Streamlining Microsoft CRM and Great Plains for Consulting Time Tracking

Understanding CRM to GP Integration

The integration between Microsoft CRM and Great Plains (GP) is designed to streamline the billing process for consulting businesses. Here's how it works:

1. Time Tracking in CRM: Consultants log their timesheets as tasks in Microsoft CRM against contract line cases. These tasks are then integrated as GP Sales Order Processing Invoice lines. However, there's a limitation to consider: GP SOP line descriptions are truncated to 100 characters.

2. Automated Invoice Creation: GP sales invoices are generated automatically through an overnight integration process when a case is closed in CRM. If multiple cases for the same customer are closed—such as QA, development, and onsite consulting—they are combined into a single invoice per customer.

3. Enhanced Reporting: Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers additional capabilities for creating comprehensive consultant time tracking and project status reports.

4. Code Availability: The Microsoft Dynamics GP eConnect 10.0 SDK lacks a C# demo project for Sales Invoice integration. The provided demo C# code includes a custom project that addresses this gap, featuring the SerializeSalesOrderObject procedure.

C# Source Code for Integration

The provided C# source code is a starting point for developers to create a tailored integration solution. It requires the expertise of GP eConnect C# programmers to customize and install the code appropriately. The code listing includes various namespaces and classes necessary for establishing connections, handling data, and executing the integration process.

Key Components of the Integration Code

• Database Connections: The code establishes connections to the CRM and GP databases, retrieving and manipulating data as needed.
• Error Handling: Variables for capturing and handling errors are included to ensure robust operation.
• Serialization: Functions for serializing objects into XML format, which is required for eConnect transactions, are provided.
• Dynamic Array Expansion: A utility function to dynamically expand arrays is included, which is useful when processing multiple invoice lines.

The Importance of Customization

While the provided code serves as a functional framework, it's important to note that each consulting business may have unique requirements. Customization is essential to ensure that the integration aligns with specific workflows, data structures, and reporting needs.

Leveraging eConnect for Integration

Microsoft Dynamics GP eConnect is a set of tools and components that allow for programmable access to GP data. It's a crucial element in the integration process, enabling developers to create, update, and retrieve GP documents programmatically. The provided code utilizes eConnect methods to facilitate the creation of customer records and sales invoices based on CRM data.

Conclusion

Integrating Microsoft CRM with Great Plains using the provided C# source code can significantly enhance the efficiency of time tracking and billing processes for consulting businesses. However, it's essential to engage skilled GP eConnect C# programmers to customize and implement the solution effectively.

For developers interested in exploring the full capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics GP eConnect, the official Microsoft Dynamics GP documentation provides comprehensive information and resources. Additionally, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Community is a valuable platform for sharing knowledge, asking questions, and connecting with other CRM professionals.