Hands On With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 New Features: Monthly Recurring Batches

Microsoft Dynamics GPThis post is part of the Hands On With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 New Features series in which I am going hands on with the new features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 (which was released on the 2nd October). I reblogged the new features as Microsoft announced them along with some commentary of how I thought they would be received by both my clients and I. In this series, I will be hands on with them giving feedback of how well they work in reality.

The first new feature is Monthly Recurring Batches. This feature allows a recurring batch to be created in Payables Management, Receivables Management and Inventory Control.

When creating the batch, after selecting a Frequency of Monthly, mark the new Use last day of the month; this will change the Posting Date to the last day of the month:

Payables Batch Entry

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Re-purpose Connect Section of Home Page

Microsoft Dynamics GPI am taking a slight diversion from posting about being hands on with the new functionality of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2. In the last post, I covered how to re-purpose the Intelligent Edge page; there s a similar re-purposing which can be done to the Connect section of the home page. This was originally posted by MVP Mariano Gomez back in 2014.

There are two Dex.ini switches which need to be added for the Connect section to be re-purposed. Once they’re in place, it will look like the below:

Connect section repurposed

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Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 U.S. Year End Update Released (Includes Critical VAT Daybook Fixes)

Microsoft Dynamics GPDon’t be fooled by the name; the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 U.S. Year End Update includes other fixes, some of which are critical to clients running the Vat Daybook module.

This fix has all the usual stuff for the Payroll (US) module which you can read about here.

The other good stuff in this version is:

  • System
  • VAT Daybook
    • Purchasing tax amounts from GL entries are subtracting from boxes 2 and 7, instead of adding to boxes 4 and 7 on the VAT Summary.
    • Sales returns and credit memos are not deducting total taxable amount from box 6 on VAT return, and voids from box 1 and box 6.
    • Purchasing returns & credit memo’s, voids are not deducting total taxable amount from box 7 on VAT return, and invoices not updating box 4.

The Microsoft Dynamics GP hot fix is available from: Customer Source lock or PartnerSource lock.

The VAT Daybook fixes have also been rolled back into Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 (but no earlier): Customer Source lock or PartnerSource lock.

Hands On With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 New Features: Repurposing the Intelligent Edge page

Microsoft Dynamics GPThis post is part of the Hands On With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 New Features series in which I am going hands on with the new features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 (which was released on the 2nd October). I reblogged the new features as Microsoft announced them along with some commentary of how I thought they would be received by both my clients and I. In this series, I will be hands on with them giving feedback of how well they work in reality.

The first feature, I am hands on with, is not one of the announced features. Instead it is a new addition to the Home Page of Microsoft Dynamics GP; Intelligent Edge. I first encountered it when I ran the Dynamics GP 2018 R2 client for the first time. I said when I first saw it, that it was not going to be either welcome or useful to clients.

I also said that I hoped someone would find a Dex.ini switch which could be used to switch it off, or re-purpose it to another site such as an Intranet site. Well, MVP David Musgrave has taken a look through the code and found three settings in the Dex.ini file and two messages which need to be updated.

Once this has been done, Intelligent Edge will be no more; instead a useful page can be displayed:

Repurposed Intelligent Edge

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What is Gutenberg (for WordPress)?

GutenbergDo you use WordPress? Are you Gutenberg ready? Do you know what Gutenberg is?

For many people who would answer yes to the first question, I think there are probably many who would answer the second question I pose above, by asking (my third question) “what is Gutenberg?”

I’ve been aware of Gutenberg for quite a while now, as I am a hobbyist WordPress plugin developer, but it has been down my list of things to deal with.

Unfortunately, while I am still not ready due to other things I need to deal with, it’s time for decisions to be made. “Why?”, you ask; because Gutenberg is almost here.

Ok, time for a definition:

Gutenberg is a take on a new editor for WordPress. It is named after Johannes Gutenberg, who invented a printing press with movable type more than 500 years ago. The current visual editor requires a lot of us to utilize shortcodes and HTML to make things work. Their goal is to make this easier, especially for those just starting with WordPress. – Kinsta.com

This definition is a fairly common one that you will see; stating that Gutenberg is a new editor.

But, this isn’t actually accurate. Gutenberg as an editor, is phase one of the implementation of Gutenberg in WordPress. Introduced initially as a plugin, the description of the plugin starts with this:

Gutenberg is more than an editor. While the editor is the focus right now, the project will ultimately impact the entire publishing experience including customization (the next focus area). – Gutenberg Plugin

When WordPress 5.0 rolls out, it has just hit Release Candidate status, but the release date for the final is now not known, Gutenberg will become the default editor as it is rolled into the core of WordPress and ceases to be a plugin. Gone will be the old editor, unless you choose to install the Classic Editor plugin. This will only buy you a certain amount of time though, as that plugin is only officially supported up to the end of 2021. However, in the three years until then, later phases of Gutenberg will be created and integrated into the core of WordPress which will further change the experience.

And as the statement above shows, it will impact on every aspect of the publishing experience including customisation.

My big issue with Gutenberg (actually I have several), is that it mixes content with structure. In a later post, I’ll expand further on this. I’ll also do some other posts around Gutenberg including on blocks (going to be important) and the actual experience.

Gutenberg for WordPress: Series Index

GutenbergWith Gutenberg soon arriving in WordPress, I’m going to be doing a little writing around what it is, what it means and what the future might hold.

This post is the series index, which will automatically update as each post in the series goes live.

Gutenberg for WordPress
What is Gutenberg (for WordPress)?
How Does Gutenberg for WordPress Work?
What Are Gutenberg for WordPress Blocks?
What Happens To My Existing Posts When I Upgrade Gutenberg for WordPress?
Is Gutenberg for WordPress Accessible?
WordPress 5 With Gutenberg Releases Thursday 6<sup>th</sup> December 2018
Stop WordPress Updating to Version 5
What If Gutenberg for WordPress Doesn't Work For Me?
Before Upgrading to WordPress 5 And Gutenberg
ClassicPress: An Alternative to WordPress is Ready for Live Sites
What Will 2019 Bring For Gutenberg in WordPress

Hands On With Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 New Features: Series Index

Microsoft Dynamics GPIn this series of posts, I’ll be going hands on with the new features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2 which was released on the 2nd October. I reblogged the new features as Microsoft announced them along with some commentary of how I thought they would be received by both my clients and I. In this series, I will be hands on with them giving feedback of how well they work in reality.

This post is the series index and will automatically update as new posts go-live.

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Upgrading to Jet 2019: Upgrade Jet Reports

Jet ReportsThis post is part of the series on Upgrading to Jet 2019.

Earlier in this series, I did an upgrade of Jet Analytics; in this post, I am going to upgrade Jet Reports (formerly known as Jet Professional, and before that Jet Essentials).

To upgrade Jet Reports, download Jet Reports 2019:

Download Jet Global Software

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Upgrading to Jet 2019: What’s New In Jet Reports 2019

Jet ReportsThis post is part of the series on Upgrading to Jet 2019.

As with Jet Analytics, there have been a number of improvements to Jet Reports:

  • Improved Performance with XLL Multi-threaded Add-in – The Jet Excel add-in is now based on the Excel’s XLL format. This provides several benefits – including a performance boost, with some reports running up to 5 times faster.
  • Business Central Data Source Connection – Dynamics 365 Business Central users can connect Jet Reports directly to their Business Central data base. Each user can use their Office 365 credentials to make their connection.
  • Simulate Jet Reports Financials within your Jet Reports Excel add-in – For those Business Central customers and partners needing to support both Jet Reports and Jet Reports Financials, a new simulation mode has been added to Jet Reports to allow you to use the full Excel add-in as through it were an installation of Jet Reports Financials.
  • Updated Report Wizard – Continuing with efforts to bring all the Jet add-in features in line with a consistent look as well as providing intuitive and easy to use interactions, the interface for the Report Wizard tool has been updated.
  • Update Notification when a new version of Jet Reports is available – A new notification button has been added to the Jet ribbon to let users know when a new version of the Excel add-in is available.
  • +VALUES automatically added to reports – When running a new Jet report for the first time, in addition to Auto+Hide, +Values will now be added to cell A1. This has been a popular request in our ideas portal.
  • The Jet Services Database is Backed Up during Upgrade – The Jet Reports installation program now includes the option to backup the existing Jet Service Tier database prior to updating or replacing it as part of the installation process.
  • The Jet Hub has received a new look and new features – The Jet Hub features a new look (along with a new name) and the new App Switcher allows you to quickly navigate between the applications in the Jet Hub.
  • Updates Emails when Adding Users to the Jet Hub – When adding new users in the Jet Hub, you can now provide an email address for each user. There is also an option to edit the email address for existing users. This information is used for sending invites to log into the Jet Hub and for notifications in the Jet Budgets application
  • Assign Data Source Permissions to User and Groups within the Jet Hub – After defining data sources within the Jet Administration Console, you can now give users and groups permissions to those data sources from the Admin section of the Jet Hub
  • Support for Excel’s WORKDAY.INTL function – Excel’s WORKDAY.INTL function is now supported in the Jet reports that you run within the Jet Hub.

The upgrade of Jet Reports is much simpler than the upgrade of Jet Analytics and I will cover it in the next post.