Software Information

Microsoft Great Plains: Government & Non-Profit Organization - Workflow Implementation


Usually workflow & messaging is realized in CRM and then transactions are just logged into Accounting/ERP/MRP. In the case of Microsoft Business Solutions products: Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon, Axapta the natural CRM choice would be Microsoft CRM. However typical CRM application targets Sales automation, which is usually not applicable to government structure, non-profit or public company (community services, public utilities, churches, charities, etc.). Not-for-profit organization needs purchasing and requisition workflow, payroll approval workflow, and in certain cases special General Ledger (GL) transactions workflow. Microsoft CRM doesn't provide the functionality. Then how could this be realized? We'll provide two scenarios to realize this customization:

? Lotus Notes/Domino approach. In Great Plains you could realize either Great Plains Dexterity triggers or MS SQL database trigger on certain events (Purchase Order creation, Payroll Transaction, GL transaction). This event calls COM+ application and this one in turn creates Lotus objects via Java agent (Lotus Notes Domino should be version 6.0 or newer). This is basically the bridge. Then in Lotus you have to design workflow - but this is natural task for Lotus and it is not difficult. Users should work in Lotus to get transactions approved and when it should be posted in Great Plains - Lotus calls SQL script against Great Plains company database. Developer should know Microsoft Great Plains tables structure

? Microsoft Exchange/Outlook approach. This is the second way - when you do not want to deploy Lotus Domino, and would be OK with simple messaging and notification through Microsoft Exchange. The technical realization should either involve Dexterity or SQL trigger, calling COM object (Dexterity) or simply sending notification email from MS SQL Server. The scenario to post or take off hold from Great Plains transaction could be realized via MS Exchange event sink - this MS Exchange event handler will check all the messages and when the one has certain criteria - it calls MS SQL Server stored procedure in the Great Plains company database

? Programming Tools. Java agent to address Lotus - you need either Sun JDK or somewhat more advanced: VisualCafe or JBuilder. Great Plains Dexterity trigger should be done in Dexterity IDE - this language requires expertise and it is difficult to code without experience, Microsoft Exchange event sink should be programmed in Visual Studio as COM+ application, then you need to register COM+ application through Control Panel->System->Component Services

? Feasibility. To be honest and do not set unrealistic expectations - this Workflow implementation is pretty serious project and we do not recommend if for small non-profit organization - it is rather for large and mid-size-to-large structure.

We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan


MORE RESOURCES:

SAP Wants Oracle to Reveal Software, Support Profit Margins
PC World - 3 hours ago
SAP wants Oracle to reveal profit-margin information for JD Edwards and PeopleSoft software and support, according to a joint discovery statement filed this ...
SAP pushes for jury decision on Oracle lawsuit Accountancy Age
all 6 news articles


Sydney Morning Herald

Apple unveils software updates, new laptop
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 12 hours ago
The presentation included updates to the iLife and iWork software suites, a new 17-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-hour battery and a new digital rights ...
Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
Macworld goes for the soft sell with budget-minded software USA Today
Apple's Macworld Surprise Is the Software PC Magazine
CNNMoney.com - Macworld
all 3,030 news articles


Earthtimes (press release)

IBM Lotus Delivers New "Social" Notes and Free Symphony Software ...
CNNMoney.com - 23 hours ago
At Macworld, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the availability of Lotus Notes 8.5 collaboration software with social computing features for all Mac OS X ...
IBM deploys Lotus Notes on Mac and iPhone TG Daily
IBM Polishes Its Apple Offerings Forbes
Macworld: IBM finalizing free Symphony office suite for Macs Computerworld
MacNN - VNUNet.com
all 50 news articles


Times Online

ITunes embraces 3-tier pricing, will remove anti-copy software
Los Angeles Times, CA - 14 hours ago
Apple also updated much of its software. The latest version of iPhoto scans for individual faces so computer users can label photos of friends or family, ...
Apple removes protection software from songs TourDates.Co.Uk
Apple changes iTunes prices; removes copy protection USA Today
Apple changes iTunes pricing CNNMoney.com
Bloomberg - Shiny Shiny
all 1,078 news articles


Telegraph.co.uk

Indian Software Giant Admits Financial Wrongdoing
Washington Post, United States - 1 hour ago
The revelation shook India's stock market and sent shock waves across the country's booming software industry, while television commentators quickly dubbed ...
Chairman of India's Software Company Quits ToTheCenter.com
Satyam Chairman Resigns After Falsifying Accounts Bloomberg
Chairman of 'India's Enron' Resigns After Falsifying Financial Data FOXNews
CNNMoney.com - Reuters India
all 1,623 news articles


HEB Mexico adds price optimization software
Bizjournals.com, NC - 4 hours ago
HEB’s Mexico subsidiary will begin using a price optimization software program currently in use by its parent company. Supermercados Internacionales HEB ...


Acresso Software Finalizes Intraware Acquisition
CNNMoney.com - 17 minutes ago
Acresso Software (Acresso), a privately-held company and an investment of private equity firm Thoma Bravo, LLC, announced today it has completed the ...


ZDNet UK

Borland laying off 130 employees; CEO resigns
Bizjournals.com, NC - 58 minutes ago
Borland Software Corp. is cutting 130 employees from its ranks as it shuffles executives and lowers its revenue expectations for the most recent quarter. ...
VMware Taps Borland CEO for Chief Operating Officer PC World
Borland Software reports preliminary Q4 financial results ... RTT News
Borland CEO leaves, joins VMware InfoWorld
CNET News - Bizjournals.com
all 76 news articles


Plymouth software firm Paisley sold to Thomson Reuters
Bizjournals.com, NC - 3 hours ago
Paisley, a maker of risk-management and fraud investigation software, has been sold to Thomson Reuters’ tax and accounting business for an undisclosed ...


CNET News

Sun Buys Cloud-computing Vendor Q-layer
PC World - 7 hours ago
Sun Microsystems has bought Q-layer, a Belgian vendor of software for automating the management of computing clouds, it said Wednesday. ...
Sun Acquires Cloud Computing Automator Q-layer eWeek
Sun acquires cloud computing vendor ZDNet
Sun Comes Up on Belgian Acquisition TheStreet.com
Register - CNET News
all 62 news articles

Software - Google News

home | site map
© 2006