Interview with Mark Polino about Microsoft Dynamics GP

I got the chance to interview Mark Polino a Microsoft Certified IT Professional for Dynamics GP. He is a well-known MVP in the MS Great Plains community. I attended Dynamics Decisions 2011 and I thought he did a wonderful job speaking about the worst mistakes that you can make with Dynamics GP, which was really helpful because I’m new to the system. These are the questions he was asked:

1. When did you realize this would be your career?

In my first few years as a consultant, I realized that my experience with Dynamics GP gave me an advantage even if I chose to go back into the industry. When I moved out of consulting and into a controller role for a while it made a huge difference in getting the job.

2. In 2010, you wrote the book “Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Cookbook” what was your inspiration for writing it?

I had built several “50 Tips in 50 Minutes for Dynamics GP” presentations that got great reactions. I was considering building them into an eBook and mentioned that to my friend and fellow MVP, Mariano Gomez. He was talking to a publisher about a book and he put me in touch with Packt Publishing. The rest is history and the publisher’s help made a huge difference in delivering a better book.

3. What are you current projects now? Are you planning on writing another book or speaking at an upcoming event?

I have a number of speaking engagements lined up including a pile of presentations at Convergence 2012 in Houston. I’ve written a number of fictional short stories to illustrate Dynamics GP features in a different way. There are a few more projects in the works are, but none of them are far enough along to discuss just yet.

4. What would you say is the strongest feature in Microsoft Dynamics GP?

I think there are two. The first is its strong financial features. This provides a solid underpinning for Dynamics GP. Second is a strong ISV/Partner channel. This provides ways to extend Dynamics GP into places no one can foresee.

5. What is the biggest problem that you’ve observed that new users face?

It’s still training/training/training. Companies don’t want to pay for. Training gets delivered at implementation and maybe never again so new users only get what’s passed down. People learn more about what’s already in their system after an upgrade, even though much of the functionality isn’t new. Companies think ERP should be easy to use. It is, but Angry Birds is even easier and there are more than 56,000 videos of walkthroughs of Angry Birds. This idea of the software being so intuitive that we don’t need to train is simply unrealistic.

6. What do you think the future of Cloud ERP holds

Cloud ERP will bring greater accessibility, that is, ERP in more places. It may ultimately reduce flexibility. It will be harder for companies to customize ERP systems in the way they have in the past. Frankly, this is both good and bad. It keeps companies from making mistakes like customizing new systems to look just like their old systems, but it may make sales harder for more horizontally focused systems.

You can visit Mark Polino website here: https://msdynamicsgp.blogspot.com/

By: Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner