Mohamed Aamer

Understanding the Responsibilities and Motivation of the Microsoft Dynamics Application Consultant

Application Consultant, Functional Consultant – the job title may different from one company to another, but whatever the title, the person doing this job around financial and ERP software is considered the middle man between the application and the technology, as well as the key role for driving adoption of new technology by the business.

The application consultant could start his or her career after graduation from a university; the major could be business administration, finance, or information system if it covers business subjects.

Alternatively, the application consultant could start out working in other careers. Some people start out as an accountant, procurement agent, commercial agent, or even sales representative (like me). Personally, I do not consider it a career shift, I consider it advancing in the career path. In other words it is capitalizing on the previous experiences.

Traditionally, consulting skills are divided into two main areas: the Business Side, and the Technical Side. Then there is more general Soft Skills set that all application consultants need since they spend most of their time in business discussions, business cycles workshops, and training.

Here are some of the key skills a company should look for in an application consultant, broken down by business, technical, and soft skills:

Business Side	Technical Side
Have business knowledge in specific business domain (Vertical), or more than one business domain (Horizontal). Vertical business domain break down to sub verticals. Retail business domain (Vertical), Fashion, food & beverage, grocery, and electronics are sub verticals. Supply Chain Management (Horizontal) in Retail business domain and Construction business domain. Understanding business units process, the over lapping between business units, and business process enchantments or business process re-engineering.	Understanding the difference between applications. (Client/Server, Web application) Understanding application flow of information inside out, and application integration in order to map business process to application. Application implementation life cycle. (Sales, Pre-Sales, Analysis, Design, Development, Deployment, Operation, Support ) Basic knowledge about Hardware and Software configuration, Network and infrastructure.
Application/Functional Consultant
Soft Skills
Communication skills: consultant spend most of his/er time in communication internally with peers, manager, and externally with customer. This communication oral and written in documents, emails, and reports. Presentation skills: helps in presenting the application, or ideas to customer, conduct users training, and presenting the application to prospect customer. Leadership skills: consultants lead meetings, workshops, training sessions, and experienced consultants may lead team. Project Management skills: consultant should understand the areas of project management scope, time, quality, risk, and configuration management since the consultant may getting into Project Management position.

The application consultants have a very important role in implementation project since he/she is involved in implementation tasks and activities. Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step has defined the application consultant role during implementation phases. It is a long and broad list of tasks, and that range is what I believe keeps most application consultants motivated and satisfied with their jobs. The challenges are always changing and the career path offers many opportunities to develop new skills.

Here is the list per Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step:

Diagnostic

Prepare and conduct business process analysis
Set up application for Fit Gap Analysis
Conduct Fit Gap Analysis
Document and present results of diagnostic phase
Support license definition and service estimations for functional tasks

Analysis

Conduct Key User training
Prepare and conduct business requirements workshops
Set up application for Fit Gap Analysis
Conduct Fit Gap Analysis
Document and present results of analysis phase

Design

Create development design specifications
Create design documents for customer understanding and acceptance
Present documentation and application design to customer
System configurations
Conduct feature testing of standard and independent software vendor (ISV) solution functionality
Assist in the identification and creation of process test scenarios

Development

Assist with the preparation of training and other documentation
Conduct function testing with developer and customer
Deploy security roles
Assist in the creation of User Acceptance test scripts
Conduct data acceptance testing
Conduct process testing
Support End User training as defined in the project scope

Deployment

Conduct Key User training (in case of Rapid Implementation)
Create process and User Acceptance Test plan
Configure live environment
Conduct process and User Acceptance test together with the customer to ensure unctionality, configuration, and data are as expected
Support End User training as defined in the project scope

Operation

Go-live support
Resolve pending issues
Finalize documentation

Agile Preparation

Conduct Solution Overview
Conduct Key User Training
Prepare and conduct Business Requirements workshops
Set up application for Fit Gap Analysis
Conduct Fit Gap Analysis
Provide input to the creation of Solution Backlog and high-level estimation process
Release Planning

Agile Execution

Provide input to the Sprint Backlog creation
Attend Sprint Planning Meetings (visioning/planning meetings)
Attend Daily Sprint Cycle Meetings
Create development design specifications
System Configurations
Conduct feature testing of standard and ISV functionality
Assist in the identification and creation of process test scenarios
Assist in the generation of Daily Build
Assist in the process of Sprint testing
Attend the Sprint Technical preview sessions
Attend the Sprint Post Mortem sessions

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Vendor document validation (Product receipt, and invoice)

During the daily business process in Procure to Pay cycle there are two documents communicated from vendor side which are product receipt, and invoice. Those documents are used to authorize the afterwards processes which are used as validation documents.

I will share with you control option which MS Dynamics AX 2012 offers on these documents (product receipt, and invoice) which is designed into two layers the first layer is built in control in MS Dynamics AX 2012, and the second control is configurable control.

The product receipt document: represents the goods reception transaction in warehouse, this document has a reference number based on vendor document, the warehouse keeper record this reference number which could be used in reconciliation process with the vendor, and it is used in invoicing process as well.

The first control in Product Receipt posting form the product receipt reference number is a mandatory filed, this is a built in control

The second layers is validating the used value in product receipt reference number in Product Receipt posting form, this control configuration is under Procurement and Sourcing module Parameters. MS Dynamics AX 2012 is checking the product receipt number for each vendor with the following options:-

Option	Description
*Reject duplicates:*	this option will forbid using the same product receipt reference number from the same vendor. For example if vendor A has delivered goods with product receipt reference number PR-001 this value could not be used with the same vendor, but could be used with vendor B.
*Reject duplicates within fiscal year:*	Same as the previous option in addition to the validation will executed during the fiscal year.
*Accept duplicates:*	Accept duplicates
*Warn in case of duplicates:*	Gives a warning message if the value have been used before

The invoice document: represents the vendor invoice recording in company accounts (liability) the invoice has a reference number (invoice number) based on vendor serial number, the accounts payable accountant record invoice number which could be used in reconciliation process with the vendor, and it is used in payment process as well.

The first control in Invoice posting form/invoice journal form the invoice number is a mandatory filed, this is a built in control

The second layers is validating the used value in invoice number in Invoice posting form/invoice journal form, this control configuration is under Accounts Payable module Parameters. MS Dynamics AX 2012 is checking the invoice number for each vendor with the following options:-

Option	Description
*Reject duplicates:*	this option will forbid using the same invoice number from the same vendor. For example if vendor A has invoice number INV-001 this value could not be used with the same vendor, but could be used with vendor B.
*Reject duplicates within fiscal year:*	Same as the previous option in addition to the validation will executed during the fiscal year.
*Accept duplicates:*	Accept duplicates
*Warn in case of duplicates:*	Gives a warning message if the value has been used before

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Understanding the Settlement Mechanism in Microsoft Dynamics AX

Settlement is an accounting transaction that occurs on accounts payable, accounts receivables, and general ledger. This transaction is used mainly for settling vendor invoices against vendor payments or advanced payment, and customer invoices against customer collections or advanced collection. Settlement could occur on general ledger transactions as well.

It is necessary to classify posting profiles of the vendor and customer in the opening balance since it will affect the settlement process.

The settlement transaction affects vendor and customer balances, and it is reported in the vendor or customer statement report that identifies the following:

Vendor

The open (unsettled) invoice and payments
The closed (settled) invoiced and payments
Vendor balance

Customer

The open (unsettled) invoice and collections
The closed (settled) invoiced and collections
Customer balance

A settlement transaction could occur during a payment or collection transaction if the accountant marks the invoice which will be paid or collected. On other hand, the settlement could be performed on the vendor or customer level, and these transactions could be unsettled.

The settlement transaction should take into consideration the currency since it could be performed in the company home currency by equivalent amount which calculated based on currency exchange rate, or it could be settled in the same currency of invoice by identifying the currency in payment process.

Customer settlement mechanism – Dynamics AX

Customer settlement in Microsoft Dynamics AX is a transaction used to settle customer advanced collections or collections against customer invoices, and this function done on a monthly basis.

Customer settlement has two different effects. The first one is on customer level – it closes the customer transaction. And the second one is on the financial entry, which is only an effect in the case that the posting profiles of the advanced collection and invoice are different.

Next I will illustrate the mechanism of customer advanced collection, invoices, and customer settlement financial entries (in Egyptian Pounds – EGP):

1) Customer advanced collection posting profile is Prepayments, and the financial entry will be:

Dr. Banks 1200 EGP
Cr. Customer deposits 1200 EGP
Open transactions: 1200 EGP Advanced collection

2) Customer invoice posting profile is General , and the financial entry is:

Dr. Receivables 1000 EGP
Cr. Sales revenue 1000 EGP
Open transactions: 1200 EGP Advanced collection, and 1000 EGP sales invoice

3) Customer settlement

Dr. Customer deposits 1000 EGP
Cr. Receivables 1000 EGP
Open transactions: 200 EGP Advanced collection
Closed transactions: 1000 EGP advanced collection, and 1000 EGP sales invoice

In the case that the posting profiles of advanced collection and invoicing are different, then there is a settlement financial entry that will be created.

Vendor settlement mechanism – MS Dynamics AX

Vendor settlement in Dynamics AX is a transaction that occurs to settle vendor advanced payments against vendor invoices, and this function is done on a monthly basis.

Vendor settlements have two different effects. The first one is at the vendor level: the vendor transaction closes. The second is the financial entry, which occurs only in one case if the posting profile of advanced payment and invoice are different.

Here I will illustrate the mechanism of vendor advanced payment, invoices, and vendor settlement financial entries.

1) Vendor advanced payment posting profile is advanced,and the financial entry will be:

Dr. Advances to vendor 1200 EGP
Cr. Bank 1200 EGP
Open transactions: 1200 EGP Advanced payment

2) Vendor invoice posting profile is General, and the financial entry is:

Dr. Expense 1000 EGP
Cr. Payables 1000 EGP
Open transactions: 1200 EGP Advanced payment, and 1000 EGP vendor invoice

3) Vendor settlement

Dr. Payables 1000 EGP
Cr. Advances to vendor 1000 EGP
Open transactions: 200 EGP Advanced Payment
Closed transactions: 1000 EGP advanced payment, and 1000 EGP vendor invoice

In the case that the posting profiles of advanced payment and invoicing are different, a settlement financial entry will be created.

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