Real-world Business Intelligence with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Table of Contents

Real-world Business Intelligence with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Credits

About the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Reviewers

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Preface

Question

Answer

Baseball

Jason Bourne

James Bond

Baseball, Jason Bourne, and James Bond versus. ERP BI

Past performance

Present performance

Future performance

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. What Is BI and What Are BI Tools for Microsoft Dynamics GP?

What is BI and how do I get it?

Out-of-the-box BI tools for Microsoft Dynamics GP

Business Analyzer

SQL Server Reporting Services

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel PowerPivot

Microsoft Excel Power Query

Microsoft Excel Power Map

Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Excel Power View

GP Analysis Cubes library

SmartList and SmartList Designer

Management Reporter

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Dynamics GP Workspace for Office 365

Summary

2. Business Intelligence for the General Ledger

Balance sheet dashboard

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you’re not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Ratio of AP to AR

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you’re not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

3. Business Intelligence for Bank Reconciliation

Bank balances with the last reconciliation date

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Where the money goes

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

4. Business Intelligence for Payables Management

Unapplied credits/payments, invoices on hold, and vendor holds

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

What this BI content achieved

Sharable aged trial balance

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

5. Business Intelligence for Receivables Management

Sharable aged trial balance

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Customer sales this year compared to last year

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

6. Business Intelligence for Sales Order Processing

Dashboard of sales by customer, state, item class, and salesperson

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Dashboard of open orders by customer, state, item class, and salesperson

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Items sold by the manufacturer

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

7. More Business Intelligence on Sales Order Processing

SOP documents on process holds

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Items shipped within the last 30 days with tracking numbers

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Returned items report

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI & BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

8. Business Intelligence for Inventory Control

Rolling 12-month turnover report

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Items on which you most frequently adjust quantities

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

9. More Business Intelligence for Inventory Control

Top 10 most invoiced and returned items

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Items with quantities that are not available to sell and items that have not been sold within the last year

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

10. Business Intelligence for Purchase Order Processing

Purchase orders awaiting approval

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Open purchase orders older than 45 days

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

11. Miscellaneous Business Intelligence

Employee list with personal details by location

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Commission details

Brief background of the company

Pain or goal defined

BI and BI tool chosen

Step-by-step guide to build the BI content

Technical matter (in case you're not a techie!)

Non-technical matter

What this BI content achieved

Summary

Index

Real-world Business Intelligence with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Real-world Business Intelligence with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: May 2015

Production reference: 1260515

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

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Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78217-724-1

www.packtpub.com

Credits

Authors

Belinda Allen

Mark Polino

Reviewers

Mahmoud M. AlSaadi

Denis St-Germain

Ravi Shankar Kumar

Andrea Monico

Commissioning Editor

Akram Hussain

Acquisition Editor

Owen Roberts

Content Development Editor

Arun Nadar

Technical Editor

Ankur Ghiye

Copy Editors

Trishya Hajare

Vikrant Phadke

Project Coordinator

Neha Bhatnagar

Proofreader

Stephen Copestake

Safis Editing

Indexer

Priya Sane

Production Coordinator

Nitesh Thakur

Cover Work

Nitesh Thakur

About the Author

Belinda Allen is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), certified professional for Dynamics GP (MCP), and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). She is also one of the cofounders of Smith & Allen Consulting, Inc. (www.saci.com), a firm with over 22 years' experience specializing in business intelligence, analytics, and ERP software.

Belinda began implementing ERP systems so long ago that Windows was not an operating system but an application. At that time, larger businesses used mainframes with monitors that projected a green type on black backgrounds, and smaller businesses did their accounting by hand. Having seen the evolution that has taken place over the years from sheets of paper to integrated analytics, Belinda still gets excited every time she helps a business improve.

Belinda is also well known for her blog, www.BelindaTheGPcsi.com. On her blog, she shares really useful information about the product, quickly and succinctly. She has earned the nickname GP CSI because she excels at reviewing GP problems and figuring out what went wrong… and why. With followers from all over the globe, she is able to share knowledge and achieve her mission: to improve the lives and business success of my followers.

When not delving into GP problems and spearheading business success for clients, Belinda enjoys sailing, crochet/knitting, sewing/quilting, reading, woodturning, and playing the Ukulele (often participating in Ukulele jams in NYC).

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my husband, Richard Allen, who helped me build my first serious budget spreadsheet over 25 years ago. He always encourages me to spread my wings and fly. I'll always be eternally grateful for his love and support.

I also want to thank two of my amazing teammates, Ann Deiterich and Kuldeep Singh. When my grammar and spelling is correct, it is usually courtesy of Ann. She frequently translates my ramblings into complete sentences. Kuldeep is not only a wonderful friend, but a fantastic cheerleader as well. Everyone should be as lucky as I am to have a Kuldeep in their life.

Finally, thanks Mark. You're a good friend and smart as a whip. Thanks so, very much for helping me get this idea on paper and in the hands of users.

About the Author

Mark Polino is a Microsoft MVP for Dynamics GP, certified public accountant, and Microsoft MVP. He also holds additional accounting certifications. Mark is the author of the premier Dynamics GP-related blog, www.DynamicAccounting.net, and the creator and presenter of the successful series Getting More Out of Microsoft Dynamics GP: 50 Tips in 50 Minutes. He has worked with Dynamics GP and its predecessor, Great Plains, for more than 15 years. Mark is currently a senior consultant with Integrated Business Group, implementing Dynamics GP. He is the author or coauthor of four other Dynamics GP books by Packt Publishing. He is also the author of a novel.

About the Reviewers

Mahmoud M. AlSaadi is a Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP and an ERP consultant, specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP with business and technical expertise. He has been implementing Dynamics GP for companies from various domains for the last 5 years, covering different aspects of the project life cycle. This includes process analysis and reengineering, implementation, integration, customization, training, and support.

Mahmoud holds a bachelor's degree in both management information system and financial studies. He is the author of the Dynamics GP Essentials blog, which has more than 4000 visits a month. He is currently working with Dynamics Innovations, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in Amman, Jordan.

Denis St-Germain has worked with GP as a customer and, then as a consultant for more than 12 years. Most of the time, his work is done on the technical side of the product, importing and extracting data from GP.

He is currently working for Mibusoft Inc., a Dynamics GP / NAV / CRM partner in Quebec, Canada.

Ravi Shankar Kumar is a passionate professional who is able to contribute with a unique blend of project management, delivery, sales, and exemplary problem-solving skills, along with a commitment to excellence. He has an eye for detail, ensuring projects, mission and objectives are met within scope, budget, and schedule. He has exceptional organizational skills to coordinate and manage multiple stakeholders along with the ability to work autonomously and prioritize across conflicting demands. He also has an adept understanding of business processes and organizational culture combined with an aptitude for lateral thinking that enables the efficient management of project risks and deliverables.

Ravi has been working in the IT industry since 2001, and his passion at work has been to assist companies to increase their usage of IT/ERP systems to improve productivity, manage change, and conduct better business for their customers, employees, and owners. He is a highly motivated and energetic person with a strong commercial and systems background, including extensive experience in analyzing business requirements and translating these into systems solutions. He is also particularly strong in the project management discipline and has a very good record of driving projects to their successful conclusion through the use of his interpersonal and organizational skills, including negotiation at the executive management level. He has a consulting, functional, project management, and sales background and is flexible enough to maintain a sense of humor under pressure. He is poised and competent with a demonstrated ability to easily handle cultural differences. In addition to this, he is also ardent about providing the best solutions in order to achieve business needs. He is always keen to take up challenging assignments and deliver the solution to the customer's satisfaction.

Lastly, during several DAX 2012 and 2009 projects, he has practiced communication on multiple levels —for example, from CEO to shop floor staff. Ravi currently works with one of the four big firms in India.

I would like to thank my fellow authors and Packt Publishing for considering me. I look forward to many more publications! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my mother (Mrs. Shanti Sinha) and beloved wife (Mrs. Bharti Kumari) for continued support during long hours of book reviewing.

Andrea Monico is an IT consultant with over 15 years of experience in business analysis, implementation of CRM and ERP systems, business intelligence, data analysis, and data visualization. He has worked in various fields, including manufacturing, telecommunications, and recently, financial services. He graduated in industrial engineering from the University of Padua and holds an MBA from the University of Iowa. He currently lives and works in London.

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Preface

Do you keep hearing the term Business Intelligence (BI) at conferences, on websites and social media, and from Microsoft? Do you think it's something you need or want, but you don't know where to start? If your answer to any of these questions is yes or you want to improve your current BI methodology, then this book is for you. We are going to share with you some real-world solutions for GP users, build solutions, and then edit them to fit your specific needs.

Question

Baseball, Jason Bourne, and James Bond—what do these three things have to do with Microsoft Dynamics GP or any accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system?

Answer

Intelligence! I know you are probably saying, What? So let me explain.

Baseball

Since the formation of the National League (United States professional baseball) in 1876, statistics for all major league players and teams have been kept. These statistics have been used to determine how well a player is