GP Optimizer Winter 2013: Manufacturing Orders- Tracking MOs Efficiently and Accurately

Written By Business Computers Software, Inc.  for GP
Optimizer Winter 2013 Edition by Rockton Software

Is your work day wasted on data entry for Microsoft Dynamics GP Manufacturing?  Do you have Time Matrix Time Clock can greatly reduce your data entry and increase your accuracy.    As a time clock that records employees work hours, the product is also able to allow employees to simply select a Manufacturing Order (MO) when they clock in.  Hours for the MO are recorded and integrated for all employees working on the specific product.  As an employee changes working on an MO during the day, they can return to the Time Clock and select the next MO they will be working on.  Having employees select the MO’s they are working on eliminates the need for time entries to be manually entered.
designated employees spending countless hours entering your employees’ hours on manufacturing orders and still making mistakes?  If so, you need a better way to record the labor hours of a product and determine the costs.  Fortunately, there is a product out there that can save you time and employee salary costs! The

For all employees working on a specific MO, time entries are transferred (posted) to Microsoft Dynamics GP Manufacturing Time Card Entry.  Microsoft Dynamics GP Manufacturing then processes these hours to the specific Manufacturing Order.

Not only does the Time Matrix Time Clock eliminate entering manufacturing times, it also eliminates entering Payroll transactions, whether, payroll is done in-house with Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll or by an external payroll service—payroll transaction data entry is eliminated.  This occurs because time entries are transferred (posted) to Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll or exported to a Payroll service and subsequently processed by Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll or the Payroll service.

The Time Matrix Time Clock not only tracks time for employees when they clock in and clock out, but accurately tracks time worked on specific Manufacturing Orders and supports Payroll transactions.   As a company or business, the efficiency of employees’ time and labor are critical, and Time Matrix Time Clock can help you eliminate employee data entry and free up your employees for more important tasks.

Download GP Optimizer Winter 2013 Edition by clicking here!

Convergence 2013 Recap

Written By Nicole Sexton, Social
Media Coordinator at Rockton Software

Rockton www.rocktonsoftware.com employees have returned from a fun-filled week at Convergence 2013! We set up our bar, and we were ready to go; we also had a total of eleven employees attend, which was a new high for us.

Convergence has always been a great place for us to meet with our customers and partners face-to-face, as well as show the fun, vibrant side of Rockton to new, prospective customers. A few of us also attended different sessions, which proved to be very beneficial. We got the chance to enjoy the expo, which let us catch up with companies like Click Dimensions that we use in our day-to-day business. Personally, one of my favorite aspects of the expo hall was the Social Media Wall! It was amazing—such a great way to see what was being posted online about Convergence.

Rockton also sponsored the spOt party, which was a tribute to the Blues Brothers. And, we didn't miss out on the closing party, where MatchBox Twenty played. It was a great night, a little chilly, but definitely a great night. We also walked around the aquarium, which provided some extra fun. After the party, I begged the rest of the team to head to Bourbon Street with me; being newly twenty-one, I had never been, so I thought it would be a great, last Convergence celebration!

All in all, I would say this Convergence was a success. Now it is time to follow up with prospects, and start getting excited for Convergence 2014 in Atlanta!

If you haven't already, follow Rockton on twitter! https://twitter.com/RocktonSoftware

Building Trust in Relationships– Why I'm Not a Salesperson

Written By Martie Mitchell,
Sales Manager at Rockton Software

“I HATE Salespeople!”
Have you ever heard anyone say that?  Have you ever said that?

I know I have . . . and at the time I meant it!

What is it that we all dislike about the proverbial used car salesman?
Well, for me it’s that they don’t give me time to do my own research and narrow my selection.
Freely translated:  get comfortable with what I’m looking for and what’s available

They circle like vultures, swooping in the moment I park my car.  Then they begin . . . “Hi!  What’s your name?  How can we help you today? How much are you thinking of spending?  Is that your trade-in?  I’m so-and-so, and let me show you around….”   And, I’m thinking to myself, NOOO STOP!

What impression am I left with?
They’re in it for them. They want to get me to spend as much as I have, and take it from me as quickly as possible. They won’t know—or care—who I am tomorrow (unless of course, I’m buying another car).
Bottom Line: I don’t believe them, and more importantly, I don’t trust them; this happens in the first five minutes, and it keeps going downhill from there.

Now ask me what I do for a living?  I sell Rockton Software, but I’m NOT a salesperson.
Ok.  So maybe this is random rationalization in my own head, but this is what I AM. I am seriously interested in helping people. I genuinely like meeting new people and discovering our commonalities. I passionately believe that our products and services are incomparable in our industry. I love the challenge of solving problems.

So how do I go about doing all this without selling like the aforementioned car dealer?
For me, it starts with serious listening—not just hearing, but actually listening to what people are saying.  I don’t cold call, so I don’t have to overcome the hurdle of convincing anyone why they should look at my wares to begin with. Rockton customers http://www.rocktonsoftware.com/Sales/CaseStudies.aspx have already reached out in some way; even if it’s just a few questions on a fact-finding mission, or they’ve received a recommendation from a friend or consultant.

Then, I begin to ask questions—real questions.  Relevant questions, about their business needs.  This is how to build trust.  How can I possibly recommend Rockton products with integrity until I know about their business, issues and concerns?  Sometimes my recommendation is that Rockton products are NOT the answer they’re looking for.  That’s honesty.

We must all remember to listen, be truthful, and not over-promise in our zeal to close a sale.  When the customer begins to believe that we really do have their best interests as our priority, they begin to trust what we share with them.

Finally, I always put myself in my customer’s shoes.  I have a brain.  I’m reasonably intelligent.  I don’t like to be patronized.   I can generally tell when someone’s pulling the wool over my eyes.  I want to be treated with dignity and respect, and I believe that my customers deserve nothing less. I am an expert in my field of how Rockton products can enhance the GP experience, and I’m happy to share this knowledge so my customer can run a more efficient operation by removing one problem area in their business.

Treat your customer like your best friend and no less sincerely than you want to be treated and you will not only grow your sales, you’ll make new friends.  Who can top that?

Experience Rockton's Convergence Booths Through the Years

Written By Kelli Sexton,
CEO of Rockton Software

When Rockton Software started showing up at Convergence, we had one goal: make the biggest impact possible. In the sea of third-party Microsoft Dynamics GP ISVs, we were small. We recognized that our market niche was much more horizontal than many other ISVs–our products benefit nearly all Microsoft Dynamics GP customers. Therefore, we didn't want any to pass us by. It also helps that our biggest champion, Rockton President Mark Rockwell, majored in Theatre in college, and was able to see our booth as an actual stage to promote our company and our products.

Initially, our themes revolved around our name Rockton Software. The first theme, Rockton Rocks like a rock star, we were able to get Rockstar Energy Drinks to supply us with our giveaways.  We followed the next year with good old-fashioned rock n roll, with Mark donning the Elvis attire and the gals in poodle skirts. We went back to the rock ages with our caveman theme.  Then there was “The Rock” theme that tied us to being prisoners in Alcatraz. Our main theme has always been how can we have fun, attract attention, and get our prospects to stop by and find out more.

All in all, our themes have been phenomenally successful.  But then we hit a bump in the road . . . we began questioning whether the effort to produce an entertaining and eye catching, thematic booth was worth the time, cost, and investment. Or were we better off doing a more standard booth and focus our energy on building the rest of the business outside of the trade show booth? In the end, we decided on building a booth that we could use for a number of years, but still reflected our overall culture of dedication to fun and customer service. That’s when we decided to create the Bar Theme, which is our current theme. This came about because I tend to think of Rockton like the TV show Cheers, “where everyone knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” With that being said, we hope you feel welcome and at home in our booth; so this year, feel free to pull up a chair and stay awhile!

Experience Rockton Convergence Booth Themes Throughout the Years:

2005: Rockton Rocks like a Rockstar! in San Diego

2006: Rockton Rocks Around the Clock with the 50s and 60s in Dallas

2007: Bedrock Rockton, Flintstones Cavemen, in San Diego

2008: Like a Rock Rockton, Jailhouse Theme, in Orlando

2009: Wyatt ERP, Cowboy Theme, in New Orleans

2010: Pirate Theme, in Atlanta

2011: Viking Theme, in Atlanta

2012: Cheers!, Bar Theme, in Houston

2013: Cheers!, Bar Theme, in New Orleans

Don't forget to Meet the Rockton Team Before Convergence 2013!


Leave a comment, and tell us which is your favorite! We would love to know for the future!

Before Convergence 2013, Meet the Rockton Team featuring Alina Filipczak!

Written By Alina Filipczak,
Marketing Manager at Rockton Software

Rockton’s booth at Convergence has had some pretty crazy themes, what has been your favorite?

My favorite booth theme, so far, has been our Pirate Ship at Convergence 2010 in Atlanta. It was my first Convergence, and I was very surprised at what we, Rockton Software www.rocktonsoftware.com, had in our booth compared to other sponsors. Our 10x20 space was transformed into an incredible ship with a tall mast in the center, which displayed our TV screens for demos. We had treasure chests with gold coins—chocolate, of course—and jewelry; our backdrop was an image of an island in the distance with an old ship that had wrecked in the sea. The wood-grain floor, vinyl, and the pirate flags above made you feel as if you were at sea on a pirate ship many years ago. No seasickness, though! Maybe some sore feet! My coworkers and I were dressed in pirate-themed apparel that would catch the eyes of many passing by. Many attendees came by our booth just to catch a glimpse at what theme we had going on that year, and some even asked for photographs with the Rockton team! Many attendees get caught up in the theatrics of it all, but some have asked, “What do you do in the Microsoft Dynamics Community?” This is key reason why we go to Convergence!

No matter what theme we have each year, we are there to have fun with coworkers, cosponsors, and attendees. We are part of the Microsoft Dynamics Community, and we love what we do! See you in New Orleans at our Booth #1851!

GP Optimizer Winter 2013: Making Receivables Easier to Manage

Written By ICAN Software Solutions for GP
Optimizer Winter 2013 Edition by Rockton Software

Microsoft Dynamics GP users who deal with a large volume of receivables know the pain of having to apply a large number of credit documents like payments, returns, or credit memos against debit documents like invoices.

One Microsoft Dynamics GP user often has to apply a payment against thousands of invoices.  Mass Apply Receivables allows them to import in a CSV file that they created from Excel with all of the apply details.  They then can run a routine that allows them to preview and process all of those applies with one click.

Other users of Microsoft Dynamics GP often have many leftover payments, returns, or credit memos with amounts remaining that they wish to auto apply purely based on document date (rather than the GP auto apply logic which applies by document type first, then by due date or number).  Mass Apply Receivables allows them to auto apply across a range of customers and document date, and provides the ability to restrict on customer class and a maximum credit document amount threshold.

When customers have to deal with multicurrency payments, they are forced to use the manual apply window which can be time-consuming and tedious.  Mass Apply Receivables allows for automation of the apply process in these cases saving users time and effort.

And when customers would like to have returns automatically applied to the correct invoice, they can make this happen by using another feature of Mass Apply Receivables.  If the invoice number, to which the return should be applied, is stored in the Customer PO Number field on the return, then Mass Apply Receivables can be run to automatically apply all such returns with one click.

Mass Apply Receivables is just one of many great products from ICAN Software Solutions. We make solutions that turn hours into minutes…

We Work Late So You Won’t Have To!

Want more information? View Mass Apply Receivables Demo!

Download GP Optimizer Winter 2013 Edition by clicking here! 

Before Convergence 2013, Meet the Rockton Team featuring Kris Berger!

Written By Kris Berger, QA
Development Lead at Rockton Software

What sessions do you hope to catch at Convergence 2013 in New Orleans?

I was browsing through the listing of sessions available in New Orleans for Convergence 2013 and am very excited to attend a number of them.  Check out this link for details on all of the great sessions that will be available:

Here is a breakdown of the sessions I hope to attend this year:

• Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Overview: 

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 has over 150 features in this release.  This session is going to give an overview of the top features in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013.  What a great way to capture all of the best that GP 2013 has to offer!

• Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Overview: 

With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, a new option for accessing the system is available through the web using Web Services. This session is going to provide an overview of the web client functionality and information on implementing it. I am looking forward to learning more about this new feature and how it can be useful in organizations.

• Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client For Smaller Companies: 

This session is going to focus on deploying and maintaining a web client geared towards smaller companies who do not have a large IT department. This sounds like a great session to see what is possible with the web client and what is realistic for your company.

• 50 Tips in 50 Minutes for Microsoft Dynamics GP: The Next Generation: 

Who couldn't use new and helpful tips for the latest Microsoft Dynamics GP release?  This session is going to cover existing functionality, as well as what's new in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013. This is a session I look forward to each Convergence!

• NEW! Performance & Scalability in Microsoft Dynamics GP: 

Who wouldn't want their system to run faster and perform better?  This session is going to give us tips on ensuring our systems are running at peak performance.

• Getting Better Reporting with Business Analyzer for Microsoft Dynamics GP: 

Within Microsoft Dynamics GP, Business Analyzer is a very important reporting tool that allows users to view reports to best fit their specific reporting needs. This would be a great session to learn more about Business Analyzer and how to deploy and implement at your office. .

• The Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Debugging Tool: 

As the online description for this session says, “The Support Debugging Tool is cool. Period!”  This is a super cool tool that has a lot to offer.  I look forward to learning more about the tool, as well as information about the new features released that will bring more value.

• Introduction to Microsoft SQL Reporting Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP: 

This is an introduction to Microsoft SQL Reporting Services and will give information on how it can be used to get better reporting from Microsoft Dynamics GP.  And, since Microsoft SQL Reporting Services works with Rockton’s Dynamics Report Manager tool, I look forward to learning more about it.

What sessions do you plan to attend?  Feel free to stop at the Rockton Booth #1851 and share any of your session highlights during the expo hours. Feel free to tweet about it throughout the event using the hashtag: #Conv13!