Microsoft,Dynamics,Integration computer Microsoft Dynamics GP Integration Methods: IM, eConnect, Dex

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc

Plus, we will try to address options for older versions ofGreat Plains Dynamics on Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve and Ctree.  Please, note that Great Plains Accounting forDOS, Windows and Mac is technically predecessor of Great Plains Dynamics forWindows and Macintosh, however GPA business logic and interface are differentfrom Dynamics core functionality: GL, PM, RM, SOP, POP, Inventory Management.  GPA is out of scope for this article (wherewe would like to make several observations) 1.       IntegrationManager.  We understand that most ofGreat Plains Technical Consultants know how to setup simple integration, wherethe source are text tab or comma delimited files, including building documentheader by grouping text lines (by document date for example: General LedgerTransaction, Sales Order Processing Invoice, etc.).  However, we saw pretty tough situations,where Dynamics GP integration consultants had hard time in complex dataconversions, where transactions and master records are in SQL tables or ODBCcompliant databases: Oracle, MS Access, Pervasive SQL/Btrieve, Ctree, MySQL, orwhen they are exported into very complex text files (where you have to weed outformatting lines, as reports are exported in human readable format, which isnot something that text integration accepts without data massage).  Good advice in our opinion in such scenariosis to import these text files into MS Excel, weed out formatting lines and thenimport the data into staging MS SQL Server tables.  Then you create SQL View to pull data fromstaging tables and use it as a base for Advanced ODBC Data Source.  We had cases, where we were able to import upto the whole year of mid-size company GL transactions via that method.  We would like also to share IM ongoing andclose to real time integration methodic via Integration Manager.  If you have in-house programmed ecommercewebsite application, which requires close to real time or batch modeintegration to Sales Order Processing (customer orders, invoices and returns)and new customers creation (where transactions are coming from Linux/PHP/MySQLbased ecommerce application) - consider either exporting transactions in textfile or even establishing ODBC connection from Dynamics GP hosting MS SQLServer to MySQL via Linked Server mechanism, and schedule IM Integration to runevery 20 min or few hours via Windows Macro third party add-ons.  We know that for some of you these complextechnical passages might be too deep, but our mission here is to let you (asstruggling ecommerce programmer) know what is possible with Dynamics GPecommerce integration.  And finally, thelast observation, before we move on to eConnect technology, please know that IMfor GP version 10.0 is available in two connection blends - traditional OLEServer and eConnect connectors.  eConnectconnectors are faster by their technology architecture and technically you maybe achieving the same results as if you are programming eConnect directly fromyour ecommerce web application, where the advantage of Integration Manager isapparent - it is user friendly in integration design and doesn't requireprogramming (except simple VBA scripts, or data translation tables, which couldbe composed in MS Excel) 2.       eConnectIntegration Programming.  eConnect wasintroduced for Dynamics GP version 7.5 and 8.0 as the Software Development Kit,initially dedicated to eCommerce software developers.  eConnect was under certain evolution forDynamics GP versions 9.0 and 10.0, where it was adopted as integrationtechnical platform strategy (and it was announced by Microsoft BusinessSolutions that eConnect should replace earlier integration platforms:Integration Manager, Dexterity - as middle tier).  And now as we are writing these lines(October 2009), eConnect is triumphing among Dynamics GP integration low leveltechnologies and connectors.  eConnecttechnology is in fact simple - it is the collection of SQL Server encryptedstored procedures, replicating Great Plains Dexterity Dynamics GP businesslogic (often in Object Oriented Programming style, and this is good improvementto Dex, which is not technically Object Oriented Programming compliant withsome exceptions).  In our opinioneConnect came to its maturity as reliable Dynamics GP ecommerce and genericintegration Software Development Kit with Great Plains Dynamics GP version 10.0and probably 9.0.  If you gotcertifications and experience as Microsoft .Net VB or C# programmer, you should find very useful code samples and prototypeMicrosoft Visual Studio eConnect projects: Dynamics GP Sales Order import,Customer import and update (including addresses) to give you start up ideas 3.       Dexterityintegrations.  Dex is capable to do theultimate and the most complex programming surgery in Dynamics GP systemenvironment.  If Integration Manager andeven eConnect don't do the job or incapable to do the job (and this is possibleas these tools have natural limitations). However, please recognize the challenges of Dexterity.   In Dynamics GP realm there are no limits toMicrosoft Dexterity customizations, and if you contact with Great PlainsDexterity programmers (who have access to Dexterity Source Code and haveexperience in Dex source code programming), please go ahead to evaluate thesechannels.  The only advise we would liketo feature here is fact that Dexterity requires too long learning curve fornewcomers, and it is not recommended for small or mid-size companies ITdepartment to do Dexterity custom programming inhouse 4.       DirectSQL Data Feeding.  If you are experiencedMicrosoft SQL DBA, please review Dynamics GP Tables StructureTools->Resource Description->Tables (or install Dynamics GP SDK fromDC#2, where tables structure is formally documented).  We would like to make comments andrecommendations, before you try direct SQL data feed via SQL StoredProcedures.  Please, consider the fact thateConnect is already doing this job via its methods and Stored Procedures.  Also take into consideration the fact thatDynamics GP business logic and data flow is quite complex and it is unlikelythat you can do imitate this logic in couple of day, couple of week or even incouple of months.  If you have unlimitedIT budget, then please disregard and go all the way through until you consideryourself experienced eConnect programmer with comfort to send records directlyto Dynamics GP tables: GL10000, GL10001, SOP10100, SOP10200, SOP30200, SOP30300,etc. 5.       GreatPlains Integration options for Old GP versions: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0,4.0 and Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive SQL Server 2000/Btrieve andCtree.  If you are on archaic version, itis unlikely that you can get support directly from Microsoft Business SolutionsDynamics GP subdivision (as you are likely not current in MBS annualenhancement program) 6.       GreatPlains Accounting for DOS, Windows or Mac integration options.  GPA has its own integration module, and ifthis is your Corporate ERP, please contact us separately,  we have access to GPA knowledge base,inherited from Great Plains Software - if your case is known and documented(plus if you can recognize your problem in GPA after 10+ years of GPA andDynamics GP Consulting), we are uniquely positioned to support Great PlainsAccounting for DOS, Windows and Mac: 9.5, 9.2, 9.1 or earlier versions USA andCanada nationwide and internationally most likely Central, South America,Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia,Kuwait, Pakistan, Casablanca, Agadir,  India, Bangladesh) 7.       Unicodecharacters integration notes.  GreatPlains Dexterity doesn't support hieroglyphs: Chinese, Japanese, Korean,Mongolian, Thai.  All we can do for youis enable hieroglyphs in Crystal Reports or Microsoft SQL Server ReportingServices (often abbreviated as SSRS) 8.       DynamicsGP Great Plains in Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan,Poland, Czech republic, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Georgia,Armenia.  Great Plains Software tried tomarket and localize Great Plains (version 4.0 and 5.0) in Common Wealth ofIndependent States (most of the former Soviet Union territory, except EastBaltic States) .  When Great PlainsSoftware was in its order acquired by Microsoft Business Solutions, MSrecommended Navision as the Corporate ERP of choice back in earlier 2000th, andlater on MBS localized Axapta Microsoft Dynamics AX for most of Western,Central and Eastern European Corporate ERP markets.  To avoid further complexities, we recommend youto chose SAP Business One in former CIS, Baltic States and in Arabic World asgood local branch Corporate ERP, which has simple integration tools and optionsto your Dynamics GP ERP in the headquarters 9.       Howto get help?  Please, feel free to callus: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email [email protected]  We are verytechnical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK and MicrosoftCRM programming gurus.  We have GreatPlains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GPCustomization and Programming needs. Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian,and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technicalconsultants.  If you prefer skype:albaspectrum