Feature of the Day: Drill Down Builder

Drill Down Builder

Module: SmartList Builder

Why this feature is cool!

You can be browsing an Excel report and drill right into the Microsoft Dynamics GP screen that is related to the data you are looking at.  Drill Down builder allows you to further enhance the Microsoft Office and Microsoft Dynamics GP integration story.  With the same model as the builder tools, Drill Down Builder is configurable by the end user: define the window you would like to be able to drill down to, in any module, from any product, including 3^rd party Dexterity products.

The drill downs you build can be automatically embedded within Excel Report Builder Reports or manually added into any other office application such as Word, Outlook emails, SRS reports or within SharePoint pages.

How could customers use Drill Down Builder?

· Scenario 1: First, generate an Excel Report Builder report that shows total inventory per item. Embedded in the report is a drill down to the Item Quantities Inquiry window in Dynamics GP. If the user needs to know more about the stock for a particular item, they simply drill down from the Excel Report into the details you need in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

· Scenario 2: A users wants a colleague to take a look at three purchase orders within Microsoft GP.  Rather than sending them a list of PO numbers, they can send an email with links which will open the Purchase Order window and populate it for them.

· Scenario 3: A user has configured an SRS report containing weekly timesheets for consultants. The consultants are able to review the report and if they need to make a change can drill straight into the related timesheet to make the changes required.

What does it look like?

The drilldown builder windows are very similar to the GoTo screens in SmartList Builder. Here we have defined drilldown into the item quantities inquiry screen in Microsoft Dynamics GP.

Drill Down Builder window (Microsoft Dynamics GP menu >Tools > SmartList Builder > Drill Down Builder)

When we are browsing GP inventory data in an Excel Report we are now able to drill down into the Item Number field which will open the pre-populated Item Quantities Maintenance window.

Comments

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2010
  Thank you to share

• Anonymous
  February 25, 2010
  I am trying to access the drill down viewer in excel builder (GP 2010 Beta) but it appears disabled or greyed out.   How is this functionality enabled?  Thanks.

• Anonymous
  February 26, 2010
  This feature wasn't enabled for Beta unfortunately.  It will be there when we release though of course! AndyW

• Anonymous
  March 16, 2010
  Does this require the user who is opening the drill down screens to have a GP license?

• Anonymous
  March 16, 2010
  Yes, if someone clicks on a drilldown field from an external source (Excel Report, SRS report, etc.) that takes them back to the GP client, they would need a GP user in order to view the information. AndyW

• Anonymous
  April 16, 2010
  What type of license will the user need to have, is this a new module or part of foundation?

• Anonymous
  April 16, 2010
  You would need to purchase SmartList Builder to get this functionality. thanks, Pam

• Anonymous
  April 22, 2010
  Withe the drill down viewer, will a user be able to go from an Excel financial report, to the g/l, to the A/P invoice that posted to the g/l account?

• Anonymous
  April 22, 2010
  Yes! You already can go from the GL to the AP invoice, and now with GP 2010 you'll be able to start that drilldown experience from Excel all the way back into GP and then into Payables! AndyW

• Anonymous
  May 09, 2010
  I keep getting the same error when I click on the drill down in excel. A general error has occured. Any Ideas? Thanks, Joe

• Anonymous
  May 10, 2010
  Do you have Dynamics GP open when you try to do the drilldown?

• Anonymous
  October 11, 2010
  Andy, The feature is very cool; however, when there is a space in the Item Number (ie. 128%20SDRAM) the Item Drilldown from Excel does not work.  Any ideas? Thanks. Daron