John Lowther's Profile

I am the Director of Software Development & Integration for Sta-Home Health & Hospice, Inc.
Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG), leader of several of the GPUG Special Interests Groups (SIGs), published author in the User Group Magazines, posts on several blogs and a GPUG All Star.

Experience

10+ years with Dynamics GP
(GL, AP, HR, Payroll, Maintenance, Training, Upgrades, Security, Installation and Configuration)

15+ years as a Database Administrator
(Maintenance, Performance, Warehousing, Validation, Correctness, Alerts, BI & Reporting)

20+ years as a Developer
(Written software for IBM, BCBS, Schools, Nursing Homes, & Home Health)

20+ years Project Management Experience

Education

Master Science in Computer Science
Bachelors Arts in Psychology
Associate Arts in Pre-Med (Biology & Chemistry)

GPUG Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that I currently lead

BI & Reporting
In the BI & Reporting SIG, we cover the different challenges and best practices in setting up and maintaining a Consolidated Business Intelligence System. Whether it is an in-house system, or a third party system, from the simplest to the most complex, or even converting from one to another, all items are open for discussion, up to and including all of the various tools available. Users can openly discuss, ask questions, and help each other with their experience. The BI & Reporting SIG typically meets the second Thursday of the Month and attendees of a webinar get to vote on which topic to discuss in the next webinar.

DBA
In the DBA SIG, we cover everything SQL and all of the different challenges that users have in maintaining their Dynamics Databases. Topics included range from Performance to Data Warehousing and everything in between. Users can openly discuss what they are seeing in their daily lives, ask questions, as well as offer suggestions to others on how solve their current challenge. The DBA SIG typically meets the third Thursday of the Month and attendees of a webinar get to vote on which topic to discuss in the next webinar.

Sys Admin
In the Sys Admin (Systems Administrators) SIG, we cover everything concerning the Administration of Microsoft Dynamics GP. From the simplest to the most in depth detailed item anyone that is the System Administrator for Dynamics GP may encounter. Users can openly discuss what they are seeing in their daily lives, ask questions, as well as offer suggestions to others on a topic. The SIG typically meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month and attendees of a webinar get to vote on which topic to discuss in the next webinar.

Development Tools (preferred)

• Anything and everything Microsoft SQL, T-SQL, SSRS, SSMS, SSIS, SSAS, etc.
• Visual Studio 2010, 2008, 2005
• Visual Basic 6.x (yes I still have some uses for this old thing)
• Visual SourceSafe
• Team Foundation Server 2010, 2008

Classes I have Taught, Facilitated, or been the Subject Matter Expert
(Birds of a Feather, Huddles, and Webinars are not included):

Convergence 2012

• The New Microsoft Dynamics GP Administrator
• Advanced Report Development & Deployment of Business Intelligence for Microsoft Dynamics GP
• Ask Your Peers - Upgrading Microsoft Dynamics GP
• Going Beyond Dynamics GP Business Alerts
• System Maintenance
• The Worst Mistakes You can Make with Dynamics GP
• The New Microsoft Dynamics GP Administrator (Repeated)
• Advanced Report Development & Deployment of Business Intelligence for Microsoft Dynamics GP (repeated)
• Ask Your Peers - Upgrading Microsoft Dynamics GP (Repeated)

Summit 2011

• The Accidental Dynamics GP Administrator
• The Top 10 Best Practices as a Dynamics DBA
• System Maintenance
• The Worst Mistakes You Can Make with Dynamics GP (Co-Presented with Mark Polino)
• Reconcile & Check Links
• Setting up and Maintaining Test Systems
• Maximizing SQL Performance with Dynamics GP
• Enterprise Data Warehousing and Consolidated Business Intelligence
• Going Beyond Dynamics GP Business Alerts

BI Focus 2011

• Implementing a BI Solution with Microsoft Dynamics GP2010
• Standard Reporting inside Dynamics GP
• Power Users Roundtable
• BI Solutions: Make vs. Buy

Convergence 2011

• Business Intelligence & Reporting in Microsoft Dynamics GP: Tips & Tricks for Developing and Deploying Custom Reports
• Microsoft Dynamics GP Upgrades: Approaches & Techniques
• Jeopardy
• Where Experts Search for Answers!
• Business Intelligence & Reporting in Microsoft Dynamics GP: Tips & Tricks for Developing and Deploying Custom Reports (Repeated)
• Microsoft Dynamics GP Upgrades: Approaches & Techniques (Repeated)
• Where Experts Search for Answers! (Repeated)

Summit 2010

• GP Development VB-VBA vs. Dexterity
• BI - What is it and How Can it Drive Better Decisions in our Company
• Integrating Add-ons with GP
• Enhancing Your Use of Smart List
• So, We Have SSRS Set Up, Now, What Can Our Users do to Generate Reports
• Understanding Workflow Available in GP
• GP and SQL Performance Tips and Tricks
• Understanding Alerts in Dynamics GP

Convergence 2010

• dayONE - GP Development Roundtable
• Microsoft Dynamics GP SQL and SRS Setup, Implementation and Administration
• Microsoft Dynamics GP Development Tools

Summit 2009

• Applying Technology in the Warehouse
• GP & SQL Performance Tips & Tricks
• GP Development VB-VBA vs. Dexterity
• SQL & SRS Setup, Implementation, and Administration (Best Practices)

Convergence 2009

• dayONE - GP Performance Tips and Tricks
• dayONE - Dexterity vs. VB-VBA - When to Use Which and Best Practices of Each

Summit 2008

• Business Alerts: Great Plains vs. DBA Style

Blogs & Posts

Microsoft Dynamics GP DBA (Blog)
The Dynamics GP Administrator (Blog)
GPUG Member Tidbits (Blog)
Microsoft Dynamics GP "Ask The Community Website" (Post)

Social Networks (although I am not these that often, blocked at work)

Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook