Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP has pretty cool and end user friendly integrating module: Great Plains Integration Manager.  With Dynamics GP version 10.0, IM got revolutionary improvements in the form of eConnect connectors.  Now, where these connectors are available, IM performance issue virtually evaporated and you can integrate thousand of SOP invoices per minute, as eConnect deploys SQL stored procedures, versus OLE server for old IM connectors.  However we often see the problem of finding GP programmer, who is a maestro with advanced ODBC query to make integration manager work with pretty rigid and cumbersome text file, produced from your legacy MRP or EDI application.  Let’s move to the bullets:

1.       Microsoft Text ODBC Driver.  Unfortunately for Windows XP, Windows 2003 and Vista, this driver has known bugs and they are not fixed by service packs.  The work around is to restrain from defining fields format and allowing the driver to guess

2.       SQL Query.  Assuming that you have Microsoft Text Driver connection, see #1 issues, next step is to produce complex SQL select statement.  Let us give you some examples.  Imagine the situation, when you are given Purchase Expense accounts only and you need to alter GL distribution in AP vendor invoice integration.  Yes, of course, what you need is Accounts Payable account distribution counterpart.  In order to achieve this you create union clause in GP IM Integration query.  AP is typically sent on single Accounts Payable account, for you this means that you have to group together Purchasing lines and use SUM construction to create single Payables distribution line

3.       Text Driver Limitations.  To give you good example – if you have exactly identical GL distribution lines in the case described in the bullet #2, text driver will fail in distinguishing of those two lines and it will skip one of them.  What you need to do is to provide unique parameter, which will restore the lines uniqueness.  Also you need to be aware that Advanced ODBC option in IM should allow you to deploy Standard SQL constructions: group, union, having and others

4.       Additional Consideration for eConnect, related to E-commerce web integration and development.  eConnect is in essence SDK or Software Development Kit, opening GP object for manipulation to Microsoft Visual Studio C# and VB.Net developer, who is familiar with XML and SQL encrypted stored procedures.  eConnect will do the job when you have established ecommerce website, written in PHP, .Net, EJB and other open technologies and you need to integrate it with Microsoft Dynamics GP accounting back office

Microsoft Dynamics GP has various EDI (Electronic Document Interchange) add-ons and third party modules, where you can map your EDI code to either expose GP documents, such as Vendor Purchase Orders to EDI complaint vendors or import Sales Orders or Invoices from EDI channel to your SOP module, as two popular examples.  In certain cases purchasing add-on may not be feasible due to the simplicity of your requirements or paradoxically – their complexity, where you would like to control EDI mapping in-house or with trusted Great Plains Dynamics consultant.  This publication is targeted to EDI technical people, and as such may look too programmer oriented, however we tried to make it readable for technology savvy executive.  Let’s review briefly both scenarios: export and import:

1.       Exporting EDI compliant text code.  Typically EDI code has fixed length format with Header, Lines, and various Trailers.  Simple approach to produce this fixed length formatted text file is to save SQL select statement, where you unionize the portions and precisely format each field.  If you are exporting Purchase Orders, then likely you are dealing with Purchase Order Processing module tables: POP10100, POP10110.  Then what you need to do is to mark your exported Purchase Orders in custom table as exported.  Feel free to create this export status table in GP company database.

2.       Importing EDI file to GP.  Here you need to consider pushing documents to Great Plains via eConnect programming, assuming that automatic batch posting is not required.  If Autoposting is required, we recommend you to deploy Alba Spectrum Posting Server or Autopost.  You open incoming EDI text file with OLEDB text driver.   Then the options are multiple – our favorite is to read text file into temporary table.  In this case you will have typical field names: F1, F2, F3 – to make your grouping, sorting and having clauses elegant.  Another popular alternative is to establish SQL linked server to your text file, however this construction might be too powerful and not really required on that level

3.       ODBC text file driver limitations.  ODBC supports the subset of standard SQL language only and you will see multiple limitations: case, text functions and other standard SQL constructions are not supported by ODBC SQL

4.       EDI and Great Plains Dexterity.  If you need seamless integration with GP user interface, GP Dexterity might be the tool of choice.  Dex allows you to call either Dex SQL compliant cursors, or call directly SQL statements or stored procedures to do the job, already described in the paragraphs above