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A Comparison of On-Premise vs. the Cloud
Most organizations are dependent on fast, accurate, and reliable information that their ERP systems provide. Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM are just two of these that may be hosted On-Premise or in the Cloud. With this in mind, I wanted to compare two different installation models: On-Premise Installations vs. Cloud based installations.
Is your Sub Ledger Reconciled to your General Ledger?
As accountants one of the most daunting tasks each month is reconciling your sub ledgers to your general ledger. There are several things you as a controller or manager can do within your Dynamics GP ERP to help with this. Here is a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way.
Why do I need a Project Manager?
As a Project Manager I am always thinking of the best way to manager and deliver my projects. There is the PMBOK and a host of other books, training courses and networking opportunities out there to better yourself at project management. In spite of the knowledge you bring to the table there is a question almost every project manager has to answer – do I really need a Project Manager?
ISVs: A blessing or a curse?
If you have been in the Dynamics world for any extended period of time chances are you have heard the term “ISV” or “third party product” and you have probably thought to yourself “What and who are these people?”
ISV stands for Independent Software Vendor. In the Dynamics world, these are companies that specifically write software for Dynamics products. Due to the large footprint that Dynamics has, there are hundreds if not thousands of ISVs out there. Most of these ISVs, or third party products, are industry specific….
Power BI – Power Pivot – Creating your first data model and KPI.
While PowerPivot isn't necessarily “new technology,” businesses are trying to move towards it due to how Excel savvy end users can create their own reports without tying up IT resources. KPI's are just another addition to PowerPivot that allows users to visually analyze data across millions of rows.
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a graphical representation that displays progress against a predefined measure or business goal. KPIs make it easier for end users to evaluate the amount of progress without reading a bunch of data.
Salesforce vs. Microsoft CRM – What Are the Differences?
Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM are currently the two leading CRM systems on the market. Five to ten years ago, the CRM software market was divided among many different players (ACT!, Goldmine, Sugar, Sage CRM and others) with Salesforce being the dominant and fastest growing. But over the last few years, the enterprise CRM industry has been dominated by only two, Microsoft and Salesforce. Salesforce has had a clear lead in market share over Microsoft CRM, but Microsoft CRM companies added revenue growth in the last two years far surpasses Salesforce, and the market share gap has narrowed considerably.
CRM Report Permissions
CRM provides a variety of out-of-box reports as well as the ability to import custom built reports. Some of these are beneficial to the entire organization while others are required just for a subset of users such as executives, sales or service managers, or even a specific department such as Finance. These group specific reports might contain information which other groups should not be able to see (e.g. a profit margin report which shows product cost for the Finance team which you do not want Sales Reps to view.) With this scenario you need to set up security around the reports. It’s not always straightforward and easy to figure out.
Tales from a Developer’s Life – Waterfall vs. Agile
For a developer, there is nothing more exciting than getting a new project to work on. There is probably a common misunderstanding that being a software developer is a routine, monotonous job where you perform the same activities day to day. My personal view on being a developer is more like being an artist; it requires inspiration and the experience is never the same. We start a project from just an idea, we like to work in solitude, we often get upset about what we create as it is never perfect and we need a muse that drives us and makes us deliver that final piece of software. I cherish that first stage when we put so much thought into the design and the technologies we can use. There is always an opportunity for us to learn something new, not only on technology but also domain wise. Working for a consulting company has given me the opportunity to learn a lot about different businesses, companies and corporate cultures. You see, a developer is like a chameleon; we need to adapt and understand the business, the needs, and the expectations of the final user so that this will carry over to the software we are building. We have to study and adapt to the requirements, as the only thing that truly matters is the customer satisfaction. These first days of a new project are the most exciting and full of inspiration as to what can be achieved. This idea of a software is now growing and forming. There is nothing that can stop us now, we are on a roll and we will deliver!
How Writing a Detailed Software Solutions Request Can Save You Time & Money.
I have been a consultant for over 27 years now and I hear the same thing year after year, “Why did the end product take longer and cost more than we originally thought it would take?”
Sometimes this is due to an unforeseen requirement that surfaced during the project; sometimes it’s an unexpected technology challenge that came up; but the majority of the time, it’s due to the requirement or the request not being as detailed, as it should have been.
