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Microsoft Dynamics GP (Archived)

Transitioning from QuickBooks to Dynamics GP questions

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Posted on by 80

Hello, 

I work for a company that is still using QuickBooks and has long since out grown it. Now that we're growing we're finding the severe limitations of QuickBooks and have researched and talked to numerous ERP solutions experts and have starting leaning heavily towards Microsoft GP. Before we plunge into this I have a few questions for the general community that uses Dynamics GP

We are a privately held capital intense service company based in the technology sector and one of the biggest problems we have is associating customer specific capital to customers and tracking all the depreciation, additions, disposals, etc. To complicate this we primarily finance all capital for customers to coincide with the customer service contract, and would like to associate all the finance cost with the assets back to the original customer. Has anyone ever done anything like this? If so, would you be willing to share in general terms how you accomplish this while using Dynamics GP?

Another challenge that we will have in our future will be integrating Dynamics GP into our internal home grown system for operation management that we use as our customer facing service platform, in addition to Salesforce and a few others. Has anyone encountered any complications in integrating with other systems, or offer any advice on tackling the process?

Our company is based out of St Louis, MO and would ultimately like to talk to someone about your transition to Dynamics GP, how it works for you, any challenges you've encountered that we can be aware as well as your method of transitioning into Dynamics GP. Did you use an implementation partner or did you do it on your own? Did you have to completely re-vamp or establish business processes? If anyone is willing to talk, please send me a message. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

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  • Heather Roggeveen Profile Picture
    9,146 on at
    RE: Transitioning from QuickBooks to Dynamics GP questions

    Hi Scott

    Disclosure - I work for a GP Partner, so am possibly slightly biased towards using a partner.  I am however based in New Zealand, so not "plugging" for work.  However, I love the sound of the business scenario - not one I have dealt with and love learning about different business operations.

    Dynamics GP in general:

    - Integration - the GP database is very suited for integration.  There are a number of tools available to sit over the top and map correctly.  Your specific needs would need to be looked at to recommend the right option.  There are tools that are end user driven (pull basis) and ones that can automate integration processes.

    - Using a Partner or Going Alone - I would highly recommend using a Partner.  I have worked with lots of client sites and the real value you get from a partner is that they can help plan how you will use the system.  The best implementations I have worked on is where the client site has users with really sound business knowledge and some internal "nouse" - i.e. they train with us and take that training and really use it and explore.

    We always quote our clients for what we believe it will take if we do all the work.  However, there are so many areas that internally you can do the work if you want to take ownership of the system and get the training.  I have a number of sites who have come well under our original budgets because they have worked to ensure they become system experts for what they need.  That means we do end up in a true partnership - they look to us for advice and enhancing their system rather than having to continually rely on us for the simple stuff.

    Key area to use a partner is up front in planning and system design.  A good partner will be able to think outside the box to set the system up to meet your business needs.

    I honestly don't know whether your specific needs could be met by GP.  It is pretty flexible, so worth looking at in more detail.  I would suggest that you may need to consider doing a paid planning with a partner before confirming software purchase.  That way either the partner or yourself could walk away without having to feel committed to something that won't work.  For such a unique business process, I think it would be money well spent to pay for a detailed plan up front.  You may find a partner who is willing to do it for free - but beware the "cheap" option - it may not give you the value you need.

    Hope this helps - good luck with your move to a new system (whatever it turns out to be).

    Cheers

    Heather

  • iruser2 Profile Picture
    2,048 on at
    RE: Transitioning from QuickBooks to Dynamics GP questions

    Hey Scott

    I have been using GP since version 2, over 20 years now, as both a partner / reseller, and as a controller.

    I am not familiar with your industry so can't help in terms of industry specifics.  Your description however sounds pretty project based.  GP has a project tracking module that is nice.  You referenced to assets and depreciation.  Assets can enter GP via purchase orders, accounts payable or direct entry into fixed assets.

    GP 2013, the current version, gives you access to 99% of the modules for one price per user.  The project module is extra.

    I would not recommend attempting GP on your own.  If you set up GP badly it can be a dog.  If you set it up well it can be amazing!  You will have to buy GP through a partner (reseller).  Make use of that partner.  They are there to make sure that the system is amazing.

    The conversion tools can be handy but simply converting the same data and structure out of one system into another may create the same issues in GP as you have already.  Ponder a whole new way of looking at the world.

    As to changing business processes, this is an excellent question for your partner.  Software should be able to adapt to your processes.  Unless your processes are blatantly wrong.  GP expects you to follow generally accepted accounting principles.  It balks if you try to bypass things.  It should not however make you redesign processes to match it.  If a partner tells you that's how GP works or that's how it is, and its not the blatant exception then the partner does not understand your business properly.

    Integrating with other systems is very good for GP.  The integration manager tool hits the basics, the step up from there e-connect maps to anywhere in the system.  Integration manager uses the same business logic that is on the screen that you would do data entry so it checks for all the same checks you would get if you were keying.  Again a good partner is essential for this.  They know the data tables and where to point things.  Which tool to use.

    Don't go to big at first.  Think of this as a two stage implementation.  Put GP in, get it working. Hire some temps to key the stuff from your other system.  Then tackle the integration of the two.  If current staff are doing the keying today, they will love GP as once the integration is working they will be able to do so much more value added tasks.

    good luck in your decision and implementation.

     

  • Suggested answer
    soma Profile Picture
    24,410 on at
    RE: Transitioning from QuickBooks to Dynamics GP questions

    Please have a look on the below links.

    community.dynamics.com/.../29732.aspx

    community.dynamics.com/.../17364.aspx

    www.businessreadysolutions.net/moving-from-quickbooks-to-microsoft-dynamics-gp

    Hope this helps!!!

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