Microsoft Dynamics NAV On-Premise FAQ

How do I get started with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?

1. ​Contact the Solution Systems team at 847-590-3000 or email me at michael@solsyst.com and I'll direct you to the proper consultant that will help you determine the correct path.

How do I check my version of Dynamics NAV?

1. ​In the menu task bar, go to Help -> About NAV. This displays the current version of Dynamics NAV that you are using.

What is Customer Source and how can I access it?

1. ​Customer Source is a secured password protected site for all Microsoft Dynamics customers engaged in the Business Ready Enhancement Plan or a service plan. With training and documentation that is available online your company can improve efficiency. By being up-to-date with the latest updates, service packs, downloads, over 1,200 e-learning courses and accessible knowledge base (with articles and resolutions) customers can reduce their support costs. In addition to this, customers can also gain access to user groups and active communities.

2. Access to these resources is provided at no extra charge when you are in enrolled in the enhancement plan.

Why do you need to upgrade your Dynamics NAV?

1. Every year you pay an annual maintenance fee (Enhancement Plan) to Microsoft, which is ideally 16% of your license value. Your investment on maintenance will become void if you are not upgrading your system. However, Microsoft uses this maintenance fee for improvisation of software. With newer versions you get better integration with other business applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook which will improve performance.

Can I integrate other software with NAV to meet specific business needs?

1. Yes. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is compatible and highly scalable with the technology that you already use delivering value without high costs. Have a look at this Dynamics NAV Add-ons resource guide.

I need additional NAV licenses, can I purchase these from Solution Systems?

1. Yes. If you need any additional licensing, simply contact Solution Systems.

Am I up-to-date with my Enhancement Plan?

1. It is important to keep track of the expiry dates of your annual enhancement plans to maintain price protection and avoid any late fee charges. So if I were you and you are wondering about this I would check your Enhancement Plan immediately.

How long can a description of an item be?

1. The description field of an item in Dynamics NAV is 50 characters long. There is also a description 2 field that can be used (also 50 characters long) and extended texts that can be attached to an item.

Do I need a production BOM for production orders?

1. No, you can use production orders without production BOMs (with only the routing).

What is the difference between global dimensions and shortcut dimensions?

1. The two global dimensions are stored directly on the records such as documents and transactions while the shortcut dimensions are just displayed on the lines of documents and journals but stored in tables related to the records. Where the values are stored has an impact in how you could filter the values. The two global dimensions should be the most dimensions.

What is the maximum length an item number?

1. The item number field is 20 characters long in Dynamics NAV. The length of this field is not recommended to change since it is in so many places of the application.

How do I cancel a production order?

1. If you have not posted any transactions against the production order then you can just delete it. If you have posted something against the production order then you cannot delete it and you have to finish it. To finish it you have to post some output on the last operation. The best way is to post an output of something like 0.01 pcs on the last operation, then reverse all consumption and capacity that has been posted before changing the status to finished. Once finished you will do a negative adjustment of the 0.01 pcs you got into inventory.

Do I need machine centers?

1. No, you do not need machine centers. In fact most Dynamics NAV manufacturing implementations only use the work centers.

Can I run NAV in different languages?

1. Yes, Dynamics NAV supports multiple languages. It typically comes in your local language(s) and English, and then you can download and install additional languages. Keep in mind that modifications and add-ons then have to be translated (which there is tools that you could use to help you.)

Can I undo a warehouse pick?

1. You cannot undo a warehouse pick. The trick is to delete the warehouse shipment and then move the picked items back from the shipping bin to their corresponding stocking bins manually.

Can an item be both manufactured and purchased?

1. Yes, an item can be both produced and purchased (quite common actually), the replenishment method you set on the item/SKU is used as a default method by MRP but you can always manually create an order independent of the replenishment method.

Can I delete a vendor?

1. Yes, a Vendor can be deleted if there are no transactions on it within the current fiscal year and no open transactions (transactions = vendor ledger entries). There should also not be any purchase documents (orders, quotes, invoices, etc.) for the vendor. If deleted, the transaction will get a blank vendor number. Think twice before deleting a vendor with transactions.

Can I undo a sales shipment?

1. Yes, there is a function on the posted sales shipment that allows you to undo a shipment. It assumes that the shipment has not been invoiced and that no item charges have been applied.

Can I copy an item?

1. This is a very common request, especially from companies that create a lot of new items. Unfortunately there is no copy function for an item, what you could do is to setup templates that can be used when creating new items.

How do NAV post production related activities into the general ledger?

1. The posting into the general ledger is done through posting groups that you tag the items and work centers with. There are then setups where you define the g/l accounts for the different combination of posting groups/locations.

What is the bin ranking?

1. The bin ranking is used by NAV during put-away and picking. During put-away it applies the put-away template and uses the bin ranking to determine the highest ranked bin where the items should be put-away. During picking it uses the bin ranking to determine what bins to pick from first if the item is in multiple pick bins. The bins that are easiest to pick from (on the floor or close to the packing area) should typically have the highest ranking.

What are global tables?

1. Global tables have data that are shared among all the companies in the database. Example of a global table by setting the DataPerCompany property on the table to No. Global tables are normally something you would stay away from if possible since it creates some complications when moving companies between databases etc.

Can Dynamics NAV handle versions of production BOMs and routings?

1. Yes, Dynamics NAV can handle routings and production BOMs in different versions. This way you can keep a history of how the previous versions looked like. Only one version is the active version at a given date. Using versions of production BOMs and routings are optional.

How do I reverse posted output?

1. You can reverse an output by posting a negative output (e.g. enter a negative number in the quantity field) through the production or output journal. If you have posted more than one output and you want to reverse one you will have to enter the Applies-to Entry field in the journal to define what output transaction you want to reverse.

Can I have negative inventory?

1. Yes, assuming the item is not lot or serial number tracked and the location is not setup with bins. In the later versions (from 2013 and forward) there is also a field on the item card, Prevent Negative Inventory, that can be set to determine if you want to allow negative inventory or not. Normally you don't want to allow negative inventory.

Can a customer be deleted?

1. Yes, a customer can be deleted if there are no transactions on it within the current fiscal year and no open transactions (transactions = customer ledger entries or service ledger entries). There should also not be any sales documents (orders, quotes, invoices, etc.), jobs or service items for the customer. If deleted, the transactions will get a blank customer number. Think twice before deleting a customer with transactions.

Can Dynamics NAV handle multiple companies?

1. Yes, you can create as many companies as you want in each database. Typically you create a company per legal entity and maybe some consolidation companies. And of course, test companies. Companies within a database share the same functionality but the data is separated.

What is the programming language in Dynamics NAV?

1. C/AL is the programming language in Dynamics NAV. C/AL stands for Client/Server Application Language and it resembles the Pascal language.

What kind of permissions comes with Dynamics NAV

1. Dynamics NAV comes with object level permissions. You can setup what objects (tables, reports, pages, etc.) each user has access to and specify if the data can be inserted, modified or deleted.

2. If you want to control permissions down to a field level (e.g. who is allowed to alter what field) then you need to get an add-on for this (which there are many to choose from) or develop something yourself (which is quite easy). The same goes with if you want to control what user that is allowed to post onto what g/l account, location code, item, bin, etc...

How are users in the license counted?

1. The Dynamics NAV licensed users are concurrent users, meaning that you can have as many named users as you want but the license only allows a certain number of them to be connected at the same time.

Can I undo a purchase receipt?

1. Yes, NAV has an undo receipt function. You can only undo a receipt if it has not been invoiced yet, once it has been invoiced you cannot undo it. Neither can you undo a receipt that has an item charge posted against it.

Is it possible to create a sales quote without having a customer?

1. Yes, Dynamics NAV allows you to create sales quotes without first creating a customer. You need a contact though, and once the quote is converted to an order NAV can create a customer record based on the contact.

Does Dynamics NAV handle multi-currency?

1. Yes, in fact Dynamics NAV is very strong in its multicurrency. It is originally Danish software born at the time where all the countries from Europe had their own currencies, so it should be good at this.

How do I activate/deactivate Item tracking?

1. This is done through the Item Tracking Code Field on the item card. If an item has transactions you cannot change from an item tracking code with tracking to an item tracking code that has been setup with different tracking or no tracking. The workaround is to change NAV so that it allows you to change this field if all item ledger entries are closed.

Can an item be deleted?

1. Yes, an item can be deleted as long as it is not used anywhere (like in a journal, sales or purchase document, on a production order, service contract, etc.) As with customers and vendors, transactions (item ledger entries and service ledger entries) can exist but they have to be in prior fiscal years and completely adjusted and closed. When deleting an item with transactions the transaction gets a blank item no. It is not recommended to delete items with transactions.

Do I need a routing for production orders?

1. No, you can use production orders without routings.

How do I reverse posted consumption?

1. You can reverse a consumption by posting a negative consumption (e.g. enter a negative number in the quantity field) through the production or consumption journal.

How long does it take to implement Dynamics NAV?

1. Kind of the same answer as how much it cost, it all depends on the requirements. But count on everything from 3 months to 12 months.

Is Dynamics NAV FDA Part 11 compliant?

1. Dynamics NAV as standard does not comply with FDAs regulations on electronic records and electronic signatures. But there are multiple add-ons that will make it possible to comply with this. Although it is important to know that software alone is not sufficient to comply with Part 11, you also need procedural controls (like training, SOPs, etc.) and certain administrative controls.

How much does Dynamics NAV cost?

1. How much is a car? The question about how much it cost is impossible to answer without knowing what is required. It can be fairly inexpensive but it can also be quite expensive. There is a software portion that includes the licenses to Microsoft and for potential add-ons, and there is a consulting portion that includes tasks like training, configuration, data migration and development. There is also typically a large amount of work your internal people have to put into the implementation. Contact a partner to do an analysis and estimate if you want to know how much it would cost for your business to implement Dynamics NAV and what the return on investment would be.