2011.

the
Summit
A quarterly publication of Summit Group Software

In this issue:

Microsoft
Dynamics CRM
2011
Accounting for
Not-for-Profit
Workforce
Automation
Online Payment
Services
 From the President’s Desk
Work faster than you think… 2011
is certainly off to
a fast start! As we
mentioned last quarter we added
to the Summit Group Software
team at the end of 2010 through
Quote and Order
an acquisition of Miller & McK- Automation Solutions
in Microsoft Dynamics™ enna Consulting. We had our
first user group meeting in Du-

with luth, MN in mid-December at

Spirit Mountain with nearly 50
people in attendance. It was the
perfect location for hosting our
event and a great way to meet many of our newest clients!
For our Microsoft Dynamics GP clients, I know the
last few months have been busy and challenging with
the numerous service packs and tax updates that have
come out. I encourage you check out our blog by visiting
http://blog.summitgroupsoftware.com/. With the constant
release of information in December and January on these
topics it was one of the frequent communication mecha-
nisms we used. We have been working hard to increase the
amount of information we put on our blog. You can also
email support@summitgroupsoftware.com to get your ques-
tions answered.
 Instantly, see electronic copies of invoices, PO’s, packing Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online released in Jan- • Delivers 100% quote & order accuracy
uary and the on-premise version should be out by the time
slips and other accounting documents while in Microsoft you are reading this article. Check out Josh Behl’s articles • Simplifies sales of complex products
Dynamics. all year long on the exciting new features of this product. If
you haven’t taken the time to check it out I encourage you • Portal/Web interface option
 Experience security, efficiency and control of accounting to read about our offer on page 4.
In an effort to continue to increase the training oppor-
documents. tunities available to Summit Group Software customers,
we are thrilled to announce the release of our first Remote
 Affordable, robust document management with Classroom training opportunities coming up this quarter.

seamlessly quick, simple and accurate document filing.

Remote Classroom training is a full training experience Experlogix Product Configurators
with hands on exercises, training manuals, and a full in-
structor led format – available completely online. I encour-
for
 Improve approval processes with automated workflow. age you to check out the Training Schedule and get regis- Microsoft Dynamics™
Send emails, reminders, approval links and failure tered for these classes today.
Finally, I want to invite everyone to Convergence 2011
options for each document type. in Atlanta, GA April 10-13, 2011. It’s not too late to regis-
ter and it remains one of the best learning experiences out
there for Microsoft Dynamics customers. We’ll be hosting
our 7th annual Customer Appreciation Event at Agatha’s
Dinner Theatre on April 11th.
For More Information Contact We are looking forward to an exciting 2011… Thanks
for your ongoing business! For more information, please contact
sales@infodynamics.com Eric
sales@experlogix.com

www.experlogix.com
INFODYNAMICS
®
Indianapolis, Indiana• 888-446-8228 • ww.infodynamics.com

888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 3
 It’s Time.
The time is right to check
out Microsoft Dynamics
CRM 2011
By Eric Gjerdevig
I
f you are a regular reader of The Summit, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not a new topic.
Free 30-day
It is one of the fastest growing applications throughout the entire Microsoft product
family and with the just released Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 version it is set to
achieve even greater adoption throughout the world. Many organizations have not
trial offer and taken the time to check it out and our mission in 2011 is to change that.
The value proposition of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online 2011 continues to grow
four-hours of quickly. With the expanded functionality and current promotional launch pricing of
$34 per user per month, it is a great value. If you are a nonprofit, the price drops to $9.99
free training per user per month! Each edition of The Summit this year will highlight some of the
great new features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 along with add-on products that
further enhance the product to meet specific needs.
For those wondering what all the hype is about, not sure what value a CRM system
could provide, or using a different solution today that is outdated, costing too much
money to maintain, or not flexible enough to meet the organization’s needs - it’s time
to take a look! Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a great out-of-the-box CRM system
with an extremely flexible development platform to meet unique business needs. With
integration tools such as Scribe, Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be connected to other
existing systems to further enhance the value.
Throughout 2011, Summit Group Software is offering any prospective Microsoft
Dynamics CRM customer a FREE, four-hour introductory training session. We will
get you signed up for a FREE 30 day trial, provide you and your staff with four hours
of education on the basics, and get your questions answered! This one-on-one training
will put you in a great position to evaluate what this exciting product can do for you.
Contact us today to set up a time! ▲
4 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software
Broaden the
Automation Horizon
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Dialogs
U
Josh Behl, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant, MCT ntil now, automating business processes and data entry into
Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been a task relegated to work-
flows, client side scripting, or even unsupported development.
Organizations that wanted to have users interact directly with that
automation in a wizard-like experience found this was either an ex-
pensive endeavor, too scary to envision, or plain old wishful think-
ing. For those organizations hoping for this functionality, it is time
to get introduced to one of the more interesting new features of Mi-
crosoft Dynamics CRM 2011…Dialogs.
Workflows, Dialogs, and Processes
Before delving too deeply into Dialogs, a point of reference
should be established. In previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics
CRM, organizations have been able to utilize Workflows to accom-
plish many of the supported automations. While workflows are still
very much part of the customization picture, they are now bucketed
under a larger concept called Processes. Processes are automations
> Automation Horizon, continued on page 10
888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 5
 Budgeting And Grant Management
Budgeting for not-for-profits can be very complex and most
have to prepare multiple versions. There are budgets for each
fund, budgets that do not sync with the fiscal year, budgets for
each department, etc. There are also guidelines that must be
followed and tracking of actual budget is extremely important.
Microsoft Dynamics GP can provide support in all of these
areas using different modules. There is the main budgeting tool
which allows organizations to have as many budgets as needed
for any given year. These budgets can then be used to provide
budget vs. actual financials. Within these budgets organizations
can set them to have a different period length than just matching
the fiscal year. In addition, organizations can historically keep
track of changes to amounts within the budget.
A Grant Management module is also provided with Micro-
soft Dynamics GP. With Grant Management, users can stream-
line transaction processing and help ensure compliance with
the rules, regulations, and reporting requirements that go along
with receiving grants. With the ability to stay in compliance,
companies can help increase changes of future grants.
Encumbrance Management/PO Commitments
Requisitions are an important part of any company. Em-
ployees submit requests to supervisors to spend funds accord-
ingly. Issues arise when supervisors do not know exactly how
been committed for related expenses.
Microsoft Dynamics GP provides both Encumbrance and
Commitment Management. Encumbrance Management helps
with maintaining a budget by providing checks and balances.
Encumbrance Management overall enhances the budgeting ex-
perience, helping organizations better manage when unexpect-
ed expenditures arise as well.
“With the ability to stay in
compliance, companies can help
increase changes of future grants.”
PO Commitments is another way of helping with budget-
ing. As users create purchase orders, some of those purchase
orders have un-received amounts on them. PO Commitments
provides the capability to validate these un-received amounts
against budgets and also financial statements so organizations
can include these amounts as expenditures, even though they
are not spent.
Microsoft Dynamics GP has been developed to be extreme-
ly competitive and compatible in the not-for-profit industry with
these modules. To learn more about how Microsoft Dynamics
GP could help your organization, contact your account manager

Accounting for
much of the budget has been spent or how much has already today. ▲

Not-for-Profit 


W
By Joel Rodencal, When people first hear the phrase fund accounting; schools, churches, govern- 
IT Consultant, Project Manager mental agencies, municipalities and the other thousands of not-for-profit orga-
nizations out there come to mind. Thoughts may then move to the complexity 
of the record keeping that takes place in these organizations, especially when it comes 
to the financial data. When facing a mandate to comply with government accounting 
and reporting standards, where do administrators turn for real-world solutions to com-
plex operational challenges? The answer is simple, Microsoft Dynamics GP. Microsoft 
Dynamics GP will allow you to spend less time on funding and accounting processes, 
and more on delivering services. This article will briefly describe how Microsoft Dy- 
namics GP helps agencies and organizations adhere better to regulations and controls, 
proactively manage grants and budgets, and streamline accounting processes. 
Fund Management

Fund Management can be one of the hardest parts of not-for-profit accounting. 
Without an accounting system that can automatically make balanced journal entries

between the funds, one can find themselves spending more time balancing the indi-
vidual funds than actually spending time analyzing the funds. 
For this exact reason Microsoft Dynamics GP offers Interfund Accounting func-

tionality. Interfund Accounting along with the InterCompany modules helps ensure
that the daily transfers between the funds helps them stay in balance by automatically 
creating the necessary entries between the funds. 

6 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 7


By Tyler Sand, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant,
Developer, MCT; and Shawn Stewart, Microsoft Dynamics
Consultant, Project Manager
forcing upper case for example, along with translating data as
it goes. In contrast, Scribe Insight is definitely more developer
oriented, though it does still provide a point-and-click interface
and use Excel-like functions rather than requiring complex code
for most data translations. In addition, Scribe must be managed
from the server rather than from the client of an end user.
“One of the major advantages of
Scribe Insight is the nearly limitless
For example, a change made to a customer or item record in
Microsoft Dynamics GP can trigger the same update to be made
to the corresponding customer or product record in Microsoft
Dynamics CRM or a website. Integration Manager does allow
jobs to be scheduled to run at a set frequency; however, it does
not provide the same real-time capabilities as Scribe Insight.
Event Logging
Both Scribe Insight and Integration Manager provide de-
tailed logging which allows users to see results of the integra-

T
here are many important considerations to make when
deciding how to integrate an organization’s data. With
many different options available, one must consider the
value and cost of a solution in order to find the correct and right-
sized toolset for the job. While custom development and vendor
solutions are options, they can be costly and difficult to main-
tain. There are several great toolsets available which simplify
integration design and make integrations more maintainable,
flexible, and scalable. This article is going to compare and con-
trast two of those options – Scribe Insight and Integration Man-
ager from Microsoft.
Scribe Insight is an integration product developed by
Scribe Software. One of the major advantages of Scribe Insight
is the nearly limitless data connections it supports. The appli-
cation provides data adapters for Microsoft SQL, text files, Mi-
crosoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics GP, web services,
Exchange, and many other applications. In fact, any ODBC com-
pliant application can be integrated with Scribe.
data connections it supports.”
With Integration Manager, more complex data extraction,
transformation, and validation can be performed by utilizing
VBScript within the tool. For example, scripting can be added
prior to Integration Manager reading the source file or imme-
diately after to perform data validation or data transformation
process. Another example for VBScript is to mark the source
records as integrated after the document is integrated or after
the entire integration is complete. VBScript can also be used
to prompt the end user for data input, such as transaction date,
batch ID, or vendor ID, and then validate that input against Mi-
crosoft Dynamics GP.
Real Time Capabilities
One advantage of Scribe Insight compared to Integration
Manager is its near real-time integration capabilities. Using a
variety of publishing mechanisms, the application is able to push
changes from one system to another when changes are detected.
tion and specifically which records and documents succeeded or
failed. Integration Manager can store this information directly
in the application or write it to a text file in a specified location.
Scribe stores the information in its internal database which can
then be viewed in the Scribe Console or queried in SQL.
“Integration Manager…the tool has
a very easy to use interface that does
not require a specialized knowledge
of database programming.”
While there are many similarities between the two prod-
ucts, there are even more differences. As experts in both prod-
ucts, we can help you to select the correct integration product
to meet the needs of your specific project. Contact your account
manager today if you want to learn more about these two great
integration options. ▲

Integration Options
Scribe Insight and Integration Manager Replicate. Migrate. Integrate. www.scribesoft.com
Integration Manager is a Microsoft product that allows Integrate Migrate Replicate
data to be integrated from various external sources – such as
text files, Microsoft Excel files, ODBC compliant sources for in- Get CRM working seamlessly Easy, painless onboarding to Advanced reporting and
stance Microsoft Access, and Microsoft SQL tables – into Micro- with ERP your new Dynamics CRM 2011 Business Intelligence
soft Dynamics GP. It has built in capabilities to allow data to be or Dynamics GP
extracted, transformed, validated, and then transferred into Mi- Bring CRM together with all of Full data backup of
crosoft Dynamics GP while maintaining proper business logic your applications on-premise Dynamics CRM 2011
of the system. Whereas Scribe Insight integrates data into many or online
different systems, Integration Manager is typically only used to
integrate data into Microsoft Dynamics GP.
Flexible configuration to accommodate your unique business requirements.
Interface
There are several key advantages to utilizing Integration Repeatable solutions that significantly reduce or eliminate the need for custom code.
Manager. The tool has a very easy to use interface that does
not require a specialized knowledge of database programming. Adapters and pre-built templates quickly allow integration with any business application to CRM 2011.
The simple to use mappings from source file to destination can
be handled by most typical end users of the Microsoft Dynam-
ics GP system and can accomplish most data transfers. Simple
changes in the mappings allow for case conversions, such as

8 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 9

 > Automation Horizon, continued from page 5
within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 which enable customers
to automate their business processes or data entry. Workflows
(as they previously were) are initiated through manually choos-
ing to run the process, creating, deleting, updating, assigning,
or changing the status of a record. Once the workflow has been
initiated, the user typically only needs to push it along other
than updating the record, completing a task, or something such
as that. Dialogs, conversely, automate the same kind of func-
tionality but require the user to interact directly with the auto-
mation through the use of a wizard-like interface.
…interact directly with the automation
through the use of a wizard-like interface
…an interface which is easy to learn and
ensures that the right questions are asked
Here are a few possible scenarios:
•• An organization would like to quickly identify potential
referrals for leads. The referrals should be Accounts
in Microsoft Dynamics CRM who have agreed to be
referrals, like in the same state or province of the lead, and
have purchased the product that the lead is considering to
purchase from them. Once the user has walked through
the wizard, an appointment is set up between the lead, the
referring account, and the salesperson who owns the lead.
Managing sales tax
doesn’t have to be taxing.
Avalara
Making sales tax less taxing.
10 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software
•• An organization hires hourly employees to qualify
leads based upon a pre-defined list of questions. This
position is a high turnover position so they need an
interface which is easy to learn and ensures that the
right questions are asked. Based upon these questions
and their respective answers, the leads are assigned to
particular sales people or disqualified automatically.
•• When customers call in with issue, a support team
needs a standard way to evaluate the issue, determine
the severity of the issue, and decide who is best able
to answer the question or resolve the problem. Once
the user has gathered a pre-defined set of information,
the case is assigned to the correct person.
•• An organization has a series of questions to ask
attendees of an event the company has sponsored.
This survey consists of a variety of questions
that may be different based upon the customer’s
information. Likewise, the customer needs to be
able to come back to those answers at a later date
and utilize them to help drive marketing efforts.
These are a few scenarios where Dialogs can help a great
deal. Is your organization evaluating an upgrade to Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 2011 or considering a new purchase of Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 2011? Make sure to ask about this functionality
Business Portal 5.1:
to support your customer relationship management strategies!
Contact your account manager for more information or to discuss
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Additionally, be sure to check
out our blog at http://blog.summitgroupsoftware.com for more ar-
At Last! T
ticles and video demonstration of how to create a Dialog. ▲
he highly anticipated (for some of us) re-release of Business Portal
5.1 has finally arrived! What does this mean to Microsoft Dynam-
Now you can relax. ics GP customers? A number of new features and new compat-
ibility are introduced with Business Portal 5.1 for Microsoft Dynamics
AvaTax for Micosoft Dynamics is here.
TM TM
GP 2010.
We provide the fastest, easiest, most accurate and
affordable way to manage your sales tax process. By Joe Tews, Infrastructure Compatibility
Seamlessly integrated with Dynamics™ you can Microsoft Dynamics GP Consultant, MCT
The main feature with Business Portal 5.1 is compatibility with 64-
quickly perform:
bit servers and Microsoft SharePoint 2010. Previous versions of Business
• Address validation Portal lacked the compatibility with 64-bit environments. When Share-
• Rate & boundary determination Point 2010 was released, it was released in 64-bit only installs, which
means in order to make it compatible with the new release of Share-
• Taxability rule application
Point, Microsoft has added 64-bit compatibility to Business Portal.
• Instant, accurate calculation
• Exemption certificate management External Lists
• Robust reporting Another added feature to Business Portal 5.1 is the addition of Ex-
• Timely return filing ternal Lists. SharePoint 2010 comes with the ability to have external
lists comprised of data from external data sources such as the Microsoft
• Automated remittance
Dynamics GP application. The Business Portal team took advantage of
this new feature in SharePoint to create a number of out-of-the-box lists
Call us today at 1-877-780-4848 to learn more! for Microsoft Dynamics GP that come with Business Portal 5.1. These
lists allow users to view information straight out of Microsoft Dynamics
GP with a familiar SharePoint interface.
2010
2010 MICROSOFT®
PARTNER OF THE YEAR
Winner PRESIDENT’S CLUB
for Microsoft Dynamics
KPIs
The old Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Business Portal 4.0
> Business Portal 5.1, continued on page 15
888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 11
 Featured ISV
it is critical to equip your company with the best technology.
The role of technology is to make significant contributions
to the bottom line. Today’s market creates an environment
where companies are struggling and as a result many are afraid
to make any investment that could be deemed too risky. How-
ever, sitting back and becoming complacent is not an option.
Companies need to seize the moment and position themselves
to emerge ahead of the competition in the long run.
21% will be faced with updating outdated
or inefficient software/hardware
within the next 3-to-6 months
others in the construction industry.
Evaluating the Options and Making the Commitment
If the company’s needs analysis results in a decision to
evaluate the possibilities, narrow the options, and potentially
make a commit to make a change, it is important to evaluate
the options with consistency and rigor. Begin to define set of
critical questions to ask each vendor. Assemble information
on selection best practices for construction companies specifi-
cally. Secure the internal support needed to ensure this project
is completed successfully. Compose a selection team of people
who can help drive the best solution across the whole company
– and be careful not to delegate to someone who many not have
a vested interest in the business value of the solution.

Avoiding the Common Pitfalls

The first step for organizations is to determine if a change
is needed. Are they getting the most from employees, subs,
equipment and assets, materials and other definable costs? Do
you they have the reporting needed while the action is happen-
ing or do they hear about project profitability after the project
is completed? Is someone keying information into more than
Finally, when a company gets to the point of implementing
a solution - it feels like the home stretch, but it can be the trig-
ger for success or failure of the entire project. Making sure the
company balances the way business has been done historically
with ways the solution might be able to optimize efficiencies is
key. Question what is most important for the organization.

Market
one system – or transferring it from paper to computer? Has
the business changed since the last purchase of an operational
management solution? Did the solution change with the orga-
nization?
Just like many construction projects – change orders and
scope creep can impact deadlines positively or negatively, create
clarity or confusion, and ultimately make the end result look dif-
ferent than what was originally designed. How much latitude

Perspective
There are several key indicators that may trigger compa-
nies to take the first step in software selection which is simply a
needs analysis. It’s probable that those indicators are familiar to
should be allowed during each phase?
Acceptance to change varies from person to person. Within
> Market Perspective, continued on page 15

The necessary steps to

Construction Software Selection
O
by Holly Holt - Wennsoft
More than 50% of contractors
plan to spend greater than
$30,000 on new technology
in the year ahead
Need to Increase Operational Efficiency?
ver the past 12-18 months, the construction industry has undergone a transfor-
mation. Changing market dynamics are forcing contractors to resize staffs, real-
locate resources, and modify overall market strategies. Combine the fact there
are fewer jobs to bid with a higher pool of competition for jobs that are available, this • Cost Management • Mobile Solutions
leaves unfavorable circumstances. Forced to bid and build at tighter margins despite a
reduction in resources and personnel, it can be argued that contractors have become as • Project Management • Customer Portals
reliant as ever on the role technology plays on the day-to-day operations of the company.
According to the 2010 IT Playbook, published by Constructech magazine, more • Business Insights • Equipment Management/Rental
than 50% of contractors plan to spend greater than $30,000 on new technology in the • Service/Work Order Management
year ahead. Of those investing, approximately 20% plan to invest in new technology
initiatives, 29% plan to invest dollars into maintaining current initiatives, and 41% plan
to allocate their IT spend to a blend of both new technology and maintaining current
investments.
Research from Constructech also reveals 21% will be faced with updating outdated
or inefficient software/hardware within the next 3-to-6 months, with another 23% fac-
ing this reality in the next 7-to-12 months. This indicates that for many contractors,
this renewed look at current technology initiatives has revealed a harsh reality that the Find out what WennSoft can do for you! www.wennsoft.com
software systems they have had in place are not as efficient as the systems can be.
Contact Oxana Belikh at 262.317.3727 One version of the truth.
Regardless of market conditions, organizations must always be looking for ways to Operations. Financials. CRM.
improve and grow. The bar to deliver on-time, on-budget projects – cost-effectively –
as well as manage equipment and execute work orders continues to go up. As a result,

12 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 13

 user will be doing modifications, the Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-in only needs to > Business Portal 5.1, continued from page 11
be installed on that user’s workstation. Plus, when doing modifications, users do are also gone. In their place, Microsoft
not need to be concerned about corrupting a reports dictionary as modified Word Dynamics GP 2010 has added a number
Reports can be uploaded at any time. of out-of-the-box SQL Server Reporting
Modifications can be made to either a Standard Template or an existing modi- Services KPIs and metrics. These KPIs
fied document previously modified in Report Writer. If users want to use Word are much easier to read than the old Busi-
Reports with an existing modified Report Writer documents, the existing docu- ness Portal KPIs as well as more flexible
ment can be imported. Users can also create a blank template for a document and with the ability to do drill-down report-
build it from scratch as needed. ing right from Business Portal. Another
3. Multiple Templates/Documents great feature of this is these same KPIs
can replace the Microsoft Dynamics GP
Microsoft Word Reports allows users to create multiple templates for each metrics within Microsoft Dynamics GP
Word Report. In previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP, not all documents 2010 giving users consistent KPIs in all
were able to have multiple formats. environments.
4. Assign Defaults
A number of great new features have
Users can assign a specific Word Report as the default to each company. When rolled out with Business Portal 5.1. Now
utilizing Word Reports for that company, users will not have to select a certain is the time to consider Business Portal for
report – it will automatically print. Word Reports can be assigned to individual your organization. For more information
customers and vendors. When a specific Word Report is assigned to a customer or on the features available or to discuss
vendor, that report/document will always be printed for that customer or vendor. next steps in moving to Business Portal,

Top 5 Reasons
There is no need for the user to remember which format to print for customers and contact your account manager. ▲
vendors as the correct report automatically prints when assigned.
5. E-mail Word Documents

to use Microsoft
Users can easily e-mail select Microsoft Word documents to customers and > Market Perspective, continued from page 13
vendors using the new e-mail feature in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
These are just the Top 5 reasons to use Word Reports. There are a lot of ben- the construct of a software implementa-
efits to these reports for Microsoft Dynamics GP. To learn more about Word Re- tion there is a fine balance between mak-

Word Reports
ports or get started today, contact your account manager. ▲ ing a change, and trying to do too much
too fast. Working with a strong consult-
ing partner helps ensure not only techni-
cal success, but also company adoption.
The best way to blow up a project is
lack of alignment and resource. Securing

E
By Janelle Montplaisir, Microsoft very company needs professional looking, external facing documents. Depend- company commitment from the leader-
Dynamics GP Consultant, MCT ing upon the organization, some of these documents may require a modification. ship team and from those working side
Modifications can range from adding a company logo to re-arranging the layout by side to make get the new system into
to adding additional fields. In prior versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP, Report Writer place is critical.
was the only option for users printing and modifying documents and reports. Micro- WennSoft has a series of white papers
soft Dynamics GP 2010 now interfaces with Microsoft Office Word for select docu- addressing ‘The Necessary Steps to Soft-
ments and reports. When utilizing the Microsoft Office Word feature, modifying these ware Selection’. To receive these white
documents has become easier and given users more options and flexibility. Even if papers, visit www.wennsoft.com/change.
the organization does not need a modification, the standard Microsoft Office Words The tips and tactics outlined in these criti-
Reports can still be used. Although there are many benefits to utilizing the Microsoft cal guides are market proven and can be
Office Word Report feature, listed below are the top five reasons to start using it today. applied to contractors of any size and in
1. Ease of Use any market. At a minimum, they may
provide insights on how to optimize the
Microsoft Office Word reports are very easy to use and utilize the same printing current solution, and ideally, they may
processes users are familiar with in Microsoft Dynamics GP. By default, this func- help guide your organization to the level
tionality is enabled when Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 is installed. If modifications operational efficiency that may have been
are needed for these documents, they are done in Microsoft Office Word, which users thought out of reach. To learn more about
are more familiar with, rather than through Report Writer. Also, when printing these WennSoft, contact your account manager
documents, they are printed in Microsoft Office Word. today. ▲
2. Modifications
Depending upon the modification needed, workstations that modify Word Re-
ports may need the Microsoft Dynamics GP Add-in for Word installed on that machine
only. Then, all modifications are done through Microsoft Office Word. If only one sales@azox.com | www.azox.com | 734.928.6010

14 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 15

 Ask the Expert
Reasons to attend
Convergence 2011!
Quick…email your boss the followi
ng
ASAP!
To the World’s G reatest
Boss:
I would lik e to attend M
icrosoft Converg ence 20
Converg ence is the pre 11 in Atlanta, April 10-1
mier Microsoft Dynamics 3, 2011.
Here are five great rea event for customers!
sons you should send me.
By Danny Rose, Microsoft Dynamics GP Consultant
While at Converg ence
, I will:
1 Learn how we can
get the most out of our
learn how to use the fe
currently lic ense to improv
atures and functionality of
Microsoft Dynamics sol
th e M icroso
ution. I’ll
ft Dynamics solution we
Report and Form out of Microsoft Dynamics GP if they become corrupt or not
maintained. If you have ever experienced Microsoft Dynam-

Dictionary Recreation
e operational efficiencies ics GP crashing or seen dictionary errors appear while a report
and increase employee pro tried generating, a corrupt or outdated dictionary after an up-
2 Network and collabora ductivity.
te with my peers and grade was likely to be at fault. Because of this, dictionaries al-
Microsoft and Summit the product exper ts fro Question: Why is it important to update or recreate all
G roup Software. I’ll be m ways need to be updated directly after an update to Microsoft
able to consult with report and form dictionaries after completing an update to Mi-
the team from Summit Dynamics GP is complete. ▲
G roup Software and th crosoft Dynamics GP?
are directly responsible for e Microsoft personnel wh
developing and suppor ting o Answer: Dictionary files are important components of Mi-
our product.
3 Experience the lates
I’ll get up-to-date on th
t solution innovations, ne
w products, and technol
crosoft Dynamics GP that can cause several issues and errors if
not updated. There are two main uses for dictionaries: modified Batch Won’t Post
e latest Microsoft produc og ies. reports and forms. Question: Why won’t my batch in Microsoft Dynamics
such as Offic e 2010, Sh ts and business technologi Dictionary files have a very simple purpose – to store all
arePoint 2010, and SQ es GP post?
how these products can L Server and learn reports or forms modified in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Example:
enhance our Microsoft Dy Answer: There can be numerous reasons why a batch in
namics solution. Modifying a trial balance to show specific information – this
Microsoft Dynamics GP will refuse to post: A transaction with
4 Get insig hts into M modification would be stored in the reports dictionary. Modi-
icrosoft ’s corporate dir a closed fiscal period, invalid distributions, missing transaction
ection and understand fied reports and forms are stored in two separate files, gener-
for our Microsoft Dynam future plans data, etc. Some users may be quick to review each transaction in
ics solution. We’ll be abl ally named Reports.dic and Forms.dic, respectively. The reports
advantag e of the insigh e to alig n our business to tak e best the batch individually to try and discover the issue, but this usu-
ts I gain reg arding Micr dictionary is created when a user first launches Report Writer
osoft’s direction and soluti ally isn’t very efficient especially when you do not know what
on investments. or imports reports from a package file. The forms dictionary
Plus, Converg ence 2011 the problem is that you are looking for. Microsoft Dynamics GP
is created when a window is modified or imported. If there are
Atlanta is cost-effect has a very simple feature across all modules that will likely save
Atlanta offers many afford ive and easy to attend. no modified reports or forms, the corresponding dictionary file
able hotel options, and th time and headaches when the next batch posting error pops up
it will tak e less time fro e event starts on a Sund will not exist. These files can be stored on a local workstation so
m my work week . ay so – it is called the Edit Batch List.
only that PC can access the dictionary, or; a dictionary file can
On all Batch Entry screens (financial, receivables, purchas-
be stored in a shared folder on a network for multiple worksta-
Sounds lik e a great opport tions to access simultaneously. Find the location of your diction-
ing, etc.) is a little printer icon in the upper right corner of the
unity, doesn’t it? To learn window. By selecting the batch and pressing this icon, users re-
Convergence 2011 Atlan more about aries by looking at the Dynamics.set file or in the Edit Launch
ta, visit the Convergence ceive an edit list of all transactions in the batch along with any
microsoft.com/dynamics/c Web site at file window (Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > System
onverg ence/atlanta11/. errors that may prevent the batch from posting. The best part
> Edit Launch File). Also note in this window that each product
about it is the error messages on this report are usually very
within Microsoft Dynamics GP has its own reports and forms
Thanks and best reg ard descriptive and helpful.
s, dictionaries. It is common for Microsoft Dynamics GP to use
While you may not find the information on this report to
World’s Hardest Working multiple reports and forms dictionaries.
Em ployee be useful enough to review for every batch you post, it should
Dictionary files are important because not only do they
certainly be the first thing to review the next time you receive a
store modified reports and forms vital for daily processes but
posting error. ▲
they can also cause several error messages or even lock users

16 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 17

 Featured ISV
Employee Workforce
Automation with
Paramount
By Foy Mainor, Director of Sales, Paramount Technologies
What is Employee Workforce Automation?
C
ompanies in every industry are facing ever-increasing
pressures to reduce costs, improve employee productiv-
ity, and increase profits.  To effectively address such chal-
lenges, organizations must develop improved strategies both for
managing and controlling corporate expenditures and resources
and for minimizing administrative and non-value-added ac-
tivities that consume a significant portion of every employee’s
workday.
Employee Workforce Automation (EWA) consists of a relat-
ed group of applications that automate and improve enterprise-
wide business processes, including requisition, procurement,
travel & expense management, and time sheets and other proj-
ect-management tasks.  A common thread of these painstaking,
yet critical administrative tasks is that they are heavily paper-
based, time-consuming activities that often require the involve-
ment of multiple functions across the enterprise.  EWA solutions
minimize the effort required to complete and control these tasks
by creating a self-service environment that pushes the initiation
of multiple administrative activities to the desktops of frontline
employees using a user-friendly, web-based interface.  EWA so-
lutions automatically route and execute employee requests in ac-
cordance with the business rules and workflow that have been
pre-defined by the organization.
18 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software
WorkPlace eProcurement
WorkPlace eProcurement is a ro-
bust web-based e-Procurement solution
that allows organizations to automate
the complete procure-to-pay cycle – from
product selection, requisitioning, ap-
proval and ordering to delivery, receipt
and financial settlement.  The suite in-
cludes applications for requisition, cXML
PunchOut, check request, budget com-
pliance, RFQ, PO generation, receiving,
invoice matching, and vendor contract
enforcement with approval workflow
throughout the entire process.
•• Eliminate error-prone
paper-based processes
•• Reduce requisition-to-order
costs and cycle time
•• Control maverick spending
•• Manage by exception -
ensure that your purchases
adhere to your policies
•• Ensure Sarbanes-Oxley
compliance with a complete
audit trail of transactions
•• Enable procurement professionals
to focus on strategic tasks
WorkPlace Project
WorkPlace Project is a full-featured
Organizations using EWA realize significant cost, pro-
ductivity and process benefits.  In addition, by managing all
operational activities and expenditures on a single, integrated
platform, EWA solutions are positioned to deliver the real-time
information and functionality required for managers to proac-
tively analyze and adjust operational resources in today’s dy-
namic business environment.
The WorkPlace Suite from Paramount Technologies
The Paramount WorkPlace Suite includes fully integrated,
web-enabled Requisition, eProcurement, Project, Time and Ex-
pense Management solutions that all offer:
•• 100% Microsoft .NET-connectivity for easy
deployment across the entire enterprise
•• A simple and intuitive web browser dashboard interface
•• Configurable business rule-driven application functionality
•• Multi-language support with available
specific language sets
•• Multicurrency support
•• Role-based security/approval
•• Online context-sensitive help
•• Seamless integration with existing Microsoft Dynamics GP
project costing solution that delivers
web-based, workflow-driven information
for project and resource management to
increase your employee productivity
and streamline your customer billing.  line-item expenses, all through an intui-
WorkPlace Project enables operational
and financial management through proj-
ect initiation, resource utilization, time
and expense processing and earned value
management.
WorkPlace Time
WorkPlace Time is a powerful web-
based time sheet solution that makes it
easy for billable professionals to report
their time in an efficient and timely
manner.  The faster that time is billed to
clients often has a direct impact on the
collection time and can have a dramatic
effect on the profitability of the entire
firm.
WorkPlace Expense
WorkPlace Expense is a robust web-
based expense management solution that
allows organizations to increase em-
ployee productivity and speed employee
reimbursement.  Designed to remove
paperwork and streamline business pro-
cesses for time and expense and project-
888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com
based expense reporting, WorkPlace Ex-
pense supports the electronic submission
of expense reports, automatic routing,
and electronic approvals of individual
tive web browser-based interface.
WorkPlace as a Front-End to
Microsoft Dynamics GP
WorkPlace seamlessly integrates to
Microsoft Dynamics GP, enabling em-
ployees to easily and quickly execute
workflow transactions such as requisi-
tioning, receiving, invoice matching,
project, and time and expense entry.
Tighter Security & Control
For many organizations Microsoft
Dynamics GP is the backbone of their
company.  To prevent misuse or mali-
cious tampering – or just to limit the in-
cremental accumulation of inadvertent
errors – many organizations tightly limit
direct access.  By performing all work-
flow transactions within WorkPlace, em-
ployees don’t need direct access to Micro-
soft Dynamics GP.  WorkPlace provides
real-time integration with Microsoft Dy-
namics GP via 100%-compliant transac-
tions, thus ensuring ERP data integrity.
> Workforce Automation, continued on page 21
19
 Spotlight > Workforce Automation, continued from page 19

More Workflow capabilities

Jody Miller
Jody Miller joined Summit
Group Software in October 2010
through the merger with Miller
& McKenna Consulting in Du-
luth, MN. Jody has over 25 years
of experience in writing, train-
ing, consulting, managing, and
selling Microsoft Dynamics GP
and other accounting software.
Jody’s role as an account manag-
er allows her to stay in frequent contact with the customers
she has worked with for years; and, has allowed her to get
engaged right away with numerous other Summit Group
customers and make an immediate impact.
She enjoys spending time with her husband and daugh-
ters fishing and relaxing at their cabin in the summer, and
vacationing anywhere warm in the winter.  Jody stays in-
volved with her daughters Samantha (17) and Barbara (13)
Microsoft Dynamics GP offers a broad set of capabilities
but any particular capability is rarely “best in class”.  Work-
Place is focused entirely on delivering “best in class” Employee
Workforce Automation capabilities – automating procurement,
requisitioning, project, time and expense transactions to make
internal workflow processes more efficient, improve employee
productivity, reduce time and errors and save money.  By per-
forming workflow within WorkPlace, organizations and em-
ployees use and benefit from a much richer feature set. By per-
forming workflow transactions within WorkPlace, employees
work with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface designed for
workflow, thus improving their task quality, job satisfaction and
productivity.
Web-based Access
Busy, mobile employees need to be able to generate, ap-
prove and review workflow transactions consistent with how
they do business.  By performing workflow transactions within
WorkPlace, employees are productive wherever they have a
browser interface.  Additionally, web-based WorkPlace requires
no software to be resident on users’ PCs (other than the brows-

Online Payment Services

who are very active in school and sports. ▲ er), minimizing disk usage.
To learn more about the WorkPlace Suite from Paramount
Technologies, contact your account manager today. ▲

Processing Credit Card Payments Made Easier

I
By Paul Johnson, CPA, MBA
“…initiate, authorize,
and settle credit and
debit card transactions
from within Microsoft
Dynamics GP”
f your organization is one that wants to begin accepting credit cards or streamline the
receivables process through the integration of credit card processing, keep reading
this article!
In November 2010, Microsoft released Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics
GP. Provided as a part of Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 (Service Pack 5 or higher) and
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2011 (Service Pack 1 or higher), organizations can now initiate,
authorize, and settle credit and debit card transactions from within Microsoft Dynam-
ics GP with no additional software purchase. Whether accepting payment on-premise,
over the phone, or on-line, these services will securely transfer necessary information
to the payment processor in real-time. Currently, these services support a number of
the common payment providers, including: First Data, Digital River, PayPal and more.
All companies current on a Business Ready Enhancement Plan have access to this func-
tionality.
MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover are all supported by Payment
Services and offer customers of your organization numerous options for payment. In
organizations with multiple merchant accounts, Payment Services allows the associa-
tion of different types of credit cards with different payment processors. Multiple pay-
ment currencies are not a problem with acceptance of over 20 different international
currencies. Depending on the payment process, organizations may also be able to do
away with the credit card terminal and the associated phone lines saving additional
money.
While Online Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP is very valuable for
many businesses, if your organization’s needs go beyond those of the provided func-
tionality do not fret! Many of our customers have already found the value of integrat-
ed credit card processing through applications offered by Nodus Technologies. If you
would like more information about how you can increase efficiency through the inte-
gration of credit card processing, contact your account manager today. ▲

20 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 21

 Events Calendar • 2011.1
To register for any of these events, go to SummitGroupSoftware.com and click on Training.
Date Workshop Type Location Course Date Workshop Type Location Course
3.15.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Launch –User Group 5.16.11 to 5.17.11 Remote Classroom Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft SQL Reporting Services
3.15.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP - Receivables Management 5.17.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Sales Order Processing
3.15.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP - Sales Order Processing 5.17.11 to 5.18.11 Classroom Omaha, NE Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
3.15.11 to 3.16.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials I 5.19.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Goal Management
3.16.11 to 3.18.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND SharePoint Technologies and Microsoft Dynamics® GP 2010 5.20.11 Remote Classroom Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Sales Management
3.17.11 to 3.18.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials II 5.20.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server Views for Microsoft
3.22.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Service Dynamics
3.22.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP - Bank Reconciliation 5.23.11 to 5.24.11 Remote Classroom Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
3.22.11 to 3.23.11 Classroom Duluth, MN Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 5.23.11 to 5.24.11 Classroom Chicago, IL Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft SQL Reporting Services
3.22.11 to 3.23.11 Classroom Chicago, IL Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 5.24.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Bank Reconciliation
3.25.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Marketing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 5.24.11 to 5.25.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials I
3.28.11 to 3.29.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 5.24.11 to 5.25.11 Classroom Kansas City, MO Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
3.29.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP - Fixed Assets 5.25.11 to 5.27.11 Classroom Chicago, IL SharePoint Technologies and Microsoft Dynamics® GP 2010
4.4.11 to 4.8.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 – Financials 5.26.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Introduction to Workflow
4.5.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Launch 5.26.11 to 5.27.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials II
4.5.11 to 4.6.11 Classroom Lincoln, NE FRx Essentials I 5.27.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Introduction to Dialogs
4.7.11 to 4.8.11 Classroom Lincoln, NE FRx Essentials II 5.31.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Fixed Assets
4.11.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Sales 5.31.11 to 6.2.11 Classroom Chicago, IL Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 - Distribution
4.12.11 to 4.13.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Business Intelligence in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 6.2.11 to 6.3.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Business Intelligence in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
4.14.11 to 4.15.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft SQL Reporting Services 6.6.11 to 6.10.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 - Financials
4.18.11 to 4.20.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 – Distribution 6.7.11 to 6.9.11 Classroom Duluth, MN Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SQL Reporting
Services
4.19.11 to 4.20.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials I
6.10.11 Online Introduction to Smartlist Builder for Microsoft Dynamics GP
4.21.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Payroll for Microsoft Dynamics GP
6.13.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Online Lead Capture
4.21.11 to 4.22.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials II
6.20.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Introduction to Duplicate
4.25.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Service
Detection and Bulk Deletion
4.26.11 Remote Classroom What’s New in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
6.20.11 to 6.22.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 - Distribution
4.26.11 to 4.27.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
6.21.11 to 6.22.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials I
4.26.11 to 4.27.11 Classroom Kansas City, MO FRx Essentials I
6.23.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Payroll for Microsoft Dynamics GP
4.26.11 to 4.29.11 Classroom Chicago, IL Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 - Financials
6.23.11 to 6.24.11 Classroom Chicago, IL FRx Essentials II
4.28.11 to 4.29.11 Classroom Kansas City, MO FRx Essentials II
6.24.11 Online Introduction to Views for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
5.2.11 to 5.4.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Configuring and Administering Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
6.27.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server
5.3.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – General Ledger
6.27.11 to 6.29.11 Remote Classroom Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Customization and Configuration
5.3.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Inventory
6.28.11 to 6.29.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft SQL Reporting Services
5.6.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP Table Relationships
6.30.11 Online Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Microsoft SharePoint
5.9.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Marketing Integration and Deployment
5.9.11 to 5.10.11 Classroom West Fargo, ND FRx Essentials I
5.10.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Payables Management To register for any of these events, go to www.summitgroupsoftware.com and click on Training.
5.10.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Purchase Order Courses subject to change, check the website for the most up to date schedule.
Processing
5.10.11 to 5.11.11 Classroom Chicago, IL Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
5.13.11 Remote Classroom Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server
5.17.11 Online Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics GP – Receivables Management

22 the Summit 2011.1 :: a publication of Summit Group Software 888.929.1387 :: SummitGroupSoftware.com 23

Bringing together cloud versions of our most trusted
communications and collaboration products with the latest
version of our desktop suite for businesses of all sizes.

Microsoft® Office 365 delivers the power of

cloud productivity to businesses of all sizes,
helping to save time, money and free up valued
resources. Office 365 combines the familiar
Office desktop suite with cloud-based versions
of Microsoft’s next-generation communications
and collaboration services: Exchange Online,
SharePoint Online and Lync Online.
Key Microsoft Office 365 Benefits:
•• Anywhere-access to email, documents, contacts,
and calendars on nearly any device
•• Work seamlessly with Microsoft Office and the other
programs your users already count on everyday
•• Business-class features including IT-level phone support,
guaranteed 99.9% uptime, geo-redundancy, and disaster recovery
•• Pay-as-you-go pricing options which give you predictability
and flexibility for all or part of your organization
•• Latest version of Business Productivity Online Suite
(BPOS), which has millions of business users today

Microsoft® Office 365 for small businesses offers an easy-to-use set of web-enabled tools
for small businesses, independent consultants and professionals looking for business-
class productivity services. Working with the tools people know and use today, Office
365 provides anywhere access to email, important documents, contacts, and calendars
on nearly any device. It’s free for the first 30 days and then just $6 per user per month.