ERP Software Blog » florida microsoft dynamics gp

SQL Server Reporting Services Versus Crystal Reports

ERT Group — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:57:37 +0000

If you are looking into buying Microsoft Dynamics GP, you will be interested in the reporting tools available. Reports are an essential part of any ERP system; a good report not only gives the right information but is also produced in the right format for a specific end user, particularly managerial level. It can be a deciding factor as to whether the system is doing its job the way your business needs it.

For those who haven’t heard about SQL Server Reporting Services yet, I presume they’ve been asking what does SQL Reporting Services do and how does it differ from other report writing tools? To begin with, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a server-based report generation software system from Microsoft. It is administered via a web interface. Reporting services features a web services interface to support the development of custom reporting applications. Reporting is a way of presenting data and information. With reporting, managers should be supported in making efficient decisions as quickly as possible. There are lots of reporting tools available on the market and every customer has a possibility of finding a solution that suits their needs. Of course, every comparison depends on the point the customer’s perspective.

SSRS competes with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools. But why is SSRS better than the others? The first strength of Reporting Services is that it is a Microsoft brand supported by world fame and generally-known trustworthiness. Microsoft praised and demonstrated SSRS readiness for immediate use. Microsoft Reporting Services is enough to replace two separate concretely-aimed solutions. Firstly, as a standalone reporting server, therefore working as an independent solution; and secondly, as a tool to integrate reporting into a parallel .Net application. Being bundled with the MS SQL Server, Reporting Services has had to grab the attention of Visual Studio .NET users. It’s a solution known for its features – providing richly enough for a majority of basic uses.

Reporting Services is praised especially for its independence and its report design environment. As a standalone reporting server, it is also followed by a low price as Microsoft’s product seems to be significantly cheaper than its equivalents; Reporting Services might actually be implemented for free. Crystal Reports were accused of too complex licensing, too big footprint, poor SQL performance, and, finally, being too static. There is a long list of capabilities that Crystal Reports claims to support but which either don’t work or which require a staggeringly expensive license if you want more than five users. You can’t even trust CR to do SQL correctly. Reporting Services actually does all the things CR claims to, it’s free, there is extensive reliable technical documentation, it’s designed to be extended (also documented), and you can connect it to anything for which you can get an ODBC driver. It is a better environment, but best of all the connections (data sources) are separate from the report and can be shared. This makes for much simpler deployment between environments.

Article written by Jennifer Alegria, Associate Consultant – ERT Group

If you are interested in a more in depth analysis of your needs, contact us at 954-825-0888, and visit us on the ERT Group website.

We are a Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a 2010 President’s Club member for Microsoft Dynamics – offering Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM.

SQL Server Reporting Services Versus Crystal Reports is a post from: ERP Software Blog

MS Virtual Convergence 2010 Available

ERT Group — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:39:07 +0000

If you had a chance to attend Convergence in Atlanta this year you probably found yourself overwhelmed by the number of sessions and exhibitors over the 4 days. And chances are you didn’t attend even half of what you wanted. Well, good news! Microsoft has finally opened the doors for its “Virtual” Convergence on the net, providing the sessions, keynotes, exhibit info, and more.

You’ll get the same PowerPoint slides, live demos, and audio feeds. The only piece lacking is the ability to interact with the presenter; however most provide their contact info in the slides or live demo.

Please take a look and check out any of the GP/NAV/AX/SL stuff you might have missed. Youll use your Windows Live ID to access this, and is only available to registrants/attendees

LINK: http://vepexp.microsoft.com/convergence2010

Article written by Stephen Schilling, Technical Consultant – ERT Group

If you’re looking for specific CRM software information, check out the resources on the ERT Group website. You can also contact ERT Group for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs.

ERT Group is a Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner– offering Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft CRM.

MS Virtual Convergence 2010 Available is a post from: ERP Software Blog

What’s New In GP 2010 (GP 11)

ERT Group — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:27:08 +0000

As many of you may or may not know, Microsoft recently announced the name change for the next iteration in its line of Dynamics GP products; from GP 11.0 to GP 2010. This will be more in line with both their office series and the enhanced SharePoint 2010 with a similar naming convention. I wanted to take some time to highlight some of the upcoming features and what to expect. The release is expected around June this year and in fact, Microsoft has recently made a Virtual Image beta on Partner Source to play with some of the product.

GP 2010’s main goal will focus on increasing depth and reach, in terms of extending core functionality, richer integration with the Microsoft Office system and creating more external connections through Web Services. Enhanced integration with the Office system and portal technologies (making greater use of SharePoint functionality) will gear you up for improved productivity, business intelligence capabilities and a more connected way of working. The overall aim is to deliver to you a faster return on your investment. Some of these features include:

Navigation

Greater customization of GP homepage
Ability to add your own metrics
Addition of 12 roles-based dashboards

Functionality

Enhanced visibility of data with two-way drill-back into Excel and GP
Additional printing of any GP forms and reports to a Word document, such as sales orders
Added personalization of Dynamics GP Office templates

Workflow

Emailing of groups of documents easily from within GP with a single button click (such as purchase orders)
New workflow processes, including supplier and employee approvals

New Web Portal

Unlike Business Portal, GP 2010 will include built-in customer and vendor portals, allowing those you do business with to login and view key information related to their transactions in GP, or even make changes to select data within the system (i.e. a supplier updating shipping dates on a PO).

Reporting

It is also worth noting that Report Writer is being phased out with each new GP release
New Reporting tools will be more graphical by nature, and able to include charts, graphs, gauges, etc

Article written by Stephen Schilling, Technical Consultant – ERT Group

There are tons of more to come but here was a glimpse into the future of Dynamics GP 2010. Be sure to check out www.ertgroup.com for additional product information and services.

If you’re looking for specific ERP software information, check out the resources on the ERT Group website. You can also contact ERT Group for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs.

ERT Group is a Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner– offering Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft CRM.

What’s New In GP 2010 (GP 11) is a post from: ERP Software Blog

5 Benefits of On-Demand ERP Software

ERT Group — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:08:24 +0000

Small and medium size businesses have to be able to efficiently manage their resources in order to be competitive in this challenging market and survive in this economy. Therefore, an ERP solution will help your business to decrease the recurring expenses related to operations by managing all business processes across departments in a single system. Also it will offer convenient access to the data that will aid in the planning, decision making and managerial control of the daily operations.

There is no doubt of the benefits an ERP system will bring to a business of any size; nonetheless, a traditional implementation process can be so expensive and complicated that it is unaffordable for some small/mid size companies nowadays.

To this end, some business solution providers in this highly competitive market now offer the On-Demand ERP Application Software system that will do away with all up-front investment in software licenses, databases, servers, backup equipment, etc.You only have a monthly expense that can be easily managed within the annual budgets of the company.

Besides the benefits of having complete access to an ERP system, the on-Demand Application Software Solutions will also allow businesses to:

Access the company information from anywhere at anytime since is hosted service via the internet
Manage expansion of business’ IT strategies, such as extending corporate e-mail and intranet to remote offices
Automate business processes without impacting any existing work or on-premise IT operations
Provide flexibility to extend up or down based on the growth of the company without any interruption to the existing functionality
Help managers and owners concentrate on the core business without worrying about the health and requirements of the IT environment.

If you’re looking for specific On-Demand ERP software information, check out the resources on the ERT Group website. You can also contact ERT Group for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs.

By ERT Group a Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner– offering Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft CRM. ERT Group has offices in Boca Raton • Miami • Fort Lauderdale • West Palm Beach and more.

5 Benefits of On-Demand ERP Software is a post from: ERP Software Blog

5 Ways To Solve Day-to-Day Challenges with Effective Business Management/ERP Software

ERT Group — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:03:03 +0000

The right business management/ERP software can make an enormous difference in how smoothly and profitably your company runs. Wouldn’t it be great if you could do these 5 things:

Control costs and expenses – With the right software, you’re able to see exactly what’s going on in all parts of your company, you can make plans more effectively and better identify ways to trim costs.
Get real-time accurate information – The right software can provide a single application that aggregates information from other systems – such as invoicing or inventory – so that everyone in your company can get the right information when they need it to make sound decisions.
Keep up with your customers’ changing priorities - Instead of going to multiple systems to enter changes, view information, and shift strategies, with business management software, you simply go to one system.
Automate business processes that were once manual – Convert quote requests into sales orders with a single click. You can also generate purchase orders for suppliers and better track shipments and invoices.
Reduce manual errors because there’s one place to go for information – and because information needs to be entered only once. Data can be aggregated from numerous other applications, so you can easily see where there are discrepancies and then fix them.

With the right Business Management/ERP system, you can!

To learn more about how effective business management solutions can help improve your day-to-day work challenges, click here.

by ERT Group – Florida Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner

5 Ways To Solve Day-to-Day Challenges with Effective Business Management/ERP Software is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Reporting and Financial Management Tools to Help Grow Your Business

ERT Group — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:28:20 +0000

In order to optimize your cash flow and make intelligent decisions about your financials, you need a set of tools you can trust. If your current financial management tools aren’t up to speed, you quite frankly don’t have complete control over your capital.

In order to optimize your cash flow and make intelligent decisions about your business, you need data you can trust and systems that provide accurate and timely information. Can you answer “Yes” to the following questions?

Can we get key reports (on essential data like sales pipeline, inventory, aging receivables, payables, or cash flow projections) whenever we need them?
Do we trust the data? Is it up-to-date and reliable?
Do the reports provide the information I need or do I still need to crunch numbers after I get the report?
Can we do “what if” projections before we make a decision, as well as “what happened” analyses to check the impact of our decisions?

An enterprise system will give you – and your team – instant access to the numbers and reports you need to manage your company. Learn how you can free up cash and generate new revenues by looking inside your organization. Click here to read an informational report called “FINDING MONEY TO GROW… INSIDE YOUR ORGANIZATION”

by ERT Group – Florida Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner

Reporting and Financial Management Tools to Help Grow Your Business is a post from: ERP Software Blog

5 Winning Strategies to Recession-Proof Your Business

ERT Group — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:38:12 +0000

Job growth is at a standstill. Sales are in a slump. And credit is tight. But it’s hard to keep the economy down for long. In fact, the average length of a recession in the past five decades is just 11 months.

How can your company be prepared to hit the ground running when good times return? By making the most of hidden opportunities that are within your reach.

Learn 5 Winning Strategies

“Find the Silver Lining: How Your Business Can Thrive During an Economic Storm” reveals five key strategies smart companies use to gain strength and build momentum during challenging economic times:

Take advantage of tax breaks to save
Use technology, like an ERP system, to work smarter
Trim the fat
Improve cash flow
Turn downtime into productive time

Putting these strategies to work now will not only help you survive the economic recession, but thrive once it comes to an end. Download the white paper for more details.

by ERT Group – Florida Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner

5 Winning Strategies to Recession-Proof Your Business is a post from: ERP Software Blog

ERP and BI – A Perfect Combination

ERT Group — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:19:23 +0000

Companies today have mountains of data in their ERP and enterprise applications. And with the economy forcing us to do more with less, many are leaving this data largely untapped. Massive amounts of data can be overwhelming and complex, but the good news is that Business Intelligence tools can help deciper the data and add strategic value to your organization. Turning data into actionable intelligence provides better decision making support and improved organizational visibility.

Business Intelligence allows companies to work smarter and when the economy turns—as it inevitably will—those that have the right tools and analytics in place will be in the best position to seize the next wave of opportunities. For more information on how business intelligence can help your business, feel free to download an informative brochure about ERT Group’s emPower Business Intelligence.

ERT Group – Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

ERP and BI – A Perfect Combination is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Tips to Making an ERP Upgrade a Success

ERT Group — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:04:24 +0000

Most organizations are realizing their ERP system is not just a key part of their IT strategies, but one of their most important and sensitive corporate assets. ERP systems should have at least a 15- to 20-year useful life, but over that time they will need to be maintained and enhanced to protect their value and serve the changing needs of the business. Perhaps even more important is the role that upgrades play in adding new functionality, improving business processes, and extending the deployment of ERP suites.

Companies need to plan for periodic updates just to ensure the reliability of mission-critical applications. To ensure success of an upgrade, here are some areas to consider:

Be sure to define the strategy and timing for ERP upgrades
Get support, build consensus and communicate your ERP strategy
Consider how you will justify the cost and resources required for an ERP upgrade
Create a project plan for a successful upgrade
Consider organizational and governance options
Outline the resources, services, and tools needed for upgrades

Too often we see companies underestimate the level of effort and the broad impact of an ERP upgrade. Click here for a detailed report or contact us at info@ertgroup.com.

By ERT Group – Florida Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

Tips to Making an ERP Upgrade a Success is a post from: ERP Software Blog

9 Tips to Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner

ERT Group — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:40:12 +0000

When considering a partner to outsource your ERP implementation, there are some key elements that you should be aware of. The key is to choose an ERP provider with strong core values such as experience, integrity, honesty, efficiency, and most importantly communication skills.

Much like hiring a contractor for your home, asking the right questions and being as knowledgeable in your requirements will minimize any problems or delays you might experience.

1) Reliability
Ask for details on the company. How long have they been in business? How many offices? How many employees? What is their history and experience in the business? Who and where are the employees located if they have multiple offices?

2) Project Experience
What types of projects have they worked on in the past? When was the last time they had someone working on a project similar to yours? If it was fairly recent, will at least part of that team be working on your project?

3) References
Is the provider able to produce several client references? Were the clients happy with the result? Do the clients still use them? Have the clients ever referred someone else to use them? Most good outsourcing providers have a list of references detailing different and varied clients with up-to-date contact information including: company, name, title, email/phone number and a briefing on the project of what was done.

4) Quality Products/Services
Beyond solid references, the provider needs to supply and emphasize the understanding of the products and implementation processes that are followed within their organization to ensure success. Product certifications and defined implementation methodologies go a long way in providing customers with this assurance.

5) Additional Costs
Make sure there are no hidden costs in implementation, testing, training, connectivity, infrastructure, transition, etc. Ask if they ever work on fixed cost engagements (providing there are no unexpected problems on the client side), and what is needed to get a fixed cost pricing on a project. Most companies that have experience in large and small projects are willing to take on fixed cost projects, particularly for smaller projects.

6) Delivery Times
Make sure your provider provides realistic deadlines and goals. Be sensible and make sure that their resources aren’t working on a timeline that may affect the outcome or quality of the project. If your instincts are bothering you, ask more questions, if their answers cannot satisfy you, then they probably aren’t the right company for you.

7) Terms
Always document what the terms of the project are including the payment, project assumptions, timing, and guidelines will be for any sized projects. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 40 hour project or a 5,000 hour project; a successful project requires guidelines to ensure customer satisfaction.

8 ) Risks
What kind of risks are you going to be undertaking in outsourcing this project? Is the vendor insured? What is their insurance coverage? What kind of data loss prevention and back up have they implemented?

9) Communication
The level of communication can make or break a project’s success. How well do the team members interact and how well the team leads interact with you and your team play have huge effect on the outcome of the project. We have all heard and played broken telephone, why would it be any different for a large project? Make sure that you meet and possibly interview the team lead so you are sure that the teams will be able to work together successfully.

The initial conversations and communication between the companies will be a strong indication if your companies will work well together, follow your instincts, don’t try to make things work for the sake of making it work. Follow your requirements and your instinct.

For additional information on ERP solutions, contact ERT Group.

By ERT Group – Florida Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner

9 Tips to Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner is a post from: ERP Software Blog

ERP Software Blog » florida microsoft dynamics gp

SQL Server Reporting Services Versus Crystal Reports

Related Posts

MS Virtual Convergence 2010 Available

Related Posts

What’s New In GP 2010 (GP 11)

Related Posts

5 Benefits of On-Demand ERP Software

Related Posts

5 Ways To Solve Day-to-Day Challenges with Effective Business Management/ERP Software

Related Posts

Reporting and Financial Management Tools to Help Grow Your Business

Related Posts

5 Winning Strategies to Recession-Proof Your Business

Related Posts

ERP and BI – A Perfect Combination

Related Posts

Tips to Making an ERP Upgrade a Success

Related Posts

9 Tips to Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner

Related Posts