Microsoft Dynamics GP Support – Typical Support Issues and Their Resolutions

Oct 25
07:46

2010

Andrew Karasev

Andrew Karasev

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First of all, thank you for appealing to the internet search engine to get your Great Plains Dynamics GP technical issue resolved. If you have active Dynamics GP annual enhancement plan with Microsoft Business Solutions (and have access to do-called Customer Source), the first step in getting technical help is logging to MBS Customer Source and searching knowledge base.

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Chances are high that somebody from Great Plains user community already got this issue documented and resolved in the past.  If you cannot find relevant post on the Customer Source,Microsoft Dynamics GP Support – Typical Support Issues and Their Resolutions Articles next step is to call is either call MBS technical support (if you have active contract), or your Dynamics GP VAR, let’s review your options:

1. If I am under MBS annual Dynamics GP support contract.  Well, you are in good hands.  The contract should have either unlimited number of technical support cases (usually for large corporation or non for profit organization), or limited number of cases per year, or in the most typical case you have to pay discounted rate for each technic al support call.  Even if you typically have assigned Dynamics GP Consultant (through your Great Plains VAR), this professional may not be aware about certain technical issues.  Dynamics GP is mid-market Corporate ERP application, and for the systems of that type you should expect support budget.  You consultant can open new support cases on your behalf, or you can do it in Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Source (where you have GP technical support portal).  Recommended way is to open new case via internet based Customer Source (versus call technical support via the phone)

2. If I didn’t resume my Dynamics GP (or old Great Plains Dynamics) technical support contract.  In this situation, if you are on the version, still supported directly by MBS (at this time, October 2010 these are versions 11.0/2010, 10.0 and 9.0), you can still call MBS tech support (you cannot place case via Customer Source, as you no longer have access there).  Be ready to pay full price for the support incident, and get your credit card ready.  Second case here is when you are on old version, no longer supported.  See next paragraph

3. What are my options to support old Great Plains Dynamics, eEnterprise or Great Plains for DOS.  Let’s list historical versions: Dynamics GP: 8.0, 7.5; Microsoft Great Plains 7.0, 6.0 (here you also have eEnterprise version, targeted to large companies); Great Plains on Pervasive SQL Server 2000 or Ctree: 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5 (this one was available on Btrieve, later old Btrieve was acquired by Pervasive Software and renamed into Pervasive SQL), 5.0, 4.0, 3.2 (we have not seen earlier versions still in production, if you have one, please let us know).  eEnterprise 6.0 and 7.0 were available on Microsoft SQL Server Platform (while Great Plains Select was restricted to MSDE or SQL Server 2000 Desktop edition); Dynamics C/S+ was available on earlier versions of Microsoft SQL Server, such as 6.5, 7.0, later on this lines was renamed into eEnterprise.  And finally, there is reasonably large list of customers, who are still on Great Plains Accounting for DOS 9.5, 9.2 and earlier (here some fraction of them are on GPA for Windows and Mac, but the majority are sticking to DOS interface, which in our opinion is more reliable).  Now, let’s dedicate special paragraph to the support itself for the old Great Plains versions

4. Well, support is available, and this is good news.  However, the other part of the story is – support is available through Great Plains consultants, who were trained to support the historical version, and this is not necessary the case, that your Dynamics GP VAR carries such consultant in staff.  Our company supports all the versions of Great Plains ever released.  There might be the chance that you could find Great Plains technology partner, supporting your historical version of Great Plains, but be ready to appeal to nationwide GP support expertise

5. Typical Support Issues.  Please, note here, that when we are talking about Dynamics GP or Great Plains support, we mean relatively small issue (to be turned into support case), while if you need major projects, such as new Dynamics GP customization, data conversion, integration – these are project and should be done via your Dynamics GP Partner or Consultant.  Now where we see the most frequent case profile: batch posting recovery, deleting stuck user (especially for old versions) in Activity table, versions upgrade issues, placing logo on SOP Invoice Form in Report Writer, data repair if you are on Pervasive SQL Server 2000 (via Microsoft Access linked tables)

6. Some recovery advises.  If you are comfortable to do data repair on SQL table level, please know that if y9u batch was stuck in posting, do select * from SY00500 against Dynamics database.  You should see the batch listed there with Posting Status field to be not equal zero.  If you force it to be zero, then batch will be available for reposting, however if it has transactions with inconsistences (lacking GL posting account or things like that)

7. Great Plains Accounting for DOS support.  Here you are in the situation, where most of the former GPA consultants left the scene.  In Alba Spectrum we have old GPA technical support database (exported in Excel file, prior to Great Plains Accounting support termination by Microsoft Business Solutions directly)

8. To request further support, please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com We need to discuss your cards in order to recommend you the best solutions, which is not contingent to our preferences.  We serve you USA/Canada nationwide via remote support (web sessions and phone/skype conferences).  Local service is available in Western Michigan, Chicagoland, Southern California (LA, Orange County, San Diego), Houston area of the state of Texas