ERP Software Blog » ERP Software

Customizable Grant Reports Help Anchorage Non-Profit Run Smoothly

Aimee Agnew, Arctic IT — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:14:30 +0000

For Jon Watkins, Chief Financial Officer at Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, producing detailed reports showing spending against various grants is a daily activity. “Our organization operates on up to 16 different grants and medical billing for certain services from 36 divisions and teams, so the reporting process is complex.” Without Microsoft Dynamics GP and its FRx reporting capabilities, Watkins would face nearly insurmountable obstacles. “The FRx reports setup is a clean and effective process that allows us to produce reports whenever we need them. That’s critical because reporting is a large part of our life.”

Watkins relies on the Microsoft Dynamics ERP system to provide a solid foundation for efficient operations. “Automation is one of the biggest things Microsoft Dynamics GP provides for us,” says Watkins. “If we were on a paper-based system, we literally couldn’t keep up with the people we have.”

Watkins and his staff of 13 enjoy the time-saving benefits of Microsoft Dynamics GP’s role-based interface. “We have everybody set up on the roles-based system and we all use our customized home pages to help save time and streamline processes.”

Another critical process for Community Mental Health is managing their cash flow. “We use the Cash Flow Management module to understand where we are from a cash-flow standpoint on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis,” says Watkins. “I appreciate the solid framework Microsoft Dynamics GP provides for internal controls. Obviously, you can choose not to take advantage of those, but we certainly do.”

Ensuring the financial health of his organization is a top priority for Watkins. “I’m most proud of the good we do for the community,” says Watkins, “especially the underprivileged people we reach out to who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford our services.”

Being driven to provide excellent service is a quality Watkins appreciates in business partners. “Arctic Information Technology is truly a partner to us,” says Watkins. “I’ve worked with many IT consultancies around the country throughout my career. I find Arctic IT to be one of the most responsive I’ve ever worked with.”

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services (http://www.acmhs.com/) has helped people in Anchorage, Alaska, and surrounding communities discover new beginnings in their lives for over 30 years. A client of Arctic Information Technology, they have used Microsoft Dynamics GP for several years.

By: Arctic Information Technology, Inc., Alaska Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Anchorage, Alaska - Your Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Customizable Grant Reports Help Anchorage Non-Profit Run Smoothly is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Take a Break From Frustration – Choose Microsoft Dynamics GP

DFC Consultants — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:48:48 +0000

It’s Monday morning and you’re hoping to have a productive start to the day. Hot coffee and doughnut in hand, you start up your computer and open your accounting system. As you wait for it to open, you take a sip of coffee and drift off for a moment. Soon you realize your screen still has not opened. It has become an ongoing frustration.

Do you find yourself in a similar situation? You notice a considerable delay in opening screens, reports take longer to print, and there is an overall decline in performance? Many of our customers who have made the move from QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP cited those same pain points. QuickBooks met their needs as a small company, but as their business grew their volume of transactions and functionality requirements grew and their program couldn’t accommodate their needs.

There are many reasons to consider Microsoft Dynamics GP but here are a few compelling facts in regards to QuickBooks vs. Microsoft Dynamics GP:

GP has twice the features of QuickBooks Enterprise. The Accounting Library reported in April 2011 that Microsoft Dynamics GP met 85% of a typical user’s requirements vs. 43% for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions.
GP can scale to handle millions of transactions and can be used by more than a thousand users concurrently
GP has more than 700 standard reports including 200 out of the box Excel reports and over 70 standard SRS reports.

And price is really not a factor since Microsoft has an offer in the market that will give you the first 5 users for $3000 which is up to 85% off the license price.

Contact DFC Consultants at 800-277-5561 or email sales@dfcconsultants.com to set up a free business analysis meeting to determine your functionality requirements and receive a custom demo of Microsoft Dynamics GP.

DFC Consultants is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM. Since 1989, DFC has been providing accounting software solutions, training and support in our offices in Fargo, Bismarck, and Dickinson, North Dakota. Our passion is to assist clients in meeting their goals with professional services and powerful business solutions.

By Vanessa Veflin, DFC Consultants, North Dakota Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

Take a Break From Frustration – Choose Microsoft Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Is Your Organization Ready for ERP in the Cloud?

Don Carnevale, Broadpoint Technologies — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:14:29 +0000

“Cloud” is the new buzzword related to ERP software. But what does that really mean? How can you determine if it makes sense for your company and what are the costs involved in making it work? BroadPoint Technologies recently participated in a new white paper:

35 Questions Every CFO Needs to Ask About ERP Software in the Cloud

This simple, easy-to-follow white paper will help you compare the benefits and risks of ERP/financial management software in the cloud.

In the white paper, you will learn about:

Cloud definitions
Potential benefits of Cloud ERP
Common concerns of Cloud ERP
Compliance considerations for Cloud ERP
Licensing questions for Cloud ERP
Sample cost comparison for Cloud ERP vs. on-premise ERP
Business challenges and deployment options for Cloud ERP

In addition to the information above, the white paper also includes nine informative graphs and a sample comparison chart providing a simplified 5-year model to evaluate the cost of various ERP deployment options including on-premise, on demand and hosted deployment.

Download the white paper today and find out all you need to know about ERP in the Cloud.

And contact BroadPoint, the largest Microsoft Dynamics GP reseller in the mid-Atlantic, at skane@broadpoint.net or 301-634-2404 for more information on what deployment model will work best for your organization.

Broad Point Technologies, Virginia Microsoft Dynamics partner

Is Your Organization Ready for ERP in the Cloud? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Microsoft “Give Me 5″ Offer Keeps on Giving

Don Carnevale, Broadpoint Technologies — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:03:03 +0000

Don’t look but Microsoft has done it again. They are now offering 5 users of Dynamics GP for $3,000! This is exceptional offer for new customers. For a limited time, organizations can purchase 5 users of Microsoft Dynamics GP (Business Essentials or Advanced Management) for the low price of $3,000 (USD)! That’s a potential savings of $17,000 in software…and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

BroadPoint is ready to help you take advantage of this offer. Contact us today and we will review your business requirements and identify the right solution for your business. And once you decide on the solution for you, our deployment team will be with you every step of the way to make sure all your concerns are addressed. Our goal is to provide you with a smooth, painless implementation that does not disrupt your day-to-day business operations.

BroadPoint is the mid-Atlantic’s largest Dynamics GP reseller. We look forward to speaking with you and building a lasting relationship before, during, and after your GP implementation. Contact us today at skane@broadpoint.net or 301-634-2404 to discuss your requirements.

Microsoft “Give Me 5″ Offer Keeps on Giving is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Dynamics GP 2010R2 for Lawn and Landscape Management Companies: The Grass is Greener on the Other Side

Kristi Tallent, Associates Solutions — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:54:48 +0000

Summer is long gone and beautiful fall days will soon give way to long, cold, and dark days. This is the time of the year that growing lawn and landscape management companies turn to address internal issues and prepare the business for the upcoming year. This down time makes an ideal time to address internal systems issues. Let’s face it, during the spring and summer months, most lawn and landscape companies are doing everything they can to just keep their heads above water. Planning for new systems just isn’t possible.

Lately we have been helping many professional lawn and landscape firms boost their productivity and customer service with technology from Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and the Boss Landscape Management Suite. The Boss solution gives lawn and landscape firms all of the front office tools they need in a seamlessly integrated package. With Boss, customers get fully functional lead tracking and appointment scheduling. They also get inventory, time input, job costing, and invoicing functions. Boss then can pass the information over to Dynamics GP so that all back office functions can be completed. For lawn and landscape firms, Dynamics GP will handle all Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and General Ledger functions. For firms that do HR and Payroll in house, Dynamics GP can handle that too. Couple that with world class financial reporting and business analytics and these firms have all the tools they need to run their business smoothly and effectively.

If you run a lawn and landscape firm and aren’t satisfied with your current software solution, maybe this off-season is the right time to look for a better way to do things. You can compare solutions, but in the end we think you will find that this best of breed integrated solution will give you all of the tools you need to be successful.

Want to see the Dynamics GP 2010 R2 Datasheet?

By Associates Solutions, Kansas Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner, serving KS MO IA NE

Dynamics GP 2010R2 for Lawn and Landscape Management Companies: The Grass is Greener on the Other Side is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Stay Focused and Stay Sharp with Dynamics GP

Don Carnevale, Broadpoint Technologies — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:23:02 +0000

Someone who seems to be knowledgeable in a broad range of trades but is not necessarily great at any particular one is commonly referred to as a “Jack of all Trades, Master of None”. A similar effect can happen with business applications too. Organizations can take the right path to software selection by being laser-focused on the business issues that need to be addressed. Choosing a product such as Microsoft Dynamics GP goes a long way toward providing not just a good solution, but the RIGHT solution.

All too often, a software solution is developed to meet a specific business process and may perform that process quite well. Over time though, the original product has grown to try to meet far too many niche needs and is stretched to serve an ever growing audience. This often dilutes the product’s capabilities. The product becomes overly complex, seemingly having a button, module, or “bolt-on” for everything. In the end, the product might be able to serve more needs but often fails to perform any one of them well.

Organizations that are looking to purchase new software need to be careful in their selection. Business applications that attempt to serve a large audience with many modules and many features are often mediocre at your most important business processes. This also relates to usability, long term cost and support and whether the solution can grow with your organization. If a solution is deeply complex, how easy is it to use? If it is over engineered, how easy is it to support? Are you paying for modules and features that you will never need or use? How easy is it to get the data out of a complex system for business analytics? How easy is it to extend or change the solution to meet your needs over time?

Organizations should focus on procuring solutions that not only meet the core business needs, but actually excel at meeting those needs. BroadPoint Technologies, the largest Dynamics GP reseller in the mid-Atlantic, focuses on aligning core business needs to the right technology. This strategy sets up our clients for the highest possible return on their investment.

by BroadPoint Technologies, Virginia Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Stay Focused and Stay Sharp with Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

The Microsoft SQL Server Advantage When Choosing an ERP Solution

Ann Haucke, The Resource Group — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:13:35 +0000

When choosing a new ERP system, (financial management or accounting solution) it is important to consider the technical underpinnings and the advantages during the software evaluation process. Microsoft Dynamics^® GP is built on Microsoft SQL^® Server, which has many advantages when using, maintaining, and reporting on the system.

SQL Server is a relational database created by Microsoft. This means that all of your data from your Microsoft Dynamics GP accounting system is stored within the database, and when you create, update, or otherwise modify your records, you are working with data stored in the SQL Server. SQL Server works under an operational model of record locking. With record locking, each individual record − when opened by a user − will be locked from change by any other user. This ensures that when multiple people are working in the accounting system, the actions of one user cannot be overwritten by another user. As long as multiple people are not working on the same record, they can work in the same area of the system without interfering with each other.

In addition, SQL Server has a robust set of maintenance tools. Database backups can be performed easily and automated to ensure disaster recovery is possible. Security within the database can be configured so users don’t have access to sensitive data. And as an enterprise-grade database system, SQL Server can effortlessly process thousands of transactions simultaneously with the ability to scale from a small organization of a couple of users to large corporations with hundreds of users. SQL Server has a legacy of extremely high uptime (99.9999%), high performance, and great security.

With your ERP software you want reliability, performance, and the flexibility to let your users work without interfering with each other to ensure that you can enter, review, and report on your data easily. SQL Server enables all of these things, and Microsoft Dynamics GP is built to take full advantage of the platform.

To learn more about selecting an ERP solution, please contact us at 425.277.4760 or email info@resgroup.com.

By Brian Bender Microsoft Dynamics GP Developer, The Resource Group – Seattle, Washington Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

The Microsoft SQL Server Advantage When Choosing an ERP Solution is a post from: ERP Software Blog

When Transition to Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP Model is a Smooth Process

Cargas Systems — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:25:40 +0000

When considering the switch to SaaS, you want to know what to expect as well as plan ahead to avoid potential pitfalls. We’re going to review a situation where a company moves to a SaaS deployment, so you can see first-hand how a smooth transition is possible.

ABC Company has been hearing a lot about the cloud and it has piqued their interest. They are a small firm of just 10 employees and currently use multiple spreadsheets to manage and track their business and financial activity. ABC Company knows the benefits of SaaS ERP by reading online resources, but they want to take the next step to find out more. So ABC Company first begins to seek out the ERP solution that is right for them, then they start contacting partners that can help deploy the solution in the way that fits ABC Company’s needs.

When they’ve narrowed down the right ERP solution along with the right ERP solution provider, they know the questions to ask. First of all, they communicate their current tracking process and business requirements. They ask, “Is the transition from excel spreadsheets to SaaS ERP easy to accomplish?” The partner responds that transition from spreadsheets to SaaS ERP is as smooth as it gets. This news makes ABC Company want to begin right away, but first they create a long-term budget plan to make sure a subscription based solution will fit their budget now and long into the future. They don’t need any surprises down the road. Once they realize it will work for them, they work hand in hand with their partner to get their SaaS ERP solution in place. Although some sources say cloud deployments are quick and easy, ABC Company makes sure to take their time. They know patience will help ensure the right functionality from their SaaS ERP solution.

This hypothetical situation may or may not be where you’re company is at. But a few key lessons to take away are to make sure to map out a long-term budget plan and be patient. Similar to any other software deployment, you can’t rush it. If you have any questions about a SaaS ERP solution, please contact us at Cargas Systems.

By Jullie Fuller with Cargas Systems, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

With over 400 successful implementations and a 95% customer retention rate, Cargas is one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics partners in Pennsylvania.

When Transition to Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP Model is a Smooth Process is a post from: ERP Software Blog

How Automotive Suppliers Can Address Scrap Accounting Requirements

AIM Computer Solutions — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 09:41:50 +0000

There is a step in a manufacturing operation before quality investigates a defective part for root causes, Pareto charts, and the subsequent corrective action in the Quality Management System. That step is merely to separate the possible defective parts from those qualified to move to the next step, or to the customers receiving dock.

This move to a “disposition” stage is part of a beginning scrap accounting process. What’s really cool is that if something is in disposition it can be reclassified in several ways to move it out or into the production flow. The parts can be:
1. Held in disposition
2. Determined to be scrap with xx reason
3. Moved back into WIP at step ZZ
4. Moved into rework
5. Actioned by a customer defined activity

Sound simple enough? Let’s consider the real world issues. First of all, not all parts are scrapped for the same reason. A single basket of parts may have some “scrap A” parts, some “good” parts and some additional “scrap B” parts, and some rework parts Had enough? There is more. Let’s consider the impact of Lot Control on not just one basket, but several baskets under investigation for possible defects. Finally, for those who are not familiar with the PPM [parts per million] defect threshold of six or less, this is one way of how you arrive at this incredible quality standard.

These increased scrap complexities make it essential that the automotive supplier have a software system that can handle the analysis, reporting, and tracking of dispositioned goods. Perhaps one like AIM Vision that provides for barcode-based material and container tracking of raw material, semi-finished goods, and finished goods inventory, including a barcode-based production entry, and specialized modules that capture scrap and labor efficiency from the plant floor and provide a range of reports that deliver visibility into man, material, and machine movement and utilization.

If you are an automotive supplier or are working with an automotive supplier who needs to address scrap accounting requirements, contact AIM Computer Solutions, Inc.
We are a Michigan Microsoft Certified ISV and ERP Partner with automotive-centered ERP and SCM solutions that are Certified for Microsoft Dynamics GP.

How Automotive Suppliers Can Address Scrap Accounting Requirements is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Tear Down Department Walls With Microsoft Dynamics SL’s Integration Capabilities

Kristi Tallent, Associates Solutions — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:32:58 +0000

If you often hear “we can’t do that” or “that’s impossible in our current environment”, you are not alone. Many businesses face the challenge of dispersing information across department lines and without the proper infrastructure and systems in place, the above becomes true. Well what if you had a solution that could break down those department walls? Integrated software such as Microsoft Dynamics SL makes it possible for businesses to bring departments together and have a central source of information. Microsoft Dynamics SL has the ability to improve productivity in many areas of your company because of its integration capabilities.

By providing the familiarity of Microsoft Office system applications and the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services interface, Business Portal for Microsoft Dynamics SL can help your team increase productivity so that you realize a greater return on your business management solution investment. The portal gives employees, partners, and customers secure access to up-to-date information on a browser any time and anywhere it’s needed. With Microsoft Business Portal, you can deliver project financial status, task assignments, billing, invoices, timesheets, expense reports, and other documents through a Web browser, reducing the time required to manage these processes and eliminating paperwork and data re-entry.

For project driven organizations that rely on the scheduling capabilities of Microsoft Project, Microsoft Dynamics SL integrates directly with Microsoft Project. The integration works in both directions, where the integrity of the Microsoft Dynamics data that flows through a company’s financial system is not compromised. In cases where the relationship between the data in Microsoft Dynamics and that in Microsoft Project might affect financial and audit trail information, one-way integration, from Microsoft Dynamics to Microsoft Project, is available.

With a Microsoft Dynamics SL and CRM integration, you can create and easily maintain a clear picture of customers—including complex supply chain relationships with partners and suppliers—from first contact through purchase and post-sales, using a comprehensive customer relationship management solution that’s easy to learn and use. With the ability to view information from the ERP system such as Sales Orders, Inventory Items, and Project related information, Dynamics CRM unleashes your Sales and Marketing Teams to do what they do best, take care of customers.

So next time you hear “we can’t do that,” think again. The tools do exist to bring down information barriers between departments and give your organization the edge it needs to be more productive, efficient, and competitive.

By Associate Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, and CRM partner serving KS MO IA NE

Tear Down Department Walls With Microsoft Dynamics SL’s Integration Capabilities is a post from: ERP Software Blog

ERP Software Blog » ERP Software

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