Setting up E-mail in Dynamics GP

This post is an attempt to walk through all that was necessary for setting up e-mail for GP. The version I used was 2015. Neither Workflow nor the Purchase Order entry screen, has been addressed. I simply ran out of time.

 
Before we get started, please note that you cannot be using a MAPI server with 64-bit Office; GP email will not work with that configuration. I’ve been told it works if you are using Exchange Server or Exchange 365, but I do not have those specifics. Bottom line - if you want to run GP e-mail with MAPI, you need to be running 32-bit Office. This is true as of 8-3-2016, but times change.

 
System Setup – Done only once for the whole system
Administration | Setup | System | System Preferences

Here, you indicate:

 
1. The mail Server Type, for COMPANY this is MAPI

2. You can protect the .docx documents sent as attachments with a password, such that the recipient cannot open the document in Word without the password. You can also select whether that password is Auto generated by the System or is a specific Password on all .docx files.

Security Setup – Done only once for the whole system. 

Administration | Setup | System | User Security

To provide security access for the Sales series, add the following windows to task TRX_Sales_001 (or any task you choose). Type is Windows, Series - Sales. Check on Sales E-mail Setup and Sales E-mail Detail Entry.

Whole Company Email Settings – Done once per Company.
Administration | Setup | Company | E-mail Settings

In this window you specify:

1. If you want to allow embedding documents in the message body and/or sending documents as attachments.

2. Also, you indicate the allowed formats for sending documents. At COMPANY, we limited the formats to .pdf and .docx only.

3. Click on Sales Series to setup defaults for the Sales Series for this company. In this window you enable which document types you want to be able to E-mail from the Sales Series.

4. You can also access this window from Sales | Setup | E-mail Settings

5. Enable checkbox: Checking this box will automatically check all of the boxes for you. You can then uncheck the ones you don’t want.

6. Message ID: Once a document is enabled, you can identify the default message you want to appear when that specific document type is E-mailed.

7. Have Replies Sent To: If you leave this field blank, the reply will go back to the message sender. Otherwise, enter or select an address that a customer can use to send a reply E-mail.

8. Allow Changing ‘Reply To’ Address at Entry: Marking this box will allow the user to change the default ‘Reply To’ address before they E-mail the sales document. If you mark this option, you can edit the reply-to address in the Sales E-mail Detail Entry window or in the Receivables E-mail Detail Entry window (for a credit memo). The Sales E-mail Detail Entry window is discussed later.

9. Allow Update of E-mail at Entry: Mark this box to change the E-mail message ID when entering the sales document. You can edit the message in the Sales E-mail Detail Entry window or in the Receivables E-mail Detail Entry window. If you don't mark this option, you won't be able to edit the subject or message body.

10. Click on Purchasing Series in the Company E-mail Setup window to setup defaults for the Purchasing Series for this company. In this window, you enable which document types you want to be able to E-mail from the Purchasing Series.

11. You can also access this window from Purchasing | Setup | E-mail Settings

12. Enable checkbox: Checking this box will automatically check all of the boxes for you. You can then uncheck the ones you don’t want.

13. Message ID: Once a document is enabled, you can identify the default message you want to appear when that specific document type is E-mailed.

14. Have Replies Sent To: If you leave this field blank, the reply will go back to the message sender. Otherwise, enter or select an address that a customer can use to send a reply E-mail.

15. Allow Changing ‘Reply To’ Address at Entry: Marking this box will allow the user to change the default ‘Reply To’ address before they send the purchasing document. If you mark this option, you can edit the reply-to address in the Purchasing E-mail Detail Entry window or in the Payables E-mail Detail Entry window (for a remittance advice). The Purchasing E-mail Detail Entry window is not discussed later.

16. Allow Update of E-mail at Entry: Mark this box to change the E-mail message of the message ID when entering the sales document. You can edit the message in the Purchasing E-mail Detail Entry window or in the Payables E-mail Detail Entry window. If you don't mark this option, you won't be able to edit the subject or message body.

Whole Company Email Message Setup – Done once per Company.
Administration | Setup | Company | E-mail Message Setup

The Message Setup window defines what appears as the Subject and in the Body of a message E-mailed with a document attached to it.

1. Message ID: Enter an ID to identify the message. It’s a good idea to somehow indicate the associated Doc. Type in the ID. This is a 25-character field.

2. Message Type: Select Standard if you are creating messages for documents that you can send to customers or vendors. The other options are for Workflow. Workflow is beyond the scope of this document.

3. Series: Select the series in which you want this message to appear. The series available depends upon the message type. By selecting All, the message is available for all of the available series. You can’t select a document type or add fields to customize the message if Standard is the message type and All is assigned as the series.

4. Doc. Type: Select the type of Document that you want to assign to a message. This field is required when you select Standard as the Message Type and Sales or Purchasing as the series. If you use the Copy Email Message window to copy message information from an existing message ID to a new message ID, the Document Type is not copied to the new message, so beware.

5. Subject: Type how you want the E-mail subject line to read. You can insert fields here so that document specific information, such as document number and customer name from the document are displayed. Many fields are available. Select where you want the field to appear in the subject line and then select the field.

6. Body: This is where you type how you want the body of your message to read. You can insert fields here so that document specific information, such as the document number and customer name. Many fields are available; select where you want the field to appear in the subject line and then select the field.

7. Field: Select the field that you want to place in the message body or subject line. The fields available in the list depend on the document type you selected. Fields are not available if you select Standard as the message type and All as the series. The message shown in the screenshot below includes the {%SOP Number%}, {%Customer Name%}, {%Document Date%} and {%Customer PO Number%} fields.

8. Additional Fields checkbox: Marking this box will display additional fields in the Field list that you can embed for the selected document type. I was surprised at all of the fields available.

9. Have Replies Sent to: If you leave this field blank, the reply will go back to the message sender. Otherwise, enter or select an address that a customer or vendor can use to send a reply E-mail. For example, assume you have entered sales@company.com as the Reply To address. If you send a document in an E-mail to a customer, the customer receives the E-mail from Joe@company.com. When the customer replies to the E-mail, sales@company.com is used in the "To" field. The address you entered in the Sales E-mail Setup window, or the Purchasing E-mail Setup window is the default Reply To address. The Sales and Purchasing E-mail setup windows are covered later.


 

Customer E-mail Accounts – Done once per Customer

Sales | Cards | Addresses | Pull up the customer and address ID and then click the World Button
This is the Customer Address Maintenance window with the World Button identified.

 

The window opened by the World button is the Internet Information window. It’s on this window that you should enter your customer E-mail addresses. Enter the addresses on the To, CC or Bcc lines. If you have multiple addresses, enter them all and separate each with a semicolon. You’ll be able to choose the proper address(es) at the document level. The list of addresses to choose from comes from here. Note that the E-mail address is tied to the Customer’s Address ID, not the Customer ID.



Customer E-mail Options – Done once per Customer.

Sales | Setup | Customer | E-mail Button (in lower RH corner of Customer window)

Use the Customer E-mail Options window to select which documents you want to E-mail to the customer, the document’s message ID, and document format. You can either send documents as attachments or embed documents in the message body. If you send documents as attachments, you can select to send multiple attachments to the customer per document type and set the maximum file size of the document. COMPANY is set up to allow multiple documents to be attached to an E-mail.
If you have marked the Allow Update of E-mail at Entry option in the Sales E-mail Setup window, you can zoom back on the message ID, and edit the subject line and body of the message. We will be setting up COMPANY so that you can update the address at document entry.

1. Email Address based on Doc Type: If you choose the Enable radio button, an ellipses button will appear at the end of the row for each document type. With this button, you can select the default E-mail accounts to use for each document type. You can change these defaults at the transaction level if you wish. We’ll discuss how to change it at the transaction level next. The ellipses button will list each E-mail address you have set up on the Internet Information window for that particular customer’s Address ID. Each E-mail address will appear on a separate line in the window.

2. Send Forms as E-mail: Mark the checkbox next to the document types you want to enable for this customer. Only the document types you enabled on the Sales E-mail Setup window will be available to mark. Click the ellipses button to select the E-mail addresses for each specific document type.

 

The ellipses button launches the Email Address Based On Doc Type window. Listed in this window are the addresses you entered on the Internet Information window for a specific Customer ID and Address ID combination. The window below is for the Sales Order window. In the Apply To Other Doc. Type frame, you can select other document types to which you want to apply the selected E-mail addresses. These E-mail addresses will be copied over to the other document types and will appear on their Email Address Based On Doc Type window automatically.

Changing the E-mail address at the time of SOP EntrySales | Transactions | Sales Transaction Entry | E-mail Detail Entry Button
The location of the E-mail Detail Entry button on the Sales Transaction Entry window is identified on the screenshot below:

Use the E-mail Detail Entry Button to open the Sales E-mail Detail Entry window. Use the Sales E-mail Detail Entry window to update a customer's E-mail information. The changes you enter in this window will affect only the current document. To make permanent changes to the customer record for E-mail settings, make them using the Customer E-mail Options window.
 

How to E-mail the SOP Document - 1

Sales | Transactions | Sales Transaction Entry | E-mail Button on Ribbon Bar
Click on the E-mail button in the toolbar to E-mail the document directly from the Sales Transaction Sales Transaction Entry window:

How to E-mail the SOP Document - 2

Sales | Transactions | Sales Batches | Print Button on Ribbon Bar

Click the Print button on the toolbar to open the Sales Document Print Options window. On this window there are two checkboxes that you can use to indicate whether the document should be printed or e-mailed or both:

How to E-mail the SOP Document - 3Sales | Transactions | Sales Batches | Print Button on Ribbon Bar
Click on the Print button on the toolbar to open the Sales Document Print Options window. On this window there are two checkboxes that you can use to indicate whether the document should be printed or E-mailed or both (see screenshot of window above). The difference is that by accessing it from the batch window allows you to E-mail an entire batch of transactions. However, when I tried to E-mail a batch of SOP transactions, nothing E-mailed. Most likely this was just a glitch that will be fixed up later. (perhaps I missed a Box To Check along the way)

I didn’t cover the POP side of e-mail, because my focus at this time is SOP. Please feel free to leave, comments, suggestions, or point out errors!

Live the dream!
Leslie

Making a field required on a scrolling window

I learned something today. This issue came from the Dynamics GP Community Forum. A poster was using Modifier to try and make the Posting Description field in the lower scrolling window of the Analysis Posting Detail screen  a required field. She did everything right. Changed the field property to Required, modified the Alternate/Modified Forms and Report information and restarted Dynamics GP. Still, the 'Required' property was not being enforced. What's up?
What was up is that Dynamics didn't check that row to make sure all required fields were completed. It doesn't have to check because none of fields are required by Dynamics GP out of the box. So, if you're trying to make a scrolling window field required and it doesn't seem to work, make sure there is at least one required field on the scrolling line.
Enjoy!
Leslie

Quick and Dirty Checklist for Modifying Word Templates

I was asked recently for the basic steps on how to modify Word templates. They didn't need step-by-step instructions, just something to help them along the way. Here's the list I came up with. I'm sure something is missing; I trust you will correct me where I'm wrong. As I told my colleague, this is the best I could do waiting for the train.

Modifying Word Templates can be kind of tricky. I've accumulated the steps and put them together in a list. Of course, before you try any of this you should back up your database, your existing Word templates as well as your Reports dictionaries.

1. Modify the Report Writer report such that it is properly printing (without errors) the values you are wanting to print on your Word template. Be careful of what section you place your new fields, it matters. If the Report Writer report doesn't print clean, you can't move on and expect to succeed.

2. Change your Alternate/Modified Forms & Reports ID so that you are pointing to your modified report.

3. Print your modified report. In the report destination window, there is a field 'What Type'. Here you select the option between Template and Standard. Choose standard, don't hit OK yet.

4. In the Destination Area, check both Screen and File.

5. Browse to a place you want to save your file, say the desktop, and change the file format to .XML

6. The Report Writer work is done, now you have to address your Word Template. I'm going to presume you have templates turned on and you have the template we're modifying set up as the default template for your company.

7. Open the Template Maintenance window and find the template you want to modify.

8. Once you have it in the window, click the Modify button at the top of the window.

9. Word will open to a layout version of your report. Save this on your desktop.

10. Click on the Developer Tab in Word's ribbon bar/tool bar.

11. If you do not have a Developer tab, turn it on using Word Options.

12. Over to the far right you'll see the Dynamics logo - the colorful one, click it. It says field list under it. If you do not have the Dynamics logo button, install the Word Addin from the GP install media.

13. When you click on Field List, a pane opens up on the left side of the window. At the top of that pane is XML Resource

14. Click on the down-pointing chevron and select SOP Blank Order Form.

15. Back to the Developer Section, select Remove Source. Accept the warning.

16. With the old source gone, now you need to add a new source.

17. Click on Add Source and select that XML file you created from Report Writer.

18. Put the new fields on your template and make any other changes you want.

19. Save the Word Document to your desktop and don't forget its name.

20. Close Word.

21. Go back to GP and open the Report Template Maintenance window if it isn't already open.

23. Select the Template Name of the report you modified and click on the green plus sign near the top.

24. Select the Word Document you just saved after your modifications.

25. Click OK when it tells you you've already got a template with this name.

25. Double-check your assignments and print your newly modified report.

Live the Dream!
Leslie

The Customer is its own Parent

Recently I've read some posts regarding National Accounts. There are a few items I wanted to note.

1. Once you have posted a transaction between the parent and the child - the child cannot gain independence again, nor can it run off to a different parent.
2. On the Customer Card, the parent needs to have itself as its Parent Customer ID - making them a parent in the National Accounts Maintenance window will automatically accomplish this. If you import the children into the National Accounts master - don't forget this detail.
3. If the children are all removed from the parent, the parent will still have itself as its own parent.
4. If you want the former parent to become a child of another customer, you will not be able to do it until you take away its Corporate Customer ID (which is its own ID)
5. The only way I know of to fix the former parent problem, is to use SQL and remove the record from the RM00105 table (the RM National Accounts Master)

Moments after I posted the above, I received a note from Brenner Klenzman at WilloWare Software  about a neat customization you can get from them. Here's his story:

 

" As an ISV, a VAR is a National Account for us [Willoware], with their Customers (end users) being the children in the National Account.

However, there is often more than one VAR/partner involved with a single customer.  So one customization allows us to assign any VAR as the “parent” on any given invoice.  Essentially there is a Primary Parent, and an unlimited number of Secondary Parents.

Also, since customers often change VARs, another customization allows changing the Primary Parent (i.e. the National Accounts Parent)."

I hope this helps someone who may be struggling with National Accounts.

Live the dream!

Leslie

 



VKonnact - a Fresh Look at Data Integration

I recently looked at a relatively new product on the market for integrating data into Dynamics GP. It's called VKonnact and it uses eConnect for the backend but shields the user from all of the eConnect complexities. While I haven't finished my review yet, what I've seen so far is very interesting. It's more user friendly than other products in the channel and has a user interface that looks nearly identical to the GP windows you are used to seeing. If you are thinking about purchasing an integration solution, definitely give this one a look. More to follow once I finish my review.
Live the dream!
Leslie