Microsoft Great Plains in Brazil: Implementation, Customization, Support – Overview for Consultant

Writen by Arthur Ferretti

Microsoft Business Solutions has a legacy of former Great Plains Software marketing efforts, which had serious stakes in late 1990th in South America. In Brazil, Microsoft Business Solutions has Brazilian Portuguese version of Microsoft Great Plains 8.0, translated and adapted to Brazilian tax code. When you think about Great Plains – you should probably first know that this product is main one (however not an only one – MBS has also Navision), targeted to mid-size and large enterprises, where it is rather budget solution with reduced implementation time. In Brazil, so Great Plains is excellent fit for international companies with business ties with US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Middle East.

To give you highlights on Great Plains technical side, read customization overview for developer:

1. Great Plains Dexterity – this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope – that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface. Nowadays, however – and this is a good thing – most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server – so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.

2. Modifier with VBA. Unfortunately you have to purchase this tool and get new registration keys. If you are familiar with VBA customization for Access or Excel – you have all the skills needed – then you just attach your scripts to the buttons and fields on GP forms (you can modify these forms with Modifier – or just tough them with it).

3. Continuum for VB/Delphi – we don’t recommend this tool, because it is using Great Plains as OLE server – and you probably don’t want to be trapped by old technology.

4. Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited – you can’t do cross modules reports (you can’t link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So – you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools->Resource Description->Tables and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases – it doesn’t hurt the Dexterity engine

5. Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.

6. eConnect – this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.

7. Integration Manager – it is end-user tool for importing to GP, however if end-user meets some challenges in the integration – you as a developer can help with VBA scripts. IM validates 100% of business logic and uses hidden GP forms – so it maybe slow for big on-going integrations, when you have thousands records per day – in this case you rescue to eConnect or directly to SQL store procedures.

8. SQL queries – as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Be careful, it is kind of surgery – you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job – give us a call S

7 Top Tips For Microsoft Word Users

Writen by Mike Seddon

Microsoft Word is an extremely easy tool to start using. However there are lots of interesting features “under the bonnet”. Some of these features can save you a lot of time when producing documents. I am amazed that they are not as well known as they should be. These top seven tips are my favourites and I cannot imagine life with Microsoft Word before I found them!

1. Oops. I left Caps lock on!

We all know that feeling. You are typing away merrily and then you look up at your screen to realise that you had hit the Caps Lock button. Now everything you just typed is in the wrong capitalisation. Don’t despair. Highlight the text and go to the Format menu and select Change Case from the drop down menu. Then just select your desired case from the list provided, which will probably be tOGGLE cASE.

2. While we are talking Cases.

Some useful shortcut keys:

Highlight your text and click Control Shift A to set it all to Upper Case.

Control Shift K will set it to Small capitals.

3. Moving quickly around your document.

Try these shortcuts to get around your document quickly.

Control Alt Page Down: Next Page
Control Alt Page Up: Previous Page
Control Home: Go to the top of your document
Control Alt End: Go to the end of your document

Also, with later versions of Word there is a clever little button beneath the vertical scroll bar called the Select Browse Object. Click on this and select one of its options to browse through your document going straight to the next table, graphic, heading etc.

4. I’m lost. Where was I?

Forgot where you just made a change in your document? Try pressing Shift + F5. This will take you back to the last place you made a change. You can do this two more times to go back to the two previous changes.

5. One click find

One of the annoyances of the Find screen when you are looking for occurrence of text in your document is the fact that it always seems to appear right over the text your are looking for! However there is no need to keep the screen open. Once you have used the Find command to find the first entry, close the Find screen. You should notice that the small double arrows below the vertical scroll bar on the right of Word have changed to blue. Click on these to go up and down your document finding your text.

6. Numbering the rows in your tables

How many times have you created a table where you just want the first column to be a numbered list. It’s easy to do this quickly. Simply select the column and click on the Numbering button on your Word toolbar. The same thing works if you select a row and want to have numbering across your columns

7. Fast Page breaks

My final tip is really simple and is probably the one I use the most. To insert a page break quickly, simply use CTRL + Enter.

Mike Seddon is a founding member of Kutchka Limited which specialises in providing software to help people get the most out of Microsoft Word. Find out more at http://www.kutchka.com/

Business Software – Adding Efficiency To Business

Writen by Susan Jan

Business software generally means software programs that can be used by business and companies to carry out business activities, or to increase or measure their business productivity. Business software solution is tailor made software for specific business purposes such as railway and airline ticketing system, billing and inventory control system for department stores etc. Business software can do away with any type of business activity such as cash transactions, receipts, issues, returns, rejections, interests, and depreciation, which entail final accounts, profit and loss accounts, balance-sheet etc.

A computer machine and business software are interdependent, with computer technology becoming more advanced with each new software addition. Nowadays even a tiny business entity tends to use small business software for its easy to handle and ready to use features. Many of the business software are plug and play type for which no special computer knowledge is essential. However, for complex calculations, tedious programming and special technical training, business software with learning tools is exceptionally helpful. IT companies on the other hand sometimes use business software for training purposes, enabling modern technologies like medical transcription.

The business software market is a billion dollar industry today and any one with a sound knowledge of the system can make his or her own earnings very easily. Business software has acquired an important position in the economy of developed and developing countries. Software developing countries like India are doing good business by exporting business software to developed countries. The sprawling BPO sector is providing business software solution to many MNCs and domestic companies.

Small business software markets throughout the globe and has captured a substantial part of the software market in recent times. Small business software may include toy and game software, audio-visual software, accounting software etc. Electronic spreadsheet software, a business software solution, has engaged itself successfully in the vast use of microcomputers.

There are standard softwares available for business such as Microsoft Excel, Word, Access, and Outlook etc., which cater to the everyday needs of most businesses. However custom business softwares have many advantages over standard business software. The custom business software can customize the functions and features in a manner required by the customer, be they automatic generation of letters, automatic sending of emails, deadline reminders, printing of receipts and bills, tracking of customers and orders. Many business softwares use operational research methods and algorithms for optimum utilization of resources, maximizing profits and minimizing costs. Business software has the potential to maximize the efficiency of businesses, systematize the way business is done and keep the business under control.

For more on Business Software visit elite-business-software.info. Susan also enjoys writing on a wide range of topics at business-and-finance-hub.info

Internet Faxing: An Online Service That Kills Fax Machine

Writen by Claudia Walters

Yes, indeed conventional fax machines are dying, and will be out of the business very soon. We are now living in a digital world – emails, cell phones, instant messenger, GPRS systems are everywhere, slipping themselves into everybody’s life. Ask yourself: When is the last time you post your mail through the postman? And, when is the last time you click on that reply or forward button to send out an email? Technology change, so does our life quality.

Faxing services are quite similar with email. When first email services were introduced, not much people get hooked on and they still think the posts sent out thru their office boy are more secure and reliable. But as soon as people find the convenience of emails the heat just spreads out and affects every single person’s life.

Internet faxing, or sometimes known as online faxing, or efax or fax to email or virtual fax, is a technology that enables you to send out and receive faxes in email forms. Modern internet services had made faxing easier and faster in a cheaper way compare to conventional facsimile transmissions. “We are eliminating the need for a fax machine,” says Janice Kapner, director of marketing and corporate communications at eFax. eFax is one of the pioneer in internet fax business that offers a free fax-to-e-mail service to more than one million subscribers.

By signing up with eFax services, you will get a real fax number at which you can receive faxes, which are then forwarded to an e-mail address of your choosing. You can as well send faxes out to normal fax machine through the service. Click here for more readings on eFax service reviews.

Internet faxing has caught the attention of both large and small businesses. More than 14 billion pages had been sent over IP-based networks in year 2002 and the number is keep on increasing, yielding more than 20 billion pages sent at the writing time of this article.

Why internet faxing service is growing this fast? Answer: the cost. Internet faxing requires less cost compare to conventional fax machine, which required user to buy fax machine, fax machine toners, extra fax lines and the list goes on. With internet faxing, you don’t have to invest in equipment; you don’t need to pay for a dedicated fax line; you don’t have to allocate extra budget to maintain your fax machine.

Often, Internet faxing services require only a flat fee to use. As for eFax, with subscription fees range from $0 to $19.95/month; you can receive faxes up to 200 pages for free; you can then send out faxes with a low price of $0.10/page; you get a local or a toll-free number; you get additional services such as voicemail-to-email services.

Further more, internet fax doesn’t give you a ‘busy’ tone. You can always receive faxes as it will just drop into your email inbox. Faxes can be received even your PC is offline or the phone line is being used- it’s always on and you will never miss a fax with internet fax. “The `always on’ aspect of a Web-based fax service means that numerous faxes can be received simultaneously at the same number,” says Leslie Morgan Nakajima, director of corporate communications at Onebox.com.

Convenience is another plus point for internet faxing. With internet faxing, your faxes become digital files automatically. This in turns helps you manage your files easily. Just as other files in your computer, you can now copy, forward, and organize it in your PC hard disk – simple and clean. With most Internet faxing services, your faxes become digital files that can be copied, forwarded, and archived. There’s no learning curve for the service, one can just subscribe and start using it to improve your daily job.

On the other hand, there are a few limitations to Internet fax: You need online access and a scanner to fax paper documents. That’s why Dataquest’s other numbers show traditional faxing sticking around for years to come. However, the economy and manageability of Internet faxing will allow an increasing number of savvy home office workers to do without a fax machine.

The author, Claudia, is one of the expert writter in office tools and technologies. Read more about her new writting assignments in Online fax and CallWave call alert technology.

Realtor Contact Management Software

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

Realtor contact management software is an effective tool designed for real estate professionals, brokers and agents. It helps to handle their business more productively and efficiently. Realtor contact management software provides better contact management with customers and clients. It enables to increase the productivity of real estate agents, thereby helping to achieve complex industry specific needs.

Realtor contact management software is an ideal solution for tracking relevant documents, interconnecting contacts and closing deals. The software maintains a user friendly interface to maintain a detailed record of all property information associated with buyers, sellers, vendors and agents. It also keeps track of a large number of floor plans and units. In addition, it has unlimited spaces, and a complete history of every tour, inquiry and phone call. This effective tool can document all contact-related communications, including unlimited e-mail addresses, phone numbers, links, attachments and notes. The software also has the provision to sort companies and contacts. Realtor contact management software supports automated data imports, internal e-mail system, merging capability, printability and custom and activity reports.

In addition, realtor contact management software eases time management, group calendars and history effectively. Other features include appointment and reminder alerts, unlimited reporting, data synchronization and extensive prospecting.

Some of the system requirements needed to run realtor contact management software include minimum 266 MHz processor, minimum 256 MB RAM or higher, minimum 300 MB of available hard disk space, CD-ROM or DVD drive, and higher resolution monitor. Most realtor contact management software runs on all versions of Windows. A full version of Microsoft SQL server is required for systems with 5 or more users.

Different varieties of realtor management software are on sale in the market. Most of the software providers offer free technical support, 30 day unconditional money back guarantee and low sales prices.