1. GP Integration Manager. IM is intuitive integrating tool, which allows end user to design query, map query fields to GP business objects, such as GL account, SOP Invoice and all the other (except probably some exotic ones, typically related to newly acquired modules, very new functionality, or the like). If you need to alter standard GP integration logic, IM allows you to deploy VBA scripting and program events: before query, before document and others. To give you practical example – in before document event VBA script could alter document date, if you would like to issue your integrated invoices twice a month, while integrating every day. Besides VBA scripting you can deploy field value translation – if your integration query gives you customer ID as 100 and in GP it is AARONFIT001, you can import translation table and apply it in your integration. Translation table can be imported in Excel format

2. eConnect. This tool opens integration door to MS Visual Studio .Net C# or VB programmers and among them are eCommerce developers. eConnect core is set of encrypted SQL stored procedures, which replicate GP Dexterity business logic – this means that eConnect “validates” GP logic and it is a way safer than direct SQL scripting. eConnect covers the majority of GP modules and objects, however it doesn’t cover such modules as Invoicing (however it covers Sales Order Processing or SOP module, which is more powerful one)

3. Microsoft Dexterity, former name is Great Plains Dexterity. This IDE and programming language allows you to go into GP heart and utilize its source codes and engines. The example of Dex customization is Albaspectrum Posting Server, which allows eCommerce eConnect developer to post Sales batches directly from eCommerce application, which is not possible in pure eConnect. Dexterity allows you to create all the thinkable integrations, however it requires Dex programming experience and it is not recommended to count on newcomers in Dex.

4. SQL Scripting. If eConnect is not an option for you (where we would strongly recommend you to review eConnect one more time and change possible your mind in favor of eConnect option), you can go ahead with SQL scripts. Review GP table structure in Tools->Resource Description->Tables, then in GP test environment create the transactions you plan to integrate via GP user interface and analyze the records created in the tables. Try to feed one transaction in test company and then try to run check links: Maintenance->Check Links, select your series and work or master tables in them – be sure check links doesn’t produce error report. SQL stored procedures integration is not self evident and here we just give you initial orientation.

1. Sales Order Processing and Vendor Drop Shipping. If you have strong presence on the web as eCommerce reseller, there is the chance, that what you actually do is transfer customer sales orders to vendor drop ship purchase orders. If this is the case, you will need to integrate your SOP system with Microsoft Great Plains. The first and the most reliable tool to choose from and consider on the first place is GP Integration Manager. In IM itself, please review eConnect connectors to integrate Sales Order Processing and Purchase Receipt documents. eConnect route is definitely faster, in order to see the difference you should know that traditional IM connector uses Great Plains workstation as OLE server to do the job, basically filling up fields in the form and so, validating business logic

2. Direct eConnect programming. This option should be faster in comparison to Integration Manager way, as IM eConnect connector has to do all the steps in business logic validation, while in eConnect MS Visual Studio.Net c# or VB programming you can choose the steps to perform in business logic validation. However eConnect “atomic” stored procedures might still be less efficient as they had to validate the logic of Microsoft Dexterity

3. SQL Stored Procedures approach. SQL is definitely the fastest tool to try, however you should be proficient in SQL scripting and understand the impact of various SQL expressions on GP data extraction and manipulation performance: Select versus SQL cursor is good example. This is not the only warning – when you use SQL update, delete or insert query, you can damage GP DYNAMICS or company database tables

4. Integration Mapping. Your employees or traditional IT department contractors might be giving you the signal that they’ll integrate Microsoft Dynamics GP with your legacy Sales system. Microsoft as successor of Great Plains Software, knows that GP is mid-size ERP package and being such it requires consulting partner network to sell MRP software and do certified GP ERP installation and implementation. Of course your people could ultimately and theoretically be done with the GP implementing job, however you should understand the risks and learning curve cost impacts

5. Diving to Technology Ocean. GP technologies include: Microsoft Dexterity, SQL Server 2005 and 2000, GP ReportWriter, GP Modifier with VBA, Crystal Reports, eConnect and XML Web Services, GP Integration Manager with eConnect connectors. MS Sharepoint and GP Business Portal at this time are in market attacking mode, so if you need such practical modules as Electronic Document Delivery, Requisition Management (successor of eRequisition), Order Management (successor of eOrder)

6. Pervasive SQL or Ctree integrations. There are chances that your company had hard time in earlier 2000 and you lapsed to pay Microsoft Great Plains annual enhancement program. In this situation, if you plan to get new GP version, currently GP 10.0 license keys, you will have to undergo GP enhancement reenrollment procedure

1. EDI. It is often considered by software developers as something very complex, where UNIX world is interchanging vendor records, vendor invoices and purchase orders to replenish company inventory or fulfill the order. However if you look at EDI realization, you will often realize that it is simply fixed width text file or combination of fixed width text fields with encrypted numeric fields, where numeric fields you can process and convert into text with relatively simple character processing programming. If you came to the point where on the input side you have fixed width text fields, what you need to do now is to create SQL insert into script and send records into GP tables. The second option is to get formatted fields via select statement and call eConnect methods to send Vendor Invoice into GP for example. In order to parse fixed width text fields in SQL select statement you should read books online and get answer there.

2. Dexterity and eConnect. GP users like Dexterity customizations, as these customizations are seamlessly integrated into GP user interface and security realm. However GP user interface assumes that you as GP user is logged into specific GP company and do your work in this company: enter invoices, post batches, etc. When you are designing customization with eConnect and Dexterity there is simple opportunity to break through single company. Dexterity allows you to call com objects or dll libraries, in turn com object could be written in .Net C# or VB, where you use ADO.Net constructions to switch SQL Server databases, staying for GP companies. As eConnect interface call is stored procedure, this is simple for programmer to call stored procedure in any database he or she likes. Considering legacy technologies, such as VBA scripting with Dex sanscript codes in and Continuum techniques – extension to switch Great Plains Dynamics modules; switching GP companies was always really difficult to accomplish in your integration, so eConnect, Dexterity and DLL combination seems to be very promising

3. GP and Java integrations. Reliable approach is to open eConnect interface via custom web services, which you can call from your EJB, J2EE, Java or Oracle application. Please note that GP is Microsoft realm and if you deploy non-Microsoft technologies such as DB2, PHP websites typically require technology integration testing

1. Integration Manager.  We understand that most of Great Plains Technical Consultants know how to setup simple integration, where the source are text tab or comma delimited files, including building document header by grouping text lines (by document date for example: General Ledger Transaction, Sales Order Processing Invoice, etc.).  However, we saw pretty tough situations, where Dynamics GP integration consultants had hard time in complex data conversions, where transactions and master records are in SQL tables or ODBC compliant databases: Oracle, MS Access, Pervasive SQL/Btrieve, Ctree, MySQL, or when they are exported into very complex text files (where you have to weed out formatting lines, as reports are exported in human readable format, which is not something that text integration accepts without data massage).  Good advice in our opinion in such scenarios is to import these text files into MS Excel, weed out formatting lines and then import the data into staging MS SQL Server tables.  Then you create SQL View to pull data from staging tables and use it as a base for Advanced ODBC Data Source.  We had cases, where we were able to import up to the whole year of mid-size company GL transactions via that method.  We would like also to share IM ongoing and close to real time integration methodic via Integration Manager.  If you have in-house programmed ecommerce website application, which requires close to real time or batch mode integration to Sales Order Processing (customer orders, invoices and returns) and new customers creation (where transactions are coming from Linux/PHP/MySQL based ecommerce application) – consider either exporting transactions in text file or even establishing ODBC connection from Dynamics GP hosting MS SQL Server to MySQL via Linked Server mechanism, and schedule IM Integration to run every 20 min or few hours via Windows Macro third party add-ons.  We know that for some of you these complex technical passages might be too deep, but our mission here is to let you (as struggling ecommerce programmer) know what is possible with Dynamics GP ecommerce integration.  And finally, the last observation, before we move on to eConnect technology, please know that IM for GP version 10.0 is available in two connection blends – traditional OLE Server and eConnect connectors.  eConnect connectors are faster by their technology architecture and technically you may be achieving the same results as if you are programming eConnect directly from your ecommerce web application, where the advantage of Integration Manager is apparent – it is user friendly in integration design and doesn’t require programming (except simple VBA scripts, or data translation tables, which could be composed in MS Excel)

2. eConnect Integration Programming.  eConnect was introduced for Dynamics GP version 7.5 and 8.0 as the Software Development Kit, initially dedicated to eCommerce software developers.  eConnect was under certain evolution for Dynamics GP versions 9.0 and 10.0, where it was adopted as integration technical platform strategy (and it was announced by Microsoft Business Solutions that eConnect should replace earlier integration platforms: Integration Manager, Dexterity – as middle tier).  And now as we are writing these lines (October 2009), eConnect is triumphing among Dynamics GP integration low level technologies and connectors.  eConnect technology is in fact simple – it is the collection of SQL Server encrypted stored procedures, replicating Great Plains Dexterity Dynamics GP business logic (often in Object Oriented Programming style, and this is good improvement to Dex, which is not technically Object Oriented Programming compliant with some exceptions).  In our opinion eConnect came to its maturity as reliable Dynamics GP ecommerce and generic integration Software Development Kit with Great Plains Dynamics GP version 10.0 and probably 9.0.  If you got certifications and experience as Microsoft  .Net VB or C# programmer, you should find very useful code samples and prototype Microsoft Visual Studio eConnect projects: Dynamics GP Sales Order import, Customer import and update (including addresses) to give you start up ideas

3. Dexterity integrations.  Dex is capable to do the ultimate and the most complex programming surgery in Dynamics GP system environment.  If Integration Manager and even eConnect don’t do the job or incapable to do the job (and this is possible as these tools have natural limitations).  However, please recognize the challenges of Dexterity.   In Dynamics GP realm there are no limits to Microsoft Dexterity customizations, and if you contact with Great Plains Dexterity programmers (who have access to Dexterity Source Code and have experience in Dex source code programming), please go ahead to evaluate these channels.  The only advise we would like to feature here is fact that Dexterity requires too long learning curve for newcomers, and it is not recommended for small or mid-size companies IT department to do Dexterity custom programming inhouse

4. Direct SQL Data Feeding.  If you are experienced Microsoft SQL DBA, please review Dynamics GP Tables Structure Tools->Resource Description->Tables (or install Dynamics GP SDK from DC#2, where tables structure is formally documented).  We would like to make comments and recommendations, before you try direct SQL data feed via SQL Stored Procedures.  Please, consider the fact that eConnect is already doing this job via its methods and Stored Procedures.  Also take into consideration the fact that Dynamics GP business logic and data flow is quite complex and it is unlikely that you can do imitate this logic in couple of day, couple of week or even in couple of months.  If you have unlimited IT budget, then please disregard and go all the way through until you consider yourself experienced eConnect programmer with comfort to send records directly to Dynamics GP tables: GL10000, GL10001, SOP10100, SOP10200, SOP30200, SOP30300,etc.

5. Great Plains Integration options for Old GP versions: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0 and Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive SQL Server 2000/Btrieve and Ctree.  If you are on archaic version, it is unlikely that you can get support directly from Microsoft Business Solutions Dynamics GP subdivision (as you are likely not current in MBS annual enhancement program)

6. Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac integration options.  GPA has its own integration module, and if this is your Corporate ERP, please contact us separately,  we have access to GPA knowledge base, inherited from Great Plains Software – if your case is known and documented (plus if you can recognize your problem in GPA after 10+ years of GPA and Dynamics GP Consulting), we are uniquely positioned to support Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac: 9.5, 9.2, 9.1 or earlier versions USA and Canada nationwide and internationally most likely Central, South America, Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Casablanca, Agadir,  India, Bangladesh)

7. Unicode characters integ
ration notes.  Great Plains Dexterity doesn’t support hieroglyphs: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai.  All we can do for you is enable hieroglyphs in Crystal Reports or Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (often abbreviated as SSRS)

8. Dynamics GP Great Plains in Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Poland, Czech republic, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Georgia, Armenia.  Great Plains Software tried to market and localize Great Plains (version 4.0 and 5.0) in Common Wealth of Independent States (most of the former Soviet Union territory, except East Baltic States) .  When Great Plains Software was in its order acquired by Microsoft Business Solutions, MS recommended Navision as the Corporate ERP of choice back in earlier 2000th, and later on MBS localized Axapta Microsoft Dynamics AX for most of Western, Central and Eastern European Corporate ERP markets.  To avoid further complexities, we recommend you to chose SAP Business One in former CIS, Baltic States and in Arabic World as good local branch Corporate ERP, which has simple integration tools and options to your Dynamics GP ERP in the headquarters

9. How to get help?  Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com  We are very technical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK and Microsoft CRM programming gurus.  We have Great Plains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GP Customization and Programming needs.  Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technical consultants.  If you prefer skype: albaspectrum

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