Busy busy busy!

What a turnaround this week - loads of PO sign offs with deliver dates for Dynamics Nav developments in the next few weeks. And its holiday season! Just completed 2 day super user training for a client which is at least a start for them to be reasonable self sufficient for most Nav issues. Went well so any simple development requests by the client that can be achieved through amending an existing form or report object to creating a new one through the wizard can be done by the client. First line fixed price Dynamics Nav support for this client starts week after next.
Also learnt a little more for interaction templates for Dynamics Nav and available fields from tables. All can be changed (VERY carefully) through codeunit 5054. Client wanted a customer number on one of the templates and this was achieved via this codeunit.
A reasonable week for client contact - one to confirm approval for a quote from 3 months ago and an urgent request from another client for a change.
More and longer blogs next week. Very busy Dynamics Nav development week!

'Never stop learning'

An interesting day today. Had a phone call from a back links supplier on the www.dynamicsnavconsultant.co.uk web site and what they could do for a fee to improve referrals / clicks. Very interesting - we are doing most of the potential optimisations already but back links are more difficult. Our ranking has also slipped to 10th on the first page from 2nd. So we need to do something. Going back to the supplier by the end of this week. If it works, it should get us more hits!
And then we had an issue with Nav sql version. Sql 2008 all ok and database looks ok. But you cannot access the database in Nav - .stx error. It all started with trying to restore the latest client sql database back up into our server. No problem in sql management studio but could not access in Nav sql. So tried all sorts including trying to restore old back ups. Made an assumption that the issue was in sql and yet the error message was in Nav.
Now fixed. All down to where was the error message (Nav) and re-installing the Nav client. The re-install failed but it must have replaced a corrupt .stx file because now we have the latest database on our machine. A result and more importantly a lesson learnt - track the error message against the application it appears in first.
Busy day and a very busy week. 2 days out super user training on Dynamics Nav for a client and behind on some of the developments because of the failed restore issue above. But we will catch up!

POs confirmed!!

Started work today on Dynamics Nav developments (http://www.dynamicsnavconsultant.co.uk/devel) for a client. POs signed off last week which will keep us busy this week. Hope this is a sign of things to come. Also need to prepare for Dynamics Nav super user training (http://www.dynamicsnavreports.co.uk/training) that I am providing for a client. No code teaching just a general understanding of Dynamics Nav, how it works and how to create simple reports and forms using the Nav wizard. Training over 2 days next week.
HMRC phoned up today to confirm we have hit their radar re agency code for client self assessment and corporation tax return submissions on line. Thank goodness! 1 client wants returns in by the end of next week.

Booked chargeable days

Some work is coming in now! At last. Dynamics Nav work as well - not sure if it is down to the reduction in day rates but it is welcome in any case. Not a lot but it is a start. I am just hoping the announced 40% cuts in central government will not have a knock on effect to us.
Some other chargeable days booked but waiting for clients to confirm access and bits of data. Seems to be taking a long time.
Also discovered today that following a phone call to the HMRC helpdesk, a tax agent code can only be requested in writing no matter what it says on the web site. So I have just sent a letter off and I hope there will be a reply soon! I have a lot of tax returns to do for clients before the end of the month. Yes this is early but if that is what the client wants!
Interesting phone call earlier! Change of tactic by a business trying to sell to me. Suggested that they wanted a service from me but it turned out to be something we can sell as a reseller. On line storage but from a quick review of the pricing details, pricing looks too high! I don't think any of my clients would go for it.
Out at a client tomorrow (chargeable part day) so no blog tomorrow.

Reduction in Dynamics Nav development day rates

We are already competitive for Dynamics Nav developments in terms of quality of solution, estimated effort to complete and day rates. But the issue we have is reaching potential customers! We are not big enough for a full blown Dynamics Nav Solution Centre so we do not get client referrals from Microsoft. We get our clients from their web searches when they are completely fed up of their assigned Solution Centre.
And we do get new clients this way.
But we are now in our 2 quietest months of the year because of holidays - we assume!
So I have just sent an email to all existing clients confirming for July and August a reduction of 20% on the day rates charged for Dynamics Nav developments for orders placed in July and August. In the next week, I will put the new prices on the main Dynamics Nav domains we own (www.dynamicsnavconsultant.co.uk, www.dynamicsnavreports.co.uk) and see if this draws any new clients from the web.
Just had call today from BT guy about web positioning and what they can do for us. Asked for the details on an email and awaiting this.