Food companies running proprietary, over-bloated solutions based on the MS Dynamics NAV platform have more upgrade and support options available than they might think.
MS Dynamics NAV (previously Navision) has been Microsoft’s workhorse ERP solution for almost 20 years. Microsoft took the best concepts of NAV and baked them into MS Dynamics 365 Business Central, BC, or Business Central for short. Microsoft’s semi-annual system updates show their commitment to improving your system’s performance. Harvest’s commitment is to teach you how to use them.
Now might be the time to make a move, we’ll discuss options that companies have in evaluating if a move to Business Central is the right one, and what it would take to get there.
RIP MS Dynamics NAV
In 2018, Microsoft publicly announced its plans on discontinuing the development and support of the Microsoft Nav platform. If this doesn’t scare you, then read on…
Microsoft has largely sunset the product’s roadmap and invested those resources into Business Central. Nearly all customers running NAV versions 2013, 2015, 2017 will be off mainstream support by the start of 2022. What does this mean? Basically, that if you have product issues you need to pay big bucks to get them resolved. There haven’t been any new features added to the versions in almost five years. Version 2018 isn’t far from this point either. If you are paying for support, for a discontinued application, you need to ask “What am I really paying for”?
What options does a MS Dynamics NAV customer have?
You have a few good options available:
| Options | + | - |
|---|---|---|
| Stay on Current Version | • No change is sometimes a good thing. • $0 cost. | • No support, or very expensive support. • No new features to keep up with industry changes • Compatibility with other products from Microsoft or 3rd parties like EDI vendors. • Cyber security-related issues. • Performance issues |
| Upgrade with Current NAV Partner | • Maintain the existing relationship. • Take advantage of Microsoft’s Bridge to Cloud promo. | • Pay too much in migration and support fees. • Paying for more functionality than you need. • The continued cycle of poor support. • Staying locked in |
| Migrate with Harvest | • Take advantage of Microsoft’s Bridge to Cloud promo. • Certified solution for the Food industry. • Food industry experts. • Excellent support. • Stay on Microsoft's product roadmap. • Reduced annual costs. • Fixed price migration Package. • Lower services rates for future work. | • New partner relationship. |
| Evaluate a non-Microsoft ERP option | • There may be some benefit to having a fresh look at some options in the market today. | • Migration headaches. • Downgraded functionality. • Limited product roadmap. • New look and feel for users. • No integration to other MS tools you use today. |
Why is it so hard to upgrade from MS Dynamics NAV?
Technology is more accessible than it ever has been. Your staff has used more technology in the last 2 years than the last 20 combined. Use your best asset, your team, and give them the modern tools they need to be successful. Don’t rely on antiquated, dead applications to have to reverse train your teams to use. The reality is that the leading provider of NAV-based solutions for the food industry has been gobbling up competitors over the past four years. It’s increasingly difficult to find other avenues. Their strategy is to get existing NAV customers to upgrade to one of their acquired Business Central-based products. So really you would be completely switching platforms anyways. From the feedback we have received, this means being stuck with the same poor off-shore support, delayed resource availability, and high annual costs.
And in reality, Microsoft has been introducing new features natively to Business Central. Specifically in areas like Item Management, Lot Tracking, and Sales. The functionality that these custom NAV food solutions needed to build 15 years ago is now standard in Business Central, developed and supported by Microsoft directly. So, you don’t need to invest more dollars because it’s offered in the base product.
As a result, you are probably paying more each year than you need to. Certainly, there is no harm in talking to Harvest. We can provide a migration quote and talk to you about how our functionality can support your business needs. And the best part is we are food industry experts, providing application support locally.
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