CRM UK - the official blog of the CRM specialists at TSG

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 Release Date Announced

The UK release date for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, the latest version of this leading ERP software solution, is set for 15th December 2010. This release is great news for existing and new Microsoft Dynamics NAV users alike.

There are some valuable features and enhancements included with the release which will help businesses increase and improve productivity. And here are details of two major developments of particular interest to Concentrix customers:

- Microsoft Dynamics NAV will now be available as a full cloud-based solution

- The latest release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV can be fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This includes Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

Microsoft Dynamics NAV in the Cloud

The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 release enables the software to be deployed and accessed ‘in the cloud’. A cloud-based ERP solution such as this offers business flexibility with no long-term commitments, is backed by guaranteed service levels, and makes the cost of your ERP software a true operational cost rather than a capital expenditure.

But if you’re considering a cloud-based ERP solution, please contact us about our Microsoft Dynamics NAV Online offering.

Integration to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

The release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 means that integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM no longer requires your business partner to deploy extra software or a connector programme to link the two applications. This is now part of the product, so there’s no need for us to use third-party software. It also means the integration is fully supported by Microsoft, and the integration works with both Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and on-premise deployments.

Other enhancements in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 include application virtualisation support and faster, safer and easier customisation and development for business partners through ‘.Net’ interoperability.

Further Information

You can find out more on the built-in integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the latest release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the new cloud-based version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV and details of other enhancements and features by contacting Concentrix and talking to one of our CRM or ERP specialists.

And don’t forget, Concentrix is still offering three user-licences of Microsoft Dynamics NAV for just one pound! But the offer ends promptly on 23rd December 2010 (if you wait until Christmas Eve, we won’t be able to offer it to you at anywhere near this price).

Cloud versus On-Premise CRM solutions – Operational Expenditure versus Capital Expenditure

There are a lot of buzz words around in the business world at the moment, but understanding what they actually mean and the benefits which they can bring to your business can be difficult to comprehend.  So, here is an insight into cloud versus on-premise CRM.

What is CRM in the cloud?

This is when your system is held on hardware and IT infrastructure which is accessed remotely. With CRM in the cloud you will pay a monthly fee and be able to use the software as soon as you have bought the license. The solution in the cloud delivers a number of benefits including:

- Rapid Deployment

- Low initial set-up costs

- You can use the software as soon as you have bought the license

- You can access the solution from anywhere in the world providing you have an internet connection

What is On-Premise CRM?

This is where your system is based on servers which you own which are located on your premise. Although the set-up costs of On-Premise solutions are higher, you will ultimately own the solution. The benefits of On-Premise Solutions include:

- Greater control of the system

- Easier Integration

- More Control

- No Monthly fees

- Total ownership of the solution

Capital expenditure versus Operational Expenditure

It could be argued that the decision isn’t just between Cloud or On – Premise solutions; it’s also a decision between whether you want to go for a capital expenditure or an operational expenditure. Capital expenditure is any investment in assets that will be used over a long period of time. Capital expenditure assets usually depreciate over time. For example, buying a new piece of machinery would be classed as a capital expenditure. However, an operational expenditure is an expense which occurs in the course of ordinary business, such as sales and general or administrative expenses. For example the cost of a salary – if you stop paying someone they will no longer work for you.

In terms of CRM solutions, the on-premise solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage CRM and FrontRange’s GoldMine would be classed as Capital Expenditure. This is because you will pay up front for the solution and once paid for the solution will continue to work until you tell it not to. In terms of the Operational expenditure, this is what cloud solutions are. With cloud solutions, although the starts up costs are lower, you will never actually own the software and if you stop making your monthly payment the solution will stop working.

If you decide to go for the operational expenditure (cloud solutions), there will be other economic benefits which will arise other than the direct cost saving on infrastructure acquisition such as:

- The ability to get up and running quickly

- The increased productivity of the workforce

And although on-premise solutions (the ones which are classed as a capital expenditure) give organisations the  ability to customise the solution and complete ownership, it will never just be the case of a one-off capital expenditure, there will also be the ongoing operational costs of maintaining the solution, for example the cost of energy, IT admin staff and servers.

So which is best?

It really isn’t a case of Operational expenditure (cloud CRM) being better than a capital expenditure (On-premise solution)  of vice versa, as both will ultimately deliver a significant return on investment. It’s more a case of finding the hosting alternative which best matches the requirements of the company in question. Typically, smaller organisations will be more suited to the cloud solutions and larger organisations generally require more control and therefore the on-premise solutions are generally more appropriate.

Whichever solution you choose it is important to remember that you need to consider the bigger picture so although the solution meets you needs now, will it continue to do so in the future? It’s also important to consider and additional costs.

For help or advice on selecting the right CRM solution for your business, contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]

An Intranet is a great way to get started with SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful and extremely flexible application which integrates the Microsoft Office Suite with your business. And because most businesses already have a SharePoint licence (they’re free with most servers purchased after 2003), they usually have plans for using it.

Unfortunately the capabilities of SharePoint are so wide ranging that many organisations become overwhelmed and consequently don’t use it. In fact, one of the hardest parts of a SharePoint project is getting started! So starting your SharePoint project modestly and in manageable steps is the sensible way forward, and a SharePoint Intranet is a great way to do this.

This is where Concentrix BizNetix comes in – the Instant Intranet built on SharePoint. Concentrix BizNetix is a pre-configured version of SharePoint. With a choice of ten pre-built sites, BizNetix enables you to produce a fully-functional intranet within a matter of days. We’ve done over 100 days of development already, giving you a major head start for your SharePoint project.

BizNetix delivers benefits to nearly all areas of your business. It’s packed with features for finance, sales, marketing, HR, administration, operations and much more. Whatever the structure of your organisation, we’ll configure BizNetix to meet your needs. We’ll even pass the skills on to your team so they can develop the solution in the future. BizNetix is a great way to get started with SharePoint, and provide visibility of your SharePoint project throughout your organisation. And at less than £10k, it’s also highly cost-effective.

The benefits of a SharePoint Intranet are wide ranging, and include:

- Providing a simple, familiar and consistent user experience

- Boosting employee productivity by simplifying everyday business activities using workflows

- Simplifying access to data in line-of business applications through a web browser

- Providing a single, integrated environment to manage your intranet, extranet and the integration with existing applications

- The ability to easily share information and collaborate with colleagues

The features of a SharePoint intranet will also deliver a wide range of tangible benefits to your organisation. For example, BizNetix enables you to:

- Store all of documents in one place

- Easily collaborate on documents and projects

- Share calendars, tasks and meetings

- Distribute training resources, such as Health and Safety information

- Capture Data and Structure Workflow

- Manage and approve holidays and expenses

- Record timesheets

- Scan and index documents

…..and much more! To find out more about Concentrix BizNetix, or to arrange a free demonstration, please contact Concentrix.

Concentrix Microsoft Dynamics NAV Offer is Really Taking Off!

If you’re an organisation in the UK looking in to changing your existing ERP system, or investigating business management software for the first time, you’ve probably heard about the Microsoft Dynamics NAV licence offer from Concentrix. If case you haven’t, Concentrix Ltd, working with Microsoft UK, is offering businesses three licences of Microsoft Dynamics NAV for just one UK pound (GBP). We’re also offering to implement, train and support users at significantly reduced costs.

The idea behind the promotion is to help businesses, especially smaller businesses that may think Microsoft Dynamics NAV is too big for them, get started with this popular ERP solution. We also scheduled the offer alongside the release of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, which is the latest version of the product.

Concentrix started the three-for-a-pound promotion at the beginning of October. We’ve already had people getting in touch from a wide variety of different organisations. Not everyone immediately associates an accounting and ERP software product like Microsoft Dynamics NAV with smaller organisations, but a lot of the enquiries have actually come from smaller businesses. We like to think this promotion shows that both Concentrix and Microsoft are committed to smaller customers, and that this will help them get started with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and the benefits it brings.

The latest version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV helps everyone in an organisation work together, work more productively, and will put your business in a stronger, more competitive position. It has some great new features, for example it’s easier than ever for remote and roaming users to access the product, it helps you harness the use of cloud services and improved hosting capabilities, it has built-in integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and it can produce some powerful business intelligence level data visualisations.

If you thought that Microsoft Dynamics NAV licences and costs would be too much for you, you really can’t argue with three for a pound! That's probably why we're getting so much interest and the offer is really taking off.

We’re running the offer until the 23rd December 2010. It’s a great chance for almost any company of any size to get started with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. For more information about the Concentrix Microsoft Dynamics NAV offer, please contact Concentrix.

Concentrix BizNetix launched!!

Concentrix has recently released BizNetix, the instant intranet built on SharePoint.

So what is BizNetix?

Concentrix BizNetix will significantly enhance visibility across an organisation and will deliver benefits to every department including Sales, HR, and Finance. What’s more, it also includes automation in the form of workflow, which can be used to drive business processes forward and improve day to day tasks like booking holiday.

SharePoint is a fantastic product and delivers a number benefits to organisations, however, knowing how to utilise them to the advantage of the company can become challenging. As a result, some companies either don’t try to use SharePoint, or begin and then become overwhelmed and stop. However, Concentrix BizNetix will enable you to get up and running with all the benefits of SharePoint in a matter of days.

What are the benefits of BizNetix?

BizNetix will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an organisation and will deliver a number of benefits including among others:

» Providing a simple, familiar and consistent user experience

» Boosting employee productivity by simplifying everyday business activities using workflows for initiating, tracking and reporting on common activities

» Simplifying access to data in line of business applications through a web browser.

» Streamlining business processes.

What’s more, you can have all of this for less than 10k!

To fully understand BizNetix you really need to see it so, to find out more, or to arrange a FREE demonstration, please contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]

We’re exhibiting at IT Showcase in Sheffield!

At the end of the month we will be exhibiting at IT Showcase in Sheffield. IT showcase is an exhibition for IT Managers, business owners, directors and managers who need to find the best suppliers for their enterprise software project.

Concentrix is an independent Business Solutions specialist and provides best in breed software including: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage CRM, FrontRange’s GoldMine, Sage 200 and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Our product agnostic approach will ensure that you get a solution which matches the precise needs of your organisation, you can rest assured we will not try and make a solution fit. At Concentrix we value long term relationships and want to provide you with a solution which meets the needs of your company not only now but also in the future.  

If you are interested in implementing a new business solution and want to talk to a CRM or ERP software specialist,  just need more information, why not come and visit us at IT showcase Sheffield where you will be able to have a discussion with one of our experts.

The event details are as follows:

Date: 30^th November 2010

Location: Sheffield United Football Club, Bramall Lane, Sheffield, S2 4SU

Time: 10 am – 2 pm

If you can’t make it to IT showcase, but would like more information or a demonstration of on any of the solutions provided by Concentrix, please contact us on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]