How many of you readers think that SQL Maintenance is something that IT people do and that it doesn’t really affect you? Do you know if routine maintenance is being performed on your databases to keep them running at peak efficiency? Would you run your car without maintenance for months or years without routine maintenance?Recently, while working with one of our Dynamics SL clients we discovered that their SQL Server was not configured with maintenance plans (automated activities setup on a scheduled basis) to optimize and maintain the performance of their databases. They had their SQL Maintenance plan set up to backup their database, but no optimizations were configured. Much like a physical hard drive on your computer can become … [Read more...] about Dynamics ERP and SQL Server Maintenance
Dynamics SL 2011 R2 Enhancements
For our almost 200 Dynamics SL clients here in Minnesota and surrounding states, Dynamics SL 2011 was significant. Most of our clients have upgraded with few issues due to the stability and testing that was done to this product prior to its release.In the end the item that people have liked by far has been the availability of the Quick Query functionality that was added. This tool has been tremendous in terms of raw data dumps that people have wanted for years. Getting data out is no longer a problem due to the fact that this “module” (included with the System Manager for free) gives users access to the data using field names that users see in screens rather than difficult to use database table names with database field names-which … [Read more...] about Dynamics SL 2011 R2 Enhancements
Dynamics SL Quick Query Enhancement
Have you had the experience where a Quick Query in Dynamics SL takes too long to return results for you? You thought what you asked for was a simple query, but it’s taking too long to give you what you need. We used to have the opposite issue with Dynamics GP, where Smartlists (Quick Query equivalent with Dynamics GP) would only return 1000 records regardless of how many records needed to be in the results to get an exhaustive answer to our query.In Dynamics SL, you need to introduce Paging to correct this issue with the performance of your query.Paging is a function that allows for the Quick Query screen not to return huge amounts of data all at once. It is like a Bing or Google search in that you only get one page at a time. The … [Read more...] about Dynamics SL Quick Query Enhancement
Management Reporter and FRx
One of our largest clients on Dynamics GP 2010 asked me why we have not been pushing them to Management Reporter especially since they just upgraded. When I shared with her that MR is improving dramatically and that the performance should be better than FRx within the year, she was quite happy with that answer. This division of a large bank has a lot of transactions and could not spare more time waiting for financial reports to process.Please read the comments and especially the answers about Management Reporter from the Microsoft team. You can tell Microsoft is very committed to improving this product as it supports all 4 ERP platforms, Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, Dynamics NAV, and Dynamics AX.Attached is the link to this timely and … [Read more...] about Management Reporter and FRx
Dynamics SL Recurring Billing for Software and Professional Services Organizations
Software developers have unique needs with regards to renewing software maintenance plans and generating periodic invoices. The Dynamics SL Billing Schedule/Revenue Recognition Schedule screen in Dynamics SL’s Flexible Billings module does a nice job-but the product our product saw yesterday was much better for a firm that has periodic billing needs that can change as more users or software components are added.The product is one that is developed by long-time Dynamics SL ISV Max Q Technologies.Here are some of the things that impressed me about John Pavain’s demonstration to our software developer prospect:The recurring element can be configured in either or both Accounts Receivable as well as Order Management. The product … [Read more...] about Dynamics SL Recurring Billing for Software and Professional Services Organizations
Dynamics SL in the Professional Services Space- An Interview with PSA expert Jon Augdahl
Jon you have implemented many of the usual suspects in the project arena over the past 10 years. You’ve put Epicor into a large advertising agency here in Minneapolis, you’ve implemented Dynamics SL into several offices of an even larger advertising firm. You’ve used and implemented Timberline’s Construction Software product. You’ve also implemented Dynamics GP and its project series for a software consulting firm.Jack Boyer: With all of this experience, what are the things that really stand out to you about Dynamics SL making it exceptional for project-centric firms?Jon Augdahl: Creative professional services firms tend to enjoy extending their creativity into their invoicing. They are creative in determining what they would … [Read more...] about Dynamics SL in the Professional Services Space- An Interview with PSA expert Jon Augdahl
An Interview with Ruth Ann Ellerbrock from Plumbline Solutions
An Interview with Ruth Ann Ellerbrock, Plumbline Solutions For those of you that are not familiar with Plumbline Solutions, this professional services organization was spawned from many former Solomon Software employees. They offer application programming and support services to Dynamics SL consulting organizations, and perform a lot of the actual coding for Microsoft once Microsoft determines which feature sets they want to add to future versions of Dynamics SL. We have used them for overflow client support and Plumbline has always done a nice job.I’ve known Ruth Ann for a very long time (25+ years) and can attest to her abilities as a technical person as she helped many of our clients out of tough situations-especially … [Read more...] about An Interview with Ruth Ann Ellerbrock from Plumbline Solutions
Be Thankful Dynamics SL Users
Today is Thanksgiving 2011 here in Minneapolis, MN, USA. More than 97% or our 250 or so Dynamics clients have renewed their annual plans. We have slightly more Dynamics SL clients than Dynamics GP clients so, as you would guess, most clients renew their plans on both sides. ERP/Accounting Software has a reputation for being “sticky” due to the expense and disruption of change and in this economy not too many are buying or changing systems. Most are upgrading because it costs less and they can migrate all of their data-rather than only some of it.So if you are a Dynamics SL client right now-what do you have to be thankful about on this day of thanks?There are many reasons and I want to share them with you.1. Dynamics SL still has … [Read more...] about Be Thankful Dynamics SL Users
Dynamics ERP Environment Specialist Jeff Larson on FRx vs Management Reporter
Jeff Larson came to Boyer & Associates in 2008 along with support of 100 Dynamics SL clients in an client acquisition deal with semi-retiring owner Bud Brenneman. Jeff has always focused on areas that your typical accounting software consultant is a bit weak-the environment-namely supporting and maintaining SQL Server, Windows Server, Sharepoint Server, client operating systems such as Windows 7 and XP.Jeff does a lot of FRx troubleshooting support and many Dynamics SL and Dynamics GP upgrades for us. Jeff is methodical, and precise when he does an upgrade-rarely missing the opportunity to ensure that a client has tested a custom program, screen, or report prior to going live with the new version.Jeff also supports internally our … [Read more...] about Dynamics ERP Environment Specialist Jeff Larson on FRx vs Management Reporter
Interview with Dynamics SL Developer Rob Sushak
Rob Sushak has been a Dynamics SL developer on our team since 1996. He knows a few things about the programming toolset. Rob has an honors degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois and has focused his career with us on extending Dynamics SL in various ways.Rob has created custom reports using Microsoft’s SQL Server Reporting Services, assisted people in our Dynamics GP group with complex queries but mostly he has focused on adding new screens and even entire modules to clients systems that want more of their data not only tightly integrated with Dynamics SL-but an integral part of Dynamics SL.Two of the larger projects Rob has worked on over the years have been with large, national, transportation firms that wanted … [Read more...] about Interview with Dynamics SL Developer Rob Sushak
