What is Dynamics NAV 2017? A Complete Overview

Those who say that our goals are limitless have never worked in the corporate world. From the production of the actual product, to customer follow-up in the sales department, it’s a pretty big ship to steer in the right direction. Managing all of this and so much more requires a lot of communication, a flexible and dependable system, and a team dedicated to the same goals. Even with all of this, the route will be hard, long, and filled with difficulties.

So how do we  ensure we achieve our goals? How do we beat the odds when so many companies are closing or struggling? This is the same question that led—many, many years ago—to the creation of the ERP system: Enterprise Resource Planning software.

Used to make your work life easier, to increase your workflow, and improve your overall productivity, it made sense for Microsoft to create its own ERP system, gathering its most popular tools under the same umbrella: Dynamics NAV 2017.

But don’t get this confused, Dynamics NAV is much more than just an Outlook and Word combo, it is a complete solution to improve your daily life.

So how can Dynamics NAV 2017 really improve your life at work?

Dynamics NAV 2017 is—I already pointed it out—ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. What does that mean? It signifies that it’s software that supports you and helps you manage your core business processes.

This can be interpreted in many ways, but mainly, you can find in ERP a sales manager, a customer service expert, an accountant, a production assistant, a marketing guru, a business intelligence analyst, and other programs that will make your life easier in those departments.

But what about Dynamics NAV 2017, precisely?

On top of all of this, Dynamics NAV 2017 will facilitate the travel of information in your company, and will provide you applicable insight with its ability to gather, store, and manage data. Overall, it’s a suite of integrated applications that communicate between each other to ease your workflow.

With its multi-language and multi-currency business management solution, Microsoft has definitely come to the market with strong software for SMB worldwide in Dynamics NAV 2017.

Supporting the management of accounting, finances, supply chain, operations, and so much more, Dynamics NAV 2017 is adaptable, and extremely powerful for any industry. It meets the changing to meet the needs of your business in no time, and you sure can create and deploy the perfect solutions for you with its numerous applications ready to be integrated.

Obviously, with such strong tools like Dynamics 365 that includes Outlook, Word, and Excel, Microsoft was the perfect choice for the creation of an ERP. By combining NAV and Dynamics 365, you get the best, seamlessly integrated solution, and thus, without any bugs.

With Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017, you don’t need to navigate from application to application and try to integrate your favourite solutions into your ERP. It’s all already there. You can work with the tools you are familiar with like Outlook, and take action with the applications you know.

Dynamics NAV 2017’s functionalities are so much more

When looking at the Dynamics NAV 2017 functionalities, it can get a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry. We’ll get into the details pretty soon.

All you need to know is that ERP software is customizable, and can suit any type of workflow, industry requirements, or specific needs. Everything can be tuned, tweaked, and every problem tackled, to some extent, in order to create the best ERP for you and your company.

Here is an impressive overview of all Dynamics NAV 2017 can offer you. In each of these product functionalities, you will find a solution to streamline your life by doing more in less time.

Get the financial management you need

The financial side of a business is such an important one that we need the very best tools to help us make the right decisions.

With the Dynamics NAV 2017 ERP system, you get a wide range of integrated solutions that help with reporting; business data; monitoring the health of the company; controlling the company’s costs; keeping track of assets and their allocations, insurance, and maintenance; inter-company posting; budget; consolidation; cash management; and so much more.

From supply to production with an SCM

Dynamics NAV 2017 will provide you with options to support your Supply Chain Management (SCM). From adding new addresses, to sales order management, you get a well-rounded service that will ease your work life.

Get all you need to excel and handle your inventory, manage your items and orders, and so much more.

What about the manufacturing, then?

I have to admit that I find this one really impressive because it helps you manage the manufacturing part of your products. Crazy, right?

In fact, the manufacturing functions will mostly be part of the Extended Pack. If you choose that plan, you’ll get applications that support you through so many steps of your manufacturing process.

Plan the supply, or the capacity to produce orders, or do some agile manufacturing. You have it all at your fingertips.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: the best place to manage your resources

Dynamics NAV 2017 is indeed the best place to manage projects since it has everything you need in terms of resources. From capacity management solutions, to time sheets and basic management, you get an overview of everything that is going on in your company.

And the most difficult part… The sales and marketing functions

Handle the workflow, the service management, create reports, and discover insightful information with the sales and marketing functions. You can organize and track campaigns while benefiting from the Dynamics 365 CRM integration to ease your work life.

You can even get e-service to support you with electronic documents.

Don’t forget Power BI

While talking about Marketing, it would be completely wrong to forget Power BI, Microsoft’s impressive Business Intelligence tool. The Power BI pack for Dynamics NAV 2017 gives you instant insight and uncovers important information on your business dashboard.

Specifically designed for SMB owners, the Power BI pack gives you details about all sorts of things like customers, sales, and finances. Explore your latest data and discover how quickly you can improve your business.

Well, all these features are interesting, but take the time to consider our 5 key factors before changing your ERP.

You are probably asking yourself where you can find a product like this one

Dynamics NAV 2017, as you can see, is a terrific tool. Sometimes, what sounds too good to be true scares us a little bit, right? Well, there is no need to be terrified by the pricing or the buying process of Dynamics NAV 2017, because it’s been tailor-made to suit SMB’s budget, with the support of a partner like a big company.

You get to choose what is best for you

The formula, which is separated into two camps, has been created specifically to tackle SMB’s big issues with different types of licensing and packages. You can then find the best way for you and your company without having to sacrifice performance, or support.

Sold by a network of partners like Gestisoft, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 will require that you first find the best Microsoft reseller for you. Why? They will be the one providing customer service, support, and implementation help. These are crucial in your success with an ERP.

With them, you will discuss your business needs and industry requirements so they can have the best idea of what kind of ERP you need. Then, they will be able to provide a price quote depending on your functionalities, the number and type of users, and your implementation support.

Once you have found a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 partner, you will have to choose from two forms of licensing :

• Perpetual Licensing
• Service Provider’s Subscription Licensing

Each of those two types of license will give you the option of the Starter Pack or the Extended Pack.

But first, the Dynamics NAV 2017 licence

Perpetual Licensing has been created to help SMBs get started with an affordable price and the tools needed to launch quickly. With this type of licensing, you can get an ERP with built-in functionalities set up rapidly.

On the other hand, the Service Provider’s Subscription Licensing will help companies wanting to keep the upfront cost low. With its “per user per month” formula, the licensing fee is more adaptable to the needs and requirements of the business. You can choose between Full user and Limited user depending of the size of your company.

And then there is the choice of the right service bundle

Once you have chosen your Microsoft Dynamics NAV license type, you will have to make a choice between the Starter Pack and the Extended Pack. Both of those bundles include different services that either offer a limited, but still complete experience, or you will get the total services. Depending on your specific needs, you will surely find what you want.

The Starter Pack includes:

• Finance
• Distribution
• Projects

The Extended Pack includes:

• Everything from the Starter Pack
• Manufacturing
• Warehousing
• Professional Services

Here are the details of what you can get from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017:

Image from Microsoft NAV 2017, Capibility Guide and Product Overview, Microsoft, October 2016

‍As you can see, this is a TON of information. Basically, what you need to remember is that the Microsoft Dynamics NAV starter pack is a terrific start in the ERP world. By providing so many awesome services, it’s the opposite of everything we imagine when we think about a starting bundle. On top of that, it gives you 3 full user licenses, and most importantly, it will help you gain overall control and insight into your business.

With the Extended Pack, you will get all of this, but also a way to manage your product from A to Z. I know, it was already so much with the Starter Pack, but the Extended Pack found a way to go the extra mile that makes your workflow so much easier.

That way, both bundles can help you achieve your goals in their own way. Don’t forget that you have the freedom to choose from two types of licenses. Overall, it’s the partnership that will be able to make the big difference with your Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 ERP.

As I said earlier, your partner will be the one to help you navigate the Microsoft service offers and your needs, by creating the best solution for you. A great partner will listen to your requirements, assess your workflow, and will find the combination that will fit your work life, and also your budget. They will have your goals at heart, and make sure that you reach them efficiently. This is a sign of a great partnership.

As you can see, it’s a euphemism to say that an ERP does a LOT. It might be hard to fully comprehend the extent of it, but you can be sure that Microsoft Dynamics NAV is the kind of software that can propel you further than you imagine.

Well thought out, well created, and well implemented, the ERP is like a team member of your company that makes everything flow better. With its automated applications, the integrated solutions, and the Microsoft interface that you know so well, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 is a powerful tool that will help you achieve more in less time. It’s nothing less than a game changer.