Microsoft NAV Dynamics Cost Control Software

NAV Upgrade

Rick Baxter — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:46:13 +0000

I am often asked “How frequently should I upgrade my Dynamics NAV Software?”

What often is not obvious to end-users is that to upgrade from Version 6.0 to Version 6.0R2 is much less expensive than to upgrade from Version 4.0 to Version 6.0R2. The difference is the field mapping from one version to the next. So, we recommend that you should never be more than 3 releases in arrears. (Aprox every 3 years)

What benefits do you get?

Microsoft spends millions of dollars every year to flood their software products with improvements:

1. Improved existing functionality.
2. New functionality
3. Performance improvements
4. Integration improvements (ie: one click to XLSX)
5. Report Writer improvements
6. SQL Server and Web Services improvements

Cost Control Software was one of the very first Dynamics NAV (Navision) Resellers in the United States. (Summer of 1995) We have new completed over 150 successful client upgrade projects. The key to our success was following a strict process to ensure quality and speed. You will see our steps at the end of this document.

If you would like a quotation on an upgrade, just give us a call.

NAV Upgrade is a post from: Cost Control Software

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Mandatory Fields for Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Rick Baxter — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:15:04 +0000

“Mandatory Fields” for Microsoft Dynamics 2009 RTC does just what the name implies. It lets the user assign which fields on a Page are to be Mandatory.

Example: Customer Credit Limit, E-Mail Address, Payment Terms, Item Type, Starting Date, Manufacturer Code, or Item Number.

Just flag the Page’s field with “Off, Low, High” to set the Protection Level. You can even specify Must Contain or Can Not Contain to further define your criteria. I invite you to watch Ben’s Video to see Mandatory Fields Setup and Daily Processing.

Click the article title to submit a Comment. We want to hear your opinion.

Mandatory Fields for Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a post from: Cost Control Software

Tree Map Visualization

Rick Baxter — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:09:21 +0000

Here we go again. Tree Map Visualization displays your selected data by size and by color. This grid view helps you find specific attributes of your data which otherwise would have been missed. Some people refer to this as a “Heat Map”, showing the important items by size or by color.

Cost Control Software has added 8 Tree Maps to our Foundation Pack Database. They are all tested and ready for you to set the desired criteria to analyze your data. It is great at spotting exceptions or unusual situations.

Enjoy The Show:

Tree Map Visualization is a post from: Cost Control Software

Time Line Visualization

Time Line Visualization

Rick Baxter — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:37:01 +0000

Have you seen Time Line Visualization? It is fantastic. View your Inventory Supply and Demand over Time in a Graphical presentation.

Best of all it is “Interactive“. That means you can play “What If”; and then decide if you want to send the recommended adjustments back to your production system. I got so excited about this new feature I just had to record a 14 min movie showing how to use this great tool. By the way, we include the Time Line Visualization at no charge when you purchase our Manufacturing Plus Database.

Enjoy the show:

Time Line Visualization is a post from: Cost Control Software

Tree Map Visualization

Cost Control at Directions 2011 Conference

Rick Baxter — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:29:52 +0000

Where to find Cost Control Software at Directions 2011 Conference

“Job Manager Class at Directions 2011″

DATE: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
TIME: 08:00am – 5:00 PM
FEE: $295 for Room, Teacher, and a great Lunch
LOCATION: The Peabody Hotel

REGISTRATION: http://costcontrolsoftware.com/about/job-manager-training-class/

“Meet the Cost Control Staff”
DATE: Wednesday October 12 & Thursday October 13
TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
LOCATION: Expo Hall – Table Top
REGISTRATION: None Required!

” Job Manager for R2; What’s New”
DATE: Thursday October 13, 2011
TIME: 9:15 – 10:15 am
LOCATION: ISV Session #104
REGISTRATION: None Required
TOPICS: Come to this session to see Job Manager in action: Chart Wizard, Bin Support in Job Journals (FG & RM), Completed Job’s Cost True-Up to Actual Cost, Utilization of Tree Maps and Time Line Visualization, Remote Time Entry, MS-Project Connector, Commission Calculations, Inventory Valuation Detail Reporting, and Automatic Cycle Counting. Who Should Attend: Salespeople, Implementers, Developers, and Owners. Spend 60 min with Rick and Ben as they take you through the R2 Enhancements to Job Manager.

Cost Control at Directions 2011 Conference is a post from: Cost Control Software

Cost “True up” to Actual Cost

Rick Baxter — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:25:53 +0000

During production costs are accumulated from many sources: Labor, Materials, Subcontractors, Freight, Site Services, and other. As you post Partial Production, you have to use an estimated or standard cost as the cost of the Finished Good. But, when you complete the Job, you then know the actual cost each. And, this actual cost each is often different from your estimated cost each.

What do you do? You want to go back to your previous postings and “true up” the cost to the actual cost each. You can now do this by activating the “True Up” feature in Job Manager. Go to advanced setup and check the option to True Up previous partial productions with the finalized cost each upon Job Completion. Job Manager will now make adjusting Item Value Entries to bring the cost each to the desired actual cost.

The best part, this new feature is included at no charge for clients on our Job Manager Maintenance plan. Just get upgraded to NAV 2009 R2 and you will receive this new capability and a few other goodies too. If you have a question, leave a comment below or give us a call.

Cost “True up” to Actual Cost is a post from: Cost Control Software

Chart Generator

Rick Baxter — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:17:46 +0000

Click this image to watch demo movie

We are pleased to announce “Chart Generator” has been added to our Foundation Pack as an additional feature.

This means that you can now easily define your own Role Center Chart from any Table within Dynamics NAV.

Just pick the chart type, fields to be displayed on the X and Y Axis and then select “Generate Chart”.

Once the Chart has been added to your list of Chart Parts, just pick the new chart to display on your role center.

If this would be a useful feature for you, just contact me and I will help you get this added to your “Foundation Pack” Granule. If you don’t have Foundation Pack, I can help you get all 61 features added to your Dynamics NAV Database.

Sample: Job Production by Date

Click this image to watch demo movie

Leave a comment in the message box below.

Chart Generator is a post from: Cost Control Software

Send Document via e-mail as PDF

Rick Baxter — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:58:36 +0000

You are going to love this new enhancement to Foundation Pack. “SendAsPDF” is officially feature #59 of 60. We added the ability to send Quotes, Sales Orders, Credit Memos, Sales Invoices, and Purchase Orders instantly as an e-mail attachment in a PDF format.

You just create the document content as desired, then click “SendAsPDF” and it generates an e-mail with everything automatically filled in.

Here is a sample of the Quote Screen:

: Sample from the Sales Quote Page

Sample of the e-mail ready to be sent:

: Sample of the automatic e-mail prepared for you

How cool is that.

We started with a Blog from the NAV Developers, then added our own twist: Default Values.

Examples: Where to pull the e-mail address, and where to pull all the other content. It can come in blank, and then you just fill in as desired, or set your defaults and let the software do the work.

I just love this little time saving feature. If you are new to NAV, it is not too late to add “Foundation Pack” to your new installation. If you are an old timer, order “Foundation Pack” when you upgrade to Version 2009 R2. I am so excited about this new feature I just recorded a video showing how it works.

Watch the Video, then leave me a comment below. Thanks, Rick

Send Document via e-mail as PDF is a post from: Cost Control Software

Report Writer Class for RTC

Rick Baxter — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:31:51 +0000

Cost Control Software is please to announce the release of our newest class for Microsoft Dynamics NAV: “Getting Started with Report Writer RTC”. This DVD class is available for shipment today, January 17, 2011. This class is a continuation of our Report Writer Class for NAV Classic, but now designed for Role Tailored Client users.

This class is ideal for anyone new to Role Tailored Client. Reports are developed from the “Object Designer” area in the Development Area. You start your report with the Wizard or with a Blank Report. You add your desired fields to the header and body section(s). These fields are now available for the Visual Studio Editor, which is where you design your RTC version of the report.

What is interesting is that one report holds both the “Classic Section Design” and the RTC “Layout” design. If the report is run from Classic, the classic report is printed. If the report is run from RTC, the RTC version of the report is rendered in the Viewer.

How the class works: There are 28 Lessons starting from a very simple report to a complex report. Each lession is really a “Lecture” from the instructor (Rick), which is then re-played and paused as you re-create each of the steps to create the report in your practice database or company.

There are 3 Sections: Designing Reports, Placing Reports on Menus, Bonus Tips. This class is ideal for the IT Staff or Programming Staff to learn some of the advanced Reporting Tips to really spiff up the appearance of your reports with Charts, Interactive Sorts, Drill Throughs, and Matrix Reports. There are 8 hours of Instruction, and another 8 hours of practice time to really master the Visual Studio editor and Viewer. Learn more here.

Report Writer Class for RTC is a post from: Cost Control Software

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Foundation Pack R2 is released

Rick Baxter — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:02:34 +0000

Effective 1/12/11 Cost Control’s Foundation Pack is released. This is less than 30 days from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV R2 release.

In an effort to continue to provide end-users of NAV the very best “Starter Database” on the market, we have added the following new features:
1. Small Business Role Center with new Alerts Section

2. Improved Security Setup

3. Kitting Enhancements

4. “Template Company” for an instant new company launch

5. Improved Over/Under Shipping options

6. Simple Bill of Lading on Posted Shipmnet Documents

This puts Foundation Pack at 58 Database Enhancments. What a great way to start every new customer. All development is now being done in the Role Tailord Client. There will be no Form Stretches or Changes to the Classic Client. This prepares us for the removal of Forms when Version 7.0 is released in 2012.

To help you better understand what the 58 Embedded Features are, I have created a large document that shows every single feature. Before you invest $1,700 in Foundation Pack, I want you to know what is included and why the Value is twice what we charge for Foundation Pack. You can get a copy by just leaving a comment below.

All of us at Cost Control Software apreciate the support of the NAV Channel Partners and the End-User Community. As we complete our R2 releases of “Job Manager”, “Manufacturing Plus”, and “Reports Pack” I will announce their availabity here. Thank you, Rick Baxter

Foundation Pack R2 is released is a post from: Cost Control Software

Job Manager RTC Training released