Throughout the last few years, everyone has been talking about where Microsoft Dynamics NAV is going, why the name ‘NAV’ is disappearing and what the future holds. This blog offers a simplified explanation of my uptake on what Microsoft is doing. The key precursor is a direct message aimed at businesses that have an accounting package, but have outgrown it and want to look forward, not just analyse the past.
Microsoft is targeting businesses that want an easy to use platform, with the capability to analyse data to make the right decisions and consequently grow their business. Microsoft achieves this by earmarking 3 key areas, which are overlooked in basic accounting packages. Those areas are:
- A platform that everyone is used to and feels comfortable working in – hence reduction in overreliance on training and key personnel.
- Analytical tools that allow decision makers to aim at growth in areas, which have been previously overlooked.
- Reducing the frustration and time wasted “Alt Tabbing” between different applications and logins
So how does Microsoft want to achieve that:
Users are Comfortable Working in it
Users are provided with an interface they are familiar with, namely Office products, including Outlook, Word and Excel. Whilst Office 365 has grown, Dynamics elements are attached to the same User Interface. This gives the common platform that users are comfortable with and sees the same layout they are used to. All they need to do is to select business areas that need improving. Dynamics 365 Business Central allows for this simplicity; it aims to provide decision makers the choice of choosing areas. For example, if a business suffers in its Operations Management, it then invests in that area and simply enables that option through the Office 365 portal.
Where does NAV fit into D365, busting the myths In simple terms, Dynamics NAV is the area represented by Financial Management, Operations Management and Supply Chain Management. Businesses do not have to enable all three in one go, they can choose to enable the area of highest priority. More importantly they only pay for that element on a pay-as-you-go monthly subscription like Office 365.
A beneficial feature is that Dynamics 365 is available on all devices and platforms:
Decision Support
The next step was to provide the analytical tools for decision makers and realising that Dynamics 365 Business Central is only part of the equation, they needed to give decision makers the right tools to analyse the information in a way to allow for dissecting the areas where there is potential for the highest incremental growth. Adding tools like Flow, Power BI and Power Apps means that all analytical scenarios are addressed. Microsoft even went further by allowing Apps to be built through vertical solutions and readily made available through AppSource.
Businesses looking to invest so that growth and more importantly better profitability can be achieved, then Dynamics 365 Business Central is their panacea, as it is the future of a simple, easy to use and quick to deploy solution without any upfront licensing costs.