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Your Great Plains Technical Consultant – Alba Spectrum

Microsoft Dynamics GP consulting field nowadays typically requires high-end technology expertise and hands-on experience. If you are implementing Microsoft Great Plains in large or mid-size company, you expect your new ERP application to be seamlessly integrated into your existing IT infrastructure: Microsoft Windows domain, probably elements of such non-Microsoft systems as Linux Red Hut and PHP with MySQL (or another Linux brand), Oracle db integration, and things like these. Also take into consideration the needs to switch from unsuccessful implementations of concurring MRP products: Oracle EBusiness Suite, People Soft, PeachTree, Accpac, MAS 90 or 2000 – then the need of technical expertise in ERP data conversion will be even more valuable. We’ll try to keep reasonable balance in ERP consulting requirements expertise, reviewing it in this article
1. Great Plains Dexterity – is more likely the must. Historically in earlier 1990th Great Plains Software Dynamics was designed on GP Dex platform. Dex is in fact C-shell, meaning that C programming language was used in the developing of Dexterity Integrated Development Environment. Of course, currently Microsoft is marketing and positioning GP on MS .Net platform, so Dexterity is kind of legacy, comparing to .Net. However here we have to play Dex apologetic role – if your GP business logic was designed and programmed in Dex, then Dexterity modification upgrade path is critical for you
2. Great Plains data massage, this is related to GP data conversion. ERP data conversion is expected scenario, however this is typically something that is not cheap and you should review all your possible options, prior to diving into full-scale data migration
3. Heterogeneous GP reporting. Microsoft SQL Server allows you to deploy such constructions as SQL linked server, where you can query data (using OPENROWSET command) from non-Microsoft platforms, such as Java, Oracle, Sybase or IBM DBII related
4. eConnect. This tool or SDK was initially dedicated to eCommerce developers and programmers, opening for them Microsoft Dynamics GP objects realm for programming and e-commerce integration. eConnect should be moderate learning lesson for C# or VB.Net MS Visual Studio developer, as it is in its core set of encrypted SQL Stored Procedures
5. SQL Scripting for GP integration. Of course this approach is not “object-oriented” and it is not recommended for somebody who considers himself as GP novice. However, if you are scripting for Great Plains for over 5 years, you should recognize that direct SQL scripting is the most efficient way to gain integration performance
6. GP Reporting. Here you have a choice: Crystal Reports, GP ReportWriter, MS SQL Server Reporting Services or SRS, MS Excel, MS Access, Microsoft Dexterity, FRx – all these tools are in your disposition, and you should make your homework in identifying the best tool for the specific job
Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com help@albaspectrum.com 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918. Serving GP customers in Illinois, Texas, California, Florida, Wisconsin, New York, Michigan and USA and Canada nation wide via remote support. Our service is popular in USA country side, where you do not expect local consultants to be available and we cover the whole country with travel onside with initial user training – then we typically save your budget by convenient remote support, as we already are familiar with your key IT and accounting personnel. Local service is available in Chicago, Houston, Naperville, Oakbrook, Wheaton, Joliet, Plainfield, Aurora, Elgin, Springfield, Morris, Ottawa, LaSalle, Channahon, Brookfield, Villa Park, Downers Grove, Lisle, Hinsdale, Lincolnwood, Zion, Kankakee, Braidwood, Niles.