Creating and customizing reports should be easy, right? Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a robust ERP system for managing business processes and operations, but when it comes to accessing data, easy might not be the ideal word to use.
A general challenge experienced by most members of the Dynamics NAV community is that there is a complexity to building and configuring reports in such a robust system. Not everyone is a data expert, and the ability to transform large amounts of data into a small, more manageable format is essential for communication, growth and decision making. Even with the launch of the new NAV 2018 Excel reports, there are still restrictions on the amount of preconfigured reports available, on top of non-existent drill-down capability and a lack of flexible custom reports.
Attend the Microsoft Dynamics Fall Manufacturing Trade Show at Microsoft Canada HQ on September 25
People that work in Dynamics NAV every day, from reconciling inventory accounts to creating new vendor accounts, don’t want to have to call a consultant to pull a report. The hardest part is that they know all the BI tools are pre-built into the system waiting to be used, but without the technical background, it’s not something your average accountant or manager has the ability (or time) to learn. Ultimately, they want to be able to pull the report they need themselves.
When you don’t have a readily available IT team or the skills in-house to make Microsoft’s BI stack work for you, your users are faced with growing pains. Here are the top 6 reporting challenges compiled from Dynamics NAV users:
- Delays
There’s a lot of waiting required when you can’t build the reports you need when you need them. Waiting on consultants and changes to custom reports takes valuable time from a busy employees’ day and ends up delaying any decisions pending that report. - Data Errors
The result of not being able to build your reports is usually system workarounds. From copy and paste to “Frankenstein” Excel spreadsheets, mistakes made from manual data entry result in inaccurate reporting and decision-making. - Risk
Bad data or a general lack of data can cripple your organizational visibility and ultimately impact revenue and customer relationships. If your executive team is being fed inaccurate data and only one side of the business, you might as well close your eyes and pick a decision at random. - Productivity
Employees that struggle with not being to create their reports ended up feeling frustrated and annoyed with a system. This impacts morale and results in more time being spent on patchwork or workarounds. - Reliance
Analytics and data experts with a Dynamics NAV background are hard to find, which is why most companies rely on their solutions partners for custom reports and problems they encounter. - Cost
All of these challenges essentially boil down to the bottom line – cost. On top of the cost of delays and errors, you have to pay for experienced consultants to build any new or custom reports you need.
Interested to know more?
On September 25, Janice Taylor from Jet Reports will present the Business Intelligence and Reporting App for Microsoft Dynamics NAV at the Manufacturing Trade Show at Microsoft Canada’s Headquarters located in Mississauga.
Click here for the complete seminar agenda and reserve your seat.
If you are looking for a new manufacturing software or upgrading from a legacy version of Microsoft, this seminar will provide you with the answers you need to make an informed decision.
See you at the seminar room!