Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Is All About Appearances--And Users Say That's Fine

Jan Sillemann, Microsoft's Director of Global Product Management, has a message for companies that may be considering upgrading from Dynamics NAV 5.0 to the just-announced NAV 2009: Don't expect any new functionality. Your productivity improvements will come from the new role-tailored user experience.

"We deliberately did not add any new functionality to NAV 5.0," he said at a briefing at Convergence Copenhagen about the new NAV 2009. "But if you do this the right way, there is a lot of productivity in the role-tailored user experience."

Two Microsoft customers who have been using Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 for the last several months echoed his appraisal. Steen Hagensen, president of Exhausto Inc., an Atlanta, GA, maker of ventilator systems, said the new application "has beena very good system for us." The role-tailored clients means employees "don't have a need to go beyond" the role they are given and waste time wandering around the application."We strongly believe it will make us more productive."

Henrik HoffmanBoyhus, business development manager of Danis project manager NaviCom, said the firm regularly manages 2,500 active projects. "With the role-tailored center you can see just what you need," including how well project managers are performing and how profitable each job is, enabling quick adjustments when projects are lagging financially.

In presentations at Convergence Copenhagen 2008, Microsoft officials displayed these three examples of Dynamics NAV 2009's new appearance:

1. Alicia (The Purchaser): In Alicia's Role Center it is easy to get a quick overview of  the purchase quotes and orders, which really are the very core of Alicia's activities. Alicia can see that she right away should focus on the 10 upcoming orders and the 8 purchase orders to send or confirm immediately

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