Great Plains Dynamics GP Partner Newsflash: Crystal Reports

Here you may need orientation session to understand which Dynamics GP reporting tool would fit you the best.  In this small publication we would like to review Great Plains reporting options for IT specialist as well as for company controller:

1.       Where you should consider Dynamics GP native reporting versus Crystal.  It is where you have predefined and ready to use and simple for modification Native Great Plains reports, such as SOP Blank Invoice form, AP Check with Stub on top and bottom Graphical and Text

2.       FRx reporting realm.  Here we are talking about Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement and Statement of Cash Flow.  The nice thing about FRx is the fact that it has the link to Dynamics GP General Ledger tables: Account Master, Account Summary Master (GL Monthly Summaries), GL Historical Tables.  Having said all that above, you should expect FRx reports to based exclusively on Row Format, Column Layout and Reporting Tree (consolidated Dynamics GP reporting, or reporting by account segment, department, product code).  And now let’s move on and return to the topic of this publication – Crystal Reports for Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains

3.       CR is sort of a bit challenging and you should have some prior Crystal Report training under your belt or at least be comfortable to read Crystal Reports user manual to get yourself up and running.  In our opinion fresh start, when you try to learn on CR wizard (which connects to Dynamics GP company directly and tries to make tables links in Crystal Reports designer) – is not the best and ultimate way to create Crystal Reports for Dynamics GP

4.       CR SQL base recommendations.  We recommend you to consider basing Great Plains Crystal Reports on custom SQL Views or Stored Procedures.  Dynamics GP DB architecture allows you to create and maintain custom SQL objects in DYNAMICS or GP company databases

5.       CR industry niche.  Crystal Reports are great in cross modules reporting.  Good example is the case when you would like to create Project Sales and Purchasing report, where you pay your salesperson or account executive when the products and services are sold (Sales Order Processing Module), money received (Accounts Receivables module) and products and services delivered (Purchase Order Processing module)