I noticed today the following message from a GP user on GPUG Collaborate:
Does anyone know how to run a trial balance or JE listing out of GP or a Smartlist that shows the date that the entry was originally recorded? For instance, all December 2012 entries that were recorded and posted after January 15, 2013.
Microsoft Partner Rod O'Connor from Briware Solutions gave a great answer regarding how to have this show in SmartList.
Although Rod’s answer was perfect and the best approach to offer a user, I wanted to extend the answer with a video of how this can be added to a Microsoft Dynamics GP General Ledger Trial Balance.
Please note the following Video moves VERY quickly and does NOT explain the whys of what I am doing only the how to. This video would be for those who already know how to use the Microsoft Dynamics GP Report Writer and want the posting date always included on the Trial Balance.
For More information on GPUG and Collaborate, visit www.GPUG.com.
The picture below was taken from my client's office, I thought it would be fun to share. In the window you see my colleague's image as he took the picture!
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
What is a Kit? (THIS IS DIRECT FROM GP HELP)
An item type assigned to items that consist of other component items that are assembled at the time of sale. The kit is a single item with an item number; it consists of one or more component items in your inventory. Component items can be services, sales inventory, discontinued, miscellaneous charge, and flat fee items.
Kit items consist of other component items. Quantities on hand won’t be tracked for items you designate as kits. However, current costs are associated with these items, and the quantity sold will be tracked when the items are assembled at the time of sale. When you post a transaction that contains a kit item, amounts will be posted to the Sales account specified for the kit item and the Inventory account and Cost of Goods Sold account for each of the component items in each kit.
Even if you select Kit as the item type for a class of items, you can sell components as separate items if you want to.
So what does this mean to you?
I always use the example of buying a Big Mac at McDonald’s. You buy a Big Mac and that is what you see on your receipt, 1 Big Mac. McDonald’s does not keep Big Mac’s in inventory. They do keep in inventory:
- 2 All Beef Patties
- Special Sauce
- Lettuce
- Cheese
- Pickles
- Onions
- Sesame Seed Bun.
So when you buy a Big Mac, you are reducing their inventory for all of the above. If you do not want Cheese on your Big Mac, your receipt will say “Big Mac w/no Cheese.” Then you are reducing the following from inventory:
- 2 All Beef Patties
- Special Sauce
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Onions
- Sesame Seed Bun.
This is a great way to offer promotions by combining items. A good example of this is McDonald’s Happy Meals. It consist of:
- Hamburger
- Small fries
- Small Coke
- Toy.
McDonalds can then capture how many burgers they sold (with and without the Happy Meal,) and independently track how many Happy Meals they sold.
I do not know what McDonald’s uses for an Accounting/ERP system, but if you use Sales order Processing, I’m sure you can think of a lot of opportunities by using Kits. They are easy to setup and easy to use!
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
The Outstanding Transactions Report in Microsoft Dynamics GP Bank Reconciliation is a report worthy of attention. Although almost every posting report in GP can be reprinted at a later point in time, this information cannot.
Items worthy of noting about this report:
- This is not a posting Report. This report is a snapshot of what your system looks like at the time of printing the report.
- This report supports the Bank Reconciliation Posting report. In other words, the Microsoft Dynamics GP report that explains the difference between what the bank says you have and what GP says you have. But the Reconciliation report only shows the differences in Summary, so the GP Outstanding Transaction report shows the detail AND summarizes so it matches the posting report.
- You should always review what is outstanding and old. I have found all kinds of problems while reviewing this report, such as:
- Checks written to vendors that the vendor never received.
- Transactions made incorrectly in GP.
- Bank Errors.
Trust me, this report is WORTHY of printing!
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
During a recent Microsoft Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG) training course, one of the attendees asked me how we made the screens a different color. The answer? The Support Debugging Tool.
OK, this brings up another question, “What is the Support Debugging Tool?”
The Support Debugging Tool (SDT) is a free application that was designed to make developing, supporting and debugging Microsoft Dynamics GP easier. Each release of this tool adds more and more powerful utilities aimed at achieving its purpose.
Do you have to be a developer to get value from it? No!!! This video shows me installing and using the SDT to simple change the colors of my screens. No, not just for aesthetics (although there is nothing wrong with having a pretty screen. But, if you have multiple companies/databases. You can achieve real value by having each one a different color for easy identification! See, pretty can be practical!
Although this tool is free, you must obtain it from your Microsoft Partner. Meanwhile, enjoy the video and make sure to visit the Support Debugging Tool Portal.
http://aka.ms/SDT
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
I have a Distribution Client who uses Sales Order Processing (or SOP) in Microsoft Dynamics GP. As this client fills orders, they handle each order one at a time. In a previous blog posting, I demonstrate how I suggest using batches to save time in the following areas:
- Transfer from Backorder to Order
- Printing Orders and Packing Slips
- Transferring to Invoices
- Printing or emailing Invoices
- Posting Invoices
There is an alternative to transferring SOP documents by individual document or batches, called “Sales Multiple Orders to Invoice Transfer.”
This window is available only if you’re using sales fulfillment workflow.
From GP HELP
- Transfers window to transfer orders and back orders to invoices. (Does not work with Quotes or Invoices)
- You can transfer groups of documents with the same characteristics, such as: batch ID, customer ID, or requested ship date.
- A separate invoice is created for each order or back order.
- You also can specify how to handle item quantity shortages and kit quantity shortages.
- If the document exceeds the customer’s credit limit and you are using customer credit limit override workflow, you can submit the document for approval.
- If you are using customer credit limit override workflow, orders that exceed the customer’s credit limit won’t be transferred if they aren’t approved. You can transfer orders that don’t need approval.
Watch the Video, it’s a pretty cool feature!
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
I have a Distribution Client who uses Sales Order Processing (or SOP) in Microsoft Dynamics GP. As this client fills orders, they handle each order one at a time. In this video I demonstrate how I suggest using batches to save time in the following areas:
- Transfer from Backorder to Order
- Printing Orders and Packing Slips
- Transferring to Invoices
- Printing or emailing Invoices
- Posting Invoices
If you use Deposits, or any of the fields at the bottom of the invoice, you’ll need to make sure you do this. A Good practice is to always select to include Totals and Deposits!
From GP HELP
- If you are using sales quote workflow, quotes must be approved or they won’t be transferred. If you are using customer credit limit override workflow, orders, fulfillment orders, and invoices must be approved or they won’t be transferred. You can transfer documents that don’t need approval.
- If you mark Back Order All or Back Order Balance, the back order for these quantities won’t be created when you transfer the original document. You must open the new document and transfer it to a back order.
We all need to remember that sometimes altering our business processes slightly can save us time and make us more efficient. Do not get trapped in the “We’ve always done it that way” routine!
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
My Friend and fellow Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP, Mark Polino write an amazing book. I thought I would share my review with you. If you use Excel, you should consider adding this book to your bookshelf!
This is a great step by step guide for a tool that almost everyone owns and uses, “Excel.”
I’m excited to have this book in my library. Pivot Tables are such a powerful tool, and this book guides readers through steps that are both easy to understand and duplicate. With the focus being on Excel 2013, this is a great tool for any Excel user.
As I started writing this review, I made notes of my favorite topics and found too many to list here so I just grabbed my top 5:
- Security
- Manual vs. Automatic Refresh
- PowerPivot
- GP Drillbacks
- Conditional Formatting
This is a Great Excel Resource!
More InformationBelinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
My friend, and editor of www.MSDynamicsWorld.com, Jason Gumpert attended Microsoft Dynamics Convergence in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. He sat 5 Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP's (myself included) down for a chat during the conference. As will happen we get together, there was a lot of laughing, joking and talk of Microsoft. Luckily for Jason, he brought a recorded so he documented snippets of our conversation.
Left to right: Jon Lowther, Leslie Vail, Me (and my Surface Pro), Mark Polino, Dara Polino (Mark's Wife and personal MVP) and Jivtesh Singh.
Below is a link to his article:
http://msdynamicsworld.com/story/microsoft-dynamics-gp-mvps-reflect-convergence-2013-experience
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070
What an exhausting day at Microsoft Dynamics Convergence for GP, SL, NAV, AX and CRM. Whew. I’ve attended quite a few sessions today and have filled my head with all kinds of ideas I can share you all in the coming weeks.
I started the day today having a very early breakfast with my fellow MVP’s attending Convergence this year. It was a great chance to meet and re-kindle relationships with other Dynamics people.
Then it was off to a deep dive in Project Accounting, then 50 tips for Dynamics GP, a session on the benefits of joining GPUG (GP user Group) and finally creating Dashboards with Excel.
Microsoft’s Jared Hall showed GREAT dashboard that is available for free on the Microsoft website.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/gp/archive/2012/11/06/business-intelligence-investigation.aspx
Above is the link to the Microsoft blog where you can download this cool tool. One of the tabs provides you with instructions on how to set it up. Yes, it’s FREE!
I used this same dashboard (with ratios and CRM data removed) during my session yesterday “GP for Prospects.”
Belinda (the GP CSI) AllenBelinda@saci.com917-445-9070