As consultants who have worked with Microsoft Dynamics GP (and Great Plains) for many years, we generally guide our customers to wait a few months after a new release before upgrading. Our general rule of thumb is to let the first service pack release and then start the process. Service Pack 1 of released last week and many of our customers are eager to upgrade. Here’s why - While 2010 didn’t change many fundamental aspects of the software, what it did do is address many of the “want to haves” that users have been asking for. Microsoft Dynamics GP’s newest version has over 150 new features. To name a few impressive enhancements, Microsoft has added:
Foundation Enhancements
- Email Functionality – Send embedded documents within email or send email with attachments
- Multiple Metrics can be viewed on your home screen which enables you to use the drill down feature to view additional details
- Security – Copy user settings, display security roles and tasks, option for users to log into favorite company automatically
- Workflow – Electronic Signature enhancement, define action steps in the workflow process for users
- Excel Report Builder – Enables you to select the format of Standard List or Pivot Table
- Drill Down feature in Excel allows you to drill through to view information in a module
- Navigation List Builder – Enables you to access any table in Microsoft Dynamics GP
- Word Templates – Create word templates, modify templates or select from a list of predefined templates
Financial Enhancements
- General Ledger - Enables you to combine single budgets into a master budget, Complies with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Create budget transactions solely against a budget
- Payables Management - Exclude expired discounts in payments, Vendor approval workflow added
- Receivables Management - Enables you to decrease a deposit by entering a negative cash receipt
- Collections Management - Receive collection reminders
Distribution Enhancements
- Inventory Control – Exclude all discontinued items
- Purchase Order Control – Enables you to change the promised date, promised ship date, and then allows you to roll down the date to the purchase order
Human Resource and Payroll Enhancements
- Human Resources – Secondary status code was added
- Payroll Reprint – Ability to reprint paystubs and earnings statements
- US Payroll – Garnishment deduction flexibility, Process concurrent Pay Runs
- Advanced Human Resource Product - Security rights for Human Resource module can now be more defined by granting specific roles to users
- Advanced Payroll – Mass updating to employee records via Pay Policy Manager
- Assign PTO configurations to employee groups
Manufacturing Enhancements
- Field Service Series Enhancements - Automatically move billed service calls to history, Enter non-inventory items
Field Service Series Enhancements
- Move billed service calls to history
- Escalate multiple service calls to different manager levels
Project Accounting Enhancements
- Employee benefit allocation based of projects
- Multiple Reports that report on Project Accounting Trial Balance, Billing, Project Status, and Performance
So, whether you are new to Microsoft Dynamics GP or a longtime customer, GP 2010 has a little something new for everyone.
By Sherri Campanile, AIM Technologies –
