GPUG Amplify 2017 Reflections

It’s always hard getting back into the office after a few days out, and especially after spending a few days immersed in the Dynamics GP community. Dynamic Communities put on another great event last week in Anaheim, CA.  It was our second year sponsoring the GPUG Amplify event, and I can say we came home with more nuggets this year than we did last year.

This event is a more intimate setting (vs. other shows), still focusing on peer-to-peer learning with support from not only Dynamics Communities, but Microsoft and the strong VAR and customer community, too.

Nuggets:

We kicked the event off by meeting with other ISVs and VARs to collaborate on how to better serve our customers and one another. I mined a few new nuggets I’m excited to learn more about and share with my team.  The first one was Quick Parts in Outlook – which puts those data pieces you use often right at your fingertips.

Then I heard from another VAR how they are using Inquire in Excel, and VBA, to quickly compare two spreadsheets and have it identify the differences between them.  Here at Rockton, we are all about making work simpler & easier®, and I’m betting these tools are going to help simplify a thing or two for our team.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Innovation:

On the main stage, they were giving us a few sneak peeks of what’s to come in Dynamics GP 2018 (target release December 2017).   There are enhancements to Workflows (4.0), new integrations with Office 365 allowing users to view attached edit list and approvals from within Outlook, Workflow templates and the ability to send email reminders to name a few.

There are also new things coming for the Financials and Human Resource modules.  Some of the enhancements included: Garnishment enhancements, Suggest PO- PO List, Change Department code in Payroll, AA – copy user access across dimensions and Copy project PO to start off the list.

They rounded it out by showing a few features from what Microsoft is calling ‘Power Suite’, which includes changes to Odata Service enhancements, GP Power BI content pack, and FLOW templates.

We saw some long-awaited, highly anticipated customer requests, along with fun new and innovative integrations and technologies coming GP’s way at the end of this year.

Community:

What most energized me - and always does - is the strength of and the passion of the GP community! It is alive and as strong as ever.  I enjoyed hearing about partners busy working on new opportunities, meeting new to Microsoft Dynamics GP customers, as well as reconnecting with longtime friends in the channel.

If you haven’t had a chance to connect with the GPUG community, or you are looking for other GPUG enthusiasts, your next opportunity is just around the corner.  The GPUG Summit 2017 is coming up in October and will be held in Nashville.  Early Bird registration ends June 29^th.  Or, maybe you are looking for a way to give back to the GPUG community? You can click here to submit a session proposal by April 15^th to share your GPUG knowledge with other peers.

Written By Jenn Schoemer, COO at Rockton Software, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-On Provider.