DYNAMICS EXPERTS
EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE SERVICES
Trusted Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central professionals working for leading businesses
DYNAMICS EXPERTS LTD (DEL)
Who we are?
We are first and foremost passionate NAV admirers. We specialise purely in Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Now Dynamics 365 Business Central) and its associated extensions. It’s the only thing we focus on. We have been working with Dynamics NAV since last 20+ years and to this day continue to be in awe of its potential and its ability to allow complex solutions to seamlessly integrate with the core product. We have more than 80 years of solid cumulative NAV experience under our belt including working with large NAV partners as well as interacting directly with NAV end users.
What do we stand for?
The company was founded in April 2014 with the sole purpose of bridging the vast gap between NAV end users on one side and the authorised partners on the other. The aim is to get one step closer to the end user in order to better understand their requirements and offer flexible yet precise solutions. We do not have any big overheads - large offices, big workforce or Microsoft commitments all of which lead to multiple overheads ultimately costing the end user much more than it should. So we are proud to be different - in our lean and focussed approach in understanding client's requirements and offering solutions which are easier to implement. We also offer much smaller lead times - typically days rather than weeks and are happy to meet deadlines even if it means working in the evening, on weekends, across different time zones or increasing our expert resource pool at short notice. We are not on the first page of search engines nor you will find us mentioned in industry periodicals or in the Microsoft world. But yet we can provide multiple glowing testimonials of work we have done for reputed organisations and how we have made a real difference by delivering quality at a fraction of the cost.
Are we an authorised partner?
As we are keener on providing implementation/support services rather than selling NAV, we deliberately decided against becoming an authorised NAV reseller (though we still sell NAV licenses using our associates). Becoming an authorised partner comes with sales commitment with Microsoft which means searching for new customers as well as convincing existing ones to upgrade so that Microsoft can sell new or upgraded licenses. Our mission is to maximise your investment in your current NAV product – be it version 2.0, 4.03, 2009, 2018, Business Central (or any of the other intervening ones), classic or RTC, on-premise or cloud based. We understand the outlay that you would have made in buying whatever version of NAV that you originally bought and then tailoring it, sometimes spread over several years, to be fit for purpose for use in your organisation. We appreciate this time as well as the monetary investment and want you to get maximum utilisation from it. So we do not pressurise you to look for newer versions or to compulsorily upgrade. We are confident that most of the changes that you need are possible in your current version and it will cost you a fraction to get it developed as compared to the cost of upgrade or looking for a new ERP. So we want to consciously focus on existing NAV customers and aim to support their existing NAV systems rather than devote our time in looking for new clients.
What makes us diffferent?
First of all, we have got oodles of NAV experience and a willingness to treat each customer fairly. We always strive to make our customers feel happy with their NAV investment. Secondly our vast experience gives us the ability to understand what the users want out of their system. We are technical-enough to 'read' bespoke NAV code to ensure that our understanding of a complex system can be as competent as your existing NAV partner as well as functional-enough to appreciate inter-departmental co-operation & every organisation's unique style of working. We also have managerial experience and understand stakeholder's aims from an ERP system and management concerns regarding the need to conform to deadlines & budgets. Finally, we are extremely passionate about Dynamics NAV as a system - to us NAV is unparalleled in the entire ERP world and we want customers to share our love and admiration and also appreciate the simplicity & elegance with which complex solutions can be delivered in a seamless manner.
What We Offer
We are extremely flexible in the solutions that we offer within the Dynamics NAV eco system. While most of our clients are NAV end users, we have continued to enjoy cordial working relationship with the partner channel as well. Since we are not an authorised reseller, almost all of our end user clients already have a reseller from whom they would have bought the NAV license. In some cases a contractual support arrangement with that reseller might still be operational. Equally, we also work with a lot of large end users where the relationship with the reseller has either completely broken down or is virtually non-existent and the clients have established their own in-house support infrastructure as well their own development team. The other variation that we deal with are end users who have their own solution developer license (allowing them to customise most parts of the system) versus some others where we can only do report developments or data migration due to the license restriction. We are used to working in all sorts of environments. We have no qualms if our changes are vetted by your existing NAV partner to be taken under their current support umbrella. Equally we can also provide support on everything that we have done.
Dynamics NAV End User Offering
The long-established model
Once the decision to go with Dynamics NAV or 365 Business Central has been taken, the traditional model used by the majority of clients is to engage with an authorised reseller for the purchase of NAV license and then to engage with the same partner to get the solution implemented in their organisation. And once the relationship is established, the preference is to engage with the same partner for all future add-on requirements. In most cases, we have seen that once the initial project has culminated into NAV becoming a fully live system, requesting the partner for additional changes is a totally different ball game. The original consultants involved with the project are difficult to find as they have moved on to other clients and the support desk that you are dealing with do not have the full understanding of your system. The lead times for the right resources are extended (typically months rather than days or even weeks) and on top of that it still costs a fortune to get even the basic tasks done!!
The new approach
We have successfully broken this conventional mould multiple times. We are NAV experts and can provide all the implementation and support services at a fraction of the cost charged by the authorised partners. We can even sell NAV licenses through our associates. We at DEL are fully flexible in our offering and are happy to provide small ad-hoc services at very reasonable prices. Our daily rates are substantially lower than those charged by the solution centres and can help save customers a fortune. We do not have any minimum chargeability or high overheads. We will charge only what it takes us to deliver the specified quantum of work - not more & not less. So, in this environment saturated with the customary, we are the winds of change – providing an extremely competitive proposition as compared to getting everything from the resellers.
Dynamics NAV Partners Offering
More efficiency
Due to our long association with the partner channel, we still work with them occasionally. To the NAV resellers, we can provide trained Dynamics NAV resources to augment their resource pool and work alongside them as part of the project team to deliver the project as per client's brief and within time & cost constraints. Our expert resources are ready to undertake all the services within a typical project implementation life cycle in a professional and timely manner. We provide adequate feedback and regular timesheets in order for you to have full visibility of the project. Our resources are all experts in their own field and have years of experience in all NAV modules. We are ethical in our dealings and undertake never to poach your client or offer any services to them directly – so you can be assured that your client will always remain yours. We just act as extra pair of hands in your name and at your behest.
What we do
A full range of Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central related services are available spanning from project management, complete implementation planning, gap analysis, configuration, bespoke development, data migration, training, support and documentation.
Project Management & Configuration
We offer full project life-cycle management loosely following the PRINCE2 methodology which incorporates planning, system diagnostics, requirement specification, gap analysis, solution design, development, testing and deployment.
Configuration of Dynamics NAV application in accordance with modules in use and licence acquired.
Customisation
Dynamics NAV as a system is easily customisable. In fact it is probably the most 'change-friendly' system in its class. The entire source code is shipped with the product but customisations can only be made subject to the relevant license being purchased from Microsoft.
Data Migration & Training
Dynamics NAV supports an easy way of converting data from legacy systems via its dataports or XMLPorts functionality. Dataports accept text or CSV (comma-separated) files which can easily be created from Excel. XMLPorts as the name suggest use XML files.
Support
DEL can also provide support services on standard as well as customised applications. Our support services are highly flexible and we can offer hourly, daily, monthly as well as yearly contracts. DEL will provide support on all the customisations that it does as well as offer a complete support package on the entire system if the end user so wishes
Project Management & Configuration
We offer full project life-cycle management loosely following the PRINCE2 methodology which incorporates planning, system diagnostics, requirement specification, gap analysis, solution design, development, testing and deployment. The methodology can easily be tailored to be as detailed or summarised as per client’s organisational requirements. Overall objective is to deliver the project to specification on time and in budget. We can help in all or specific implementation stages. Our wealth of NAV knowledge allows us to suggest simple answers to complex issues and also empowers us to offer solutions that other clients have successfully used in the past. We can also provide alternatives which reduce overall customisation and implementation timescales yet providing everything required by the client.
Configuration of NAV application is done in accordance with modules in use and licence acquired. The most common area requiring configuration is the General Ledger which amalgamates all common aspects of the application. This typically includes:
• Chart of accounts
• Posting Groups – these control indirect postings throughout NAV. For example posting cost of sales to P&L, posting input & output VAT to respective balance sheet accounts etc.
• Ledger and sub ledger links – this creates the linkages between sub ledgers and control accounts. For example linking sales sub ledger to debtors control account, purchase sub ledger to creditors control account etc.
• Dimensions – these are analysis codes available within NAV and requires configuration regarding combinations, priorities and defaults.
• Accounting periods – whether straight calendar months or 4-5 weekly periods.
• Currencies – base currency used throughout the system, additional currency (if any), foreign currencies and exchange rates
• Number series – used to auto-generate sequential numbers for key documents as well as journals
• VAT statements for UK VAT returns
The configuration process is repeated for each module required.
Customisation
Dynamics NAV as a system is easily customisable. In fact it is probably the most 'change-friendly' system in its class. The entire source code is shipped with the product but customisations can only be made subject to the relevant license being purchased from Microsoft.
• The first level of customisation gives end users the ability to design their own reports and xmlports/dataports. This is sufficient in some cases though still leaves substantial areas which cannot be touched.
• The next level is that of a solution developer where end users can create new tables, modify code behind fields within tables, create/amend posting routines, etc. A lot of bigger end users have this to allow them to be independent of the resellers.
• The highest level is a full developer’s license which is only reserved for NAV resellers and is not available to end users.
Customisation within NAV can be required for a variety of reasons:
• Match legacy system data – in some cases, data in certain fields within the legacy systems is considered vital and hence customisation is required to accommodate that in new fields within NAV.
• Interfaces – if NAV sits as one of the systems within an array of end to end processes, interfaces might need to be developed to import/export data from/to the other systems present.
• Reports –NAV comes with its own suite of reports. Base reports like aged debtors and creditors are part of the standard product. However additional reports might be required or layout changes to existing reports might be needed. Additionally, development might be needed to export data from certain reports to Excel for ease of manipulation and presentation.
• Bespoke routines – Sometimes, as a result of gap analysis, deficiencies within the standard system become apparent where the existing functionality lacks depth or is considered unusable in its present form. The easiest way to plug these holes is to specify the new functional requirement, convert it into a technical specification and then make changes to NAV to deliver the required solution.
All bespoke customisation by DEL are completed against detailed functional specifications and merge seamlessly with the base application. All coding standards and conventions used in the base application are rigorously followed and all changes are clearly documented to assist in any future upgrade.
Resellers generally quote exorbitant rates for miniscule customisation tasks. Additionally, all work quoted by the resellers is generally on a T&M basis as they are hesitant to divulge precise estimates. DEL, with their vast experience and knowledge base, are confident to provide end users fixed price quotes if required to give additional assurance and peace of mind.
Data Migration & Training
Dynamics NAV supports an easy way of converting data from legacy systems via its Dataports or XMLPorts functionality. Dataports accept text or CSV (comma-separated) files which can easily be created from Excel. XMLPorts as the name suggest use XML files. For all data migrations, it is very important to ensure data integrity. All data migrations completed by us are fully checked against data provided before completion and loaded into the live environment. There should be no need to manually input any data into NAV as long as the data to be migrated can be provided in text or Excel format.
We also provide the following types of training courses:
• Look & Feel Sessions – these are generally done on generic databases
• Financial Controller’s Course – this covers all the financial reporting tools & audit control features within NAV
• Super user training – covers roles & permissions, backup procedures, user monitoring, change log, etc.
• Specific functional areas – these cover a specific functional module (GL, Purchasing, Sales, Fixed Assets, Warehousing, Stock Control) within NAV and uses the database as is being used on a day-to-day basis including all bespoke changes
The training sessions can be 1 to 1 or groups of users up to a maximum of 4-5 per session. All group training sessions are interactive with each user having access to a PC running a test database.
Supporting training material can be provided but is generally charged extra for training covering bespoke functional areas. This training material will include step by step instructions with supporting screen dumps in a PDF format.
Support
DEL can also provide support services on standard as well as customised applications. Our support services are highly flexible and we can offer hourly, daily, monthly as well as yearly contracts. DEL will provide support on all the customisations that it does as well as offer a complete support package on the entire system if the end user so wishes. We can also help if you face one or more of the following situations:
• Paying fixed lump sum monthly or yearly - DEL can offer need-based support models which can charge per incident rather than per month.
• Working on NAV versions - DEL continues to support all versions right from 2.0 till the present
• Being pushed to upgrade to a later version - DEL has extensive knowledge & experience and can help you in getting the maximum out of your current system.
• Lack of development resources to develop reports which can be useful to the business - DEL does not have any minimum charge period. We will charge you only what it takes to solve your problem whether it is 1 hour or a few days.
• Lack of support resources to provide 1st line support or to answer user queries - DEL can provide trained English-speaking support resources both during working hours as well as weekends/out of hours if required.
All these services can be provided at very economical rates and will help you in maximising the return on your investment in NAV.
Offshore Support
We can also offer market-leading offshore rates for all your NAV requirements - development, support, training, SQL reports, SQL tuning, database optimisation etc. To avoid any pitfalls in dealing with companies based in a different time zone and geographical location, our UK based resources will act as the front-end for all these services. So you will deal almost exclusively with UK based resources. We will take the headache of translating your requirements and delivering the finished solution back to you.
The pitfalls in dealing directly with the offshore vendor have been well documented and need to be avoided unless you have the requisite time & manpower to maintain the relationship. In most cases the overall effort can become significantly higher either due to misinterpretation of requirements or lack of control over offshore resources. We take the hassle of interacting with the offshore resources on a daily basis, answering all their queries timely and ensuring that they meet the specified deadlines. We manage this whole process by detailed requirement specification upfront, careful communication and vigilant management of the development lifecycle to its completion. We also provide regular reporting to enable you as a client full transparency and awareness.
Our dedicated resources
The founder directors of the business have more than 40 years of cumulative experience working within NAV implementation world – both within the partner channel (where we learnt tricks of the trade!!) as well as working as independent contractors. Most of our resources have only worked on one ERP system across their entire adult life – Dynamics NAV & Business Central – and hence we are obsessed with what we can achieve within the NAV environment. Apart from their incredible passion and expertise with Dynamics NAV, our resources are enthusiastic about all the functionalities that NAV offers and the innumerable benefits it can create for our customers. Our resources are also subject experts – past masters in their respective field all within the NAV umbrella. Some are specialists in specific NAV modules while others are authorities in popular add-ons like LS Retail, Pebblestone, BioPDF etc. Our entire team shares our philosophy of caring for customers and are ready to work unsociable hours or at short notice if needed.
Success stories
Over the years, we have provided our invaluable services to a host of businesses across multiple industry sectors. Most are long term clients who have asked for our services over several years. They use our experience and understanding of their bespoke NAV systems to their advantage and seek our advice when planning new changes or delivering new functionality. A lot of these clients are still on older NAV versions and even though they are aware of the changed landscape in terms of newer NAV versions and the arrival of Business Central, we continue to provide them with solutions that cater to their BAU requirements as well as the changing needs of an ever-evolving business.
Associates & Partners
We work with a number of professional businesses to cover different geographies as well as across verticals. These organisations share our passion for NAV and are past masters in their chosen fields.
Contact us
Dynamics Experts Ltd.
Registered Office: 20-22, Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU
Company Registration No. 08994182
VAT Registration No. GB 187 5631 70
Registered in England
Email: info@DynamicsExperts.co.uk
- We maintain adequate professional indemnity cover
- Client references are available on request