Extender Changes in SP4

Despite all the information available, there seems to be some confusion amongst partners as to what these changes are, and what they mean for customers and partners.

What are the primary enhancements ? GP eXtender has gotten bigger and better. You now have the ability to build stand alone forms, details forms and to create menus.

What does that mean? This means that in 10 minutes or less, you are able to build a brand new screen or screens for GP and add them to custom GP menus. A complete independent forms builder right inside GP. Build any screen you like to capture the data you like.

How is that different to what we could do before? Up until SP4 you could only create extra fields. i.e. Extra fields for customers, items, sales orders, projects etc. You can still do this but in addition you can build your own concept screens into GP. If your customer needs a GP screen that tracks Patients, you build a screen just for that. If your customer needs to build a screen to track pets and their owners, favorite hairstylists or contract expiry dates, you can do it quickly, efficiently and totally integrated with GP.

So when should I sell GP Extender? GP Extender should be owned by every Dynamics GP customer. I am yet to meet a customer that does not need eXtender for one reason or another. If 80% of your customers do not own Extender – then you are not telling them about it. It is a really easy sell. If you want to discuss the sales process call us at eOne or watch the video on how to sell GP eXtender herehttps://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/mdgpfunctionalityextender.htm?printpage=false&stext=extender

Why has the price gone up? Because the functionality has gotten so much better.

What about my existing customers? All existing GP Extender customers receive this functionality at no charge, when they upgrade to SP4.

So does that mean there is no need for eXtender enterprise anymore? NO, NO, NO. Extender enterprise is alive and well. Where you need to add business process, work flow and other functionality behind a screen you build – then turn to eXtender Enterprise. See the many other blog entries that talk about eXtender Enterprise.

So I have entered some data into a custom screen but then I want to use this data to create an invoice, create a customer, a service call or any other GP record? This is where you need SmartConnect together with eXtender. SmartConnect can read the eXtender data and create anything you can dream up in GP. This is amazing functionality that no other ERP can achieve.

It seems there are things in eXtender we need to learn, how do I get training? Right now eOne is providing online and classroom training. Contact Abbey.Heesch@eonesolutions.net for details. Also watch for Microsoft’s roadshow of eXtender training, to be announced shortly.