Author: SMB Suite

Microsoft’s CEO Talks Business Solutions, REINVENTED

Originally published on LinkedIn by: Satya Nadella – CEO at Microsoft

Two years ago, we set out with an ambition to reinvent productivity and business processes. In a world of infinite information and computing and finite attention and time, we aim to help everyone get more out of every moment and change the nature of digital work within organizations of all sizes.

We pursue this ambition in service of our customers’ digital transformations. Businesses of all sizes in every country will not just use digital technologies, but become digital companies themselves. Each company is attempting to digitally transform to achieve the same four outcomes – to engage customers, empower employees, optimize operations and transform products.

And let’s be clear – digital transformation won’t happen with another bolted-on cloud app or a giant implementation of monolithic and closed business application packages that take half a decade to customize and deploy, and another for employees to begrudgingly learn how to use.

Digital transformation requires systems of intelligence that are tailored to each industry, each company, each micro-task performed by each person. Systems that can learn, expand and evolve with agility as the world and business changes.

Last year, I made the decision to bring our Dynamics business into the mainstream engineering, marketing and sales teams. Last Thursday, we took a major step forward with the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365, to empower business users with built-in insights and intelligence within the business applications they’re working in – apps like field service, sales, finance, operations.

This has been a dream of the industry, but also for me personally since 2000 when Microsoft acquired Great Plains. When I led that group, we dreamt of doing things for our customers and partners that are now only possible because of widespread adoption of the cloud, proliferation of data, devices and sensors, and agile development environments.

Realizing this dream requires unlocking data stored in silos and monolithic suites of applications so customers can combine them to derive new insights, extend and modify their business processes quickly, and surface them in the communications and collaboration tools millions of people use at work every day. Therefore, it requires us to reinvent business processes taking both a people-centric and platform-centric approach.

Each system of intelligence needs to be centered around a person and encompass anything that the person needs to do in the context of their role. This means removing the impedances that exist between the business solutions people work across today; breaking down barriers between productivity, collaboration and business processes; and creating a new customer-centric business model aligned to the realities of these roles today.

Perhaps most importantly, systems of intelligence require a platform where any business or ISV can add unique value to a company’s digital transformation by extending and integrating its existing systems and business processes.

Business leaders, imagine a world where your employees are empowered with predictive insights, prescriptive advice and actionable next steps.

IT professionals, imagine a world where you can quickly build and deploy what you want and pay for just the capabilities you need.

Developers and ISVs, imagine a world where you can build systems of intelligence to transform business for every company of every size in every industry.

Partners, imagine a world where your SaaS apps can be easily discovered by millions of customers and other partners.

Digital workers, imagine a world where you can respond to a customer request or replan production as easily as you can find a new restaurant or book a ride.

It’s here.

Microsoft Dynamics 365:

  • Helps organizations move from monolithic application suites to purpose-built, SaaS applications with intelligence built in
  • Integrates Microsoft Office 365
  • Introduces a disruptive and customer centric business model to build what you want and buy just the capabilities you need, while ensuring all roles have access to all the data they need to be successful in their jobs

The motivating force behind everything we do and everything we build is to empower our customers to make things and make things happen. Together with our customers and partners, we are reinventing business processes for a world where devices, data, intelligence and connectivity can be everywhere.

We have a unique approach to building the technology and platforms that will drive widespread digital transformation for every company, in every industry and every country. This will generate tremendous opportunity for our partners around the globe.

Dynamics 365 for Financials – Microsoft Interview Series – Part 1

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  1. How does Dynamics 365 benefit customers?

Dynamics 365 will bring together the best of Microsoft CRM and ERP cloud offerings into one cloud service with specific, purpose built apps for each of your key business processes – like Finance, Sales, Customer Service, etc.

Dynamics 365 provides customers a modern and familiar experience with built in insights, intelligence and workflow. They also use a common data model and consistent application platform to ensure consistency, interoperability and extensibility.

Dynamics 365 enables businesses to:

  • Start with what they need by offering apps that fit roles, industries, businesses – so our customers can start with what they need and grow at their pace to run their entire business in the cloud.
  • Enable greater productivity where they need it by connecting structured workflow of business applications and processes with the unstructured work of collaboration and productivity so employees are empowered with productivity tools surfaced in the context of their business processes.
  • Get built-in Intelligence with business applications that infuses big data, advanced analytics and IoT into processes out-of-the-box to proactively guide employees and customers to optimal outcomes. With Dynamics 365, data and insights are transformed into action for intelligence where it’s needed
  • Be ready for growth through nimble, adaptable applications, that allow them to compose, modify and extend processes in real-time. Business users are empowered to change and adapt without IT. And organizations can reimagine their business model with a consistent, flexible, extensible platform.
  1. Why did Microsoft choose the name “Dynamics 365” and what does it represent?

Dynamics 365 is our next generation of business apps in the cloud. These apps bring together the full power of Microsoft across productivity, advanced analytics and IoT, with the strength of Azure and a new application platform and common data model. As such, the new name reflects the significance of the offering and the coming together of the two worlds structured business processes and unstructured personal productivity so our business customers can achieve more.

  1. Is this just a marketing/ repackaging exercise or are you offering a new product?

Dynamics 365 is a net new proposition that combines new products, new product capabilities, new packaging, new pricing. We are taking a new approach to how we develop our products and bring them to market.

  1. Do all these Dynamics 365 apps really work together seamlessly?

All of Microsoft’s intelligent business apps will align to our new common data model, and an extensibility model that combines existing customization tools with PowerApps and Flow. At launch we’ll have made solid progress towards apps working seamlessly together, and it’s an effort we’ll continue as we redefine business processes to eliminate historical boundaries between CRM and ERP. CIS, IOT and PowerBI all play key roles in how we help businesses be more outcome driven as well as give our customers and our Partner ecosystem the ability to leverage our new common data platform to integrate legacy and 3rd party solutions with Dynamics 365.

  1. What is the “Common Data Model” and what role does it play with Dynamics 365?

The common data model is a cloud-resident business database, built on years of experience with our enterprise customers. It will come with hundreds of standard business entities spanning both business process (Dynamics 365) and productivity (Office 365). The standardization and consistency of schema enables partners to build innovative applications and to automate business processes spanning the entire business process spectrum with confidence their solutions can be easily deployed and used across Microsoft’s entire customer base.

Dynamics GP for Payables: Q&A

1) Is there an easier way to apply credit memos to invoices?  ANSWER:  Yes, and now. If you have multiple credit memos to apply to a vendor, and you do not care which invoices they are applied to, the fastest way is to use the auto-apply feature.  Best practice would be to apply the credit memo to the invoice at the time you enter the CM.  GP gives you that option.  If you have multiple credit memos to apply to a single invoice, you can do so, but must apply them one at a time.  This does not seem quick, but you can scroll thru the CM’s in the apply transaction window and it’s just a matter of checking the invoice for that credit memo.  It also does not have to be the same invoice.  You can enter several credits and then go to the Apply Payables Documents feature and just apply your credits as you scroll through the listing.  The documentation will walk you through how to do this. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Financials, a True Cloud Solution for SMBs

The November 1, 2016 release of Dynamics 365 for Financials is Microsoft’s first true SaaS based solution catered to small and mid-sized businesses. Dynamics 365 can help streamline your business processes to better manage and grow your business.

Dynamics 365 is shaping the trend toward collaboration by extending the vital, user-specific accounting functionality to the entire workforce through familiar tools such as Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint.

Dynamics 365 workflows and productivity integration automate many of the critical tasks and processes upon which a business depends on. All providing greater control over how your staff works and greater freedom to leverage their time.

Integrated with the Microsoft Office 365 platform enables organizations to better manage their business, it’s easy to see all the information you care about in one place and use it to make faster, better‑informed decisions, all built on the power of Microsoft Dynamics 365.  With a single sign on, you can gain real-time financial, sales and operational visibility throughout your business and here is the kicker – it’s all managed through the powerful Microsoft Office tools you already know and use!

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Financials will provide a powerful and optimizable platform that can handle the most strenuous accounting requirements, but is also easy to use and integrated to Office 365. 

With our experience and expertise in supporting our customer’s cloud based financial applications over the decades, we have paved the way for a smooth transition with best practices and provide a stellar support service experience. It’s been our mission to help customers take the pain out of purchasing, implementing and maintaining their financial accounting software.

Our SMB OneView cloud ERP subscription offering is an all-inclusive fixed bid model. OneView – One monthly price. There is no upfront expenditure, no scope creep, no surprises. We believe in providing our customers with the reliability and predictability of an all-inclusive OneView subscription so that our customers can focus on their core business while we manage all the components of your financial cloud application.

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Word Templates for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 Tips

In this session, we will cover Word Template tips in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015.

  • How to display more than 4 lines of comments on a SOP Document
  • Resolutions for the Problems with contents message
  • Tips for Logo’s, bookmarks and creating boxes
  • Keeping your Modified Report synchronized with your Template

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016: Application New Features

This training will cover the application of new features in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016. The new features areas covered include:
Document Attach
Word Templates
Purchase Orders
Sales
Inventory
Bank Reconciliation
Analytical Accounting
General Ledger
Payables Management
EFT
Payroll
Human Resources
Project Time & Expense
Project Accounting

Steve’s been with SMB Suite since 1998 and has been involved with nearly every aspects of the Company’s business as a strategist, professional services executive, cloud solutions architect, and senior consultant. In his current role, Steve is responsible for SMB Suite’s revenue and oversees the execution of ERP, CRM and BI projects for customers across a broad range of industries. Steve combines his expertise in MS Dynamics GP, CRM and other Microsoft products with a strong foundation in accounting and business to identify gaps and streamline customers’ processes. Prior to co-founding SMB Suite, Steve was previously Corporate Controller for MEHLE Behr and, prior to that, Audit Senior for Ernst & Young. Steve holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Jeremy is responsible for SMB Suite’s technology vision, strategy and implementation and is the architect of the Company’s Dynamics Cloud Platform. Highly adept in every facet of managed services, ERP systems and e-commerce platforms, Jeremy’s expertise spans the implementation and support of business and financial software solutions, as well as the customization and integration of SMB Suite’s cloud ERP technology stack. He holds numerous Microsoft and industry-related certifications, and was primarily responsible for designing the Company’s progressive business services platform in the early days of the Cloud. Prior to SMB Suite, Jeremy served as the financial analyst, systems administrator, and information systems liaison for a $2 billion financial services corporation.

Monty is responsible for SMB Suite’s day-to-day operation and, most importantly, its customers. As a leader, motivator and mentor, Monty creates loyal high performance teams willing to “walk through walls” to accomplish their goals. Prior to SMB Suite, Monty served as President of The Bradshaw Group (TBG), a global distributor, manufacturer, and repair facility for digital printers. In this role, he was the Company’s ambassador to its most important domestic, European and Latin American customers and TBG achieved a best-in-class Net Promoter Score of 74 for its superb customer satisfaction. Prior to TBG, Monty served as the General Manager of Sam’s Clubs three highest grossing U.S. stores and was named Regional Operator of the Year in 1999. Monty holds a BBA in Marketing from Texas Tech University and is an active member of Business Navigators. He has been active in Vistage International, Executives in Action, the Dallas/Fort Worth Retail Executives Association, as well as, A.P.I.C.S., the leading professional association for supply chain and operations management. Monty also volunteers with Hunger Busters and ManeGait, a therapeutic horsemanship organization.

David is a proven financial and information technology professional with expertise in providing business accounting software and computing solutions. He began his career by starting and managing a successful independent consulting practice for several years. He then launched the local systems consulting unit of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Services Group, leading the office into the hi-tech consulting arena. After successfully developing the unit for Ernst & Young, David founded NextCorp (which became SMB Suite in 2013) to serve the business software needs of clients throughout the US. David has made SMB Suite one of the best cloud ERP providers in the industry. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and leader, he is a software and technology specialist, holding certifications in various Microsoft and other technologies.