Chapter One
What Microsoft Dynamics GP Does Best
In This Chapter
* Familiarizing yourself with the Microsoft Dynamics GP window
* Understanding Dynamics GP terms
* Knowing how Dynamics GP keeps your CPA happy
Microsoft Dynamics GP is a robust accounting package that can meet the needs of any number of types of organizations. All installations of Dynamics GP have certain characteristics in common. In this chapter, I describe these common characteristics and, in the process, introduce you to Dynamics GP lingo.
Introducing Microsoft Dynamics GP
Familiarizing yourself with the Microsoft Dynamics GP window is the first order of business. You''ll find it much easier to perform tasks if you know how to find them.
In Figure 1-1, you see a typical Dynamics GP opening window. Dynamics GP uses a Navigation pane down the left side of the window, similar to the one found in Microsoft Outlook. The Navigation pane enables you to, well, navigate to various places in the program. In Figure 1-1, I clicked Home in the Navigation pane.
REMEMBER
The Home page you see in the Content pane when you open Dynamics GP on your computer might not match the one shown in Figure 1-1 because you can customize the Home page - and you can read about customizing your Dynamics GP Home page in the section "At Home with the Home Page," later in this chapter.
Along the top of the screen, you can use the Address bar to type locations within Dynamics GP and then press Enter or click the Refresh button at the right end of the Address bar to view those locations. But most people use the Menu bar, which appears just below the Address bar, and the Navigation pane to move around Dynamics GP.
Menus and toolbars
The Menu bar is actually one of several toolbars available in Dynamics GP. Its official name is the Main toolbar but it functions just like the menu bars in other programs you''ve used, so I''m going to call it the Menu bar. Below the Menu bar (refer to Figure 1-1) you see the Standard toolbar. If you''re a "button" person, you can display any of the available toolbars by right-clicking the toolbar area to display the shortcut menu shown in Figure 1-2. From this shortcut menu, click any toolbar you want to display. If a check mark appears beside the toolbar name it''s already displayed, and clicking it removes the check mark and hides that particular toolbar.
The Navigation and Content panes
Let''s take a moment to focus on the main portion of the window, which is divided into two parts. The Navigation pane runs down the left side of the window, and the results of clicking something in the Navigation pane appear in the Content pane on the right side of the window. In Figure 1-3, I clicked the Sales series button in the Navigation pane.
Navigation pane buttons
The buttons along the bottom portion of the Navigation pane represent series of related functions in Dynamics GP. When you click any particular Navigation pane button, lists associated with that series appear above the buttons in the Navigation pane, and the actions you can take within the series fill the Content pane on the right side of the Dynamics GP window (refer to Figure 1-3). I''ll tell you more about lists in the next section, but for the time being let''s focus on the buttons in the Navigation pane.
Looking back at Figure 1-3, you see "named" buttons for Home, Financial, Sales, Purchasing, and Inventory. In addition to these named buttons, toolbar-like buttons appear at the bottom of the Navigation pane (in Figure 1-3 they appear under the named Inventory button). These toolbar-like buttons function the same way that the named buttons function - they simply represent additional series of related functions such as Human Resources and Payroll.
TIP
If you place the mouse pointer over one of the toobar-like buttons, a tool tip appears to identify the button.
You can increase or decrease the number of named buttons that appear in the Navigation pane. Click the Configure Buttons button, which is the last button in the area where the toolbar-like buttons appear. When you click the Configure Buttons button a shortcut menu appears, as shown in Figure 1-4. To display more buttons with names, click Show More Buttons. To display more toolbar-like buttons, click Show Fewer Buttons. When you show more buttons, Dynamics GP moves a toolbar-like button up and displays it as a named button. Similarly, if you show fewer buttons, Dynamics GP removes a named button but displays a toolbar-like button for it.
In addition to controlling how many named buttons appear, you can control the order in which the buttons appear. You also can prevent buttons from appearing for business functions your company doesn''t use. For example, if you outsource your payroll functions, you can prevent the HR & Payroll button from appearing.
To control the buttons that appear in the Navigation pane, right-click any button in the Navigation pane and then click Navigation Pane Options. The Navigation Pane Options dialog box appears (see Figure 1-5).
Remove check marks beside any button you do not want to display in the Navigation pane by clicking the check box. To change the order of the Navigation pane buttons, select a button in the list by clicking on it and then clicking the Move Up or Move Down buttons. Click OK when you finish, or click Reset to return to the defaults.
Lists
The Navigation pane also contains lists for the selected series. Using a list you can view similar records, select one or more records, and then simultaneously perform actions for all of the selected records. For example, in the Customers list shown in Figure 1-6, you can select multiple customer records and then print statements for the selected customers.
You select the action you want to take in the Action pane of the List window. You can add filters in the Filter area. The list elements (in this example, the list elements are the customers) appear in the List area, and you select various list elements with check marks to take actions on them. The details for any list element you highlight - regardless of whether you place a check mark by the list element - appears at the bottom of the List window in the Information pane.
TIP
If you have proper security privileges, you can create list views that contain just the information you want to view. See Chapter 15 for details.
Who, when, and where you are
At the very bottom of the Dynamics GP window, the user date (usually the current day''s date; Dynamics GP uses the date set on your computer) appears in the lower-left corner. Beside it, you see the name of the company in which you are working, and beside the company name you see the name of the user who is currently logged into the company (refer to Figure 1-1).
If you move your mouse pointer over any of these three pieces of information, you''ll find that they are buttons. If you click any of these buttons, you can make changes. For example, you can change the user date by clicking the Date button. Or, you can switch companies by clicking the name of the current company; when you do, the Company Login window appears (see Figure 1-7). Select the company you want to open from the drop-down list and click OK.
TIP
The user date acts as the default date for transactions or batches you post, and depending on your report options it might be used to filter reports. The system date is merely a handy default, and you can override it when you add, edit, or post transactions.
When you click the name of the currently logged in user, a dialog box very similar to the one shown in Figure 1-7 appears. You can select a server on which Dynamics GP is installed and type a User ID and password, but you have no option to select a company.
At Home with the Home Page
You can customize your Home page so that it helps you work efficiently. You can add information, reorganize the information, change the information that appears in each pane, and customize the To Do and Quick Links areas. Let''s take a look at the process.
Adding to and reorganizing the Home page
In Figure 1-8, you see a typical Home page. In the Content pane, you see areas for To Do and My Reports on the left, and the Quick Links and Microsoft Office Outlook areas on the right. You can move these areas around and you can change the information that appears in some of these areas. You also can add a Metrics area that displays graphics for information that is important to you.
Let''s add the Metrics area to the left side of the Content pane, below the My Reports area. Follow these steps:
1. Click the Customize This Page link in the upper-right corner of the Home page''s Content pane (refer to Figure 1-8). The Customize Home Page dialog box appears (see Figure 1-9). 2. To add the Metrics area to the Home page, select the Metrics check box. 3. To make the Metrics area appear on the left side of the Content pane, click Metrics in the Column 2 list and then click the arrow pointing left towards Column 1.
TIP You can reorder the areas in the Content pane using the Move Up and Move Down buttons on either side of the Column 1 and Column 2 lists. 4. Click OK. Your newly modified Home page appears (see Figure 1-10).
TIP
Notice the left- and right-pointing arrows in the upper-left corner of the Metrics area of Figure 1-10? Click these buttons to display other metric charts you''ve selected to view. Read the next section for more on how to select metric charts to view.
Changing the details of a Home page
You can change the details that appear in any area on the Home page. For example, you can specify the metric charts you want available in the Metrics area. Move the mouse pointer into any area (I moved into the Metrics area in Figure 1-10) and buttons appear at the right edge of the area''s title bar. By clicking the pencil button, you can display the details available for the area and select the ones you want to display. In Figure 1-11, you see the Metrics Details dialog box.
REMEMBER
The appearance of a "details" dialog box changes, depending on the one you choose to view.
Suppose that you want to add the Total Purchases for the Past 12 Months chart to the Metrics you can view from your Home page. Follow these steps:
1. In the Metrics Details dialog box, click the chart you want to add. In this case, Total Purchases for the Past 12 Months. 2. Click the Insert button. To change the order of the charts you display on your Home page, use the Move Up and Move Down buttons. 3. Click OK when you finish.
Customizing the Quick Links area
You might want to set up Quick Links to reports, macros, and data entry screens you use regularly. You follow the same basic steps as you did in the previous section for the Metrics area, but you have a few more options you can set. For example, you can add a link to a Dynamics GP window, a Dynamics GP navigation list, a Web page, or an external file or program, as shown in Figure 1-12.
You also can provide your own name for a Quick Link entry. For example, you''ll find a Transaction Entry window in the Purchasing series and in the Sales series. If you add both to your Quick Link list, you''ll want a way to distinguish them. In the Quick Links Details dialog box, click the entry you want to rename and then click the Modify button. The Properties box for the entry you selected appears (see Figure 1-13). In the Name box, type the name you want Dynamics GP to display in the Quick Links list and then click OK.
Customizing the To Do area
You can display reminders, tasks, and, if you''re using the Workflow module, workflow tasks and notifications in the To Do area of the Home page. You can let Dynamics GP create reminders for you for a variety of conditions. For example, you can have Dynamics GP remind you to post various recurring batches.
Tasks may be (but are not necessarily) tied to some Dynamics GP event or window, and you can create recurring and non-recurring tasks that you can assign to yourself or someone else. For example, you can create a task to remind yourself to print monthly reports or send out customer satisfaction letters.
If you don''t display reminders in the To Do area of your Home page, reminders, along with tasks that are due today or are overdue, appear in the Reminders window. The Reminders window appears automatically when you start Dynamics GP, or you can open the Reminders window by choosing Microsoft Dynamics GP[right arrow]Reminders from the Menu bar. You also can open the Task List window by choosing Microsoft Dynamics GP->Task List in the Menu bar.
Familiarity Breeds Affection, Efficiency, and Productivity ... and a Pay Raise
Dynamics GP contains certain common features that you use as you work in the product. If you click a series button in the Navigation pane, you''ll see that the Content pane for each series is organized in the same manner, with headings for Cards, Transactions, Inquiry, Reports, Routines, Utilities, and Setup. In the sections that follow, I describe these common functions, along with some other common features available throughout all series in Dynamics GP.
Cards
When you store background information in Dynamics GP, you use a card. What do I mean by background information? Well, for example, you need to store names and addresses and other vital information about your customers and your vendors. For your chart of accounts, you need to store an account name, type, and number. You store this information on cards. Then, when you create a customer invoice or a vendor bill, Dynamics GP uses the card information to fill in this pertinent information on the invoice or bill - saving you the time you''d spend looking up and then filling in the information repeatedly. In Figure 1-14, you see a sample Customer card.
But you can set up more than just name and address information for customers and vendors; you can set up cards for other types of related information. For example, in addition to Customer cards, you can set up cards that associate a customer with the vendor you typically order from for the customer. You also can set up a card that identifies items typically ordered by a customer, and you can set up a card for each salesperson that stores his or her commission rate, address, sales territory, and sales manager, so that all sales commissions on invoices are applied to the correct salesperson and sales manager.
In Part II, I discuss more details about cards for customers, vendors, inventory items, and the General Ledger. Cards for a particular series appear in the right-side of the Dynamics GP window when you select that series in the Navigation pane. Or, you can find all of the cards that you can create by clicking Cards on the Menu bar and then pointing to the appropriate series within Dynamics GP.
Transactions
Transactions are the entries you make to record accounting events in Dynamics GP. You can enter transactions individually or in batches, and you use different windows within a series to enter individual transactions or transactions in batches. For example, you when you receive a bill from a vendor, you can use the Payables Transaction Entry window, shown in Figure 1-15, to record the individual bill and track it for payment.
To create a batch of vendor bills, you use the Payables Batch Entry window, shown in Figure 1-16. You can create single-use batches, where you simply enter a series of transactions into a batch, or you can create recurring batches, which are particularly useful if you enter the same transactions on some regular basis. For example, if you pay certain bills weekly, you can create a batch that contains all of those weekly bills and avoid entering those bills every week.
TIP
The recurring batch feature is especially useful to record monthly journal entries in the General Ledger. Those recurring batches can act as a checklist of closing entries.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Microsoft Dynamics GP For Dummiesby Renato Bellu Copyright © 2008 by Renato Bellu. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
