Dynamics GP Tip of the Month: Advanced Lookups

Dynamics GP is a powerful enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that helps businesses manage their financials, operations, and inventory with greater efficiency. While many users are familiar with its core capabilties, there are several lesser-known features that can significantly enhance productivity and streamline workflows. One such feature is Advanced Lookups, a flexible and underutilized tool that allows users to quickly filter, sort, and find the exact data they need without having to dig through multiple reports. In this tip we will provide step-by-step instructions to help you get the most out of Advanced Lookups in Dynamics GP, helping you unlock deeper insights and work more efficiently.

Advanced Lookups in Dynamics GP allow users to add extra fields to selected lookup windows. These lookups provide enhanced sorting and filtering options, making it easier for users to find the information they need quickly and efficiently.

The primary benefit of Advanced Lookups is the ability to quickly access and sort information by fields that are most relevant to the user. This feature is particularly useful in situations where users frequently look up information by non-default sort options. By customizing the Lookup windows, users can make the fields more reachable and useful, enhancing their overall efficiency. Setting up Advanced Lookups is straightforward and simple. Advance lookups are also company specific, which means each of your GP companies can have it’s own customer lookups.

In this example we will show how to set up an advance lookup by adding the customer purchase order number field to the sales document numbers lookup. Within Dynamics GP, go to the Administration area page > Setup menu > Company > and click the Advanced Lookups link.

Choose “Sales Document Numbers” from the Lookup Name drop down menu. Next, select “Customer PO Number” from the Sort by Field drop down menu. The description of the lookup will auto populate with “by Customer PO Number” however you can change this description if needed. Click the Save button.

You can now sort sales orders by Customer PO number in the sales transaction entry or inquiry windows. Select “by Customer PO number” from the Additional Sort drop-down, making it the default field for looking up sales document numbers.

Advanced Lookups in Dynamics GP are truly a hidden gem that can dramatically enhance the user experience by offering powerful sorting, filtering, and data visibility options. By enabling users to quickly locate and interact with the exact information they need, Advanced Lookups help reduce time spent navigating through the system and minimize errors caused by manual searches. Best of all, setting up and customizing these lookups is straightforward, making it easy to align them with the unique workflows and data priorities of each organization. Whether you’re managing inventory, processing transactions, or analyzing financial data, taking full advantage of Advanced Lookups can lead to increased efficiency, better decision-making, and more streamlined operations. Don’t overlook this feature, it’s a small investment of time that can yield big returns in productivity and clarity across your GP environment.

For more tips on optimizing Dynamics GP or for help fully utilizing its features, contact Rand Group today.