08 FebIntelius-Your Saver and Your Weapon

Now, you have the best and the right weapon to defeat all the companies which have been manipulated you with some tricks. What is that? Just take a good look to the websites or the sides which provide you the services of the Intelius. There are many websites and the other companies which provide you the services of the best way to detect the scam companies which have brought all your investments to it. The scam companies might admit that they are the branch of the named companies but actually they are not. They only want to get the new project of their companies with the wrong way.
And what should you do with the service of the Intelius? Intelius will offer and provide you the background checks for you in order you may know all the information about the companies which have been running away from you after they had practiced the frauds to you. This will make you easy to find and easy to correct all the wrong things between you as a consumer and the companies which sell the products and the services to you. If you still doubt, let me tell you that the Intelius were found by the Microsoft Employee and it use the Info Space system.
If you have prepared to use the services of the Intelius, you may also get the theft protections. You will be able to protect your self anymore. And there will no scam companies who try to manipulate you that they are on behalf of the named companies. You have to be the smart people who can overcome all the manipulations because you have experienced with the last companies which manipulated you. Intelius may give you the theft protection and offer you the background checks. Just save your money!

23 FebWhy are Logos Important?



That’s a question that big companies pay millions and millions of dollars to advertising companies to help bolster their branding so that consumers like you and me will remember who they are and to buy their products.  Logo’s are like good slogans or good jingles.  Everybody tends to remember them if you got a good one.  I’m sure if you ask every guy what the theme song to ESPN is, most guys would know how it went.  That’s how effective a good jingle is on the minds of consumers.  The use of slogans are important as well, I recently played a game where it listed 10 slogans and it was amazing how most people recognized them because of how effective their advertising works.

Logo’s may be just as recognizable as say a slogan or a jingle but they also provide a great way to make your company recognizable.  The logos can be shapes of objects or just the words of the company.  Some prominent examples of logos using just words are, Microsoft, Coke, IBM and 3M.  Some great examples of companies using shapes can be Apple, AT&T, McDonalds, and Nike.  Nike is probably most recognized of the bunch since so much advertising is done using the Nike “swoosh”.  It has become implanted into not only sports fans, but anybody who buys a shoe.

Therefore it is important to find a logo that is simple and easier to recognize.  What can be more simply than just the name of the company.  It is easily recognizable since the logo is the name of the company.  Some companies do a mixture of the two and can be just as effective.  Pair this up with a great slogan and it all adds up to a company that has great brand recognition and is easily remembered.  Brand recognition is important when you’re trying to make a buck.  Therefore logo design is as critical as any part of your business.

20 JanMicrosoft Dynamics GP Modifications: Extender, Dexterity, eConnect notes

Article by Andrew Karasev

If you have Dynamics GP, formerly known as Great Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise implemented in your organization, the second phase is to think about precise business logic mapping and implementing via customizations and light modifications. This small publication is to get you some initial info on such Dynamics GP modification tools, as Extender, Microsoft Dexterity and eConnect. We are trying to keep balance between being too technical and not being too “executive level FAQ”. Dynamics GP is Corporate ERP, designed for mid-market, and this should mean for you that GP programming might not be apparent and if you have generic Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB.Net programmers in IT staff, you should be realistic and not expect them to become Dynamics GP Dexterity programmers over night, over week or even over month:

1. Extender. It is the shell coded in Microsoft Dexterity. You can modify Dynamics GP with Extender by building new windows, interfaced to major GP modules, such as Sales Order Processing Transactions. In the Extender version, available directly from Microsoft Business Solutions you do not have the option to attach Sanscript Dexterity scripts to the objects. If scripts are desirable, you may consider to purchase Extender Enterprise directly from eOne Solutions – original Extender Dynamics GP ISV partner in Australia. In Extender Enterprise with Dynamics GP Version 10.0 there is no way to debug your Sanscript code, so it should be verified and probably be debugged in Microsoft Dexterity

2. Microsoft Dexterity, formerly known as Great Plains Dexterity. This tool was initial architecture for Great Plains Dynamics. GP Dexterity was coded as a shell in C++ programming language to abstract Dynamics from Database Platform and Operating System dependencies back in earlier 1990th. Dexterity is traditional software development tool for Dynamics GP and majority of the add-ons are coded in Dex. You can get maximum on Dexterity if you are working for Dynamics GP Dexterity Source Code Partner and have access to Dynamics GP Source Code (Dynamics.Dic with original Sanscript codes in it – Dynamics.dic, coming from Customer Purchased Dynamics GP CD comes with Sanscript codes stripped off). Dexterity can modify virtually all the Dynamics GP window without restrictions, plus you can build new tables, forms, windows, triggers. If you are Dexterity Sanscript programmer with ten or more years of experience – Dynamics GP customization is familiar land for you and you are unlimited in your abilities. If you do not have Dexterity developers with two years experience in staff, consider outsourcing Dynamics GP Dexterity programming project to Great Plains Technology Partner

3. eConnect for Microsoft Dynamics GP. This tool and SDK was initially dedicated to Great Plains eCommerce software developers to open GP Accounting Back Office realm for ecommerce shopping cart integration. Typically ecommerce shopping cart is integrated into GP Sales Order Processing Invoice with Credit Card Payment in the form of Customer Deposit. eConnect was introduced for Great Plains Dynamics version 7.0, and later on it was expanded to other GP modules: General Ledger, Purchase Order Processing, Inventory Control, Receivable Management, Payable Management, Payroll, Project accounting to name few examples. In our personal opinion, eConnect came to its maturity in Dynamics GP version 9.0, so we recommend you to upgrade your Microsoft Dynamics GP system to current version 10.0 or at least to 9.0. eConnect has to follow Dynamics GP architecture restrictions, this is why it is impossible to post ecommerce batches (or any GP batches) from eConnect application directly. If you need automatic batch posting directly from eConnect integration project, consider deploying Alba Spectrum Posting Server add-on

4. How to get help? Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com We are very technical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK programming gurus. We have Great Plains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GP Customization and Programming needs. Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technical consultants. If you prefer skype: albaspectrum

17 JanMicrosoft Dynamics GP User Training Notes

Article by Andrew Karasev

The best results in user training for your Corporate ERP application could be achieved if trainer role is performed by your original Dynamics GP Implementation consultant. In that case you do not have to waste your users time and concentration on the features and procedures, which are not directly related to their day to day Dynamics GP data entry routines. Plus Dynamics GP is often precise setup and even data driven application, and abstract training course might be too generic for the accounting system user even to recognize screens and their sequence during training narration. We recommend you to take so-called “precise” Microsoft Dynamics GP training, where each user or users group is trained on the copy of their production system (often referred as Test company) with designing the best possible procedure to enter data, approve documents, post batches or individual transactions, print out and save required or recommended reports. Also, we realized in our decade long consulting practice that the best results in Corporate ERP implementation and following ongoing support could be achieved if you make customer IT department trained in Dynamics GP technical in-house support: having familiarized with Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Source, looking for known issues in Dynamics GP Knowledge Base, opening support cases with MBS technicians, applying Dynamics GP Service Packs as part of regular system maintenance, monitoring SQL backup and being able to restore GP transactions up to the specified moment of time. Let’s review precise so-called Functional and Technical training:

1. Dynamics GP Functional Training. It is for end users, where your Dynamics GP functional consultant reviews users duties in entering and updating data in GP. Your employees, who are also Great Plains users, may have healthy and intensive workload and they may not necessary have time and energy to do Dynamics GP self discovery (even after taking formal Dynamics GP training class). Precise training is lead by your GP consultant, who is familiar with your system setup and business processes, and who can suggest improvements by reviewing recommended procedures in Dynamics GP (possibly something like modified Report Writer report, Dexterity small customization, additional FRx report, Integration Manager integration, Dynamics GP ISV add-on module, placing and releasing batch holds to secure approval cycle in documents reviewing, editing and posting). We tried to give you few examples of what precise functional Corporate ERP training could give your users

2. Dynamics GP Technical Training. This training type is for IT people, associated networking consultants, internal or consulting programmers, whom you trust in your company IT administering. If you are company owner or executive, you may like the idea to cover Corporate ERP technical micromanagement internally and have your (often expensive) Dynamics GP consultant to cover serious steps and support needs (such as new module implementation, Dynamics GP version update, new ecommerce website integration, etc.). Technical Dynamics GP training may cover such topics as SQL maintenance plans, GP new user workstation installation, batch recovery, GP Service Pack applying, Crystal Reports design for GP, new users setup (including security roles assignment, giving access to modified forms and reports, access to specific companies in GP)

3. Additional Dynamics GP Training Considerations. Remote support technologies, such as web sessions, VOIP, VPN are advancing. We recommend you to compare pluses and minuses of local versus Nationwide remote support in selecting Microsoft Dynamics GP training partner. Here you should raise the following questions: is local support available at all? is local support price feasible? do local Dynamics GP trainers have my industry expertise? Remote support dedicated companies typically carry profound expertise, as they can afford dedicate consultants to specific industry niches, verticals, etc. Also, do not lock your organization with one provider, until they proof absolute reliability, try to have second opinion Dynamics GP partner ready to be activated as soon as needed

4. Please, give us a call 1-866-528-0577 help@albaspectrum.com

05 JanMicrosoft Dynamics GP Deployment and User Training Notes

Article by Andrew Karasev

If your organization plans to deploy Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly also known as Great Plains Dynamics, eEnterprise and its predecessor Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac, we would like to offer you this small introduction level publication. Dynamics GP is good fit for mid-size business, plus it has Corporate ERP solutions for non profit (including Grant Management), discrete manufacturing, project organization, field service, generic Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing, Bill of Materials – these are some of the examples, where Dynamics GP should be considered as proposed Corporate ERP application. Dynamics GP could be integrated with such systems as Microsoft RMS (for mid-size or smaller retailers), various eCommerce platforms (both Business 2 Business and Business 2 Customer with advanced shopping cart and credit card processing features), Microsoft Dynamics CRM (in the case of marketing and sales oriented organization). Plus there are numerous Dynamics GP ISV add-ons or third party modules, which could cover your industry niche, and of course you can modify or customize Dynamics GP to fit your unique business requirements:

1. Microsoft Dynamics GP Sales Cycle. You should consider several Corporate ERP candidates and if one of them is Microsoft Dynamics GP, please request demo, see our video presentations, request business processes mapping and modules selection from your Dynamics GP Partner candidate. Currently Dynamics GP is sold with Business Ready licenses, where you are getting set of modules included into user license (Business Ready for narrow set of modules and Advanced Management for richer functionality)

2. Microsoft Dynamics GP Installation. As this is mid-market Corporate ERP, installation should be done by your Dynamics GP Partner (typically you contract the same organization to implement GP from whom you purchased GP software licenses)

3. GP Implementation. This process typically has several phases: Data Conversion (preferably in Test mode, as you may expect multiple iterations), precise user training, related to your Dynamics GP users day-to-day duties (you can also consider send your GP users to generic training centers to help them in GP general interface browsing, plus be familiar with GP functionality on the theoretic level)

4. GP Customizations. As Microsoft Dynamics GP could be considered as Corporate ERP Platform, ready for required tailoring and modification, and especially when your organization is larger company with sophisticated business processes, modifications should be natural and Dynamics GP has multiple tools and customization options: Microsoft Dexterity, eConnect, Extender, Modifier with VBA, Web Services, SDK. In our opinion GP custom programming should be given to professional Dynamics GP developers

5. Great Plains Integrations. Please, review GP Integration Manager modules, as it is user friendly and should cover most of the integration needs, including quasi real time EDI and eCommerce shopping cart integrations. If you would like to call GP integration functionality directly from your ecommerce web application, consider eConnect SDK libraries to be included into your Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB.Net project

6. Dynamics GP User Training. In our opinion, the most efficient option is precise training, based on GP user procedures and provided by Microsoft Dynamics GP implementation consultant. You may also consider GP technical training for your IT people and even in-house programmers, especially in Microsoft SQL Server Backup and Maintenance Plans, disaster recovery strategies, user workstations installations, FRx client setup. Plus, you can even request Microsoft Dexterity programming training, related to your specific customization goals (might be feasible if you expect large Dynamics GP custom programming project and you would like to develop it inhouse)

7. Microsoft Dynamics GP Deployment Internationally. If your company is expanding internationally: Brazil, China, Japan, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, France, Thailand, Indonesia, please be aware that Dynamics GP is not localized for these countries (GP is localized for USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Spanish Speaking Latin America and Caribbean). We recommend you reliable tandem of SAP Business One (overseas office) and Microsoft Dynamics GP (US Headquarters)

8. Microsoft Dynamics GP, Great Plains Dynamics, Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac upgrade. Simplest upgrade is from Dynamics GP 9.0 or 8.0 to current version 10.0 (January 1010, Microsoft Dynamics GP 11.0 should be released in May 2010, version upgrade path is not known at this time, please read our future publications), it requires appropriate Service Pack and one step upgrade. if you are on older version, allow some budget, as you will need two or more steps