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How To Prevent Posting To Prior Fiscal Periods in GP

Fiscal Period Closing

Did you know that Dynamics GP enables you to prevent users from posting to prior fiscal periods by closing fiscal periods? Here’s how to take advantage of the feature.

Go to Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Company > Fiscal Periods. 

Also be sure to close all the periods for a year that has just been closed.  Because GP allows you to post back to the last closed year, you’ll want to be sure all the periods and modules are closed for that year.

You can always go back and uncheck a period to temporarily reopen it.

You also have the ability to leave just one particular type of transaction open.  Click on the Mass Close button (highlighted above).  Select a Series and Origin and reopen a period for just that transaction type.

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Do you need help in implementing GP features or training your team? Contact CSSI for GP help today.

Using GP to Reprint W-2 Forms

For GP payroll processors, did you know that you can reprint a W-2 form from a prior year?  Just go to the Print W-2 Forms window and select a prior year.  Select an employee in the From and To Employee ID fields.  Select to print W-2 forms and select a Form Type.  Click on Print. 

Reprint Prior Year W-2

We hope you found this tip on reprinting prior W-2 forms to be helpful. For additional GP support on this or any GP topic, please contact CSSI.

Making Use of GP’s Quick Print

If you’re creating sales orders and printing several documents at once (sales order, picking ticket and/or packing slip), that requires a lot of mouse clicks.  Instead, you can use what’s called the SOP Quick Print functionality.  This is a built-in macro that you set up to print the various documents you need. 
In the Sales Transaction Entry window, click on Options > Quick Print Setup.  Choose the documents to print, number of Copies of each, print options, and Print Destination.  Click on Save when finished.

GP Quick Print

We hope this GP tip is helpful. If you need additional support, please contact CSSI to discuss.

Controlling the Posting of Future-Dated Transactions in GP

This is a free tool that is part of the Professional Services Tools Library (PSTL) toolkit.  It prevents the posting of future-dated transactions in subsidiary modules. 

If your Posting Setup is set to post to G/L by batch date, GP would allow a document date to be used even though that fiscal period is not yet set up in GP.

If the Posting date is coming from the batch ID, then GP would accept an incorrectly entered Document date.  In the example below, the document date contains a typo.  But it posted to AP!  And it won’t appear on an aging report as of the current date.

To prevent this, enable Doc Date Verify.  Launch PSTL by selecting it from the GP Navigation Pane.

In the Misc. Tools section, click on both the radio button and the check box next to Doc Date Verify.  Click on the X in the upper right-hand corner when finished.

This must be enabled on each workstation.

Once this is enabled, any time a future date is entered into a transaction, you’ll get the error message below.

Doc Date Verify works in the following windows:

  • Payables Transaction Entry
  • Receivables Transaction Entry
  • Invoice Entry
  • Payables Manual Payment Entry
  • Sales Transaction Entry
  • Inventory Transaction Entry
  • Cash Receipts Entry
  • Purchase Order Entry
  • Receivings Transaction Entry
  • Purchasing Invoice Entry

Get Help With GP

We hope that this tip is helpful for you. To get more help with GP, please contact CSSI. We can support your upgrades, enhancements, and team training.

GP Tips For G/L Account Setups

To be sure that your general ledger year-end closing process runs smoothly, you should confirm that any new G/L accounts added during the year were set up properly.

You can use a SmartList to do this.  Open SmartList and go to Financial > Accounts.  Include the “Posting Type” and “Typical Balance” columns.  If either of these fields are incorrect for an account, it will not get closed correctly.  For instance, if a balance sheet account is set up as a profit and loss account, the account balance will be zeroed out during year-end closing.

Also add the “Created Date” column.  This way you can filter the list to only include new accounts added during the current fiscal year (as shown below in the Search window.)

To fix an account, simply double-click on that account and the Account Maintenance window will open.  Make the necessary change, save the account then Refresh the SmartList.

Get Help With GP G/L Account Setups

Need support or training for GP? The team at CSSI stands ready to help you. Please contact us to discuss your GP issues.

Field Level Security In GP

This is a tool that’s been around forever but is hardly ever used.  This allows you to control user access and edit abilities at a field level in Dynamics GP windows.
1. Go to Administration > Setup > System > Field Level Security
2. Click on the Add button at the bottom of the window to create a new ID
3. Enter an ID (15 characters max) and a Description
4. Click on the magnifying glass to the right of Product
5. Click on the plus sign to the left of Microsoft Dynamics GP (or any other product) to expand the list of modules
6. Expand a module
7. Expand the window that you want to add a restriction to and select a sub-window.In this example, we’re going to disable/gray out the Hold checkbox in the Customer Maintenance window.

8. Double-click on the Hold field on the right-hand side
9. Select the Disable Field Security Mode

Security Mode Options: Password Before:  You must enter a password before getting access to a field Password After:  must enter a password after modifying a field for the changes to be saved. Warning Before:  A warning will be displayed and access to that field will be denied. Lock Field:  You can’t use or modify the field. Disable Field:  The field will be displayed but it will be grayed out. Hide Field:  The field won’t be displayed. Password Window:  You must enter a password before access to the window is permitted. Disable Window:  Enter the system administrator’s password to have access to the window. 10. Click on Save
11. Back in the main Field Level Security window, click to select a Company on the right
12. Select a User ID
13. Click on Apply
14. Click on OK

Get Help With GP

Need help of support with GP? Please contact CSSI for expert assistance!

GP Tips: Verifying 1099 Vendor Info

Year end is approaching fast.  Get a head start by preparing your vendors for 1099 printing.

  1. Verify that vendors who should get a 1099 are set up as a 1099 Vendor in GP.
  2. Confirm that all 1099 vendors have addresses and tax ID’s
  3. Order your 1099 forms

You can view a list of 1099 vendors, and their information, with a SmartList.  GP provides you with a “1099 Vendors*” SmartList.  Just add columns for additional information, such as Tax ID Number, Address, etc.  

If a vendor is missing a Tax ID Number, double-click on that vendor to open the Vendor Maintenance window then click on the Options button.  Enter the Tax ID.

If you need to change both the vendor 1099 tax type and 1099 data, use the Update 1099 Information utility.  Go to Purchasing > Utilities > Update 1099 Information.  Select to update “Vendor and 1099 Transactions”.  Select the From and To options.  Enter a Vendor ID range then click on Insert.  Click on Process to make the updates.

BE SURE to insert a restriction.  If you don’t, a message will appear reminding you that you haven’t entered a restriction.  If you click Yes to continue, ALL vendors that have the “From” tax type will be updated to the new tax type.

An audit report will print showing all the AP transactions that were updated.

You can edit a vendor’s 1099 amount by going to Purchasing > Cards > 1099 Details and selecting a Vendor ID.  Be sure the correct Year is entered.  The Display option must be set to Month in order to edit the amounts below.

You can also change the 1099 status of individual transactions by going to Purchasing > Transactions > Edit 1099 Transaction Information.  Select a Vendor ID.  Enter any restriction needed by Voucher Number, Document Number or Date.  Click on the down arrow in the Tax Type column and select the new type for that document.  Click on the lookup beside Box to select the appropriate box number to be used for the new tax type.  Click on Process.

NOTE:  If you install the 2022 year-end update, you’ll have the ability to print 1099’s with lines and boxes!

Need GP Support?

CSSI’s team of GP experts is ready to help you with all of your GP questions and challenges. Save time and frustration by engaging CSSI for support, training, and updates. Contact us today!

GP Year-End Update Is Now Available

The GP year-end update has been released! It’s a good practice to stay current with GP so that you have the benefit of the most recent patches and improvement. Wondering about what changes are included in this year’s update? We’ve prepared a brief list for you.

What’s Included In the GP Year-End Update

1. Year field change.  The 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, and 1099-R forms no longer come pre-printed with the year.  GP will now print the 2-digit year.

2. 1099-MISC and 1099-DIV – The account number has moved down a box, FACTA filing has moved over, and 2nd TIN has moved down a box. 

3. Fixed Assets – luxury auto depreciation changes

4. There were multiple fixes to the inventory Stock Count Import feature that was added in 18.3 There are no changes to the Payroll W2, W3 forms or the EFW2 file format.

Ready To Update Your GP?

CSSI is ready to help you with your year-end update. Please contact us to discuss!

There appears to be continual confusion in the marketplace regarding the future for Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP software. This is partly due to confusion caused by Microsoft’s several products under the ‘Dynamics’ umbrella, partly due to intentional misinformation spread by competitors, and partly due to poor communication from the Microsoft team itself. Rumors circulate that GP has been replaced by Dynamics 365 Business Central, and that GP is on the way out. Not true!

Dynamics GP Will Be Supported To 2028 and Beyond

Microsoft has clearly and repeatedly committed to supporting GP to 2028 and beyond. In 2019, Microsoft adopted a ‘modern lifecycle’ system under which there are annual updates and patches to GP. These will support your annual GP update, with which CSSI can be of help. See the chart below for the current Microsoft Dynamics GP roadmap, which shows the transition from the fixed lifecycle policy to the modern lifecycle policy:

Dynamics GP Lifecycle Roadmap

Microsoft’s well-known GP spokesperson Terry Heley has spoken and written frequently on the topic of the ‘future of GP’. She put together a detailed explanation of the future of Microsoft Dynamics GP, which is available here:
https://community.dynamics.com/gp/b/dynamicsgp/posts/microsoft-is-fully-committed-to-supporting-our-dynamics-gp-customers-for-years-to-come

Third-Party Add-On Ecosystem Supports Microsoft GP

One of the attractive things about GP is the massive platform of third-party accounting software add-ons which enhance GP’s core functionality. For example, a Dynamics GP partner like CSSI offers warehouse management software (WMS) which integrates with GP. GP users have come to heavily rely on these add-on products, which in many cases have been highly customized for their particular business. Many of these add-ons are unavailable for Business Central even if Microsoft Dynamics GP customers were willing to make the major investment in migrating to a new ERP system.

The Microsoft partner community continues to be attentive to the needs of Dynamics GP users, and continues to enhance and improve their products. So while it is true that GP is unlikely to add any new core modules, that is rather irrelevant… because additional functionality continues to be available through add-on products.

CSSI Continues To Support Dynamics GP

CSSI will continue to provide Dynamics GP support for years to come, providing technical support, upgrades, customer service, and consulting. We are a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner happy to continue a long tradition of assisting the many long-time GP users with whom we work. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Dynamics GP 18.5 Has Been Released

As you may know, Microsoft has adopted a strategy of an annual release for GP. The latest version of Microsoft Dynamics GP is compatible with Windows 11, Windows Server 2022 and SQL 2022. It’s time to review whether you should upgrade to the latest version of GP. We have included a partial list of new features below.

Are You Ready To Upgrade Dynamics GP?

  • Which version of Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) are you currently running? If you are running a current version of GP, you’ll be able to upgrade straight to 18.5, the new version. However, if you have fallen behind and are running older versions or haven’t upgraded in a few years, you may have to upgrade in more than 1 ‘jumps’.
  • Are you current on Microsoft support? Paying your annual support to Microsoft entitles you to upgrades. Your only cost to upgrade would consist of the CSSI support and professional services you utilize.
  • Do you utilize 3rd party add-ons? Are they ready for upgrade?If you use 3rd party add-on products, it’s important to check to see if they are compatible with GP 18.5. CSSI can help you with this process as we plan your upgrade.

Why Upgrade GP for 2023?

Some of the new features include:

  • Summary Display in Bank Rec for EFT
  • Filter selected Navigation lists
  • Payables 1099-NEC form prints with lines and boxes
  • Print Cash Receipts and email
  • Print and email SOP and POP documents at the same time
  • Credit Card Payment post in Summary to Bank Rec
  • Auto Post batches once Email Approval Workflow is completed
  • Schedule times to run Checklinks

Contact CSSI To Discuss Your Upgrade to GP 18.5

To talk about your upgrade to GP 18.5, new features of interest to you, and a path to update, please contact CSSI.