Great Plains Reseller Newsflash: GP customization
Dynamics GP ERP is very robust platform for implementing custom business processes as addition to existing ERP and MRP logic.
As Great Plains Dynamics is targeting mid-size and even
large companies, you should expect that modification flexibility comes with
certain level of technology complexity, where you should not expect generic
programmer to turn around in couple of days and begin to program such
proprietary Great Plains tools, as Microsoft Dexterity. However it is probably fair to say, that
Visual Studio C# or VB .Net programmer should be able to modify and design
Great Plains integrations in new SDK ? eConnect. In this small publication we would like to
give you orientation session on Great Plains modification tools:
1.
eConnect.
This tool is the one that you try, when you are doing integration of
your external application to Great Plains Dynamics GP. Good example is e-commerce web site project
with shopping cart, turning to Sales Order Processing order or Invoice. We recommend you eConnect, even if you think
that simple ecommerce integration should be naturally done in MS SQL Server
Stored procedures. eConnect if fact is
written in stored procedures (however procedure code is encrypted and you can
not use it as the reference) ? so it leads you on the new level, where you
manipulate Great Plains objects: Customer, Vendor, GL account, Inventory Item,
Sales Order.
2.
Dynamics GP Dexterity. This tool is in essence GP application shell,
and Great Plains is programmed in Dexterity on the core level: tables, forms,
fields, triggers, etc. Dex, however is
not as open to you as eConnect, and it is rather proprietary technology, plus
if you are end customer and not a Dynamics GP VAR, you have to purchase
Dexterity programming license from Microsoft in order to do in-house Dexterity
development. So, assuming that you are
contracting Dynamics GP technology partner with Dexterity Software Development
factory, you should be ready to design large or small scale unique add-on for
your organization
3.
VBA and Modifier. Here you add fields in Modifier and attach
VBA scripts to them, if you need to work with data insert and extraction,
please use ADO connection. VBA/Modifier
requires customization site enabler license
4.
Extender.
This toll is the module, created in Dexterity and it opens to end user
and often to somebody who is very familiar with technology, but who is not a
programmer, to extend or modify Great Plains screens, plus create new ones
5.
GP Integration Manager. Being excellent tool for integrating, it also
has limited instruments, allowing you to alter integration logic through VBA
scripts, translation tables , etc.
About the author
Tags: core level, custom business, dexterity software development, ecommerce integration, econnect, external application, great plains dynamics, inventory item, level tables, mid size, modification tools, ms sql server, orientation session, proprietary technology, robust platform, sql server stored procedures, technology complexity, technology partner, visual studio c, web site project