Oct
01

SharePoint Conference 2011 starts Sunday!

This Sunday, October 2, kicks off the biggest SharePoint event of the year!  The SharePoint Conference 2011 gets underway this week in Anaheim, CA.  This year’s conference promises to be full of great information and exciting keynote speakers.  I will be there all week, and for those who will not be in attendance this year, I will try to keep you up to date with social media the best that I can!  With my recently updated Windows Phone 7 “Mango” OS installed and Twitter synced directly with the People Hub, I will be Tweeting session highlights that I feel should be passed along to you!  I will also be updating the Summit Group Software blog with important information that comes out of this conference.

While the conference may be SOLD OUT already (a recent development since I started writing this article), hopefully you will be able to follow me and get the most out of it, all from the comforts of your own office!  Stay posted to this blog, and follow me on Twitter, @joetews.  You can also check out the conference website to find out the sessions that will be available at the conference: http://www.mssharepointconference.com/.  I hope to see you there, otherwise I hope that I can bring you as much information as I can!

Sep
29

Adding to your bucket…

Feel like your “work bucket” is less than full?  Time to add to it!  Fill it by attending a Summit Group Software training course for Microsoft Dynamics products already in use at your workplace.  Gain a sense of accomplishment by learning something new and increase your ability – making you a greater asset to your team and organization.  Take advantage of the opportunities in October – check out the list…

GP:
Management Reporter
Payables Management
Receivables Management
Purchase Order Processing
Sales Order Processing

CRM:
Intro to Workflow
CRM Basics Configuring and Administering SharePoint
Customization and Configuration
Installation and Deployment
Intro to Dialogs

SQL:
Intro to SQL Server
Intro to Report Builder for SQL Server Reporting Services

Be intentional by signing up for a class.  To view schedules and reserve your spot, go to http://www.summitgroupsoftware.com/php/training.php.

 

Sep
27

Difference between a Bank Transaction and Bank Transfer in Microsoft Dynamics GP

The following information shows the difference between a Bank Transaction and a Bank Transfer within Microsoft Dynamics GP through a real-life example.   WFB CHG and WFB SVGS are 2 checkbooks set up with the application.

  1. Janice noticed that her Checkbook (which is a totally separate module from the General Ledger) did not tie in total to what the General Ledger had for balances.
  2. She knew that her General Ledger was correct.
  3. Upon further investigation, we found that there were a couple of Bank Transactions (In the Checkbook Module) that should have been performed as Bank Transfers instead of Bank Transactions.
  4. The Bank Transfers feature allows the user to do just as it says… transfer funds in the Checkbook module back and forth between various checkbooks. When this is done, both checkbooks balances are properly affected in the Checkbook module, and the General Ledger is also properly affected.
  5. When the Bank Transaction feature is used to transfer funds between checking accounts (which it should not be, it should be done as a Bank Transfer), only one of the Checkbooks will be properly updated in the Checkbook Module. The
    reason for this is that the Bank Transaction window in the module only calls out one Checkbook name. However, the General Ledger transaction that coincides with a Bank Transaction is correct… it properly debits and credits the correct
    GL Accounts (which is totally separate from the Checkbook Module).

When a Bank Transfer is properly performed both of the Checkbooks involved are called out specifically. You will also notice that the GL Accounts tied to both of those Checkbook Ids are also listed.  When this transaction is posted, both the WFB CHG checkbook and the WFB SVGS checkbook will have their register balances updated properly. Then, the transaction will flow to the General Ledger, properly DR and CR the GL accounts listed in the entry window.

To correct the situation in #5 so that the WFB SVGS CHECKBOOK reflects the $100 in-flow, a BANK DEPOSIT transaction within the Checkbook module is required. Doing a Bank Deposit allows the Checkbook balance to be affected, but NOT THE
GENERAL LEDGER—in this case we did not want to affect the GL balance because that was posted correctly. It was only the Checkbook balance of the Checkbook we were attempting to transfer to that had not been properly handled. After the
Deposit is posted, all of the Checkbook Balances will tie to the General Ledger Account Balances.

The important thing to keep in mind with all of this is that the CHECKBOOK IS NOT THE SAME AS THE GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT. Yes, they work in cooperation with each other when the transactions are performed correctly, but they operate independently in order to retain the “checks and balances” between the two modules (those 2 modules being the Checkbook Module and the General Ledger Module).

Sep
22

Goin’ to Vegas!

While I have never found a lot of interest in Las Vegas personally, I think I may have found a compelling reason to go this year….Extreme CRM 2011. This is the year’s biggest and most comprehensive CRM-specific conference. What is even more exciting (depending upon your definition of “exciting”) is that  I will be a presenter!  Created for partners, by partners, extreme is an unparalleled opportunity for those of us who claim ownership of some part of the CRM ecosystem.  It’s the one place where informative sessions are planned for every role within each of our organizations.  Business leaders, marketers and salespersons, developers, and implementers alike will gain from the informative sessions planned and selected specifically for those roles.  And it has been my honor to be chosen as a session presenter.

I will be leading the session titled “The Silver Lining of Silverlight” which will dissect the capabilities and many benefits of Silverlight.  I will also lead “Web Resources Deep Dive” which will provide advanced level Web Resources instruction.  It should be an exciting and rewarding hour.  But my sessions are simply the tip of the proverbial iceberg at extreme.  I’ve already selected more than a dozen other intriguing sessions that I am eager to attend.  Check out the sessions that speak directly to your discipline at http://extremecrm.com/Agenda2011LasVegas.aspx.

I hope extreme is already on your calendar.  If not, it’s time to invest in education and plan your trip to Vegas for the learn-all, try-all, do-all CRM conference.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Sep
21

Reduce Audit Risk Through Seamless Automation of Sales Tax Compliance with Avalara

In today’s economy, state sales tax audits are increasing. States realize that increased diligence in performing audits is one method to help increase revenues. Whether it’s in your initial calculation, handling of documentation for sales tax exempt transactions or in sales tax filing and reporting, your business processes can increase your risk of exposure to audits. But reducing risk doesn’t have to be a painful experience.

Businesses using Microsoft Dynamics financial applications have a terrific option that enables them to be proactive in sales tax compliance while reducing audit exposure and risk: sales tax process automation.

Avalara partners with Summit Group Software and other Microsoft resellers to ensure customers have a built-in, automated process for accurate sales tax calculations, management of customer exemption certificates and sales tax filing and remittance. Easily integrated with Microsoft Dynamics products, the Avalara AvaTax solution provides three of the critical items you need to avoid sales tax audits or survive them:

Accurate sales tax calculation – The steps to avoiding the negative impact of a sales tax audit begin with accurate calculations. Many businesses think that merely looking up the zip code location is enough to provide accuracy. Unfortunately, this is not true. In Alaska, one community discovered that they had been overpaying sales tax for two years just because local businesses assumed the same zip code meant same sales tax. In actuality, the higher sales tax only applied to a small area of the zip code that fell into the local jurisdiction’s special tax district.

  • AvaTax Calc provides your business with unparalleled accuracy in sales tax calculation. Our geo-coding enables us to ensure calculations are accurate “down to the rooftop” to prevent incorrect sales tax application.

Sales tax exempt transaction documentation – In other words: exemption certificates. What happens when you have customers who qualify to not pay sales tax on some purchases? Not only do you need to manage verification of that qualification by ensuring you collect and retain their customer exemption certificate, but you also need to ensure that the products they are purchasing qualify. If you manage more than a few products, this can be challenging. Add more than one state where you do business and you have a management nightmare.

  • AvaTax Certs uses a built-in intelligent exemption certificate management process that ensures a workflow that reduces tasks, improves visibility and accessibility of information and associates the customer and certificate for current and future purchases.

Reporting and remittance – Once you’ve done due diligence to ensure accurate calculation and proper documentation for non-taxed transactions, you must file and remit the sales tax liability to each jurisdiction or state. Timely filing and responses to notices are critical to this part of sales tax compliance. Accurate reporting begins with accurate calculations and ends with timely payment if you want to avoid the auditor’s notice.

  • AvaTax Returns delivers timely filing and improved Treasury control through a single payment process that reduces the burden on your tax department and bank account. AvaTax takes care of all the individual payments to each jurisdiction as well as filing returns. After returns are filed, AvaTax ensures notices receive prompt response and visibility to you.

There is no magic to guarantee that you will never be audited, but automating the process can help your business provide up-to-date, accurate calculations, proper documentation for non-taxed transactions and correct sales tax returns.

Learn more about AvaTax for Microsoft Dynamics users today by downloading a complimentary copy of Avalara’s “Sales Tax Survival Guide.” This guide will help you better understand the challenges and navigate the risks associated with sales tax collection. In addition, it will provide strategies that can minimize these risks for your business, while reducing the resources needed to manage the sales and use tax burden.  Download now < https://www.avalara.com/Media/DownloadDocs/Whitepapers/survivalguide_2011?blgr392 >.

Sep
13

Manually changing SysData location

Recently, after installing FRx 6.7 with the media for GP 10 (the media that includes SP9), I ran into an issue changing the SysData location.  Typically, when trying to change the location through the back end, I would modify the FRx32.cfg file and make the change in here.  However, when trying to do it with this version (or perhaps it was the Windows 7 operating system), my changes didn’t seem to take hold.  It would default to the install location for SysData.

What I found is that I needed to make the change to the FRxConfig.xml file that was placed in my User folder.  By navigating to the location of my folder (C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\FRx Software\FRx 6.7), I was able to modify this file and noticed that the SysData was hardcoded to the installation location in there.  Once I changed this, I was able to utilize the SysData in my shared location.

Sep
13

Error message when you start Microsoft FRx after applying a service pack: “Runtime Error 32797: Application Defined or Object Defined Error”

Ran into an issue today installing a fresh installation of FRx.  This is on a 32-bit version of Windows 7, using the download that includes SP9 and applying SP12 after the install.  When launching Report Designer, I get the following error:

Runtime Error 32797: Application Defined or Object Defined Error

And, unfortunately, FRx will not launch.  After searching the internet, I found the following support KB:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/966126

Ran through the steps on that page, registered the .dll’s, and still nothing.  I really didn’t want to mess with the registry, so I decided not to do any of the other links it had posted.  However, I did notice that User Account Control (UAC) was turned on.  So, I modified the security for the FRx Software folder in Program Files and gave users full control over the folder.  After that, FRx launched like a charm!  Hard to believe that UAC had something to do with it (sarcasm) :-)

Sep
13

Failed to start service SPSearchServiceInstance on this server after completing upgrade. Please start it manually.

Came across an interesting one yesterday.  We had a client getting ready to upgrade from Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 to Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010.  The only problem with doing the straight database detach and attach upgrade was that WSS 3.0 was still on SP1.  So I downloaded SP2 to the WSS server and went through the install.  Everything ran fine until running the Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard, on step 8 of 9 I get this error message:

Failed to start service SPSearchServiceInstance on this server after completing upgrade. Please start it manually.

Alright, no problem, go to the services console (in Administrative Tools) and start the search service manually.  However, it gives me an error saying that it cannot start due to a logon error.  So I re-enter the password, start the service, and kick off the upgrade again.  Same results, same thing – logon error when trying to start it up.

So, I ran the PSConfig command line utility for the upgrade (for those who don’t know, you can run Products and Technologies from the command line).  I used this command to try and push it through (PSConfig is in the same folder as STSADM):

PSConfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -force

Failed on step 3/4 with the same issue.  So then, using STSADM, I decided to change the service account that runs the search that way.  I used the following command for that:

stsadm.exe -o spsearch -farmcontentaccessaccount *Domain\UserName* -farmcontentaccesspassword *Password*

Relaunched PSConfig, still nothing.  At this point, I had about every page open on Bing that I could find.  No sites were loading, but I could get into Central Administration.  So, in a final push of desperation, I changed the user account password in there (Operations – Services on Server).  Pushed the PSConfig through again, and that worked like a charm!

Hopefully this will help you when you are searching all over the internet for this error and allow you to upgrade to the latest service pack!

Aug
28

LMT Lesson Learned

For the last three years or so, many Microsoft Dynamics GP customers have realized the value add of the License Model Transition (LMT). For anyone that does not know, this is the process that customers who are currently on Modular Based Licensing (MBL) undergo to open them up to more software functionality. During the most recent promotion, I learned a lesson when it comes to registration keys and the LMT.

The scenario was unique. The customer was running version 9 of GP at the time and was maxed out at 10 users on GP Standard. After many looks at the LMT, the customer had some growth and having more than 10 concurrent users of GP became a business necessity.  We processed the order with Microsoft like usual. Immediately following the LMT, we processed another order for additional users. After placing that order with Microsoft, new registration keys were generated and the email from Microsoft came in letting us know that new registration keys could be obtained through PartnerSource or CustomerSource.

Since this customer was running a version of GP that was unsupported by Microsoft at the time, version 9 registration keys were not generated. This was a scenario that I did not expect and to get version 9 keys generated, turned out to be a challenge.  Many phone calls and emails later we finally had registration keys. At the end of the day, we ended up with what we needed, but it turned out to be a lot more work than anyone expected.  By the way, this customer has since upgraded to GP 2010 and loves the new version.

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