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Harwinton, CT — DATE — CAL Business Solutions Inc, a Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics ERP software partner, released a new case study highlighting the success of Women’s Health USA using Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) accounting software.

Women’s Health USA is a large managed services organization in Avon, Connecticut that provides professional services to doctors’ offices.  Their success depends largely on the strength of their back office software systems that support these services. Their ERP system manages 25 users and 18 separate companies with complex intercompany relationships, allocations, and cost sharing needs. The companies also have complicated contract and invoicing processes as well as several custom applications integrated into their ERP systems.

In 2005 Women’s Health decided to replace their outdated Lawson ERP system with Microsoft Dynamics GP. Although they experienced immediate increases in efficiency with the new system, they realized they needed a Dynamics VAR that could handle the complexity of their business before they fully realized the benefits.

Women’s Health turned to CAL Business Solutions, a Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP partner that works with the professional services industry.

“We love working with CAL Business Solutions, everyone is very responsive and friendly…I feel CAL has the skill level to handle a complicated organization like ours,” comments Jennifer Decker, In Vitro Sciences Controller, Women’s Health USA

Women’s Health now has an up-to-date Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP system that is intuitive and easy to use, resulting in substantial time savings each month. After looking for the right partner to support their system for long term growth, Women’s Health feels that CAL Business Solutions has the resources and experience needed to work with large clients with complex requirements.

“Clients like Women’s Health are leaders in their field and they rely on CAL to keep their ERP systems functioning at a high level so they can continue to grow and innovate,” says George Mackiewicz, President CAL Business Solutions

Read the full case study at: Women’s Health USA Finds the Right Microsoft Dynamics® GP Software Partner to Handle Complex Project Requirements  at www.calszone.com/whusa

About CAL Business Solutions

Founded in 1982 CAL Business Solutions is a Connecticut based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner focused on Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) ERP/accounting software. CAL Business Solutions offers implementation, data conversion, customization, plus local support and training for Microsoft Dynamics GP. CAL Business Solutions works with over 200 customers in 16 states, with a focus on companies in Connecticut (CT) plus Massachusetts (MA), Rhode Island (RI) and Westchester County, New York (NY). The company has proven expertise working with clients in a variety of industries with a special focus on Distribution, Fuel Distribution, and Professional Services. If you are considering new accounting software, upgrading your existing system, or if you currently use Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) and want the best local support and training, contact CAL Business Solutions. For a free Microsoft Dynamics GP price quote visit www.calszone.com/quick-quote. Get more info at www.calszone.com.

Connecticut Professional Services Company Finds the Right Microsoft Dynamics GP Software Partner to Handle Complex Project Requirements is a post from: DAILY SN

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SFCS’s objective is to provide the optimal academic experience for all students so that they can maximize their individual potential. With average class sizes of 20 or less, highly dedicated and qualified teachers are able to develop personal relationships with each student. Offering rigorous Honors and AP Programs, SFCS attracts and challenges top academic students, preparing them for admission to leading colleges and universities. Other specialized programs include interactive science and computer labs, a broadcast studio, and an academic support program for students with learning differences.

By providing students and their families with an unmatched combination of academic excellence, co-curricular opportunities, safety and value, Santa Fe Christian School was recently selected as “Best Private School” in San Diego County.

Business Challenge
Because SFCS provides a product, a service, and an environment for its customers, its marketing department wanted to articulate the unique community aspect of SFCS within all marketing collateral, and in particular, within their website. The website needed to be updated and redesigned to convey not just academic excellence due to small class size and outstanding test score achievement, but also the unique community environment that each student experiences at SFCS.

Additionally, SFCS wanted to maintain control of its website and have the ability to write and post updates on its own without compromising the website’s visual appeal or usefulness. The website also needed multiple portals for different customer segments such as parents, students, faculty, and prospects. To add to this technological challenge, SFCS had hundreds of pages of content, extensive video and other media to display. So a flexible and dynamic platform was needed to mutually address the requirements of both SFCS Marketing and IT.

“It was astounding how FMT took this project to a finished product. Yet, we feel like we own it,” says Mr. Hays. “This was an extraordinary experience, with high impact for so many people. FMT made it seem easy, with no downtime or issue” says Jim Hays, Director of Technology at the Santa Fe Christian School.

The SFCS Marketing Department selected a local design firm to create a “look and feel” of the overall website and pages. Jim Hays, Director of Technology, needed to select a company that could take the designer’s mock-ups and wire frames and elegantly integrate them with Microsoft SharePoint.

Business Solution
Because of positive experiences working with FMT in the past, Mr. Hays selected them for this website overhaul project. “FMT knows their stuff. They work quickly, and if needed, can guide and direct me in helpful and appropriate ways, providing new options that I haven’t considered,” he states.

Initially, FMT met with the design firm to ask questions and clarify details, because the design firm was an Apple shop and had not taken into account if or how its website design would work in SharePoint. The next step for FMT was to develop specific programming in SharePoint that would utilize the colors and fonts already designed with pages that could be edited. Additionally, FMT developed the pages so that SFCS staff could independently edit them, addressing a key business requirement. FMT created a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor to add or change content so that administrators could successfully edit the website, producing a final page without ongoing technical assistance. This greatly added to the longevity and expandability of the website.

Using the capabilities of SharePoint, FMT also developed portals that can be accessed by individual role, such as alumni, staff, parents, and students. One more key function of SharePoint is the ability for multiple users to work within one space, providing a connection among parents, students, teachers, and alumni. This further promotes the life of the community, again meeting the requirements of SFCS.

Benefits
“Compared to our prior website, the new site is a significant improvement for both the user and us as site managers. The user experience is vastly improved through cleaner navigation, more intuitive organization, and the ability to view a more comprehensive array of media during their visit. We as the site managers benefit from having more options in presenting our message, simpler and familiar tools to edit and maintain the site, and technology we can grow into that will eventually save us valuable time and energy in our daily operations. In short, FMT has helped our website become more capable, modern, user-friendly, and media-rich,” says Mike Siciliano, Deputy Director of Development.

• Improved User Experience
Cleaner Navigation
Intuitive Organization
Improved and Expanded Media Options

• Improved Site Management
More Options
Simple and Familiar Tools
Technology for the Long Term

Santa Fe Christian School Enhances It’s Online Presence with Guidance From FMT Consultants, LLC is a post from: DAILY SN

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Microsoft continues to focus their efforts on enabling life sciences organizations to quickly deploy an integrated set of leading-edge business applications inexpensively, and without complicated customizations. To maximize personal productivity, Microsoft offers Dynamics GP, a flexible and rapid deployment option with a familiar user experience, as the business accounting/ERP software for the Life Science Industry.

Recently, FMT Consultants published the following Case Study on how it delivered an FDA Validated ERP and manufacturing solution for Isis Pharmaceuticals.

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Client Background
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“ISIS”) is the leader in antisense drug development, providing a broad pipeline of drugs applicable to many different diseases. Its antisense technology provides a direct route from genes to drugs, targeting disease at the source. To date, Isis has generated more than $1.6 billion from the successful execution of its partnership strategy, in which Isis licenses its drugs to partners prior to late-phase development and commercialization, in exchange for upfront license fees, milestone payments and royalties as its partners license and develop its drugs. In addition, ISIS leads the RNA-based therapeutic community as the owner or exclusive licensee of more than 1,600 patents worldwide.

Business Challenge
Because ISIS is a pre-profit company, at least until a drug is successfully brought to market, managing cash flow is critical. Additionally, investors’ dollars must largely support innovation through research and development, not administration and overhead. The initial challenge for ISIS was to replace a limited and aging DOS-based accounting system with software that could provide increased and integrated budget management, purchasing and accounting capabilities. A new, effective ERP/Accounting system needed to greatly decrease administrative labor hours, and greatly increase visibility and tracking of expenses.

Additionally, ISIS needed systems that could effectively manage today’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) needs and support company growth well into the future, including manufacturing systems that were compliant with stringent FDA regulations.

Business Solution
In 1997, ISIS engaged FMT Consultants, LLC (“FMT”) to guide them through the initial software selection process. Ultimately, ISIS chose Microsoft Dynamics GP for its ERP product and FMT as its implementation, customization, and support partner. That partnership has lasted more than 12 years and continues to the present date.

The implementation began with core financial systems, followed by project costing and government reporting capabilities. For the first time, scientists could track specific expenditures and the accuracy of materials they ordered. Because of the high cost of laboratory materials, something as simple as a transposed character on a purchase order could jeopardize the timely and costeffective completion of a project.

In 2000, due to expanding business needs, ISIS initiated an even broader implementation under the direction of Beth Hougen, Vice President of Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. Her objectives were three-fold:

1. Ensure that the systems were structured to take ISIS well into the future with minimal changes.
2. Fully optimize the software while integrating it with all ancillary software.
3. Enable ISIS to become “self-sufficient” in managing the system.

According to Ms. Hougen, the implementation went beautifully and according to plan, resulting in a fully integrated financial system that was entirely in the hands of ISIS to maintain.

In 2000, another essential business requirement for ISIS was to be able to manufacture commercial quantities of its lead drug. This meant that manufacturing systems needed to be brought into a state of validation compliant with FDA regulations. While at the time FMT had minimal experience with the actual validation process itself, they were still selected to partner with ISIS to produce the validation documentation, a laborious and detail-oriented project, primarily because FMT already knew the ISIS manufacturing process so well and ISIS trusted FMT with the ultimately successful validation effort.

By 2007, because ISIS was no longer manufacturing its drugs for commercial sale, its manufacturing processes had fallen out of an FDA validated state. So in late 2008, ISIS determined it would begin an entirely new validation effort. FMT took on the project management role, providing a high-level plan and producing all the documentation including installation qualification, process qualification and user requirements. By early 2009, the manufacturing system was again successfully brought into a validated state.

Over time, ISIS has successfully and economically upgraded from the first implementation of Great Plains (Version 4) to the latest version to date, Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0.

Looking forward, ISIS together with FMT expects to develop a new, expanded chart of accounts and to improve its financial reporting capabilities to serve the company for years to come.

Benefits
According to ISIS executives, the company has experienced profound benefits from Microsoft Dynamics GP and FMT including:

- More accurate, timely and transparent expense reporting
- Less time devoted to manual, repetitive tasks and guesswork
- Real-time reporting for improved collaboration with partners
- Efficiencies in financial management resulting in a small staff relative to the company size
- Assurance that manufacturing systems are compliant with Title 21 CFR part 11 of the FDA validation requirements
- A trusted partner that works effectively with a broad range of technology, and sensitively within the ISIS culture.
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FMT Consultants has comprehensive experience in the Life Science industry. Our clients span from Discovery Phase organizations to Globally Mature companies. With a strong dedication to the Life Science’s community, FMT understands what is required for companies to move from one phase to the next and uses technology to ease this transition while gaining and maintaining compliance in and around the implemented systems.

FMT recognizes the complexities and demands required for successfully managing a Life Sciences company, and offers technology services that help streamline operations, improve reporting capabilities, gain real-time access to information, and improve data and inventory tracking.

FMT also understands the regulatory and compliance issues that many Life Science companies are facing and have developed a library of Intellectual Property that provide a cost effective validation solution. As a firm that utilizes the entire Microsoft stack, FMT clientele will always have the most up-to-date technology software and with our CustomerCare Training Series which offers cost effective training for new hires, full user competence is assured.

For more information, check out www.fmtconsultants.com/lifesciences

Posted by Julie Jensen of FMT Consultants, LLC, a Southern California Microsoft Gold Certifed Partner in Dynamics GP and CRM

Microsoft Dynamics GP for Life Sciences: Using Dynamics GP in an FDA Validated Environment is a post from: DAILY SN

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The association started by looking for a new partner to help it with its upgrade, provide ongoing support and offer sound insight into how the application can best support its daily operations.  Crestwood Associates was selected from a field of several value-added resellers (VARs) and we will utilize our Dynamics GP Help Desk, our Client Education Manager, and our team of seasoned professionals to realize continued return on the client’s technology investment.

Included in its upgrade to Dynamics GP 2010, the client invested in a new server and sought to take advantage of Crestwood’s significant knowledge relating to the solution.  Through the years the finance team had experienced turnover and ‘application erosion’ via the loss of product knowledge.  To address this topic, Crestwood’s Client Education Manager (CEM), who is both a CPA and long-standing consultant to Dynamics GP, provided valuable training on the core functionality most relevant to the operations.  The CEM also provided a business process review prior to the upgrade in order to shore up the business processes after the upgrade.  Going forward, the client will take advantage of Crestwood’s fully staffed and always available Support team to assist with quick questions and issues. 

As part of our post-project review, the association noted that the Crestwood team members were incredibly knowledgeable, responsive and consistently professional.  We appreciate the opportunity to assist this association in this most critical initiative. 

Crestwood is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the Chicago Illinois area.  Contact us for questions about upgrading your system to Dynamics GP 2010 at this crucial time.

Crestwood successfully upgrades Microsoft Dynamics GP 9 customer on time and under budget is a post from: DAILY SN

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Crestwood was engaged to complete a Dynamics GP upgrade from Great Plains 8.0 that was languishing two years behind schedule and thousands of dollars over budget for a Japanese electronic components distributor in Schaumburg, IL.  Throughout the protracted timeline of the original upgrade effort, numerous Microsoft SQL SRS reports were written that were meant to replace the functionality present in the previous version of Dynamics GP. 

These robust customizations were developed in Dexterity, the programming language of Dynamics GP, to complement the client’s core inventory and distribution processes.  However, the partner that attempted the upgrade had no Dexterity skills.  So core functionality that was developed for the client’s precise needs in the Great Plains 8.0 system was not available in the initial 10.0 upgrade or was replaced by VBA code (a programming tool with less functionality than Dexterity). 

The Dexterity customization allowed custom data and fields stored externally to the stock Dynamics GP system to be available on the standard purchase order report directly from within GP Report Writer without using an alternate report.  Because the data was stored in VBA and Dexterity tables, Crestwood was able to upgrade portions of the Great Plains 8.0 customization so that the purchase orders could be printed exactly as they were in the prior version.  This was a great relief to the users.

Further, some of the Microsoft SQL SRS reports developed as part of the initial upgrade were not pulling the correct data and Crestwood was able to repair or replace the errant reports, giving the client the GP business visibility that it needed.  The previous partner took two years to reach an 85% completion milestone and Crestwood took three months to reach project closure.  Full user adoption and client satisfaction was attained by completing the Dynamics GP 10.0 upgrade project on-time and on-budget.

Sometimes it takes experience and breadth of knowledge to do things the right way for the customer. 

By William Schroeder, Practice Manager, at your Chicago Area Gold Certified Partner, Crestwood Associates.

Dexterity Customization with Microsoft Dynamics GP success story is a post from: DAILY SN

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Because version Dynamics GP 9.0 mainstream support will end 1/11/2011, Crestwood is working closely with all of our customers to determine and schedule the best time for the GP2010 upgrade.  Crestwood recommended a test upgrade due to the integral role Dynamics GP plays in the firm’s operations, as well as the need to manage against SOX compliance.  Thus, a weekend upgrade was scheduled, and a go-forward decision was made on Wednesday with a late week scheduled live upgrade.  This upgrade affected a large, 25-user base and required working closely with the four ISVs whose solutions are used daily by the client.  Status meetings were held every two days during the process to ensure tight orchestration of efforts.  VMWare virtual servers were used for the test environment and new Microsoft virtual desktops were set up to facilitate remote access by the subsidiary.

What’s new in Dynamics GP 2010 training was performed by Crestwood’s Client Education Manager before testing so that the users would have the confidence that the system would work the way they expected.  As always, Crestwood shared our wealth of experience gained across our extensive client base and deep product knowledge to advance daily operations and access to information, ultimately enabling sound decision-making.

Crestwood worked on a very condensed timeframe to deliver the solution over two weekends and a down time of approximately 12 hours.  Being on time and under budget was the goal of the two firms and the project was a wonderful success for everyone.

By Mary Lenehan, Client Education Manager, at your Chicago area Microsoft Gold Certified Dynamics Partner, Crestwood Associates.

Success Story: Investment Firm Combines Two Versions and Upgrades to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 is a post from: DAILY SN

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In the past, ORLive used a DOS based accounting software called Data 2000, however this system did not give them any project accounting features.  This successful company would manage as many as 75 projects simultaneously – each with long timelines, and complicated contracts that effected their ability to invoice for their services.  Yet all the project cost information was being tracked in spreadsheets.  They had a large number of people entering time that was not accurately linked to specific projects and they had difficulty tracking the individual costs associated with each project. All of this made it difficult to determine if individual projects were profitable.  They wanted to upgrade their system to include project costing functionality as well as integration to other Microsoft tools used within the organization such as Microsoft Sharepoint.  They needed accounting software for a professional services organization – and the answer was Microsoft Dynamics GP + Olympic Project Cost.

 “Revenue Recognition Used to Take 3 Days, Now It Takes 1 Hour”

A key part of the project was the revenue recognition report.  The billing for each project was on a set payment schedule that was outlined in the contract – but each was unique.  Previously, they used to use a massive unwieldy 40 page spreadsheet that was built by their CPA firm.  The team at CAL Business Solutions did an in depth analysis to fully understand their process, and recreated the revenue recognition report within their Microsoft Dynamics GP system. Now the system automates the collection of time, status of projects and percentage of completion and figures out how much to bill the client.   “We access this report right from our main menu using a shortcut, it is seamless for us.” Says Richard Meyer, Director of Finance.  “It used to take the finance team 3 days to go through all the contracts and events and contract revenue and manually enter the data into the spreadsheet.  Because of the time involved, this was done only done a year. Now, using Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains), the process takes no more than one hour and is done once a month.

“Tracking Project Costs Makes Us More Profitable”

ORLive employees now use the time tracker function in Olympic as the primary time clock. What used to be a manual process is now automated and people on the road can enter their time remotely.  Using Olympic Project Cost with Microsoft Dynamics GP makes it easy for ORLive to drill down into the details of each project. They can determine not just the time associated with a project, but all the costs and tasks related to it the effect the final bottom line.  Reports generated by Olympic Project Cost are used by the management team to make strategic decisions.   “Using Dynamics GP with Olympic we know the profitability of each project, whereas before we only  knew the profitability of the entire company.  Having a complete view of project costs has improved our ability to price new projects for profit and manage individual projects more closely. ” says Richard Meyer.

“Easily Move Information into Excel”

ORLive appreciates that they have the ability to easily move information back and forth from Microsoft Dynamics GP and Olympic to Microsoft Excel.  “I am a big advocate of the Smartlist feature in GP.  Using Smartlists I can drop information from Dynamics GP into Excel where I have built calculations, metrics and comparisons. I can produce professional looking financial statements in different versions  for different people.  And if they have questions on a specific GL item, using Smartlist I can send them the item detail they need.”  Says Richard Meyer.  “The reporting and budgeting features within Microsoft Dynamics GP are very strong. The system is easy to use and I can quickly identify any issues and correct them.”

“A Business Partner We Can Rely On”

Richard Meyer comments, “Working with CAL has been a very positive experience.  The staff is responsive. When we have unique problems or request modifications they have generally been researched and fixed within 48 hours.”

Because of their strong development experience, the team at CAL Business Solutions was able create the custom reports ORLive required and successfully connect Olympic Project Cost.  In the future, with the help of CAL and Connecticut Computer Services,  ORLive plans to connect their Microsoft Dynamics GP system to their Microsoft SharePoint system for a complete project management solution.

If you are a professional services organization looking for an affordable, easy to use system that will help you manage projects, but not be overwhelming, contact CAL Business Solutions.

Read Full Case Study: Internet Broadcasting Company Uses Microsoft Dynamics® GP + Olympic Project Cost to Increase Profitability of Projects 

By CAL Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Connecticut and Massachusetts

Connecticut Professional Services Company Uses Microsoft Dynamics GP Plus Olympic Project Cost to Increase the Profitability of Each Project is a post from: DAILY SN

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