy way to move historical information from your 'live' company to another 'archive' company. Archiving your data will reduce the size of your live company database and improve system performance while posting, running reports, performing file maintenance, and day-to-day use of Dynamics GP.

[Read the rest of this article...]

17

Hints for Resolving 20402/20406 Errors with Customized Screens in Dynamics SL 7.0

Microsoft Dynamics SL 7.0 is now written in the latest version of Visual Basic 2005, making it .NET compliant and providing new functionality like insert/overwrite capabilities in data entry fields and interfaces to products like SQL Server Reporting Services. In previous versions, the Visual Basic installer, the VB msi, was a separate file included on the CD  and was installed separately.

[Read the rest of this article...]

12

Microsoft Dynamics GP and Trinity Myridas are a Perfect Match for Food Distributors

Microsoft Dynamics GP and Trinity's Myridas add-on suite is a perfect match solution for our food distribution clients. Trinity's Myridas enhances the Microsoft GP solution and enables food distributors the key unique functionality they require to operate that Microsoft Dynamics GP does not do out of the box.

[Read the rest of this article...]

11

 

Why are we here?

Years ago, when we started what later became NexTec Group people used to ask us – why are you starting a company?  There were two basic answers to that question. The first is that all of us had worked for other ERP consulting firms, and felt we could do better. Few VARs at the time offered much beyond basic implementation services for Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains), SL (formerly Solomon) and Sage MAS 500. Our plan was to offer implementation, programming, report writing, training and more. We’ve continued that tradition by updating our offerings with CRM, Business Intelligence, and Sharepoint, and we always try to offer a compelling mix of products and services to our clients.  If you can think of something we are missing, please let us know!

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: NexTec General
08

Streamline your buying process with GP Requisitions Management

If you are trying to cut down on emails and paperwork when creating a requisition, take a look at Requisition Management. It is part of the Business Portal and with some easy approval Hierarchy setup, you are on your way to create requisitions outside GP and after it is approved by the appropriate person, it ends up as a Purchase Order in GP.

[Read the rest of this article...]

28
Get Lean and Go Green with doc-link Enterprise Document Management
In today’s uncertain economic climate, companies are looking for new ways to cut costs and streamline business processes. At the same time, a new age of social responsibility has shifted public awareness toward preservation of the environment and a call for companies to “go green.” Both trends have created a compelling business case for going paperless using a document management system, like doc-linkTM by Altec, that’s integrated with your Dynamics GP, SL or Sage MAS 500 accounting system. Let’s take a closer look.

[Read the rest of this article...]

03

Get Ready for Sage MAS 500 Version 7.2 Summer 2008!

Sage Software has announced the upcoming release of Sage MAS 500 version 7.2, which continues its strong tradition as an open SQL Server and Visual Basic platform for integration and customization. Scheduled for availability Summer 2008, MAS 500 Version 7.2 strengthens its technology leadership position by providing two new Microsoft .Net solutions, support for Microsoft Vista, and overall improved workflow and the user interface. In this article, we’ll focus on a couple of significant improvements and help you determine whether an upgrade to version 7.2 would yield benefit to your business.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Posted in: Sage MAS 500 ERP
30

What is MICR?

“MICR” stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. MICR encoding is a process by which checks are printed using special magnetic ink and font characters to create machine readable information for check processing. As a check travels through the banking system, a reader-sorter machine sends a magnetic charge to the check which allows it to read MICR information very quickly and accurately. Because of this required magnetic charge, the Federal Reserve and all banks require that checks be printed with a special MICR toner (for the curious-minded, the special ingredient for MICR toner is iron oxide - an excellent trivia question next time you’re hanging around the coffee machine). Laser printers with a special cartridge are typically used to print MICR-encoded checks. Using a MICR solution can transform a blank piece of security paper into a complete check with date, payee information, logos, bank identification and the MICR line, along with automated signatures, if desired.

[Read the rest of this article...]

15

What is Collaboration?

One of the newest buzzwords in technology is “collaboration.” If you’re not quite clear about collaboration and technology mix, read on as we explain this somewhat elusive concept, evaluate its benefits, and introduce the combination of Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 that work together to deliver a powerful collaboration solution.

[Read the rest of this article...]

15

What is Modifier with VBA?

The Modifier with VBA is a customization tool that is available with every Microsoft Dynamics GP client installation. It is used to modify the appearance and functionality of Microsoft Dynamics GP windows, including those created by third-party applications. Designed primarily for system administrators and implementation specialists, safety is a primary focus of this tool. Original information in the system cannot be lost or overridden. All modifications made are stored separately from the core product. This allows modifications to be removed and also preserved when the system is upgraded.

[Read the rest of this article...]

27

Harness the benefits of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP

Reduce the time it takes to create reports and take full advantage of your data with customizable reports for Microsoft® SQL Server™ Reporting Services. Seamless integration gives you the freedom to extend data formats and access SQL reports from within Microsoft Dynamics™ GP, to share across your organization.

[Read the rest of this article...]

 
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