The MS Connect site, which was the one-stop repository for ideas/suggestions/bug fixes relating to Dynamics GP (among other things) was…

Thanks to the Europeans and their new privacy laws (GDPR anyone?) Microsoft has chosen to retire MS Connect, the place where we could provide product suggestions to MS. Don’t worry, there is a replacement and Shawn has details.

Looking for the MS Connect replacement for Dynamics GP? | GP Life Hacks

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On December 1^st, Microsoft released Dynamics GP 2018 after improving on existing features based on end-user and partner feedback. The GP 2018 release enhances specific areas of the product, while also expanding existing functionality, notably in the document attachment and workflow areas. The user experience has also been improved to make finding the information you need to make business decisions faster and easier. In this post we will discuss platform and system-wide enhancements.

In previous versions of Dynamics GP, users were prompted to log in multiple times during a single session, when accessing different system windows. With the release of Dynamics GP 2018, users only need to enter the system password once during an active session when working in multiple system windows.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 expands the availability of the document attachment capability to additional master record windows, inquiries, and transaction entry windows. There is also an option to attach new documents in inquiry windows. Document attachment is available in in additional transaction entry windows and in master record windows, as shown below:

Additional transaction entry window

Master record windows

Document attachment has been added to the following windows for GP 2018

Please contact our Support team at support@bondconsultingservices.com with any questions. Thank you!

Today’s #TipTuesday post is a small tip, something to watch for if you have a G/L Account in Dynamics GP that is revaluing month after month despite having a zero balance in your functional currency.

Nearly 20 years ago, I worked for a company that did a lot of transactions in multi-currency and we revalued our A/R and A/P control accounts each month, among others. From time to time, we would see revaluation occurring on a G/L Account where the balance was zero. Or, not zero, but the “balance” it was revaluing was nothing close to the underlying real balance in that currency.

Multicurrency Summary Inquiry window

Here’s what I used to look at with an example of an issue that would cause this problem. The highlighted section is where I used to look if this happened. Here I have an A/R account for CAD receivables only. In my case, we used to have separate control accounts so it was easier to track these kinds of issues.

The balance in this account should be 100% Canadian dollars, in this case; there should be no functional currency entries at all. The balance in this account is zero from a functional standpoint, however, there is a CAD balance and you’ll see below there is an amount in USD (Fabrikam’s functional currency). I never want to see this in this situation.

What happened? Something was entered in USD instead of CAD. Perhaps it was a credit note applied and the user mistakenly entered it in functional currency by mistake. It isn’t likely a cash receipt unless for some reason the customer pays in USD! Whatever the reason, I would look at what the functional entry was and reverse it and re-enter the transaction in CAD so that both the functional and originating currency balances were zero (in this example).

Microsoft Dynamics is a feature-rich financial software system that is very powerful in the healthcare industry and works great with many of the clinical solutions that are already in use. This new video and blog series explores six reasons why you should consider Microsoft Dynamics for your healthcare organization. Today, we're discussing Reason #6: Regulatory Requirements.

#6 Regulatory Requirements

We all know in the healthcare industry we are getting buried by regulatory requirements, and they're growing more and more every day. We’ve found that Microsoft Dynamics is a great platform to help you manage this complexity including:

· Local, state, federal, or management reporting and the differences between those

· Cost allocations for allocating traditional GL cost, payroll costs or anything else

· Other specific reporting regulatory requirements

Microsoft Dynamics will help you manage those requirements seamlessly, easily, and without rekeying or keeping multiple sets of books.

Miss the first five reasons? Catch them here:

Reason #1: Strong Integration Platform

Reason #2: Managing Multiple Facilities & Locations

Reason #3: Purchasing Automation

Reason #4: Business Intelligence

Reason #5: Multiple Deployment Options

TrinSoft exists to help companies use technology to be more efficient and profitable. I'm willing to answer any questions you may have, and talk through options and best practices. If you have any questions, drop me a note or give me a call at (859) 252-6225.

Download the "Top 6 Reasons to Use Microsoft Dynamics for Healthcare" whitepaper now.

by TrinSoft, LLC a Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner in Kentucky

Customer service

Customer service is clearly an essential department within the nurturing cycle. We don’t have to tell you that a happy customer is good for your rental business. But did you know that the right ERP System can help you improve your customer service? Some aspects of customer service need to be personal, but there are other parts that can be automated. Artificial intelligence or chatbots are becoming increasingly smart! By automating some parts of your customer service, your service desk will have more time to excel in personal contact. This will help increase customer satisfaction.

Rental business automation

There are many areas in which you can use automatization to reduce the workload. Many benefits will emerge when you start automate. Not only will it reduce absenteeism, but it will also increase employees’ focus because the boring tasks will be reduced. Employees will be happier because they can do what they really love instead of dealing with all the bureaucratic hassles. And in the end, it will also improve working together between departments because they won’t have to remind each other of all the small details. Increased efficiency, lower absenteeism, and improved employee focus will give you a huge advantage over your competition—and at a lower cost!

Price wars are a race to the bottom

Do not let the market tempt you into a price war, since we all know that it will only ruin the market and profits for the whole industry. Customers are willing to pay that little bit extra when they feel understood by the brand or when the service is phenomenal! Many things have changed in the market since the start of the digital revolution, but there’s one thing that will always stay the same: The customer buys when he/she trusts your rental business. Make sure you invest in a system that can give your customers what they need.

Updates: functional, usable, scalable

Make sure you use a system that is scalable, a system that can grow with your rental business. The digital transformation will make the market more and more agile, and companies that can be as flexible as the market will have a clear advantage.

Curious about our solutions for your industry? We’re more than happy to provide you with a tailored demonstration. Please contact us at info@highsoftware.com or visit www.highsoftware.com. We are looking forward to get in touch with you.

Did you know that Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus has 3 treehouses as”outdoor meeting spaces”? They are wired for power and WiFi and per this article on Microsoft’s own blog, they are “part of a larger new system of technology-enabled outdoor districts”.

I saw a tweet from another Microsoft MVP Summit attendee this week sharing pictures about it and I got a chance to tour them myself. I had no idea they existed!

The treehouses were built last summer (2017) and all of the articles I can find on the subject indicate to me they were ready for use sometime in October 2017. For anyone reading this who is in the area, they are behind Building 31 on the Redmond campus.

It was quite neat to tour them. On a warmer day, I would have totally sat there for a while and enjoyed the peace and quiet. I went with fellow #MSDYNGP MVP Shawn Dorward and we were lucky with our timing that some other Microsoft employees (who don’t usually work at the Redmond campus) let us in. Two of the three buildings that had interior meeting space were locked unless you had a Microsoft pass to get in. To protect their identities, in case they weren’t supposed to let us in, let’s just say they work on the Notepad* team. (Inside joke moment for Belinda: hahaha…)

*they don’t really work on the Notepad team.

On December 1^st, Microsoft released Dynamics GP 2018 after improving on existing features based on end-user and partner feedback. The GP 2018 release enhances specific areas of the product, while also expanding existing functionality, notably in the document attachment and workflow areas. The user experience has also been improved to make finding the information you need to make business decisions faster and easier. In this post we will discuss the extended capabilities of workflow in the GP 2018 environment. In addition to new workflows, including general ledger account approvals and purchase order invoice approval, you can copy a step within a workflow, and send reminder email messages from workflow.

Reminder emails

Now you can set a reminder time period on the workflow that is used to notify users if they haven’t reacted to their assigned workflow task within a specific time period.

Copy workflow step

This enhancement adds efficiency to your business processes by allowing you to copy steps within a workflow, renaming the step, and including sub-steps to a workflow.

Reporting for workflow

A new workflow history report can be filtered by workflow type, workflow approvers, workflow status, and by the approval date. Functionality to include comments on the report is now available, also.

Additional fields are available for Payables transaction workflow

To utilize the additional fields, mark the Extended fields list option in the Work Maintenance window, and then select the fields you want to use in the Workflow Condition Editor.

The new fields include:

1. Vendor account
2. Comment 1
3. Comment 2
4. Vendor class ID
5. Payment priority

Additional messages are available for purchase order workflow

This enhancement allows you to add account descriptions to workflow messages that are distributed via email for Purchase order workflows and purchase requisition workflows.

Bank used for EFT added to vendor approval workflow

Additional data is included in the Vendor approval workflow that populates the specific bank that the vendor uses for electronic funds transfers (EFT). To use the enhanced feature, mark it in the Extended fields list option in the Work Maintenance window, then add it to the workflow in the Workflow Condition Editor. These extended fields are all the EFT banking fields that can be set up on the vendor for EFT information. Included fields are country, bank name, bank account, and SWIFT code.

New workflows for new accounts, receivings transactions and purchasing invoices

New workflows have been added to control the addition of general ledger accounts, purchase receivings transactions, and purchasing invoices. The workflow for general ledger accounts can be initiated from any area of the system for any new accounts, or for any accounts that are in a workflow state.

Contact Bond Consulting Services to learn more about how to utilize workflow enhancements in Dynamics GP 2018!

After a turbulent first year with the new administration in charge, the ACA Employer Mandate still stands and therefore so do all the IRS reporting requirements around it.

As the 2017 reporting year comes to a close and we’re already into the 2018 reporting year, here are some interesting observations we have made since we first started with ACA compliance solutions in 2012, around US employers reacting to the law: who cares and to what extent?

Which employers must be ACA–compliant? AKA: Who needs to care?

According to ACA rules, employers are required to file yearly reports with the IRS when, in the previous calendar year, their organization:

• Employed 50 or more full-time employees, including full-time equivalents
• Was self-insured (then the number of employees is irrelevant)

These employers are called “Applicable Large Employers” or ALEs.

If you have been living under a rock all these years, OR have been in denial, hopeful that a repeal would happen, OR are new to ACA employer compliance, OR think your employee count may hit 51+ this year – we hear you. Use our easy flowchart to find out how ACA rules apply to your organization.

Are there distinctions between employers? AKA: How much do I need to care?

When we first began talking with employers about Affordable Care Act compliance in early 2012, the employer would bring up: “This law is coming and we are in T.R.O.U.B.L.E!” These employers are part of what we call the Forced Minority– companies with a workforce defined by hourly workers with varying schedules and/or high turnover, often with low wage workers. Because of the ACA, these companies were “forced” to either offer coverage for the first time or expand their existing offering to a wider employee base. This segment of U.S. employers first worries about identifying their employees eligible for health insurance – so they can get offers out pronto – and later sort through IRS reporting details of the coverage offers.

• Penalties are top-of-mind for the Forced Minority. They are aware that, by offering limited or no health insurance, they are vulnerable to significant financial consequences under the ACA employer mandate. In particular, they are at risk of the ACA coverage penalties for offering no coverage and/or for offering coverage that does not meet value or affordability standards.
• They know they need help in getting at and tracking their workforce data in a detailed way year-round in order to avoid or minimize IRS non-compliance fines.

Our discussions with employers about ACA compliance have broadened since then. Often, we are the ones bringing up talking points that are still not top-of-mind for the employer. These employers are part of what we call the Burdened Majority– those employers who aren’t worried about who to cover because they already cover everybody. Their sole worry about ACA compliance is filling out IRS Forms 1095-C and 1094-C: the yearly statements for their employees and the IRS.

• Employers in the Burdened Majority dismiss talk of penalties: “How can you be ACA non-compliant if you’re offering coverage that provides quality beyond what the law mandates?”
• Many of these employers are unaware that they need to get at their data for monthly breakdowns. Nor are they aware that, if they don’t file the new IRS returns, they will face the IRS non-filing penalty – $520* per required return. This penalty is assessed for willful disregard of any information reporting requirements, including those for ACA returns. For late filing or erroneous filing, the penalty is $260* per required form.

The Forced Minority cares the most but so should the Burdened Majority! AKA: All ALEs should care.

By now, most US employers understand that if they have 50 or more full-time employees, including full-time equivalents, they must offer coverage of a certain standard to certain employees or face a penalty. However, it is difficult for employers who take pride in their both their conscientiousness and their generosity to come to terms with the fact that, in the ACA age, they must file the same IRS forms intended for assessment of penalties against employers who offer limited or no coverage.

Preparedness, then, for ACA reporting remains low among these employers – even though compliance with this federal law became enforceable as of January 1, 2015 and is, in fact, being enforced by the IRS.

OK, OK I care – now what should I DO?

We are already 2+ months into 2018 so time to get on the bandwagon!

Continuously: ALL employers must track every employee’s hours of service (not just paid hours of work on the job) – year-round.

All employees – exempt and non-exempt – must have their hours of service tracked. Factored into the hours of service calculation are such matters as jury duty, military duty and FMLA absences.

Sure, this is not as huge deal for the Burdened Majority as it is for the Forced Minority, but keeping records remains important, even if they are (almost) the same every month!

Monthly: Employers must also track what coverage was offered and whether an employee accepted any coverage.

Annually: By January 31, 2019, employees who are eligible for coverage from their employer, or who have coverage from their employer, must get their copy of Form 1095-C. By February 28, 2019, the employer’s copies of the 1095-C forms must be transmitted to the IRS with a respective 1094-C transmittal form. If you are electronically filing, 1094-Cs are due to the IRS by April 1, 2019.

Preparing now to generate these IRS forms is key.

The detailed record-keeping involved in producing Forms 1095-C and 1094-C is not a job for spreadsheets. Automation is needed to ensure accuracy. If you are happy with your current ACA Compliance solution – great! If not, Integrity Data can help – now is the time to deploy our trusted, easy-to-use ACA tracking and reporting software OR engage us to do the whole thing for you!

To learn more about Integrity Data’s ACA tracking and reporting solution:

• Join our next ACA webinar for employers.
• Or contact our ACA compliance team.

*subject to change each filing year

Today’s #TipTuesday post is a small tip, something to watch for if you have a G/L Account in Dynamics GP that is revaluing month after month despite having a zero balance in your functional c…

Jen Kuntz has a Multicurrency troubleshooting tip

The post Multicurrency troubleshooting tip appeared first on DynamicAccounting.net.

The IRS has created a new calculator to help you and your employees complete a new W-4 form for 2018 tax year.  Reviewing and completing a new W-4 form is encouraged to do every year, even more important this year because of recent changes to the tax law for 2018. The Calculator helps you identify your tax withholding to make sure you have the right amount of tax withheld from your paycheck at work.

The link to the W-4 calculator is located at  https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-withholding-calculator .

We hope you found this information useful!

At Implementation Specialists, we have the technical resources to answer questions and provide assistance around any type of data integration.  Please give us a call at 218-486-5095 or email me at deb@iscorp.biz if you need help.

By Deb Sletmoen, MCT, Implementation Specialists – Microsoft Dynamics GP Gold Partner with Advanced ERP Competency and Source Code Provider

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 RTM has now been released and I have been taking a Hands On look at the installation and configuration of the new version.

I am now going to take a hands on look at the new and enhanced features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics GP. Rather than do this as a continuation of the Hands On series I wrote in December, as originally intended, I am going to split it out into a separate hands On With the features post. The series index is for this new features series, can be found here.

The fifteenth feature of the day, is Remember System Password.

The new feature means that the system password now only needs to be entered once per session:

If you have ever needed to build a new security model for Dynamics GP, you will have become heartily sick of having to enter the system password multiple times. In fact, every single time a protected window was opened, the password needed to be entered.

This feature is a most welcome one, but has one drawback. Once entered, the system password is remembered for the rest of the session. This means if you enter it for a user, such as, for example, to give them access to the VAT Return window, they can then access any other window which is usually protected with the system password.

This shouldn’t generally be a problem as the security roles would have locked down the security windows so normal users wouldn’t see them, but it is something to be aware of and consider.

Click to show/hide the Hands On With MDGP 2018 RTM New Features Series Index

Read original post Hands On With MDGP 2018 RTM New Features: System Password Remembered at azurecurve|Ramblings of a Dynamics GP Consultant

It was really cool to see that Fastpath made Constellation Research’s ShortList for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

This is a big deal and its fun to be included on this list.

The post Fastpath & Constellation ShortList™ Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) appeared first on DynamicAccounting.net.

Change can be scary. Embracing new roles and responsibilities often opens the door to headaches and confusion. Fueled by ever-evolving technology, the Robotic Revolution challenges existing day-to-day duties, offering improved efficiency and visibility in a fraction of the time. Even with all the productivity perks, many finance department leaders, however, are still hesitant to trust technology with accounts payable processes.

Looking for a way to build a business case and persuade a hesitant leader to consider implementingAP automation in the near future? Check out the top talking points to get your business on board.

Understanding AP automation

It’s important to give finance department leaders a clear understanding of what accounts payable automation (AP automation) is. In short, AP automation is a cloud-based solution that integrates with accounting system software to streamline accounts payable workflows. AP automation solutions minimize manual, paper-based processes including payments, invoices, and approvals.

Save the day by cutting costs and the clock

InArdent Partners’ ePayables 2016 report, the number one focus for AP leaders is to reduce processing costs. Naturally, AP automation may seem quite costly to implement and maintain. But, in fact, manual processes result in spending more time and money than a cloud-based solution.

According toThe State of ePayables 2017, 58% of surveyed businesses are still sticking to manual invoices. Those businesses are spending over $22 to manually process a single invoice, while best-in-class businesses are spending $12.01—almost half of the all-inclusive cost.

The big question is how are they cutting these costs? The top performers are adjusting to the Digital Era by implementinge-invoicing to import invoices and extract data electronically. E-invoicing stores all invoices in one secure organized hub—regardless of entry method. Automation manages invoices and payment processes based on data and peripherals that you set.  

Processing payments with AP automation and Dynamics GP provides visibility and control of spend and budget. According to PayStream Advisors, companies relying heavily on checks or ACH payment methods typically experience more processing challenges than those that employ a diverse mix, such as electronic payables platforms and commercial card programs. Implementing fullePayment solutions streamlines the tedious tasks associated with payment management.

Trusting a full-service ePayment system includes virtual cards and ACH payments and the ability to approve and pay invoices with the click of a button. These solutions utilize transactional pricing models, which makes them ideal for midmarket companies because you only pay for what you use. Payment solutions enable organizations to rely less on manual methods and to shift much of the processing burden to the provider.

Worry less about security and scams

In a recentPYMNTS.com article, APEX Analytix Senior Vice President Phil Beans highlighted the biggest burden of most accounts payable processes.

“The front-end process is manual, and data flows through too many hands. Only a limited number of outside data sources are taken into account, and vendor master teams are pressured to push through the changes to meet processing SLAs (Service Level Agreement).”

According to theAssociation for Financial Professionals’ 2017 Payment and Fraud Control Survey, checks continue to be the top target for payment fraud. When it comes to fraud, none of the security measures for paper checks beat the security of accounts payable automation. To fight fraud, finance departments should invest more in cloud-based payment solutions and security platforms. Even though paper-based payment processes may seem safe internally, there’s actually less visibility, accurate reporting, and control.

With automation, there’s less worry about the paper trail falling into the wrong hands. Most AP automation services include fraud protection, such as‘Positive Pay’, an automated fraud monitoring system that searches for red flags and suspicious vendor changes including duplicateelectronic payments and invoices.

Even though AP automation does the heavy lifting of payables management, it’s critical to put the proper procedures in place during tax season. Payment automation does just that with updated tax law compliance by ensuring that proper payment checkpoints are in place. That includes verifying vendor documents, payables, and approvals.

Invest in the future of your employees

Accounting department sizes vary depending on the company. Employees may wear many hats in the department depending on the needs. The number of employees does not matter as much as their time does. How are your full-time AP employees (FTE) spending their time?

An example is the exception rate. Think about how much time is spent correcting data errors or getting approvals. A2017 study from PwC found that 40 percent of the accounts payable process can be automated—including billing and reporting. Reducing manual tasks allows time for focusing on analyzing financial findings for leadership. Top performers spend 20 percent more time focusing on studying data instead of gathering it. The more time employees spend on workflows increases the cost per invoice and decreases efficiency.

The bottom line

AP automation can save the workday with fewer manual mistakes and more controlled costs. In our upcoming webinar “Building a Business Case for AP Automation” you’ll learn why your business should implement a payment solution sooner rather than later. Learn from experts about how automation has transformed manual, tedious tasks in seconds. By the end, you’ll be ready to improve reporting, invoice entry, and payments with the click of a button. Join us on Wednesday, March 14 at 1PM ET to learn more.

Above: Microsoft Dynamics GP MVPs at MVP Summit 2018 (left to right) - Mariano Gomez, Rod O’Connor, John Lowther, Jen Kuntz, Mark Polino, Belinda Allen, Shawn Dorward, Monzer Osama

Microsoft's MVP Summit is a conference designed to give community influencers, specifically Microsoft MVPs, a chance to see and provide feedback on upcoming features and products. All of this is done under a strict non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that facilitates honest feedback from both Microsoft employees and MVPs...and boy is it honest.

...

read more

Checkout my Reflections on the Microsoft MVP Summit 2018 up now at MSDynamicsWorld.

The post Reflections on the Microsoft MVP Summit 2018 appeared first on DynamicAccounting.net.