Microsoft Dynamics SL Performance Improvement Tip:

Why is archiving important? How can it benefit your business?

Databases often get cluttered by old, out-of-date data. When this happens, it can cause lookups and reporting to contain more information than needed and to run more slowly. Even when a lookup is specified or a report filtered, you find unnecessary data is found and reported on.

Although technically correct, this makes the process of finding what you want burdensome and reports can be longer than necessary, which takes time to manage. By archiving historical data, your time can be optimized around the data that is actively changing. This allows employees to focus on their jobs knowing that out-of-date data has been saved off and is accessible if/when needed. 
 
The steps below can be applied to any grouping of data, such as Account Receivable records, Accounts Payable records, or closed Projects. In this case you can archive inactive customers or inactive vendors. Project oriented companies may want to archive completed projects so they can focus on current projects and securing new projects. When large amounts of detail are stored, it makes the tasks of reporting tedious and time consuming,
 
Let’s take a look at an example where completed projects are archived. We want to archive completed projects as of 12/31/2010. In other words, anything more than five years old can be archived.
 
 
1. The first step is to plan an archive database:
      a. Choose a cut-off date for archiving [EX: 12/31/2010]
      b. Coordinate with the users to ensure all data is entered before the cut-off date
      c. Coordinate the availability of IT (or the person backing up your databases) on the                cut-off date
      d. Identify what data needs to be purged [EX: Remove all completed projects.]

2. On the cut-off date:
      a. Notify users for last chance to get data entered or marked as complete
      b. Create a folder to place the backup databases in, i.e. Archived Databases
      c. Backup applicable databases and place in your named folder
      d. Purge historical data in the LIVE databases.

[Delete completed projects using Delete Project Detail (PA.PUR.00). The screen will prompt to “Purge History through Fiscal year {xxxx}”. Enter 2010 for the fiscal year. You can check to purge historical information for Time & Expense Reports, Labor History and Project & Utilization History by checking the respective boxes. When the process is complete, the screen will display how many records were removed for the database.]

      e. Create new backups for the LIVE databases

3. Continue to use the LIVE databases going forward. You should notice an improvement in the time it takes to filter information in the lookups and on detailed reports.
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4. If any historical data needs to be viewed, the archived databases must be restored.
 
 
Is your staff overworked during this busy season? Contact us at info@solomoncloudsolutions.com to see how we can help.

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Solomon Cloud Solutions is a software publisher and consulting organization that provides development and consulting services to partners. Solomon Cloud Solutions was formed specifically to develop a complete cloud platform to accelerate development and deployment of their cloud based business solutions across their family of companies and their business partners. The Solomon Cloud Solutions companies operate under the brand names of Six Disciplines - publisher of performance management software, methodology and coaching and Beyond Software - publisher of project accounting software and are owned by Gary Harpst, Vernon Strong and Jack Ridge.