Nationally Recognized Orthopedic Services Company Upgrades to Dynamics GP

The Client

Our client is a nationally recognized leader in comprehensive orthopedic services ranging from sports medicine, hip, knee, hand, feet, spine, cartilage restoration, trauma and even orthopedic oncology.  Our Client also has the distinction of being the team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, White Sox, Chicago Fire and DePaul Blue Demons just to name a few. Our client has over 45 physicians in offices in several areas of Chicagoland, downtown Chicago and Munster, Indiana.

The Opportunity

Our client has been a user of Dynamics GP for many years.  But with recent growth, new office changes, demands on technology, and increase demand on systems, their IT environment was in need of changes.  The IT environment changes meant the movement of Dynamics GP to a new server in a new domain.  In order to take advantage of the changes already deemed necessary, our client’s finance staff decided it was also a good time to upgrade GP and FRx, the financial report writer.

The Solution

The IT department already incorporated into the new environment the required hardware for a new SQL server, of which GP was not the exclusive application.  This client was using GP10 and FRx 6.7. While there is a 3rd party billing system, integrations were handled via Integration Manager into key areas of GP.  However, the 3rd party billing system could only operate in SQL2008 or SQL2008R2. With 10 concurrent users, the upgrade would need to be timed and executed with minimal downtime.  SQL was already being updated for other applications, and the old server was to be decommissioned.    Taking into account the limited time frame in order to perform the upgrade, the change from FRx to Management Reporter, utilization of a new SQL server, now SQL2008R2, and the upgrade of GP the determination was made to perform a test upgrade and move of GP.  The test upgrade allowed the LCG consultants to work through the errors encountered during the upgrade process without time constraints.  Most beneficially was the ability to transition from FRx to Management Reporter.  This allowed converted financial reports to be completely tested and corrections made before the pressure to produce month end financial statements.  Finally, re-processing the upgrade was no longer an un-know process, but instead a series of steps with expected results and movements between hardware, SQL and GP versions.

The Results

  • GP was upgraded from ver 10
  • SQL 2008 R2 service pack applied
  • Management Reporter 2.1 is now being utilized for financial reports
  • Integration Manager database was upgraded and moved to a common location to reduce risk and allow more users access
  • Latest edition of Mekorma Check printing was installed, and the check form modified to provide more information.
  • Movement to the new domain
  • After the upgrade, new features of Dynamics GP such as document attachment for AP Documents as well reprint payables remittance form could be taken advantage of.
  • Changing SQL servers also provided opportunity to review existing users and security assigned
  • Old GP Databases were backed up and dropped from the new environment.