Dynamics GP and Barcoding Technology Notes

If you are looking for Add-ons to Dynamics GP, opening specific GP screens to barcoding, you may need to check with Dynamics GP ISV Partners community.  If you need Warehouse Management operations to be integrated with GP, most of the WMS software publishers handle Barcoding.  Let’s review the options and look at some examples:
1. Direct Barcode Scanner work with Dynamics GP user workstation.  This is only possible if you need only limited number of low volume barcode scanning and transactions upload to Dynamics GP.  In this scenario Barcode scanner is also very basic (in $50 to $200 price range for new unit: Datalogic, Adesso, HP, Metrologic, Wasp, Unitech to give you few brands) .  You install Dynamics GP workstation on Notebook or another tiny Windows computer and provide wireless internet for your warehouse floor.  You attach scanner to the USB port and it becomes the same devise as your computer keyboard, but way more efficient due to barcoding technology.  One of your Dynamics GP users walks down to the warehouse, comes through its aisles and scans items, having relevant Great Plains windows open and prior to scanning she or he should place cursor into the field, where Barcode scanning should enter characters.  We expect to hear comments from the readers, that such process requires Dynamics GP user interface training and it probably requires computer mouse to be attached and this process is time consuming – we agree with you – you got what you paid for.  There might be some improvements to this logic, where you may try to apply Macro to automate transaction entry, or even order small Great Plains Dexterity customization, where it will allow you to have all the tabbing and defaults entered behind the scenes and your barcode scanner operator (with cheap version of USB barcode scanner) should be able to scan through all the items without the need to tab
2. Warehouse Management System, often abbreviated to WMS.  Here you typically expect such routines of the warehouse operations as Sales Order Fulfillment/Allocation (or sometimes Picking and Packing), Inventory Restocking (Merchandise Replenishment, Reordering) and Inventory transactions (Moving from one warehouse to another to fulfill the order, Cycle Count or Inventory Adjustments, usually associated with merchandise returns).  If this is what you need, we have to discourage you in the sense that WMS doesn’t allow shortcuts, described in the first paragraph.   You would either need Dynamics GP Warehouse Management extensions, feel free to call us for details: 1-866-528-0577,  or pick one of the external standalone WMS with integration options to Dynamics GP.  At this time of the human history Warehouse Management System software is not cheap and probably starts at k$20.  If you are very small warehouse related operation – you may try to offload WMS logic to custom application coded in MS Access, Dynamics GP Dexterity or Microsoft Visual Studio C#, VB.  WMS is typically needed in the businesses, engaged in Wholesale Trade
3. Dynamics GP Barcoding in Retail scenarios.  If you are in retail business, especially mid-size retail chain with presence in several states, you may consider to deploy tandem Microsoft RMS (for point of sale POS and Store Management and controlling the whole franchise from Microsoft RMS Headquarters), if you are Deli stores you may also consider another POS applications, such as Counterpoint.  Microsoft RMS has out-of-the-box integration of daily sales to Great Plains General Ledger plus Purchases.  Counterpoint has native integration of similar scope, where daily sales go to GP GL and Store replenishment or purchases to GP Vendor Invoices in AP module.  If you pick POS application – barcoding is pretty much covered in most if not in all Retail packages (plus such cool features as POS displays).  We also offer the integration between Dynamics GP and Microsoft RMS, where POS transactions are sent to SOP Invoice and customer payment is triggered as Customer deposit against SOP transaction (Credit Card, Check, Debit Card or Cash Payment, selling on account is also supported as in Clubs and Memberships).  We also help with Barcode Labels printing for RMS automated stores directly from Great Plains
4. Requesting Info?  Please, call us 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com  We are serving you USA, Canada nationwide and Internationally via web sessions and skype phone conferences.  Local service is available in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, California, Southwest Michigan (St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Holland, Saugatuck, Muskegon, South Haven, Grand Rapids), Chicago downtown and suburbs: Naperville, Downers Grove, Schaumburg, Glenn Ellyn, Aurora, as well in Houston area of Texas.  We also provide second opinion in the case of failed Dynamics GP implementation and support for older versions of Great Plains such as Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac (9.5, 9.2, and earlier), Dynamics GP 9.0, 8.0 and 7.5, Great Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2. We also integrate Dynamics GP with your custom built ecommerce, and we support such shopping carts as Magento, ASP .Net Storefront and others