If you are looking for your new Corporate ERP application, and you are in Retail business: Deli, Asian food, Small to mid-size retail outlets, we would like to give you initial highlights on how Microsoft Dynamics GP could be implemented.  We will describe three options: Microsoft RMS, POS Add-on for Dynamics GP and Counterpoint.  Each one has pluses and each Retail customer has specific requirements, where one route might be better versus another one.  Let’s begin with the most advanced approach in our list – Microsoft Retail Management System with Integration to Dynamics GP.  As small remark, sometimes Microsoft Dynamics GP is also referred as Great Plains Dynamics, which is its ERP application historical name, prior to the time, when Great Plains Software was acquired by Microsoft and later on Microsoft Business Solutions announced its own Dynamics project, where Microsoft Great Plains got its new name – Dynamics GP:

1. Microsoft RMS and Dynamics GP tandem.  MS RMS completely automates POS cash registers and it supports the majority of POS devises, such as Barcode scanners, Signature Capture touch screens, POS customer info screen, credit card processing machines (Cherry Keyboard, and various small CC processing devices) to name a few.  But, besides POS support, MS RMS also have Store Operations module (where Cash Registers user interfaces are located), where you can do such retail store routines as merchandise replenishment, stock count, sales promotions and sales days special pricing.  Plus RMS has Headquarters module, where you can manage all your stores (doing such routines, as centralized Purchasing and distribution, moving merchandize from one store to another, consolidated retail management reporting).  What happens in Headquarters module about POS transactions from the stores – they are integrated on scheduled base (if you have reliable internet connection within the chain stores, or reliable dial-up modem connection) or on demand (typically when the number of POS transactions is relatively low).  We support MS RMS to Dynamics GP bidirectional integration, which handles POS (translated into GP Sales Order Processing Invoice with Customer Payment, Return or Order, or if you do not want to track inventory quantities in Great Plains – to GP Receivable Management Invoice, Return or Credit memo); also Purchases in RMS Headquarters are integrated into Dynamics GP POP module transactions; inventory transfers and cycle counts are bi-directionally propagated to Dynamics GP and RMS.  This tandem gives you the power of Dynamics GP as Corporate ERP system, where you have such advantages as possible integrated Warehouse Management System, ecommerce with such popular shopping carts as Magento (Linux/PHP/MySQL), or if you are Microsoft shop – ASP.Net Storefront.  Plus Dynamics GP is full featured ERP and MRP system (if you do assembly on Sales Order) with advanced Corporate Financial Reporting (FRx or its successor Microsoft Management Reporter).  This solution might be not the cheapest one among the considered ones, so if you are on the really tight budget and feel the influence of slowdown in your industry, let’s move on to the next option

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2. Dynamics GP POS Add-ons.  Through Dynamics GP ISV channel you can also find various POS extensions to Great Plains, typically extending Sales Order Processing module.  In Dynamics GP SOP module you have Sales Transaction entry, where you can do Sales Order, Invoice (both with customer deposit in the form of Credit Card, Check or Cash payment), Return, plus few other types.  These transactions are so powerful and fit to what you typically do at the cash register, that numerous Dynamics GP ISV modules were programmed (in Great Plans Dexterity) to enable such POS features as Barcode scanning, Signature Capturing.  To name you a name of the one of the most popular SOP POS extensions – Compass Technologies, VAR from the Michigan.  In their POS module you can also create sales campaigns, offer special price to named customers, when you sell on account.  The advantage of Dynamics GP POS add-on way in our opinion is the fact that POS works out of existing GP database and doesn’t require POS transactions integration (opposed to Microsoft RMS, as RMS is in essence external application).  Well, there are also drawbacks, for example, if you have seasoned business (flowers, gardening, landscaping, farm stands, farmer markets) – Dynamics GP POS extensions usually require reliable internet connection to the Dynamics GP Server.  Microsoft RMS, however could be made mobile and when farmer market day is over, then you can connect to the internet from your hotel room with your laptop, where Microsoft RMS Store Operations module is hosted with all the Cash Registers and daily POS transactions ready to be integrated on demand to RMS Headquarters.  With Compass or similar POS extensions you may expect to save on Dynamics GP POS implementation

3. Counterpoint from Radiant Software integration to Dynamics GP.  Counterpoint has its own General Ledger module, plus POS (with Cash Registers), Purchasing, Stock Count, plus such routines as items on sale campaigns, inventory counts.  If you are growing from small store to several retail outlets, and now you are at the stage, where you feel that you need more powerful accounting back office (Counterpoint GL is nice, but in larger company you may need something more upscale with rich Corporate ERP business logic).  Counterpoint has an option to send AP and GL (daily POS sales transactions) to external Accounting system, such as Dynamics GP, Solomon/SL and some other popular platforms.  Counterpoint integrations are distributed as Microsoft SQL Server DTS packages (very popular for Microsoft SQL Server 2000), and with DTS deemphasizing in SQL Server 2005, we would like to see Counterpoint roadmap on the future integration technologies.  Having said that we have to admit that you should be OK with Counterpoint upgrade to version 8.0

4. If you are serving your franchisees from your Headquarters.  Here we would like to recommend to your attention such popular features, associated with Dynamics GP as Warehouse Management System and eCommerce.  WMS is part of your Supply Chain Management (SCM)  network.  WMS typically handles such features and business processes as Sales Order Fulfillment (on the warehouse floor by barcode scanning), inventory restocking and inventory management transactions (moves between the locations and physical counts).  Ecommerce for Dynamics GP works directly out of SOP tables, opening SOP Sales Order, Invoice or Return for online ordering.  Our extensions for WMS and Ecommerce work in concert with each other and you could benefit on managing both systems, plus POS/Retail directly from your Dynamics GP user interface

5. To request further support, please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com We need to discuss your cards in order to recommend you the best solutions, which is not contingent to our preferences.  We serve you USA/Canada nationwide via remote support (web sessions and phone/skype conferences).  Local service is available in Western Michigan, Chicagoland, Southern California (LA, Orange County, San Diego), Houston area of the state of Texas