How will the new online sales tax affect your business and is your ERP solution ready?

The Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) is a hot topic that affects both online and brick and mortar retailers. For years, companies like Amazon have been exempt from collecting sales tax in states where they didn’t have a physical location, but the new MFA legislation could change the entire playing field.

Read this post on “How will the new online sales tax affect your business?” or register for the upcoming webinar on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 sponsored by Avalara. Attendees will get an update on the current state of MFA legislation, the potential schedule to comply, and ways to be ready prior to enactment.

Disappearing Account and Order Ribbons after Upgrading to Microsoft CRM Rollup 12

After upgrading to Update Rollup 12, we ran into problems with one of our Microsoft CRM instances. The main ribbons for the Account and Order forms would no longer load. There were no error messages, yet no ribbons. The Script Debugger seemed like a logical place to investigate, but it did not provide any useful information.

We tried numerous web searches for ribbon display problems related to UR12. Every result led us back to the [now-]documented bug involving the Form Assistant. But neither the Account nor Order forms have the Form Assistant, so that did not solve our problem.

Finally, after exhausting every other possibility, we discovered the culprit. Our CRM instance was attached to an old version of GP Connector. When installed, GP Connector creates a CRM solution that (among other things) adds “Submit” buttons to the main ribbons for the Account and Order entities.

The GP Connector solution cannot be uninstalled, so we tried an alternate route: We exported the ribbons with Visual Ribbon Editor, manually removed the Submit buttons, then saved/published our changes in CRM. Voila… the ribbons once again loaded properly!

We hope this saves some of you out there a few grey hairs.

By Cristine Mack and Greg Lief, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultants at Armanino.

Microsoft GP SmartList Tip of the Day: Export Solutions

Do you frequently export a SmartList to Excel and spend precious time formatting data to produce the same repeated results, such as charts, pivot tables and calculated fields?  Export Solutions is an automated function within Dynamics GP that exports a SmartList to Excel and allows you to simultaneously run a macro to produce the same results that you need, quickly and efficiently. Below are instructions on how to setup this savvy function.

First, create the Macro:

1. Export a SmartList to Excel
2. Start and name a new macro in Excel
3. Perform the formatting you want in the Excel spreadsheet
4. Stop the macro
5. Delete the data that was originally exported to Excel
6. Save the Excel spreadsheet as a Template type

To Setup the Export Solution:

Launch SmartList in Dynamics GP and navigate to SmartList> Export Solutions.

1. Name the solution
2. Document: browse to the template
3. Completion Macro:
4. Add the title of the file, and apply visibility
5. Select the SmartList
6. Save and close the window 

To Export your Dynamics GP SmartList with the applied macro:

Select your favorite SmartList. Under Excel, there will be a new option with the Export Solution listed.  As the file is being exported, the macro will be simultaneously running to produce the results.

By Saher Ahmed, Dynamics GP Consultant at Armanino LLP.

Cloud vs On-Premise ERP Systems

At first glance, “the cloud” and “ERP” don’t seem like they belong together. Or do they? See the presentation from our recent webinar and learn the difference between on Cloud vs On-Premise ERP Systems. If you have any questions after seeing the webinar, email us.

By Katja Brinck, Senior Consultant at Armanino. 

MICROSOFT BUSINESS SOLUTIONS SEMINAR + HAPPY HOUR

If you’ve been considering a Microsoft Dynamics ERP or CRM solution, but want to know more, join us for a short seminar and drinks Thursday May 23rd from 3:00-5:00pm in Fremont, CA.

This “no-pressure” seminar will give you a brief demonstration of Dynamics AX and CRM, as well as a first-hand view of the new Office, SharePoint 2013, Exchange 2013, Lync 2013 and a better understanding of how these technologies work together. Microsoft Technical Advisor Subhash Jawahrani will also be on hand to discuss some of the latest innovations in these applications and how they can be utilized to increase consistency and efficiency.

Use this opportunity to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics and then move on to a Happy Hour of fine wine and beer, appetizers and networking with your South Bay colleagues after the seminar.

Register now for Armanino’s Microsoft Business Solutions Seminar and Happy Hour.

Selecting your ERP Implementation Core Team – Part 1 of 3

It seems like there is always one more item that is the “most important thing” about successfully implementing an ERP solution. The decision to implement a state-of-the-art ERP software solution such as Microsoft Dynamics AX is the tip of a large implementation iceberg that has just floated in front of the company ship. 

On this iceberg, above the waterline is the Dynamics AX Software installation, equipment requirements, and who your AX Partner is. Among the many crucial actions that are the building blocks of a successful implementation, and most of them are in the two-thirds of the iceberg that is below the waterline. Your selection of your company’s Implementation Core Team members is one of these “most important things.” 

Today, I’m starting a series of posts on Implementation Core Team member selection and project management.  Feel free to post questions you may have along the way.

Part I – How to Select an ERP Implementation Core Team

When Armanino is your selected Dynamics AX Partner, the first thing that happens is the Sales Team hands the Implementation Project to the Armanino Consulting Delivery Team. The Delivery team meets with the Sales Consultants to determine the makeup of the implementation team. At Armanino, I select the Project Manager that I believe will best fit your company’s implementation size, your location, your industry, and your company’s personality. The Armanino team will consist of a Project Manager, Business Analysts who specialize in Finance, Trade & Logistics, Production, and Human Resources, Developer Consultants, and System Consultants and is sized to match the implementation requirements we believe your company will need. All of this is determined by Armanino’s analysis of your company’s requirements and it is how we build the implementation team that is going to work with your Core Team.

The Core Team put together by your company can be as crucial as your choice for the Project Manager that will manage the project internally. We call it the Core Team because these people need to know the core processes of your business. Having the right Core Team will pull together an implementation project and bring it home on time. The Core Team needs to include staff members who have deep knowledge of how their representative area or department functions. They need to know where the information they need comes from, and how it flows through to other functional areas.

An example:

Sue is the Manager of Inventory Control and she is on the Core Team.
In order for her to be effective, she will need to understand the basics of her functional area:

• “How many geographical locations have materials?"
• “Is Bin Control used in any of these locations?"
• “How is inventory valued?”
• “Is your inventory Lot Tracked or Serial Tracked?”
• “How often do you count your inventory?”
• “What reports are needed?”

Sue’s biggest asset should be her knowledge of the processes of Inventory Control.

• “How is inventory received?"
• “How is inventory relieved?"
• “How is inventory transferred between physical locations?”
• “Is there company-owned inventory on consignment at a sub-contractor?”
• “How is this inventory managed and valued?”
• “How does this inventory get replenished?”

• “What is the procedure when items are destroyed or lost?”
• “How are returns handled?”
• “Is there a place for material returned to be inspected, before being dispositioned?”
• “How often is inventory revalued?”
• “What is the crucial information that is needed by other departments in the company?”
• “Who is allowed to actually enter Inventory Transactions into AX?”
• “What are the procedures when something goes wrong?”

Sue needs to know the changes or improvements that are expected by implementing the new system.

• “Are new controls being introduced by the new system?” The Inventory staff will have to be trained, etc.
• “Is Bar-coding being implemented? Is it already there, but being expanded for other procedures?”
• “Is there something completely unique to the business this company does that must be addressed by AX?”

Today, I’ve reviewed the process of selecting Implementation Core Team members and the institutional knowledge a typical team member should be able to share with your ERP consultants. In the next blog post, I’ll dig into the deeper knowledge and capabilities Core Team members can bring to the project to ensure its success.

By Jim Conway, Director of Consulting for Armanino's Microsoft Dynamics AX Practice.

Fix Rollup 12’s Print Preview for Memo Fields in Microsoft CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Update Rollup 12 added many wonderful features, most notably Extended Browser Support. However, it also introduced a small but annoying bug. This blog entry will illustrate the problem and show you how to solve it.

In previous versions of Dynamics CRM when printing memo fields, the entire contents would display regardless of how they were. But with UR12’s Print Preview, memo fields are displayed in a fixed height box with a vertical scrollbar:

Attempting to customize the form by increasing the height of the memo field does not solve the problem. However, I devised a solution that works beautifully.

First, create a new web resource and set its type to “Web Page (HTML)”. Insert the following code verbatim, changing only the memo field name as necessary:

<HTML><HEAD>

<META charset=utf-8>

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>

// Only execute this code when on the print preview

if (top.location.href.indexOf("/print/print.aspx") != -1)

{

   // Insert the name of the memo field in the form “SchemaName_D”

   var description=top.frames[0].document.getElementById("description_d");

   // Change the height from the fixed value of 132 to auto

   description.parentNode.style.height = "auto";

}

</SCRIPT>

</HEAD>

<BODY contentEditable=true><FONT size=2 face="Tahoma, Verdana, Arial"></FONT></BODY></HTML>

Next, customize the form for the entity in question. Click on the INSERT tab and select “Web Resource.”  Highlight the web resource that you just created and uncheck “Visible by default” on the General tab.  On the Formatting tab, set the “Number of Rows” to 1 and uncheck “Display Border”.  Put the web resource anywhere upon your form, then save and publish your customizations. Voila!

By Robert Wenstrand, Senior Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant at Armanino. Special mention goes to Greg Lief for his contribution on the above documentation.

Sales and Marketing folks, have you heard? The Insider Summit is coming!

For those of you in sales, marketing or account management roles, this is the event to attend. The Insider Summit runs from May 21st-22nd and will offer breakout tracks on growing customer relationships, marketing and lead generation, sales and sales management and more. 

Attendees can also participate in numerous product “deep-dives” or browse the solutions expo to get a firsthand look at new software tools specificity designed to help sales and marketing departments.

To top that off, there will be countless opportunities to talk with colleagues and an “unforgettable networking event.”

To learn more visit the Insider Summit 2013 website and find out about classes, speakers, and logistics.

Summit Dates: Tuesday – Wednesday, May 21st – 22nd
Summit Website: http://summit.insideview.com
Need Justification? We’re here to help!
Summit Location: Intercontinental Hotel, San Francisco, 888 Howard St., SF, CA 94103

Also, don’t forget to use this SPONSOR Code to get a discount: ARMANINOIV

Hope to see you there. 

Don’t miss Convergence 2013 a second time!

If you missed Microsoft Convergence 2013 in New Orleans, but wish you could have attended, then you’re in luck! This year Microsoft has put together an impressive thing called “Virtual” Convergence. Here you’ll find hundreds of presentations from the actual event which highlight Microsoft Dynamics products, Office365, and business leadership. Just visit the Virtual Convergence, register and get access to:

•    50+ Microsoft AX Sessions
•    40+ Microsoft GP Sessions
•    30+ Microsoft CRM Sessions

It may not be as exciting as a trip to New Orleans, but it’s the next best thing.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013: Changing your printer and other cool new features!

What do printers, home pages, and document attachments all have in common?  They are all some of the new exciting features in Dynamics GP 2013! Read on for a preview of what you will get to experience in the latest version of GP.

Printer selection at time of print

 
We have all been there – you print a report or a check, select the printer icon, and you are pointed to the wrong printer. No matter what you do…there was no changing it. The only option was to close your report, void your checks, change your default GP printer, and start again.
At long last, GP 2013 now allows you to select your printer at the time of print. When you select the Print button, it will bring up a printer selection window, and you can easily switch printers every time you print.

 

Home page/area page changes

There are now a lot of new options when personalizing the home and area pages in Dynamics GP2013. Previously, users were able to minimize sections of a home page or area page, but didn’t have many options behind that. Now, users will be able to move entire sections around or completely hide sections they don’t care to look at, as well as add Business Analyzer reports and dashboards to their home page. In addition, each individual section has a scrolling bar, so it won’t be necessary to scroll way down the page to get to the desired menu selection – making it much easier to see all the options available.

In my financials home page example, I decided the default view had too many sections. If I mainly use cards, transactions, inquiry, and reports, I can remove the other sections, and put these in an order that make sense to me. I can also set one section to take up the main screen, with the other sections are tiled to the side.

Before:

After:

 

Document Attachments

Throughout all the versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP, documents could only be attached to records through the OLE Notes window. This works fine, but can be a lot of clicks of the mouse to attach a document, or multiple documents. Here is a past tutorial on Managing Multiple Documents in a Microsoft GP OLE Container.

In this era where companies are trying to print less paper, and store information electronically, Dynamics GP is starting to roll out the ability to more easily attach documents to certain windows in GP.

Once Document Attachments have been enabled, a paper-clip icon will be available on master records, including the Customer, Vendor, and Item cards, as well as transaction records, including Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing transactions.

Clicking the paperclip icon will open the Document Attachment window. From here, multiple documents can be attached to the record. Documents can even be previewed directly from this window.

Once documents have been attached, the paper-clip icon will display as holding a piece of paper to indicate there is an attachment.



 These are just a few of the new features that are available in GP 2013 – there are a lot of other new features to discover, so stay tuned for future blogs about Dynamics GP!

By Katja Brinck, Senior Dynamics GP Consultant at Armanino LLP.