dynamics university summer 2014

DynamicsUniversity.com 1

Summer 2014Providing Learning Opportunities for Microsoft Dynamics Users

DYNAMICSUNIVERSITY

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Kirill Tatarinov

MONEYSHOW ME THE

ENGAGEYOUR CUSTOMERS

EXTENDINGMICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

2 Dynamics University Summer 2014

Partner

Advanced Solutions & Consulting Solana Beach, CA www.solutionsco.com Business Ready Solutions Durham, NC www.businessreadysolutions.net

Cargas Systems Lancaster, PA www.cargas.com

Express Information Systems San Antonio, TX www.expressinfo.com Integrated Business Group Altamonte Springs, FL www.ibgnet.com Knaster Technology Group Englewood, CO www.theknastergroup.com

Summit Group Software West Fargo, ND www.summitgroupsoftware.com The TM Group Farmington Hills, MI www.tmgroupinc.com Turnkey Technologies, Inc. Chesterfield,MO www.turnkeytec.com

WebSan Solutions Inc. Toronto, Ontario CAN www.websan.com

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Dynamics University represents the culmination of great ideas and content from the best reselling Microsoft Dynamics partners with a focus on helping Microsoft Dynamics customers achieve more for less. The idea for Dynamics

University was born out of a desire to drive greater educational offerings within the Microsoft Dynamics community.

DYNAMICS UNIVERSITY


CO

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12WelcomeChris Gherardini

16

5

Summer 2014

Customer FeatureSureFire Ag

20

Debits & Creditsfor gp users

40Tips & Tricksfor crm users

14

GP Exam Cram39

Customization Options toExtend Microsoft Dynamics CRM Insight into 5 customization options

6 Show Me the MoneySpeeding Up Cash Receipts with Microsoft Dynamics GP

8

Excel Based BudgetingSimple steps to Excel Based Budgeting

18 Your Collection Management ArsenalArm yourself with debt collecting tools

Performance KnockoutCRM aquires Netbreeze,

Parature, and MarketingPilot

certificationquestions

CRM Exam Cram11certificationquestions


creditsDynamics University is a free magazine

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Re-Implementing Your SoftwareBeats Repurchasing 28


Greetings fellow Microsoft Dynamics enthusiasts!

Ive been servicing the Microsoft Dynamics GP end user community for nearly 28 years and as Turnkey Technologies since 1994 and therefore am honored to write this months Dynamics University Magazine welcome message.

This year, Turnkey Technologies celebrates our 20th year in business. Wow! Being in business during the 1990s, 2000s, and now into 2014 has meant experiencing and adapting to many changes.

Does anyone remember conducting business before the digital age? I can still recall conducting the majority of business communications through landlines, fax machines, and the U.S. mail. My children dont understand how it was possible to work without email, let alone to exist without a mobile device. I can also remember using a street guide instead of relying upon my navigation system to direct me to my next meeting.

Its this spirit of change and innovation that drives the Microsoft Dynamics community. By the time this magazine is published, we expect Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 to be available. This release will complete the transition from Business Portal to the new, more robust Web Client. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is currently receiving great media attention with the 2014 Spring Wave campaign, which highlights future social media listening capabilities.

With the constant updates and new capabilities of these exceptional ERP and CRM solutions, Im sure weve all become accustomed to change and new opportunities. In June 2014, my company will host an event that will promote an end-to-end cloud-based computing platform showcasing the Microsoft business solutions we offer. This topic alone has endless possibilities for the future of the Microsoft Dynamics community and the future of business processes.

I invite you to reflect on the changes you have undergone throughout the past year, decade, or even 20 years. With change comes the responsibility for us to continue to develop skillsets, gain knowledge, and remain agile. I believe each member of the Microsoft Dynamics community has proven his or her aptitude to rise to these challenges time and time again.

Thank you for your continued support of the Microsoft Dynamics community. These past 20 years in business have been quite the ride. To celebrate, youre all invited to St. Louis for our anniversary party! Well, maybe well have to set up a digital event to host all Dynamics University Magazine readers, but we hope to see you in person at a future Microsoft Dynamics event.

Respectfully,

Chris GherardiniPresidentTurnkey Technologies, Inc.

welcomeSummer2014

Chris Gherardini


By Ken Jacobsen, The TM Group

GP

MONEYSHOW ME THE



SPEEDING UP CASH RECEIPTS WITHMICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP

ccording to Reuters, poor manage-ment is the main reason for business failure, and poor cash management is probably the most frequent stum-bling block. Watching the movement of money in and out of a business is one of managements most pressing tasks.

Good cash management doesnt have to be difficult. A good starting point is developing both short-term (weekly, monthly) and long-term (annual, three- to five-year) cash flow projections. Businesses often fo-cus on long-term revenue goals and how much profit they can generate, but management frequently loses sight of day-to-day cash flow, which can ultimately kill a business regardless of how profitable it is on paper.

Monitoring cash flow can be an easy thing to do, especially if youre using a robust ERP solution such as Microsoft Dynamics GP, which allows you to get better control of your cash flow in several ways:

A

Invoicing ManagementYou can instantly send customer invoices electronically instead of mailing them and having them spend a couple of days in transit. Studies have shown that each time an invoice is printed, pre-pared, and mailed, it costs an organization 80 cents to a dollar. With this Microsoft Dynamics GP functionality, its free, enabling you to shorten the invoice cycle and get paid faster, and it allows for a stron-ger cash flow.

Online Bill PayAnother way to get paid more quickly is to make it easier for custom-ers to pay their invoices by giving them a web portal to view invoices and pay with credit cards, ACH, or credit memos. This solution pro-vides a web interface for customers to pay outstanding invoices and seamlessly integrates with your Microsoft Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing and Receivable Management Modules. This reduces pay-ments that accounting staff need to process manually, which saves time and decreases possible human data entry error.

Credit CardsAccepting credit cards will cost you a little more in processing fees, but it will also allow you to receive payment faster. There are several credit card solutions available for Microsoft Dynamics GP. One of the lead-ing solutions is k-eCommerce (formerly Axoz) Credit Card Extension, which provides processing, transaction management, and credit card tracking for Microsoft Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing and Re-ceivables Management. Additionally, the solution provides encrypted storage and retrieval of multiple credit cards for each customer and supports multiple merchant accounts for each company.

Collections ManagementCollections management for Microsoft Dynamics GP from Profession-al Advantage makes it easier for clients to manage their collections better for cash flow purposes. You can view customers based on balance, notes, customer, credit manager, and payment history. The system even allows you to automatically create follow-up actions and reminders. You can also view completed and uncompleted tasks as well as payments promised by customers.

Cash Flow ManagementCash Flow Management Microsoft Dynamics GP also has cash flow management that shows a dashboard view based on due dates of your account payables and account receivables. This dashboard/cal-endar shows you whats due that day, whats due to pay, and whats scheduled to be received. It can really help the user get better busi-ness insight and management of cash flow.

ACCORDING TO REUTERS, POOR MANAGEMENT IS THE MAIN REASON FOR BUSINESS FAILURE, AND POOR CASH MANAGEMENT IS PROBABLY THE MOST FREQUENT STUMBLING BLOCK.


DYNAMICS SALESFORCE

CRM

Performance KNOCKOUT

In an effort to compete toe-to-toe with SalesForce.com, several significant investments have been needed within Microsoft Dynamics CRM for some time. Over the past year or so, Microsoft has been very busy reshaping Microsoft Dynamics CRM to compete head-on while at the same time providing

the kind of functionality that enables businesses to create amazing customer experiences.

During this time, Microsoft has acquired a handful of organizations whose applications are meant to bolster the existing functionality of the solution. While other acquisitions such as Skype and

Nokia are a bit more interesting to the general public, those of us in the Microsoft Dynamics chan-nel have been keenly interested in the acquisitions of NetBreeze, Parature, and MarketingPilot.

These applications functionality makes them something to stop and take a look at.

By Josh Behl, Summit Group Software



On a high level, Parature is an application that allows a call center or even a company that has a small group of support personnel to assist customers through parallel mediums such as chat, mobile, email, or online. Their application provides a unified service desk (USD) interface where a customers information is readily accessible to the customer service representative (CSR). Additionally, the application enables customers to utilize self-service features through a robust knowledge base management plat-form that can be exposed to a compa-nys website. Additionally, customers can even launch a support case via a chat session. This chat integration links directly to Microsoft Dynamics CRM; they customer will be found in the solution, and a case will be generated.

While the customer and the CSR are in the chat, the USD will pull up that customers contact history, pre-chat data, and any SLA information

available. The CSR has the ability to search knowledge base articles to more quickly help the customer. Moreover, the CSR can send that article to the customer. What is equally intriguing is their Facebook application. From this app, customers can log a support case directly from Facebook. Many companies are utilizing their Facebook sites to engage customers not only from a marketing perspective, but also from a customer service perspective.

All of this functionality strengthens the other new features and functional-ity that are coming with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM spring release. There have been a number of new features that have been added to the core CRM package (outside of what Parature offers) that help to improve both the customer and agent experiences by providing an adaptive support model where customers can leverage better self-help options, utilize a combination of self-help and direct assistance through online chat, and take advantage of di-

rect over-the-phone support as needed.It is important to note that currently this is a separate application that sits outside of CRM. The integration is facili-tated through ParaConnect for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This integration doesnt require coding and can be configured to synchronize any entity in Microsoft Dynamics CRM to integrate with accounts, contacts, products, and assets in Parature.

From a pricing perspective, it gets a bit more confusing. Microsoft Dynam-ics CRM Online Enterprise is a new SKU that includes Microsoft Dynam-ics CRM Online Professional, Microsoft Dynamics Marketing (more information below), Microsoft Social Listening, and the customer service features found in Parature. This comes at a cost of $200 per user per month. At this time, to buy Parature standalone, the only option is to purchase directly from Parature. Expect this to change as the ink actually dries on the acquisition papers.

Customer Service

Microsoft Social ListeningAccording to InsideView, 75% of B2B [companies] are likely to use social media to influence their purchase decisions. So what does that mean? It means that tweets, posts, and other online

social interactions are not just people being socially chatty and exposing their

every thought online, it means that your custom-

ers, those people who you would like to be your customers, and those that are looking for another company

to buy from instead of yours are gathering in this

social sphere of influence. These customers are potentially

chatting about your products, services, and brand in an arena what includes 5,000 tweets per second, 100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per minute, 1.4 billion people on

Facebook, and more than 500 million photos uploaded and shared each day. Furthermore, SiriusDecisions writes that, Customers are 70% of the way through the purchase process before they contact sales. How does this happen? It is simple: They are on your website, your Facebook site, and on and on, crawling and collaborating in their various spheres and webs of social networks.

This is where NetBreeze comes in! For marketers, Microsoft Social Listening includes campaign monitoring, brand and product sentiment, and top influencer tracking. For salespeo-ple, the Microsoft Social Listening application helps track competitive intelligence and target accounts. Finally, for customer service groups, not only does the ability to leverage customer sentiment provide value, but also the ability to create alerts that monitor social channels to identify potential issues before they become bigger

issues is a way for organizations to respond in a timelier manner and deliver real-time solutions when and where they are needed. What makes the functionality even more compelling is the fact that the data is compressive-ly mined from YouTube, Twitter, Face-book fan pages, and non-private posts. Additionally, you have the ability to crawl millions of blogs each month, making your ability to sniff out this information even easier. Once you have found the data online you are hoping to monitor, you can leverage the power of built-in analytic tools that provide insight into these sentiments and trends.

Beyond the fact that this social listening capability provides massive functional-ity and insight, the price for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organizations couldnt be better. In other words, it is free for Online Professional licenses with 10 or more users. For those using Microsoft Dynamics CRM on-premises, the cost is $20 per user per month.

continued


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The final acquisition to familiarize yourself with is MarketingPilot. Over the multiple versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the marketing module has been present and offered basic marketing functionality that met the needs of many small to medium-sized businesses. However, as discussed in this article, how we are marketing and how consum-ers consume marketing messaging and information have changed significantly since the birth of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To date, the channel has given rise to a number of third-party vendors that have excelled at marketing automation such as Click Dimensions, CoreMotives, and ExactTarget. Each of these has worked directly with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and provided a vast array of func-tionality. Microsoft is now introducing Microsoft Dynamics Marketing, which is designed to help enhance the Microsoft Dynamics CRM marketing functionality and bring the development of robust marketing automation in-house and under the roof of Microsoft and its Microsoft Dynamics division.

Microsoft Dynamics Marketing enhances the following key areas:

Managing marketing projects

Controlling and automating their execution

Managing and creating marketing assets and media

Budgeting and financial performance

Marketing analysis

Arguably, the existing Microsoft Dynam-ics CRM marketing module does this already (albeit extremely rudimentary at best). Where the current functionality has largely failed is taking what is already there and going that extra step from okay to great! For example, instead of just tracking a campaign response and converting it to a lead, the new marketing functionality enables organizations to nurture those leads by using definable processes and criteria. Additionally, based upon the dynamic nature of this nurturing processing, the application allows for more fluid and targeted marketing messaging as that lead is nurtured from qualification to purchase. Furthermore, as those leads turn into buying customers, enhanced analytics that evaluate performance, budget, and progression towards goals are rendered through Microsoft Power BI and provide a vast array of analytic tools that help visualize and contextualize data.

Similar to Parature, Microsoft Dynamics Marketing does not sit within Microsoft Dynamics CRM but rather integrates with it. As far as pricing, Microsoft Dy-namics Marketing can be bundled with Parature and Microsoft Social Listening. Conversely, Microsoft Dynamics Marketing can be purchased as a stand-alone application that doesnt do anything with Microsoft Dynamics CRM for $125 per user per month.

Admittedly, this just scratches the surface of the suite of features and enhancements that will be available. These three acquisitions greatly enhance the marketing, customer service, and sales modules and set the stage for Microsoft Dynamics CRM to be the best-of-class CRM application. Now is a very exciting time to be a Microsoft Dynamics CRM customer.

Microsoft Dynamics MarketingKnockout, continued from page 9


3

1Jared gets a phone call from an existing account named Mertles Bike Repair. Mertle is responding to one of Jareds campaigns. Mertle tells Jared that not only is she interested in the campaign, but she also has a credit card handy and wants to place an order right now. What is the easiest way for Jared to enter this order?2

Dalton created a campaign activity that was going to send people on his marketing list emails about a campaign. He has been distributing his one campaign activity per day for the past week. His dynamic marketing list had 100 contacts on it. However, once he distributed the campaign activity, only 50 emails were sent, and 50 of them failed. Which of the following issues might have been the cause of these emails failing to be sent?

a. He should create a campaign response, save it, convert it into an opportunity, then a quote, and then into a sales order.b. He should create a campaign response, save it, and convert it into an invoice.c. He should create a campaign response, save it, and convert it into a sales order.d. He should create a campaign response, save it, convert it into a quote, open the quote, activate it, and then convert it into an order because you cannot simply convert a campaign response directly into an order.

Rufus has created a knowledge base article that helps walk a customer through the steps of creating loaf of bread. Rufus submitted his article only to have the editor request further edits. Rufus made the edits and re-submitted the article. He got nothing back from the editor, and when he asked the editor if there was anything wrong with the article, she said that it looked great! However, the next day when Rufus was searching for the article so that he could email it to a customer, he could not find the article no matter how he went about searching for it. What important step was missed that would have allowed Rufus to search for his article and email it to his customer?

a. The article was not published by the editor.b. The editor did not manually move the article from the unapproved folder to the approved folder.c. Rufus only imagined that he submitted the article, and the editor is a figment of his imagination.d. The articles template was not designed to have any articles emailed to customers.

a. Dalton forgot that he manually removed 50 of the contacts on the marketing list he was using.b. Those 50 contacts that failed to have emails sent to them didnt allow phone calls.c. Dalton forgot to attach his marketing list to the campaign activity.d. Dalton set the Anti-Spam setting on the Campaign Activity to 3 days.

how well do you know CRM?

dynamicscrm exam cramThe questions are similar to what youll find on certification exams.

Visit page 46 for the answers. Good luck!


5CUSTOMIZATIONOPTIONS TO EXTENDMICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRMMicrosoft Dynamics CRM is currently the second-fastest growing CRM system on the market. Why? The success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be attributed to its strong, feature-rich system framework with vast capabilities for extended functionality. This article provides insight to the pros and cons of five customization options available directly through the web application itself used to extend the functionality of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013....the success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be attributed to its strong, feature-rich system framework with vast capabilities for extended functionality...


Since Microsoft Dynamics CRMs inception in 2003, there have been major platform updates approxi-mately every two years. With each version, the capabilities to extend the system improved.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 opened up extensibility, but its in-corporation to the system was a bit convoluted. The software develop-ment kit (SDK) offered developers a

good starting framework; however, there were often extra steps need-ed for certain functionality. This translated into extra programming and potentially resulted in the need to run additional web applications alongside the CRM web applica-tion in which the entity forms of the CRM application would have iframes load pages from these extra applications. While this set-up would ultimately accomplish the needs of most clients, it was extra overhead to manage, and it would often cause issues when upgrading to a new product release. The implementation of JavaScript (JS) in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 also left much to be desired. Every field had to be edited independent-ly, so if common functionality was to be applied to multiple fields (phone number formatting, for instance), the code would have to be copied and pasted to the event section for each field, which added more work and left the code fairly unmanage-able in the event that the code was to be updated or enhanced.

The release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 ironed out a lot of issues from a developers point of view and added the ability to natively integrate with other programs such as SharePoint, Yammer, and Lync. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 also brought Dialogs to the CRM plat-form, which allowed a customizable business flow with prompts and re-sponses for users. The release also increased the range of extensibility through the ribbon interface (RI), which replaced menus in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. The ability to add additional buttons and provide functionality through those buttons via JS greatly enhanced the options a developer had to accomplish the needs of the client, and the ability to modify the RI was much more straightforward than the custom-ization options available in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 menu system. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, JS libraries were made global, which lent itself to reus-able and more manageable code.

Another major change to the CRM platform was seen in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 through a feature rollup 12 that included the Polaris form system. It allowed for a new Flow User Experience, which prompted the user with small questions in a ribbon under the main RI and was designed to reduce the number of screen pop-ups that a user would go through to fill out a lengthy form. However, it could only be applied to the Lead, Opportunity, and Case entities.

Last year brought Microsoft Dy-namics CRM 2013, the most recent version from Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 gave small improvements to the code base for developers, and it included more customization options that were available through the platform itself. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, the Flow User Experience was dubbed a Business Process Flow and could now be applied to most out-of-the-box and custom entities, with the exception of product-type en-tities (Opportunity Product, Order Product, etc.). Another available customization, called Business Rules, exposed the ability to do basic calculations and perform small changes to the form, such as changing whether a field is required, visibility of a field, or whether or not the field is enabled.ments to the code base for developers, and it included more customization options that were available through the platform it-self. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, the Flow User Experience was dubbed a Business Process Flow and could now be applied to most out-of-the-box and custom entities, with the exception of prod-uct-type entities (Opportunity Prod-uct, Order Product, etc.). Another available customization, called Business Rules, exposed the ability to do basic calculations and perform small changes to the form, such as changing whether a field is required, visibility of a field, or whether or not the field is enabled.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF EXTENSIBILITY IN THE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM PLATFORM

...the success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be attributed to its strong, feature-rich system framework with vast capabilities for extended functionality...

Since Microsoft Dynamics CRMs in-ception in 2003, there have been ma-jor platform updates approximately every two years. With each version, the capabilities to extend the system improved.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 opened up extensibility, but its incorpora-tion to the system was a bit con-voluted. The software develop-ment kit (SDK) offered developers a

By Turnkey Technologies, Inc. Zach Godsil , Jennifer Espelien, and Michael Ramatowski

Business Rules Business Process Flows Workflows Dialogs JavaScript

CRM

Customization, continued on page 36


gpDebits & Credits

Professional Services Tools Library: Doc Date Verify

Controlling What Appears on AR Custom Statements

By Linda Brock, Knaster Technology Group

By Bob Callahan, Business Ready Solutions

Were often asked to modify what appears on customer statements printed from Microsoft Dynamics GP. Heres an easy process to control this. Some background first: There are generally three options for what a statement might contain.

You might want a balance forward amount from the beginning of the period followed by ALL activity for that month.

You might prefer only what is unpaid. Or you might prefer what is unpaid from the

previous month plus ALL current period activity.

All three are valid and reasonable formats; its just a matter of deciding what makes sense to you. In Microsoft Dynamics GP, we can handle all three. Lets use the following example to better understand. Cus-tomer A has two invoices in February and three more invoices in March. In March the customer pays one of the February invoices and one of the March invoices.

The balance forward statement would show the amount owed as February 28 (the sum of two Febru-ary invoices) and then all the activity (the three March invoices and the March payment). Assuming you send

statements every month, this approach gives the customer all the activity to help him/her reconcile. For the balance forward statement, we simply configure the statement option by utilizing the Summarize to field. The date entered here will be used to calculate the beginning balance on the statement.

The open invoice statement will only show invoices that are unpaid. Using the example above, the March statement would list the one unpaid February invoice and the two unpaid march invoices. The March pay-ment would not appear on the statement. For the open invoice statement, we need to utilize the Paid Transac-tion Removal feature to move fully paid transactions to history. When running paid transaction removal, set the as of date to the statement date (3/31/2014 in our example).

Third, you may want a blended statement of the two. A blended statement would show the one open Febru-ary invoice, and all three March invoices plus the March payment that was applied to the March invoice. For the blended statement, we also use the Paid Transaction removal, but we set the as of date to the beginning of the statement cycle (2/28/2014 in our example).

The Professional Services Tools Library, or PSTL for short, contains several excellent tools. One of the sim-plest to deploy is the Doc Date Verify, which is located in the Misc. Tools: section of the PSTL window. This tool helps prevent users from accidentally posting to a date that does not exist.

The following is an example of when this tool is use-ful. When posting to a subledger, such as payables management, if a user miss-keys the date and instead of typing 04/14/2014, types 04/14/2041, Microsoft Dynamics GP allows that transaction to post in the subledger. Once posted, the transaction with a date that doesnt actually exist in the Fiscal Period Setup window is notoriously difficult to void.

In order to prevent this situation from occurring, sim-ply install the PSTL on every workstation. You will find it as part of the additional features of the Microsoft Dynamics GP install. Then, while logged into Microsoft Dynamics GP as the system administrator user, open the PSTL in each company in Microsoft Dynamics GP, wait for the initialization to finish, check the box to the left of Doc Date Verify under Misc. Tools:, and close the PSTL window. The next time a user miss-types a transaction date, he/she will receive the message a fiscal period for this date has not been set up. The user will not be allowed to continue until the transac-tion date is fixed. Simple and brilliant.


VAT Daybook in Microsoft Dynamics GP

By Katrina She, CMA, WebSan Solutions Inc.

Preparing monthly tax returns is often dreaded since the thought of pulling backup, reconciling transactions, and preparing reports is time-consuming and labor intensive. Microsoft Dynamics GP has a Value-Added Tax (VAT) Daybook tool that will prepare the detailed and summarized reports needed for tax filings.

VAT is the taxes on goods and services used throughout various countries. A VAT Report will produce a summarized tax report that can be used to remit taxes. It will summarize the total taxes charged on sales and the total taxes paid to vendors. It will also produce a finalized tax return form used to remit.

Traditionally, users use the general ledger and/or trial balanc-es to remit taxes. However, the VAT Daybook can automatical-ly produce the report without manual updates/manipulations to prepare a tax return report.

The advantage of using a VAT daybook is that it will capture any transactions posted to prior periods that were not remitted in the tax return. It will eliminate reporting errors that can result when a user reports using the general ledger.

This function also allows a user to review the tax return before submitting. The draft and finalized reports are easy to follow, and for readers that need to review before submitting, the reports generated have a systematic flow; a reader does not need to flip back and forth between pages to find a trail of where figures are coming from.

The VAT reports generated will provide all the sufficient details and backup needed to remit taxes. This tool will definitely save a users time when preparing monthly tax returns. It will also allow for accurate reporting without the hassle of manual preparations. The VAT Daybook function is an easy tool to use when preparing tax filings, and it only requires a couple of clicks to generate all the reports needed. What once took hours to prepare can now be accomplished in minutes.

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EXCEL-BASED BUDGETING

IN MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GPBy Diann Fariss, Express Information Systems

udgeting is often a challenge for many companies; however, you can use Microsoft Dynamics GPs Excel-based budgeting to help ease the process. With Microsoft Dynamics GP and Excel-based

budgeting, we can export prior budgets or actual amounts to begin the budgeting process and import our new budgets multiple times as we run through revisions.

Use the Fabrikam Test Company and follow these steps to see how it works:

BGP



3

1 8

7

910

11

12

2

4

5

13

Create a new budget based on your prior year budget. Then ex-port it to Excel, which will create a template for your modification.

Navigate to and select Financial Cards Budgets. Any existing budgets you have will be displayed. Next choose New Using Budget Wizard

for Excel. Follow the steps provided by the wizard.

As an example, you can practice by preparing for your 2015 budget. First, enter the appropriate Budget ID and Description, then choose the appropriate Fiscal Year.

You can use last years budget and increase it by five percent as a starting place for your new budget. To do so, select Other Budget Per-cent. Notice that the choices

available allow you to use actual amounts or just export a blank bud-get. Now unmark Copy Accounts from the Source Budget, select last years budget, and indicate the five percent increase.

It may help to have actual amounts also show in your Workbook so you can mark both 2013 and 2014 to export as well.

6 Indicate the type of accounts you want to budget for. In this example, choose only Profit and Loss accounts. Here you can further narrow the range of accounts, if desired.

As practice, only budget for one Division right now, the Administration Division. Now you can choose and insert that restriction.

Based on the account selections, Microsoft Dy-namics GP will give you a preview of the accounts selected for the Budget but with the ability to Add Accounts if needed.

Now you simply choose where to write the budget template to; in this case, you can use a new work-book.

Lastly you can select where you want the workbook to be written to and what name it should have. Microsoft Dynamics GP writes

your choices to Excel, adding five percent to last years budget, and includes tabs for 2013 and 2014 actuals.

Now youre ready to do some modifications and prepare your bud-get for import back into Microsoft Dynamics GP. In order to import, go

back to Financial Cards Financial Budgets, then click Excel import from Excel.

Since you already created your budget, youll choose to import to An Existing Microsoft Dynamics GP budget and select the 2015

budget. Now you can browse and select your updated budget file and select the tab that contains the budget data.

Clicking Finish brings your adjusted budget amounts into Microsoft Dynamics GP, ready for you to use in financial reporting.

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IN THE BATTLE TO COLLECT YOUR MONEY, YOU SHOULD BE ARMED WITH THE MOST DIVERSE DEBT COLLECTING ARSENAL KNOWN TO MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP: T H E N E W A N D I M P R O V E D CO L L E C T I O N S M A N AG E M E N T F R O M P R O F E S S I O N A L A D VA N TAG E. ONCE EQUIPPED WITH COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT, YOULL BE ARMED WITH DEBT COLLECTING AUTOMATION, MASS LETTER EMAILING, AND NOTES AND CUSTOMER PAYMENT HISTORY, ALL INSIDE THE COMFORT OF MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP.

GP

YOUR COLLECTIONMANAGEMENT ARSENAL


By Matt Green, Professional Advantage


Email 50 reminder notices with invoices attached

Email 30 second notices

Make 10 collection calls

Email 15 final notices

During the time it takes you to lace up your combat boots, you can kick off your collection processes with the new Collection Plans. This will automatically process a number of your to-do tasks, allowing you to focuson the 10 collections calls.

By eliminating many of the manual steps, you now have more time available to work directly with customers.

YOUR COLLECTIONMANAGEMENT ARSENAL

I M AG I N E YO U A R R I V E AT W O R K A N D H AV E A TO - D O L I S T I N C LU D I N G :

Collection Management, continued on page 26


ON the

SureFire Ag systemsgrow


SureFire Ag systems

By Eric Gjerdevig, Summit Group Software

CRMGP

We believe that Microsoft Dynamics GP and

Microsoft Dynamics CRM are the systems that can help us

get where we want to go.

continued


ureFire Ag Systems of Atwood, Kansas specializes in providing solutions for the control and application of liquid and dry fertilizer, seed, and chemical. The SureFire Ag team strives to be an innovator in the agriculture industry by bring-ing together its experience in equipment engineering, crop input application, and customer service. Today, SureFire Ag delivers its products and services through a dealer network stretching throughout the United States, Canada, and beyond. From simple, standard single-product liquid fertilizer application systems to complex, custom-designed systems, SureFire Ag is committed to helping its customers farm smarter, not harder.

Founded in 2007 with five people, the company has grown to more than 40 employees along with two subsidiary companies. SureFire Ag believes in rural economic development and gives back to its home community of Atwood through its Dream Big Education Foundation, making an initial donation of $100,000 to the local Rawlins County schools. An employee-owned company, SureFire utilizes the open-book management practices outlined in the book The Great Game of Business. This ownership structure and philosophy have helped employees focus on building strong relationships and delivering excellent customer service.

S

DeploymentThe implementation of Microsoft Dynamics GP has grown over time for SureFire Ag. In addition to Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the company uses prod-ucts from Nodus Technologies, Greenshades Software, CWR Mobility, and eOne Solutions. SureFires focus on providing customers not only solutions, but also reliable communication and excellent service is supported by Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics GP: SureFire has customized Microsoft Dynamics CRM to build the products during the sales process, and in Microsoft Dynamics GP, the company uses Kits and Bill of Materials as liquid application systems are assembled per customers specific requests. SureFire believes in using technology to work smarter, not harder.

Whether its a follow-up phone call or an on-site install, the SureFire team works hard to ensure that the services it provides are second to none. We pride ourselves on developing relationships with our customers and strive to not only meet their expectations, but also to exceed them, said Wolters. Our systems need to do the same.

Choosing Microsoft Dynamics From the beginning, SureFire Ag worked to lay the foundation to facilitate growth. This was evident with the decision to move from QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP in 2009 when the company only had eight employees. It was important for us to get onto a system that could grow with us, said Josh Wolters, General Manager of SureFire Ag. Today, everything goes through Microsoft Dynamics GP. Its the core system that everything else ties into.

Since its start with Microsoft Dynamics GP, SureFire Ag has also rolled out Microsoft Dynamics CRM for contact and case management needs. We believe that Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM are the systems that can help us get where we want to go, Wolters said.

customer feature

Provide farmers customer, compatible, complete solutions for the application of crop inputs.

Create mutually beneficial partnerships with customers, dealers, and vendors.

Be a long-term economic engine in Rawlins County.

Serve as leaders in our communiteis.

We accomplish our mission as a high-performance team.

Their MISSION

Today, everything goes through

Microsoft Dynamics GP. Its the core system that everything else

ties into.


customer featureToday, everything

goes through Microsoft Dynamics GP. Its the core system that everything else

ties into.

FREE Company Data Archive Express! Now bundled with

MANAGEMENTCollectionsfor Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Automatically get entered to win a Microsoft Surface when you

attend a Collections Management webinar by July 1st, 2014.www.profad.com/win-a-surface

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Kirill

Tatar

inov

IT IS OUR MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES AROUND THE WORLD

TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

OUR STRATEGY IS TO ENABLE HIGH-VALUE ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE AT WORK, AT HOME, AND ON THE

GO, BY GIVING THEM DEVICES AND SERVICES AND POWERFUL SCENARIOS

TO CONNECT THE TWO.



irill Tatarinov became the Executive Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions 2007. He is the global leader of the Microsoft Dynamics business for development, sales, marketing, and operations. Prior to tak-ing on his current role, Kirill led the Management and Solutions Division at Microsoft. Here he managed the Microsoft Windows management technologies and products such as Microsoft System Center. Tatarinov grew up in Moscow, Russia, and earned a master's diploma in systems engineering from Moscow University of Transport Engineering and a masters in business administration from Houston Baptist University. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2002, Tatarinov held numerous executive positions with BMC Software Inc and was a found of Patrol Software, a developer of solutions for systems and network management acquired by BMC in 1994.

Technology reshapes the entire social fabric of our community. Our relationships are enriched, our collective intelligence heightened. We communicate and work in very different ways together more productively, and were much more interdependent today through technology than weve ever been in the past. And if there is one event in human history that truly serves as the hub of human connection, putting all the politics aside and allowing people to come together and demonstrate their excellence, results and achievements, that is certainly the Olympic games.

Sochi 2014, the games were over about 10 days ago, Paralympics games are going as we speak. And truly those events were brought to a very large population of people around the planet through technology. And were really proud about the role Microsoft had to play, had an opportunity to play, to bring those games to you.

Windows Azure and Windows Azure Media Services delivered live streaming to over 100 million people around the planet through

6,000 hours of high-definition format.

Over a million people around the world watched the games and saw the results through Windows Phone apps, and actually saw them in real time live for the first time.

Windows SharePoint and CRM served as the information backbone for the games, serving the attendees and guests.

He later stated:

Now, let me talk about Microsoft, obviously lots of changes in our organization as we continue on our journey of transformation, as we continue to look at this changing world around us and our place in this world.

New CEO Satya Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft exactly one month ago. Im really excited about Satya becoming our CEO. Ive known Satya for almost 12 years now. He has very deep insight, a very thoughtful, deep guy, with a lot of knowledge of the industry. Truly excited about him leading the company and leading us into this new era.

I know many people in the room actually know Satya quite well. He used to run Microsoft Dynamics in the past, and he deeply understands this business and how powerful this business is in transforming lives of organizations around the planet, and putting Microsoft into becoming mission-critical provider of business technologies for our customers.

Now, with all those changes, a number of things in Microsoft remain invariant. First and foremost, it is our mission to help people and businesses around the world to realize their full potential. Our strategy is to enable high-value activities for people at work, at home, and on the go, by giving them devices and services and powerful scenarios to connect the two.

One may look at our statements and say, well, Microsoft is truly the company that is set to help people do more amazing things, and thats really how I want to think about Microsoft. Were the company that helps people do more amazing things.

Kirill Tatarinov spoke at Convergence 2014, his seventh Convergence as the leader of Microsoft Business Solutions. The following is an excerpt from his speech on March 4, 2014.

K


NOTES AND HISTORYAs a core feature of the collection system, Notes can be used as your one place to track all contacts with a particular custom-er and any necessary actions needing completion.

CM MAIN WINDOWThe Collections Management main window acts as a command center for your collections team. It provides a central point from which you can maintain a detailed record of communication with your customers and find any relevant information about them. Most of the main functions (executing queries, reprinting common documents, accessing your task list and email, etc.) in Collections Management can be accessed directly from this window.

SSRS RECON REPORTSCollections Management ships with new SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS) reports. If you currently utilize SSRS, you can deploy two great aging detail reports including cash flow forecasts and customer metrics. Email reports internally on a sched-ule (daily, weekly, etc.).

QUERIESWithout Collections Management, prioritizing the customers you should be calling can be like navigating through barbed wire on the battlefield. Most companies on Microsoft Dynamics GP chase their debt using an aged trial balance. With the ease of Collections Management, the query window allows you to target the customers you want to capture.

CDA EXPRESS (INDEX DEFRAG AND DIAGNOSTICS)Aside from the great core features of Collections Management, Professional Advantages goal is to provide Collections Management customers with the most value for their Microsoft Dynamics GP investment. So, how can Collections Get You More? Recently a number of database maintenance tools have been released, including a lite version of Company Data Archive (CDA).

Customers with an active Annual Enhancement Plan (AEP) for Collections Management will now have the benefit of:

Collections Management Transitioned back to Professional Advantage

Collection Management, continued from page 18

1Company Data Archive Express Streamline and improve database performance by archiving data in GL and PM.

2 Data Distribution and Sizing Window Find out how large your database is and its distribution by year and module.

3 Index Fragmentation Generate an index fragmentation report and receive the Microsoft recommended SQL script to optimize these indexes.

4 Database Diagnostics and Maintenance Access a number of server benchmarks, the Microsoft best practice, and your database comparison.


HISTORY OF COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENTIn 1998, the first version of Collections Management (formerly called CollectPro) was released. Only three short years lat-er, the product was purchased under an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreement for what would eventually become Microsoft Dynamics GP.

On June 1, 2013, after a successful 12-year licensing relationship, Collections Management for Microsoft Dynamics GP was transitioned from Microsoft back to Professional Advantage.

Since the transition, Professional Advantage has launched three major Collections Management releases that include the great features mentioned in this article.

1989

1998

2001

2013

2014

Professional Advantage Established

CollectPro (Collections Management) Released

Collections Management Purchased under OEM Agreement

Collections Management Transitioned back to Professional Advantage

Company Data Archive Express Released

Defeat doesnt have to be an option on the collections battlefield. Achieve victory with Professional Advantage Collections Management by running an efficient collection process.

HOW CAN I TRACK MY RETURN ON INVESTMENT? Wouldnt you love a solution that could help you reduce your accounts receivable 30 percent in just 30 days?

One great indicator that can show the efficiency of your debt collection process is Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). DSO indicates how much youre selling and how fast youre getting paid. Have Collections Management catapult your DSO to all-time lows.

Example:

1. Youre a $25M company with an average DSO of 60 days

2. Two months of sales, or more than $4M sitting in your customers bank accounts, not yours

3. Reduce that by 30 percent with Collections Management

4. Result: $1,250,000 more of your companys money in your bank


Re-implementing Your Software

Beats Repurchasing

REIN

VEN

TIN

G Y

OU

R ER

P SO

LUTI

ON

:

Why

By Judy Thomas, The TM Group

GP

Dynamics University Summer 2014


Recently weve had numerous existing clients tell us that their ERP solution is no longer meeting their needs or that they feel they are not utilizing more than 20 percent of the solution they purchased. They want our advice on how to approach this situation.

1 Their original implementation was seven+ years ago, and the needs of the organization have dramatically changed.

2 Business units have come and gone; their chart of accounts is outdated as are their vendor/ customer/inventory numbers.

3 Their users have changed or left, and those remaining were trained only on what prior employees utilized in the software, so the thought was that they should look for something new because many features were thought to be absent in their current solution.

4 Fiscal years have shortened or lengthened.

5 Administration of their (possibly) hundreds of individual databases is extremely cumbersome.6 The company has made numerous acquisitions or the structure of the organization has changed.

7 The company no longer wants to use existing significant pieces or ISV products, or they want to add significant pieces or ISV products.

8 They want to add CRM to their environment and connect it to an ERP system, but that will require additional functionality and/or fields to be added to the ERP system.

Here are just a few potential reasons for their current situation:

There are numerous situations where a client is evaluating whether to continue or to look at something new. We meet with the clients key stakeholders to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a new solution versus re-implementing what they already own, and then together, we evaluate which of the following makes the most sense:

Revisit training. It may be as simple as a complete training review to ensure the existing users know all of the function-

ality they have at their fingertips.

Change key identifiers, document types, and/or specific module settings in their existing database to make it more work-

able in their new environment.

Create a new ERP test database to re-implement their software and set things up the way they need to be in

the new environment.

Transition. If their existing solution can-not be improved with their existing Mi-crosoft Dynamics ERP solution, we can assist them toward moving to a different Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution as long

as required licensing conditions exist.

Help them assess a move to new software and abandon what they own.

continued

The situations that the clients find themselves in vary from frustrating to debilitating. The discussions we hold with them typically result in the client better understanding what can be done with their existing software that they potentially didnt know could be done. The answer might be as simple as implementing the Microsoft Dynamics Professional Services Tools to change and/or combine vendors, customers, items, and chart of accounts. The answer might be adding in Binary Stream Multi-Entity Manage-ment (for Microsoft Dynamics GP clients) to combine entire databases to make administration and operation of multiple compa-nies simpler. The answer could be a multiple of many paths to get them to a better processing environment, and thats where the ERP partner can be of the most benefit.


The steps we follow and recommend are the same in every situation. We perform a thorough review of how they process their information throughout their organi-zation now and how and why they believe they need to change those processes. We talk with their main users to listen to their challenges. Then we review all of this in-formation with our internal team and cre-ate a recommendation document and a roadmap for them to follow. There could be a variety of recommended approaches, and we explore each one with the client until we all agree on the best approach. Typically, once an approach is thought to be good, we also will demonstrate that ap-proach in the software so the client can vi-sualize how their environment might work and improve.

From that point, if all parties agree on a potential solution, we follow a consistent implementation plan with milestones and a task list, and we set about performing

the work. Creating a new test environ-ment is the simplest approach because while the client is still operational in their existing environment, we are helping them to reimagine how they can better utilize the product they already have. There may be additional products requir-ing purchase and/or extensive data ex-port/import work, but this is the smooth-est path toward preserving their initial software investment and usually results in the happiest of clients.

Only one time in our past dozen or so projects has the result been the client moving away to a different product. This proves that for clients, its key for them to reimagine their software and working closely with their partner. It is the best way to accomplish their goals and save them from a very large investment in new software, new implementation fees, and new training fees, all of which could take months or years to accomplish.

The answer could be a multiple of many paths to get them to a better processing environment, and thats where the ERP partner can be of the most benefit.

Re-invent Your Software, continued from page 29


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In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, information is managed and collaborated on internally to facilitate sales, marketing, and service to customers. The information has great value; however, it relies on users to capture and input details about customer interactions. Allowing customers or partners to participate in that effort changes the game considerably!

Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be extended to include direct interaction with customers via a secure customer portal from CRM Vertex. This allows customers or partners to manage information about themselves or their organization, engage support resources, and interact with other customers or partners. With a CRM Vertex portal for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, no additional infrastructure or

applications are necessary to allow external users access to specific internal data in a myriad of ways.

Using the CRM Vertex customer portal, customers can affect self-service, 24 hours a day. They can get service case updates and search the knowledge base, all without picking up the phone. Customers can even interact with one another via discussion groups. Loyalty goes up while service costs go down.

ENGAGE

CRM

CUSTOMERSYOUR

THROUGH CRM VERTEX PORTALS FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM

By Eric Gjerdevig, Summit Group Software


MANAGING CASESCRM Vertex portals for Microsoft Dynamics CRM allow for easy case management via a self-service portal. Users can login to your organizations portal, search the knowledge base, create new cases, and manage existing support cases to see progress and resolution of their issues. The portal becomes a valuable place for customers to see issues they have entered both historical and current. It provides great value and enhances the business relationship.

Case management is further en-hanced through the simple configuration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM workflows to drive notifications and enhance the support experience. CRM Vertex, along with the service components of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, provides a complete customer support portal in a matter of minutes.

GOING BEYOND CASE MANAGEMENTCRM Vertex provides an easy way to build a fully functioning customer portal. In addition to support/case management, organizations can turn on additional out-of-the-box functionality such as:

Invoices Allow customers to find, view, and reprint past invoices.

Events Create events and publish to the portal to give customers easy registration access.

Documents Share documents with all portal users, all users from a specific account, or with a specific person.

Community Use discussion groups to allow customers to engage with each other in a social format.

Subscriptions Customers can opt into or out of marketing lists.

HOW IT WORKSCRM Vertex customer portals allow customers the ability to login through a customizable portal and see records that relate directly to their own account. Any Microsoft Dynamics CRM contact record associated to an account record can become a portal user. These users can be assigned different roles or security access to dictate what types of records they can see and whether or not they can see data associated with other users within the same account record. While portal users can edit data related to their contact record and enter records related to their account record, they cannot edit the account record itself.

In addition to their security settings/access to account-re-lated items, portal users can also participate within the discussion groups as long as they have been provided access to the portal module. This allows for interactions between portal users from different account records.

LOOK AND FEEL OF PORTALThe standard CRM Vertex portal has been designed to be mobile and tablet-friendly, with a modern look and feel. An organization can easily configure the colors, navigation, and other small details such as adding a logo. This is important because your organization will want the portal to match the experience that customers already have on their other web properties. The design can be further customized through the use of a custom CSS file and ASP.NET development.

CRM Vertex is also designed to adapt the page layout based on the size of the screen. This helps optimize the portal experience in a browser, on a mobile device, or on a tablet.

Following are a few common-use cases:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be extended to include direct interaction with customers via a secure customer portal from CRM Vertex.

News Logo

Engage Your Customers, continued on page 45

Your Company Name

Logo

Your Company Name


[

Companies of all sizes turn to Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) systems to manage various aspects of compliance, centralize and streamline processes,

and increase efficiencies. Choosing an ERP system, though, can be a challenge. While it may seem like most ERP systems are alike, there are actually many nuances that are important to be aware of before you buy. This ensures you implement a system thats the best option for your business.

Microsoft Dynamics has developed a robust, global network of business partners who have built targeted solutions that integrate with Dynamics ERP. That means Dynamics ERP can be customized to meet the needs of any business size in any industry.

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS ERP

REASONS

Adapts toyour Business

TO CHOOSE

Here are 3 reasons why Microsoft Dynamics ERP

is a great choice:

3 Learn more about automating sales and use tax and exemption certificate management in Dynamics ERP by reading the free whitepaper. READ NOW!

avlr.co/1kppwcI

GPBy Avalara


Microsoft Dynamics has developed a robust, global network of business partners who have built targeted solutions that integrate with Dynamics ERP. That means Dynamics ERP can be customized to meet the needs of any business size in any industry.

Learn more about automating sales and use tax and exemption certificate management in Dynamics ERP by reading the free whitepaper.

Microsoft Dynamics ERPs are built to easily accommodate new processes and additional lines of business, as well as scale to meet higher demands, without sacrificing performance or incurring any additional major expenses.

Supports Business Growth:

The entire Dynamics line offers an out of the box integration with Avalara AvaTax, the industry leader in sales and use tax automation. With Dynamics ERP, you can take one of the most complex and error prone business functions and make it effortless.

ensuresfinancialcompliance:

The entire Dynamics line offers an out of the box integration with Avalara AvaTax, the industry leader in sales and use tax automation. With Dynamics ERP, you can take one of the most complex and error prone business functions and make it effortless.

Tax compliance practices and sales and use tax obligations are not as simple as they used to be. While manually managing sales and use tax using rate tables perhaps worked in the past, now it can put your company at risk of a negative and costly audit. Companies cannot afford to make these mistakes. With the average audit penalty of $34,000, consequences of making mistakes are costly, especially in a time where states are short on

revenue and looking to uncollected sales tax to help make up that gap. There are thousands of rate, rule, and boundary changes a year. For some companies, keeping rates and product taxability up-to-date can be a full time job. Collecting and maintaining exemption certificates for non-taxable sales can become cost-prohibitive and labor intensive. Add to that a return process that can take up to two weeks of staff time per month for most companies and you can see why a manual process can be inefficient.

If you are relying solely on disconnected tax compliance processes, you may be unintentionally putting an audit target on your back. It is wise to be prepared long before the auditor comes knocking.


5The following extensibility options can be directly accessed through the CRM system and require no code, with the exception of JavaScript. These options can work against all entities.Note: Most are available through any form for the entity itself, and/or by going to Settings > Customization > Default Solution. A user will need the System Administrator or System Customizer role to see these options.BRs can only be accessed through any form for an entity, or by going to the entity in the Default Solution. BRs are displayed in simple forms with three sections: Condition, Action, and Descrip-tion. Each BR can have multiple Conditions and Actions. BRs must be activated before they will be executed.

PROS OF BRS: Can do some small tasks that were often

delegated to JS such as data validation, setting field values, and changing the state of a field (whether or not it is enabled, visible, or business required).

Can perform limited calculations.

Easy to read/use/understand.

Works on tablets.

CONS OF BRS: Cannot be re-used on different entities. Can only be run on form load and field

change. Cannot be run on form save. Can only show/hide fields, not tabs or

sections. Does not have access to context

information such as the current date or current user.

Cannot affect parent or child records.

Note: While BRs and JS can be applied to the same field, it should generally be avoided, as the two do not always play well with each other.

BPFs can be accessed by going to Processes in the Default Solution or by going to Settings > Processes. BPFs cannot be accessed from an entity form. BPFs were designed to guide users through a series of questions while eliminating excessive pop-ups. BPFs do not provide any conditional business logic, but they become even more powerful when combined with workflows, dialogs, or JS, which can bridge the business logic gap. BPFs can be simple or very complex, and they exist in either Draft or Active mode. In Draft, they can be edited and will not be executed. In Active, they cannot be edited and will be executed.

PROS OF BPFS: Can ensure a set of steps are completed,

and/or in a specific order.

Can track progress of completion on a record.

In a sense, can be a limited training tool for newer employees to guide them through all steps needed to complete a business process.

Can span multiple entities, so a user may start with an Opportunity and continue a BPF all the way through the Quote, Order, and Invoice process.

Can have multiple BPFs per entity for a var-ied user experience based on a users need.

Can govern BPFs through security roles.

CONS OF BPFS: Can only tie up to five different entities into

a single process.

Cannot have more than 30 stages.

Can only have up to 10 active BPFs per entity, though excessive BPFs per entity should be thoroughly scrutinized to avoid confusion and unnecessary overlap.

Can be applied to all entities, including custom entities, except product type entities

BUSI

NES

S RU

LES

(BRS

)

5 EXTENSIBILITY OPTIONS TO CUSTOMIZE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM

BUSI

NES

S P

ROCE

SS F

LOW

S (B

PFS)

Customization, continued from page 13


5 EXTENSIBILITY OPTIONS TO CUSTOMIZE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM

Workflows can be accessed by going to Processes in the Default Solution, or by going to Settings > Processes. Workflows cannot be accessed from an entity form. Workflows can be simple or very complex, and they exist in either Draft or Ac-tive mode. In Draft, they can be edited and will not be executed. In Active, they cannot be edited and will be executed.

PROS OF WORKFLOWS: Can be triggered by a user or run automati-

cally based on events such as record creation, status change, or field changes.

Can create and delete records.

Has access to read or change any entities that are related through lookup fields to the entity for which the workflow was executed.

Has access to all fields of an entity, not just those shown on a form.

Can perform limited calculations.

Because workflows execute on the server, mobile devices can make use of their functionality.

In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, workflows gained the ability to be run as real-time processes, so now they can be fired while the record is being changed or after it is saved.

Through code, developers can add custom steps to the workflow entity itself, which can further increase its extensibility capacity.

CONS OF WORKFLOWS: Cannot query or work against multiple

records. For example, a workflow cannot be created such that updating an Account's zip code will automatically update the zip codes of all Contacts for that Account.

Cannot perform loops to do multiple iterations of logic.

Dialogs can be accessed by going to Processes in the Default Solution, or by going to Settings > Processes. Dialogs cannot be accessed from an entity form. Dialogs can be simple or very complex, and they exist in either Draft or Active mode. In Draft, they can be edited and will not be executed. In Active, they cannot be edited and will be executed.

PROS OF DIALOGS: Allows for user input and decision making.

Can create and delete records.

Has access to read or change any entities that are related through lookup fields to the entity for which the dialog was executed.

Has access to all fields of an entity, not just those shown on a form.

CONS OF DIALOGS: Cannot look up or work against multiple

records.

Cannot perform loops to do multiple iterations of logic.

Cannot be called from mobile devices.

WO

RKFL

OW

S

DIA

LOG

S

continued


JS libraries can be accessed from any entity form, or by going to Web Resources in the Default Solution. A JS library must be added to each form using it, and is therefore not automatically added to every form for an entity just by adding it to one form. After adding the library to the form, JS is only applied if functions from the library are tied to events, either main form events or on a per field basis. JS is the bridge between UI options and Developer options in the sense that it is ac-cessed via the UI, but a developer may be needed to write JS code.

PROS OF JS Can literally affect anything on the form,

including methods available through the SDK, as well as the Document Object Model (DOM) itself, though direct access of the DOM is not a supported customization.

Can affect any entity in the system.

Can be applied to any form, grid, and even the Ribbon Interface.

Has access to context data, such as dates, current user, and environment variables.

Can perform back-end system changes or lookups through the use of AJAX.

Changes values on the form but does not save it, so further edits can be made before committing the changes.

Has the extensibility capacity of an entire programming language behind it.

Because it is applied on a per-form basis, different libraries can be included or exclud-ed on different forms of the same entity.

Does not require a programming environ-ment beyond notepad or a similar text editor, and even that can be omitted by coding JS in the Web Reference screen.

CONS OF JS May require a developer for more complex code.

Can only make use of user security through custom code to check user roles.

While the system does recognize dependencies for JS libraries tied to a form and functions tied to events on the form, it cannot check the code to see if these functions are actually in the code, which can cause errors if they are renamed or removed.

Limited to on screen actions, e.g., while it can be called from an Opportunity to update an Opportunity Product, it cannot fire JS on the Opportunity Product. Also, other behind the scenes actions within the system will not trigger JS.

JAVA

SCRI

PT

Over the years, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform has shown clear initiative with regards to giving clients and developers a means to extend the functionality of the system both programmatical-ly and directly through the web application. With the added knowledge of the tools available in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, you should be well on your way to creating a truly dynamic solution for your unique business needs.

CONCLUSION

Customization, continued from page 37


When is the Current Checkbook Balance in Bank Reconciliation updated for a posted Cash Receipts in Receivables Management?

A vendor check was returned because it had an incorrect address for a vendor. This check needs to be voided and reprinted with the correct address. How should you void the check in Microsoft Dynamics GP so both Payables Management and Bank Reconciliation show the check as voided?

a. When the Cash Receipt is reconciled in Bank Reconciliationb. When the Cash Receipt is posted in Receivables Managementc. When the Cash Receipt is posted on a deposit in Bank Reconciliationd. When the Cash Receipt is applied to an invoice and posted in Receivables Management

What character is used in Microsoft Dynamics GP inquiry windows and reports to identify a voided transaction?

a. #b. *c. ^d. V

a. Void the check in Void Open Payables Transactions in Payables Managementb. Void the check in Void Historical Payables Transactions in Payables Managementc. Void the check in Reconcile Bank Statements the next time you complete your Bank Reconciliation process d. Void the check in both Void Historical Payables Transaction in Payables Management and Bank Transaction Entry (Void Transaction Option) in Bank Reconciliation

3

1

2

how well do you know GP?

dynamicsgp exam cramThe questions are similar to what youll find on certification exams.

Visit page 46 for the answers. Good luck!


crmTips & TricksBy Thor Kornbrek, Integrated Business Group

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 SiteMap Tips

The SiteMap provides the top-level navigation between areas (Sales, Service, and Marketing), groups, and sub areas (Leads, Accounts, and Cases). Customizing this part of Microsoft CRM 2013 enables you to present options that are organized and presented the way you want. You can add, rearrange, or delete the areas, groups, and sub areas. You can modify the text or icon associated with the different parts of the map.

The SiteMap can be modified with tools or manually with a text/XML editor. Included below are links to instructions for changing it. Many of the tools available were designed for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, and not all have been updated for Microsoft Dynamics 2013. Here are a few important considerations:

Make sure you understand how to export and import solutions. Do not modify the Settings area. Use an XML editor that supports schema files. On production, import your change in off hours after backing up the database. Restore from database if there are errors. Keep both the original and modified SiteMap solutions.

This is one area of Microsoft Dynamics CRM that is still not done with a built-in designer such as the forms have. Be careful. If you do not have a test server, please follow these recommendations or call a consultant to assist you.

SITEMAP LINKS:

Change Application Navigation Using the SiteMap:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg309259.aspx

Manually Edit the SiteMap:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg309424.aspx#BKMK_EditingSiteMapManually

SiteMap Schema (Rules for the XML File):http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg334271.aspx


Script Error and Lookups Failing After Updating to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 UR 13

By Chad Rexin, Summit Group Software

This tip is specific to upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 12, 13, or later. However, the methodology used to troubleshoot this, especially after an upgrade has occurred, applies for any upgrade and hopefully can help in possibly short-circuiting a lengthy investigation if all that is needed is to delete temporary Internet files. This can be an easy fix before going down the path of script debugging and other troubleshooting.

These first few lines of the script error report happened when users were attempting to choose a lookup in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Error Report Contents:

1.0 LookupObjectsWithCallback is undefined

This LookupObjectsWithCallback function is a new function that has been added since Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 12 to the CRMWeb\_static\_controls\lookup.js file. The problem is that the lookup.js file from the previous rollup of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is still cached in Internet Explorer. To resolve the problem, simply clear the browser cache.

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The Next Generation of Fundraising Software is Here

If youre in the middle of or considering a search for a new fundraising software system, you probably have the basic questions functionality, pricing, support, etc. figured out. However, a number of additional questions are equally important. The answers to these questions will help you determine if the system you are considering can meet the future needs of your non-profit.By Bill Malone, PeakNFP


Yes, most vendors will talk about what they have today. That said, what is just as important is whether the system can support your organization in five or 10 years from now. Asking for a roadmap of their future plans is NOT asking too much. Make sure they dont promote an expensive client/server-based sys-tem that will take significant invest-ments to keep current.

WHAT DOES YOUR

PRODUCT ROADMAP LOOK LIKE?

Few businesses or non-profits have plans to shrink. Its important to have confidence that the fundraising solu-tion you purchase is scalable. Some systems can handle records in the mil-lions and users in the hundreds, but some cant, and what is the expense to purchase/license these users? Ver-ify that your growth doesnt create a requirement to move in the future. A solid solution should be able to meet your needs at a national or local level.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR

ORGANIZATION GROWS?

Just like every person is different, every non-profit develops processes that are unique based on their needs. A sys-tem needs to be flexible to work the way you want to work with your con-stituents. Look for a system platform that has the flexibility to accommo-date broad configuration without the necessity for custom-made software. Look for a vendor that has a history of innovation to ensure your solution grows as technology advances.

WILL YOUR UNIQUE PROCESS

BE SUPPORTED?

Time is money, and saving time through integrations with your accounting and/or other systems is vital. Make sure your vendor has experience with this type of work and shows a willingness to collaborate on your success.

NONPROFIT

CAN YOU INTEGRATE WITH

OTHER SYSTEMS? Development officers know that the more complete the picture of poten-tial donors demographics, giving history, etc. the more effective their solicitations will be. To provide a com-plete picture, systems should include a platform for complete relationship management, not just contact man-agement. Features should include comprehensive reporting, marketing, and analysis capabilities.

CAN YOUR SYSTEM HELP

RAISE MORE MONEY? Your donor data holds a goldmine of value to your organization. The vendor you choose should help make the pro-cess of migrating data easy, helping to eliminate risk while controlling costs. Data migrations shouldnt be a huge obstacle with the tools and technology available today. Insist that it isnt.

CAN MY DATA EASILY

BE MIGRATED?

Technology buil t for Nonprofits, by Nonprofits

CRM

continued


Where is your data when it is in the cloud? Systems such as PeakNFP Do-nor Management run in the Microsoft datacenters upon the Microsoft Dy-namics CRM Online platform. Make sure your data is stored in a similar type of datacenter that you can trust and count on to be here in the future.

HOW DOES THE CLOUD KEEP YOUR

DATA SAFE?

CAN YOU SUPPORT THE FUNDRAISING

CHANNELS WE USE?

The PeakNFP Donor Management solution is built on top of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. CRM for nonprofit organizations stands for Constitu-ent Relationship Management. In the non-profit sector, it is used to track and manage the relationships an organization has with its constit-uents. It can also help an organiza-tion build stronger relationships with and provide improved service to its constituents. We believe that using the enterprise level functionality of a solution such as Microsoft Dynam-ics CRM Online with the non-profit fundraising functionality of PeakNFP Donor Management is a best-of-bread approach that drives big results for a fraction of the cost (and risk) of alternative solutions.

You might use a combination of on-line fundraising, direct mail, email, and personal cultivation for your fundraising mix. Make sure you purchase a fundraising system that supports everything you do. That in-cludes handling large, sophisticated mail segmentation, providing fea-tures to help you manage planned and major giving, and meeting your capital campaign needs.

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NONPR

OFITFundraising, continued from page 43


CUSTOMIZATIONIts a common belief that in order to create a unique, self-service portal for customers involving custom Microsoft Dynamics CRM entities/records, an expensive, custom-built portal is required. This is not the case. CRM Vertex includes a module builder that allows an organization to easily build custom modules within their portal to display additional information from Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This tool does not require any development skills and is accomplished through the design of a custom form in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and simple configuration and setup. Additionally, for more complex scenarios, customizers can utilize ASP.NET development efforts to produce powerful and unique changes to the out-of-the-box functionality. Customizable Customer Portals Dont Have to be Expensive!

So your organization wants a customer portal? You need to connect that customer portal to Microsoft Dynamics CRM? There are several options available, but some of them can be expensive and require significant effort to get up and running. With CRM Vertex, an organization can easily provision and con-figure a customer portal in minutes. You have the power

of choice and can license CRM Vertex for a price of $4,995 USD plus annual enhancement, or you can subscribe at a monthly price of $259 USD. With a subscription service, your portal is maintained within the Microsoft Azure platform. There is no additional charge based on your number of users!

CRM Vertex portals for Micr