GP Web Client–Go for Hybrid Deployment

One of the things people tend to get confused about the web client is that they think – “If I use the web client, everybody will have to use web client, and there will be no windows client”

Quite the opposite – GP Web client is the new kid on the block that works well with others. Web client is an alternative deployment method. Just like you can run GP on a terminal server, and on your local machine – you now have one additional option.

I know that most of our customers are and will be going for a Hybrid Deployment with the web client -

Here’s a sample configuration

1. 20 users on the web client – Accounts Payables and Accounts Receivables Clerks use the web client to enter transactions during the day.

2. 5 Accounting Users with windows client installs or one a terminal server – These are the users who use Integration Manager, and Excel Based Budgeting (two options which are not available on the web client).

So in this case the having 20 users on the web client the customer is able to save on the terminal server licenses, and simplify deployment and upgrades.

At the same time the advanced users can continue using the Windows client for Dynamics GP.

Can we move to the GP web client ?

At the Dynamics GP Expo during Convergence, almost everybody who stopped by to look at the Web Client was impressed. Their immediate question was – “Can our company move to the web client?”

The answer naturally depends on a lot of things specific to your install -

• Are you using HR/Payroll ? You would want to wait till SP1 is release in mid-April
• Are you using Field Service, Project accounting ? Wait till Phase 3 is released – tentatively 6 months after phase 2
• Are you using Manufacturing ? Wait a little more…
• Which ISV / Add-On products are you using with Dynamics GP ? Check with your partner if the product is compatible with the web client. A lot of ISV’s I spoke to were waiting for GP 2013 web client SP1 to be released before releasing their compatible products. SP1 is out  mid-April – so check with your ISV to find out if they are compatible with the web client.
• Are you using Workflow ? – Wait to move to the web client
• Are you using any VBA / Winforms customizations ? You need to upgrade them to be compatible with the web client. Leslie has a course going on.  Rubal has also written about Migrating VBA Customizations to VS Tools for Dynamics GP.

After those initial tough questions – you can start getting excited about the web client like everybody else.

Dynamics GP Web Client Phases–What’s compatible

One of the most common questions regarding the web client at Convergence 2013 was about which modules are available now, and when some of the advanced modules will be available.

Below is the information Microsoft publicly has shared so far. Naturally Phase 3 and 4 release dates have not been finalized yet.

Phase 1 : Out now – GL, AR, AP, SOP, POP, Inventory

Check out Pam’s post for details

Phase 2 : Human Resources and Payroll (mid-April)

Phase 3 : Field Service, Project Accounting (6 months after phase 2)

Phase 4 : Manufacturing

Vote for David Musgrave–2013

David Musgrave has one of the most helpful blogs for Dynamics GP. I am told this multiple times every week by customers and partners. He is the author of the brilliant support debugging tool.   If you work with Dynamics GP, chances are you have used his excellent resources pretty often (See below).

Last year with Mariano Gomez he had the top ranked Microsoft Dynamics GP session at Convergence 2012 and had two sessions in the overall top 10 (3rd & 9th).

Last couple of years due to a “massive bug” – David Musgrave’s name was not in the top 100 list. We need to fix that this year – and need to get him in the top 20. That’s where he belongs.

So now is your chance to go and vote – Vote for David Musgrave – in this poll.

While you are at it – vote for Mark Polino, Leslie, Mariano, Martin Olsen they are all conveniently on page 9! My name is in there as well well – but don’t vote for me, vote a second time for David Musgrave.

Interestingly – Errol Schoenfish is not in the list of nominees, so somebody needs to tell the organizers about this new bug ! Ultimately, this is just a fun exercise – but its just a nice way to let people who work hard in the Dynamics World get some feedback.

General Articles & Links 

• Modifier & VBA Articles & Links

• Dexterity Articles & Links

• Developer Toolkit Articles & Links

• Modifier & VBA Samples

• Dexterity Samples

• Developer & Consultant Articles & Links

• Report Writer Articles & Links

• Developer Toolkit Samples

• Microsoft Dynamics GP Blogs

• Support Debugging Tool Portal

• Menus for Visual Studio Tools Portal

Upgrading to GP 2013 ?

Kelly Youells and her team at Microsoft Dynamics Support and Services blog, have just started a fantastic series of posts - Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Upgrade Blog Series Schedule!!  I highly recommend checking it out. I attended Kelly’s session at Convergence and she had some fantastic insights.

Here’s a summary of notes I created for my quick reference -

Upgrade Paths from GP 10, GP 2010 to GP 2013-

• If you are on GP 2010, you must be on at least build 11.00.1860 which is after GP2010 SP2
• In order to upgrade from GP10 to GP2013, you must be on at least GP10 build 10.00.1779 which is after GP10 SP5
• If you are upgrading from GP 9, you need to first upgrade to GP 10 or GP 2010.

Product Changes

• Extender is no longer an installable feature in the GP 2013 DVD – you need to get it from eOne
• Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures are no longer an installable feature in the GP 2013 DVD – you need to get it from Merit Solutions
• Collections Management is under Additional Products
• Don’t install web client run time on all machines - Only install on Web Client Session Host Servers
   

Review the “Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013” page on Partnersource/CustomerSource for latest news / updated documentation. This is updated frequently based on feedback from customers/partners, so if you read it last month – go read it again before commencing a new upgrade.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 System Requirements https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/documentation/systemrequirements/mdgp2013_system_requirements.htm?printpage=false

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 upgrade manual
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34658

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 what’s new guide

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34664

Product release downloads for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013
https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/downloads/servicepacks/MDGP2013_Release_Download

Service pack, Hotfix, and compliance update releases for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013
https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/downloads/servicepacks/MDGP2013_PatchReleases

#CONV13 and #MSDYNGP on Twitter

I have always wondered where twitter fit into the scheme of things. LinkedIn is great for professional contacts, Facebook is pretty good for friends and family. Blogs are excellent for sharing information in an informal way or for sharing experiences.

Twitter was always the awkward cousin in my world, asking for attention (and getting attention from a lot of people). It never really made sense to me – why would you want to limit your post to 140 characters. 

Convergence 2013 changed that for me – we were sharing useful information real time – announcements, new sessions, feedback. #conv13 and #msdyngp had thousands of tweets – and were “trending” on twitter. It was information just about adequate for twitter.

Errol Schoenfish, Pam Misialek, and Jay Manley from Microsoft were tweeting before and after sessions. So were MVPs Mariano Gomez,  Leslie Vail, Mark Polino, Belinda Allen, Frank Hamelly and Charles Allen. David Musgrave  was tweeting all the way from Perth in the middle of the night. jon_rivers was one of the top influencers like last year.

MSDynamicsWorld.com, Beat Bucher, palmawurzel, Bob McAdam were the other twitter experts I was following who were keeping everybody posted. I highly recommend following all of them above – and maybe this twitter thing will start making more sense like it did to me finally!

Some of the guys above have interesting lists – which you might want to review.

If you want to check out the tweets go here -

• #CONV13 Tweets https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CONV13
• #MSDYGP Tweets https://twitter.com/search?q=%23msdyngp&src=savs

 

 

 

Know more about your Dynamics GP Add On or Company

I was talking to Nick Hoban – who was telling about tons of new features at http://community.dynamics.com/

One which seemed particularly helpful was the subscriptions features.

Often Dynamics GP Companies, and partners want to gather information from end users. What do people think about my XYZ product, do they have any questions ? or maybe eOne might be monitoring whenever somebody asked about “automated integrations” for Dynamics GP.

The GP community site now allows you to setup a “google alerts” kind of subscription feature. Go ahead and check this out. 

https://community.dynamics.com/b/communityteam/archive/2013/02/21/introducing-subscriptions.aspx#.UUk4oBxkPUU