Microsoft Great Plains Furniture & Fixtures implementation & customization highlights

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise was introduced in 1993 as first Microsoft Windows and Macintosh based graphical accounting/ERP application for Mid-Size businesses.  Considering the history of furniture retailer and custom assembly lines they showed up on the market about five decades ago and they have automated their business operations with Unix-based businesses in the late 1960th and earlier 1970th. 

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise was introduced in 1993 as first Microsoft Windows and Macintosh based graphical accounting/ERP application for Mid-Size businesses.  Considering the history of furniture retailer and custom assembly lines they showed up on the market about five decades ago and they have automated their business operations with Unix-based businesses in the late 1960^th and earlier 1970^th.  You can find such furniture resale systems as Storis, which is Unidata based application, automating furniture retail outlets.  Lets consider the options.

• General Ledger.  There is no need to immediate replacement of legacy retail stores automation software.  It is reliable and proved to work over years.  They usually sit in very reliable Unix hardware such as IBM AS/400 or RS6000.  You would need just import General Ledger transaction to the system, where you would have flexible and quick financial reporting.  In this case you need Unidata export and feed it into Great Plains General Ledger.  Use Great Plains Integration Manager or heterogeneous SQL queries.
• Payroll.  Great Plains would be reasonably priced payroll solution if you process payroll inhouse.  If you have less then 500 employees then Great Plains Standard douse excellent job and software price would be around k$10.  You will have to pay annual maintenance program and receive Payroll taxes and federal magnetic media updates to keep you safe from the payroll taxation errors and miscalculation.  If you cross over 500 employees line Great Plains software price will be around k$30 and you could find cheaper solutions with unlimited number of employees look at Accpac.
• eCommerce.  If you are replacing your legacy system, then you could build eCommerce upon Microsoft Great Plains Inventory Control (IV) and Sales Order Processing modules.  Looking into the future you should expect increasing portion of you business to come from eCommerce ordering.  Here you deploy eConnect and have your or contracting developers do the job.  If eConnect is too expensive you could appeal to experienced developers, who has set of custom stored procedures to work with SOP10100, SOP10200 and IV00100 tables
• Commission Reporting.  In Furniture outlet shift manager commission is based on her/his employees-salespersons performance.  And it is usually tiered.  We saw very complex and proprietary formulas.  Our suggestion is to realize it in SQL Stored Procedure and then you could create Crystal Report with parameters to calculate and report commission amounts

We encourage you to analyze your alternatives.  You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, UK, Canada, Brazil. Mexico

Western and Rustic Lighting: 3 Great Fixture Choices!

The spirit of the Wild West lives on in rustic inspired Western lighting. Light fixtures come adorned with pinecones, antlers and bears, as well as wildlife: trout, deer, elk, and buffalo. For the sportsman or woman, inspirational themed lamps decorated with croquet, snowshoes, bow and arrow, fishing reel, and boat paddles can enhance the décor of a country cabin, farmhouse, or home in the mountains. For a step back to frontier days, wagon wheel chandeliers and tin punched lighting offer unique turn of the century decoration. To get you going on your Western lighting décor consider these three fixture options:

Bear lamps and chandeliers

Generally speaking, these lamps, sconces and chandeliers capture a bear scene: you will find bears and cubs climbing trees or walking among pine trees. Capturing the spirit, bear figures tend to be either 3 dimensional; or one dimensional, decorating the lamp’s shade, base, or both. Look for sconces, vanities and chandeliers with decorative bear scenes cut out of metal. These art fixtures are wonderful and tend to include soft rust finishes and amber mica shades. Bear lamps often include shades made from faux leather.

Wagon wheel chandeliers

These fixtures tend to be made as either authentic or reproduction chandeliers. The difference is obvious: the materials. Authentic wagon wheel chandeliers (up light or down light models) will be made from true antique wagon wheels, whereas reproductions are typically made from a lightweight durable material such as medium density polyethylene. Reproductions (up light or down light models) should come with all the necessary parts: chain, globe or hurricane lights, and light fixture. So what’s the difference? Price! An authentic wagon wheel chandelier will certainly cost you more: could be as much as 4 times the cost of a reproduction. However, with an authentic fixture you gain a true haunt from the past and a great conversation piece.

Antler lighting

Similar to the wagon wheel chandelier above, an antler light fixtures can be purchased as reproduction or authentic. Absolutely no harm is caused to a deer or elk in the creation of an antler lamp or chandelier. Antlers are typically collected on the deer trails where annual antler shedding occurs. If you are choosing an authentic antler fixture expect to spend considerably more than for a reproduction. (Each fixture is unique and handcrafted). Reproduction antler fixtures are made from molds of actual antlers. These pieces tend to be more lightweight (an advantage in many homes).

Nicole Martins is a contributing author and publisher to http://www.chandeliers-and-home-lighting.com an online resource providing you with information, articles of interest and reviews on chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps and outdoor lighting.

Outdoor Planters - Beautiful Fixtures For Your Outdoor Space

Do you want to add some green to your deck, porch, or patio, but are not quite sure how? You love flowers, but are sick of hanging plants and you do not feel like adding any more pots that attach to your outdoor rails. If this is you, do not worry because there is another option to bring some plant life into your space. That option is outdoor planters, which are beautiful fixtures that are sure to please.

Outdoor planters are available in a number of shapes, styles, and sizes, which is great for you since you can find something that will fit nicely into your existing outdoor space without having any troubles. For example, maybe you have a deck area and just want to add some nice eye-catching accents to the space. Then, a nice option for you would be ones that are smaller in size that have a triangle design. These would easily fit into any corner in the space. Or, maybe you have a patio area and you want some privacy from those nosey neighbors that keep bother you. To achieve that, all you need to do is buy ones that are long and rectangular. You can put them up all around your patio area, plant some taller trees or shrubs in them, and you not have to worry about the neighbors trying to peek in on you anymore. Or, you might have a front porch area that is kind of boring. One nice option for that space would be tapered planter as a nice way to jazz up the look of the space. Plus, it would serve as a nice ice breaker for starting conversations when guests come over.

Those just mentioned are just some of the outdoor planters that are available, because you can get ones in the shape of circles, vases, squares, and even ones that are v-shaped. All of these are ideal for planting flowers, trees, shrubs, and a wide variety of other garden plants as well. Along with the many shapes and styles that are available, these outdoor fixtures can be crafted from a number of eye-catching materials, which gives them their beautiful appearance. Some of the lovely options include woods like Teak, Shorea, Redwood, and Mahogany and synthetic materials like resin or recycled polymer. Each is very sturdy and available in a wide variety of finishes, which would be a great way to enhance the appearance of any outdoor setting. For a stress free way to see all of the available options, instead of heading down to the local garden center, make a u-turn and head to your personal computer for some online shopping. Just by the click of the mouse you can comparison shop and find the best possible products, and prices, around.

So, if you are feeling the need to add some green to your outdoor space, but do not have the natural planting area to do so, turn to lovely outdoor planters. One, or some, would be a great addition to any deck, porch, or patio area.

Jennifer Akre, owner of many unique home and garden sites specializing in outdoor planters, gives comments and product information on planters and planter boxes. Find quality information before you purchase. Enhance the spirit of your home. Shop today - Click: garden planters.

How to Choose Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures for Your Home

Whether building a new home or remodeling, you'll find there are many plumbing fixtures and accessories available. The choices can seem overwhelming, and you'll want to make sure the items you choose are both durable and decorative. Using the guide below, choose bathroom plumbing fixtures that will fit well with your decor plans while providing adequate use for the long term.

Fixtures for the bathroom should be practical and durable. They should be tough enough to withstand years of usage without wearing easily, rusting, or molding. Consider your entire décor including the colors of your floors and walls and the style used on other items in the room.

Choosing a Bathtub

When choosing a bathtub, there are four basic bathtub styles. The old-type enamel cast-iron bathtub with the China-glazing finish is popular with new constructions. It is extremely heavy and offers quietness while being filled with water. This tub usually comes as a basic five-foot tub with few styles to choose from. The average price is about $250.

Next, there's the molded plastic bathtub, which resembles the cast-iron tubs but is usually thicker. This tub is more lightweight and great for remodeling - especially when tile is already on the floor. This type of bathtub can come in several styles and colors, including a full shower/tub combination with built-in walls. It ranges in price from $250 upward.

The enameled steel tub comes in white or a variety of colors and is finished with a ceramic-glazed material. This tub is priced at around $250. Next is the fiberglass tub, which can be installed on a platform or in the floor. It comes in different shapes and sizes. Some have spa features as well. This type of tub is high-priced, some even costing in the thousands of dollars.

Shower stalls come in several styles such as a pre-built shower base, fabricated shower stall, and the fiberglass enclosed shower stall. Pricing varies according to size, style, and brand name.

Choosing a Toilet

The toilet should be comfortable and practical. It doesn't have to be fancy, but sometimes paying more means getting better quality. There are now toilets with higher gallons/flush capabilities - up to the government's standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. If you want to save on your water bill, opt for an efficiency toilet that flushes 1.3 gallons per flush. There are also dual-flush toilets that offer two flush buttons - one for liquid waste removal and one for solid waste removal. The liquid waste button, of course, uses less water per flush.

Bathroom Sink Options

The bathroom sink is important and has many uses - from brushing your teeth to shaving to facial cleansings each night! A popular bathroom sink is the V-shaped vessel sink bowl, which is made of glass, copper or stainless steel. There are also bathroom vanities with the sink already built-in for easy installation. Types of sinks include pedestal sinks, which provide no storage underneath, under-counter sinks, and above-counter sinks.

Faucets and Other Bathroom Items

Choose durable faucets made of materials that are rust-free and provide an even flow of water. With small children, you'll want to be sure the faucets have temperature settings built in to prevent scalding. For decor purposes, choose matching faucets for the bathtub and sink. Also, be sure the faucet will last for many years without dripping. Faucets come in many shapes and styles - some are plain and some are fancy. They are priced from $40. Some popular finishes for faucets include brass, brushed nickel, oiled bronze, and the popular chrome plate.

Accessorize your bathroom with other fixtures and accessories to complete your decor. You can go online to find great products in almost any style you need. Also, you can find other home accessories online such as ironing centers, door hardware, cabinet hardware, towel warmers, and more.

Choose your bathroom plumbing fixtures wisely for a pleasant and long-lasting bathroom.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Tips to Choose Plumbing Fixtures or Majon's Home and Garden directory.

Microsoft Great Plains Furniture & Fixtures - Implementation & Customization Highlights

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise was introduced in 1993 as first Microsoft Windows and Macintosh based graphical accounting/ERP application for Mid-Size businesses. Considering the history of furniture retailer and custom assembly lines – they showed up on the market about five decades ago and they have automated their business operations with Unix-based businesses in the late 1960th and earlier 1970th. You can find such furniture resale systems as Storis, which is Unidata based application, automating furniture retail outlets. Let’s consider the options.

• General Ledger. There is no need to immediate replacement of legacy retail stores automation software. It is reliable and proved to work over years. They usually sit in very reliable Unix hardware such as IBM AS/400 or RS6000. You would need just import General Ledger transaction to the system, where you would have flexible and quick financial reporting. In this case you need Unidata export and feed it into Great Plains General Ledger. Use Great Plains Integration Manager or heterogeneous SQL queries.

• Payroll. Great Plains would be reasonably priced payroll solution if you process payroll inhouse. If you have less then 500 employees – then Great Plains Standard douse excellent job and software price would be around k$10. You will have to pay annual maintenance program and receive Payroll taxes and federal magnetic media updates to keep you safe from the payroll taxation errors and miscalculation. If you cross over 500 employees line – Great Plains software price will be around k$30 and you could find cheaper solutions with unlimited number of employees – look at Accpac.

• eCommerce. If you are replacing your legacy system, then you could build eCommerce upon Microsoft Great Plains Inventory Control (IV) and Sales Order Processing modules. Looking into the future you should expect increasing portion of you business to come from eCommerce ordering. Here you deploy eConnect and have your or contracting developers do the job. If eConnect is too expensive – you could appeal to experienced developers, who has set of custom stored procedures to work with SOP10100, SOP10200 and IV00100 tables

• Commission Reporting. In Furniture outlet shift manager commission is based on her/his employees-salespersons performance. And it is usually tiered. We saw very complex and proprietary formulas. Our suggestion is to realize it in SQL Stored Procedure and then you could create Crystal Report with parameters to calculate and report commission amounts

We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies (http://www.albaspectrum.com), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan

A Guide to Ceiling Fixtures

There are a lot of lighting fixtures on the market today and choosing from among the countless designs could be a daunting task. Knowing the different kinds of lighting fixtures and what is readily available will help us choose intelligently. A ceiling fixture is probably the most familiar and common lighting fixture and the following are some of the most readily available.

1.) A socket with a bare bulb in it is probably the simplest ceiling fixture. Although it gives off lots of light it doesn't have any decorative value.

2.) Frosted Globe is perhaps the simplest decorated ceiling fixture. This is what your builder usually provides as a basic ceiling light for foyers, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. Though this fixture may be sufficient for the laundry room and workshop, try to avoid it in the other rooms and choose other, more attractive ceiling fixtures like chandeliers, track lights or down lights, just to name a few.

3.) Chandeliers are hanging fixtures. Originally, Chandeliers were used to hold candles but the advent of electricity has replaced candles with electric lamps. These come in a variety of styles, ranging from traditional to contemporary depending on the mood you want to create in a room. An opulent crystal chandelier will set the mood for a traditional formal dining room or a center hall. A rustic Early American farmhouse can make use of a chandelier made of wood, pewter, or iron. A sleek metal or plastic chandelier will fit beautifully in a contemporary setting.

4.) Downlights are ceiling fixtures which project light downward, as their name implies. There are two types of Downlights - Recessed downlights and Surface Mounted downlights. Recessed downlights are fitted into a space inside the ceiling, also called High Hats. Some High Hats direct light towards the wall and these fixtures are called wall washers. Wall washers are usually used to light objects on or along the wall such as paintings, tapestries, bookcases, draperies and other window treatments. Another type of downlight, which is a very specialized type of a ceiling fixture, is the Focusing Lens Projector. This is specially used to highlight paintings, sculpture, vases or other works of art. You have a choice between either floodlamps or spotlamps with your recessed downlights. While a floodlamp casts a broad beam, a spotlamp casts a narrow beam of light. Surface Mounted Downlights are easier to install than recessed mounted downlights since no cutting of the ceiling is required. Surface mounted downlights do not disappear into the ceiling. Matching the color of the surface mounted downlights with the color of the ceiling will achieve a unified look.

5.) Track Lighting is the fastest growing type of modern lighting. This is made up of a metal track attached to the ceiling with individual lighting fixtures inserted at any point along the track. Currently, there is a wide range of available fixtures which can be used for track lighting, ranging from narrow focused pin-spots to broad floodlights and wall washers.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Lighting.

Light Fixtures

It is impossible to imagine life without lights. Modernization has made it a necessity. However, in the context of lighting, it is not just the light source that plays an important role in people’s lives. Lights would not be available had it not been for the invention and development of light fixtures. In simple terms, light fixtures are the holders, protectors or decorative housing for light bulbs.

Light fixtures are important for permanent light installation. For temporary sheds and tents it is possible to eliminate the use of light fixtures. This provisional lighting setup almost always looks untidy, but is widely accepted because it is about function over appearance. However, people want more stylish lighting fixtures when it comes to lighting a house or a business establishment.

While selecting a light fixture, it is important to keep in mind the purpose of the lighting being installed. Fixtures are available in a variety of choices and designs depending upon the place that is to be lit. This includes, bedrooms, bathrooms, bars, halls, playrooms and closets. The main purpose of a light fixture is to facilitate the room’s lighting. Fixtures are used to hold light bulbs, transformers and cables in place.

While selecting light fixtures it is also important to keep in mind the feasibility of each fixture. For instance, if people are selecting bathroom fixtures it is advisable to choose recessed lighting or bar lights. This is important since bathrooms accumulate a lot of moisture. Selecting a chandelier or hanging fixture will only provide space for moisture droplets to collect. Eventually this will affect the light fixture and the bulb.

While selecting ceiling light fixtures people may choose decorative fixtures. This adds to the beauty of the place along with providing adequate lighting. Nowadays, it is possible to purchase a wide variety of light fittings that coordinate with the color of the walls. Light fixtures can be used for floor lamps, ceiling lighting, wall lighting and other ornamental lighting to create a striking visual effect for houses, offices and guestrooms.

Lights provides detailed information on Lights, Christmas Lights, Light Fixtures, Light Bulbs and more. Lights is affiliated with Halogen Light Bulb.