Dynamics NAV 5.00 first impressions

Give you a good overview and the ability to dig into details…

Microsoft Navision gives you an instant overview of your business from top to bottom. You stay in the know on everything from production orders and inventory levels to customer status and marketing campaigns. Business and financial information is always up-to-date and fully integrated with information from all other areas in the program.

Every time a transaction is posted — anywhere within the system — all customer, vendor, account, and item totals will be up-to-date. If you make a mistake or want to alter a posting somewhere along the line, you can reverse the posting without it affecting the rest of your accounts. You can zero in on details by filtering information (for example, by date, account or item number) and always rely on the absolute accuracy of the information.

Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision helps you make smart business decisions without wasting time.…and gives you the answers you need. Microsoft Navision also offers Business Analytics. Designed for midsized companies, Business Analytics turns your data into business critical information quickly and simply. It provides you with easy-to-use analytical tools for greater control over your entire business. Using a familiar Microsoft Outlook®-style interface, Business Analytics presents this information to your desk top where easy to use analytical tools allow you to carry out targeted analysis that is tailored by you, for you.

Let’s say you’re in the middle of an accounting period, and you need to present an overview of business at the managers’ meeting that afternoon. You use a filter to see your balance from the beginning of the month to the present day. Then, you create a report comparing budgets to actual profits by region, product and date.

You drill down and explore the details of individual transactions. When you’re satisfied with your answers, you click on the Export button to turn the information into a Microsoft Excel chart, and you’re ready to share the information at the afternoon manager’s meeting.

Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision is an integrated business management solution for small to mid-size companies. With more than 30,000 companies in over 50 countries relying on Microsoft Navision every day to help them run their operations, you can feel confident about building your business with it.

You can use Microsoft Navision to replace as much or as little of your existing system as necessary. You choose from application areas for financial management, manufacturing, distribution, relationship management, service management, e-commerce and analytics.

A local Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partner then tailors the software to meet your exact needs. You only pay for what you use.

Microsoft Navision connects information from every corner of your business. The list on the following page shows the breadth of integrated modules you can choose from. In addition, Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partners around the world have developed a broad variety of industry-specific solutions, which have been proven in their respective markets.

A solution that builds on your strengths…

Microsoft Navision’s open architecture allows Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partners to turn the standard technology platform into a solution for your way of doing business. And we are the only global midmarket software vendor that gives its local partners the full freedom they require to meet your specific needs.

Our partners have access to the entire source code of the business logic.

…Delivered fast and cost effectively

Call us, and you will be matched with a local Microsoft Certified Business

Solutions Partner that has experience in your industry. The partner works closely with you using our proven methodology and tools. Together, you map out your business processes and identify your competitive strengths. The partner then uses this information to design a solution that meets your exact requirements. Before implementation begins, you agree on the project scope, budget and timeframe, and it’s all documented.

Implementation is fast and efficient, and there are no surprises. With one integrated solution, your information is always accurate, and you no longer have to waste time reconciling numbers that you used to pull out of various systems.

Start with core business and financial information, such as invoicing, cost control, bookkeeping and inventory. Add more financial, relationship management, manufacturing, distribution, e-business and analytics applications as your business grows. You can also start up with just one user and ad on more when it’s right for you. Microsoft Navision is easy to maintain, and our partners provide ongoing support, including excellent training and upgrade programs.

Easy Implementation

Because Microsoft Navision Standard consists of a base package that covers your essential business processes, it does not require costly and time-consuming tailoring and customization. Minor adjustments or additions to the base functionality can make the system suit your specific needs. This means that implementation is easier and less disruptive to your daily business. You and your employees will be able to keep your attention focused where it should be—on running and growing your business.

The modest size of the package and the intuitive and familiar Microsoft Windows®-based interface makes it possible for you and your employees to be up and running from day one with minimal training.

An Affordable Investment for Now and the Future

Microsoft Navision Standard will fit your business today and tomorrow. You can license the functionality you need now, and, if your business needs change, simply add the functionality your business demands – at a price you can afford. And if you ever need to expand your solution to accommodate more than ten employees, you can easily step up to Microsoft Navision Professional.

See the attached data sheet for a list of all features available for Microsoft Navision Standard.

Integrated Base Solution

With Microsoft Navision Standard, you know the status of your business at any given moment. Business and financial information is always up-to-date and fully integrated with information and input from all other areas in the program.

You can drill down on the fly to investigate a specific transaction, or you can use highly specific filtering criteria to find the exact information you want. You can find core details about financial information relating to customers, vendors, items, fixed assets, and general ledger accounts. Transactions leave a complete audit trail, so that even complex transactions become transparent.

Microsoft Office Integration

Microsoft Navision Standard lets you easily integrate your business data with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook®. Collaborative, Excel-based budgeting tools integrate business data across applications. You can export data to Excel to perform advanced analysis or create graphical presentations. Integration with Microsoft Outlook facilitates easy collaboration and communication via e-mail and efficient contact management. You can even create custom letters to customers, vendors, and employees using integrated mail merge features.

Powerful collaboration, networking, and data management capabilities

When you combine Microsoft Navision Standard and Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, you get the tools you need to share information and processes with your employees, customers, and partners—no matter where they’re located. Without straining limited IT resources, you can provide powerful networking and collaboration capabilities that let you connect effectively with customers and suppliers and share files, schedules, and other critical business information.

For more robust data management needs, combine Microsoft Navision Standard and Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium and step up to Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000, an established database leader for small and mid-market segment businesses. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 provides sophisticated data management tools, optimal levels of server performance and reliability, and the ability to make full use of your existing software and hardware investments.

Microsoft Dynamics-Navision: Standard Version Info

Microsoft Navision Standard version consists of a subset of the functionality found in Microsoft Navision Professional and addresses core needs at a very competitive price.

It includes financial management, banking, sales, purchasing, human resources, inventory, and reporting tools. It’s for between one and ten program users, but you can always upgrade to the extended Microsoft Navision product, which can accommodate as many users as you need.

Microsoft Dynamics–Navision Standard is made for small organizations and growing companies that don’t have a lot of time to spend on their business management software.

Now your company can benefit from technology usually reserved for larger businesses. Microsoft Navision Standard frees you to focus on business. It’s a sound investment that’s fast to implement and simple to use and maintain.

Microsoft Business Solutions ‘ Navision

Brent Dirks
The CPA Technology Advisor

What Makes Navision Different?

When reviewing any accounting software solution, I think that it is important to understand how the product is different from its’ competitors. All products are developed with different tools, different philosophies, and with different objectives in mind. All products are targeted towards different sized customers, and different industries. When evaluating products, it is easy to get bogged down in the overwhelming complexity of the systems. The reality is that all accounting systems have a general ledger with account numbers and financial reports; they all have an average accounts payable module that works fine; they all have a bevy of standard features. Studying these common elements of an accounting system will get you nowhere. It is the key differences that provide keen insights that will allow you to effectively identify and select the right product for your needs. With this spirit in mind, presented below are the key characteristics that set Navision apart from its competitors:  

• Speed - For starters, Navision is extremely fast and reliable. Whether you choose the Navision database or Microsoft SQL Server database option, you will find that the product flies. In 2000, I was engaged by an Atlanta based company who needed an accounting system solution that could accommodate up to ten million transactions a day. The company was on the verge of contracting with a company in India to write a product for them to handle this volume. I advised them that I thought that Navision could handle this volume right out of the box. When asked to prove this claim, I teamed up with Tom Wimberly and Kevin Fischer of CompuSystems of GA who constructed a database of 10 million transactions (not an easy task mind you) and posted these transactions to Navision in less than 3 minutes, right in front of the company’s management. They were convinced and the company implemented Navision for a total price including software, customization work, and implementation costs that was 90% less than expected compared to the India-based programming option.

• SIFT - There is a key reason why Navision is such a fast product – particularly when it comes to printing reports. Navision is designed with a clever technique which they call “Sum Index Flow Technology” (SIFT). With SIFT technology, every time a transaction is posted anywhere within Navision, all customer, vendor, account, and item totals are updated automatically for each day, week, month, quarter, and year. In this manner, when a user prints a report in Navision, the system need only “grab” the necessary totals and pop the report to the screen. By contrast, most other products must tabulate hundreds (if not thousands) of transactions in order to calculate the necessary totals and produce the resulting reports. This same tabulation occurs each time a report is produced, even if that same report was just produced seconds earlier. The result is that Navision reports hit the screen almost immediately, while other products may take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or even several minutes in order to make a report happen. Very clever!

• Reliable – Navision is designed in such a way that it maintains database integrity, even if the power is cut unexpectedly during a posting routine. For example, assume that you are posting a large batch of 500 transactions in Navision. The product actually makes a copy of the database on the fly, then posts the transactions to this copy. Once this procedure is completed, Navision makes another copy of the original database, and proceeds to over write the original database with the posted version. Once the whole posting process is completed and verified, Navision throws away the unneeded database copies. In this manner, the computer’s electrical plug can be literally pulled out of the wall at any point during the posting routine, and upon rebooting the computer, Navision will automatically continue the posting routine where it left off. ACCPAC has also engineered it’s product to post in this manner. It is not uncommon for Navision and ACCPAC resellers to stage an “accidental unplugging” during a product demo in order to prove this powerful feature.

• Customization - Navision is highly customizable, with perhaps the best mix of “ease of customization” and “power of customization” available anywhere. Today you will find that most of the top accounting packages are highly customizable. The general idea is that the product is supposed to meet 80% to 85% of your needs right out of the box, and you use the built-in customization tools to meet the remaining 10% to 15% of your needs. Unfortunately, some products which offer customization offer very limited customization capabilities, while other products which offer strong customization are extremely difficult to customize. I‘ve talked to dozens of consultants out there who have customized a wide variety of products and the general consensus is that this is Navisions’ true strength, and the foundation for it’s success. I have prepared a detailed demonstration of this feature, which is located in the “Navision Product Tour” section of this web site.

• Audit Trail – Navision has perhaps the best audit trail of an accounting software package I have seen. The product allows you to drill down and around virtually throughout the entire system. No matter where you are, the built-in “drill-ability” of the product allows you to navigate seamlessly from financial statements down to original source documents, and from source documents up to the resulting financial statements. I have prepared a detailed demonstration of this feature, which is located in the “Navision Product Tour” section of this web site.

• High Reseller Standards – One of the best attributes of Navision is the extensive training and testing requirements set forth by Navision. In order to be an Navision Solution Center (reseller), you must have five people attend extensive training and they must each pass a fairly tough test. Three of these people must be trained in the Navision product, and two of them must be trained in customizing the Navision product. In 1999, Navision reportedly fired 25% of their 120 resellers because they did not pass the tests, or because they were providing shoddy work. By contrast, most other accounting vendors make little or no requirements of their reseller channel. To some accounting software companies, their reseller test amounts to seeing whether or not the reseller’s check will clear. I believe that Navision’s requirements result in much higher caliber Solution Centers, which in turn translates to higher customer satisfaction.

• Reseller Fees - It is worth noting that most resellers are required to pay a fee in order to become a product reseller. This fee typically ranges from a few thousand dollars to $15,000 or higher with the normal fee of $5,000. Thereafter, the reseller purchases the product at discounts ranging from 30% to 55% off, this discount usually escalates during the year as the reseller achieves higher volumes. However Navision does not charge a fee to become a Solution Center. Instead, Solution Centers must meet certain standards (basically five consultants must be on staff and trained in the Navision product, and there must be a commitment to maintain a certain level of marketing). Navision even trains the Solution Center personnel for free (although the Solution Centers must pick up their own travel expenses to Norcross, Georgia).

• Positive Customer Feedback – Perhaps the main reason that I regard Navision so highly is the fact that I have never had an unsatisfied customer when I have recommended the product to them. In other words, 100% of the people I’ve recommended Navision to, and who actually installed Navision, have indicated virtually complete satisfaction with the product. The only two exceptions to this are as follows. In 1998, I recommended Navision to my printer, and despite repeated phone calls to the nearest Navision Solution Center located about 75 miles away, the Solution Center never returned her call. In 1999, an Atlanta area Navision customer mentioned to me a problem with Navision on a Saturday. I e-mailed my contacts at Navision who immediately jumped on this problem. At 2:00pm on Monday afternoon, an official at Navision corporate called me personally to explain that the problem had been solved, and asked me to call the company to verify this claim. I did. The customer was satisfied. I’ve recommended Navision dozens of times throughout the years, and with results like these, it is easy to see why I continue to recommend Navision.

• Protected Territories – Navision protects its Solution Centers by limiting the number of Solution Centers in a given territory. For example the total number of Solution Centers in the United States has grown from about 80, 120, 150, and 200 in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 respectively. By contrast, many larger accounting software companies have 2,000 to 4,000 resellers out there. There are some benefits to having more resellers, for example, it is more likely that you will find one if you need one. However, it is almost a certainty that this approach results in hundreds of resellers “working out of the trunks of their cars” so-to-speak and without the proper product training. Since shoddy resellers is the number one complaint from end users, this characteristic is worth noting.

• Two Database Options – Navision offers two databases, a proprietary database called the Navision database (formerly referred to as the C/Side database) and Microsoft SQL Server. Ordinarily, you will hear me trash proprietary technologies when it comes to databases and programming languages. However, the Navision database is outstanding. Today, 80% of the new Navision customers purchase the Navision database option over the Microsoft SQL Server option, even though it is priced the same. The reason for this I believe, is that the Navision database is fast, and easy to administer – which translates to a lower total cost of ownership. I should note that I like the Microsoft SQL Server database also. Navision says that they added the Microsoft SQL Server option because they were losing some deals due to not being fully Microsoft compliant. I can understand this.

• Granular Pricing – Navision is the only mid-range or high-end product that is priced by the granule – or in other words, priced by the feature. For example, you could purchase a single user version of the Navision general ledger for about $500. However, the allocations, budgeting, and consolidation features would cost an additional $300 each. By the time you purchased the full general ledger, a single user version would cost about $2,500. User licenses for additional users would drive that cost up much higher. The result is that smaller companies who anticipate heavy growth can get into the Navision product for a lower cost, and can add additional features and functionality as they grow.

It is interesting to note that each Navision installation includes all granules (or features). The un-purchased granules are “turned off” in the live product until they are purchased. However, users can toggle over to the sample company and experiment with these un-purchased features using the sample company data before making a decision to purchase them. I think that this is very clever. 

• Foreign Language and Foreign Currency – Navision is a widely deployed product around the world. It is reported that in Iceland, one out of every two hundred residents of that country use Navision software (this may be hard to believe, but here at Accounting Software Advisor, we try to bring you every statistic). My point is that because Navision is deployed in so many countries, the product has developed excellent foreign currency and foreign language capabilities. By contrast, many accounting software products developed in the United States either do not include foreign currency and foreign language capabilities, or they add them later as an after-thought. If foreign currency and foreign language capabilities are important to you, then Navision just moved up a little higher on your short list – didn’t it?

Dynamics NAV 2009 contains a new subsystem for dealing with Web Services. This feature has been well received by partners and customers alike. Partners have expressed interest in having web services available for earlier versions of Dynamics NAV. This feedback resulted in a technology talk at Directions2007 in Florida, where the topic was what could be done to day. The conclusion of the talk was that everything we where intending to deliver was already possible today, yes some code is needed but strictly from function/feature perspective all of it is possible, and it is not even all that ugly. Dynamics NAV 2009 will provide out-of-the-box programmatic web service access to the application and will therefore remove the need for this additional technology plumbing described here.

I have to say that the response to my talk has been tremendous. After the response to my talk on Web Services in NAV 5.0 and previous versions I decided to write this blog post and make the source files available.

This post is about how to bridge the gap between the need for web services now and the current platform, it will help you understand how you can provide Web Services directly from Dynamics NAV today, in a “simple” and flexible way, already today.

To work with the samples in this post you will need: Visual Studio 2005, Dynamics NAV 5.0 and .Net 3.0 installed on your system. This sample should work on Dynamics NAV 4.0 to but has not been tested on that version.

Microsoft® Business Solutions-Navision® gives the freedom to focus on your
business by providing an efficient way to streamline your business and increase productivity.

Microsoft Navision lets you replace your existing system with a single fully integrated solution
that connects everyone in your organization to your customers, suppliers, and partners through the Internet any time, anywhere.

That is why more than 40,000 companies in over 130 countries use Microsoft Navision every day.

Key Benefits:

• Increase your productivity.

• Sharpen your competitive edge.

• Grow your business.

• Connect with your employees, customers, and partners.

Sales and Marketing 

With Microsoft Navision, you can synchronize sales, marketing, and ordering with Microsoft Office productivity tools, such as Microsoft Outlook. Contact, task, meeting, and e-mail information appear directly within the Microsoft Navision screen. In addition, real-time information about all your contacts can help you identify key accounts and target marketing efforts.

Distribution

Microsoft Navision helps small and midsize businesses streamline distribution processes and improve inventory management and warehouse efficiency. Key capabilities include item tracking, multiple location logistics, bills of materials, transfers, item substitutions, and warehouse management ranging from internal picking to shipping and delivery.

Connect business processes across technologies

By using the XML document exchange feature, Commerce Gateway, Microsoft Navision streamlines processes, helping you communicate with your supply chain partners more quickly and effectively, even if they are using a different system. In addition, it uses extensible business reporting language (XBRL) to export financial reports \across all software and technologies to streamline the exchange of financial data.

Ease of use

Microsoft Navision is both easy to use and simple to maintain. Its interface, which mirrors that of familiar Microsoft Office applications, requires little to no training and gives employees simultaneous access to data from a single screen. Furthermore, you can streamline workflow by allowing employees, customers, vendors, and business partners to interact with your system through personalized Web portals. Or you can take advantage of XML and XBRL to communicate with other entities across different technologies.

Customization

Because Microsoft Navision allows extensive customizations from within an integrated development environment, you can make immediate changes to respond more efficiently to customers and new business opportunities-without disrupting everyday operations. The solution also integrates with any business intelligence tool on the market for added reporting flexibility. In addition, Microsoft Navision comes with the full support of Microsoft and your local Microsoft Certified Business Solutions partner.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV  fulfills all of your accounting, supply chain management, and CRM needs. More than 30,000 companies in 50 countries and one million users count on Microsoft Dynamics NAV to run their operations smoothly. From inventory control and sales order management to time, billing and service management, AVF can easily customize Microsoft Dynamics NAV to streamline your business today.

Why choose Microsoft Dynamics NAV over other management applications?

Simple. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is the best solution for mid-sized companies. All you have to do is see it in action and you will agree that Microsoft Dynamics NAV has the best user interface, drill-down capabilities, ease-of-use, simplified customization and more. AVF Consulting works with you to determine which Microsoft Dynamics NAV modules make sense for your business and we customize whatever is necessary to make your business run more efficiently.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV  features includes (partial list):

Financial Management
• General Ledger
• Accounts Receivable
• Accounts Payable
• Cash Manager
• Fixed Assets
• Human Resources
• Budgeting
• Reporting
• Consolidation
• Project Management
• Multiple Dimensions
• Multiple Currencies

Distribution
• Inventory Management
• Warehouse Management
• Order Processing
• Returns Management
• Automated Data Capture Systems (ADCS)
• Pricing for Sales & Purchasing
• Inventory Costing
• Shipment & Delivery

Manufacturing
• Production Orders
• Bill of Materials
• Supply Planning
• Demand Forecasting
• Capacity Requirements Planning
• Manufacturing Costing

E-Business
• Commerce Gateway
– Automatic Internet-based commercial transactions
• Commerce Portal
– Internet browser-based access for customers,
vendors and partners
• User Portal
– Internet browser-based access for employees