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Case Studies

Crystal Reports

Nation-Wide Registered Nurse Placement Agency

Situation

As for many placement agencies there was the problem of integration of the Placement database, which is heavily customized business system, based on Client Relation Management (CRM) application with the back end accounting system.  The dilemma was in either to create similar customization in Great Plains or introduce the interface between the two systems.  As the result many pieces of data had to be manually reentered into accounting system.  Each request from customers to verify hours and payment rate in accounting system and Placement database resulted in special project for IT group

Our approach

In order to preserve investments into Placement System (CRM) and Great Plains - Integrated Business System, consisting of Great Plains and CRM was recommended.  Portions of business logic were transferred from CRM customization to Great Plains by addition of standard Project Accounting module.

Technology:

- Ongoing CRM-Great Plains integration via SQL Stored Procedures

- Sales Commission Crystal reporting, combining info from Great Plains Sales and Project modules as well as CRM database, based on distributed queries and SQL Views

- Automatic Data Transformation Packages, feeding and synchronizing data between systems

Results

- Efficient billing from Great Plains project accounting with robust projects control and reporting

- Automatic data feeding from Business specific Placement CRM system into accounting

- Cross system reporting

Industry: Placement

Applications: Great Plains: Project Accounting

Technologies: SQL Server: Stored Procs, Distributed Queries and Views, Data Transformation Packages, Crystal Reports

Business and Residential Tree Removal company

Situation

Business system had multiple loosely integrated parts.  It was difficult to address the client order status request, because of the data distribution between multiple systems.  Crew scheduling was in the paper form with following manual entry into accounting, resulting in frequent errors.  Absence on the internet leaded to decreasing competing potential.

Our approach

With the business growth the need of web-enabled Client Relation Management system was identified.  The decision was made on Microsoft CRM. 

CRM Tuning

-          Standard quotation forms were created with the check lists for onsite estimation

-          Crew’s members assignment custom system was integrated with CRM

-          All the necessary reports were enabled via internet for the crews and sales team

Technology:

-          Microsoft CRM Form, Tables and Workflows modification via Built-in Customization tool and Deployment manager

-          .NET C# web pages for entering data into MS SQL Server tables for crews assignment and tracking

-          CRM configuration settings enabled seamless integration of crew assignment form with CRM Order

-     Crystal Reports for custom invoice and work order forms

Results

- Order entry was enabled via internet to the customers

- Employees got self entry timesheets, which reduced cost of time cards paper work

- All the business processes, querying and reporting were transferred to one system, eliminating data duplication problems and enabling advanced analysis

Industry: Services

Applications: Microsoft CRM

Technologies: SQL Server: Stored Procs, Views, .Net, C#, HTML, XML, Web Publishing, MS CRM Customization Manager, MS CRM Deployment Manager, Crystal Reports

Soft Drinks Maker/Wholesaler

Situation

Business System had multiple loosely integrated subsystems, some of them had obsolete technology, discontinued by manufacturers and with no longer support available.  Meanwhile company needed daily international sales reporting by multiple criteria.  The choice should be made between expensive OLAP/Datawarehousing solutions, integrated with new Mid-Market accounting package and less expensive solution, deploying set of relatively flexible Crystal Reports, pulling information from Mid-Market accounting.  Also the complexity of the transition year was the necessity to address existing legacy system data in reporting system

Our approach

In order to save money we suggested less expensive and easy to maintain Great Plains and Crystal Reporting solution, based on the distributed queries from legacy database with following year end switch to Great Plains

-          Data conversion with Integration Manager and SQL custom queries from legacy accounting to Great Plains on Microsoft Windows 2000 server

-          Light Manufacturing automation via Bill of Materials

-          Crystal Reports for providing daily sales reporting needs

-          Integration Manager for GL and Purchasing data import

Technology:

-          SQL Distributed views and stored procs

-      Crystal Report, based on distributed queries

-     Light Dexterity triggers for Bill of assemblies

-          Integration Manager, Frx

Results

- All company operation are now based on one system: Great Plains

- Sales reports do not require additional maintenance, maybe called by request and pull the information from standard Great Plains databases

- Customer requests are processed in real time through Great Plains inquiry screens

Industry: Distribution, Manufacturing

Applications: Great Plains

Technologies: SQL Server: Stored Procs, Views, Dexterity, Integration Manager, FRx, Crystal Reports

Metal Recycler and Wholesaler

Situation

Client had industry specific requirements to provide bids to its customers with 5 decimals of $ price.  Also vendor had requirements to provide Custom Order status report and several mandatory reports, with 5 decimals of $.  In order to provide real-time quotes to the customer the query, showing historical quoted price and average current price for the product with immediate drill down to historical quotes was needed.

Our approach

In order to provide immediate drill down to historical docs and calculate average price/cost, plus provide required reporting we suggested

-          Dexterity customization in Sales and Purchasing modules

-          Aggregated SQL query to feed information into custom inquiry window

-     Dexterity custom report with 5 decimals of $

Results

-          All the operations were automated in Great Plains

-         All the reporting requirements were met

Industry: Distribution

Applications: Great Plains

Technologies: Dexterity, SQL Server: Stored Procs, Crystal Reports

Industry Specific CRM Vendor with International Support

Situation

Client had turn key system installation plan and support for its customers.  The system had the requirement to show the status of the part of the supported hardware and it’s history through multiple Great Plains modules: Sales, Purchasing, Inventory and Fixed Assets by it’s serial number.  Also Clients had support and billing plans with installment payments options and considering high volume of customer checks – the AR group notification mechanism was required

Our approach

In order to provide immediate support for the hardware, installed as part of the turn key system and payment notifications

-          Dexterity, VBA, SQL and Continuum customization was recommended, addressing several Great Plains modules: SOP, Inventory, Purchasing, Fixed Assets

-          SQL queries to provide immediate reporting of customer outstanding invoices and payments history

-     SQL and Dexterity triggers, deploying SQL mail to notify AR on customer payments

Results

-          Client was able to switch all its legacy systems to Great Plains

-         All real-time customer support calls were facilitated, resulting in increasing of customer service quality

Industry: Services

Applications: Great Plains

Technologies: Dexterity, VBA & Modifier, Continuum, ReportWriter, SQL Server: Stored Procs, Triggers, Mail, Crystal Reports

Union

Situation

Union needed monthly expenses approval report to be submitted to its trustees.  Every expense, including payroll expenses for union employees, strike funds support payments, purchasing should be on this report, categorized by account’s segment and officer category.  This should be realized for Great Plains system.

Our approach

We suggested deployment of SQL Stored procs and Crystal reports

-          SQL Stored procs will unionize the data from Payroll, Purchasing and AP modules

-          Crystal report will provide required format for the report

Results

-          Monthly expenses are now generated automatically, instead of huge amount of paperwork with consequent entering into Excel

Industry: Non-profit

Applications: Great Plains

Technologies: SQL Stored Procs, Crystal Reports

Furniture Retailer

Situation

Company had multiple stores in several regions.  Currently it was mailing salary/commission payroll checks to all its employees and salespeople.  There was a possibility to replace current check mailing to its employees by enabling them over the internet via web report from Great Plains payroll module.

Our approach

We suggested secured login and Crystal Report web publishing for employees in the following form:

-          .Net aspx pages

-          Crystal Report engine

Results

-          Elimination of extra paper work

-          Meeting government requirements

Industry: Retail

Applications: Great Plains

Technologies: .Net, C#, Web Publishing, Crystal Reports

Phones

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Cell (consultant-on-duty): 1-630-854-0597

Email: welcome@albaspectrum.com.

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