This small publication is intended to current Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains customers, who are expanding internationally and would like to choose ERP system for relatively small foreign subsidiary. As you know Dynamics GP is localized in English speaking countries (including South East Asia, where English is the used in business), plus in Quebec (in French Canadian), to some extent in Spanish speaking Latin America and Caribbean states, Oceania
There is good support for Arabic in GP (with some options for Dari and Persian as alphabet is the same). If your subsidiary is located outside of the area,
especially if you need hieroglyph characters support (China, Japan, Korea), or support in Russian, we recommend you to consider SAP Business One. You can host both Dynamics GP and SAP B1 on the same SQL Server with SB1 version 8.0 (2005 and 2007 versions had A and B releases and you normally would install them on two separate SQL Servers):
1. Corporate ERP localization. It has two aspects: local language adoption (screens are translated, plus you can enter documents in local language) and compliance to local legislation (tax reporting, invoice required fields, etc.). Localization is especially complex and important in lager countries, such as Brazil, Russia, China, India, Japan, France, Germany. It would be too complex to localize in house such application as Microsoft Dynamics GP for your Branch in Brazil (where Microsoft Business Solutions doesn't have localized GP version, instead you can get Brazilian Dynamics AX Axapta, or NAV Navision)
2. Dynamics GP and Unicode language support (Chinese, Japanese, Korean). Dynamics GP Dexterity string resources do not support hieroglyphs (however Arabic alphabet is supported, even if looks complex to you - it is formalized in 2 bits ASCII codes table). This is why you cannot translate GP screens to Chinese (with some exception - if you place graphical pictures on the screens to represent translation)
3. SAP Business One Internationally. This small business Corporate ERP and MRP application supports Unicode and is available in China, Korea, Japan, Russia, most of Latin America, most of Europe (except some of East European countries, such as Latvia, Lithuania, etc). Historically SAP Business One is not available in Arabic speaking countries
4. How Dynamics GP and SAP Business One can communicate to each other? Well, both are available for Microsoft Windows Server and MS SQL Server 2005, 2000. In SAP B1 you can export virtually everything to Excel (or extract new documents via SQL Select statement directly in the company database for those who is more SQL savvy). In Dynamics GP you can import virtually everything via Great Plains Integration Manager (or program integration in eConnect SDK). Also, you can organize GL transactions level consolidation from SB1 foreign branch GL to mirroring Dynamics GP company (scheduled IM jobs)
5. IT support for GP and SB1 in Headquarters. Both Dynamics GP and SAP Business One could be enabled for remote users via Terminal Server or Citrix. This method allows you to serve both applications centrally in Headquarters (DB Backup and Recovery, Service packs and patches, Customization management, version upgrades). Let's say, if you are VP IT, and your company has facilities in China, Germany, France, South Korea, Brazil - you do not want each office to have its own IT infrastructure to support their own SAP Business One Servers (or maybe you instead prefer the challenge to fly out internationally on regular base?). Plus, if all Accounting databases are located in Headquarters - you have tighter control over consolidated financial reporting (Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss, Cash Flow Position, GL Trial Balances)
6. Other options for corporate ERP in foreign countries. In Brazil, consider also such applications as Microsiga, or in Russia 1C Bukhgalteria. These locally developed and supported accounting platforms are often preferred by local CFO and Controllers. The drawbacks might be complication to audit these systems from US and host them in US Headquarters, but we certainly recognize these and similar Corporate ERP applications pluses, and if you need help in implementing them, feel free to check with us
7. If you would like to stay on Microsoft Dynamics platform. Microsoft markets Microsoft Dynamics AX or formerly known as Axapta internationally. AX is very flexible and powerful. It might be geared toward larger companies, but this might be just our opinion. We support AX in Brazil, check with us for options and prices. We definitely recommend Microsoft CRM for all the countries as very elegant CRM solution. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has web based interface and could be accessed from any part of the Globe, assuming that remote user has internet connection. In many European countries you can also consider Dynamics NAV or formerly known as Navision
8. Last fling on multinational firm Corporate ERP. There are countries, where Corporate ERP brand names, such as Microsoft or SAP are not currently present with localized version (Afghanistan, Republic of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbajan for example). If you have funded project for Corporate ERP implementation, you should consider some elements of in-house localization (especially considering the fact that these countries are trying to be reasonably compliant to international GAAP)
9. How to get help? Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, outside of USA: 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com We are very technical and real Dynamics GP Dexterity, SAP Business One SDK programming gurus. We have Great Plains Software Development Factory and could support unlimited Dynamics GP Customization and Programming needs. Plus we speak English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and not only as native speaking sales folks, but as real technical consultants. If you prefer skype: albaspectrum
