subject: Dynamics Gp Customization Series Localization For Your Foreign Subsidiary [print this page] In multinational corporations standard ERP solution is important to be implemented in its international branches. Assuming that in your headquarters you have Great Plains as Corporate ERP lets review your options. We need to begin from reviewing the term localized application. This paper will use some technical terms such as Dexterity, Modifier with VBA and Integration Manager. But it is intended to be easy reading for managers and IT directors. If you are programmer we recommend you our earlier publications on GP translation to foreign language. Lets begin:
1.Localized ERP. This concept has two aspects. The first one and probably the most challenging is compliance to business legislation and taxation in the hosting country. If you think about US then compliance is relatively simple and it includes such things like 1099, Sales Taxes, W2 and W4 to name a few. Overseas you might have more challenging thinks such as Brazilian SPED (Public Digital Bookkeeping System) which should be reported electronically in XML format. Second aspect is user interface and data entry in local language
2.Where Dynamics GP is localized? It is popular in English speaking countries, including South East Asia where English is the language of business. In Canada it is available in French for Quebec. Plus it is popular in Spanish speaking part of Americas and Arab world.
3.Where GP is not available? Lets name such regions as Brazil, Russia, Continental Europe, China, Japan and Korea
4.How do we translate it to foreign language? The simplest method is in Modifier module (requires Customization Site Enabler license). Lets assume that you would like to translate SOP Entry form. Field names such as Document No, Customer Name, etc. are not hardcoded in Dexterity but instead stored as so-called String Resources. Modifier is scaled down version of Dex where you cannot program but Sanscript but can modify existing resources including Strings. Find string with exact name and translate into targeted language. Translated resource will be moved into Forms.dic (find its path in Dynamics.set file). This dictionary should be distributed to all users in your overseas subsidiary
Lets now answer popular questions which we hear from IT folks in multinational corporations:
Q. We really need it in Chinese. Is it doable?
A. There are add-ons that translate strings on the form on the fly (when form is opening). It is difficult for us to judge on the quality of translation. So we recommend you to see demo with your Chinese users. There is the problem as Dexterity (the architecture of former Great Plains and modern Dynamics GP) doesnt support Unicode and you cannot transform strings from English to Chinese. There is NJStar add-on which has work around to save hieroglyphs. Regarding reporting we recommend Crystal to print nice stuff including hieroglyphs
Q. We are thinking to translate it via Modifier for our Brazilian subsidiary
A. We would not recommend die to complexity of SPED. See above. Our opinion that translation could be a way to go in small countries where compliance is simple and there is strong commitment to international GAAP. The methods which were successful were associated with SAP Business One for office in Sao Paulo and then export GL entries and moving them into GP via Integration Manager. Then you have control in Consolidated P&L and Balance Sheet in FRx/Microsoft Management Reporter
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