Microsoft Dynamics GP Customization Tools Selection – overview for developer

By Andrew Karasev
Alba Spectrum Group,
USA/Canada: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com skype:
albaspectrum
Microsoft Business
Solutions Great Plains was renamed into Microsoft Dynamics GP and became part of
Microsoft Dynamics strategy in September 2005. Former name of the strategy was
Microsoft Project Green, where the idea was to introduce so-called Microsoft
Business Suites: Financials, Distribution, Human Resource, Manufacturing, etc.
In our opinion Microsoft reserves the rights to alter the next steps of
Microsoft Dynamics realization and the shapes of the next wave of the merging
ERP (Axapta, Great Plains, CRM, Navision, Solomon). This is why the developer
has to analyze the development tools, if she/he wants to provide the longest
possible longevity to the custom logic. Let’s look at the dilemmas:
- “Fat” versus “Thin”
client. Here we reveal “Fat” client technology – it is Microsoft Dexterity
with DYNAMICS.DIC – dictionary (all objects for core functionality: table,
procedure, function, form, window, string, etc are defined here). Thin
client is Business Portal approach (we are not talking about Citrix way
here, because in Citrix you usually open the same Fat Dexterity client) or
web client. The dilemma of web client is – Dexterity is not web-enabled
technology and such questions as GP security realm, accessing business logic
(coded in Great Plains Dexterity) is complicated if not possible at all.
Plus – if you look at licensing structure – user licenses are actually
simultaneous “fat” clients connections, controlled by Dexterity technical
logic. Imagine – you need to extend SOP Entry screen logic – you can only
realize it accessing Fat client and adding custom logic there through
dexterity, Extender (or in Visual Studio, programming relevant GP Object –
but again it will go to Fat client extension and Dexterity has more control
over its own realm). When Microsoft Dynamics GP will offload Fat Client
logic to Business Portal, then you will be using more thin client or web
development to do the job, it is not actual today and probably Dexterity has
another several years to stay on the first position.
- Probability of the
Paradigm Change. Could you expect in 1995 that something like .Net, or XML
Web Services will show up on the scene and make Graphical Platform and
database independence (Oracle, MS SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, Ingress)
actuality obsolete? This was only a decade ago. Now – the paradoxical
question – would you think that such paradigms as Java/J2EE/EJB and .Net
plus XML Web Services will stay for another decade? We don’t know. At the
same time, such old-timers, as Microsoft Dexterity or former name Great
Plains Software Dexterity stay robust and alive since the beginning of 1990th.
Please look at Microsoft tools, such as VBA (Visual Basics for Applications)
– it was scripting language, designed in 1990th and now it is
pretty much phased out. In other words, we don’t know and can’t predict the
longevity of current paradigms and axioms in IT and Programming industry.
Maybe the answer is this – Dexterity was designed to stay through
technological cataclysms, while new tools were designed to serve current
needs and commercialize current technology trends.
- Reporting. Let’s
look at ReportWriter, which is Dexterity-based tool and Crystal Reports.
Report Writer has huge number of customization across the Great Plains
clients community: SOP Invoice Long form, Purchase Order with company
graphical logo, AP Check form to name a few. Crystal Reports were the tool
of choice when ReporWriter can’t do the job, to remind the story – Crystal
was Industry Standard tool, capable to deliver stunning graphical quality
and excellent database independence and heterogeneous linking. Nowadays
Crystal is deemphasized for Microsoft Dynamics Project – Microsoft SQL
Server Reporting Services are in the preferred position.
- Balance. Again –
what will be the future? It is not clear and what kind of agenda (even if
it is not consciously placed behind by the tool architect) is behind it –
you as developer should think through the time and minimize the risk for
your custom logic upgradeability and the dependence of “modern” technology
trends, which have high chance to be abolished in the short future.
Please do not hesitate to
call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918
help@albaspectrum.com
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer
at Alba Spectrum Technologies (
http://www.albaspectrum.com
http://www.ronix-systems.de ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains,
Navision, Axapta, MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner,
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