CustomerSource provides training, troubleshooting and tons more!

CustomerSource is one of the best kept secrets in the Microsoft Dynamics world. We try with all our might to get the word out to clients that CustomerSource is free (or at least already paid for as a part of the annual service plan fees) and chock full of great information and resources for Dynamics – GP. If you already use CustomerSource on a regular basis, kudos to you. If you don’t or haven’t used it in a while, please read on. From some of my previous posts, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a big fan of bulleted or numbered lists. My approach to this post will be no exception, so here are the top five reasons to use CustomerSource.

1. Unlimited online free training. Let me say that again – it’s worthy of repeating. Unlimited online free training. This training can be useful for new employees that need to learn GP for the first time and for employees that already use GP but are cross training in different functions. My favorite way to use the training is to find out new and better ways to use GP. Inevitably, processes and procedures handed down from one generation of employee to the next become justified by the dreaded “That’s the way it’s always been”. More often than not, there are ways to streamline these processes or new functionality that didn’t exist when the process was originally created. The online learning gives a very comprehensive look at all the features and functionality available in Dynamics – GP. Like a lot of online learning, these courses are not jazzy or super exciting. But with the assistance of a couple cups of coffee, they can sure get the job done.
2. KnowledgeBase. If you’ve ever gotten an error in GP that seems obscure or cryptic like “Error accessing SQL data” or “Error in SmartHeap Library”, you probably called Wipfli’s Service Center or e-mailed in a screenshot of the error you were getting. I can tell you right now that as an experienced GP consultant, I might have an inkling as to what those errors relate to, but I certainly couldn’t, off the top of my head, possibly list out the steps to resolve them. Who could? GP has an enormous amount of modules, sub-modules and functionality. No one person could possibly know exactly how all of them work, work together and how to troubleshoot all of them. That’s why we have the KnowledgeBase (KB). If you’re not familiar with the term KB it basically means a searchable library of troubleshooting and other articles. In the example of the obscure, cryptic errors above, all you’d really have to do is log on to CustomerSource, open up the KB and search for the error text or error number. The KB will then show you a list of the very same KB articles that a Wipfli Service Center professional might use to resolve the error. Yes, that’s right – we use the very same tool that you have access to today. That’s not to say it’s a silver bullet. Sometimes you will need help with the steps that a KB article might prescribe and sometimes the articles don’t resolve the issue. But I’d venture to guess that a KB article will solve an error more times than it won’t. It’s not just for troubleshooting either. There are many informational articles available in the KB. For example, if you wanted a more detailed explanation of the inventory costing methods available in GP or help reimbursing an employee for a tax sheltered deduction, seek your answer in the KB.
3. Downloads. I lost my GP installation CD’s – where can I get new ones? I need the most recent services packs for GP and FRx – how do I get them? Where can I get a whitepaper on how to setup Business Portal? Downloads, downloads, downloads. CustomerSource is laden with useful downloads that are not publicly available.
4. Communities. Ever wish you could connect with other GP users in an easy way to discuss industry best practices or setup ideas? The GP communities and forums are a great way to do that. There are communities available that are tailored to your role, be it manufacturing, finance or IT.
5. What’s new. With the release of GP 2010 almost upon us, CustomerSource is an invaluable resource for gaining information about new features and functionality. It also provides product roadmap information so you can be prepared for what’s coming up next.