1. Lunch and Learn: Customer Solutions ShootoutVS
Amber J. Bell vs. Rod O’Connor
Training Dynamo, LLC vs. Briware Solutions Inc.
@GPUG

2. amber j. bell training dynamo, llc
Experience:
Over 15 Years as a GP Consultant
Sent in as the “Fixer” when things went crazy!
Specialties: Fixing Broken GP Implementations, Setting Up GP so you can’t break it again!
Favorite GP Modules: SOP, POP, and Inventory…and Bank Rec.
@GPUG

3. GPUG Summit Session List

4. Solution #1: System Assessment
Fresh set of eyes on your current system.
Ask for a list of which items will be reviewed.
Ask for a written assessment of what changes are recommended.
@GPUG

5. Solution #2: Review Default posting Accounts
Transaction
Item
Customer or Vendor
Posting Accounts Setup
If you only have 1 control account, set it in the Posting Accounts window.
Be careful if you are adding the control account on the Customer or Vendor!!
Review Customer and Vendor Setup in SmartList

6. Solution #3: Vendor Setup via SmartList
Start with Vendor Balance (Built-In SmartList Favorite)
Add columns for:
Vendor Class ID
Payment Terms
1099 Setup Info
Default GL Accounts
DEMO!
@GPUG

7. Solution #4: SmartList for Unprinted checks
Works with SmartList Builder or Designer (Free with newer GP versions)
Tip is available on GPUG or I can to you:
DEMO!!
@GPUG

8. Solution #5: Field Level Security
Hide confidential information
Prevent User Errors
Demo!
@GPUG

9. amber j. bell training dynamo, llc
Phone: (203) Website: Blog:
@GPUG

10. Rod O’Connor Briware solutions Inc.
Experience:
Started career in accounting, then programming.
ERP Consultant since 2000.
Specialties: Translating business language into geek speak, streamlining business processes with technology.
Favorite GP Modules: Depends on the day and the project I am working on. Currently have to say Workflow 2.0 and Project Accounting.
@GPUG

11. The problems
Customer 1: Previous fiscal years have been closed. Closing for current fiscal year is showing incorrect value for Retained Earnings.
Customer 2: Customer is upgrading from GP 10.0 to 2015R2. This means conversion from FRx to MR. After conversion, 1 company – the only one using AA – is showing numbers that are wildly different from GP Balances. The GP Balances are correct.
@GPUG

12. The analysis - Customer 1
We found that the problem had existed but went undetected in 2014 YE close.
Further research showed that the 2014 BBF entry (created by 2013 YE Close) was missing the P/L portion so that Retained Earnings beginning balance had not been updated for 2013 Net Income.
Before you ask, no we never went back and tried to root cause that one.
In case you’re not sure, BBF stands for Balance Brought Forward.
Customer is on GP2010, meaning we could not reopen FY2013
Can only reopen 1 historical year in this version of GP
Customer was not ready for an upgrade project (GP2013R2 and higher allows you to reopen multiple historical years)
@GPUG

13. The SOLUTION - Customer 1
Using SQL, we added the P/L portion of the 2014 BBF entry directly to the GL30000 table
GL30000 is where transactions for all closed years are stored
We created one line per P&L Account, summing DEBITAMT – CRDTAMNT for all transactions
We added the BBF Line for the Retained earnings which was the sum of all the P&L Lines
Back in GP, we used “Reconcile Financial Information” utility to reconcile 2013, 2014, and 2015 Account Summary data
(Financial -> Utilities -> Financial -> Reconcile)
Note: This fix would not be supported by Microsoft
But it worked!!
@GPUG

14. The analysis - Customer 2
AA is pretty notorious for having data issues. There is a SQL Script available through Microsoft support that helps identify these issues.
Common AA data issues include:
Mismatched currencies between GL and AA
Mismatched Line Sequence Numbers between GL and AA
Differences in GL Posting Date
Duplicate records in AA
Missing records in AA
We identified through these scripts that data issues have existed with AA for this customer as far back as FY 2010.
Most likely, these went unnoticed as FRx does not look at AA data unless it is specifically told to do so…and then it only looks at the specific AA data you ask for.
MR looks at data a bit more holistically. Since each element of your account – including account category and AA Dimensions – are treated as related dimensions, any data issue is reflected everywhere. For example, if AA has a duplicate record then everything associated with that AA dimension is doubled.
@GPUG

15. The solution – Customer 2
Upgrade Dynamics GP version to 2015R2
Using the “Reverse Historical Year” routine, re-open fiscal years 2016 – 2010
You always start with the most recently closed FY
Mahmoud AlSaadi (Microsoft MVP) has a good post on this routine here:
Starting in 2010, for each fiscal year:
Execute Microsoft Scripts
Correct any other known issues
Close Year
Rebuild MR Datamart (
Verify YE Balances between MR and GP
@GPUG

16. Some notes on that one…
Do this in a test environment first! (and second, and third)
Users are required to be out of GP completely while you are reopening/closing years
The MS Scripts did not find everything for us. By spending the time to find other issues in test, the required down time for users was minimized. Some of the issues took hours to find.
If you screw up in test, who cares? Document the mistake, and it’s resolution, in case it happens at go live.
There is potential that previously reported values will be changed (corrected). Finding that in test allows the financial reporting team to decide what to do about that before you go to production.
Ask yourself: “What would Bob McAdam do?”
Take backups at every single step!
Validate each year individually before moving to the next.
This is a (mostly) Microsoft supported solution.
@GPUG

17. Questions, Comments, applause & accolades?
Rod O’Connor
844-BRIWARE, ext 3159
(cell)
@Briware_Rod