GPUG to offer Payroll Tax Update seminar with Microsoft for US and Canadian partners and customers

Important 2011 US and Canadian Payroll Year-End and Tax Update with Microsoft (Jan 2011)



Microsoft payroll tax update gurus will give an overview of 2011 U.S. and Canadian Payroll Year-end and Tax Update changes and how it impacts Microsoft Dynamics GP customers for Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0, 10.0, 2010 and Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Financials 9.0. This is a GPUG open event, all members are invited to attend.

The recent legislative changes presents many modifications to U.S. Payroll in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Small Business Financials. This session will provide you with an overview of the updates in the product to comply with the recent legislative changes. Canadian Payroll also has several new regulatory changes as well which is new functionality for our customers that we will review. Microsoft has major payroll releases in the next weeks / month that will impact your payroll, attend this session to be educated on the latest changes so your business will continue to be able to run payroll without issues.

GPUG's presenters work hard at providing valuable education to you, our members. For this session, if you have questions, comments or suggestions prior to the event and would like us to include that information, please email "Presenter Request".

This is an open GPUG event, all members are invited to attend. Register here.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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IM - Retrieving document numbers assigned by Microsoft Dynamics GP when field rule is set to Use Default in Integration Manager - Part 2

Part 2 of 2 - Retrieving document numbers assigned by Microsoft Dynamics GP when field rule is set to Use Default in Integration Manager.

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In the previous installment, I explained the technique that I otherwise use to relate source systems records with imported records in Microsoft Dynamics GP for which a Use Default field rule has been set for the key field. This article demonstrates the key event scripts needed to obtain the record.

Before Integration event script

'
' Created by Mariano Gomez, MVP
' This code is licensed under the Creative Commons 
' Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic license.

' Secure a connection against the company database we will be running
' the integration against.

Const adUseClient = 3

set oCn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
oCn.ConnectionString = "database=" & GPConnection.GPConnIntercompanyID
oCn.CursorLocation = adUseClient

GPConnection.Open(oCn)

' Make sure the connection is valid
If (oCn.Status = 1) Then
   ' Setup global connection variables
   SetVariable "gblConn", oCn   
   SetVariable "gblInterID", GPConnection.GPConnIntercompanyID
Else
 CancelIntegration
End If

The Before Integration event script will allow us to secure a connection against the company database we will be running our integration against. By opening the connection in this event script, we will avoid having to open a connection for each transaction being integrated, further on, creating any loss of performance in the process. It is important to highlight that we need to save the successful connection to a global variable, to be able to use it in other event scripts. In this case, we will assign the oCn connection variable to a global variable, gblConn, using the SetVariable statement.

Once Integration Manager has integrated the document, we will use the After Document event script to retrieve the record integrated. At this stage, we are assuming that the mapping of source fields to destination fields provisions a user-defined field or description field for the source key field. In the past, I have also used note fields to store these key fields when it has not been feasible to use a standard Microsoft Dynamics GP field.

Note: the After Document event script will only execute upon success of the document being integrated. If Integration Manager is unsuccessful integrating the document, the Document Error script will execute instead. This event can be used to report failure to the source system, which may facilitate new attempts to integrate from the source system by reporting different event statuses.

After Document event script

'
' Created by Mariano Gomez, MVP
' This code is licensed under the Creative Commons 
' Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic license.

' Prepare the SQL statement and retrieve the assigned Sales Transaction number
Set oCmd = CreateObject("ADODB.Command")
With oCmd
 .ActiveConnection = GetVariable("gblConn")
 .CommandType = adCmdText

 .CommandText = "SELECT SOPNUMBE FROM SOP10106 WHERE USERDEF05 = '" & SourceFields("mySourceQry.KeyField") & "'"
  Set oRst = .Execute

 If Not oRst.EOF Then
                SopNumber = oRst!SOPNUMBE
 End If
 oRst.Close
End With  

' From here on you can open a connection to your source system and update the 
' some status flag and the column provisioned to track the GP document number

I hope you find this technique useful. Of course, this is a technique I have been using over the years. I would like to find out from you what methods you have used to accomplish the same.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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IM - Retrieving document numbers assigned by Microsoft Dynamics GP when field rule is set to Use Default in Integration Manager - Part 1

Part 1 of 2 - Retrieving document numbers assigned by Microsoft Dynamics GP when field rule is set to Use Default in Integration Manager.

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One of the things often frustrating for Integration Manager users and developers alike is knowing what document number will be assigned by GP to an integrating transaction when the document number property in the mapping is set to Use Default. Typically, the developer will need this key piece of data, because the integration will perform some write back to a source system to mark a specific record as processed, but also passing back the document number that was assigned in GP.



The UseDefault rule is shown for a Sales Transaction mapping

But, how to know the journal number, or the order number, invoice number, or voucher number that GP has assigned to a submitted document after the record has been integrated?

Let's start by saying that I have seen techniques that read the next document number from the Microsoft Dynamics GP setup tables, then assign that document number to the key field in Integration Manager for the record being integrated. The problem with this approach is that it can cause the system to lock up and crash if users are processing transactions too. Why? Because most developers do not use transactional methods to retrieve and update the next sequence number in the Microsoft Dynamics GP tables. Imagine updating the next SOP number while a user is creating a SOP transaction at the same time. Without proper transactional methods in place, this can wreak havoc in the system.

I have also seen techniques that immediately query the transaction tables looking for the highest DEX_ROW_ID and the transaction associated with it. This technique is also not reliable, especially if they are users processing transactions at the same time the integration is being executed. In summary, you can end up retrieving the wrong document number for your source integrating transaction.

So what's the solution?

Over the years I have developed a technique to overcome this hurdle. The technique assumes that the source transaction records have a unique identifiable key (and in fact, they should). In the case of journals, orders, or invoices, this key is assigned by some source system where the transactions are being integrated from. You can easily spot this key as it typically allows header records to be linked to the detail records to create the relationships between these. For example, if you are integrating orders from your source system into invoices in Microsoft Dynamics GP, it is assumed that the Order Number from your source system is the key.

The idea is to pass this source key to a Microsoft Dynamics GP user defined field (via mapping) or other data field where it can easily be queried after the document has been integrated.

Tomorrow, I will describe the scripting elements that make it possible to retrieve a document number assigned by GP once a source document is integrated and the field rule for the key field is set to Use Default.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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Look what Santa brought for me!

There is a little box for me...


The elves at Amazon brought me a book!

Gotta love this one!

Great material for the winter!!

I know Christmas is gone and whether you believe in Santa or not, that's a whole other story, but just before I left for vacation to New York City, I had ordered myself -- yes, I am my own Santa! -- a nice little reading material for the cold Atlanta winter. I figured, since summer was well spent with my Cookbooks, winter should be just as productive, especially the days I really don't feel like leaving my house. So, what did the elves at Amazon brought for me? Nothing more, nothing less than MVP Victoria Yudin's brand new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 Implementation book.

Now do me a favor... be your own Santa and go and order Victoria's book.

Be this the time to also congratulate Victoria on her 7th year as a Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP... the woman is rolling!
Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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IM - Troubleshooting RPC errors when running Integration Manager

Lately, I have seen a number of forum discussions where users have reported receiving a number of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) errors when running Integration Manager and thought I would offer a number of troubleshooting tips for this issue. But first, here are some of the common error messages you may see:

"The destination could not be initialized due to the folowing problem:  The RPC server is unavailable."

or

"DOC 1 ERROR: The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT)) - The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT))"


To begin troubleshooting this issue try the following options:

1. Close all running instances of Microsoft Dynamics GP and open Windows Task Manager. Under the Processes tab, verify that there is not more than one instance of the Dynamics.exe process running.



Windows Task Manager

If you find an additional Dynamics.exe process running, select it and click the End Process button. At this point, restart Microsoft Dynamics GP and try running your Integration. This solution is also outlined in KB article 943948.

2. If you are on Terminal Server or Citrix, make sure you don't have more than one active session at a time. Since you probably will not have access to Terminal Server Administration or Citrix Console, you will need to address this with your Systems Administrator. In any case, if you find more than one active session, decide with your administrator the best procedure to close down the unwated session.

You will  typically experience this error message because you have not been following the correct procedures to close down your Terminal Server or Citrix session.

3. If on Terminal Server or Citrix, you may receive this error if running Integration Manager as a published application. You will receive RPC errors if you attempt to integrate a document to Microsoft Dynamics GP when both Integration Manager and Microsoft Dynamics GP are ran as published applications.

In this case, you will want to log on to the Terminal Server console or Citrix console and execute your integration. Since this may not be acceptable to your System Administrator, as an alternative you can setup a dedicated Microsoft Dynamics GP and Integration Manager client.

4. Repair or reinstall Integration Manager and make sure to be using the latest service pack. Yes, when all else fails, some times this is the only recourse left. To download the latest Integration Manager service packs, use the following links:

Service Packs and Hotfixes for Integration Manager for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
(PartnerSource/CustomerSource access required)

Service Packs and Hotfixes for Integration Manager for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0
(PartnerSource/CustomerSource access required)

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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Start the year with new ways to access The Dynamics GP Blogster... from your SmartPhone!

Don't want to type the site's URL anymore on your phone? Now you have choice to point your phone's camera and/or barcode reader at the QR code on the right of the navigation bar and get the site loaded before you depart your home or your office. Watch how your browser loads up the website!

http://dynamicsgpblogster.blogspot.com/

The following are QR codes to The Dynamics GP Blogster's Twitter and Facebook social networking sites:

http://twitter.com/dgpblogster

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dynamics-GP-Blogster/233314529438

Now you have no excuses to not take this site along with you and read up on the latest posts while you are stock in traffic this year, again!

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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Happy New Year!

So last year -- yes, last year! Get used to saying it! -- I told you that a popular New Year's eve tradition is to set forth a bunch of resolutions for the incoming year. The number one goal I had set for last year was to increase readership to this site and all other outlets where you can find The Dynamics GP Blogster. Thanks to all of you, the site readership and visits increased 2.5-fold. This is a snapshot of traffic taken on December 22, a week before 2010 was over:

*Click to enlarge

So now that I have your attention, what do I want for this year? Nothing more than your commitment to continue visiting this site and spreading the word. Now you have many ways to reach me: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even the Community 2.0 website - all links on the right frame. You also have one more tool: my QR code (more on this later). The more I know what you read and like, the better content I can produce (focused topics, workshops, series, technical articles, conference materials, etc). So I ask you, please don't keep this site a secret, just put in a word for this site, become a fan on Facebook, post your comments.

I know you follow me, I know you like what you read on this site (and sometimes not), I know you stay tuned, but think of the benefits others in your professional community could receive from the same information you get here. So, the next time you speak to your peers, colleagues, clients, partners just mention this site. It takes two seconds and it goes one step more to maintain my Internet presence.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
Maximum Global Business, LLC
http://www.maximumglobalbusiness.com/

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