MS Dynamics NAV/Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a fully integrated, easy-to-use enterprise software solution used especially by small and medium-sized companies. Microsoft Dynamics maps all areas of a medium-sized company in just one software solution, and is distributed by Microsoft Partners in the Business Solutions division.
Microsoft makes NAV and Business Central available in selected countries and languages, and works just like your other familiar Microsoft Office applications. The systems seamlessly integrate with Word, Excel and Outlook so you can process your most common tasks right from your inbox. The powerful functions always remain consistent whether you’re working on iOS, Android or Windows, and provide you a standard work environment no matter where you’re working from, and whether you’re using a desktop, laptop or mobile device.
You can even integrate external data sources and applications quickly and easily—even those not based on Microsoft platforms.
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Sonja gilt als Koryphäe rund um Microsoft Dynamics NAV und Business Central. In unserer Videoshow diskutierten wir gemeinsam wohin sich das ERP-System hin entwickelt und welche Rolle Partner bei der Digitalisierung von Geschäftsprozessen spielen.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is Microsoft’s universal cloud solution. This solution is primarily MS Dynamics NAV as a cloud solution. Power Apps, Microsoft Flow, and Power BI can be used to customize and extend the all-in-one business solution. The purpose of this latest version of Navision is to reduce the need for data entry and to raise productivity for users. In addition to its enhanced cloud strategy, Business Central can also be leased as an SaaS solution and also operated on-premise.
The October release from Microsoft also brings the following changes:
Integration of L-mobile products in MS Dynamics NAV & Business Central
L-mobile warehouse ready for MS Dynamics is a mobile data collection solution which fully integrates with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Business Central. The warehouse management system for Navision reads information from the SQL database in real time, then reports back the collected data directly via a table specific to Microsoft Dynamics. Thanks to the integrated ERP interface to NAV and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, your warehouse processes are posted to your ERP system in real time. All data collected by the warehouse management system is provided to a table in MS Dynamics and is posted by routines and code units in accordance with Business Central standard or NAV business logic.
The system structure of the mobile data collection solution for Navision and Business Central provides for continuous communication between the ERP interface and MS Dynamics standard documents and ensures that all relevant posting functions can be carried out on mobile devices. In addition, you can extend Microsoft Dynamics posting functions with your own checking and posting routines to further ensure your employees have a clear overview of all functionality as you work from their mobile devices. As a result, even the checking routines which are shown in the standard interfaces of your Navision/Business Central system can be executed digitally via your warehouse management software—even for customer-specific enhancements.
The fully-integrated Microsoft Navision interface as well as the ERP interface to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central does not temporarily store data on mobile devices or in any other location— MS Dynamics always remains the principal system. The mobile data collection solution is only used to display information and dialogs, and makes it possible for warehouse operations to be carried out using mobile barcode scanners.
Just as in the L-mobile warehouse ready for MS Dynamics warehouse management software, the mobile data collection solution for the production environment reads, in real time, all information from the SQL database of your Navision system and reports the data collected on mobile transactions back to Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central. Similarly, all data here are also made available in a table specifically in Navision and are posted by code units in accordance with Business Central standard/NAV business logic.
If desired, the communication exchange between the L-mobile production server and your MS Dynamics system can be encrypted. Again, in the case of the mobile data collection of production processes, the collected data are stored in your ERP system and only processed by L-mobile production.
Access to your MS Dynamics system is ensured via an interface which is developed separately for each ERP system. The Microsoft Navision interface and the L-mobile production ERP interface for Business Central are designed so as to achieve optimal performance when data volumes are high. Production queries for collected data can be sent either via the SCADA server’s REST interface or via pre-created views, and also by installing our .NET components for use in your internally developed program processes.
It’s also possible for our mobile data collection solution to be integrated in NAV/MS Dynamics 365 Business Central in a bidirectional manner so it can “pick up” a manufacturing order from MS Dynamics. This way you always have all information on materials, operations, and tools, as well as delivery data available on your manufacturing mobile devices, and that information is always kept up-to-date.
Since the L-mobile service field service management software and the integrated CRM solution maintain an ERP interface to NAV/MS Dynamics 365 Business Central, you can manage your existing service structures from your mobile device and at the same time carry out your deployment planning from a single central location. The data which result from the mobile service process are posted via NAS or (as of MS Dynamics NAV 2009 R2) via web services back into your Navision system. As a result, you always have access to the data you need for analyses or to process your service operations further. Thanks to the read-only ERP interface, it’s easy to transfer existing data from MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central to L-mobile’s field service management software. In addition, the data collection solution has the ability to extend this information and make it available in structured form for further processing in Navision. The data stored for after-sales service is managed in an internal L-mobile Microsoft SQL database table. Since L-mobile’s field service management software is a standalone solution, the application can operate even without a connection to Microsoft Dynamics NAV/MS Dynamics 365. If you need to implement an ERP integration from MS Dynamics for the service management solution, L-mobile provides database tables to which you can connect your ERP system. The data from MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central needs to be added to these interface tables, then L-mobile service uses this data to make information available on mobile devices. This process is realized via so-called import scripts. The integrated reporting function makes it possible for customer system administrators to be kept informed of the status of every import operation. Should a defective set of data be transferred, it is rejected by the Microsoft Navision interface and by the ERP interface to Business Central, and the system administrator is asked to check and correct the given data in the MS Dynamics system.
On-time delivery due to improved stock overview
L-mobile warehouse ready for MS Dynamics gives you a mobile data collection solution for Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central, which makes all warehouse processes available to you in real time through the use of mobile barcode scanners. Through its consistent work with mobile devices tied to the digital warehouse management system, the machine data collection interface to MS Dynamics reduces potential sources of error and provides you with complete transparency over your warehouse stock. As it seamlessly reports back and posts data to NAV and MS Dynamics 365 Business Central with no change in media, our warehouse management software for MS Dynamics provides you with current information regarding stock movements on mobile barcode scanners, no matter where you are. In addition, the user administration function makes it possible for you to provide your warehouse personnel with mobile handheld devices featuring only those functions which are relevant for their specific activities.
Among other advantages, the digital order picking function in the MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central warehouse management system will provide your warehouse personnel who process picking orders from MS Dynamics with reduced search times as well as mobile order picking with route optimization. Should the material withdrawn for a picking order fall short of a pre-defined minimum limit, the mobile data collection solution will instantly report the minimum stock level back to Microsoft Dynamics. The replenishment request for the material can also be triggered completely automatically. In addition, digital order picking for MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central is supported by the warehouse management control station. The MS Dynamics control station makes it possible for you to assign order picking for production and shipping to one or more warehouse employees, so as to make your digital order picking process more efficient. In addition to mobile order picking for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the mobile data collection solution also provides you with support for all your other warehouse processes, from goods receipt and putaway through stock transfers—even transfers of multiple items, entire storage bins, series or batches in the form of a batch stock transfer—up to goods issue and inventory. The mobile data collection solution for NAV/Business Central lets you manage all your stock movements from your mobile device. The fact that the digital warehouse management system for MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central is connected to production means you benefit in two ways, and both your warehouse management and production operations can be managed from just one mobile solution.
Do you want to see for yourself how a machine data collection interface with Dynamics NAV will increase your warehouse process reliability and not only save you time but money? The register for one of our upcoming webcasts.
Our experts will hold a live demo to introduce you to our digital warehouse management solution for MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central, and will show you how you can control your warehouse processes from goods receipt to goods issue from your mobile device.
Mobile data collection as a key to your success
Our manufacturing planning solution for NAV/Business Central provides you with an automated production planning system for MS Dynamics as well as graphical production planning to increase the performance of your production processes. Our Microsoft Dynamics production planning solution ensures that both your contract production as well as serial production operations run with no downtimes, thus providing you with smooth production control.
Our graphical production planning solution for NAV/MS Dynamics 365 Business Central makes your manufacturing planning clear and easy while also taking into account the availability of your resources. If a machine or tool was scheduled more than once for an contract or series production, the graphical production planning display will report a collision warning. Our manufacturing planning solution for MS Dynamics NAV and Business Central also takes into account in order planning your personnel utilization and associates all orders with the current production state, quantities, and duration for the contract production. The graphical production planning display depicts this interaction in real time and immediately reports the information back to Microsoft Dynamics. The integrated analysis function within the manufacturing planning solution for MS Dynamics NAV and Business Central also makes it possible for you to compare planned values and actual values from orders which have already been completed, then takes the results into account in the automated manufacturing planning process, making it easier for you to manage subsequent production control.
The time factor plays a large part in production, especially in series production. Delays in delivery due to a lack of materials or incorrect run time forecasts are always associated with significant additional costs. NAV automated production planning always provides you with a planning overview of your contract production in real time which takes into consideration all factors that could impact production such as available materials, machine/tool conditions, and the current shift schedule. The automated production planning system within NAV/Business Central manufacturing planning uses production orders to generate only the production schedules which can be executed. After production planning is complete, NAV/Business Central passes all manufacturing orders to production control upon order release.
Production data collection plays an especially important role in the production control system for MS Dynamics NAV. As soon as a contract production order is released in MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central, L-mobile’s production data collection solution for NAV makes all orders for the contract production available. The production data collection function for Microsoft Dynamics is provided to quickly collect together all data from the current production operation to make it possible for you to draw conclusions on operational conditions. If desired, the production data collection function for MS Dynamics can also be implemented in the L-mobile warehouse ready for MS Dynamics mobile data collection solution. This means that, together with MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central, you always have a clear overview of your production and warehouse operations from just one solution.
Mobile solution for technical customer service
With L-mobile’s field service management app for NAV/Business Central, you can quickly schedule and process, all field service work orders and assignments for your field service staff, right from your mobile device. The NAV field service app provides a map view which visually depicts all orders and service technician assignments, and also comes with a digital deployment planning function which ensures you always have a clear overview of your field service management process. The mobile field service solution designed for Business Central and MS Dynamics NAV enables your field service technicians to use their mobile devices to report back the time and materials spent to the system. The NAV field service app then instantly sends the resulting digital field service report back to your MS Dynamics NAV/Business Central system. Since the service technician app for MS Dynamics also contains all customer master data from the customer management system, your technicians can also process orders from their mobile devices directly from their assignments. As a result, all information required for billing is available immediately in MS Dynamics NAV or Business Central, and invoices for services provided can be issued the very same day. With the NAV field service app, you not only have a constant overview of the available capacity of your technicians in customer field service, you can also digitally manage your sales projects and enter orders. To do this, you only need a mobile device and the service technician app for Microsoft Dynamics.
After your internal office team or head office has finished entering all field service assignments from MS Dynamics NAV or Business Central, the field service app for NAV transfers those orders to mobile devices and makes them available to your customer field service technicians in real time. As a result, the mobile field service solution for Business Central and MS Dynamics NAV ensures that your field service technicians always have an overview of all their field service assignments through the digital field service app for MS Dynamics NAV. The service technician app is a browser-based online application which can also execute mobile service processes offline. Thanks to modern HTML 5 programming, the NAV field service app can be used on any device and thus provides for optimal preparation of work operations. After a field service order created in MS Dynamics NAV or Business Central is released, the NAV field service technician app assigns it to a technician in field service. The field service technician sees the new order on the Microsoft Dynamics app for field service technicians in real time and can also have all field service assignments displayed in chronological order. Once the field service order is completed, the technician is also able to create a digital field service report right from the customer site, and the report is sent back directly to MS Dynamics. The need for time-consuming subsequent entries of paper-based field service reports is thus completely eliminated, thanks to the field service app.
2 million users worldwide put their trust in Microsoft Dynamics NAV/MS Dynamics 365 Business Central. The Microsoft Partner Network, consisting of roughly 3,500 partners worldwide, provides not just industry solutions tailored to the standard processes of the business processes in those areas of industry, but also the necessary resources to support you in using the MS Dynamics ERP system.
Application customizations realized by partners are implemented in C/AL, the programming language specific to Microsoft Dynamics products. Since the business solution is easy to use and can be adapted and extended at any time, MS Dynamics is a future-oriented solution which you can continue to use even when your company grows or faces new demands.
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