Microsoft Dynamics GP enhances business intelligence (BI) capabilities and helps people at all levels of the organization transform data into actionable insight. Companies using Microsoft Dynamics GP have a wide range of reporting and analysis tools available, some of which are included in the core Microsoft Dynamics GP solution while others are offered as additional products that extend Microsoft Dynamics GP. The tools your organization selects will depend on your specific business goals. Whichever solution you choose, you can move forward with confidence, with your people equipped to effectively monitor, analyze, and plan—the three activities essential to making the fast, informed decisions that fuel success today and strengthen your business for the future. This page summarizes the business intelligence capabilities available in Microsoft Dynamics GP. On This PageKeep current on changing business conditionsAccurately monitoring current business activity, and comparing it to historical activity and plans, gives people the contextual information they need to keep performance on track. Microsoft Dynamics GP delivers many integrated monitoring tools so that people are always aware of the most relevant, accurate, and timely information. | • | Browse inquiries and trace transactions. Inquiry windows in Microsoft Dynamics GP make it easy to browse records and get details by selecting fields. Similarly, audit trails in Microsoft Dynamics GP allow people to quickly trace a transaction throughout the system. 
Click to open larger image. Illustration: Inquiry windows within Microsoft Dynamics GP enable users to review information for several types of records. In the General Ledger Detail Inquiry window, users can select a General Ledger account and a year to view information about the account. | | • | Get notified immediately about business activity. Microsoft Dynamics GP allows people to set up Business Alerts to automatically notify individuals or groups about business changes. The Business Alerts feature monitors the Microsoft SQL Server database for certain conditions for your specific business. | | • | Monitor business activity with solid reports personalized for your unique needs. Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 ships with more than 75 out-of-the-box reports. Further customize an existing report or create your own easily and quickly. 
Click to open larger image. Illustration: Choose from more than 75 out-of-the-box SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services reports. This example shows a Purchase Receipts Report. | | • | Receive RoleTailored information. RoleTailored centers within the Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal provide people with tasks and business intelligence information relevant to their jobs. | | • | Monitor key performance indicators. Microsoft Dynamics GP delivers standard business metrics that allow managers to easily determine the real-time financial health of the organization. Available through Business Portal, these key performance indicators can warn people when specified values reach a certain point above or below a target value. | | • | Put information into easy-to-read scorecards. Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager smoothly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics GP to put information into scorecards. These tools help articulate strategy, convert strategy into measurable goals, and monitor progress. |
Gain insight into your businessIt's not enough to gather accurate and timely data—people need powerful and easy-to-use analysis tools to help them understand context and trends. Microsoft Dynamics GP business intelligence functions provide people with the insight they need to take quick action and take advantage of opportunities. | • | Organize and display data. SmartList in Microsoft Dynamics GP allows people to organize and display data from the accounting system in a way that makes sense to them, and then search those records according to specific criteria. People can save their searches as SmartList favorites or export data to Microsoft Office Excel or Microsoft Office Word. 
Click to open larger image. Illustration: SmartList in Microsoft Dynamics GP enables you to view the data in ways that make sense to you. | | • | Unleash the power of Microsoft Office Excel to analyze your business with a tool you know and trust. Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 has more than 200 Microsoft Office Excel reports out-of-the-box that are customizable and refreshable—meaning they give you access to real-time data. And, when adding Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, reports can be accessed from anywhere you have an Internet connection. | | • | Look and analyze data in innovative ways. Analysis Cubes in Microsoft Dynamics GP gives people out-of-the-box, preconfigured online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes through SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services. Analysis Cubes offer virtually unlimited ways to look at data with powerful interactive analysis. Analysis Cubes can serve as the basis for Reporting Services reports, Office Excel PivotTables, balanced scorecards, or interactive dashboards built with the Office Excel Add-in for Analysis Services. 
Click to open larger image. Illustration: By making use of the Office Excel Add-in for Analysis Services, people can build powerful interactive dashboards. |
Budget, forecast, and plan effectivelyThe ongoing work of comparing budgets, forecasts, and plans to actual performance is essential to business success—as is the ability to update budgets and plans on the basis of new data and analyses. Microsoft Dynamics GP offers flexible, secure planning tools to help businesses stay competitive and confidently plan for the future. | • | Create, forecast, and adjust budgets. With Microsoft Forecaster—a budgeting and planning application that works with Microsoft Dynamics GP—people can build budgets that incorporate first-hand knowledge of market conditions and specific business objectives. The result is more commitment to the budget from those responsible for delivering against it. And, when the business environment changes, people can use Microsoft Forecaster to adjust forecasts and budgets so that managers can respond effectively. 
Click to open larger image. Illustration: Give your people immediate control of the budgeting process. People can move simply between budgets and have easy access to information. | | • | Plan more effectively. Create accurate, high-level plans instantly by automatically spreading increases and decreases across each of your planning periods, using up-to-date data pulled directly from the General Ledger in Microsoft Dynamics GP. . | | • | Empower decision-makers by giving them access to information across the organization. Integration between industry-leading tools and Microsoft Dynamics GP, such as Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, gives your people the information they need to forecast and make business decisions. People can also drill down to the information they need and analyze data in multiple ways. |
Next steps
| |
