Bulk Deletion Jobs in Dynamics 365 allow you to build a query and then bulk delete records in the system that match that query. To save time, you can use an existing System or Personal view when building your Bulk Deletion criteria. However, there is one very dangerous issue with this.

In Advanced Find, you can build left-join queries, using the “Does Not Contain Data” operator on joins. For example, the screenshot below shows a query that will return all Accounts in the system that do not have any Contacts. I have saved this as a Personal View called “Accounts with no Contacts”.

This view returns one result – “Frosty’s Icecream Store”.
 

Note that there are 10 Accounts in the system that do have Contacts listed against them.

If we use this Personal View and then use it in a Bulk Deletion Job, the Bulk Deletion criteria will strip off the “Does Not Contain Data” operator and will think that the user hasn’t specified any search criteria. There is no way to add the “Does Not Contain Data” operator back into the criteria from the Bulk Deletion Wizard.

If you click on Preview Records, it will show you all 11 Accounts, including “Frosty’s Icecream Store”.

Continuing through the wizard will delete all Accounts, which obviously is very dangerous.

To sum up, be very careful with your Bulk Deletion Jobs and make sure you always click on Preview Records to make sure that you are deleting the data that you need to delete.

Microsoft Flow is a simple and cost effective way of integrating. In this post I will walk through how to use Flow for recurring file integration. The most common scenario I can think of is the general journal import.

First, I would recommend reading Microsoft article on recurring integration.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/data-entities/recurring-integrations

Solution below shows you how to use Microsoft Flow to read from OneDrive for Business and import to FinOps. The exact same thing can be done using Logic Apps for a more enterprise managed solution.

Lets start by setting up our folder structure to drop our general journal files in. Create four folders like so:

• inbound– drop the files here to be processed
• processing– Flow will move the file here from the inbound folder while executing
• success– Flow will move it here when the file has successfully been imported and processed
• error– Flow will move it here if the file fails to process for any reason

Now in Microsoft Flow designer, place a “When a file is created” and select the inbound folder.

In the next step, I used “Initialize variables” to be able to quickly change settings later in the flow. Otherwise, it can get messy to maintain and move around.

You might ask why I used an Object type rather than a String. In a string, I can set a single variable only. However, with the object I used a json string which allows me to set up multiple variables. (Let me know if this can be in a better way)

I parsed the json string. You can do this easily by copying the json string from above. Then click “Use sample payload to generate schema” to paste it in. It will generate the schema for you.

Next two steps is moving the file from inbound folder to processing folder. However OneDrive for Business doesn't have a Move action. I had to use a Create and Delete action as two steps. If you are using OneDrive for personal you will see a Move file action.

Once its moved, I use “Get file content” action to read the file.

Next, I used an HTTP POST action to send to the enqueue the file. I use the variables that were initialized earlier.

In the header I am setting the external identifier as the name of the file. This is done so in FinOps we can identify the job by the name.

This is what the result looks like in FinOps.

We are done sending the file to FinOps. The next steps are doing some cleaning of the file by moving to the success or error folder. Or you can email someone when a file is process or it errors out. You can get fancy.

However, I will show an example what you can do. Below I check every minute for 60 minutes if the job has been processed in FinOps. You can change the interval.

I added a “Do until” action. This is a loop that executes at an interval for a time limit.

The advanced query from the above is pasted below for your convenience. Its just doing an “or” condition. It checks if it is in any of these states.

@or(
      equals(body('HTTP_2')?['DataJobStatus']?['DataJobState'], 'Processed'),
      equals(body('HTTP_2')?['DataJobStatus']?['DataJobState'], 'ProcessedWithErrors'),
      equals(body('HTTP_2')?['DataJobStatus']?['DataJobState'], 'PostProcessingError'),
      equals(body('HTTP_2')?['DataJobStatus']?['DataJobState'], 'PreProcessingError')
    )

Initially it gets Queued, In Process and will go to Processed if it is successful.

All the statuses are listed here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/data-entities/recurring-integrations

Next, I added a Condition to check the job status. If it is Processed, then I know it is successful. I can then move the file to the success folder. Otherwise, to the error folder.

I will stop here as the next few stops are pretty much a repeat of moving a file in OneDrive.

Why don’t you take it to the next level and check out Ludwig’s blog post on automating the posting of the general journal.

https://dynamicsax-fico.com/2016/08/17/automatic-posting-of-journals/

I really like the new Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2: Transaction Level Post Through General Ledger  feature.

Mariano explains Analyzing expense receipts with Azure Cognitive Services and Microsoft Flow

My Reports in GP

Jen Kuntz explains the My Reports List.

Getting a list of write-offs

Jen explains how to get a list of write-offs.

The Colchester Borough Council (The Council) is a local government authority within the County of Essex in the United Kingdom. With roughly 600 permanent staff based out of at least ten locations, The Council is one of the largest district authorities in the country, providing services to approximately 190,000 residents. To ensure long-term success and adoption of their Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation, PowerObjects provided development training to the Colchester team at the start of their implementation and again one year afterwards. Watch this Solution Spotlight video to learn more about the benefits of implementation and reinforcement training!

Choosing the right implementation strategy for a specific new application you are considering can be intimidating. Many companies today are adopting a “cloud first” strategy when deploying new applications, but what makes sense for your organization? Asking yourself questions will help set a strategy for investing in future applications and your company’s evolution in the era of the cloud.

What is the Cloud?

In its most basic definition, the cloud translates to an offsite service provided by a specialized expert organization. The service must be geographically agnostic, resilient to infrastructure and software failures, and typically be delivered as a rented service to end-users.

How Does the Cloud Help Your Business?

One of the ways using a cloud-platform can transform a business is that it makes collaboration across different locations much easier. Using a cloud platform also enables a company to deploy updates in service or a product faster, a major plus from both the business and end-user perspective.  With seamless communication and updates, cloud inherently supports expansion and growth.

Who Uses Cloud Software?

We hear a few common objections when discussing about migrating to the cloud such as “We don’t really need it,” or “Our business is predictable and we’re already set up and trained with on-premise.”  Namely, that the benefits of using cloud-based software sound nice but are not necessary for certain businesses.  Accordingly, the information technology (IT) landscape has experienced a significant trend in migrating from on-premise software to cloud software.  One of the results of this trend is an array of industries.

How Did We Get Here?

Revisiting how the trend of cloud migration happened and the context in which it did, answers why we care so much about it today.  Overtime, these technical skills became widespread within the IT realm, allowing more competitors to enter the market and transforming a previously specialized service into a commodity service.  Why did we care about the IT market in the 1990s?  It drove down costs and broadened access to server hosting capacities across the globe.

Overall, using cloud-based software offers companies flexibility and ability to scale.  Even for companies that do not envision scaling, migrating to “the cloud” still allows them to improve upon current processes.

To read more about the advantages of using cloud, click here.

The post Top Cloud Benefits appeared first on ERP Software Blog.

Choosing the right implementation strategy for a specific new application you are considering can be intimidating. Many companies today are adopting a “cloud first” strategy when deploying new applications, but what makes sense for your organization? Asking yourself questions will help set a strategy for investing in future applications and your company’s evolution in the era of the cloud.

What is the Cloud?

In its most basic definition, the cloud translates to an offsite service provided by a specialized expert organization. The service must be geographically agnostic, resilient to infrastructure and software failures, and typically be delivered as a rented service to end-users.

How Does the Cloud Help Your Business?

One of the ways using a cloud-platform can transform a business is that it makes collaboration across different locations much easier. Using a cloud platform also enables a company to deploy updates in service or a product faster, a major plus from both the business and end-user perspective.  With seamless communication and updates, cloud inherently supports expansion and growth.

Who Uses Cloud Software?

We hear a few common objections when discussing about migrating to the cloud such as “We don’t really need it,” or “Our business is predictable and we’re already set up and trained with on-premise.”  Namely, that the benefits of using cloud-based software sound nice but are not necessary for certain businesses.  Accordingly, the information technology (IT) landscape has experienced a significant trend in migrating from on-premise software to cloud software.  One of the results of this trend is an array of industries.

How Did We Get Here?

Revisiting how the trend of cloud migration happened and the context in which it did, answers why we care so much about it today.  Overtime, these technical skills became widespread within the IT realm, allowing more competitors to enter the market and transforming a previously specialized service into a commodity service.  Why did we care about the IT market in the 1990s?  It drove down costs and broadened access to server hosting capacities across the globe.

Overall, using cloud-based software offers companies flexibility and ability to scale.  Even for companies that do not envision scaling, migrating to “the cloud” still allows them to improve upon current processes.

To read more about the advantages of using cloud, click here.

Choosing the right implementation strategy for a specific new application you are considering can be intimidating. Many companies today are adopting a “cloud first” strategy when deploying new applications, but what makes sense for your organization? Asking yourself questions will help set a strategy for investing in future applications and your company’s evolution in the era of the cloud.

What is the Cloud?

In its most basic definition, the cloud translates to an offsite service provided by a specialized expert organization. The service must be geographically agnostic, resilient to infrastructure and software failures, and typically be delivered as a rented service to end-users.

How Does the Cloud Help Your Business?

One of the ways using a cloud-platform can transform a business is that it makes collaboration across different locations much easier. Using a cloud platform also enables a company to deploy updates in service or a product faster, a major plus from both the business and end-user perspective.  With seamless communication and updates, cloud inherently supports expansion and growth.

Who Uses Cloud Software?

We hear a few common objections when discussing about migrating to the cloud such as “We don’t really need it,” or “Our business is predictable and we’re already set up and trained with on-premise.”  Namely, that the benefits of using cloud-based software sound nice but are not necessary for certain businesses.  Accordingly, the information technology (IT) landscape has experienced a significant trend in migrating from on-premise software to cloud software.  One of the results of this trend is an array of industries.

How Did We Get Here?

Revisiting how the trend of cloud migration happened and the context in which it did, answers why we care so much about it today.  Overtime, these technical skills became widespread within the IT realm, allowing more competitors to enter the market and transforming a previously specialized service into a commodity service.  Why did we care about the IT market in the 1990s?  It drove down costs and broadened access to server hosting capacities across the globe.

Overall, using cloud-based software offers companies flexibility and ability to scale.  Even for companies that do not envision scaling, migrating to “the cloud” still allows them to improve upon current processes.

To read more about the advantages of using cloud, click here.

Using Microsoft Power BI: Creating a Company-Wide Data Culture

Our modern world is driven by data. Increasingly, both individual consumers and companies alike are making decisions based on data. Not every company has caught onto this trend, of course. But, many organizations have discovered that staying competitive involves harnessing the power of data in their decision making.

Of course, not all approaches to data collection and analysis are created equal. In fact, proper data visualization requires the right tools. By generating reports with a solution like Microsoft Power BI, you’ll be able to present data to your organization’s team members in a meaningful, integrated way. As a result, you’ll help create and grow a “data culture” alongside other aspects of your company culture.

There’s all sorts of data your company can analyze, too: everything from customer data to your company’s financials, supply chains, operations details, and more -- much of which will come from the ERP solution your organization currently uses.

How can you foster a data culture while seamlessly integrating Microsoft Power BI with your ERP of choice? Keep reading to find out.

1. Ask Your Data the Right Questions

Before you actually dig into your data, you have to figure out what you want to know. The best way to do this is to decide what questions you want to ask your data.

Particularly when it comes to data visualization with your ERP, there’s a huge range of data that you could potentially analyze. Do you want to learn more about your allocation of resources with respect to operations? Are you looking to dig into information about human resources? By knowing what questions you need answered, you’ll have a better sense of how to approach your data from the beginning.

2. Access Your Data using Microsoft Power BI

Next, it’s time to connect Microsoft Power BI to your ERP of choice. Fortunately, Power BI makes this easy. In fact, connection and syncing is virtually automatic with the majority of ERP solutions, including Dynamics ERP and others.

Microsoft Power BI includes a number of apps designed to offer immediate functionality and data processing. You may be surprised as just how quickly you can create and analyze your new data reports.

3. Design Beautiful, Vibrant Reports in Power BI

There’s nothing worse than staring at thousands of rows and columns of spreadsheet data. Cell upon cell of numbers, trailing off into the distance on your screen -- how many employees will actually use data when it’s presented this way?

With Microsoft Power BI, you can use the data contained in your ERP to generate beautiful, vibrant reports for your organization’s team members. Waffle charts, stream graphs, radar charts, bar graphs, and more are at your fingertips. With the drag-and-drop functionality that’s built right into Power BI, it’s never been easier to put together reports that are visually pleasing and easy to interpret.

4. Keep Your Team Engages Using @Mention Functionality

If your organization is using Office 365, tagging team members in individual reports couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is make use of Microsoft’s @mention functionality and team members will be notified immediately.

See an increase in sales? Congratulate a team member on the corresponding quarterly sales report:

Need to build a report for your boss? Easy! Create a stunning report and tag them in seconds:

5. Grow and Improve Your ERP Data Reporting

You did it! You’ve managed to get up and running with Microsoft Power BI in no time. So, what’s next?

While Power BI allows you to make use of valuable ERP data right away, you don’t have to stop there. In fact, refining your analysis over time is what will help your organization stay competitive. As more and more of your organization’s team members become engaged in your company’s new data culture, new opportunities for growth will open up. If you keep refining your data processes, the sky’s the limit!

Ready to get started with building your company’s data culture? We can help! Contact AKA Enterprise Solutions today to learn more.

ABOUT AKA ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS
AKA specializes in making it easier to do business, simplifying processes and reducing risks. With agility, expertise, and original industry solutions, we embrace projects other technology firms avoid—regardless of their complexity. As a true strategic partner, we help organizations slay the dragons that are keeping them from innovating their way to greatness. Call us at 212-502-3900!

Microsoft Dynamics is an industry leader for business software such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions.

Choosing the right software is important, and no doubt you’ve done your homework and discovered the functionality that will help your business automate, organize, and move ahead.

But once you have short-listed a Microsoft Dynamics solution, an equally important decision will be choosing a partner to work with. A trusted partner will help you with installation, but they should be able to do much more. The right partner can make sure your project stays on track, on budget, and includes the right parameters to help you meet your business goals.

It may seem difficult to choose between various technology partners but doing so is vital to the success of your ERP or CRM project.

Here are five things to look for in a Microsoft Dynamics partner:

1. Do they have expert knowledge of the product?

You’ll want your partner to have extensive knowledge of Microsoft products so they will be able to advise you in your selection. They should understand Microsoft’s history and also the direction in which it is headed so they can help you plan for future growth. Microsoft Dynamics is an established product. Choose a partner that is familiar with the depths of its reporting capabilities, user interface, and customization options.

2. Do they have experience in your industry?

Has your partner worked with other businesses similar to yours? Ask for references and check them out. If your partner has successfully helped others in your business niche, chances are good that they will understand your processes and goals, be familiar with your challenges, and can anticipate your needs. True, every organization is different, but specializing in an industry will have allowed your partner to build a wealth of institutional knowledge that will help them best advise you.

3. Do they have an experienced senior staff and an engaged team?

Project implementations will be successful if the partner’s team is both experienced and passionate about the project. Ask your partner who exactly will be working with you and what are their qualifications. How long have team members been with the company and in the industry?

4. Do they have a positive track record for implementations?

Ask the Dynamics partners you interview to provide you with some facts and figures that indicate their project success rates in terms that are meaningful to you. Find out what percentage of their projects come in on budget. For projects that incurred additional fees, find out what the circumstances were behind the scope creep.

5. Do they have a responsive support plan?

You shouldn’t assume that you will throw a switch on your go-live day and never need help from your partner again. As your organization continues to grow, so will your needs. Perhaps you’ll want new reports or need to add new users. There will eventually be updates and upgrades. And if you need a troubleshooter, it’s nice to know that you can call and get help.

Identifying criteria that is important to you and identifying how the partner compares will help you pick a partner that is capable of delivering to your standards. When it comes down to it, hiring the right partner is partially based on who you like best, who you feel comfortable working with, who you trust.

Since 2001, BroadPoint has been delivering comprehensive business application solutions to our clients. From day one, our team of passionate, seasoned consultants has been focused on one thing: helping our clients focus on their mission by designing and implementing great technology solutions.

Contact our experts at BroadPoint and let us show you how the right technology partner can help your project succeed.

By BroadPoint Technologies, www.broadpoint.net

The post Choosing the Right Microsoft Dynamics Partner Is Critical to Project Success appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.