Latest Release Provides Existing Customers Good Reasons To Upgrade
Redmond, WA based Microsoft Corporation announced its Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (a.k.a. GP 11) product on April 20th, 2010. Available May 1st 2010 in Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, the Middle East, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the announcement perfectly coincides with Convergence 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The latest release delivers on five compelling themes:
- Improvements in the role tailored user experience. Microsoft enhances and adds action panes, business portals, notifications and work flows by role to keep the experience relevant to how people work. Unlike legacy ERP systems, the design mantra does not force fit a set of best practices on generic users. Point of view (POV): Users get started right away with familiar Microsoft user experiences (i.e. Windows 7 and Office 2010). The 33+ pre-defined roles (e.g April, Charlie, Connie, and Vince) will help users in all sizes of organizations improve productivity from the get-go.
- Additional investment in analytics and insight. Tighter integration with SQL Server 2008 BI Tools allows users additional control on how they share information. Pre-built KPI’s, SQL Server reporting (i.e. SSAS cubes), and Microsoft Office forms can be served up with role relevancy. Reports can then be shared with other users via Sharepoint’s document library. POV: Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 makes it easy to access key information and insights without expensive configuration and customization. With over 400 SQL Server reporting services, 200 Excel reports, 80 SRS reports, and pre-populated smart lists, users gain an integrated and embedded BI solution that should meet most requirements. Refreshable Excel reports take advantage of Power Pivot to save users time and keep information up to date. Drill back views provide a great way to get insights into GP 2010, Office Excel, and SQL Reporting Services (see Figure 1).
- Deeper ERP and SCM product set features. Significant enhancements cut across financials, payroll, supply chain management (SCM), and service management. Financials gain key features such as encumbrance management, project accounting, and lockbox capabilities. Payroll includes needed updates such as overtime rate calculations and multiple W2 box mappings. SCM enhancements include automated lot numbering, vendor portals, customer portals, multi-site MRP, and sales forecasting windows. Service management features add preventative maintenance and labor-payroll integration. POV: This release sets the stage for expansion into the public sector and additional project based industries. Encumbrance management provides key public sector requirements in fund accounting. Project accounting enables services based business revenue recognition. Preventative maintenance features add to service based requirements.
- CRM Integration and choice of deployment options. The new GP CRM adapter allows GP users native integration back to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. More importantly, customers can choose between hosted or on-premise Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the option to migrate to either option over time. POV: Microsoft smartly offers both the on-premise and on-demand versions. SMB customers still express a preference for on-premise over on-demand. Customers can also choose to host with partners or directly with Microsoft.
Copyright © 2010 R Wang and Insider Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
