Hello there! Today, I want to talk to you about why change management is such a critical component of a Dynamics 365 Business Central project. As you may know, Dynamics 365 Business Central is a cloud-based ERP software designed to streamline and simplify business processes. But, implementing this software can be challenging, and that's where chang...
In October 2019, Microsoft introduced the Modern Lifecycle Policy for Microsoft Dynamics GP before this update Dynamics GP was governed by the Fixed Lifecycle Policy which in comparison has fixed end dates for their support. The Modern Policy offers continuous support and servicing, including bug fixes, new features, and the latest tax updates. This highlights the fact that Dynamics GP is not going anywhere soon with the Lifecycle Roadmap showing dates well into 2028 and beyond.
Dynamics GP customers can stay current by choosing at least one of the three all-inclusive Dynamics GP updates, typically released in June, October, and December yearly . The October update normally provides new capabilities whereas the two other updates will typically consist of hotfixes, tax updates, and regulatory updates.
Microsoft Dynamics GP is a powerful on-premises application that has built a huge community over the last 30+ years of Partners and Customers that love the product. Microsoft intends to continue both enhancing and supporting the solution in the future. Upgrading your Dynamics GP system ensures that you have access to new features, in addition to a resolution to any system glitches. Upgrading regularly also provides you with tax compliance, improved security, and more predictable costs.
Microsoft has recently announced the features that will be included in the 2021 Year-End update to Dynamics GP, which will include the 2021 feature release as well. Dynamics GP continues to add yearly updates in terms of hotfixes, tax code-compliant updates, and other regulatory fixes. The following features are all based on customer requests, so users can look forward to improvement to these updates. Another advantage of this release is that new registration keys are not needed for this release.
Microsoft Dynamics GP 18.4 Updates include:
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are complete, integrated systems that manage all aspects of a production-based or distribution business, aligning financial management, human resources, supply chain management, and manufacturing. An ERP suite is a substantial investment for any business, and best practices demand that the ERP software selection process be rigorous and thorough. However, there are so many factors in play when choosing an ERP system that it can be daunting to choose the right one.
If you feel a bit confused about the variety of ERP vendors and many software products on the market today, you are not alone. We’ve come up with a comparative chart showing the difference between two popular ERP systems: Dynamics 365 Business Central and NetSuite.
As a business owner an ERP system will take your business to the next level. It will take all your current business flows and transforms them into a single process. Majority of ERP systems have already been pre-developed to fit the standard business prototype but can be modified to better fit your business needs. Once you have the ERP system in place, you will have access to all the right tools to remain highly competitive in the marketplace and become more efficient. Implementing an ERP system for your business can be highly profitable in the long run and can assist your company in becoming more scalable for future growth. Here are three reasons why you should implement an ERP system:
Reason One: Streamlined Processes
Once your ERP system has been implemented, all of your department’s processes streamlined. These faster and simpler working methods will increase employee efficient and in return, create a stronger business model. Also, room for human error decreases significantly when an ERP system is in place. As multiple departments, work as one, the business can now develop and grow into something bigger than it was before.
Reason Two: Customer Service
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Part of what makes ERP software so popular within various industries is its ability to adapt alongside growing companies. Gone are the days where organizations were required to spend tens of thousands of dollars for system update fees. Instead, companies now have the freedom to grow freely, and no longer need to be tied down by software limitations. In this post, we discuss the three features of scalability in ERP software and how this benefits businesses:
Enhance customer account management:
As your company grows, so too will your list of clients and customers. Your systems must be able to handle this increase in customer information, ensuring you have the necessary space to add additional data entries and ensure that your systems continue to run smoothly under heavy workloads and across multiple applications within your system.
Cross-platform capabilities:
Contemplating the security of your company’s data or server backups may make you want to just keep your head in the clouds. Although much consideration should be made when deciding between going hosted or on-premise for your ERP system, going hosted offers some crucial benefits that cannot be overlooked. Here are the top three reasons why switching to hosted for your ERP system is worth the effort:
Going hosted means that you no longer need to worry about the state and security of your data. Your hosting provider’s data center can ensure that data is backed up. You can go about your day knowing that you’ll always have access to your data.
Securing your data in the cloud and having a hosting vendor means that you can leave all the technical terms to the guys who know them best. You no longer have to think of “customizations,” “compliance” or “rebooting” and instead focus on the data at hand and performing your day to day tasks.
Hosted Dynamics GP caters to all businesses. Whether you’re working for a small company that’s just starting out, a mid-sized company looking to reach new heights or a large company delivering services across multiple cities, hosted Dynamics GP scales and grows according to your business’ needs.
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Businesses today continue to rapidly change in their needs, particularly, for what an Enterprise Resource Software (ERP) can do to help support their operations and finances. Postmodern ERP, as defined by Gartner is a technology strategy that links and integrates administrative and operational business capabilities with the benefits of vendor-delivered integration to promote flexibility and agility.
Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers research and choose ERP software, conducted research and sought expert advice to look into the concept of Postmodern ERP and how it affects businesses, with findings compiled in this article.
A comprehensive postmodern ERP strategy aims to use the best applications possible in each business area while still ensuring that the different areas adequately integrate with each other when necessary.
The study is quick to note that “a postmodern ERP system will likely be comprised of applications from two or more vendors, and may include multiple deployment models.” This strategy can benefit businesses by ensuring your company is using the applications which are best suited for each job function. Moreover, should specific applications need to be changed, there would be no need to customize or upgrade the whole system.
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When selecting a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, one of the first considerations to make is whether to go hosted (on the cloud) or on-premise. Although both types have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s worth taking a closer look and offering points of consideration to make the software selection process less daunting. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers select ERP software, conducted research to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers determine the best type of software needed for their organization, with findings compiled in this article.
The biggest difference between the two types of systems is cloud-based software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a Web browser, while on-premise software is installed locally, on a company’s own computers and servers. Although over time, both systems’ cost tend to converge, cloud-based software is priced under a monthly or annual subscription basis, while on-premise software is usually priced under a one-time perpetual license fee.
Some advantages of cloud-based ERP software include its shorter implementation time, great stability with frequent updates from the vendor and no additional hardware investments. On the other hand, some disadvantages of this type of system are its less customizable functionalities and an organization’s possible less peace of mind that comes with data security being in the vendor’s hands.
On the other end of the spectrum, on-premise ERP systems are known to be more customizable and offer greater control over data. However, the implementation process can take longer and organizations have to pay associated hardware and IT costs. Organizations will find that cloud-based ERP systems are more mobile-friendly compared to their on-premise counterpart.
With the New Year fast approaching, your company has decided to adopt/upgrade to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Congratulations! Making the decision to adopt/upgrade to an ERP system already puts you ahead of your competition.
An ERP system is a powerful tool that helps you efficiently analyze, interpret, and execute the core activities of each department of your business on a day-to-day basis. Companies who seek to adopt/upgrade to an ERP system do so in order to integrate the different programs they're using for different departments into one suite. An ERP system helps reduce costs because any previous delays or duplication of work is avoided. For example, a company may calculate their sales revenue using one type of software meanwhile using separate software to produce a financial report. An ERP system integrates the two actions whereby once the sales revenue is calculated, the ERP system uses the same information to produce a financial report. A benefit of having these separate processes integrated is that the same information flows from each department which results in less errors made, in addition to better business decisions made. Resources such as time and staff are reduced (not to mention the complexity) which boosts the company's bottom-line.
Other benefits and features of an ERP System include:
• Access to all the company's information across all departments in real-time
• Stronger customer relations through better access of customer information as part of your company's practices in customer relationship management (CRM)
• Improved controls at each stage of the supply chain
• Enhanced security with access to a single set of user settings to better protect your company's information
• Less training and implementation necessary because all staff are trained to use the same system
Consider the following when adopting/upgrading to an ERP system:
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Most office staff today perform a lot of analysis in Excel. Staff are comfortable in Excel & familiar with its various functions. As a result, staff may prefer to upload general journal entries through an excel based template. Many times, large entries, such as those to a payroll clearing account, may need to be calculated in Excel before they can be entered in the system. When staff already have the entry in Excel, its very convenient to be able to directly upload into GP. As such, WebSan offers it's clients an Excel based Journal Entry upload tool capable of handling multiple journal entries spanning as many lines as required.
All customers should ensure their ERP partner / VAR offers the same baseline functionality in their system.
Did you know you can receive up to $100K in government funding through IRAP Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program(DTAPP)?
DTAPP is a component of the Government of Canada’s overall strategy to boost the productivity of small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs) and improve Canada’s digital economy. The contribution acts a cost sharing mechanism and will be applicable to the expenses associated with the analysis, implementation and customization of new software or the direct labor and consulting components of implementing new digital technologies. If your proposal is accepted by the program, the government will also provide up to 80% of the payroll costs and 75% of the applicable sub-contractors fees for a project up to $100k contribution.
To be eligible for DTAPP services or funding, your firm must:
WebSan Solutions Inc. will work with you and your company to find the best small-medium enterprise solution that will help your business grow and become more efficient. If you are considering implementing a new ERP project, contact us to learn more about the IRAP DTAPP funding opportunity.
Doriana Kote, Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc.
Customers are always looking to find the best deal possible, no matter what the product or industry. Why not shop around? Use our quote generator today to ensure you are saving money on your IT systems. We offer hosting services, on-premise support, free upgrades, and more.
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Organizations across all industries are increasingly looking to the cloud as a way to help boost their productivity, revenues, returns on technology investments and customer satisfaction. It is important to realize that cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are not easier to implement or use than on-premise systems. However, when implemented properly, cloud ERP system software can save organizations a lot of money. These cost savings come in the form of reduced IT staffing and reduced hardware expenditures. In general, these are the two most common benefits that organizations refer to as reasons for switching to the cloud.
Before your organization decides the transition to the cloud, it is vital to consider the amount of effort required for the implementation. Cloud ERP implementations are not easier than traditional ones. The most common problem is poor cost estimation and is likely related to the lack of an appropriate framework for enterprise-wide prepackaged software maintenance, which of course requires an ongoing relationship with the software vendor. Moreover, you should keep in mind that all typical issues, such as organizational change management, adoption and use of new business processes are always an obstacle, no matter what ERP solution you choose.
Therefore, whether you are implementing an on-premise or cloud-hosted ERP solution, operational improvement is achieved only through guidance from a highly experienced implementation partner, proper resource allocation and executive commitment. To realize cost savings from cloud ERP, organizations should also budget for all essential components, including everything from organizational change management to business process re-engineering (BPR).
Here are 3 tips for maximizing cost savings with cloud ERP software:
If you incorporate all of the above tips in your strategy, it will not only save money on upfront infrastructure costs but it will most definitely realize cost savings in IT staffing, licensing fees and annual maintenance. These fees only escalate the longer you wait, thus plan to engage in organization change management and business process re-engineering (BPR) early in the project.
The long awaited Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 was recently released right before the holiday season. The latest version has a number of new features which we have previously discussed in this blog, the most important of which is greater flexibility in terms of deployment. Also included is RapidStart Services, a tool designed to speed up implementations while lowering project risk.
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Adam MacIntosh is a Senior Project Manager at WebSan Solutions Inc, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner offering implementation & support services for large & small firms in a variety of industries.
Implementing a new ERP Software is a time for new learning experiences and challenges. There are some common mistakes that you want to avoid when implementing ERP software, remember this list so you can become a hero and not a victim of poor planning.
Mistake 1: Not selecting the right vendor
Browsing through a vendor’s website can’t determine if they are right for you. Call the company and speak with someone, this gives you the chance to ask questions about the company and their services. Don’t forget to ask for references so you can hear more than one opinion of the vendor.
Mistake 2: Not taking advantage of all the features that you are paying for!
For any kind of service you pay for, be mindful of what’s included. If you are unaware of a feature that you have but never use, just ask!
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.
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Consultant is either a contract employee or an employee that’s part of a company that is hired to do either of the following: implement, upgrade or support an ERP system.
The main function of the ERP consultant is to help organizations move to ERP software. A successful ERP consultant is able to adjust to a client business process, to determine where ERP systems would be most useful.
ERP Consultants relevant fields of study are information technology, business information systems or management information systems. You have the option of letting a consultant help out with the full implementation of an ERP project, from matching your business requirements with the right software to managing change within the organization as a result of the software.
You know you have a good consultant when he/she is capable of communicating with users at all levels of the organization.
If you are looking for an ERP Consultant, contact WebSan Solutions Inc. we've got the experience and expertise you need to help lead you in the right direction. We ensure your new integrated ERP system will meet all your management, reporting, financial and accounting needs while also helping you to streamline processes and improve your overall business.
I was reading an article called “Six Basics of preventing pain in our ERP implementation” and I thought to myself, why are all these problems with ERP implementation occurring in the first place? It’s happening more than normal and I think I know why, Companies are not doing enough research, therefore, they choose the wrong partner and software. Here I have a checklist of six rules you should consider before saying yes and signing the dotted line.
Really research thoroughly about which partner would be the right partner for you and which software would be the right software for you. Even if you have ten companies and have to narrow it to one then do that. If you’re Googling “accounting software” there are millions of results that come up, I know that can be overwhelming but don’t choose only the top three results. Some people think that the top three results are the best results, but that’s completely untrue. Google doesn’t rank you higher based on your product or services quality, they rank based on search engine optimization, keywords and links. But that’s another blog; basically what I’m saying is take your time to do your homework.
When you find the right partner and software, make it clear on what you expect from your partner. Have a one on one sit down with the company you will be working with, there needs to be impeccable communication between both companies. Make sure you listen to their expectations and make sure they listen to your expectations, because if one person’s not listening to the project is bound to go wrong. Even if you have to take notes, you need and they need to fully understand the expectations of the project. That’s to prevent sentences like: “I never said that”, “But I thought you said…”, “I told you that, remember?” Also, it’s good to get everything in a tightly sealed contract so you can also avoid those phrases.
So once you’ve found the right partner and you found the right accounting software and there’s clear understanding amongst both companies, make sure they don’t go anywhere. Sounds weird enough, but I’m not joking, whoever is in charge of your project make sure they stay in charge of the project. The reason this is on the list is to prevent your partner from doing an 180 on you. If you have one project manager that is in charge of the project, if there are any hiccups in the implementation you can go straight to that person to address the problem. If there’s no one particular in charge of the plan, you’re only going to get the run around when a problem occurs because no one’s in charge. Another reason it’s on the list is because if the company switches the manager, you would have to communicate every single detail about the project all over again hoping that they can comprehend it and execute it all in a short matter of time.
Tune into part two and see the rest of the checklist!
If you haven’t read part one of this blog please click the link to get caught up!
If checklist one through three gets a check mark, you’re on the right track to avoiding as little problems as possible. Number four on the list is something that you must be responsible for because, you can’t blame all ERP implementation failures on your partner. Sometimes when a partner gets a client and there ready to kick start their plan, the clients give them all their “baggage” to fix and then leave. They eventually come back at the end, near the go-live date and say things like “Are we ready to go live yet?” Have you tested the system? Nope. Has your staff gotten trained? Nope. Then the answer to your question is nope. You don’t want to be that kind of client. Therefore make sure the implementation goes in steps or phases and make sure to have regular follow ups on the progress that has taken place.
Be motivated! Sometimes implementations take a while to finish, you might be checking off each suggestion on the list but when you come to number five you realize that what’s your lacking in. You need to be upbeat about this whole process, I’m not saying jump up and down and scream for joy that you are getting new accounting software. But at least have a good attitude towards the implementation; I say this because getting something new isn’t always a good thing. You have to retrain your staff; get familiarized with a new system and implement it to your company. That can be a bothersome to someone resulting in them giving you a hard time. As the client, be positive and have a good outlook on this new system, which could ultimately better your performance in the long run.
Last but not least number six on the checklist is to plan for everything and anything that could happen. Once one to five is checked off, be aware of number six. Even though you have everything planned to a T anything could happen from employees’ issues to company changes. Just be prepared for whatever can happen because even though you might be well prepared when it comes to the implementation there’s always a chance of a problem that could occur. You can’t predict and prevent everything but give yourself a fighting chance if a problem arises.
By: Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner
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