I am getting better at updating this blog!

Another week has passed and a busy one for Dynamics Nav and Fraser IT Services.
Fraser IT first: Paul went on site to configure 4 new laptops, install Office 2013, install a network hard drive for back ups and provide a 30 minute tutorial on Windows 8. All successfully completed with a few interesting points for the learning curve on installing Office 2013 onto Windows 8.
The Dynamics Nav week's work included:
On site training - Sales and Receivables end to end process. Went well. 3 days more training this coming week for the same client on other Dynamics Nav modules.
Configuration and data migration work for a client. Complete base configuration for 4 new businesses, create a new consolidation business and then start master file, opening items and opening TBs data migration for each company. Consolidation testing to start next week.
Initial meeting with a prospective new Dynamics Nav client. Down in London. Good meeting and we can help with on site training and developments initially.
So overall a good week. Fingers crossed re new potential Dynamics Nav client.
As part of the training material for the Dynamics Nav training for a client next week, I have managed to find a list of new functionality in Nav 2013 (some very interesting bits as well) that would have been of use in London this week. I have also compared all objects from Nav 4, Nav 5, Nav 2009 and Nav 2013. Interesting to see what the changes are!
The web site for Dynamics Nav services (http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/) will be updated for a new page offering to sell our training material covering versions 4, 5, 2009 and 2013 (soon) through PayPal. The training material is in Word format with a navigation index bar, step by step process based instructions supported by screen dumps at each stage of the process.
The training material is based on the UK demo database but we can also provide training material for each client's own requirements in terms of functionality and / or screen dumps from the client's database rather than the demo database. Web page (http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/training-material-coming-soon/) will be live in the next 2 weeks.
Anyway that's all for now folks. Watch this space!

At last the week end draws ever closer....

Another busy couple of weeks on Dynamics Nav work.
We have had so many enquiries from end users and recruitment agents alike in the last week I have created a new page detailing enquiries received (obviously no names on the web page), how we can provide the service to meet the requirement and whether or not we are providing that service.
The requests have been varied to say the least. I have even had one asking if I would take a senior management role as a fill in for a person on leave. Not Dynamics Nav related except that the client will be implementing Dynamics Nav in the next 6 months.
The new page is at http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/recent-enquiries/. So enjoy. I am still updating the content and as yet has not included key words for SEO. But it does give an idea of what varied services we can provide to clients. The list of Dynamics Nav services is listed at http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/.  So enjoy and let me know what you think.
Just completed the first day of Dynamics Nav training (details of services http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/training/) for a new client with more to follow over the next 4 weeks. More super user and end user training combined.
Also met up with a potential new Dynamics Nav client this week to discuss their requirements. Basically the business wants to become more self reliant to support / develop the application. We can help by initially providing on site support followed by on site training followed by remote first line support. All at very good prices! And next week I am meeting up for a free consultation with another prospective client in London.
So if we were measured on potential sales, we would be rich. Fingers crossed some of these leads come off!
Very quiet on the accounts side (http://www.fraseraccounts.co.uk/) as tax season has finished. But we have some IT work next week which is rare and not really our core business. The margins are far too low. Never mind - onwards and upwards.

Well what a 2 weeks.....

A great fortnight for new customers for our Dynamics Nav services (http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/). We now have xx new customers. All from the new web pages and potentially another new customer in the near future.
Training services (http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/training/) required in the main - on site providing some training at 1 of the new customers tomorrow (Central London) and due to schedule training for a Leicester based client early next week. Potential customer also requires training but we will see if this comes off!
We have also started Nav 2013 work for a client - mainly on how to change existing Nav reports (documents and non documents) to be Nav 2013 compliant. Quite a learning curve as the Nav 2013 report tool (Visual Studio Web Developer with Nav add on) is an improvement on the Nav 2009 version but only just. And this probably reflects the better dataitem structures required when creating the new report. Whilst I remember what has happened to the Report Wizard from 2009 in 2013? Gone! I can see developers going down to JetReport route for Nav reporting for Nav 2013. Shame as getting data from Nav is not too hard in Classic.
To date we have taken a number of reports and amended in 2009 to facilitate the 'Report Upgrade' process in Nav 2013. A bit of a learning curve but very successful to date. Does require some alternative approaches in report creation in 2009.
So a busy week. Nothing much happening on the accounts side (http://www.fraseraccounts.co.uk/) as personal tax year end has long since gone.
That's all for now folks.

Another week but a new month

The Dynamics Nav on site support contract at Preston has now finished with job done as requested. Super user training completed. There may be some follow up at a later date but not on site 3 days a week. So all good.
Quite a busy Friday with contacts and potential clients. Sent off flyer emails re potential work with some large businesses that may need Dynamics Nav expertise. Submitted a quote for training to a potential new client in the East Midlands. A rarity - a Dyamics Nav business in the East Midlands!
So for this week, it will be quiet. Usual with the business - if it was valued on potential I would be rich! So we will have to wait and see if any of the potential work gets signed off.
Need to give serious thought to whether I want to change from my own business to employed.
On the accounts / tax side, all clients personal tax returns in well before the deadline. So all good again. It will be quiet on this side of the business as well.
That's all for now folks!

Nearly the end of January already!

Last week of 6 weeks on site (in Preston) for a client next week. It was 3 days a week but this week and next week is 1 day. It was only a short term fix for the client while they recruited a full timer based locally in Preston. In the last few weeks I have been providing Dynamics Nav user training to client staff covering areas including General and Navigation (look and feel, finding your way around the application), Fixed Assets (creating, links to purchase ledger, disposals and depreciation calculations), year end closing and super user training. More details of training provided on http://www.dynamicsnavukhelp.co.uk/services/training/.

Hoping for additional work after next week but only time will tell. More training to be provided but the client may choose their Solution Centre instead. Also provided quotes for specific remote based work but no bites as yet!

More data extract and reporting work for another client. Uses data from Dynamics Nav but reporting template so complex requires Excel to pull data together in the format required. Nearly finished.


On the accounts side of the business, actively getting all client personal (and partnership) tax returns submitted on line. All done bar 2. 1 has just been approved by the client so this will be submitted Monday. Meeting with the client tonight to discuss their accounts (first year of trading) and personal tax return. Should be approved tonight and so will be submitted Monday. So all done and dusted by close of play tomorrow.

Bar that, work pretty quiet. Usual thing with FPC - loads of potential but we need clients to firm up on work to be done and sign off on quotes.

That is all for now!

The week so far

I am now on a 3 day a week on site contract for 6 weeks for a client at Preston. Dynamics Nav expertise required around configuration, process mapping and support. This was week 2. Lots to do so they are keeping me busy.
Very quite on all other client fronts for Dynamics Nav. We have had some enquiries but I don't think any action will be forthcoming until January when Xmas and the New Year are well and truly over.
Fraser Accounts on the other hand is ramping up. Personal tax returns due in by the end of January. We have done about half of our clients so plenty still to have a go at.
That's all for this week while I work on client quotes! :)

Ponderings.....

Another quiet week but with some potential business prospects. If we were measured on business potential we would be millionaires!
Started to look in earnest at Dynamics Nav 2013. Started with the upgrade tool. All going well until we realised we do not have a licence that would allow us to load in the new converted 2009 objects from the base 2009 database into the newly created Nav 2013 database. Cronus licence which comes with Nav 2013 does not work - as you would expect. So we need one of our clients to request the upgrade licence which then commits them to Nav 2013. Weird set up re upgrade path. So put some feelers out there to see if anyone has a Nav 2013 licence.
In fact thinking about it I don't see why a client cannot carry on using their old Nav 2009 licence after the Nav 2013 new licence upgrade has been completed.
More updates to follow as we make (or not) progress.
On another front, I wonder if there are any Dynamics Nav users in Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire? Last time we paid for some research on this very subject (back in 2005), there were very few users in these areas. So I end up travelling all over the country from Bognor Regis to Manchester.
That's all for now folks!