Andrew Karasev

Dynamics GP Partner: MS CRM Projects Time Integration to Great Plains

In this small publication we are sharing our Microsoft CRM Consulting Time Logs tracking and integration via eConnect routine and SQL Server Stored Procedures, plus advanced custom SSRS reporting in CRM experience

This solution is ready for deployment for new customers, who has employee time logs requirements and who has Dynamics GP as accounting base.  We assume that you are IT professional or Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM technical consultant:

1.       Time Log option in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  For Account you can create contract, then if you need budgeting feature, you should add one or multiple Contract Lines, where you enter budget in Minutes and Cost  per minute or total contract line budget cost.  If you plan to have several layers of Billing rates, please consider having separate contract line for each rate.  When you have Contract and at least one Contract Line entered, please go to Actions and do Invoice Contract.  Then, open Contract Line and Create new Case for the Contract Line.  Then this case should be assigned to your consultants, who are CRM users obviously.  Users should see the Case in their CRM Workplace.  In the case we recommend users to log time in the form of new Task, where Duration in Minutes is counted against Contract Line Budget when you close the Case

2.       Integration architecture.  As in MS CRM you only need to do SQL Select, we have Stored Procedures pulling time logs from Closed Case task and marking case as Transferred (custom table for case status is created in separate database as you are not supposed to create new objects in MS CRM DB).  Then eConnect routine checks Case Log Table in custom DB, reads closed case lines and creates Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing Invoice with the lines from MS CRM Tasks

3.       Consultant Time Log Reporting.  We had this routine for earlier versions of MS CRM, where reporting was in Crystal Reports.  For MS CRM 4.0 you still have the option to link Crystal Report, however you can deploy Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services or SSRS via New Report Wizard – some limitations apply, however if you edit the report in Microsoft Visual Studio and place it back to MS CRM Reporting Server you should be able to break through the limitations

4.       MS CRM Time Log Integration to SAP Business One.  We also have routine, where instead of Dynamics GP eConnect we programmed it in Sap B1 SDK.  So, if you are tracking your timelogs in Microsoft CRM and your Accounting application is SAP Business One, feel free to call us for consultation

5.       We would like to have feedback from you and if you need help with Dynamics GP Great Plains, Microsoft CRM or SB1 Integration, Customization Data Conversion, Reporting, feel free to call us: 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com

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