So if you’re one of those people who need to be convinced that Microsoft is one of the good guys, there’s an article on The Enterprise System Spectator blog site that you should read.  The author, Frank Scavo, offers a pretty objective view and lays out 3 reasons why Microsoft is one of the good guys.  But if you’re not interested in reading the long version, I’m here to give you the short version.

1. “ Microsoft will be more successful by being a safe platform provider for other vendors, than it will be by hoarding its technologies only for use by its own applications business.”
2. Microsoft may not be the leader in moving its business software offerings to the Cloud, but that’s because they’re focused on providing value and they’re taking the time to do it right.
3. “Microsoft is enabling thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses worldwide to grow and compete successfully. In fact, IDC recently estimated the total 2010 revenue of the Microsoft partner ecosystem at US $580 billion. Compare that to Microsoft’s revenue of approximately $60B, and you can see that every dollar Microsoft makes results in about 8 or 9 dollars of revenue for its partners. That’s a big opportunity for Microsoft’s 640,000 partners worldwide.”

Read #3 again.  Altico Advisors is one of those partners in the Microsoft ecosystem.  Sure, a portion of the revenue we generate by selling Microsoft Dynamics GP and Dynamics CRM licenses goes to Microsoft.  But we also get to keep a portion and we keep all of the associated service revenue.  We’re small potatoes compared to Microsoft, but we generate jobs and contribute to the community, too. 

And let’s not forget the tremendous work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  You get the point.  I’m a fan.  Are you ready to join me?

By Karen Jernstrom, Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

Microsoft IS One of the Good Guys is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Is Right Now Really a Good Time To Be Thinking About Switching Your Accounting System?
2. Microsoft Dynamics GP For Healthcare: Why It Is A Good Fit…
3. 3 Reasons Why Anytime is a Good Time for Microsoft Dynamics GP!

It’s also a great history lesson on the evolution of the Cloud and the technology behind it.  The video walks you through the capabilities of Microsoft’s data centers, with quite a bit of technical detail regarding cooling, renewable energy, fiber optics, network latency…  OK, perhaps for some of you that’s TMI (Too Much Information)!  But the point is, it won’t take more than 10 minutes of your time and you’ll have answers to just about every question you might think to ask about reliability, scalability, and of course, security. 

Are you evaluating Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM?  Wondering if the right choice is an On Premise or Cloud deployment?  Tune in to this video which we’ve made available on the TheAlticoAdvisors YouTube Channel. 

By Mike Kean, Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

How Reliable is the Microsoft Cloud? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Why Choose Microsoft Dynamics NAV as a Cloud ERP Solution?
2. Microsoft Dynamics in The Cloud – “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?”
3. The Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing: Gather your Resources to Make an Informed Decision

This review is for:  Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Reporting (Paperback)

Full Disclosure:  I was provided a no-charge paperback edition for the purpose of this review by the publisher, Packt.

What piqued my interest in the first place was actually the fact that Errol Schoenfish, a monument in the Microsoft Dynamics community, wrote the foreword.  And of course, Errol made a few great points, the most salient of which is that raw data is “useless” unless it can be analyzed and turned into meaningful reports on the health of a business through trend analyses and key performance indicators (KPIs). 

 This book addresses the fundamental question of how to turn raw data into meaningful metrics using the reporting tools available in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.  And it addresses that question in great detail, in a highly organized framework, replete with numerous, incredibly useful screenshots.  It starts with the basics of “Meeting the Reporting Challenge” and “Where Is My Data and How Do I Get to It?” And it takes you all the way through the design and execution of sophisticated reports using the various tools available in Dynamics GP 2010, such as SmartList Builder (SLB), Excel Report Builder (ERB), Report Writer (RW), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Analysis Cubes (AC), and Management Reporter (MR).  

What’s more, the Appendix at the end of the book compares those tools and outlines the features and functions of each.  The Appendix serves as a quick, high level reference guide. 

Kudos to the authors for a tremendous effort and a valuable resource for skilled end users and Dynamics GP professionals alike. 

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH) – Please follow us on LinkedIn

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Reporting – Book Review is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 And Multicurrency Financial Reporting
2. How Can I Go Beyond Basic Reporting? Dynamics GP 2010 Will Take You There
3. Crystal Reports vs SQL Server Reporting Services: Clash of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Reporting Titans

I’ve been into retail analogies lately.  Don’t ask me why.  In a recent post here on the ERP Software Blog I talked about the iconic red “easy” button that has become synonymous with Staples.  And for some reason, when pondering what I’d like to write next about Microsoft Dynamics GP, what came to mind was the Burlington Coat Factory tag line:  “More than Just Coats. “

It’s been 10 years since Microsoft purchased Great Plains, a popular and widely used software application that was mostly known for its robust core accounting functionality, fondly called GLAPAR.  That’s pronounced “glapper” as in a 1920s “flapper.”  GLAPAR, for the uninitiated, stands for General Ledger (GL), Accounts Payable (AP), and Accounts Receivable (AR).  In the 10 years since the Microsoft acquisition, not only has the product been renamed (now Microsoft Dynamics GP), it has also benefited from Microsoft’s deep pockets, i.e. a major infusion of cash for R&D and functional enhancements.

The result is that Microsoft Dynamics GP is a leading edge, full service Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution with soup to nuts functionality.  So when I say that Microsoft Dynamics GP is “More than Just Accounting,” I’m not even doing justice to GP, because GP is now financial management, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Materials Requirements Planning (MRP), Forecasting and Budgeting, Inventory Control, Warehouse Management, Manufacturing Bill of Materials (BOM), Master Production Scheduling, Returns Management, Project Accounting, and more, and more, and more yet.

So since a picture is worth a thousand words and I have no desire for this blog post to run into the thousands of words, here’s a  picture that says:  “Microsoft Dynamics GP is not your grandfather’s Great Plains anymore.”

I’d be happy to explain the difference between the versions referenced in the snapshot below, Business Essentials  and Advanced Management.   But you can pretty much see for yourself that whichever one you choose, you’re getting a ton of functionality.  The type face in the snapshot is a bit small, so if you’re having trouble reading the module list,  you can download the Dynamics GP 2010 Overview brochure.

On a serious note, moving past the Staples “easy” button and the Burlington Coat Factory tag line, if I’ve piqued your interest in what a fully integrated Microsoft Dynamics GP system can do for you and your company, contact us or request an instant GP quote.

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

Microsoft Dynamics GP – So much more than GLAPAR is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. No April Fool’s Joke – 3 Ways for Small, Medium, and Large Companies to Get Big Savings on Microsoft Dynamics ERP Through June 24th
2. Optimize Production and Promotions in Your Niche Market with Microsoft Dynamics GP
3. Microsoft Dynamics 67% Discount Offer Ends June 24th

I’m all about giving credit where credit is due and I just stumbled across this great blog post from Panorama Consulting Group out of Denver, Colorado.  Before we get started, I should note that I had never heard of Panorama before and have no connection whatsoever with them or the blogger, Eric Kimberling.  But Eric’s post was one I wish I had written myself because it’s so right on – down to earth, common sense, experiential advice for anyone about to be involved in an ERP implementation. 

Here’s what the Panorama Web site (www.panorama-consulting.com) says about their company:  “Founded in 2005, Panorama Consulting Group is a niche consulting firm specializing in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) market for mid-sized companies throughout the globe. Independent of affiliation, Panorama helps firms evaluate and select ERP software, manages the implementation of the software, and facilitates all related organizational changes to assure that each of its clients realize the maximum level of business benefits.” 

One final note – My company, Altico Advisors, also offers ERP evaluation and software selection services.  

So without further ado, below is Eric’s list of 20 Things Every CIO Should Know Before Starting an ERP Implementation, reproduced here verbatim:

1. ERP is about your business, not the technology.
2. ERP initiatives are very challenging.
3. Selecting the right software is the first step in a successful ERP implementation.
4. No ERP software is perfect.  All have their strengths, weaknesses, and tradeoffs.
5. A business blueprint is the second step to an effective ERP implementation.
6. Business process re-engineering should happen before, not after, you implement your ERP software.
7. ERP software best practices and pre-configured solutions do not solve all the challenges of ERP.
8. SaaS ERP won’t eliminate all of your risks, either.
9. Your project will fail without adequate organizational change management.
10. Executive buy-in and support is critical to ERP success.
11. The “A-Team” is critical to ERP success.
12. There is no “one size fits all” ERP strategy.
13. If your operations and ERP system are misaligned, it’s probably not the software’s fault.
14. Expectations are high, but most ERP implementations don’t properly define the “finish line.”
15. Most organizations strive fore “no customization,” but most fail to achieve it.
16. You don’t have to implement ERP all at once.
17. In addition to planning, implementation is also about execution.
18. If you don’t measure it, you won’t achieve it.
19. It is important to recognize the “canary in the coal mine,” or signs that your implementation may be in trouble.
20. ERP success and benefits realization is largely determined before the implementation starts.

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

20 Things Every CIO Should Know Before Starting an ERP Implementation is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Good News/Bad News For ERP Implementation Projects
2. What We Can Learn From Successful Microsoft Dynamics GP Implementations
3. Choosing an ERP System – So Many Things to Think About!

If you’re running more than one software application, which is true for most companies, and these disparate programs don’t talk to each other, you have a problem.  It’s called duplicate data entry and it’s tedious, time consuming, and costly.

Based on my experience chatting with hundreds of prospective clients over the last 10 years, the #1 reason for moving up to Microsoft is that they’re currently entering the same information two, three, four or more times.  Once in an accounting system, once in a contact management system, once in a standalone payroll system,  yet again in an inventory system.  Perhaps their fixed assets is a standalone application.  Or time and expense tracking.  Do the math.  How many employees are being paid to enter the same data in multiple databases. 

And the nightmare doesn’t end there.  If you have a client, ABC Company, entered in several places and they move, heaven forbid!  How do you make sure their new address is changed in all of the different places it resides? 

The cure will cost money, I won’t deny that.  But in pretty short order you’ll recover the cost of new software by saving the incredible amount of money you’re spending to have several employees entering the same data in multiple locations. 

There are 2 parts to the cure I’m proposing.  First, Microsoft Dynamics GP right out-of-the-box is an all in one accounting, fixed assets, payroll, inventory, manufacturing, and distribution system.  So you’re already way ahead of the game.  But if you still have some very industry specific programs that you don’t want to give up, not a problem.    Because, the second part of the cure is the fact that Microsoft Dynamics GP can integrate with just about any application you’re running. 

 Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

Solving the Problem of Software Systems That Don’t Talk to Each Other – It’s the #1 Complaint is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Solving the Supply Chain/Consignment System Question with Microsoft Dynamics GP
2. Solutions Not Systems — Why Buyers Need to Put Business Challenges before Software Requirements
3. 1 Million Transactions in Microsoft Dynamics GP? No Problem!

Thanks to Jason Carter on PartnerCompete and the Microsoft team for this insightful piece on the cost and value of maintenance and support contracts. 

In a tight economy the big vendors are coming under more scrutiny regarding their maintenance fees and what customers receive for those fees, Microsoft says it does better than the other guys, particularly Oracle and SAP.

According to the article, Oracle gets the vast majority of its profits from maintenance contracts.  Some say that customers get comparatively little in return. SAP recently tried to force a major maintenance/support price increase on its enterprise customers. It backed off (sort of) after customers complained and they got a lot of bad PR, but the “concession” it announced apparently varies little from the original intent.  

 Here’s Microsoft’s approach (in Microsoft’s words) to maintenance and support contracts:

Our customers tell us they want more choice and flexibility in their maintenance and support plans. We recognize that one size does not fit all. Here are some ways in which Microsoft Dynamics differs from what Oracle and SAP offer:  

Microsoft Dynamics offers the option to purchase maintenance and support separately

• For Microsoft’s suite of Dynamics ERP products , of which Microsoft Dynamics GP is the flagship application,  after the initial purchase, Microsoft Dynamics offers maintenance and support separately so customers can make the right choice in the area of support based on their budget, specific business needs, and other requirements. Customers can get support directly from Microsoft or from a broad partner ecosystem that can address local verticalization and on-site needs. SAP and Oracle require customers to purchase support and maintenance together, making it a higher cost option for the customer.

More value with Microsoft Dynamics maintenance plan

• We provide more core value in our maintenance plan for a lower price. For instance, as part of our maintenance plan, we provide customers unlimited access to eLearning.  Individual partners also provide live, local training on Dynamics GP.
• Customers can also benefit from 24 hour self-support options, allowing them to efficiently solve issues on their own or through communities. Additionally, as part of our maintenance plan, customers get a minimum of 10 years of lifecycle support, longer than what Oracle and SAP offer.
• For those customers on a current Business Ready Enhancement Plan (BREP), Microsoft continues to add more value to their investments. For example, new online services, such as payment services, can be attached to the Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions.

• Microsoft invests several billion dollars a year in research and development – $9.5 billion in fiscal 2010 alone. As part of its commitment to customers’ long term success, Microsoft Dynamics products have one of the top 5 R&D budgets across Microsoft.  This investment, along with 25 years of experience and a strong partner network, helps support Microsoft Dynamics customers worldwide. 
• Lastly, Oracle and SAP expect customers to pay more for maintenance and support each year. When Microsoft Dynamics customers stay current on enhancement, the original purchase price will serve as the basis on which we calculate their future Business Ready Enhancement Plan re-enrollments.

• While other vendors, such as Oracle, have chosen to de-invest, we are building up our self-help communities in which customers, partners, and Microsoft employees participate. On average, we’re seeing about 1,000 new participants each month. Of the 100,000 visitors to our community site each month that benefit from content and support, about a third of those are registered members who have contributed to 26,000 threads and 30,000 posts which are essentially self-help conversations.Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)
• By Altico Advisors, your New Hampshire Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Microsoft Delivers a Better ROI on Maintenance and Support Versus Oracle and SAP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Microsoft Dynamics Delivers Choice and Value in Its Support and Maintenance Offerings
2. Companies Save Money by Right-Sizing From Oracle to Microsoft Dynamics GP
3. Cargas Energy Support Team’s Words of Wisdom: Customized Software versus a Standardized Version

As vice-president of a company that is a Microsoft partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Dynamics CRM, I’m in a position to look beyond the software applications and see the bigger picture.  And I can tell you that we are witnessing a growing trend in how companies are approaching the ERP & CRM software selection process.  Companies are abandoning the traditional process of creating a short list of vendors, providing an RFP and sitting through countless software demonstrations. In its place companies are following a process that aligns the following factors:

• Client industry competitive landscape and market trends
• Strategic objectives of their business with key business metrics
• Core business drivers
• Economic value

The reasons for the shift are fairly straightforward. First, the maturation of ERP and CRM applications is such that core functionality is safely assumed. Second, the above approach results in key business metrics which provide measurable results. These results are critical in justifying the required investment. Lastly, this shift also reflects a growing trend of companies placing greater value on the local partner who is implementing and supporting the solution than on the solution itself.  

When they choose Altico, the execution of this process is as follows:

• Conduct a workshop with key members of the management team
• Develop a strategic solution roadmap that quantifies the positive business impact.

The results of this process allow companies great insight as to whether there is truly any value in undergoing an implementation and determining their critical success factors.  

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution. Your New Hampshire (NH) Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

New Trends in ERP and CRM Software Selection is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Use Customer References, Case Studies And Testimonials To Aid In Your Selection Of ERP/Accounting Software
2. Got Search Overload? 5 Tips on Navigating the ERP Selection Process
3. 5 Ways to Sabotage Your ERP Software Selection Process

I was scrolling through the hundreds of posts on the ERP Software Blog where I found many articles on software selection criteria and the top questions you should be asking before purchasing an accounting/ERP system. 

And it struck me that one question had been overlooked.  Is the vendor actually using the software system that is being recommended?  How can vendors really understand what it’s like to run a business on the recommended product if they are not using it themselves?

All I can say is that at Altico Advisors, we live the same life as our clients because we run our business on all of the products that we represent – Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) as our accounting and ERP system , Microsoft Dynamics CRM for sales, marketing, and service management, Microsoft SharePoint Services for collaboration and document management, and a variety of Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) tools for business and financial analytics. 

 Every person in our company, from the CEO to the office manager and from the President (that’s me) to the sales reps, uses Microsoft systems to do their jobs.  

Think about it this way.  If the owner of a Honda car dealership is driving a Mercedes, would that inspire your confidence in the Honda that he or she is trying to sell you?

Submitted by Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

We Live the Same Life as Our Clients, Because Microsoft Dynamics GP Is Our Accounting Software System, Too is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Selecting an ERP/Accounting System – Part I: The Process
2. Selecting An ERP/Accounting System – Part II: The Pitfalls
3. New Trends in ERP and CRM Software Selection

One reason for the popularity of Convergence (the annual Microsoft customer event that attracts thousands of attendees) this year, is that Microsoft chose Convergence as the site for unveiling the new release of Dynamics GP.  The official name is GP 2010, which is a new naming convention for Microsoft’s business solutions that is more in keeping with the convention used for new releases of Office, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, etc. 

As folks trickled back from Atlanta, the reviews of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 were all very enthusiastic.  Predictably, that which impressed the CFOs and Controllers was different than that which impressed the CIOs and CTOs.  Here’s what Altico Advisors’ Director of Professional Services (who strangely enough is also a CPA) found most compelling about the new release. 

“Among the many features added to GP 2010, I believe there are more than 200, here are a select few to focus on that will have a profound impact for both users and implementers alike. First, Microsoft has expanded the use of SQL Reporting Services (SRS) by developing multiple KPIs in SRS and making them available to a user on their home page. This will allow us to provide users with all of the key information they need, from right inside of GP. These same KPIs can now also be leveraged by those “information workers” who do not log into GP but would access this information through business portal or from directly from Outlook.  In a nutshell, this means that every member of the organization will have the same level of visibility into critical information.”

He continued, “The other key improvement is actually taking something away. In GP 10 (not to be confused with GP 2010, aka GP 11), Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) was required to utilize the workflow capabilities in Dynamics GP. Now, in GP 2010, Windows SharePoint Services (the version that is included with server operating system licenses) is the only requirement for workflow. Thus, workflow will now be available to clients who were unable to invest in the enterprise version and therefore could not take advantage of workflow capabilities in the past.”

The accounting folks came back talking about the cool “Cues.”  I wondered that meant, so I looked it up on PartnerSource.  Here’s the visual:

And here’s the Microsoft definition:  “A Cue is an icon that increases or decreases in height to indicate the number of records in a particular reminder category.”  I agree with the accounting folks.  Those Cues are cool (kind of cute, too). 

In summary, the conversations around GP 2010 create a palpable buzz in the room.   So, be sure to attend a Launch Event near you and see what the buzz is all about. 

By Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

Back from Convergence, here’s what techies and others have to say about Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Why Microsoft Dynamics GP Users Can Look Ahead to Convergence 2011 Back in Atlanta
2. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Officially Introduced at Convergence!
3. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (also known as Dynamics GP 11) Debuts At Convergence 2010