One of our core objectives has always been to listen to you.  Sometimes we receive your suggestions through an email or a support case, or on a phone call. We also monitor blogs and Microsoft’s Connect site.

We keep our ears open for things you would like our products to do, or do differently, and also for general Dynamics GP Wish List type items.

To a large extent, GP PowerPack and MFG PowerPack are the result of collecting your requests and turning them into software.

Our database of ideas has always been internal, which makes it difficult to assess how important any given request is.  We just moved it to an external site where you can directly contribute your own Wish List items, read requests from other users, and vote on the ideas.  Most of the “feature requests” we were tracking internally are now visible on the site.

Please join the WilloWare Community site.  Feel free to share the link and invite others to join.  We will use your suggestions to improve our products, and add new features.

If you have the Suite License for GP PowerPack or MFG PowerPack, you have access to everything that is in the Suite, as well as any new modules we add to the Suite.  We have always sought to regularly add new features to both of these Suites, and now the WilloWare Community has the opportunity to directly influence what gets added next!

 

We just released (3-OCT-2017) a new build of MOGenerator’s MO Receipt Integration (MORI) that now has support for WIP Inventory.  This new functionality provides the ability to record usage of raw materials as it happens.  There are two components of the new functionality: (1) adjusting Picklists for WIP transfers, and (2) forcing consumption of components from the WIP Site.

WIP Transfers

The process is tailored for an external application integrating into GP, such as a Warehouse Management package, or Shop Floor Control software.  We designed this approach in consultation with Without Wire Inventory Sciences.

After creating a Manufacturing Order in GP, the external software retrieves the Picklist from GP and uses it to create one or more Inventory Transfers to move inventory from stock to WIP.

The Inventory Transfer is a “picking transaction” for a Manufacturing Order.  The external software tells MORI about the transfer by adding a record to the MOIVTrx table.

When the MORI processor runs, the first step is now to check the MOIVTrx table for new transfers.  As shown above, there are two transfers for MO0017.

It processes transfers IN to the WIP Site first, then transfers OUT of WIP.  The items transferred are matched to lines on the MO’s Picklist.

When inventory is transferred into WIP, the original Picklist line is decreased by the transfer quantity.  A new Picklist line is added for the same item where the Issue From Site is the WIP Site.  An example is shown above.

In the example, 0.75 FEET of WIRE100 have been transferred into WIP from WAREHOUSE. The original Picklist line with Issue From of WAREHOUSE, was decreased from 1.00 to 0.25, and a new Picklist line was added for 0.75 with an Issue From of WIP.

The original line will draw down until it reaches zero, but the WIP line will increase to show the entire quantity transferred into WIP.  Likewise, if a transfer is posted OUT of WIP back into WAREHOUSE, the WIP line will be decreased until it reaches zero, and the original line will be increased until it reaches the original quantity.

There are several effects to note about this process.

First, inventory used by manufacturing can be put into WIP at the moment it is picked, and the MO does not need to be Released.  This ensures the GP inventory quantities are current and accurate.

Second, by automatically adjusting the Picklist to reflect the transfer, Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) can detect the change in demand (i.e. decreasing need for WIRE100), and still see remaining demand.

Third, the Picklist becomes a live record providing a quick reference to inventory issued to an MO, and the inventory still required.

Lastly, by moving it into a WIP Site, rather than adjusting it out and tracking the dollar value, it is possible to perform a physical inventory on WIP.

WIP Consumption

Setup in MOGenerator creates a relationship between a main inventory site and a WIP Site.  This is shown below:

When an MO Receipt is processed, MORI creates a “split-MO” off the parent, which it runs through as a QuickMO.  When MORI builds the Picklist it forces the Issue From Site to be the WIP Site.

As shown above, if the original MO has a Draw Inventory From of WAREHOUSE, MORI will force the components to be consumed out of WIP.

The MOPick table can still be used to direct MORI to consume specific quantities of specific materials.

You may have looked into a GP performance issue and dug around a bit and discovered that you have high fragmentation in a large number of table indexes.  After rebuilding indexes, a large number of indexes still have high fragmentation, and they all have an Index Type of HEAP.  What is this and why does GP have messy HEAP tables?

First, let’s start by looking at your index fragmentation, and talking about indexes.

SELECT OBJECT_NAME(ind.OBJECT_ID) AS TableName, 
ind.name AS IndexName, indexstats.index_type_desc AS IndexType, 
indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent 
FROM sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats(DB_ID(), NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL) indexstats 
INNER JOIN sys.indexes ind 
ON ind.object_id = indexstats.object_id 
AND ind.index_id = indexstats.index_id 
WHERE indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent > 30
ORDER BY indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent DESC

Run the query above against your company database.  Note the “avg_fragmentation_in_percent > 30” line.  This restricts the query to only show results if the fragmentation is above 30%.

ItemMasterIndexes

The link above is to an XLSX of IV00101 (the Item Master) which I’ll reference below.  There are several tabs along the bottom of the workbook:

 

 

IV00101 shows the complete table, with the data as it could be arranged physically on the hard-drive.  Note that it is not in order by Item Number.  When the Primary Key is “non-clustered”, data is simply added to the table using the next empty row at the bottom of the SQL table.  Think of “SQL Table” as a single Excel worksheet.

For IV00101 the Primary Key (Primary Index) is ITEMNMBR (Item Number).  An Index on a table is like an additional tab in an excel workbook.  For the Primary Key of ITEMNMBR, SQL creates a page of data that contains only ITEMNMBR, and the data on that page is ordered by ITEMNMBR.  Click on the PrimaryKey tab in the workbook.

A Non-Clustered index is a HEAP.  The data is physically recorded on the disk in the order it was added to the table, in other words, it’s sort of a “heap” of data with no organization.

When a new record is added to IV00101, it is added to the bottom of the IV00101 page.  SQL then inserts it into the correct position in the ordered list of the PrimaryKey tab.

The Key2, Key3 and Key4 tabs are the actual Alternate Keys (Indexes) on IV00101.  Key2 is ITEMDESC (Item Description) and ITEMNMBR (Item Number).  The data on that page is ordered by ITEMDESC then ITEMNMBR.

Likewise for Key3, the data is ordered by ITMCLSCD (Item Class Code) and ITEMNMBR (Item Number).

Each time you add a record to the IV00101 table, SQL also adds records to the page for each Index.

Now imagine that the index page is actually written on a yellow notepad.  If you hit the end of the page you need a new page, and you need to place the paper on an open space on your desk.  Now your index is fragmented.  SQL Database Maintenance can reorder the indexes so that the data pages are next to each other rather than scattered around your desk.

If you were able to run the query above on your own database, the %-Fragmentation is a measure of how scattered your yellow notepad pages are on your desk.  If it’s above 90%, that index is on a bunch of separate pages all over your desk.

I’m simplifying a lot.  If you want a more technical description of index and fragmentation, click here.

So, why does GP have HEAP tables?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to arrange the data on the disk in order by the Primary Key?

Because it mostly doesn’t matter, and probably not.

A clustered index (aka not a HEAP) arranges the data on the drive in the physical order dictated by the Primary Key.  To write a new record it needs to rearrange the data on the page so it can insert the new Item Number into the correct row in the table.  This is time consuming.  So there is an argument in favor of HEAPs–they offer better performance writing data to the disk.

The HEAP doesn’t make any difference for most tasks.  If GP needs a list of Items between A and D, it can use the Primary Key page, which is in the correct order.

Ultimately the real performance question is: Does the table have Indexes that provide (1) the columns needed by a GP function, and (2) in the correct order?  For example, if I want a list of all Items in Item Class ATT CORD, SQL Server can use Key3.  If that key didn’t exist, SQL would either have to read through the table by the PrimaryKey, pulling out the needed records, or simply read from the disorganized physical table.  Either way is not efficient.

For a much more technical discussion of HEAPS, click here.

SQL Server has several tools to help you optimize database performance.  In particular, the Database Engine Tuning Advisor can suggest additional table indexes to help performance based on your usage.  Read more here.

 

If you feel too constrained by the standard software spec, which describes only the functionality that will be present in the proposed software, we are proud to now offer our exclusive Anti-Specification Service. Our ASS will identify everything that will NOT be in the software—the features, functionality, and performance characteristics that will not be included. By employing proprietary Broadly Intelligent Guesswork, we are able to anticipate everything you might have wanted, and document its absence in the BIG-ASS spec.

The scope of these projects is nearly unlimited, except for the small amount of time required to refrain from documenting what the software will actually do. The deliverable is one BIG-ASS document.

As the great Sherlock Holmes said, “When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

In this manner, by enumerating all the unlikely possibilities that we intend to exclude during the software construction process, when you closely examine our BIG-ASS spec, you will find the only thing missing is your custom code. If you would like to engage us for a BIG-ASS project, we are offering a special discount to first-time clients in an even percentage amount greater than 14% and less than 16%.

During July (2017) we will be rolling out new builds of all of our software.  This mid-year update addresses any open, low-priority issue reports, and adds a few helpful system features.  If you are receiving our “software release” updates, you will receive a couple of emails listing a large number of releases as this roll-out occurs.

The first new system feature is that our Error Reporting window and About window can now create support case with WilloWare from inside GP.

The information displayed in the window will be added to a Support Ticket, and you will be provided the Ticket ID, as shown below:

The second new feature is something we are excited about.  All of our software will now be fully functional, without registration keys, in <TEST> companies.  There are two benefits from this:

First, you can download and test our software using your live data without needing a temporary, time-limited key.

Second, if you already have our software but are not registered for all of its features, you will be able to test ALL functionality in the <TEST> company without changing your registration key.

In short, all functionality of all of our modules is always available in a <TEST> company.

In case you are not familiar with a <TEST> company, here’s a quick overview.

Dynamics GP has a little feature that is not well documented, which provides support for Test and Historical company databases.  To enable this feature, put <TEST> or <HISTORICAL> at the end of the Company Name, as shown below:

 

The primary effect of this is that it Zeros the Employee Count so the Employees in a TEST or HISTORICAL Company do not affect payroll.

It also causes a warning to pop-up during login to help alert users that they are not in the live company:

And, with the new builds of all WilloWare software, it causes the software to enable full functionality.

Lastly, our software can now automatically check to see if there are updates.  The check is done when “SA” logs-in to GP.  If there is a new build available you will see a window like this:

If you click the Do Not Remind Me link, it will turn off further notifications until a new build is installed.  When a new build is installed it re-enables the Update Reminder.

 

Color Settings (in GP PowerPack), is (a) Awesome and (b) Free!  It provides the ability to for users to edit their own settings, and for admins to apply a company-wide setting.  With access to 26 user-interface elements, and 17 colors, Color Settings can create a whopping 5900 different colorful combinations.

Since only SA has access to the system-wide settings, end-users can play around with their personal Color Settings to create a GP look that makes them happy.  Below is a quick highlight of each color setting.

Button And Label Text

Control Bar 3D Button Background

Control Bar 3D Button Hover Bottom

Control Bar 3D Button Hover Middle

Control Bar 3D Button Hover Top

Control Bar 3D Button Top/Middle/Bottom (Red/White/Blue)

Control Bar 3D Button Selected Bottom

Control Bar 3D Button Selected Middle

Control Bar 3D Button Selected Top

Control Bar 3D Button Selected Top/Middle/Bottom (Pink/Yellow/Green)

Control Bar Background Bottom

Control Bar Background Top

Control Bar Background Top/Bottom (Green/Yellow)

Disabled Button Highlights

Disabled Field Text

Drop Menu Background

Drop Menu Text

Editable Field Background

Field Text

Locked Field Label And Field Text

Scroll Window Column Headers

Scroll Window Column Header Text

Scroll Window Line One Background

Scroll Window Line One Text

Scroll Window Line Two Background

Scroll Window Line Two Text

Scroll Window Both Lines

Window Background

WilloWare named one of the 70 best Dynamics add ons

WilloWare’s Dynamics GP products have been featured in a list of the 70 best Microsoft Dynamics add ons on the market.

The list from Nigel Frank International, the global leaders in Microsoft recruitment, features 70 of the most useful, functional, and reputable Dynamics add ons available, and we are proud to see our name featured in the compilation.

When compiling the list, Nigel Frank was conscious of the needs of modern businesses, with an emphasis placed on showcasing e-commerce, customer relationship management, and supply chain management software.

WilloWare products were identified for their customer-focused interface, where tweaks can be applied to ensure specific performance in areas such as general ledger, inventory, sales, and manufacturing.

Our inclusion on the list comes as great recognition, and adds to our accolades after receiving Microsoft’s President’s Club Award in 2016.

WilloWare’s VP of Development, Troy Gullacher, said “We’re thrilled to be a part of the Nigel Frank Best 70 Add Ons. Our goal has always been to provide helpful and useful software to Dynamics GP users, so we appreciate this recognition!”