What If Microsoft Dynamics GP Customers had an Elf on the Shelf?

Written By Jenn Schoemer,
Project Manager at Rockton Software.

I consider myself a pretty practical person and don’t normally buy into the latest gadget or this year’s hottest toy.  I would call myself more of a mid to late adopter, which is one of many reasons why I love working with so many trailblazers at Rockton Software (www.rocktonsoftware.com), but that is another subject for an entirely different blog.

I recall a few years ago hearing all this hype about Elf on the Shelf, but when I saw how much they cost, I didn't think it was worth it.  After all, I could just use the ol’ “Santa is watching you” line.  Well, I finally broke down and bought one and, let me tell you, I would have paid double for it to get the results I’m getting. It’s crazy to think how far a little magic can go.

Which got me thinking . . . what if Microsoft Dynamics GP customers had an Elf on the Shelf, what would it be seeing and hearing?  Since we are nearing Year End, and GP payroll is near and dear to my heart, I envision heads in hands, people putting in extra hours trying to figure out errors in W2s and 1099s, high stress levels (you know the image of the person banging their head against the computer screen), or a famous clip out of “Office Space.”

So if you are looking for a few last-minute gift ideas, and ones to help avoid a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency, here is a good start.

SmartFill:  Who wouldn't want some extra time in their day?  Or to be able to work faster or more efficient. And most customers deal with large data sets in at least one area: customers, vendors, accounts, items, etc.

SmartFill allows you to type part of the name, description, or whatever you know into any ID field, and then intuitively discovers the correct ID and types it in for you. No look-up required!  In the end SmartFill will end up saving your customers $1 per user per day.  A no-brainer! Add it to the list!

Auditor:  I’m sure those elves would hear plenty wishes from customers trying to understand the who, what, when, where, how, and why around data changes in their system.

Another time-saver!  Just think of all the time the customer will save not having to manually dig through records trying to understand what, why, and when a record changed.  We have also heard the time customers spend with their auditors was dramatically reduced, in some cases by days.

Sounds like another one to add to the list!

Dynamics GP Toolbox: And . . . what about those IT folks?  Here is another group of people who could use some fun new toys.  Our Dynamics GP Toolbox offers over 20 different tools to improve user experience and business process. But the IT folks will LOVE the security and IT administration tools.

I’m sure those elves would hear needs for Security Manager, Inactivity Timeout, System Maintenance lockout, Mentor, and Inspector to name a few.  After all, what IT person do you know wants to spend countless hours trying to insure everyone is out of the system, so they can install the latest update?  Who can mull over pages and pages of security reports just to understand which windows and reports a specific user has access to?  And you know at the top of their list is spending hours trying to figure out which tables they should be using for that “Must-have, needed-it-yesterday report.” Those are just a few of the headaches you could relieve this Holiday Season by adding Dynamics GP Toolbox to their list.

Dynamics Report Manager (DRM): Oh, the reports, reports, reports!  Whose Santa’s list wouldn't be complete without a gift that would empower them to get any information, from any device at any time? DRM is a nice little package which can add automation and organization to their customer reports.

Omni Price:  Omni Price is just what those elves will be suggesting for those customers who are poring over Excel spreadsheet after spreadsheet of customer prices. They know these customers have visions of an easier way to create, manage, and update complex customer price sheets. Visions of how they could apply pricing contracts to a specific customer or to groups of customers; or applying a contract to groups of items using advanced item filters; or entering individual items directly into the pricing matrix; or using date filters to apply pricing for specific intervals or days of the week. Now you know Omni Price would make their Santa list.

What would a little Elf magic do for your customer this year?


Don't Forget to Read "Dear Microsoft Dynamics GP Santa . . ." featured on the ERP Software Blog!