Three signs it’s time for a new Microsoft Partner
Your Microsoft Partner makes just as big of an impact on your business growth as the systems themselves. From system design to implementation, customizations, and ongoing support and user trainings, they get to know your business needs and should play an active role in improving your processes and helping you plan for growth. Here’s what to look for in an excellent Microsoft Partner →
An excellent Partner should work with you to help your business grow and achieve long-term goals, but what if you feel like you aren’t receiving the results you need? Here are three signs that your current Partner isn’t setting you up for success:
1. Your Partner still hasn’t discussed the benefits of Business Central with you
Many of Microsoft’s legacy ERPs are still reliable systems, but in recent years, it has been made abundantly clear that Business Central is the future of their ERP development, and it’s wise to start planning to move systems. Your Partner should be proactively providing you with the necessary information to make informed decisions about the future of your most critical business software—a wise investment into your software now had the potential to set you up for success decades into the future. And if your Partner still hasn’t discussed Business Central with you, or seems reluctant to move you off your current solution, they aren’t setting you up for continued growth.
Dynamics GP has a large, devoted user base but has fallen out of mainstream support—meaning the system will stop receiving new features, users may experience more frequent security issues, and the application may become incompatible with your other business technology.
Although GP is now a legacy ERP system, there is no need to panic and immediately switch courses. In fact, we advise the opposite—we will continue to support our GP client base until they are ready to consider an upgrade when it makes the most sense in each unique business case. But the smartest thing a GP company can do is start thinking about an upgrade to Business Central sooner rather than later, and your Microsoft Partner should be prompting you with this prospect.
And as for Dynamics NAV users, you’re in a good position in terms of transitioning to Business Central—Business Central was built on the code base of NAV, so it will look and feel familiar, but with noticeable improvements. Microsoft has leveraged NAV’s foundation to build a more customizable solution with improved integrations, extensions, and development opportunities.
2. Your Partner hasn’t told you about Bridge to the Cloud
Your Partner should be dedicated to seeing your business succeed and should enable you to make decisions that make the most financial and strategic sense. And with Microsoft’s decision to continue investing heavily in cloud-hosted SaaS solutions, Business Central has been solidified as their business technology frontrunner. With the Bridge to the Cloud promotion, there has never been a better time to consider upgrading to Business Central.
Bridge to the Cloud is an excellent opportunity for businesses who know they eventually want to move to Business Central, but just aren’t ready for a full transition yet. Through December 31, 2022, qualifying clients currently using Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, or Business Central On-Premise will receive 60% off Business Central SaaS licensing and a four-year guided move, all while retaining rights to continue using their current system as they set up, customize, and get acquainted with the new Business Central solution.
If your Partner didn’t tell you about this promotion in time for this year’s benefits, don’t worry. Come 2023, the promotion will still be available, but with slightly reduced benefits—40% off licensing with a three-year transition path.
3. Your Partner doesn’t find ways to make your solution better
One of the most strategic decisions your business can make is find ways to maximize outputs without needing to spend exorbitant amounts of additional time and money—your Partner should be able to help you improve the system you already have instead of paying for new products to meet needs that should be met at a fraction of the price. This means using deep technical expertise and a wide range of industry knowledge to introduce you to ISVs, add-ons, and custom extensions to push your solution’s capabilities further (without needing to add more and more apps to your tech stack).
A knowledgeable Partner will provide you with opportunities to upskill your users and add more features to your toolbelt, identify ways your solution can work better to meet your needs, and innovate solutions that enhance your system.
At Syvantis, we place a high emphasis on enabling our clients to succeed, achieve long-term growth, and work smarter—that’s why we provide regular check-ins, as well as rigorous process meetings to ensure your solution is still working how you need it to. If your current Partner hasn’t made an investment in your success, let us know.