The document provides an overview of new features and enhancements in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016. Key highlights include an improved HTML5 web client that offers a more responsive user experience and improved mobility. The web client can be configured in single machine, scale out, or multi-tenant deployments. Additional enhancements cover areas like financials, distribution, search capabilities, and integration with Power BI for reporting. Deployment options include on-premise, hosted private cloud, or hosted shared cloud. Requirements and support for virtualization are also discussed.
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 New Features | Robin Hauswirth
1. BDO Solutions is an award winning solution provider with a core focus on
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Offering a breadth of
expertise, innovative
thinking and valuable
insight.
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 New Features
Presented by Robin Hauswirth
2. 35+ Features & Enhancements
Foundation
Distribution
Financials
Business Intelligence
New HTML5 Web Client
4. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016
introduces an HTML5 interface
that provides a friendlier user
experience
Scales to your device
New controls created for
HTML client
UI changes
Single sign on
The GP 2016 Web Client
5. What is HTML5?
HTML is the markup language used for building and displaying online content, and
the language of web browsers and web apps. HTML5 is the latest and greatest
standard for that language
HTML5 will give the GP 2016 web client improved performance & responsiveness
Web browser agnostic
Why is this good for GP 2016?
Improved Mobility
7. Ability to search for a window
or report within the GP web
client
Shows a list of all open
windows and reports based on
search criteria
Shows a list of all windows and
reports and the navigation
based on search criteria
Ability to close all open
windows at once.
Web Client Search
8. Why is the GP 2016 Web Client a Big Deal?
No need to install any additional software
More responsive, easy to use & feature rich
Can log in from anywhere in the world
Can be scaled to provide redundancy or grow with your business
The web client can be integrated with your on premises deployment
Only features a user has access to are visible
9. Single Machine
Simplest Configuration
Used when an organization has a small number of users
No redundancy
Dynamics GP 2016 Web Client Configuration Types
10. Scale out
Used when an organization has a larger number of users
The server load can balanced
Provides redundancy
Dynamics GP 2016 Web Client Configuration Types
11. Multi-tenant
This is the most complex deployment type
This configuration type is typically used by organizations that host Microsoft
Dynamics GP for other customers
Allows multiple Microsoft Dynamics GP installations to be run on the same physical
server
Segregates data and security rolestasks
Dynamics GP 2016 Web Client Configuration Types
12. Web Client Considerations
Depends…
Certain GP modules may not be available in the
current web client release e.g. Canadian Payroll
Certain 3rd party application may not currently be
compatible with the web client
Can I upgrade to Dynamics GP 2016 and make the web client my only GP client?
A BDO GP representative can help you determine if the GP web client is
right for you
13. Microsoft Power BI
Why am I telling you about Power BI?
Power BI is a comprehensive, self-service reporting platform that enables
businesses to interact with their Dynamics GP data and gain important insights
Allows organizations to get accurate financial metrics and keep track of their
financial health
What is Power BI?
Allows you to create rich dashboards to view important data from across your
organization
14. New part on Home Page
to display Power BI
Reports
Click on the report to
take you out to your
Power BI site
Power BI Reports on Home Page
With Power BI Reports right on the Dynamics GP 2016 Homepage, users will be able to get a
quick snap shot of their most critical data
For Information on Power BI…
May 11- 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM - Microsoft Power BI - The end of one era and the beginning of the
next.
15. Additional GP 2016 Enhancements Highlights
SmartLists
Import and export Smartlists from SmartList Designer
Create SmartList from the Favorite using SmartList Designer
Core Enhancements
Multiple Page Scan
Scotia Bank EFT format added as a default EFT file format
Increase Distribution Reference Field Size
Financials and Compliance
Simplified Analytical Accounting User Access Settings
Budget import exception report
Payables batch credit card payment option
Deposit cash receipts batches automatically
Enable Credit card Payment Type for Check Run Processing
Distribution Enhancements
All-in-one document view for sales and inventory transactions
Prepay purchase order total
And more…
16. Option to automatically give
users access to all AA
transaction dimension codes,
rather than defining access
individually for all users to all
codes
AA User Access Settings
17. When Automatically Post Cash Deposits is marked and you post a batch with cash
receipts in it, one deposit will be created for all cash receipts in the batch
If you transaction level post, each transaction will create a separate deposit
Automatically Batch Deposit Cash Receipts
18. Option for a computer check
batch to be paid by credit card
The credit card payment will
create an invoice for the credit
card vendor
A remittance form will print to
show the invoices paid
Payables Credit Card Payment
19. Prepayment amount on
purchase orders can now
include Taxes, Freight and
Miscellaneous
Entire PO amount can be
included in the prepayment
Prepayment on Purchase Order Total Amount
20. When importing a budget from
Excel, an exception report will
print displaying accounts that
aren’t setup in Dynamics GP
User will be able to export and
import SmartList definitions
created with SmartList
Designer from one install to
another
Budget Import Exception Report
21. Numbers exported from Excel
will be formatted as a number,
not text
Export Numbers to Excel Formatted as Numbers
22. View all related sales
documents for a single
transaction in one window
Accessible from Customer
Maintenance, many sales
inquiry windows, navigation
lists and the home page
Sales All-in-One Document View
23. View quantity in and quantity
out transactions for one item in
one window
Accessible from Item
Maintenance, many item inquiry
windows, navigation lists and
the home page
Inventory All-in-One Document View
24. Workflow Batch Approvals now
have a default Word template
for the edit list for
• General Ledger Batches
• Payables Batches
• Receivables Batches
Can be emailed to approver for
complete information before
approving
Word Templates for Batch Approval Workflow Emails
25. The electronic file format used by
Scotia Bank is now one of the
default EFT formats
Default formats are available for use
in electronic transactions for both
sales and purchases
Scotia Bank EFT Format Added
26. What are my GP 2016 Deployment Options?
1. Traditional On-Premise
There are 2 ways of hosting Dynamics GP…
2. Cloud
Hosted - Private
Hosted - Shared
27. Traditional On-Premise Deployment
Purchase the software and deploy at your location on your own servers
Installation options:
Individual Workstations
Remote Desktop Services or Citrix
GP Web Client
Pros:
You maintain control of your data at all times and you are not dependent on an
internet connection
All financial data stays “In House”
Cons:
You are responsible for all server maintenance, backups and other IT services
Software and hardware purchase can mean a large initial investment of funds
29. The Cloud…
What is cloud computing? … a brief definition…
In general the cloud refers to the method of delivering software, from e-mail to
accounting to customer relationship management, to users via the Internet
Public cloud - Provides services to multiple clients using the same shared
infrastructureresources e.g. Gmail, Facebook
Private cloud - Services, servers are dedicated to one organization. Only
accessed by a single organization. e.g. Government Services, Banking Services
30. The Cloud
Purchase the software and pay a monthly fee
All the servers are dedicated to your organization
Access is over a secure internet connection that can be either shared or private
Pros:
You own the software but you do not need to purchase or maintain the hardware
infrastructure
More flexibility with scheduled outages
More customizable Solution can be tailored to the organization
Cons:
Access is dependent on an internet connection
Ongoing monthly fee
Hosted – Private Deployment
31. “Multi-tenant” - Allows multiple Microsoft Dynamics GP installations to be run on the
same physicalvirtual servers
Accessed over a secure internet connection
The server resources are shared
Financial data is still segregated and not accessible between organizations
Pros:
You are not responsible for any hardware purchases or maintenance
Cost to an organization may be lower based on economies of scale
More efficient resource utilization
Cons:
Access is dependent on internet connection
Less customizable
Scheduled downtime may impact multiple organizations
The Cloud
Hosted – Shared Deployment
32. Business Drivers and Options when choosing an On Premises Vs. a
Cloud Solution
Cost Factors
Reduce capital expenditures
Predictable monthly fee
Reduce cost of IT support or staff
Functionality Factors
Integration with your environment
Ongoing daily maintenance
Speed of Deployment
Control Factors
Is Data/applications at your site or managed remotely
Choose when to upgrade
Security Factors
Access without an internet connection
Easy of disaster mitigation
34. Dynamics GP 2016 Components
Dynamics GP 2016 is comprised multiple interconnected components. The
components can be broken down as:
Database Server – Manages the data for the GP accounting system
GP Workstation Client – The Windows application that presents Microsoft
Dynamics GP to the user
Web Client Components - Provides access to Microsoft Dynamics GP
through a web browser or other mobile application
Remote Desktop Services - Allows Microsoft Dynamics GP to be managed
and accessed from one centralized location within your organization
35. Dynamics GP 2016 Requirements
The following requirements are not all inclusive
Server Operating System
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 / 2012 / 2008 SP1 or above
Workstation
Microsoft Windows version 10 / 8 / 7
Microsoft Office 2016 32bit & x64
Microsoft Office 2013 32bit & x64
Database Server
Microsoft SQL Server 2016 / 2014 / 2012
Network Card
1GB Ethernet (all connected components)
Changes from previous GP Releases
Windows server 2016 is supported
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is no longer supported
Microsoft Office 2010 is no longer supported
36. Virtualization Support
All Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 server applications can be implemented in a virtualized
environment
Supported Platforms
Windows Server 20162016 2008 Hyper‐V
VMWare vSphere
Can help reduce the number of physical servers needed to host your Dynamics GP
2016 implementation
Improved server resource utilization
What are the benefits of virtualization?
Easier backup and restore operations
Snapshot capability, which provides flexibility when performing server maintenance
37. Summary
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 is a full-featured ERP solution that is easy to use, fast to
implement, and adaptable. With a solid foundation and long history, Microsoft Dynamics GP
2016 offers the following:
Flexible deployment options, with both a desktop and a web client
Excellent performance
Improved mobile functionality
Flexible data integration and reporting tools
Unique platform features ideal for business applications
Integration with standard Microsoft applications like Microsoft Office
Many core functionality enhancements
Integration with Microsoft Windows Server technologies
An extendable architecture allowing customization capabilities
GP 2016 was just released at the beginning of the month so you will be amongst the first to see the great new features
Dynamics GP2016 is the next evolution in the Dynamics GP ERP Line. The updates to Dynamics have been developed in collaboration with Microsoft’s customers and partners.
Dynamics GP 2016 includes more than 35 new features and enhancements. These include enhancements to but not limited to:
Core GP functionality
Distribution
Financials
BI
The New GP Web Client
The Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 Web Client
This will broaden the footprint GP can run on to include any browser such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, IE and the new Edge browser.
This will increase the number of platforms from which you can now run Dynamics GP. The web client can be run from almost any web connected device. These include Desktop, Laptop, iPad, android or Linux device
The Dynamics GP 2016 web client will provide greater mobility
There is a new enhanced user interface
The web client is also optimized for your Role. Only Windows & reports assigned to your role will be displayed
The GP 2016 Web Client
Dynamics GP web client introduces an HTML5 interface that provides a friendlier user experience
With HTML5 the display will dynamically size for any device. This enables the device to determine sizing that works best for your screen size or interface type.
The new controls will allow you to interact with your device whether using touch, a stylus or mouse.
There is a new user interface that has been updated from earlier GP web clients. For the better…
The GP 2016 Web client provides Single sign on – You can now use your Domain login account to log into the web client. The same user name and password that you log into your computer with in the morning. One less password
What is HTML5?
HTML is the markup language used for building and displaying online content, and the language of web browsers and web apps.
HTML5 is the latest and greatest standard of that language and all the major browsers run HTML5.
Some Benefits of HTML5:
Mobile Optimization – web pages scale to your device
Improved performance & responsiveness - Offline Caching
Provides Browser Cross-Compatibility - Browser standardization
Overrall the HTML5 web client provides better overall Interactivity and should provide the same look and feel on any device on any platform
A new interface has been developed for the Web client that provides compatibility with both mouse and touch interfaces.
Both Long time GP users and new users should easily be able to navigate the new Web client User Interface. There are some great new navigation features.
Web Client Search
Ability to search for a window or report within the GP web client – Great feature to help users quickly find a report or window if they do not know how to navigate to it or have not used GP before
Shows a list of all open windows and reports based on search criteria
Shows a list of all windows and reports and the navigation based on search criteria – Path to the Window is displayed to help users learn how to navigate the Web client user interface
Ability to close all open windows at once – You can see all the Windows that are currently open and quickly bring them to the foreground or close them
Play Video
Why is the GP 2016 Web Client a Big Deal?
No need to install any additional software - eliminates the need for Silverlight in the Dynamics Web Client which was required in previous versions (Hint: Remember Silverlight).
More responsive, easy to use & feature rich – Explained earlier
Can log in from anywhere in the world – that you have internet access. Provides better accessibility and mobility without the requirements to use a VPN, or set up Remote desktop or Citrix
Can be scaled to provide redundancy or grow with your business – Servers and can be added to prevent downtime, outages and ensure optimal performance
The web client can be integrated with your on premises deployment – You can use the Workstation client when you are at your desk and the web client remotely. It does not have to be one or the other. Both are supported.
Only features a user has access to are visible – based on your roles within dynamics GP, windows, reports and functions are not presented to a web client user in the UI
Dynamics GP 2016 Web Client Configuration Types - Single Machine
Simplest Configuration – All the GP web components are installed on a single server
Used when an organization has a small number of users
No redundancy – An organization can tolerate some downtime if the server becomes unavailable. Users may still use the GP workstation client from their desktops if the GP web server is unavailable and the GP database server is still available
Scale out Configuration type
Used when an organization has a larger number of users – This configuration may be required to ensure the best performance for your GP web users and prevent against unexpected outages
The server load can balanced – This means that Multiple servers can share the workload
Provides redundancy - The scale out configuration has some redundancy. If one of the session host machines must be taken out of service, such as when installing an update, the other session host machines will continue supporting web client users. This also applies if a server fails or becomes unresponsive
Multi-tenant Configuration type
This is the most complex deployment type
This configuration type is typically used by organizations that host Microsoft Dynamics GP for other customers
Allows multiple Microsoft Dynamics GP installations to be run on the same physical server
Segregates data and security roles\tasks
When would you use this deployment type?
This implementation allows multiple end-user companies to share a partitioned SQL database
This implementation offers an efficient, scalable shared environment for hosting multiple customers
Multi-tenant Web Services offers the best use of resources and improves the economies of scale
You can now get Power BI reports directly on your dynamics GP homepage.
Power BI works across platforms and devices, bringing your GP reports to your laptop, smartphone, or any other device.
From sales to inventory to manufacturing to projects, with Power BI all of your reporting is located in one easy-to-find place.
Interact with reports to gain even more insight into how financial decisions affect your bottom line.
Prior to this change, we were allowed to give access to one user at a time. With this new feature we will be able to grant access to multiple users for Analytical account transaction dimension codes
Prepayment on Purchase Order Total Amount enables us to make the pre-payment of Entire PO amount. Prior to this enhancement, prepayments could not exceed the subtotal amount of the purchase order. With this new feature the prepayment amount on purchase orders can now include Taxes, Freight and Miscellaneous.
What are my GP 2016 Deployment Options?
Traditional On Premise – All GP servers and infrastructure components are hosted at your site or another site managed by your organization
Cloud - All GP servers and infrastructure components are hosted by a dedicated hosting provider at an offsite datacenter for your organization. The environments can be either private or shared.
On Premise deployment – This is the deployment type that most of you would be familiar with
Purchase the software and deploy the applications on your own servers onsite
Installation options: - There are 3 ways for an end user to connect to Dynamics GP to access their financial data
Individual Workstations – GP workstation client is installed locally on your laptop or desktop
Remote Desktop Services or Citrix – The GP workstation client is hosted centrally within your organization and accessed via a remote desktop client
GP Web Client – Accessed via a browser
Click
Pros: You maintain control of your data at all times and you are not dependent on an internet connection. All financial data stays “in house”
Click
Cons: You are responsible for all server maintenance, backups and other IT services. Software and hardware purchases can mean a large initial investment of funds
The Cloud
Most of you have heard the term “the Cloud”. But what is the cloud? I would just like to provide a brief overview of “the cloud” before I continue for those who may be unclear with the term.
In general the cloud refers to the method of delivering software, from e-mail to accounting to customer relationship management, to users via the Internet – All of you have sat down in front of your computer, launched a browser or App and accessed a service or resource online.
There are multiple cloud types but I am just going to focus on 2 of the most common.
Public cloud - Provides services to multiple clients using the same shared infrastructure\resources e.g. Gmail, Facebook
Least secure - constructed using pooled shared physical resources, and accessible over a public network
Private cloud - Services, servers are dedicated to one organization. Only accessed by a single organization – Must be “officially” granted access to resource within the Organization. This cloud is often used by employees of an organization to access data and resources within the organization.
Example- Government Services, Banking You need an account to access the service and the services or resources may only be accessible from a specific location
Most secure -typically serves the needs of a single organization and is often purpose-built to fit a particular infrastructure and use case. It may be hosted on-premises or in a colocation data center.
You Purchase the software and pay a monthly fee to have your applications and data run on a server(s) at a secure data center
Access is over a secure internet connection that can be either shared or private -
Shared Internet Connection - You may use the public internet to send secure encrypted data between your site and the hosted site. Your data travels with all the other data traveling on the internet
Private Internet Connection – All data travels through a “Secure tunnel” that is dedicated to your organization and is not shared with other data traveling across the internet
Pros:
You own the software but you do not need to purchase or maintain the hardware infrastructure – Someone else performs the server backups, upgrades and manages all the resources required to maintain the health of the environment
More flexibility with scheduled outages
More customizable - Solution can be tailored to the organization
Cons: Access is dependent on an internet connection. Ongoing fee
Many of the same reasons for choosing a Private hosted solution apply to the shared solution.
This solution is like an apartment\condo building with many tenants. All the resources are shared therefore the monthly costs per tenant should be lower. Your unit is still your own and only you can access it.
Shared Deployment = Apartment
Private Deployment = House