Microsoft CRM 2011 - Dashboards for Techies

There is an excellent write up in Microsoft CRM Team Blog, written by Siddhartha Rai.

This article explains how Dashboards Feature in CRM 2011 can be customized to render valuable Dashboards. And this does not mean, it's so technical. This write up explains how simply this can be done without being so technical.

Read it here: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Dashboards for Techies.

CRM 2011 promises to be terrific. Can't wait to grab hold of it realtime.

VAIDY

Autocomplete Information in GP - Additional Info.

This is another interesting post with loads of information about Autocomplete Data in GP. Leslie Vail explains us what's it all about Autocomplete Data in GP and where it's stored.

Read it here: Autocomplete Data for GP - It's not really a Mystery.

I would like to share one more interesting information along with this post.

Because of the path where this Autocomplete Data is stored, if you have two different GP versions (10 & 2010) and you have the same Company DB name (such as TWO), then whatever you see in GP10 as Autocomplete Data will also be shown in GP2010.

For instance, I enter a value "VAIDHY" on a Customer ID field in GP2010, this new value gets stored in Autocomplete Data file. When you open GP10 and try to enter a Customer ID starting with letter "V", this value "VAIDHY" will be listed as well.

Purely because, irrespective of versions (only from GP10), GP stores it's Autocomplete Data in User Roaming Data folder under "Microsoft Dynamics GP", as explained by Leslie.

Sometimes good, sometimes a drawback. Depends on how you use two versions.

VAIDY

Temporary Tables in Dexterity - David

Excellent post for all Dexterity Developers.

David walks us thru' the Temporary Tables concept in Dexterity. It explains the types of Temp. tables and when to use what type.

Another simple and complete reference post from David for all of us.

Read it here: Working with Temporary Tables in Dexterity.

VAIDY

SOP Quotations Import - Issue & Solution

Recently, I had to integrate around 1000+ Sales Quotations which comprised of 10000+ Sales Item Lines. This had to be done in a seemingly impossible timeframe, as we were totally running out of schedule.

I devised a strategy to do an All-SQL work as follows:

1. First Export required SOP tables from source database and Import it as SOP TEMP tables to destination database. The Source & Destination databases denote GP Company Databases, of course.

2. Generate the SOP Number by taking the Number Sequence from destination GP Company SOP Quotation Setup.

3. Update all SOP TEMP tables with relevant new SOP Number.

4. Identity only those fields which are required and then do a direct INSERT INTO. This insertion, in my case, happened for SOP10100 (Header), SOP10200 (Detail) & SOP10106 (User-Defined).

5. Once the above is done, run a Reconcilation on all these inserted documents, to make sure that these documents got accepted by destination GP Company as valid SOP Quotations.

All above tasks took me 5 hours of time (including 2.5 Hours of Data Updates & Reconciliation).

Excellent, and I was so happy that I could meet the deadline. I intimated the users to verify and send me the feedback. Users reported back with positive feedback and I was relieved.

ISSUE FACED: Quotations were not getting converted to Orders. Transaction Edit List shown nothing. All looked perfect.

TROUBLESHOOTING RESULTS: 30mins of troubleshooting yielded me one very silly reason behind this issue. The field in SOP10100, USDOCID1, was an Empty String for all Quotations integrated thru' SQL. This field is the one which tells GP to which Order ID it is suppose to convert this quotation to.

SOLUTION: You all may know by now what the solution would be. Another SQL UPDATE which took the "Transfer To Order ID" value from SOP Quotation Setup and updated SOP10100 accordingly, did the trick.

WARNINGS:

1. Though I had mentioned that I followed ALL-SQL approach, it's not supported by Microsoft.

2. I have not shared the SQL Scripts here, as it completely depends on the particular scenario and the way SOP Quotations are used by clients.

3. This post is intended to explain two things:
3.1. There are several successful & time saving approaches that we can follow, even if it's unconventional.
3.2. With each unconventional approach, there lies a risk which cannot be foreseen. Unless, you are dead sure about your GP Technical & Database Skills, you are NOT suppose to tread any such approach.

4. I just wanted to highlight how one single field (which in our perception may look simple) may cause a critical consequence.

VAIDY

Significance of Fixed Assets REQUIRE ACCOUNT Setup Option

That was quite a precise advise from Mark Polino about Fixed Assets Setup Option.

Mark's article, Putting the Fix in Fixed Assets, saved my day today literally. The advise, which saved me, is not in the article but in one of Mark's reply to a query from a visitor.

The issue is this: When I add a new Asset and run the GL Posting, it did not clear FA Clearing Account and add the cost to FA Cost Account. Typically, FA Clearing Account Debit to FA Cost Credit.

In a nutshell, FA Company Setup has got an option called Require Account which needs to be checked. This will make sure that you enter an Asset Account Group or all FA Accounts separately.

The reason why I overlooked this option: When I integrated Fixed Assets onto GP10, and ran the GL Posting, it was working perfectly without any issues. That time Require Account option was not checked as my understanding towards this option was completely in different context.

Anyways, I thought I would re-blog Mark's post for those who are struggling to understand this point.

And, Thanks Mark. You saved my day.

VAIDY

Give Time to GP to complete it's Process before an "End Task"

It was rightly put by Belinda about a Non-Responsive GP & Ending Task and I would like to re-blog the same point.

Often, people don't understand that they are dealing with a Background Process in GP which is performing either a Posting or Transactional Activity and they straightaway do an "End Task". This may result in following:

1. User Activity Lock
2. User Transactional Activity Lock - This is a bit critical, as it would not allow that user to even open any Transaction Entry window (which was open when they did the "End Task")
3. Posting Process Interruption - This is hell critical, as it would keep the transaction in the middle; between Transaction Open and Transaction Posted. This is wreak havoc at times.

Like Belinda said, JUST WAIT. We all know that you are so busy with your Day-To-Day activities and do not have time to stare at GP for more than a minute, but sometimes you do have to understand that it's a software and it just takes its time to complete a process depending on several factors.

VAIDY

Online Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP

This one's going to be very interesting and widely used features in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP has got a post that explains couple of new Online Services that are going to be available from November 1, 2010.

Those features are:

1. Payment Services: Enables customers to accept electronic payments directly thru' ERP.
2. Commerce Services: Build and publish new sales catalogs on demand and extend the sales reach across multiple online channels.

This is going to be available for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 SP5 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.

More details here: COMING SOON - Online Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP.

This will be an excellent feature once we understand how it works and how effectively we can use it.

VAIDY

SQL Roles for DYNSA

Nearly a week back, I was facing a weird issue. SDT Advance Options were not working in spite of enabling it.

David Musgrave, as always, came to my rescue and gave me some points to troubleshoot. The following are those points:

1. Is Advance Mode active? YES

2. Have you logged on as SA? NO. I was logged on as DYNSA

3. Does SA has sysadmin rights in SQL? YES it does. But DYNSA did not.

That's the problem. DYNSA did not have required role(s) on DYNAMICS and Company DBs. It's always a matter of concern for all SQL Admins to assign this sysadmin role to some user, but it's not an issue if it's allocated to DYNSA, since this user is created specifically by Dynamics GP for it's maintenance.

Once I gave this role to DYNSA, I was able to access Advance Mode in SDT. 

Just make sure that, if you specifically use DYNSA for GP SQL Maintenance, then it must have sysadmin role attached to it.

VAIDY

DexSense - Intellisense For Dexterity - Tool Updated

Before anything, this one's got to be first.

For all of us, Dexterity Developers, this excellent tool is a boon. This tool has got an update and the new version is v1.8.

David's article here for more details: Intellisense for Dexterity - DexSense 1.8 Released.
Mariano's addendum here: Intellisense for Dexterity... the gift that keeps on giving.

Do start using it if you are already not. It certainly saves tons of time in typing.

VAIDY

After a long break - With lots to share

It's been a painful month long gap since I had posted anything on my blog. In the past month, I was involved in two different tasks:

1. Data Corrections, due to some critical blunders that we found from some wrongly written customizations.
2. GP10 to GP2010 Upgrade - in just 7 active days and 15 days overall.

I was talking to David for an issue that I was facing a week ago and I would like to start from there to seal this vast gap.

And then on, I would like to share the critical points that drove me for the past 1.5 months.

VAIDY