Why consultants shouldn't post Dynamics GP batches on a client's system

I just finished preparing a batch of payables credit memos for a client to adjust some imported transactions that had incorrect freight and misc charge amounts.  After reconciling the data and confirming everything looked good, I let the client know that the batch was ready for them to post.

I'm pretty careful not to post transactions or batches in clients' production environments because of a fun experience I had with a client many years ago.

The client was a $750MM company using Dynamics GP, and they had so much going on that they usually had 1 or 2 GP consultants on site on a regular basis.  We would work with them on everything from AP processing to GL reconciliations, financials, integrations, and audit support.

At one point, I worked with the accounting manager to perform some type of reconciliation that resulted in an adjustment, and I prepared an adjusting batch with the accounting manager.  While sitting together at a GP workstation, she reviewed the batch and agreed that it should be posted, and "we" posted it.

I don't remember who technically clicked the Post button, but that workstation was using my GP login at the time the batch was posted.

Fast forward several months, and the company is doing a financial audit.  Auditors have a surprising ability to find details in accounting data that constantly surprise me, and of course, they found that my GP login posted some GL transactions.

Unfortunately, I wasn't at the client site at the time, so alarms went off, the auditors apparently got a bit too excited, and they then made the client freak out.  I get a call from the client suspiciously asking me if I had been posting transactions in THEIR system.  Despite working with the client for years, spending days and late nights helping them, it apparently crossed their mind that I would tamper with their data.  As if I don't have better things to do...

Of course I had no recollection of the specific transactions or batch, so I had to first calm everyone down, and then had to review the data with 3 people looking over my shoulders (literally) to see why I would have posted transactions.

After reviewing the batch and finding some notes on the adjustment, I was finally able to remind the accounting manager what the batch was for, and remind her of the meeting that we had where she and I reviewed and posted the batch together.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that."

The auditors put away their attack dogs and everyone calmed down.

But I definitely learned my lesson.  No more posting batches--at least not with my login!

Batch or transaction level notes are probably also a good idea, especially for adjustments, to document who, what, and why for the transactions.


Steve Endow is a Dynamics GP Certified Trainer and Dynamics GP Certified IT Professional in Los Angeles.  He is also the owner of Precipio Services, which provides Dynamics GP integrations, customizations, and automation solutions.

http://www.precipioservices.com