#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

 

Australian Customs browsing my iPad !

I finally reached back to Perth from Convergence in New Orleans, after the 23 hour flight time, and the 8 hours of layover. I was looking forward to a shower and hitting the bed, but the friendly Australian Customers and Border security wanted to spend the additional time with me. I am pretty used to the long conversations – I know I look different, and I am totally in favour of any and all profiling. I would protect my home at any cost. 

Additionally, I have actually seen the Border Security TV show a couple of times, and have seen the kind of funny things people try to do. So I was only feeling sorry for the poor officer who was going through each and every item in my bags including my smelly socks, and the undergarments for the past week! Yikes!

One of the agents came up and started browsing my iPad. Now my iPad is an extremely personal belonging. Recently a friend asked what one thing would you grab if your house was on fire – and I said ‘my iPad’. Rubal is still pissed off about that answer.

So when the agent kept browsing my iPad for 10 minutes, with the screen away from me – I was extremely flustered. I told him that my iPad has some extremely personal stuff – my financials, my personal notes, my emails. I was told – “Don’t worry”. I waited a bit more – reminded myself they are just doing their job – and when they finally cleared everything – moved on.

On the way back I was thinking – I finally understood the “invasion of privacy” everybody keeps talking about. These guys didn’t need a warrant – and were basically reading my emails, watching my personal pictures for 15 minutes. So I came in and started reading about this.

Apparently, people have had much worse experiences.  The Ombudsman have actually published a 38 page report, in 2010 -  ADMINISTRATION OF COERCIVE POWERS IN PASSENGER PROCESSING, which also includes responses from the Australian Customs and Border Security.

People have complained about having the files from their computer copied over. For some people, the electronic devices including their cell phones have been confiscated for a month!  There are detailed responses for the individual complaints – which give a good background as to why this is necessary, and why no explanation can be provided. I’ll let you read the document in detail if something like this bothers you – like it bothered me for a little while. I am now at peace again.    

Meanwhile Rubal on hearing the story told me – the way you look after 2 days of traveling (like a shabby smuggler) … I would stop you for questioning as well. 

How to avoid giving sa password to Dynamics GP users

I am often asked this question by all the good IT managers – How can we minimize the usage of ‘sa’ with Dynamics GP ? Quite often I can jot down the answer specific to the user’s setup.

In the “ What to Know Before the Auditors Ask:  Risk Management & Controls in Microsoft Dynamics GP” today,  Andrew Snook from FastPath pointed to a whitepaper they have written on this very topic. Go check it out at http://www.gofastpath.com/newsroom/ctl/articleview/mid/444/articleid/29/fastpath-white-paper--minimizing-the-use-of-sa-in-microsoft-dynamics-gp.aspx

Here’s Mark and Andy all enthused in this fully booked session.

GPUG Pre-Game General Session

The GPUG Pre-Game general session came in with some nice announcements – most importantly – Dynamics GP 2013 SP1 will be available mid April.

Jesse Byam, Etelligent Solutions, Inc set things off. Canadian guy in shorts, in freezing weather, certain thing - nobody got bored.

 

Jay Manley – took over with the important announcements.

Kim Peterson- came in to start the MVP session

 

The MVPs tacking the questions

• Belinda Allen
• Frank Hamelly
• Mark Polino
• Mariano Gomez
• Leslie Vail

 

 

I was thrilled to be in such fantastic company, and we took upon interesting questions ranging from – “What keeps you up at night” to “Impact of new limited users”.

Also announced was the shiny new GPUG Community site - http://community.gpug.com

I want that Dynamics GP Demo Now!

Well ERP prospects always want the Demo – “now”! John Dooley, Dynamics GP PTA and his team have come up with an intermediate solution for all the overworked consultants.

Dynemo-is a demonstration tool that can help deliver the first demos relatively quickly. Its aimed at helping sales people to do and or drive early simple demos.

In a few simple steps – Dynemo can create a clickable demonstration, create an email with case studies and an invitation. If you are running the GP Demo Virtual Image, it can create the clickable shortcuts for you as well!

Go check out John’s post at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/captain_stack/archive/2012/12/17/dynemo.aspx

 

 

 

RapidStart for Dynamics GP–A must see set of tools

Imagine configuring new companies in Dynamics GP in minutes rather than hours or days. In the Rapid Implementation session at (GPUG Pre-Game) – Jay, Gloria and Scott showed how they have done this in the past few months. Dynamics GP has great new tools for speeding up configurations, migrations for new implementations – RapidStart. Microsoft is going to start marketing this tool heavily, so make sure you are up to speed with the tool!

This session had the following stalwarts -

• Jay Manley (Sr. Product Manager – Microsoft)
• Gloria J. Braunschweig, (CMA President)
• Scott Dimmick (Practice Manager – Tribridge)

 

Naturally, the seasoned Dynamics GP consultants would go – well that would only work in some cases. And, you would be absolutely right! What I loved in Rapid start was the ability to create templates that you could reuse across industries.

RapidStart comes with inbuilt integrations for Quickbooks, Peachtree and excel templates that can be used with other software.

 

However, this being the first version there are some caveats -

• Not all modules are supported (project accounting / canadian payroll, australian GST to name a few )
• The tool does a complete sync of all setups supported (not a partial sync)

Still it would be a great starting point, and all GP Partners should be looking at this. Get the tool for FREE at 

RapidStart Download Page
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/deployment/resources/migrationtools/MSDGP2013RapidStart

For more information about the Rapid Implementation Tools, please visit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=4071

Gloria has written a book on Rapid Implementation – check it out at http://rapidimplementation.com/

ERP Software Blog has a video at

 

RapidStart for GP 2013

Meet me at Convergence 2013!

I will be making the 25 hour trip from Perth to New  Orleans – and am looking forward to catching up with all of you attending Convergence this year. Unfortunately ‘the David Musgrave’ is not making the trip – so he has asked me to take Tim Tams for any of you fans out there. Let me know if you want a special flavour, and I’ll grab a few for you.  

I’ll be at the the Ask the GP MVPs session at GPUG Pre-Game, and the Dynamics GP Expo during Convergence at the times below.  Anyway, I shouldn't be difficult to miss. 

GPUG Pre-Game (Mar 17)

1:00pm - 2:30pm :  General Session with Ask the MVPs Session

 

 

Convergence – Dynamics GP Expo

• Mar 18 [5.30 PM to 7 PM] – Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client
• Mar 19 [ 4 PM to 6 PM] – Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client
• Mar 20 [4 PM to 6 PM] - BI and Reporting
• Mar 21 [10.30 AM to 12.30 PM] – Dynamics GP 20130 System

I am looking forward to attending the following presentations and sessions by Dynamics GP MVPs (Mark Polino, Mariano Gomez, Belinda Allen, John Lowther Frank Hamelly, Charles  Allen, Leslie Vail and other experts in the Microsoft Dynamics world.    

Reconciliation Best Practices in Microsoft Dynamics GP CSGP08-R2
Thursday, March 21   5:30 PM - 6:30 PM   Room: 271-273
Speaker(s): Frank Hamelly

Getting Better Reporting with Business Analyzer for Microsoft Dynamics GP CSGP09-R1
Wednesday, March 20   11:00 AM - 12:00 PM   Room: 278-280
Speaker(s): Brian Meier

50 Tips in 50 Minutes for Microsoft Dynamics GP: The Next Generation CSGP12-R2
Wednesday, March 20   11:00 AM - 12:00 PM   Room: Theater C
Speaker(s): Mark Polino

Building Dashboards with Microsoft Dynamics GP & Microsoft Excel CSGP13-R2
Thursday, March 21   2:30 PM - 3:30 PM   Room: 278-280
Speaker(s): Jared Hall, Mark Polino

New Users in Microsoft Dynamics GP: Introduction CSGP26-R2
Thursday, March 21   4:00 PM - 5:00 PM   Room: 278-280
Speaker(s): Beat Bucher, Mark Polino
 
Microsoft Dynamics GP for Prospects CSGP27-R1
Tuesday, March 19   3:30 PM - 4:30 PM   Room: 281-282
Speaker(s): Belinda Allen, Craig Crescas
 
The Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Debugging Tool CSGP30
Thursday, March 21   2:30 PM - 3:30 PM   Room: La Nouvelle AB
Speaker(s): Mariano Gomez

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client For Smaller Companies CSGP32-R2
Thursday, March 21   5:30 PM - 6:30 PM   Room: La Nouvelle AB
Speaker(s): Daryl Anderson, Kevin Racer, Mariano Gomez
 
Microsoft Dynamics GP Project Accounting for Advanced Users DDGP04
Wednesday, March 20   9:00 AM - 10:30 AM   Room: 281-282
Microsoft Dynamics GP
Speaker(s): Abby Moore, Sandra Dodge
Deep Dive

Getting Inspired with Microsoft Dynamics GP GENGP01
Tuesday, March 19   11:00 AM - 12:00 PM   Room: Hall IJ
Speaker(s): Andy Hafer, Bob McAdam, Brian Meier, Chad Sogge, Errol Schoenfish, Jay Manley, Jeff Trosen, Jennifer Ranz, Mariano Gomez, Mark Polino
General Session

Sex, Lies & Refreshable Excel Reports UBGP09
Monday, March 18   12:00 PM - 1:00 PM   Room: 343-345
Speaker(s): Mark Polino

Wait! Don’t Check that Box: Learn Your Setup Options in Financials UBGP11
Monday, March 18   12:00 PM - 1:00 PM   Room: 352
Speaker(s): Leslie Vail

What to Know Before the Auditors Ask:  Risk Management & Controls in Microsoft Dynamics GP UBGP12
Monday, March 18   1:30 PM - 2:30 PM   Room: 350-351
Speaker(s): Andrew Snook, Mark Polino

Read the following Posts regarding convergence sessions -

• The Dynamics GP Blogster: Microsoft Dynamics Convergence is around the corner!
• Counting down to the Convergence Closing Celebration: Spark The Future! - Microsoft Dynamics Convergence - Site Root - Microsoft Dynamics Community
• DynamicAccounting.net: Convergence 2013
• Book Reveals The Benefits of Rapid Implementation

SmartConnect for GP 2013 Released

eOne has just announced that - SmartConnect Now Compatible with GP 2013

I was definitely waiting for this announcement, as SmartConnect is my tool of choice for integrations to Dynamics GP.