Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 is a sophisticated Enterprise Resource Planning system used throughout the world. Implementing Dynamics GP for an organization can be a daunting task, requiring thorough planning and an understanding of the available features and options. This book provides guidance for the planning, installation, and setup of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 with examples, advice, step-by-step guides, illustrations, and links to useful resources.
While it is specifically written for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, most of the concepts and explanations will apply to any Dynamics GP version. The implementation methodology in this book is geared toward small to mid-size companies, and can be useful to both Dynamics GP consultants and end users. Even experienced Dynamics GP consultants will benefit from having detailed instructions for the installation and setup of the core Dynamics GP modules.
By the end of this book, you will have a better understanding of the licensing and the application structure of Dynamics GP, be able to put together an implementation team, install, and set up Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010. You will also learn how to configure SQL Server maintenance for Dynamics GP and how to import data using Integration Manager.
Chapter 1, Application Structure and Licensing, serves as an introduction to Dynamics GP structure, covering module and series, how Dynamics GP works with Microsoft SQL Server, and the Dexterity development environment that Dynamics GP is written in.
Chapter 2, Planning: Business Requirements, discusses putting together an implementation team and steps for starting to plan a Dynamics GP implementation, including data that needs to be populated during the implementation and the tools available to do this.
Chapter 3, Planning: Dynamics GP System, details various components of the Dynamics GP system that need to be planned out, including how many companies to set up, integration with other systems, General Ledger account framework and account format, and numbering schemes for master records. Other topics covered include fiscal year and period setup, users and security planning, tax setup, multicurrency, and posting setup.
Chapter 4, Planning: Infrastructure, covers general concepts for infrastructure planning, including minimum requirements and recommendations for Dynamics GP 2010, considerations for virtual environments, Terminal Services, and networks. Alternatives for placement of shared files and data backups are also discussed.
Chapter 5, Installation of SQL Server, Dynamics GP, and Integration Manager, is a step-by-step guide for installing SQL Server 2008, Dynamics GP 2010, and Integration Manager 11.0. Post-installation steps, including creating Dynamics GP companies and setting up SQL Server maintenance plans, are included.
Chapter 6, System and Company Setup, covers setting up the Dynamics GP 2010 system and companies with detailed step-by-step instructions and recommendations. Topics include multicurrency, account format, taxes, fiscal periods, credit cards, and posting.
Chapter 7, Module Setup: General Ledger, Bank Reconciliation, Payables, and Receivables, includes steps for setting up the General Ledger, Bank Reconciliation, Payables Management, and Receivables Management modules in Dynamics GP 2010. Detailed explanations and recommendations are provided for available setup options.
Chapter 8, Module Setup: Inventory, SOP, and POP, includes steps for setting up the three distribution modules in Dynamics GP 2010. Detailed explanations and recommendations are provided for available setup options.
Chapter 9, Populating Initial Data, is a step-by-step guide to using Integration Manager to import data into Dynamics GP. An introduction to Integration Manager terminology and illustrations of destination mappings for various imports are included.
Chapter 10, Training, Tools, and Next Steps, covers topics such as training, the various tools available from Microsoft for Dynamics GP 2010, and resources available for Dynamics GP.
Appendix A, General Ledger Account Categories, contains a list of the default General Ledger account categories in Dynamics GP.
Appendix B, Microsoft Professional Services: Additional Tools Available, offers a list of additional tools available from the Microsoft Professional Services team for Dynamics GP.
Although this book is written in the order of steps typically needed for a new Dynamics GP implementation project, it can be useful as a resource for specific tasks. Individual module setup or installation steps can be performed separately and used as needed to re-setup various features or simply understand the options available in an existing Dynamics GP installation.
A basic understanding of accounting/ERP software and some Dynamics GP terminology is helpful to get the most out of this book. Many of the links in this book require access to Microsoft's CustomerSource or PartnerSource for Dynamics GP.
If you are a new or existing Microsoft Dynamics GP consultant or end user who wants to implement, install, or set up core modules of Dynamics GP 2010, then this book is for you. A basic understanding of business management systems and either Dynamics GP or a similar application is recommended.
In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.
Code words in text are shown as follows: "All the SQL Server tables for the Payables Management module begin with PM."
New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in our text like this: "To enter names for your GL account segments, navigate to Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Setup | Financial | Segment".
Note
Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.
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