Each new version of the Corporate ERP application means major redesign, including introduction technology layer stack: new tables, new procedures and functions. Technology innovations are good in general, especially when they tested heavily in the labs or on the pool of volunteers. At this point, we are writing this paper in mid-April 2011, the version is out on the market about one year and the first service pack was released. We see goo points and some drawbacks, especially in traditional technologies, such as Integration Manager OLE Server connectors. Let us share our upgrade experience, as we are in the major upgrade trend in time:

1. Upgrade from earlier versions 9.0 and 10.0 seem to become stable process. We went through two step upgrade from version 8.0 and were able to go all the way through 10.0 Service Pack 5 to 2010 SP1 (we appreciate the fact that Microsoft is compiling GP media on DVD with integrated service packs, we use virtual CD/DVD drive utilities to map them on the customer server and do upgrade remotely)

2. New Features. SOP, POP documents emailing feature seems to be very cool, as in the past we have done numerous customizations in Dexterity where SOP Invoices are published as PDF files and then automatically emailed via SQL Mail. We are also excited about Word Templates. One of our customers had dozens of packages (Report Writer), where they were exporting SOP Blank and Long Invoice form with graphical company logo. With Word Templates you can associate Logo (JPEG, GIF or other graphical file format) with each company (and even with individual customer, if this is something that you may need). There is another cool feature, such as Cues (growing in their size as deadline approaches) on your Home Page

3. eConnect is no longer based on COM+ container. Let's discuss this change a little bit. Let's look at traditional VBA scripting or Integration Manager OLE Server technologies. These methods are virtually the same since they were introduced in mid 1990th. Now, let's look at eConnect. In its introduction it simply required (in Integration Manager eConnect Source definition) user id, password, SQL Server and Database (and this was probably appropriate as eConnect might have multiple layers above it, but it is still the set of encrypted SQL Stored procedures). When GP abandoned COM+ object model - eConnect installation on the user workstation, which is required for the Integration Manager is now a glitch (various internet posters, including Microsoft GP MVP are recommending to create new user in Active Directory with Domain Administrator rights and install eConnect with this credentials). When you are installing IM on the second user workstation, you need to help this new user (by including it manually into SQL Admin Role)

4. Microsoft Management Reporter Pluses. It is very nice to have its client connecting to MMR Server via URL. This feature gives IT folks the flexibility to have users work locally in the office or provide VPN connection from their home computers, or even have them connect directly being on the internet (travelling within USA or Internationally)

5. Microsoft Management Reporter Minuses. It seems like it is very difficult to install it using Domain Administrator account (we had several wishes from these folks and we had to end up recommend creating new Domain Admin group participating account and install MMR Server with its credentials). We may get some objections from GP consulting community - you got to know this known issue and that fix. However we are service Great Plains as technical and functional consultants since 1994 and we are recertified on the version 2010 (plus Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Sure Step 2010)

6. Integration Manager SOP Transaction Flaw. This was really disappointing experience, as we went through successful GP upgrade to the version 2010 and begun testing integrations (in Integration Manager). For the version 8.0 we created state of the arts Advanced ODBC connection, based on the System DSN (Microsoft Text Driver). In the Source Query we used Unions to split one CSV text file line into several lines (as SOP Document Items were coming from the same line of Excel document, but from different columns). This integration was working in Great Plains 8.0. In 2010 we were able to see lookup of the results, destination mapping was also OK (except the problem to save Item Number in the SOP Document Items section, we had to save Item Number twice to make it really saved). Plus, when we were trying to open Log File we got error message about.Net assemblies. Again, it might be cool to feel that Microsoft is trying to walk away from good traditional technologies, but when this new approach doesn't work and requires Googling (and the error messages are not really documented on the Partner Source) - the technology seems to be to premature to be released for production usage

7. FRx versus Microsoft Management Reporter. Migration Wizard from FRx doesn't seem to be 100% reliable. You still need to deal with Row formats, where MMR Wizard could not recognize exact match with FRx Row format row number (in TOT summaries). Plus we got numerous issues where MMR Wizard tried to transform FRX Catalog in Column Layouts for Budgets

8. 1099 Issue. We got issue with 1099 reprinting for 2010. The majority of the vendors printed our 1099 report OK. But some vendors were missing on the 1099 report (where they were present on 1099 report for version 8.0 of the Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains). We tried 1099 Reconcile in Utilities and got correct reconciliation report, but unfortunately 1099 records were not updated

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