Microsoft Dynamics NAV Overview | Your ERP Solution

What is Microsoft Navision?

Microsoft Navision is the old name for Dynamics NAV (which is now known as Dynamics 365 Business Central!), an ERP system that provides businesses with an end-to-end solution for connecting and managing all processes (such as sales, purchasing, accounting, plus general reporting). It's an adaptable solution that allows you to easily upgrade from entry-level accounting software and legacy ERP systems. That’s just a brief explanation of what Microsoft Navision is!

Dynamics 365 Business Central, however, is the next generation of Navision software and as such, it has at its foundation a set of trusted, proven technologies. Being super flexible, it is designed to suit how you work and can be customised to fit your business, no matter what your industry.

Navision vs Dynamics 365 Business Central

The history of Microsoft Navision dates back to the early 1980s when three college friends from Copenhagen set out to create an accounting package that could run on a personal computer. Ten years later in 1990, they expanded beyond Copenhagen and into the UK where the Navision software was used for the first time, soon becoming popular with larger clients (100+ users!)

Confused as to why Microsoft doesn't mention Navision on their website? That's because it has been rebranded a couple of times since its creation – firstly Dynamics NAV in 2005 and more recently in 2018, Microsoft renamed the product to Dynamics 365 Business Central. (Check out our handy timeline that documents the history of the Microsoft Navision software through to the present day.)

We often get asked 'what is the difference between Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central?' The simple answer is it's just Microsoft’s latest version of the Navision software!

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Upgrading Navision

Looking to upgrade from Microsoft Navision? We’ve got you covered!

We’re happy to support you with your old Navision system until you are ready to move on. Also, thanks to our experience, we can look after any functional code in these older versions (and some of our staff love the nostalgia that comes with working with older systems). However, while we can help you, we can’t change the underlying kernel that defines these systems.

As Microsoft drops support for security fixes/updates for these older Navision versions, there will always be some risk staying on them – and that becomes harder for us to mitigate. But rest assured, we’ll do what we can to keep your old engine running up until the day you’re ready to move to your new, shiny and functionally rich Dynamics 365 Business Central platform.

Navision Features & Functionality

Back in the early days of Navision, it had just six menu items: general ledger, sales and receivables, purchase and payables, inventory, jobs and resources. Even then, much of what we know and love today was perfectly formed in a character-based solution. That said, Navision still allowed users to move or hide columns, filter on any field and use flow fields to calculate values on the fly with date filters.

Fast-forward to the current day, and when we talk about the features and functionality available in Navision, we will be referring to what is available in Dynamics 365 Business Central – the latest version. The features and functionalities of Navision have come a long way and with the current version, Dynamics 365 Business Central, you can not only integrate it with other Microsoft cloud services (including Office 365), but also extend for specific needs with Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI.

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Performance

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Optimising Older Navision Systems

Many of our current customers are on old Navision versions – the majority are still using versions that predate the current Role Tailored Client (RTC) visual interface, while some use Navision versions as far back as 1.3 and 2.6 (which were implemented in the mid to late 1990s).

Of course, we recognise that not everyone can upgrade their Navision to a shiny new Dynamics 365 Business Central system, and that’s fine! For those of you who are unable to or not yet ready to upgrade, there are a lot of things you can do to your current Navision system to improve it.

Our founder describes this as putting ‘Lipstick on a Pig’, which essentially means ‘tarting up’ your classic Navision system. We can add bits and bobs on to it to improve its functionality. There’s also the option of a ‘technical upgrade’, which allows you to keep your existing functionality and modifications but support them with the latest executables. To find your best option, read our blog on maximising older Navision systems.

Implementation & Project Methodology

Looking for information on implementing Navision? It's easy to get confused with the various name changes – instead of a Navision implementation, what you'll actually be getting is the current version, Dynamics 365 Business Central! Head over to our implementation page to learn more.

P.S. If you’re worried about implementing Dynamics 365 Business Central, don’t be!

Our unique implementation methodology, ‘Day in the Life’, ensures that your system is designed to meet your day-to-day needs. We’ll look at your business as a whole and discuss your typical day-to-day processes to build a model of your business within Dynamics 365 Business Central.

The result? You get your data in a real Business Central environment, so you can see exactly what you’ll be getting!

Disaster Recovery

What do you currently have in place to cope with a ransomware attack? If your Navision solution were to be subject to an attack, would you be able to continue with business as usual?

If you're lacking in confidence over your Disaster Recovery strategy, let our experts give you a helping hand.

With our Disaster Recovery consultation, we aim to identify areas of weakness and potential improvement in your strategies and systems.

We have put together a plan for you to protect your business critical systems against attackers. Our experts are here to help.

Managed Services

Our Managed Services team is built of skilled individuals in all areas of IT infrastructure, ranging from hosting your Navision solution to Azure and Office 365.

If you're unsure about your current IT infrastructure and want some advice, get in touch and we will be happy to help!

If you're interested to know more about our Managed Services team and what they can offer you and your business, click here to read more. This includes hosting, security and consultancy in any capacity that you require.

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Dynamics NAV Training

We provide a large range training courses to help you get the most out of your system - oh, and they're completely free! We strongly believe training is essential in helping to enhance your knowledge and understanding of your solution.

Our most popular Navision training courses are:

Finance 101: This course is designed for anyone new to the Finance Department or Finance in general and shows the capabilities of the solution and its uses.
Manufacturing 101: Develop your understanding of the Manufacturing module with this course and learn about planning setup, replenishment options, production, bills of material maintenance, routes, item costing and much more!
Sales & CRM 101: This training course is designed for account managers, salespeople and marketing personnel who’d like to develop their understanding of the CRM module. It covers contacts, profiles, segments, campaigns and more.
Warehouse Management 101: Including warehouse setup, consignments, putaways, processing movements and lots more, this course was created to assist warehouse managers in understanding the Warehouse module.

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Solution Performance Review

Unhappy with the performance of your Microsoft Navision system or the quality of service provided by your current partner? Maybe you want strategic advice and better value for money? Whatever the problem, our NAV Doctor services can help. We provide any unhappy users with a free ‘Health Check’, designed to get to the root of issues and provide advice or action points to sort them out!

This is essentially a partnership between you and us. We’ll share our knowledge and experience to provide better advice and support, all with the purpose of driving positive outcomes. We’ll not only identify and remedy your current problems, we’ll also build a solid platform for you to leverage the true capability of your system.

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Our Incredible People

The number one Microsoft Navision partner and reseller in the UK

We’re the number one Dynamics NAV partner and reseller in the UK – and that includes Navision, too! We’ve been champions of Navision for so long that the majority of our team know it inside out (some have spent most of their adult life working with it).

As a result, we have roles dedicated to specific aspects of the Navision system and can offer expertise no other Navision partner can provide. Together, our team has over 4,000 years of experience working with Navision, making us the most experienced Navision partner in the UK (and also Ireland). Don’t worry, we’ve done the math.

Also, if you’re ever worried about getting Navision support from us – don’t be! There are 367 of us and we have over 60 people on our support team. Every one of us is passionate about this amazing Microsoft technology, and that’s just one of the reasons why we’re the number one Navision partner and reseller in the UK.

Navision Support

Why do we think our support team are the best in the business?

There aren't many Navision Support Partners that can boast a dedicated team of over 60 people - all of whom are solely tasked with keeping your Navision system in top form. Customers of ours expect the best and this includes:

Navision training

The free training sessions we offer cover the main functional areas within Navision (shown in Dynamics NAV or Dynamics 365 Business Central), including Finance, Manufacturing, Jobs and much more

Support team

Our support team are just that, a team of connected and talented individuals who can share knowledge about any system issues. Our customers get the answers they need in a timely manner and our support team's knowledge grows

Minor mods service

If you require modifications to your Navision solution and they can be completed in less than an hour, we will happily complete this for you for free. This offering is included in your support contract. These quick wins can make a world of difference to your users

Out-of-hours support

Outside of our usual working hours, our talented support team can be available, giving you the peace of mind to operate at all hours

SLAs

Our service level agreements mean that we'll offer you support in a timely and professional manner. This includes any version of Navision, Dynamics NAV or Dynamics 365 Business Central version.

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