Have you ever thought: “If only I could push the restart button!”
And if you could, all of your problems would magically go away. Well, maybe in the real world of your life, there’s no restart button that will fix everything for you. But in the world of business management software systems, you actually do have a fresh start option. It’s kind of like the “esc” (escape) button on your keyboard!
There are several reasons why you might choose a fresh start versus an upgrade for your Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) software system. Let’s look at a couple of scenarios to understand why.
Scenario #1 – “Kludginess”
Kludgy refers to a computer system made up of poorly matched components. Why on earth would you be running a system with poorly matched components? Certainly not by design. But it happens fairly frequently despite one’s best intentions. It happens because years ago you started out with the perfect Dynamics NAV solution for your company. But then…
Your business was growing and you needed to add say a shipping component. So you chose one that that didn’t natively integrate with Dynamics NAV but you jerry rigged it to work and it was okay for a while. But then…
You also needed an EDI component. The best option was one that wouldn’t work for the Dynamics NAV version you were running but you weren’t ready to upgrade to the newest NAV release. So you figured out a way to make it work. For sure, it was kludgy but it was better than nothing.
Basically, you kept putting Band-Aids on what had started out as the perfect solution. But over time, those Band-Aids began to peel off (as Band-Aids are apt to do) and you found yourself with a system of poorly matched components.
Now you really have a headache, perhaps even a migraine. An upgrade isn’t going to solve your problem. Because how are you going to handle those Band-Aids?
In cases like this, the best option is a fresh start. Yes, that means scrapping your current system. But let’s face it, unfortunately your current system actually belongs on the scrap heap. Let it go! Press the restart button! By implementing the newest version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, you’ll be running the perfect solution again, with natively integrated components like shipping, EDI and much more.
In the end, you’ll be saving time and money.
Scenario #2 – Long Haul Upgrade Path
This one is pretty simple to explain. If you want to upgrade to the newest release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, there are two questions that will determine whether a fresh start is practically and fiscally a better option than an upgrade.
First, let’s look at which Microsoft Dynamics NAV version you’re running. If you’re more than two versions back from the most current release, you may not be able to upgrade directly from the version you’re running to the newest one. It’s likely going to be a multi-step process. It’s generally not possible to hopscotch from say NAV 2010 to NAV 2017. Rather, you may need to upgrade from 2010 to 2013 to 2015 to 2017. This means that from a practical perspective it’s going to be a very long process. And since time is money, it’s not going to make sense from a cost perspective either. Practically and fiscally, you’ll be much better off with a fresh start.
Now let’s look at whether your enhancement is current. If you haven’t paid your annual enhancement fee, you will find that Microsoft imposes penalties that can be cost prohibitive. In this case, once you’ve done the math you may well find that a fresh start is fiscally the best option.
Qixas Group to the rescue!
Our Microsoft Dynamics NAV Upgrade Team will work with you to determine which path is right for your business. We do this routinely with all of our clients. Qixas has a process in place with a simple checklist that will quickly and easily point you in the right direction. Our goal is to help you reap the benefits of the newest version of Dynamics NAV, and there are a multitude of benefits, in the most practical and cost-efficient way possible.
We’ll take a look at your current customizations, your ISV and 3rd party integrations, the size of your database, your budget and timeline. The result will be a clear choice between a standard upgrade and a fresh start upgrade.
Are you a candidate for a fresh start? Contact us to find out. Call 888-467-7101. Email [email protected].