Software Information

Microsoft Great Plains Integration with Microsoft Access - Overview for Developer


 
Microsoft Business Solutions stakes on Microsoft Great Plains as main Accounting/ERP application for US market.  At the same time it seems to be staking on Navision in Europe and has Axapta as high end large corporation market competitor to Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM.  This article is brief review of Microsoft Great Plains integration with Microsoft Access.  This is also applicable to Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology - Great Plains Dexterity dictionary - DYNAMICS.DIC and runtime DYNAMICS.EXE) and Great Plains Standard on MSDE  or MS SQL Server.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we implement  Great Plains integration/interface  with your MS Access-based  system - read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

  • Great Plains Integration Manager - this is rather end-user tool - it is very intuitive, it validates 100% of business logic, brings in/updates master records (accounts, employees, customers, vendors. etc.) brings in transactions into work tables.  The limitation of Integration Manager - it does use GP windows behind the scenes without showing them - so it is relatively slow - you can bring 100 records - but when you are talking about thousands - it is not a good option.  By the way you can program Integration Manager with VBA.  Microsoft Access is ODBC compliant and so you can do direct Integration Manager query to MS Access
  • eConnect - it is type of Software Development Kit with samples in VB.Net.  Obviously the development environment should be Visual Studio.Net.  eConnect will allow you to integrate master records - such as new customers, vendors, employees, etc., plus you can bring transactions into so called Great Plains work tables (eConnect doesn't allow you to bring open or historical records - you need to post work records in Great Plains, the same limitation applies to Integration Manager above)  eConnect is rather for ongoing integration.  It was initially created for eCommerce application integration to Great Plains.
  • SQL Stored Procedures.  Obviously you have unlimited control and possibilities with SQL queries.  You need to know Great Plains tables structure and data flow.  Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables.  Find the table in the proper series.  If you are looking for the customers - it should be RM00101 - customer master file.  If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents - they are in SOP30200 - Sales History Header file, etc.   Do not change existing tables - do not create new fields, etc.  Also you need to realize that each GP table has DEX_ROW_ID - identity column.  Sometimes it is good idea to use inbound/outbound XML in the parameters - then you can deploy web service as a middle party between two systems.
  • Data Transformation Services (DTS) - Good tool for importing your third party data into staging tables in GP - then you can pull them in using either stored procs of Integration Manager.  You can also deploy this tool for EDI export/import.  You can have DTS working with Linked Server - SQL Server Construction for linking to Microsoft Access
  • Great Plains Dexterity Custom Screens.  Sometimes users prefer to have seamlessly integrated into GP interface custom screens - for parameters settings and initiating integration.  Dexterity is a good option, however remember - it is always better to create new custom screen versus customizing existing one - due to the future upgrade issues.  Also - Dexterity is in phasing our by Microsoft Business Solutions.
  • Modifier/VBA custom buttons on the existing screens -  alternative to Dexterity is you are comfortable with VBA and ADO.
  • SQL Linked Servers - you can do direct SQL queries to other ODBC compliant platform via SQL Linked Server (including Microsoft Access) - you may need to familiarize yourself with OPENROWSET command in Transact SQL.  This is also good option if you need cross-platform Crystal Report - pulling data from SQL Server and third party databases on the same report.
  • Warning - do not place existing GP tables into Replication! - you will have upgrade issues.
  • Happy integrating!  if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

    Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, New York, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Oregon, Arizona, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.


    MORE RESOURCES:

    Polarion Software Makes a Bold Move Into the Software Testing Market With ...
    MarketWatch (press release)
    ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, Feb 07, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Polarion Software, a recognized leader in application lifecycle management, announced today it has further expanded its end-to-end support for software development teams with the launch of ...

    and more »


    eNewsChannels

    TeamF1 Announces Support for Cavium OCTEON® III Multicore MIPS64® Processor Family
    Sacramento Bee
    TeamF1.com), the leader in embedded networking and security software solutions for wired and wireless applications, today announced it will support the new state-of-the art OCTEON® III MIPS64® family of 1 – 48 core multicore processors from Cavium, ...
    6WIND Announces Packet Processing Software Optimized for Cavium's OCTEON® III ...PR Web (press release)
    6WIND Announces Packet Processing Software Optimized For Cavium's OCTEON(R ...Daily Markets (press release)
    MontaVista Software Announces Support for Cavium OCTEON(R) III Multicore ...MarketWatch (press release)
    eNewsChannels
    all 53 news articles »


    Knoa Software Expands Executive Team with Addition of Michael Zuckerman as ...
    MarketWatch (press release)
    NEW YORK, Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Knoa(R) Software, the leading provider of end-user management software, today announced the expansion of its executive team with the addition of Michael Zuckerman as chief marketing officer and vice president.

    and more »


    Advent Software Beats on EPS, but GAAP Results Lag
    DailyFinance
    By Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool Posted 11:02AM 02/07/12 Investing Advent Software (NAS: ADVS) reported earnings on Feb. 6. Here are the numbers you need to know. For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Advent Software beat expectations on revenues and beat ...

    and more »


    Will Advent Software's Next Quarter Be a Bomb?
    DailyFinance
    By Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool Posted 9:45AM 02/07/12 Investing There's no foolproof way to know the future for Advent Software (NAS: ADVS) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and ...
    Advent Software to Host Analyst and Investor Day Event on Friday, May 11, 2012Reuters
    Advent Software Achieves Record Quarterly Revenue of $86 Million and Record ...MarketWatch (press release)
    Advent Software's CEO Discusses Q4 2011 Results - Earnings Call TranscriptTheStreet.com
    NASDAQ
    all 18 news articles »


    Asure Software Announces Time Clock Subscription Program for Workplace ...
    MarketWatch (press release)
    AUSTIN, Texas, Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Asure Software, Inc. (nasdaq-cm:ASUR), a leading provider of workplace management software, today announced that it is offering a monthly time clock subscription program as part of its time and labor ...

    and more »


    ABB to Embed nlyte Software DCIM Suite Into Its New Decathlon Offering to ...
    MarketWatch (press release)
    MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- nlyte Software, the data center infrastructure management (DCIM) solution provider founded by data center professionals for data center professionals, and ABB /quotes/zigman/280841/quotes/nls/abb ABB ...

    and more »


    SCYTL and SOE Software Integrate Their Operations in the United States
    MarketWatch (press release)
    SCYTL, the global leader in secure electronic voting technologies, and SOE Software, the leading software provider of election management solutions, have announced today that they have completed the integration of their respective organizations in the ...

    and more »


    Confio Claims 2011 Growth
    techrockies.com
    Privately held Confio, the Boulder-based maker of database performance management software, reports today that it has 71 percent revenue growth in 2011. The firm--which did not disclose actual revenue numbers--also said it has more than doubled the ...
    Confio Software Finishes 2011 with Soaring GrowthMarketWatch (press release)

    all 7 news articles »


    iWave Software Delivers Product Advancements, Unveils Automator Suite of Solutions
    MarketWatch (press release)
    FRISCO, Texas, Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- iWave Software, a provider of storage and cloud automation solutions, today announced product advancements and a rebranded suite of products called iWave Automator. Unlike traditional IT process ...

    and more »

    Google News

    home | site map
    © 2006