What is a GP Annual Checkup?

  • Your annual physical examination can be a source of reassurance that you’re as healthy as you feel – or it can feel like an alarm system to catch health problems before they become serious.
  • In much the same way, an annual check up of your Microsoft Dynamics GP solution can provide critical feedback that you company’s financial system is working effectively and efficiently, and that your users get the benefits they expect and maximize their use of the system as it was intended.

Why schedule or perform an Annual Physical Exam on your Financial System?

  • Have you added new employees?
  • Have you added new functionality to your system?
  • Did you skip some features when you were implementing to save money? Can they be implemented now?
  • Did you implement any new 3rd Party Applications?
  • Have you been fixing issues and not finding the causes?

Medical Physical:  Your History

  • History. This is your chance to mention any complaints or concerns about your health. Your doctor will also likely quiz you about important behaviors, including diet, and exercise.

ERP History

  • Ask your Partner for a List of all of the Modules you are licensed to use (if you are on the old Modular Based Licensing model) or for a current list of the modules included in Business Essentials or Advanced Management.
  • Ask your Partner for a list of all ISV/3rd Party products that they have listed for your company.
  • Ask your Partner for a list of any customizations that they have done to your system.

Talk to Your Team

  • Give Key Team members the lists that you gathered and ask which modules/ISV Products/Customizations that they are using.
  • Gather a list from your co-workers about issues that they have with the system.
  • Ask if there are any issues require that they have to use tedious “workarounds”.
  • What is your month end procedure? Talk to the people involved.

Use What You Have…

  • Are you using the most current versions of GP and all add-on products?
  • Are you current with all annual maintenance fees?
  • Does that entitle you to free training, support, or enhancements?
  • Does your team know how to log into CustomerSource or any websites associated with your customizations or 3rd Party/ISV Products?
  • Do they know how to access Help or Manuals?

Diagnostic Test #1:  AP/AR verses GL

  • AP/AR: Compare the Summary Total (or Period Balance in an Account Rollup Inquiry) for the AP/AR accounts in the GL to the total at the end of Historical Aged Trial Balances that are dated to the last day of the month that you are closing.
    • Are they in Balance?
    • Are all GL batches posted?
    • Look back and try to find if they have ever been in balance.
  • If you find a problem:
    • Verify that all batches are posted.
    • Verify that you ran the Historical Aged Trial Balance Reports based on “GL Posting Date”
    • Have you included ALL accounts that make up the balance for AP, AR, or Inventory? If not, try an Account Rollup.
    • Did any transaction hit the control account and originate from the wrong subledger or from a Journal Entry?

Diagnostic Test #1: Account Rollup

  • Financial>>Inquiry>>Account Rollup

Diagnostic Test #1: Additional Tools

  • GP 10+: Reconcile to GL Tool:
    • Financial>>Routines>>Reconcile to GL
  • “The Closer” from Reporting Central

Additional Diagnostic Tests

  • Inventory: Compare the total in the Inventory Accounts to the total at the bottom of the Historical Stock Status Report.
  • Accrued Purchases: Compare the total from the Accrued Purchases account to the total at the bottom of the “Received/Not Invoiced” report from Purchasing Activity.

Diagnostic Test # 1: Items Affecting Control Accounts Not Origninating from Correct Subledger

  • You can create this SmartList by making a couple adjustments to the SmartList called “Current Purchasing Journal*”
  • Open up the SmartList and save as “Control Account Review”
  • Change Search
  • Series is not equal to Purchasing
  • Account Number is equal to (Enter  your AP account number(s))

  • Enter a date range

Diagnostic Test # 2: Verify Closing Information

  • Have you been keeping up with closing your subledgers?
  • You can check this easily if you have security.
  • Do not close the subledger without reviewing the closing checklists from Microsoft.

Diagnostic Test # 3: Checkbook verses Cash Account

 

Diagnostic Test # 3: Common Issues

  • Undeposited Receipts: Transactions>>Financial>>Bank Deposits
  • Financial Transactions that hit the Cash Account
    • Use a SmartList to verify.
    • Option 1 to fix: Void Journal Entry (only works if it was done recently)
    • Option 2 to fix: Bank Transaction with No GL affect (Debit and Credit Cash Account)
    • Option 3 to fix: Deposit without Receipts

Diagnositic Test # 4: Unreconciled Checks

  • This SmartList will only work if you are reconciling your checkbook inside of GP.
  • If you are not currently reconciling inside of GP, talk to your partner to get tips on how to get caught up.
  • Did you know…Microsoft now offers Electronic Bank Rec for FREE for current customers on the Business Ready Licensing Plan?
  • Start with the Default Bank Transactions search: “*”
  • Save as a New Favorite: Unreconciled Items
  • Add columns:
    • Reconciled
    • Checkbook ID
    • CM Trx Type
    • CM Trx Number
    • GL Posting Date*
    • PaidToRcvd From*
    • Checkbook Amount*

*Optional: change the column names

  • If you have more than one checkbook, you can setup a separate SmartList for each checkbook.
  • Search Definition 1:
    • Column Name Checkbook ID is equal to _____ (type in Checkbook ID)
  • Search Definition 2:
    • Column Name  Reconciled is equal to No
  • Search Definition 3: (optional)
    • GL Posting Date is less than (enter a cutoff date)
  • Remember to click Favorites>>Modify to save the changes above

Diagnostic Test # 5:  GL Account Review

  • Open SmartList
  • Click Financial>>Accounts
  • Click “*”
  • Click Favorites>>Rename “COA Verification”
  • Click Add>>Add Favorite.
  • Add the column that stores your Main Account Segment. (If you have named them, you can search for the name of the segment. Otherwise, it will be called “Segment __”
  • Sort by the Main Segment.
  • Option 1: Visual Check

  • Option 2: Setup Search:
    • Column Name: Segment2 “is between” (range of your Balance Sheet accounts)
    • Posting Type “is not equal to” Balance Sheet

Diagnostic Test # 6: Aging AR

  • When is the last time you aged AR?
    • Verify date by clicking on Sales>>Setup>>Receivables Management>>Options

  • Sales>>Routines>>Aging

Diagnostic Test # 7:  Unapplied Documents

  • Sales>>Reports>>Analysis>>Unapplied Documents
  • Can also be done with SmartList

    Tip: A customer or vendor could have unapplied documents if you are excluding “Zero Balance” Vendors/Customer from your Aging reports.

Review

  • Use this as an opportunity to talk to your team.
  • Find out new features that can help make you more efficient.
  • Can your issues be resolved by:
  • A) Training
  • B) Using Functionality that you own but are not using
  • C) New Features
  • D) 3rd Party / ISV Products
  • E) A custom solution from your Partner

Checklist

  • List of Current Modules, ISV Products, and Customizations.
  • Feedback from Team Members
  • AP Balances with GL
  • AR Balances with GL
  • Inventory Balances with GL
  • Accrued Purchases (Received Not Invoiced) Balances with GL
  • Subledgers closed to last calendar/fiscal year.
  • Checkbook Balances with Cash Account
  • Checkbook is reconciled to most recent statement
  • Verify New Account Setup (Balance Sheet vs. P&L)
  • When was AR last aged?
  • Review Unapplied AR and AP