Microsoft Dynamics GP Implementation

While Dynamics 365 tends to get a lot of attention these days, there’s a lot to be said about Dynamics Great Plains (GP). It provides companies with a reliable, comprehensive ERP platform capable of reliable service. One of the reasons it tends to fall into the shadows of Dynamics 365 is that it doesn’t get the same cloud-first focus. However, if you’re looking for a dependable solution for your SMB, Internet eBusiness Solutions (IES) can help you decide whether the Dynamics GP platform is the right fit for your company.

What is Dynamics GP?

Microsoft Dynamics GP is a modular ERP system that comes with capabilities that helps businesses with functions tied to:

Financial management
Inventory management
Supply chain management
Accounting
Project management
Manufacturing
Operations
Sales
Service
Human resources and payroll
Business intelligence
Reporting

Microsoft purchased the original Great Plains solution back in 2001, then rolled the platform into its suite of Dynamics products. The flexibility of Microsoft GP makes it a favorite among small and mid-sized companies looking for a robust ERP solution. Industries that have leveraged their Great Plains implementation to their advantage include:

Technology
Finance
Education
Government
Construction
Retail
Distribution
Manufacturing
eCommerce
Distribution

Companies need a platform to manage essential business functions within a central platform. IES understands the importance of finding the right product for every customer. For that reason, we make sure we know what your organization needs before making recommendations about Microsoft GP implementation or other ERP products.

Eyal Lalo

President of Invicta Watch Company of America

Invicta strives on quality and precision. We have been using Dynamics GP for quite some time and also integrated the eCommerce Manager by IES. IES has shown that it can provide the kind of services we need to grow with our dynamic business and assist us at any time with accuracy.

John Harris

Managing Director, Coral Gables Trust

At Coral Gables Trust we strive to provide our customers the best possible care and attention as a wealth and investment management trust company. It is important for us to have a proven CRM technology and an experienced trusted solution partner to implement and render ongoing quality support.

Dan Grossman

CPA

We have been using Great Plains for almost 15 years since the DOS version. Now we manage over 350 plus companies in GP. We tried a few local partners but I can attest that we could not have grown our business without the consultative approach of IES.

WHAT ARE THE CORE DYNAMICS GP CAPABILITIES?

With the help of the consultants at IES, you can use your Microsoft GP implementation to handle core business processes. The solution goes beyond providing organizations with entry-level accounting software. IES can help you configure Microsoft GP right out of the box or work with you to expand the platform to fit your business needs.

Financial Management

Use Dynamics GP to automate the management of your payables and receivables. In addition, you can implement more seamless cash flow management, improve your collection policies, and gain more control over your fixed assets. In addition, organizations can simplify fund transfers and electronic bank reconciliation. If necessary, IES can configure your platform to work with various currencies.

Business Intelligence and Reporting

IES can help you configure the business intelligence inside of Dynamics GP to gain more insight into key business metrics. For example, you can locate trends and relations using the platform’s predictive modeling capabilities. In addition, you can set up notifications and alerts as needed whenever something changes in the data that you want brought to your attention.

Manufacturing

Dynamics GP can help manufacturing companies keep up with production costs and set up a more efficient work order management process. In addition, businesses can review, organize, and make changes to work orders before they get authorized. Other benefits of Dynamics GP to manufacturers include the ability to:

Manage materials
Improve controls
Enhance quality control around different processes
Keep up with inventory and components

Supply Chain Management

There are a lot of challenges that come with supply chain management. IES can help organizations use Dynamics GP to keep up with product demand and speed up the fulfillment processes. Companies can also use the platform to streamline the processing of purchases and sales orders. In addition, organizations can communicate with customers and suppliers through the platform, improving overall service.

How Can You Deploy Dynamics GP?

On-premises

You can purchase the on-premises version and deploy the software on a server owned by your company. IES can do this through individual workstations or forging connections that allow remote access, like a Terminal Server or Citrix connection.

An on-premises deployment gives companies complete control over their data. In addition, you’re don’t have to rely on an internet connection to function. However, users must make arrangements for service maintenance and other IT services, an area where IES can assist.

Hosted

With the hosted option, companies still purchase the software outright. However, instead of hosting the servers on-site, IES can arrange for you to run the software on a protected server, either in a shared or dedicated environment. Your company employees would access the software over a secure internet connection. Organizations benefit by avoiding the overhead of maintaining a hardware infrastructure for a Microsoft GP instance.

Cloud

For a monthly fee, businesses can subscribe to the online version of Microsoft Dynamics GP, which is based 100% in the cloud. While you would not own the instance of Microsoft Great Plains, you can opt to buy it later and move it onto a proprietary server. IES can help your company set up a secure internet connection for your employees.

How Do You Implement and Integrate Microsoft GP?

It takes skill and experience to oversee a successful Microsoft GP implementation. It’s easy to go wrong if you’re not familiar with the ins and out of the platform. IES can guide your organization through setting up a Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains integration.

1. Overview and meetings

IES starts by sitting down with your representatives to review your current documentation and user guides. That gives us a better idea of your workflows and allows us to make recommendations that can make things easier. In addition, we can educate your workforce on the impacts Microsoft GP will have on their work area.

2. Fleshing out the details

After getting through the initial set-up sessions, IES starts working on the technical requirements around implementing Microsoft GP within your organization. In addition, we go over any Microsoft Dynamics GP implementation cost. It’s also a chance for us to set up clear goals and objectives around what the company wishes to achieve with the new Microsoft Great Plains implementation.

3. Technical Set-up

Once we collect feedback from stakeholders, we meet with you at least once per week to discuss ideas around the project. We create a task list that becomes the foundation for the project. After that, IES starts focusing on the technical pieces of the Microsoft GP implementation, including:

Migrating data
Configuring your ERP system
Testing how the system works

4. Final Great Plains Integration and Implementation

Once we’ve tested the system, we start training your workforce to use the new Great Plains implementation effectively. After that, we initiate the go-live and start working on helping you streamline your business operations.

If you’re ready to move forward with setting up your ideal ERP solution, reach out to IES to set up an initial consultation.