I cannot say how many times I have had customers and prospective customers request the ability to get in there and “play” with a module or GP in general before they spend the money. I personally think that is a very reasonable request given the money being spent and the impact it will have on one’s business. Well, in response to these and similar requests, Microsoft has made a live Test Drive environment available online, which can be accessed here: www.DynamicsGPtestDrive.com. In addition to some videos for you to watch, there are very specific roles or functions to choose from and from there, you are able to access an actual instance of Dynamics GP running on a Virtual Server. To guide you, there are step-by-step instructions on performing the desired tasks, from logging-in to viewing a report.
There is part of me that recognizes that this is very useful and is appreciative to Microsoft for making this available, but there is another part of me that feels that while it is cool, certain expectations have to be set. First of all, because this is running remotely on a Virtual Server, the response time isn’t exactly “zippy”, not at all indicative of how Dynamics GP would run on your own desktop. Second, there are some functions and roles that you can step through and with the help of the aforementioned instructions, you can do some stuff; however, this does not mean this is the way you are going to do those same functions in your own company. That’s where your GP consultant comes in. He or she should take the time to learn your business and then apply the software in a way that makes sense for your unique business processes.
Finally, Dynamics GP is not Microsoft Word or even an entry-level accounting package like Peachtree or Quickbooks - it is a mid-market accounting and business management solution. It is not designed for you to simply sit down and start entering transactions - you need to be trained. Because of the robustness of the application and the flexibility, I am concerned it would be overwhelming to someone who tries to just jump in and start clicking. This could result in an undesirable and inaccurate first impression.
Bottomline, this is a great opportunity for a new or seasoned user to test drive Dynamics GP and the modules contained therein; it is truly incredible to have the ability to offer this to the companies we work with. But personally, I will make sure the appropriate expectations are set.
Current Dynamics GP Customers: check out the power of SQL Reporting Services in the section entitled “Custom Reporting in SQL” and the power of utilizing Outlook to manage business, using “Improved Business Intelligence”.
Thinking about Dynamics GP? Make sure to start with “Familiar and Role Based” to get a feel for the Role Center and how similar the look and feel is to the Microsoft tools you already use (Outlook, Word, Excel) and then take a look at how GP can help you stay ahead of the curve with “Powerful Business Alerts”.
Tags: demo, Dynamics GP, Great Plains, Microsoft, test drive
