Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks

Sometimes I am surprised by how the most basic troubleshooting steps can lead to resolving an issue. When I am mired in an issue, these are five of the steps I come back to time and time again. 

1. Does this occur for all users?  This can help to identify if it is a workstation issue or user issue.  For this reason, it is always important to test for an issue as both 'sa' and as a normal user.
2. Does this occur for all companies?  This can help identify if it is a data-related issue, or a system-wide issue.
3. Is it due to a third party product or customization?  Disable it using Microsoft Dynamics GP menu-Tools-Customize-Customization Status (it will be disabled only for the current user, and only until they relaunch GP), and then attempt to recreate the issue.
4. When did the issue start?  Identifying other activities around the same time (e.g., updates, system changes, etc) can help to pinpoint the cause or a contributing factor.
5. Witness the issue, follow it step by step.  This can help to identify an issue that is the result of miscommunication or misunderstanding regarding system functionality.  This step is often skipped, and yet it is critical to avoiding unnecessary back and forth to attempt to resolve the issue.

This list is definitely incomplete, but I thought I would share these five key steps.  Please post your own as well :)

Christina Phillips is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Dynamics GP Certified Professional. She is a supervising consultant with BKD Technologies, providing training, support, and project management services to new and existing Microsoft Dynamics customers. This blog represents her views only, not those of her employer.

Buyer (or Surfer) Beware!

I have witnessed a few incidents in the past week that have reminded me of the power (both negative and positive) of the internet when it comes to troubleshooting and training on software in general, and Microsoft Dynamics GP in particular.

The first scenario involved me stumbling across the Summit Group Software Blog that just so happened to have a post on the recent 941 changes for US Payroll. Coincidentally, I had just seen an email chain internally regarding it and the blog provided some great information I could pass along. It sort of made my day, finding such useful information from a group I know and trust.

The second scenario involved a post that was forwarded to me by a coworker (that originally was forwarded to them by a customer). The post was on a message board that I won't name and contained a number of factual errors about Microsoft Dynamics GP. Looking through the comments on the post, most of the contributors took the post to be factually correct and expressed a range of negative views. Only at the end of the many many comments was there a voice of reason trying to clear up the many mistruths and errors that had been propagated by this one post and the ensuing comments. Not me, but a fellow blogger whose identity I will protect :) I use this as an example, but this sort of thing pops up for me on at least a weekly basis-- either forwarded to me, or when I doing my own research.

So, how do you sift through all of the information out there (including this blog)? Well, here are my thoughts, please share yours. And I want to add that these should be applied to everything you read (this blog included).

• If the information is overly negative or overly positive, take it with a grain of salt. If the post is something that seems to be advocating one way or another, keep in mind that the author may have their own objective when posting.
• Look for specifics, step by step examples, with the expected outcome. This shows you that the author has "done their homework" and isn't just working on assumptions.
• Test, test, test. If someone puts forth an idea or issue, test it out. Even on the post I mention above, although I knew it to be incorrect, I tested it all out. It took 15 minutes, but I gained the confidence in what was/wasn't correct.
• Look for signs of credibility. This can be a tough one, but if someone is certified or an MVP, MCT, etc you can have some confidence that the information they are putting forth is factually correct. If you subscribe to blogs or other newsletter, you will start to see the same names pop up as resources...Victoria, Leslie, Steve, David, Mark, etc...
• Start with known sources like the User Guides, Training Manuals, and the KnowledgeBase on CustomerSource and PartnerSource. I know, I know, this information is not always perfect but it has been vetted by the experts and is a great starting place.

Feel free to share your own tips :)