This year Convergence was held in Atlanta. While this conference is a huge Dynamics Users conference, they highlight applications that are not necessarily part of the Dynamic stack. One of the most captivating sessions I attended focused on Power BI, Microsoft’s excel based Business Intelligence tool.
Upgrading an accounting system can be a daunting task for some. I often here from clients that they feel as though they have just implemented a system and now there is a new version to upgrade to. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case. Dynamics, for instance, now does 6 month cycle releases for their new versions. Meaning there will be a GP2015, GP2015 R2 and then GP2016. So what is the point in trying to keep up? Is there really that much value in upgrading?
We often say that accounting systems are “sticky”. Once you find one that works for your business you feel locked in because of:
Part of our job here at KTL Solutions is to show or demo business solutions to our clients. These solutions can range from Budgeting/Reporting, AP Automation, Warehouse Management, to Customer Management software. One of the first requirements we hear from most customers is that they need the software to work for them, not the other way around.
All businesses are unique, and everyone has a different way of conducting business. Established organizations have processes already in place. These processes can be extremely difficult and disruptive to the entire business if they have to change to accommodate a new software solution. More to that point, it does not make sense to purchase a “solution” that requires you to change the way you do business. Software is an investment. It takes money, time, and man power to implement a solution so at the end of the day it should work for you, not the other way around.
In previous blogs, I have touched on the sheer number of Dynamics ERP ISVs (third party products). They are great tools to add on to an accounting system, however choosing out of the thousands can be a daunting task. Implementing them can also be quite an undertaking. It involves multiple systems, and should involve several parties, not just the ISV but also your Dynamics Partner and IT personnel/company. All too often us partners get calls from clients saying they have purchased a product that was supposed to solve all their problems and now they have no clue how to use it and their ERP is crashing.
If you’ve been part of the Dynamics world for a while you may have noticed a pattern. GP, AX, NAV… they are all widely used and discussed tools. Conferences all over the country (and world) have sessions and talks about them endlessly. I was at the Microsoft World Partner Conference this year and there was a Dynamics table set up with signs and a person behind each to aid you. I went down the row and saw: GP…AX…NAV… and that was all. I thought to myself “something is missing” and then it dawned on me, Dynamics SL was not represented.
If you have been in the Dynamics world for any extended period of time chances are you have heard the term “ISV” or “third party product” and you have probably thought to yourself “What and who are these people?”
ISV stands for Independent Software Vendor. In the Dynamics world, these are companies that specifically write software for Dynamics products. Due to the large footprint that Dynamics has, there are hundreds if not thousands of ISVs out there. Most of these ISVs, or third party products, are industry specific….
We have all seen it. You walk into a conference room that looks as though it hasn’t been updated since the early 90s and then you look up and realize the person you are meeting with hasn’t been either. Why do people let themselves get so out of date? Do they think it works? Do they think there is no need to stay current?
More than likely, these are the same people that have not updated their ERP since the 90s.
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