Microsoft Dyanmics NAV is a great software to use for any organization's finance needs
Updated March 15, 2017
Microsoft Dyanmics NAV is a great software to use for any organization's finance needs
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft Dynamics NAV
We use Microsoft Dynamics NAV across our organization for our Finance software. Every department uses the software differently, but for the most part we all use it for budgeting, processing invoices, creating purchase orders, checking the status of check payments, and other finance services. We also use the software to track project grants, incoming payments from other organizations that we bill for services, and to track orders and invoice aging.
Pros
- Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a really great software to use if you need to create and track purchase orders for your organization. The software is very easy to use and works well with most operating systems. The software is also a useful tool for tracking your budget because you can create reports to see exactly where your money is being spent. It even allows you to break down expenditures by the type, ie: hardware, software, service contracts, etc.
- One of the best things that I like about the software is that it will not allow you to process duplicate invoices or write duplicate checks. If you trying putting in an invoice number that has already been processed then it will notify you immediately. It basically repeats the same functionality when creating checks for the payment of invoices. If you've already posted a check for a specific invoice then it will ask you a series of questions to ensure you're not creating a duplicate and actually need to print an additional check.
- Another function that I like about the software is that it's so easy to use. I never had to read a manual to learn how to operate the software or complete tasks. The software basically walks you step by step through each process and guides you along so there are few mistakes that you can make while using the software.
Cons
- The version of software that we currently use isn't compatible with Windows 7, therefore we had to install it using the virtual computer under Windows XP. This created a few additional steps that the users had to go through in order to access the software which generated more calls to our IT Helpdesk.
- We did research how much it would cost to upgrade the software so that we could get a version compatible with Windows 7, but the cost was way too expensive for our organization. Also, when we need to make updates or changes to the software, there are very few consultants who are familiar with the software so we are limited in who we can use for consulting services. Since we are limited in choosing consultants who can make updates and changes to the software the fees are usually really expensive for their services.
- There is a .zup file that we constantly have to delete in order for the database to work properly and update. Users get a pop-up about once a week asking if they want to replace the .zup file and if the file is not deleted then the opening page for the software will not show up correctly and the database will not have the most up to date information.
- It's been a very positive effect because the reports and notifications within the software ensure duplications aren't allowed and will provide us with all the information needed to stay on top of our budget and grants. We aren't overpaying vendors, sending duplicate payments, or forgetting to spend available grant money because the software system will notify us so that we can take the necessary action(s) needed.
- The only negative impact we've had in regards to the software is that we currently do not have it in our budget to upgrade and therefore have to use it via the virtual machine. Most of our users are not computer savvy and have issues when the virtual computer doesn't automatically open the software to the sign in page, so we get increased calls to our IT Helpdesk. If we had the funds to upgrade to the latest version of the software then we wouldn't have issues with compatibility or using the virtual computer to run the software.
- great lakes
The only other system that we've deployed within our organization in the past is Great Lakes Accounting Software. Some of our users preferred this software over the Microsoft Dynamics NAV because they said it was easier to use. I personally prefer Microsoft Dynamics because it offers more functions than Great Lakes. I also like that Microsoft Dynamics can be customized to fit whatever needs your organization has. We didn't have the same type of freedom to customize the Great Lakes software.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Feature Ratings
Using Microsoft Dynamics NAV
50 - Everyone is our Finance Department uses Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Most of the Administrative Assistants and VP's use the software to create PO's, track their budget, and maintain compliance with grants. This is the only finance software used within our organization so anyone who places orders for their department must use this software. Also, our VP's are responsible for maintaining their own budget so they have to use the software to ensure they're not overspending or misusing grant funds.
5 - We have 5 individuals within our IT Dept. that work the helpdesk and assist users with computer problems. They are not commissioned to work only with Microsoft Dynamics NAV users, but assist with general IT problems throughout the organization. They have to know how to set up a virtual computer since we have an older version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV that is not compatible with Windows 7. They also have to know how to install the software and any additional components that a user might need like Jet Reports. Once the software is installed, our Finance Department is in charge of setting up the users and granting permissions and passwords to access the software.
- The main function this software is used for is creating purchase orders. Each department has to order their own products instead of everything going through a central purchaser. Therefore, every department has an administrative assistant who uses the software to create PO's whenever they make purchases for their department. The only items that departments can't order on their own are IT products that they need. All IT product requests are forwarded to the IT Dept. and I place those orders.
- The 2nd biggest function this software is used for is to process invoices. All invoices must be processed through Microsoft Dynamics NAV so they can be tracked and easily accessible to our Finance Department.
- The 3rd most utilized function would be the budget tracker. All of our VP's use this software to keep track of their budget. It helps them break down costs by products so they know exactly where their money is being spent, how much they have left over, and where they can better utilize the funds in the future.
- I honestly haven't heard of any innovative ways this software is being used. For the most part it's used for simple finance procedures that are performed daily. We are not using it for any functions outside of what it was created for. We do make customizations to the software, but it's only to allow our Finance Department to perform additional audit procedures and other finance services.
- We wanted to track how many minority vendors were being used so we customized the software so that users could include this information when creating their PO's. Although the options are there, many users will not utilize the feature so we are not getting an accurate count of how many minority vendors we actually use and support. I hope the Finance Department pushes for more users to record this information so we can get a more accurate picture of how we're supporting minorities in the future.
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