Corporate ERP Reporting: Dynamics GP example – Crystal, SSRS, FRx

In Corporate ERP model for mid-size and large 
business you typically need to build two types of2.       Managerial Reporting Tools for GP. 
report: Financial and Managerial.  ERP and MRPHere you have a variety.  Let’s begin with Great
application typically has strong selection of both, readyPlains ReportWriter, where reports are already
for alteration and modification.  Financial reports areavailable in standard Dynamics GP workstation code:
Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement, StatementAP and AR Aging, GL Trial Balance, Inventory Stock
of Cash flow as well as consolidated versions ofCount, SOP Invoice, Return, Back Order, Quotation,
those (where you have several branches or businessPacking Slip, Picking Ticket are good example or RW
subsidiaries and you are consolidating their BS, PL andreports, candidates for so-called modification in Great
CF into one report).  Managerial Reporting is coversPlains Report Writer (where you can add your
Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Logistics, and othercompany logo to Blank SOP Invoice form, for
Business Management reports.  In this small publicationexample)
we would like to highlight reports design for Microsoft 
Dynamics GP, formerly known as Great Plains3.       Beyond GP Report Writer.  Dynamics
Dynamics:GP designers tried to fulfill commonly required reporting
 needs, however the real life may dictate new business
1.       FRx financial reporting.  There is nomodels and alternatives.  If Great Plains RW
reason to reinvent the wheel, especially in such adoesn’t give you an option, you should consider
conservative discipline as Financial Reporting.  In thesuch generic reporting tools as Crystal Reports and
case of Dynamics GP Great Plains FRx hasMicrosoft SQL Server Reporting Services.  Here you
established connectors to GP General Ledger andshould likely to abstract the report from GP user
reports design just requires the understanding of theinterface and call report separately, reporting will be
mathematics of the specific report, plus basic FRXpulling data directly from Great Plains company
skills: Row Format, Column Layout and Reportingdatabase.  Crystal Report, in the most flexible
Tree.  FRx is also applicable for Dynamics AXscenario might be based upon SQL S Server custom
Axapta, Dynamics NAV Navision, Dynamics SLstored procedure or view.
Solomon