Maximising your Microsoft Dynamics NAV system with bespoke development

Microsoft Dynamics NAV “out of the box” provides a system that you can then develop to perfectly fit your business’s needs. Our talented development team talk about how additional bespoke development work ensures you maximise the functionality and effectiveness of your ERP system.

What is the reason for requiring bespoke development?

“Bespoke development for Microsoft Dynamics NAV can cover almost any requirement that any business using Dynamics NAV may need.
It’s derived from the 80/20 rule. Basically Microsoft Dynamics NAV “out of the box” delivers about 80% of the framework to meet any clients’ needs, and bespoke work fills in the gaps. It tailors the Dynamics NAV system to encompass all the business’s processes and functionality that is specific to their market.

Every industry, every business and every process has different requirements. It would be impossible for a generic version of Dynamics NAV to meet all these complex requirements. If it did, it would be exorbitantly expensive, impossible to keep up-to-date and end up including modules and functionality that would not be utilised by the majority of Dynamics NAV users.

“That’s how bespoke development starts – making the system a perfect 100% fit to the client’s specific needs.”

Dynamics NAV has been designed to support client specific enhancements that work alongside its standard functionality and can be tailored by developers to suit a wide range of requirements. Development work can cover anything from integration between Dynamics NAV and third party add-ons or modules, developing sophisticated reporting systems that combines data from several systems linked to Dynamics NAV. Development work can eliminate repetitive time consuming manual data processes with automated functions that equally reduces the risk of duplication of data and improves data accuracy.

Some examples of Dynamics NAV development include:

  • Integration with website systems
  • Courier system integration
  • Integration with credit card systems such as SagePay
  • Integration with hand held devices used in warehouse management systems
  • Tailoring reports and documentation to reflect the company standards
  • Even something as specific as integrating ticket management and seat allocation for a sports arena with data used in the Dynamics NAV system.

Basically bespoke development ensures that systems work seamlessly and effectively between stock, logistics, client, supplier and payment programs and functions that all share the same data. Other bespoke work is adding functionality to the existing Dynamics NAV system, or maximising the value of the data within in the system by creating informative, up-to-date reporting.

Developing bespoke work usually involves incorporating Dynamics NAV into existing third party systems or a new system that the client wants to start using.

The key is understanding what the client is looking to achieve from the system

“We don’t look to reinvent the wheel. Listening to our clients, understanding their needs, and determining the best most cost effective solution is our priority. To find the best solution we always offer the most effective and perfect fit.

When we look at the bespoke development, we aim to find the best solution for the client, and focus on ensuring that the development work can also be adapted for future requirements.

By considering the client’s long term plans for their systems we can make sure that any bespoke work is not isolated but forms part of their future needs.

Often development work it is not as complicated as a client may first think. The requirements may be simply fulfilled by introducing functionality that already exists within Dynamics NAV that is not being utilised by their team. Training and technical support may be all that is required to improve the system. Additionally, development work to improve a client’s system to meet their requirements can be resolved by integrating into Dynamics NAV third party add-ons that already exist.

A further example of improving the system is when coding functionality exists outside the Dynamics NAV system, e.g. an Excel spreadsheet or an Access database, created by a single user that may be very complicated and difficult to maintain, and if the user is away or leaves the organisation, cannot be updated. In this case, a few day’s development work brings the functionality back into Dynamics NAV and it can then be utilised by all the team and not dictated by a single user.

We once identified a user that updated a very complex spreadsheet by copying and pasting data from Dynamics NAV into spreadsheets to provide a weekly report. The user would take up to half a day every week to update the information, with no guarantee to the accuracy.

By explaining that with just two days’ development work to automate the process directly from Dynamics NAV, the same process could be achieved with a click of a button and maintaining 100% accuracy in data, providing also an immediate time saving process and the outlay of the development work was covered within the first four weeks’ usage.”

The benefits of bespoke development

The main benefit of bespoke development work is to streamline processes within the client’s business that also results in increased productivity, and offering major time saving benefits.

Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Save time – bespoke work in Dynamics NAV often creates time saving benefits to the users.
  • Better control of data – using the same data source across systems.
  • Reduce errors – by automating repetitive processes.
  • Simplify processes – thus saving time and releasing employees to focus on other tasks.
eSuite has the technical resources to develop your Dynamics NAV system

eSuite programmers is a highly skilled in Microsoft development. eSuite uses a dedicated Dynamics NAV technical team with extensive working knowledge of the software who are able to apply practical and customisable business solutions using the application.

The technical team can also offer your business ongoing guidance, advice and support to ensure Dynamics NAV is scalable and adaptable to the changing needs of your business, including the implementation of additional applications such as mobile warehouse, advanced business reporting, document management and e-commerce systems. To discuss your development needs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, please contact eSuite.

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