Microsoft has continued to invest in extending the core functionality of Dynamics NAV across a number of different business functions and has made available its first major release in the Release Family 2013, Dynamics NAV version 2013.
With this release, Microsoft focused on building what they’ve come to call “A Business Solution from Microsoft.” By this they mean a solution that combines comprehensive ERP capabilities for Small and Midsize Businesses together with a Simple, Intuitive User Experience, Insightful Business Intelligence and Reporting tools and deep ties into Microsoft’s portfolio of products. The result is an ERP solution that’s easy to use, works seamlessly with your existing productivity tools, and is quick and cost-effective to implement.
Key benefits of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 include:
- Faster time to value: it’s easy to learn Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 and get it installed and running quickly, whether you deploy on-premises or in the cloud.
- Powerful application functionality: features such as Cash Flow Forecast, Cost Accounting, Assembly Management, Timeline Visualization, and other capabilities like improved query and charting enhance data access, analysis, and presentation help foster deeper insight into the operations and processes that drive the company and help users gain greater control.
- Improved margins: empowering staff to work more efficiently and productively can result in improved margins. Features and enhancements like Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 web client, SharePoint client, refined RoleTailored capabilities and increased general ledger flexibility extend the power of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 throughout an organization.
The following describes major functional enhancements and modifications implemented in Dynamics NAV 2013.
RapidStart Services for Dynamics NAV
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 delivers a new way for Partners and End Users to speed implementations process.
Support for setting up a Company RapidStart Services for Dynamics NAV gives Partners control and overview of all the stages of the company setup process. End Users can configure their companies faster using the out-of-the-box configurations, provided by Microsoft and Microsoft partners.
Part of the changes comprises all three Clients, by which users can access the solution:
- Windows Client
- Web Client
- Share Point Client
Visual Updating of Client
The Action Pane—redesigned and renamed the Ribbon—and improvements to Fast- Tabs and FactBoxes add to the ease-of-use of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013.
User Productivity Improvements
A host of enhancements, including Select All, Copy/Paste, Link Sharing and Copy Link, Find, Quick Entry, and the ability to enter filtering formulas and save variables, all familiar actions to users of other Microsoft products, now empower your people to work smarter, more efficiently, and more collaboratively with Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013.
Financial Management
In Dynamics NAV 2013, several enhancements have been added to financial management features.
For most companies, cash is king – and essential for running a successful business. Business owners must be able to understand their cash flow and have the capability to look ahead and predict the highs and lows in their cash balance to help improve margins and ensure profitability. But getting insight into cash flow is not always easy. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 provides tools to make this easier.
Cash Flow Forecast in NAV 2013 gives companies an efficient way to forecast short-term cash flow. This feature enables businesses to perform better monitoring of cash receipts and cash disbursements and use the information to take preemptive steps.
Cash Flow Forecast in NAV 2013 provides a prediction of how a company’s liquidity – cash and other treasure positions – will evolve over time. It consists of two things – cash receipts and cash disbursements – the money you expect to receive and the cash you expect to pay out – plus the liquid funds you have available. These elements together show you a direct cash flow forecast.
Assembly Management
Assembly Management is a new set of features in NAV 2013 that give companies a cost-efficient way to reduce inventory while providing superior customer service. It is designed to support companies that supply products to their customers by combining components in simple processes that don’t require complex setup and maintenance, such as assembly, light manufacturing, and kitting. Companies that run assemble-to-order and assemble-to-stock processes can benefit from using Assembly Management.
Streamline Warehouse Operations
Enhanced integration between Manufacturing and Warehouse Management, Service Management and Assembly Management delivers key benefits for customers and partners. Through enhanced integration and better utilization of warehouse functionality, NAV 2013 enables companies to ensure more accurate inventory, confidence in processes and lower stock, thereby freeing capital for other investments. Better integration also means partners can realize faster implementations and focus their resources on revenue-generating activities rather than working on integrations.
Inventory Improvement
Inventory Movement is a new warehouse activity document, added for the non-Warehouse Management System locations that is used to move items to and from internal departments, such as production and service departments, where posting of the items happens as consumption, shipment, or other.
Job and Service Management
Enhancements deliver greater insight into and control of work-in-process calculations and service processes by allowing you to see all supply and demand associated with specific items.
Reporting
Reporting has vastly improved and no longer needs to support the Classic client. Your data can migrate across multiple applications seamlessly to provide dynamic reports in real time. Charts and graphs have also been enhanced throughout the program and functionality has been improved. These new reporting enhancements are made possible by the tight integration of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, Microsoft Excel, and other Microsoft technologies.
Posting routines are redesigned and postings can be queued and run in the background, to allow for more flexible usage of the product and an enhanced experience during peak usage.
Dimensions are completely redesigned and are carried by 1-2 tables only. This reduces Dimension set with a factor 20,000. The Dimensions table is gone, along with the Posted Document Table, the Ledger Entry Dimension, the Service Contract Dimension, and many others. Instead Dimensions Tables are replaced by The Dimension Set, a slimmed down, system that is more user-friendly and intuitive.
Excel Integrations
Now you can refresh data instead of just sending data. Furthermore, you are not only able to copy rows from Dynamics NAV to Excel, but you can also paste rows from Excel back to Dynamics NAV, which will allow you to copy a few rows of setup data without even running dataport/xml-port/data migration tool.
The Microsoft Excel add-in makes it possible to use PowerPivot and other rich analytical tools to create professional-looking reports exactly how you want them. The ability to embed fonts into PDF files and new color capabilities help you create reports that appear on screen exactly as they do in print.
OneNote Integration
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 supports integration with Microsoft OneNote, a flexible productivity tool that enables you to gather and organize text, pictures, digital handwriting, audio and video recordings, and more — all in one digital notebook on your computer. You can enable OneNote integration on a per-role basis in profiles.
Improved Charting capabilities
Companies need the ability to quickly understand what is going on in their business. Unique charting and visualization capabilities in NAV 2013 support on-demand Business Intelligence requirements, giving companies a powerful way to see and understand business information, processes and data –and use the information wisely.
Call-to Options
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 now uses the telephone client that is the default provider on the computer that is running the RoleTailored client. The call-to functionality is available from pages with phone number fields, such as the Contacts page or the Customer page.
Changes in License Policy
Changes in licensing were also revealed. The new models enable users to work with Dynamics NAV 2013 in two different ways – with full or limited access. Both of them use all the abovementioned clients, but only the full access gives business users the ability to reach and process ERP system data without restrictions. In contrast, with the limited access one is able to read the entire available information but to enter data only in 3 tables.
Conclusion
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 delivers lots of enhancements and new features that will help you gain greater control over your business, improve your margins and drive growth.
For current users all this extra functionality and benefits are included as part of your Microsoft Dynamics Business Ready Enhancement Plan (BREP). So provided you have a current plan there is no additional license fee. For new users Microsoft’s Perpetual Licensing is designed to help small and midsize businesses jump to start their financial insights and distribution management and then easily extend into all functional areas.
So what do you think about Dynamics NAV 2013 new features? I think that new features will help greater control over NAV users businesses, but I would love to hear what you think.
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