I recently ran into a problem after transferring a Dynamics GP company database from a test/development environment into a production environment. The company database existed in the production company so I just restored the updated company from the test server to the production server. After completing the company restore, users received the following error message:

“A get/change first operation on table ‘CN_SETP’ cannot find the table.”

A common need for Accounts Payable is to track expenses by Vendor without impacting the balance in Accounts Payable. Recently, a client wanted to record employee expenses in the employee’s AP account. However, expenses are reimbursed through an outside payroll service. This means that they wanted to track the expenses by employee but not impact the Accounts Payable subsidiary ledger or the Accounts Payable general ledger account.

Electronic Reconcile is a great tool for automating the Bank Reconcile process. It is an especially great tool for companies that have a high volume of transactions. Electronic Reconcile will match up transactions in Dynamics GP based on a file that is downloaded from your online bank.

Customer Item Lookup in Dynamics GP is one tools that is very useful. This tool allows you to see what items a customer has purchased in the past. For each item they have purchased it will be listed by the last purchase date and the cost and quantity of that last purchase. But, there are some limitations:

When utilizing Dynamics CRM, we have two systems for managing contacts: Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Outlook. These two systems are independent but connected to one another.

Outlook data comes from your Exchange server, while CRM data comes from your CRM server. There is a connector that synchronizes back and forth between the CRM server and Outlook, which is installed on your computer. In order to get the most from CRM, you should understand how the CRM contact data synchronizes between CRM and your computer.

Let’s say that you just ran Paid Transaction Removal (Sales > Routines > Paid Transaction Removal) for a customer. Then you realize that you accidentally applied it to the wrong document so now the customer’s account is incorrect. Here’s how to use the Receivables Management Transaction Unapply Utility to correct this:

Word templates make it really easy to update the look and feel of your customer facing documents, and you can email them directly out of Dynamics GP. You can even have separate document types for different companies and customers. Before starting, you will need to know which users will need access to use and edit the templates. It is also important to know whether the current documents are the original or modified versions of the report from Report Writer.

The important thing to know about the Cloud is that this is NOT just a passing phase; the movement of computer systems to the Cloud is the real thing. The Cloud is a disruptive technology, and the world will never be the same.

If you are in the market for a new accounting system, your purchasing decision should definitely include Cloud-based accounting system options. Computer applications delivered through the Cloud typically cost less than an On Premise solution. As long as cost is a motivating factor for accounting software selection (which it always is!), businesses will continue to migrate their accounting applications to the Cloud.

Business managers frequently ask me why they should choose Dynamics CRM over Salesforce. Surprisingly, even though Salesforce has a strong standing in the marketplace, I find that business managers will almost always select Dynamics CRM over Salesforce.

There are a number of reasons why Dynamics CRM is nearly always a winner:

“How do you know your company needs a new accounting system?” The answer is simple: If you use spreadsheets to support your accounting function or to report financial results, you have the wrong accounting system. If you have the right accounting system, the system will perform nearly all of your bookkeeping, reporting, and data management without the need for spreadsheets.

I frequently get calls from accountants (or IT guys) that are tasked with finding a new accounting system for their company. I am always very sympathetic with these poor souls, because the assignment is many times an virtually an off the cuff request: “By the way, will you please look around and get me a list of all of the accounting systems that we should consider and perhaps a recommendation for the best one?” This is not a simple request. The average accounting system runs a company’s operations and financials for 10 years. Selecting the right accounting software is a complex, business-critical assignment that requires careful thought and planning.