subject: Dynamics Gp Integrations, Which Tool To Deploy? [print this page] In our opinion, the first and probably the best in most of the scenarios is Integration Manager module. If is end user friendly and you can do advanced things there, for example VBA scripts (event driven), name translation (where translation table could be simply copied and pasted from Excel). You can even cross the border of MS SQL Server (and simple text file) and pull the integration via Advanced ODBC connection from Oracle, MySQL/PHP, FoxPro, Pervasive SQL, Ctree, IBM DB2 and other platforms
Integration Manager could be scheduled to fire the integration every lets say twenty minutes (here you have to test your integration volume, as you do not want the same process to be launched while its predecessor is not yet done). If you think that you are comfortable to extend Great Plains in Microsoft Visual Studio, the next paragraph is for you
eConnect SDK. This tools was initially introduced in 2003 for ecommerce web developers to open Great Plains objects for shopping cart integration in B2B and B2C scenarios (Microsoft Great Plains version 7.0). Modern eConnect covers the majority of the GP modules (with some exception, Invoicing for example, but anyway people are deploying Sales Order Processing instead, so this exception is not a showstopper)
Direct SQL insert statements in SQL Stored Procedures. This approach is possible theoretically, but it obviously doesnt validate Great Plains business logic and we recommend you to stay away. Consider the alternative to deploy eConnect, as this tool is coded in encrypted SQL stored procedures and it replicates Great Plains business logic (except probably where you are in the realm of posting and already posted transactions)
Microsoft Dexterity. This tool is in reality the architecture of the whole Great Plains. We do not recommend it for ad-hoc programming for newcomers. However if your customization and integration requirements are challenging, Dexterity should be considered
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