Dynamics GP eCommerce Custom Integration Notes

However, and this might be why you are reading this small publication, your ecommerce web application is working and you have to program integration connectors to Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing, Inventory Control and Receivable Management modules.  Let's come through the options:

1.       eConnect programming.  GP is hosted in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2008 or earlier, so you can always program eConnect via MS Visual Studio.  GP eConnect is Software Development Kit with libraries, that you can deploy in your integration C#, VB programming project.  It has sample codes, so that should be all you need.  Some familiarity with XML and Dynamics GP objects could be recommended: SOP Invoice, Customer, Inventory Item, etc.

2.       Dynamics GP Integration Manager.  For GP version 10.0 we see a lot of integration bases are now rewritten in eConnect as general observation, however IM is end user friendly (to some extent of this term of course) tool.  If you are OK with integration, initiated by IM user or with scheduled integration (via Windows Macro utilities from small software development vendors, etc.), then you may decide to implement Integration Manager solution and close the question

3.       Order Connector.  This product allows you to deploy ecommerce integration in the case, when you do not want to come through eConnect programming learning curve, or you are on older GP version: 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, or you believe that eConnect performance is not too cool for real time integrations.  This product is set of SQL Stored Procedures with simple set of parameters to make your live as SQL programmer easier

4.       Posting Server or Autopost.  If you have requirements to post SOP Documents all the way through General Ledger, you probably already realized that both eConnect and Integration Manager do not allow you to Post, they do not have the functionality and methods to post.  And this is natural restriction of original Great Plains Dynamics architecture, where transaction and batch approval and posting are coupled together and left in the hands of GP user.  Posting Server deploys one user license and is add-on to existing Dynamics GP workstation.  It checks GP server if new batches are approved for being posted every few seconds and initiates Great Plains Batch Posting process if new batch is ready for processing

5.       Dynamics GP Business Portal.  Here you can deploy ecommerce in B2B scenarios.  Order Management module in BP is natural base for such a project.  Current version of Business Portal is 10.0 (looks like MBS synched it with Dynamics GP versioning)  Please, note that older Great Plains ecommerce extensions, such as eOrder (ASP platform)are no longer available and you will have to migrate such solutions to Dynamics GP Business Portal, which is now Microsoft Sharepoint application.  In Dynamics GP Order Management module you can deploy Items Catalogue and Price List, reflecting original Dynamics GP Inventory Price Lists

6.       Dynamics GP Dexterity ecommerce programming.  Dexterity is former Great Plains Dynamics architecture and it is still one of the fundamental stones in Dynamics GP platform.  In Dex you have unlimited power over Dynamics GP objects, including posted transactions, in fact Autopost is Dexterity custom application, which is programmed with Great Plains Dexterity Source Code access.  You should consider Dexterity customization route if your ecommerce integration requirements are really challenging and you need access to the objects, coded in Dexterity add-ons (Dynamics GP ISV or your former in-house Dexterity customizations)

7.       Sorry for being laconic, but it is the restriction of the article genre.  How to get additional info and help?  Please, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com