The promotion allows new customers to purchase 1 user license at full price, and get up to 2 additional users free. It applies to either Dynamics Advanced Management (AM) or Business Essentials (BE) editions of Dynamics GP (Great Plains) as well as Dynamics NAV (Navision) and Dynamics SL (Solomon). This is an excellent offer since it could mean savings of up to $7,960! (side by side comparison of Dynamics GP Business Essentials vs Advanced Management)

But when you read the fine print, is the “Dynamics Buy 1 Get 3” offer too good to be true?  Honestly, no!  There are very few eligibility requirements, and the exclusions seem pretty clear and practical.  But every buyer should know the full cost of their accounting software purchase, so I will attempt to give details on the fine print of this promotion. Note, the fine print is taken directly from Microsoft’s “Buy 1 Get 3″ webpage but the explanation is my own unofficial interpretation:

Microsoft Dynamics “Buy 1 Get 3” Eligibility and Exclusions:

1)  This offer is NOT available in Russia. 
This might not seem to matter for anyone except the slighted Russians, but the fact that Russia is the only country that is specifically excluded makes me wonder if this promotion might soon be released to other countries. Last year, after the Dynamics GP “3 for $1” promotion was launched in the US, it went global a few months later.  A benefit of the “Buy 1, Get 3” going global  would be that companies who have offices or subsidiaries in multiple countries could all standardize on the same system for the same low price. We’ll just have to wait and see.  Right now this promotion is only available in the USA and Canada.

2)  This offer applies to new customers making their initial purchase of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft Dynamics SL only. 
Of the four Dynamics ERP products, the only product NOT included in this promotion is Dynamics AX (Axapta).  This is good news for NAV and SL buyers, who may have been feeling slighted with last year’s “Get 3 for $1” promotion that only applied to Dynamics GP.
“New Customers” are companies not already registered with Microsoft and in possession of a Microsoft authorization number (this used to be your phone number but now is an authorized number given by Microsoft).  So if you purchased a Dynamics system years ago, are no longer active with your maintenance plan, and now realize it would be cheaper to buy a new system than upgrade your old one, unfortunately, technically you would not be eligible for this promotion.  

3)  Customers located in the United States purchasing GP or SL must purchase one year of the Business Ready Advantage Plan when they purchase their license.  Customers located in the United States purchasing NAV must purchase one year of the Business Ready Enhancement Plan when they purchase their license.  Enhancement/Support Plan fees will be calculated based on the System list Price (“SLP”) of all users (including the two (2) additional users) and components, based on the regular Dynamics Price list.
No matter what it is called, customers must agree to purchase a one year maintenance plan on the software.  This is nothing alarming as the maintenance plan is always required for the first year and in fact some other current Dynamics promotions require multiple-year commitments.  But what you should be aware of is that the maintenance plan is calculated as 18% of the FULL System List Price, NOT the discounted price.  (see chart below). So the maintenance plan is still full price, not discounted by the promotion, you only save money on the actual license cost.  Nothing hidden here, but something a buyer does need to calculate correctly. (What is included in the Dynamics GP maintenance plan?)

4)  Eligible customer may accept 1 or 2 additional users, as they deem appropriate. 
When you buy 1 license, although you CAN get 2 more at no cost, you may choose to only take 1 additional free license. Why would you do this? Because you may not want to pay the maintenance fee on that 3^rd free user. For Dynamics GP 1 year of maintenance for 1 user is $405 (BE) or $716 (AM). 

5)   Additional users and Functionality modules will be sold per regular Dynamics Price List.
You only get a maximum of 2 users free. So if you want more than 3 users, you are welcome to buy them, but for users 4, 5, 6 and up, you will pay the full license price.

Here is a chart to illustrate some pricing scenarios with the promotion:

6)  Customers who take advantage of this offer will not be allowed to transition to another Microsoft Dynamics ERP product using their transition credit for two years from the date they purchase their first Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft Dynamics SL licenses.
Typically, Dynamics gives customers the power of choice, allowing them to transition/move to another Dynamics ERP edition or product and get a full investment credit on the original system list price.  For example, a customer using Dynamics SL could transition to Dynamics GP, and get a credit for the price originally paid for SL.  But you can’t do that for 2 years if you use this promotion!  Sorry, you cannot get free users of Dynamics GP and then use the full price credit to move to Dynamics AX the next day.  Makes sense to me, but I secretly hope that someone did this in the past and was pretty pleased with himself at finding such a cool loophole.   

7)  This promotion/offer does NOT apply to:

• Microsoft Dynamics Light UsersLight Users cost $195 for each named user (+enhancement/maintenance fees).   Each user includes Human Resources Management (HRM) Self-Service Suite, Requisition Management, 1 Management Reporter Viewer (you must purchase a Light User in order to get the Viewer), 1 Business Portal Employee, 1 Business Portal Customer, Analysis Cubes.
• Microsoft Dynamics Employee Self-Service UsersThe additional cost for 1-49 users is $100.00 per named user.  This includes HRM Self Service Suite, Requisition Management & 1 Business Portal Employee.
• Limited Point of Sale (POS) Device CALs.Cost of this is $299.
• External Connector. The cost of the External Connector is $5,000. This license will allow any 3rd party individual or device to access the system database, provided that the individual or device user is not employed by the customer organization. Only one External Connector license is required for each system database.
• SQL Runtime Edition and Database licenses. SQL Server 2008 Standard $190 // SQL Server 2008 Enterprise $350
• SharePoint Runtime Edition.   Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise CAL (Named User) Server is included with first user – $200 plus requires Light User ($195)  (Get more info on Microsoft SharePoint)
• A la carte functionality modules. Each edition of Dynamics ERP products includes specific modules in the user price.  There are other modules, such as Payroll, that are not included in the per user price but can be purchased separately (a la carte).  These a la carte modules are not included in the promotion.  What are the a la carte modules for Dynamics GP editions?
• Third Party (ISV) software and functionality. At our company, we include some ISV products, such as Mekorma MICR checks, on all our sales proposals and feel they are an important part of a complete Dynamics GP implementation.  But this, and all other add on/ISV, have their own price lists are not included in the promotion.
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM and CRM related Services or Components. Dynamics CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a different product and is not eligible for the promotion. However, Dynamics CRM has some pretty nice promotions of their own right now including $34 per user for Dynamics CRM 2011 online.  So you could use both the ERP and CRM promotions and get a fully integrated system for a very reasonable cost.  How does Dynamics ERP integrate with Dynamics CRM?
• Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, Microsoft Dynamics C5, Microsoft Dynamics XAL, Microsoft Apertum or Microsoft Small Business Financial (SBF). These are all separate ERP/Accounting systems and are not included in this promotion. I have never heard of C5 and Apertum and SBF is no longer being sold, so you are not missing much.

And a few other exclusions that are self-explanatory:

• Offer cannot be combined with other offers and promotions.
• This offer cannot be converted into cash.
• All licenses need to be purchased for real customers and not for stocking purposes.
• Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient.
• This offer is non-transferable.   
• Offer available only through participating resellers. Reseller prices, terms and conditions may vary.
• Public Sector customers are excluded from this ‘Buy 1, get 3’ offer. Learn about an alternate offer for Public Sector customers.

And of course the most important line in the fine print:
This promotion expires at the “end of business day” on Friday June 24, 2011.
(I would assume this is 5pm in Fargo, ND so anyone not in the Central time zone should calculate accordingly if you are the type to wait until the very last hour).  This is a locked in date, if your reseller (VAR) has to place your order on June 25^th you will be paying full price, and no amount of, “the dog ate my deposit check” will change that deadline.

So if you are a prospective Dynamics ERP buyer that has been thinking, “sounds good, but what’s the catch?” I hope that this information clears up any speculation on the real value of the Dynamics ERP “Buy 1 Get 3” promotion.   There is no dangerous fine print.  You really do get 2 full users free. This promotion is just Microsoft’s way of making it more affordable for more people to buy Dynamics ERP products and thus grow their own market share.  You might as well take advantage of it while it lasts to get a strong, stable, full featured ERP software system, at a great price.

Next Steps:
Set up a Dynamics GP Discovery Call with CAL Business Solutions. 860-485-0910 x3002
Get more details on the Dynamics GP “Buy 1 Get 3” promotion at www.calszone.com/buy1get3
Request a Dynamics GP Quick Quote

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut & Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Eligibility & Exclusions for the Microsoft Dynamics ERP “Buy 1, Get 3″ Sales Offer: Understanding the Fine Print is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. The Real Deal – “Buy 1, Get 3” Microsoft Dynamics ERP Promotional Offer Just Announced
2. Microsoft’s ‘Give Me 5’ Promotion – Trick or Treat?
3. Microsoft Dynamics 67% Discount Offer Ends June 24th

This reminded me that even when competition between ERP vendors is very equally matched, just one goal will determine the winner.  Earlier this year, we worked with a Connecticut manufacturing company that was evaluating Epicor vs. Microsoft Dynamics GP with manufacturing.  The scrutiny of each product was intense. And we definitely went into overtime.  And at the end, the ERP software buyer admitted that each product would give them the functionality they needed and would be a good fit for the company.  The Epicor team had collected some “yellow cards” by using some high pressure sales tactics.  But CAL Business Solutions helped Dynamics GP score the winning goal.  It all came down to trust.  After building a relationship with the company during the sales process, CAL Business Solutions was able to prove that we were the team they wanted to work with.

“We realized that while we started out looking for software, software is really not the main decision. All the packages basically can do what you need it to do, but in the end, who you want to work with is what really counts. So the decision came down to local support, the relationship we have already built with CAL and how well we were able to communicate with the people at CAL. CAL did not give us a sales pitch, you were always honest and we look forward to this project.“
Lynnanne Sansone, MIS Director, Empire Industries
Manchester, Connecticut Manufacturing Company using Microsoft Dynamics GP

This reminds me that even in a tough competitive situation, how you play the game really does count.

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

2010 World Cup Score Shows That Just One Goal Determines The Winner is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. 2011 Trends: Report Shows Increased Investment in ERP Software Will Continue
2. New Report Shows Why Real Customers Buy Microsoft Dynamics GP
3. New White Paper Shows How To Increase Productivity Across Your Organization

Small & Casual: This restaurant was small and casual – nothing pretentious.  CAL is a small partner (19 people) in the small state of Connecticut. Our team is casual and unpretentious. You will never see anyone dressed up in a suit and tie, but we have just as much GP expertise as any other partner out there.  

BYOB: I love restaurants that are BYOB because I feel like they want to help me save money (instead of charging me $10 for a glass that I know costs $6.99 a bottle).  At CAL Business Solutions we honestly do try to find ways for our clients to save money. This could be by replacing GP licenses with less expensive ISV users. Or recommending the Business Essentials version vs. the Advanced Management version. Or simply by not padding our bill with unnecessary time.  Again and again, clients have told us that they choose to work with us because we are fair and we don’t try to oversell or overcharge.

Live Music: Restaurants don’t need to offer live music. But sometimes they do because they know it will make their customers happy.  CAL Business Solutions doesn’t need to offer monthly GP Tips & Tricks newsletters, thank you referral gifts or annual GP user events – but we do it because we feel that it adds value to our customers and makes them happy.

Owner Involvement: Throughout the evening the owner  of the restaurant came over to our table to ask if we were enjoying the meal.   The owner of CAL Business Solutions, George Mackiewicz, is personally involved with every client. We don’t have a sales team, George sells the product and then stands behind it himself to make sure it is delivered as he promised. And he checks regularly to make sure our clients are happy.

Amazing Employees: The staff at this restaurant was friendly and they seemed to have a good time working with each other.  At CAL Business Solutions, our team members are genuinely nice people who look out for our customers.  You can’t figure that out by reading an RFP – you need to get a taste for yourself by meeting the people personally.  We invite prospects to come to our office or attend our user Dynamics GP events so they can see our team in action.

So when it comes to choosing a Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP/accounting software partner, remember that it is not always the biggest partner with the flashiest marketing campaigns and the most awards that are the best choice. Dig a little deeper and look for the “hidden gem”.  Not only will you have a great experience, you will feel compelled to tell other people about it too.

So if you are ever near Worcester, Massachusetts make sure you stop for dinner at Lucky’s Café. And if you are looking for the best Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner, contact CAL Business Solutions.

By Anya Ciecierski, CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut & Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

When Choosing an ERP Software Partner Sometimes The “Hidden Gem” Is Better Than the “Top 10” is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Choosing the Right ERP Partner Can Be Almost as Difficult as Choosing the Software
2. 9 Tips to Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner
3. 11 Tips For Choosing Your Accounting Partner

I recall one of those instances when a local Connecticut distribution company purchasing Microsoft Dynamics GP explained their requirements for EDI.  Uh oh…..ED who?

Good think we have google (oops, I mean Bing)! One of the best explanations I found to describe EDI to non-technical folks like me is from a company called Softcare. They explain “EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is simply the means to communicate between companies from one computer to another. For many years companies have been using computers to send business documents instead of mailing paper documents (i.e. most of our pay checks are directly deposited into our bank accounts). This transfer of funds is accomplished by the use of an electronic file being sent from your company to your bank. The problem was that all the efforts employed proprietary or unique formats. The absence of a standard format led to the condition where computers could no longer “talk” to one another without a great deal of effort by programmers. For example, Supplier X could recognize an electronic Purchase Order from Retailer A but not from Retailer B. In 1979 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) formed the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 to rectify this situation. This committee was to standardize the format of electronic documents to allow for easy movement of information between computers.”  Thus EDI was born! 

In other words, you want to sell your widget to Walmart. But Walmart only speaks EDI language. So you better use an accounting/distribution software that speaks EDI too!

That makes it sound simple. Except that there are different EDI models that work best for certain scenarios.  A new group called Amp’d (AMP’d is a strategic alliance of distribution software leaders that have united to provide an advanced platform for the Distribution industry partnered with Microsoft Dynamics GP) is offering a white paper for download called: Don’t Pick the Wrong EDI Model.  It promises to help you find out how your business can generate more perfect orders delivered to the right place, at the right time, and at the right price.  And five key factors to determine which EDI model will meet your business needs.

Fortunately, the Dynamics GP consultants here at CAL helped this distribution company find the right solution for their needs:  Microsoft Dynamics GP + vSync EDI.

If you are a New England distribution company looking for ERP software with EDI functionality, call us at CAL Business Solutions-  860-485-0910.

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

When Buying ERP Software for your Distribution Business, Don’t Pick the Wrong EDI Model is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. 6 Wrong Ways to Choose an ERP Software Implementation Team
2. How Can Customer Segmentation Help Your Wholesale Distribution Business?
3. 3 Tips to Save Money When Buying Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP Software – Users, Editions and Maintenance Fees

I often talk to clients who are a frazzled mess because “the auditors are here.”   So I think that any tip that can help you make the auditor’s life easier will also make your life easier.  Thanks Frank!  Excel Reports are a great reason to consider using Microsoft Dynamics GP.  The integration between Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Office is excellent and continues to improve with each release. (Microsoft Dynamics GP version 11 highlights).  To learn more check out this white paper: Microsoft Dynamics GP & Microsoft Office 2007: Built to Work Together.

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

How To Give Auditors Access To Your Dynamics GP ERP System Without Buying An Extra License is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Who Needs a Light User License for Dynamics GP?
2. WPC Report: Give New Dynamics GP Users the Training They Need to Navigate The System With Confidence
3. 3 Tips to Save Money When Buying Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP Software – Users, Editions and Maintenance Fees

Here are a few important highlights I gleaned from a product FAQ on the Microsoft website:

1)      The Adapter is FREE.  However, you will need to have a current Microsoft Dynamics GP Enhancement/Support plan AND a current Microsoft Dynamics CRM Software Assurance (SA) Support Plan.

2)      The adapter must be ordered by a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

3)      The Adapter will require Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Service Pack 4 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 – Update Roll-up #5.

4)      The Adapter will allow for data movement between both CRM and ERP.  In a number of cases, the ERP application is the system of record (Products, Pricing, Unit of Measure, Sales Invoices, etc.). In the case of Sales Orders, these documents can be created in either system.  Once an order is submitted from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 to Microsoft Dynamics GP, the ERP solution becomes the system of record and the order will be read-only in CRM.  In the case of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Account and a Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Customer, the data is truly multi-mastered.  Once the data exists in both systems, and update to either system will trigger a subsequent update in the other respective system for properties which are included in the integration mapping.

5)      Out-of-the-box these entities are mapped between Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0:

If you considering purchasing a new ERP package this announcement makes Microsoft an even better decision.  Or if you already using either Microsoft Dynamics GP or Dynamics CRM, contact your Microsoft Dynamics Partner to learn more!

To find out more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM go to www.crmsoftwareblog.com

Check out this youtube video for a few more details.

Is anyone using this tool already? I would love to hear your comments!

By CAL Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner in Connecticut

Highlights of the New Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Adapter For Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Available October 1, 2009
2. 3 Sneak Peak Highlights of the New Microsoft Dynamics GP Version 11.0
3. Current Distribution Customers Vote on Convergence Highlights

Here are a few examples of how this can happen:

• You see all the cool things the new system can do and find yourself a kid in a candy store saying, “wow, can we get it to do this too?” The answer is yes, but this request is beyond the scope of the original proposal.
• You were quoted 8 hours of training for the AP clerk. This AP clerk is slow to learn, or is replaced by a new person halfway thru the project. The Partner must spend additional training time that was not included in the original quote.
• You have a report you require from the new system, but you didn’t show it to the Partner in advance because you just assumed it would be included. It needs to be designed from scratch and this time wasn’t included in the original quote.

A good Partner will tell you in advance if work needs to be done that was not included in the original quote, and get your approval before moving forward.

It is not always your fault

At times, going over budget could be the Partner’s fault if they underestimated the amount of time required.  If this is truly the only cause, an honest Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner may take the time as a loss and quote more efficiently the next time.

Budget overruns can also happen if you are working with a less-than-honest Partner that has intentionally low-balled the initial quote in order to win your business. 

Some companies take advantage of the fact that many prospects do not ask enough questions. These prospects find out later that work they assumed was included in the proposal are now considered “out of scope.” To make sure you know what to ask I recommend you read the report “30 Questions Every CFO Needs To Ask About the Cost of Accounting Software”

Remember, price is only one piece of the puzzle, and you should not always choose a Partner based on the lowest quote. A higher services quote could simply mean that you are dealing with a more honest Partner. 

This Deloitte and Touch report mentioned in this post (Choosing an ERP System – So Many Things to Think About!) is extremely telling.  It compares the Top 10 buying criteria of companies the first time they purchased ERP software vs. the second time. The first time the #1 criteria was price. The second time “Level of support from the solution provider” was #1 and price was knocked down to #5.  Learn from this example and choose your partner wisely!

Take the time to make sure you know what is included in the quote and what is not.

If you want a Microsoft Dynamics GP accounting software Partner that will treat you fairly, contact CAL Business Solutions at 860-485-0910.

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Why Do So Many ERP Software Projects Cost More Than Budgeted? (And Who is to Blame?) is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Why Do So Many ERP Projects Go Over Budget?
2. How to use Job Cost Accounting Software to Determine Which Projects Are Really Profitable
3. ERP Software Implementation Failure, Is the Software Always to Blame?

3 Highlights of Microsoft Dynamics GP 11.0 that I gleaned from the post are:

1)     Simplified access to data

2)     More customization

3)     More Microsoft Office templates (Integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP and Office is awesome!)

A focus of version 11 will be the ability to simplify data.  One way is the ability to investigate into data easily. Meier said, “If you have an issue, you will be able to drill back into that issue. Instead of sorting through a spreadsheet, it is easier to see a high level and then be able to drill down into the areas that interest you.”

Another topic was customization.  “The Dynamics GP role center, in version 10, was based around Office web components with no option to customize metrics,” Meier said. “That was a big issue.” Microsoft Version 11 will have an additional option in the Dynamics GP role center to use reporting services metrics.

Meier also focused on the changes version 11.0 would offer users in regard to Word templates. He said there will be integration with Microsoft Office Word and that GP 11.0 will offer 22 templates “out of the box.” Users will also have the ability to create and modify work in Word and that the new version will support a multitude of templates for each Report Writer report.

Microsoft Dynamics GP version 11 is scheduled for release by the middle of 2010.

With all these great new features you may ask, “Should I delay my purchase of Microsoft Dynamics GP and wait for Version 11?”  To get the answer, Check out this post.

 Stay tuned to www.erpsoftwareblog.com for more insights into this exciting new release.

by CAL Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) Expert in Connecticut

3 Sneak Peak Highlights of the New Microsoft Dynamics GP Version 11.0 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Sneak Peek Of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (Version 11.0)
2. Highlights of the New Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0
3. Wow…Advanced Technologies with Microsoft Dynamics GP Version 11.0

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) Partner

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Adapter For Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Available October 1, 2009 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Highlights of the New Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0
2. Microsoft Spent Over $8 Billion on R&D in Fiscal Year 2009!
3. Technology Management Concepts Selected Member of 2009 VAR Stars

By CAL Business Solutions, Dynamics GP Partner serving Connecticut, CT

Microsoft Dynamics GP Achieves 18% Performance Increase Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Server Requirements for Dynamics GP 2010
2. Upgrade Your Outdated SQL Server to Unlock the Potential of Your Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 R2.
3. Microsoft Dynamics GP and SQL Server – 8 Considerations to Maximize your Database Maintenance