Our companies’ financial dilemma. We have Navision 2, three companies, 18 users. We cannot afford to pay for all that is involved in partnering, analysis, implementation in one payment.
We need to figure out what we can afford to do now and what we will be able to manage in the future. Because we have no partner it is difficult to figure out exactly what is the first step.
Before the end of the year I can investing in an initial analysis. That would give us an understanding as to our options. If we can manage to finance the analysis and buy the software before year’s end that would be practical. Thus we expect two phases. The first phase is discovery: analysis, cost of the software, cost of implementation. The second phase would be in 2013 implementation. Then hopefully in 2013 we could then do the full implementation.
What would be a better investment – this small company with under 20 Navision users – Navision 2009 or Navision 2013?
I know this is basic stuff for those upgrading, staying current and so forth but we have done nothing since 1999. Our Navision work - there was nothing to do to improve the situation. With Microsoft end of life we are willing to change…and are at a disadvantage not knowing what are forward moving steps should be. Thanks
Hi Curtis,
Welcome to the user group. So you have been using Navision for 13 years. That’s a long time for an ERP system. And the cost of the original implementation can be said to have been written of. And you’re not even paying maintenance fees anymore. And under 20 years, then it’s not really a large implementation. It’s what I would call an average size NAV implementation.
There is no doubt in my mind that you should check out NAV 2013. And in that case I would not even consider doing it as an upgrade. Not even if you have a lot of customizations. Instead I would recommend you to “go standard” - if you are in a “special” industry, then check out if you can find a partner with a lot of experience in your industry.
If you don’t need to have your historical data migrated, then your partner can setup your system using the RapidStart tools in a “standard” implementation. This brings down implementation costs a lot!
If you need to keep your existing setup (chart of accounts, posting setup etc.) and you need your historical data to stay in the database, then it will take a lot longer, as they then have to use the data migration tools. And from Navision 2.0 there are a lot steps to get to NAV 2013. But consider this as a new implementation and remember “sell” it internally as such. Don’t say upgrade, then people expect it to be the same and work the same.
Finally if you don’t want the big “up-front” payments, then I would recommend you to look for a hosted solution (Azure or similar) with a so-called SPLA license - where you are renting the license on a monthly basis (and only pay for the actual number of users).
Since I posted here our company has found a gold partner located in San Diego, and we have hope that the migration from Navision 2.01b to Navision 2013 will be successfully completed by the beginning of October 2013. Our go live date is set for the end of September here in Los Angeles.
I will say that we have had bumps in the road with our gold partner - and one issue that is of concern is that our gold partner is late at this stage of the work to finding a Navision partner in France to assist our French office workers. We are beginning to feel pressure with several loose ends - and it would have been helpful to have had a Navision team in place working with the France office.
Our corporate office is in Los Angeles. A small company. We have another office in Ferney France. Our gold partner has no outlet/office in Europe. I do write slightly uninformed because I do not know how a Gold Partner connects with another Navision Partner in a foreign land to do a project. Our gold partner from my understanding is unable to put any of their team workers in France. Thus the need for a Nav France partner to assist.
We are now writing to our Gold Partner our concerns because the French office workers need to be trained with the new Navision 2013.
The Navision clients needs to be installed on their 64bit Windows 7 Pro computers.
In my opinion it is better to do this sooner then later. We need to work out those unexpected kinks now and not have to deal with a difficult situation later.
We signed the contract in January - and since then have gradually, incrementally, advanced.
Thanks for any comments!
I needed to get on top of this situation and did a Google ‘Microsoft Navision gold silver partners France’ and could find nothing.
Are there Navision partners in France? If I had a small list I could take the initiative and contact them. I need to explore all options - I am beginning to feel uncomfortable with our gold partner’s failure to supply us with a representative who can help assist us with our French office. The gold partner is aware of our concern - and to leave us hanging for over two months is odd.
Thanks…
I needed to get on top of this situation and did a Google ‘Microsoft Navision gold silver partners France’ and could find nothing.
Are there Navision partners in France? If I had a small list I could take the initiative and contact them. I need to explore all options - I am beginning to feel uncomfortable with our gold partner’s failure to supply us with a representative who can help assist us with our French office. The gold partner is aware of our concern - and to leave us hanging for over two months is odd.
Thanks…
Hi, have you tried looking on Pinpoint? Its a Microsoft site that should give you access to all the Microsoft partners in your area. I know we have Pinpoint here in the UK and i imagine it would be the same in France. This would give you a list to work from for partners in the Paris area. Good luck!