We’re here to help!
With all experienced NAV consultants in our Dynamics NAV support team, all waiting to deal with your queries and problems, we have someone for every Dynamics NAV eventuality and are able to support you every step of the way!
All our team are experienced consultants who come to work each day with one purpose: to deliver a high quality, value for money service. Always at the end of the phone, they are more than happy to assist in any way they can, whether it’s a systems issue, functional question, process advice or training request, our team are here to help.
What makes us different from the other Dynamics NAV Support Partners out there?
People move to us for many reasons: they are not getting the Dynamics NAV support they need, they want better advice on what to do with their solution, especially with upgrading, they want us to help innovate their business processes or they just want their system to run faster. When we started Camerton, we wanted to be different. We wanted to do things that others didn’t and to look after people in a way that we like to be looked after by our own business partners. One of the things that was very obvious from the outset was that there was a lot of dissatisfaction in the Dynamics NAV Customer Community. As unashamed NAV geeks and enthusiasts, this made us more than a little sad. So, we had our primary role easily defined: ‘Build a partner whose number 1 aim was to bring better service to the NAV community.’
Over the last 8 years we have taken on the care and support of many NAV implementations; from smaller, finance-only customers, through to huge, global brands utilising the full extent of the ERP functionality and, in many cases, complex ISV solutions, too. But regardless of their size or reason for moving, we hope we have given these customers a home where they get the service and attention they need and deserve.
How can I move my Dynamics NAV Support over to a new Partner?
It’s a big decision to move partners, after all Dynamics NAV is often the core and most critical IT solution a business has in place! So, to move from a known partner (regardless of how poor the partner), to a new, unknown provider is a very daunting prospect, especially as most Dynamics NAV systems have some (or lots) of bespoke components. That said, don’t worry. It is possible to do and it’s not one bit as difficult as you might think!
Are you really thinking about Moving Dynamics NAV support to a new Partner?
If you are thinking about moving your Dynamics NAV Support to a new support partner it’s critical that the partner you are moving to has a solid and proven on-boarding process to ensure a smooth and de-risked transition. So this is how we do it…!
First of all, let’s quickly address the admin bit. It’s a simple move in Microsoft’s eyes; there’s a one page form, you tick a few boxes, sign the bottom, we send it in to Microsoft and within 24 hours we are assigned as your new Dynamics NAV Support partner. We need to do this so we can access your licence and make any changes you may need and to manage the billing of your annual maintenance from Microsoft.
From our side, we agree a support contract and sign it! But before we do that, there is some really important work that needs to be done; we need to get know you and your system, so the following activities are carried out as part of the on-boarding process.
Initially we take a look under the hood to get a good idea of what has been changed and how. But this only gives us half the story; we also need to understand the context in which the business is using the system and its modifications (or in some case not using the modifications that have been done!)
To get this rounded view of a customer we ask that they present their ‘Day in the Life’ (how you use your Dynamics NAV system). This is done to our hand-over team which typically comprises a Support Representative, an Account Manager and a Consultant. By doing both the technical review and the ‘Day in the Life’ overview we can ensure that we have context around the development and setup aspects of the solution. It’s also a great way to see if there are any quick wins around changing the use of the system or the processes being employed.
As well as reviewing how the system is set up and used we carry out a performance review; we talk to key users to understand where their hearts and minds are and of course we document outstanding technical and support issues – after all, we expect to take a system on completely, warts and all, not ask you to get everything fixed before we come along! Having carried out a system review a report is produced which identifies those things that we need to address immediately. These could be issues that are being passed to support or it could be chargeable work that the customer has been reluctant to do with their existing Dynamics NAV Support partner. We will make recommendations on performance and infrastructure, address any user feedback and also start to identify longer term strategic recommendations, such as training, reporting and functional requirements.
You won’t be surprised to learn that we do all of this is free of charge, our initial investment in what we hope will be a long relationship.
If you’re interested to talk to us about moving to us for your Dynamics NAV Support then just get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!
Frightened to Move Partner?
In talking to customers who are looking at moving support (for whatever reason), it’s quite interesting to hear some of the things they are told by their incumbent partner to scare them off from moving! So, to help, we thought we’d try and bust some of the moving partner myths!
Myth Number 1
If you move partner, they won’t be able to access or maintain the bespoke code we have written for you.
Um…in a word, NO! If the bespoke code has been written in Dynamics NAV and is in the customer object range then any partner can see what’s been done, make changes to it and maintain it! But in the World of Dynamics 365 Business Central this may not be true, if you have bespoke work done as extensions, then you need to ensure you have the source code or you will just have a compiled extension and that isn’t transportable!
Myth Number 2
If you leave us, you can no longer use the code we have written for you or you can’t take it with you.
This is a slightly murkier area, because it really does depend on what your contract with the partner says. For the most part and in every instance we have seen, the contracts normally grant you the right to use bespoke work or add on for as long as you wish, but the originally partner retains the intellectual property. Essentially, that means you (and therefore your new Dynamics NAV | 365 Business Central partner) can continue to use it, develop it and maintain it for your own purposes. You (and your new seller) can’t copy it and resell it to other people. In some cases, customers have negotiated either dual or sole ownership of the intellectual property. In this situation, there are really no limitations around what you can do. The only situation where this could get messy is if the contract explicitly stops you using the add on or bespoke software if you cancel the contract. We’ve never seen it, but that’s not to say they don’t exist!
Myth Number 3
No, you see you’re mid-point in your Microsoft Enhancement contract, you can’t move from us until that ends.
Wrong! In short, you can move your license and therefore your Microsoft Enhancement contract at any point – the contract is between you and Microsoft, not you and the partner. It’s worth checking that the partner contract doesn’t stipulate that Microsoft Enhancement forms part of their contract but to be honest, it doesn’t matter too much, as long as you’ve paid you can move or if it’s due for renewal then you can move and then pay!
Myth Number 4
‘Ah you see, we know what your code does and how that affects your business – go somewhere else and they won’t really understand it.’
You know there is a certain degree of truth in this, but let’s explore that a little more…
If the incumbent Dynamics NAV | 365 Business Central partner still has the original team who implemented the solution, then yes they will have some better head knowledge on you and your systems. That’s a plus. The reality however? Often it is the case that for systems which were implemented a while ago, the staff who did the original install have moved on and taken with them the aforementioned precious knowledge. The fact you’re looking around says that you’re not getting great service or direction and therefore this argument only holds water if the original team are there and are actively engaged with you as a customer – otherwise they’re not really any better able to help you than another knowledgeable partner.
The success of a new partner getting to grips with taking on an existing system really depends on how good their take-on methodology is. Any good Dynamics NAV | 365 Business Central techie can look at code and the developer notes, to get an idea of how it’s working technically. But is that really enough? We don’t think so! Which is why when we take on a customer, we do a technical review. We also get the users to walk us through all of their key processes, essentially their ‘Day in the Life’. From this we can map technical to business use, and get a much better idea of what we are supporting and in the context of their business. This also helps us identify potential issues, quick wins and start to work with the customer to develop a long term systems strategy.
Oh! And something else we do differently – we don’t just send one guy to do the handover. For the long term solution view, we send a Senior Consultant/Developer and a Senior Support Consultant, both of whom will become the customer champions.
Myth Number 5 – A Legal Pitfall
The most common issue we come across are cancellation clauses and more to the point, contracts not being cancelled in time! The majority of Dynamics NAV | 365 Business Central partners will have the following terms in the support agreements and it’s something most customers are not aware of until they come to terminate the agreement.
Essentially the clause will say something like ‘the agreement requires the customer to provide written notice of termination at least three months prior to the contract renewal date.’ In practice, this means that if your support contract renewal date is 1st January, you should have given written notice to the partner by 30th September. If you don’t, then legally you’re obliged to re-sign for another year. The practical solution? Give notice to your partner every time you renew or negotiate a rolling quarterly contract. We are strong believers that great service, good advice and value for money should be enough to keep customers, so we don’t insist on tricky little clauses that tie people in unknowingly.
In summary…
As you can see, there are a whole raft of reasons and excuses why partners try to make it hard to leave, which is really sad – especially given that they are obviously taking their customers’ business for granted, not giving good service or value and then getting uppity and awkward when the customer wants to move on.
If you still think of changing your partner and talk to us – Get in Touch!!
What you get with Dynamics NAV Support from Camerton!
We pride ourselves on our extensive range of Dynamics NAV support services delivered by experts focused solely on Dynamics NAV. Here are some of the benefits:
Account Management
Our Account Management Team ensures a regular flow of information and feedback between us and our customers, keeping them informed of developments in the Dynamics NAV world. Your Account Manager will be primarily responsible for managing the relationship you have with us, including logging change requests, facilitating knowledge transfer relating to any solution or company changes, and ensuring that you are receiving the quality of service and Dynamics NAV support you expect.
A friendly and knowledgeable support team
Our Dynamics NAV support staff are the best in the business so you can rely on them to answer your questions, steer you in the right direction and advise on the best way to manage your system. What’s more, you don’t need to worry about our support lifecycle – we’re committed to supporting all versions of Dynamics NAV and have specialists on hand who know each and every version inside-out! Take a look at our impressive Service Level Agreements
Dynamics NAV Training
Training is essential if you want to get the most out of your Dynamics NAV system (and save yourself hours of lost time, headaches and frustration to boot!) Sadly, however, there aren’t many decent resources available for NAV users to access.
That’s why we set up a range of Dynamics NAV training resources to help you understand your NAV system and use it well! Ranging from face-to-face training days and quick how-to videos to live support and recorded presentations on the latest innovations from Microsoft – there’ll be something perfect to help you.
Cleaning the clutters
Our Polisher will come to you to show you how to create your own Role Centre and tidy up your pages in Dynamics NAV ensuring that the user experience is as pleasant as possible. Our aim is to leave you with a great Role Centre and to give you the knowledge on how you can customise your interface.
Minor Modifications
This is a service where we will make small changes (by which we mean those which take less than an hour) as part of your Dynamics NAV support contract. The kinds of things that we can offer as part of the minor mods service are: adding a field to a table and exposing it on a page/form, making fields visible and adding filters on a report.
SQL Tuning
For customers on a support contract, the SQL DBA will perform a free remote SQL Health Check on your Dynamics NAV system, plus diagnosis of problem form and page performance. With the help of SQL DBA, we’ll get your NAV working smoothly again! Learn more about the SQL Nurse
Supporting the Older Dynamics NAV System!
At Camerton, we support customers on Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics NAV and even Navision, the original version of the product prior to it being acquired by Microsoft. Many of our customers are on old versions of these products and many are on versions that pre-date the current Role Tailored Client (RTC) visual style interface (we call these ‘Classic’ versions). We have customers dating back to version 1.3 and 2.6, implemented in the mid to late 1990s, they still manage their stock and collect money from customers before finally accounting for it all. We love to talk about bringing our customers into the new world of Dynamics 365 Business Central, but we also recognise that financial and time pressures may mean people want to stay for now on their old version.
At Camerton, we never push people to upgrade before they are ready and we happily support customers with their versions until they are ready to move on. We can support functional code in any old version (and many of our staff love the memories it creates when working on these Classic systems. Of course, we can’t change the fundamental kernel of these old systems so as Microsoft drop support for security fixes for these older versions, there will always be some risk in staying on these systems that is harder for us to mitigate. But rest assured, we will do what we can to keep your old beauty running until the day you can move to that new shiny, faster, and functionally rich Dynamics 365 Business Central.