Usually workflow & messaging is realized in CRM and then transactions are just logged into Accounting/ERP/MRP. In the case of Microsoft Business Solutions products: Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon, Axapta the natural CRM choice would be Microsoft CRM. However typical CRM application targets Sales automation, which is usually not applicable to government structure, non-profit or public company (community services, public utilities, churches, charities, etc.). Not-for-profit organization needs purchasing and requisition workflow, payroll approval workflow, and in certain cases special General Ledger (GL) transactions workflow. Microsoft CRM doesn't provide the functionality. Then how could this be realized? We'll provide two scenarios to realize this customization:
? Lotus Notes/Domino approach. In Great Plains you could realize either Great Plains Dexterity triggers or MS SQL database trigger on certain events (Purchase Order creation, Payroll Transaction, GL transaction). This event calls COM+ application and this one in turn creates Lotus objects via Java agent (Lotus Notes Domino should be version 6.0 or newer). This is basically the bridge. Then in Lotus you have to design workflow ? but this is natural task for Lotus and it is not difficult. Users should work in Lotus to get transactions approved and when it should be posted in Great Plains ? Lotus calls SQL script against Great Plains company database. Developer should know Microsoft Great Plains tables structure
? Microsoft Exchange/Outlook approach. This is the second way ? when you do not want to deploy Lotus Domino, and would be OK with simple messaging and notification through Microsoft Exchange. The technical realization should either involve Dexterity or SQL trigger, calling COM object (Dexterity) or simply sending notification email from MS SQL Server. The scenario to post or take off hold from Great Plains transaction could be realized via MS Exchange event sink ? this MS Exchange event handler will check all the messages and when the one has certain criteria ? it calls MS SQL Server stored procedure in the Great Plains company database
? Programming Tools. Java agent to address Lotus ? you need either Sun JDK or somewhat more advanced: VisualCafe or JBuilder. Great Plains Dexterity trigger should be done in Dexterity IDE ? this language requires expertise and it is difficult to code without experience, Microsoft Exchange event sink should be programmed in Visual Studio as COM+ application, then you need to register COM+ application through Control Panel->System->Component Services
? Feasibility. To be honest and do not set unrealistic expectations ? this Workflow implementation is pretty serious project and we do not recommend if for small non-profit organization ? it is rather for large and mid-size-to-large structure.
We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMicrosoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise... Read More
Every organization which creates collaborative documents, whether they are budgets,... Read More
You would like to protect your documents, wouldn't you? Reasons... Read More
Former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise, and currently Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions ? Navision is an integrated solution for... Read More
It is a well known fact that Java as a... Read More
This short paper will expand on two key reasons to... Read More
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy and processes used... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More
Adobe Photoshop is one of the world's leading graphics editing... Read More
I have recently created my first Php program. I wanted... Read More
Before September of 1995, Microsoft ignored the Internet because their... Read More
Not all of us have the luxury of working both... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains has substantial mid-market share in the USA... Read More
If you are in the market for new staffing software,... Read More
At the end of XX century, in the late 1990th... Read More
As you probably know, when Microsoft purchased Great Plains Software... Read More
Homeland security, airport security, Internet security ??" these days we???re... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Navision serves both European and American megamarkets.... Read More
When you buy a computer, it most likely comes with... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share and... Read More
Spyware is like the new technological nuclear weapon on the... Read More
The vast majority of us will have, at some point,... Read More
The term "document management" and "paperless office" is the subject... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino, being... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..While I was in college, if you would have asked... Read More
1. With mapping software you can create a report that... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
Although we don't know whether Microsoft ever envisioned such a... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains fits to majority of horizontal... Read More
MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I'm... Read More
MS CRM is very close to document workflow automation, including... Read More
Configuring PPP PAP AuthenticationNow we know how the ISDN link... Read More
Great Plains Inventory Management (IV) module gives your business a... Read More
Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the... Read More
Make-or-Break Factors in Success and ProfitabilityFor quick printers, estimating can... Read More
Research bears that less than 70 percent of development projects... Read More
So let's begin crunching down these 300 images using Adobe... Read More
(1) Avoid using the same variable again and again for... Read More
Before September 1995, Microsoft Windows was an MS-DOS program. DOS... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise... Read More
Did you ever give a thought to the number of... Read More
It's no secret that software companies operate in a very... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, designed back in 1990th as database transferable... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains as ERP and Microsoft CRM as... Read More
In linux, one of great commands for finding out information... Read More
Fundraising software lets you connect with donors in a way... Read More
There are many commands that are used in linux on... Read More
Shareware has been fighting the stigma of being misunderstood for... Read More
Microsoft Retail Management (RMS) and Microsoft Great Plains are retail... Read More
Software |