Top 4 Features in Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011

Updated July 27, 2024 · Originally published March 3, 2011

Last year I blogged about Microsoft Dynamics SL and how it compares to Dynamics GP.  Well, coming soon is a major new release of SL which will add some great capabilities.  Dynamics SL 2011 is a robust edition of an already feature-rich product.  Look for these exciting new Dynamics 2011 features:

Overall Useability – the menu system and user interface has been enhanced in many ways, including:

• Login to multiple companies at once, with color coded cues.
• “Print screen” function
• Export from SL to Excel from screen grids
• Attach documents to any screen or record

Reporting – the ways to get data out of your system has been greatly enhanced:

• New Quick Query tool –robust query tool with predefined views, the ability to create your own custom view, user-friendly column names, views defined by user security, and export to Excel.  Think GP’s Smartlist--only in some ways more powerful!
• Management Reporter – the next generation of FRx Financial Reporter is now available for SL.  This product is FRx rewritten on the latest technology to utilize SQL, VB.Net, 64-bit, etc.

Integrations and the rest of the Microsoft Stack – additional enhancements and “hooks” to the rest of the Microsoft solution stack you may be using:

• Quick Send (electronic document delivery) enhancements – print a document via Quick Send, correct emails and resend, one time sends.
• Doc Share (automatic interface with SharePoint to store key documents) – save to different formats, use subfolders, and a new Doc Share SDK to build out other SL to SharePoint document based interactions.
• Web Services – Customer and Customer Activity web services are now available (great for CRM related integrations).  Project budget and financial information available.  Framework and SDK for additional web development.
• Better reporting of Crystal or SSRS reports to SharePoint.

Project Related Enhancments – SL’s already powerful Project Management and Accounting Capabilities have been improved further. So if you were looking for an excuse to upgrade your Dynamics SL system, here it is:

• Tight Integration with Inventory and Order Management modules
• Two allocation methods per project
• Project to GL Reconciliation Report
• Report Pack for Government Contractors, adding 13 new reports.
• Project Transaction Transfer to easily move transactions from one project to another.

Dynamics SL 2011 has been in beta for a while, but is planned to release in the second quarter of 2011.  I feel this new release makes a very powerful mid-market ERP solution even more formidable and well worth a close look for those considering a new ERP solution.

Rick Feterick / Crestwood Associates LLC– an Indiana Dynamics Partner
Ph:  847-394-8820 x48  Email: [email protected]