The Case Of The Pesky Window and Security

Maybe I am kidding myself when I think that everyone has been there. You define security in GP 10.0 (or GP 2010 for that matter), and it seems so simple. For example, the client wants to limit access to payroll data. So you use the standard roles, and you take away the Payroll Clerk role from all of them. All good right? So you test by logging in as the user, and sure enough you still see a variety of Payroll windows. Argh.

The Payroll Clerk role definitely takes care of Payroll transactions and cards, but not setup, utilities, routines, reports, Smartlist, or inquiries. Ugh. So you go hunting, and you find that the Accounting Manager role also has a variety of payroll related windows. So you adjust to remove those tasks and/or role from the users. All good right?

Not so fast, upon logging in you find that there is one stubborn remainder...Inquiry>>Payroll>>Check History. Blah. So you review the roles one more time, nothing obvious is popping out at you. What to do?

Well, there is actually a pretty fabulous KnowledgeBase FAQ on security. You will need access to PartnerSource to access it. The FAQ contains a section on security resource descriptions. To populate the tables involved, you need to complete the following steps per the FAQ:

1. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP, point to Maintenance, and then click Clear Data to open the Clear Data window.
2. On the Display menu, click Physical.
3. In the Series list, click System.
4. In the Tables pane, click the Security Resource Descriptions table, and then click Insert.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Yes.
7. In the Report Destination window, select the Screen check box, and then click OK to send the report to the screen.
8. Close the report.

Once you have completed the steps above, you can run the following script in SQL Server Management Studio to locate the Security Roles and Tasks associated with a particular window. Note the Display Name placeholder in the last part of the script, you need to substitute the display name of the window (the name that appears across the top of the window in Microsoft Dynamics GP).

SELECT ISNULL(A.SECURITYROLEID,'') AS SECURITYROLEID, ISNULL(M.SECURITYROLENAME,'') AS SECURITYROLENAME, --ISNULL(M.SECURITYROLEDESC,'') AS SECURITYROLEDESC, ISNULL(O.SECURITYTASKID,'') AS SECURITYTASKID, ISNULL(T.SECURITYTASKNAME,'') AS SECURITYTASKNAME, --ISNULL(T.SECURITYTASKDESC,'') AS SECURITYTASKDESC, R.PRODNAME, R.TYPESTR, R.DSPLNAME, R.RESTECHNAME, R.DICTID, R.SECRESTYPE, R.SECURITYIDFROM DYNAMICS.dbo.SY09400 RFULL JOIN DYNAMICS.dbo.SY10700 O ON R.DICTID = O.DICTID AND O.SECRESTYPE = R.SECRESTYPE AND O.SECURITYID = R.SECURITYIDFULL JOIN DYNAMICS.dbo.SY09000 T ON T.SECURITYTASKID = O.SECURITYTASKIDFULL JOIN DYNAMICS.dbo.SY10600 A ON A.SECURITYTASKID = T.SECURITYTASKIDFULL JOIN DYNAMICS.dbo.SY09100 M ON M.SECURITYROLEID = A.SECURITYROLEIDWHERE R.DSPLNAME = ''

So, so, so easy! I ran the script for the display name 'Payroll Check Inquiry' and received a list back of a handful of GL inquiry tasks that included the Payroll Check Inquiry window. Initially my reaction was 'Why would GL inquiry tasks include Payroll Check Inquiry?' But the more I thought about it, it makes sense from a drillback perspective. Just not from a business perspective for this particular client who does not want (even GL level users) to be able to view individual payroll check information. So, with the results of the script, I was able to eliminate those tasks for the appropriate users. Then I tested a final time, and was happy to report no payroll windows when I logged in!

I know, I know, I could avoid this by defining my own roles (and perhaps tasks), but in a simple situation like that I wanted to avoid the ground up approach if possible. And the script above is just one way to troubleshoot security when you are using and/or modifying the standard roles (or even custom roles you create).

On a side note, as I was working on this issue in GP 10.0 this week, I already was missing the functionality in GP2010 that allows you to copy role assignments from user to user, and the view filters on the security tasks and roles windows to display only selected. Funny how quickly I become attached to new functionality :)

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step- Practice and Opinion

Last week I was in Atlanta co-training a new course called “Project Managing Microsoft Dynamics Implementations with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step” (Course 80053A). It was partnered with a one day class developed by Kristi Honey and Scott Mertes called “Project Management Skills Essentials for Microsoft Dynamics”.

The first day of the class focuses on the soft skills that are essential in each phase of an implementation. As I am sure many of you can appreciate, there were a ton of fabulous conversations during class, on breaks, after class. I attended the first day, and really enjoyed the opportunity to hear a variety of perspectives on project management related to Dynamics implementations. I think that project managers are often a lonely bunch, and a class like this is exactly what many will need to gain the confidence and focus to take their skills and processes to the next level. Usually I am exhausted after a day in class, but I will admit that this class left me energized with new ideas that I want to share with our internal project manager. I actually sent my boss an email before lunch that day saying that our project manager MUST attend the class!
But what I really wanted to write about is the two-day class that focused on Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step. First, what is Sure Step? Sure Step is a toolkit that folllows a methodology that Microsoft developed for Dynamics implementations. It contains a variety of templates focused on CRM, AX, GP, SL, and NAV implementations. Currently, there is a bit more available for CRM and AX, but more templates are forthcoming and there are already a variety of generic templates that can be adapted for each product.

To download Sure Step, you must be on a partner service plan with access to PartnerSource:
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/partneressentials/serviceplans/surestep/

One of the things that I found most beneficial about the class is that it follows a case study model. So instead of focusing on learning Sure Step in a vacuum, it presents a very practical way to understand the methodology and see how it can be applied to your organization. In the past, I know that a common issue for many partners was exactly how to begin to use Sure Step. Where to begin? Because Sure Step is scalable to the largest of implementations, partners with smaller implementations can feel overwhelmed by the formality of the phases and abundance of documentation. But all of those options and approaches are just different suggestions of how you might approach an implementation. A great takeway from the class, which I think many of the students last week would agree with, is that Sure Step is a toolkit that can be adapted to a variety of implementation sizes by picking, choosing, and adapting it to your needs.

From the case study, students work with documents like a Fit/Gap Analysis and Solution Blueprint, Functional Requirements Document, and a Statement of Work. Students see how all of the documents tie together, and how you might take one or two or all of them and apply them practically to an implementation. We had many side discussions in class concerning how Sure Step might scale up or down: for a smaller implementation you might work with one simple document that evolves to represent the requirements while a larger implementation may call for a full cycle of deliverables with a formal approval process and tollgate reviews.

So, where to begin? Well, for those organizations lacking a formal project management approach- Sure Step can provide an understanding of the formal phases and their purposes, including the customer and partner roles who participate and the associated deliverables. For others who already have a formal methodology in place, Sure Step can serve to reinforce what you are doing and fill in any gaps. And for those that are somewhere in the middle, the templates available in Sure Step can be used standalone to begin (or further) the development of your own processes.

Sure Step provides project paths for Standard, Enterprise, Rapid, and Upgrade projects, giving you different approaches based on the scale of the project. Additionally, in the Diagnostic Phase, Sure Step provides a guidebook for a series of Decision Accelerators that can assist customers with the decision to purchase, and provide the desired due diligence for the customer to feel comfortable with the decision. Partners can pick and choose from these, using the ones that are appropriate for the case at hand and best address the customer’s concerns.

I am writing this on a plane to Portland, Oregon. With my project plan for an upgrade in my bag. A little documentation and formal process never hurts :) Which makes me think that a future blog topic might be “Why even have a methodology?” For those of you that know me personally, you know I could talk on that for days!

Please share any questions, comments, or perspectives on Sure Step. I would also love to hear of successes (or failures) deploying Sure Step in your organization.

What makes excellent training?

I have spent the last couple of weeks training. First, training a Dynamics GP Distribution Partner Academy then a custom Forecaster training for a group from California. These were two very different classes, not only in content but also in structure. And next week I will be teaching a Dynamics GP Financials Partner Academy followed by co-training on Sure Step. So it has all gotten me thinking about what makes good (well, not just good...but excellent) training? What makes training valuable? This is the interesting thing about blogging, I get to just put my thoughts out there for all to share. So here are my thoughts, please feel free to share your own...



1. Training content must meet the needs of the students

Obvious, right? Sometimes this is out of your control, especially with non-custom classes like the partner academy. Sometimes students do not review the syllabus or enroll based on an assumption of what the class will cover. But the instructor also bears a burden to deliver the content in a relevant way, including real-life examples so that students can see how the content applies to their situations. Students can also contribute to this process, through their own experiences and ideas....which leads us in to my next point...

2. Students must learn from the instructor, but also from each other

I am only half joking on the first day of class when I emphasize the importance of students asking questions. Talking all day long can get pretty boring for me, and for the students. Only when students start to ask questions, and share experiences, does the class really begin to take off. Of course, a knowledgeable instructor is key to providing the forum and managing the exchanges; but I think the light bulbs really start to go off when students start explaining and relating concepts to each other. Here I go again, leading in to the next point...


3. Practical application of the knowledge is key (in the classroom, in discussions)

We can talk all day about what a particular field means, or how a particular process works in Dynamics GP. But it is the knowledge of how to apply those facts to real life situations that is critical. The ability to apply knowledge increases the value and life of the training to beyond the classroom. How can instructors contribute to this application? Maybe by sharing their own practical experiences, by bringing more than just the factual knowledge to the classroom, and by encouraging students to share their own practical experiences. I encourage this even beyond the classroom, asking students (particularly those new to GP) to continue to share their experiences with me after the class ends. I love getting the emails from students who have successfully completed implementations, or tackled a tough business process and found a creative solution.

4. Students and instructor must be engaged

Hmmm. Where to begin with this one. As an instructor, I have witnessed a variety of types of disengagement. The "I have too much work at my real job" disengagement, the "I was forced to come to training" disengagement, or even the "I am in denial" disengagement. I can completely identify with each type, and try to be proactive in the early hours of class to engage those individuals through gentle coercion to bring them in to the discussion. On the flip side, as a student, I have seen instructors who seem to want to be somewhere else. Or who are not engaged to the degree that they are unwilling to stray far from the printed word. As you probably suspect from my earlier points, I think that the most beneficial classes are those where all parties jump in feet first and contribute fully. This means that instructors are willing to entertain new ideas and approaches, and students are focused on the content being presented. Students and instructor both think critically about the task at hand, bringing their full mind to the classroom.

As a side note, I think a subset of the last point is that the instructor must be knowledgeable about the subject at hand. A bit basic, right? But, I think that is an aspect of being engaged. A fully engaged instructor is well-prepared for the class being taught and has the practical knowledge to provide a well-rounded learning experience.

So...what do you all think? What makes excellent training? What makes an excellent student? How about an excellent instructor? Share your thoughts!