Microsoft Great Plains: annual enhancement program how to be re-enrolled
By Andrew Karasev
Alba Spectrum Technologies
USA
1-866-528-0577,
1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com
Microsoft Business
Solutions Great Plains is mid and even corporate market ERP and as being
relatively complex and difficult to do self-support in-house, Microsoft Business
Solutions requires you first to have so-called VAR of record, or your MBS
partner and second pay annual enhancement program, which is typically 16% of
you software price list. Enhancement program allows you to get new version of
the product as well as purchase and add new modules you might need. Plus you
get discounts on the technical support cases placed to Microsoft Business
Solutions technical support directly.
In the recession time of
recession 2000-2004 a lot of clients decided not to pay the enhancement
program and save some money, needed for staying in business. Among them were
mostly small and mid-size businesses, however we see corporate clients as well
with 40 users Great Plains eEnterprise and more. In 2004-2005 the economic
situation improved substantially and businesses are back to IT investments. In
this small article well show you your options to re-enroll into enhancement
program and upgrade your system:
- Re-enrollment fee.
If you need to get back to
enhancement program, minimal re-enrollment fee is 35% of the software price
list. This amount incorporate 16% enhancement program plan. So, the penalty
of being out of the program is 19% - if you stayed without support all the
recession years say four you saved some money and I dont think you should
be unhappy. Go ahead and re-enroll
- VAR of Record.
Your company had tough time three years ago, your former Great Plains Partner
had the same of even larger problems, trying to stay in business. Maybe it is
not around anymore. Then you need to do research who could be your new MBS
reseller. Choose between local and nation-wide MBS partners. If you have a
lot of customization and integration you probably have to sacrifice local
presence and seek somebody who has very good customization experience. The
switch from your old partner to the new is very straightforward you need to
sign Change VAR form and fax it to MBS or your new MBS partner
- Upgrade.
If you on MS SQL Server and do not have customization, only ReportWriter
reports: SOP Invoice, POP Purchase Order, etc., then the upgrade should be
simple. Great Plains Professional (high end, more than 10 users) and Standard
(low end, up to 10 users) are still Great Plains Dexterity based applications
and now they are on MS SQL Server only (Pervasive SQL and Ctree support and
upgrade is discontinued). Upgrade should be done by outside consultant
through Great Plains Utilities. If you have customizations, then your new
partner should explore your Great Plains Workstation: DYNAMICS.SET (to
identify Dexterity third parties, you use), FORMS.DIC (Modified forms:
Modifier/VBA), REPORTS.DIC (Modified reports: Invoice, PO, or the like) plus
if you have Integration Manager integrations (IM.MDB) and SQL custom stored
procedures if any. This might be paid assignment to estimate and you will
have the clear picture on what you have, and what you might need for the new
version.
- Additional
Considerations. Other custom
pieces you might have could be: Crystal Reports, web applications, such as
eCommerce this is good candidate to be rewritten in Vb.Net or C#.Net with
Great Plains eConnect
Good luck and you can always seek our
help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us:
1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com
Andrew Karasev is Chief
Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Great Plains,
Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona,
Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Continental Europe,
Russia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (
http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports
and Microsoft CRM SDK developer