One of the things I really like about the development path of Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Microsoft’s leading ERP solution) is its “appy” feel. Just like my Smartphone (Windows!) and tablet (okay, Surface), Dynamics NAV is easy to configure with the add-ins and connectors to other technology. With NAV 2016 this includes the ability to hook seamlessly in with Power BI.
The technology to hook in is all using standard web services. The screen shot below shows Power BI using the pre-configured web services included with the standard NAV software. Adding new feeds to connect the data you want to see is easy piece of configuration.
The trend these days is empowering users to configure their own tech. No more reliance on the IT department to write you a report; simply hook up your Power BI feed and away you go! The way that Microsoft is providing these enablers work with the programmes and devices of your choice (it’s not just Microsoft, go iPad, Android, install on Amazon Web Services; Dynamics NAV is happy however you want to use it).
Power BI is a cloud based business intelligence solution that has a free version that meets the majority of business needs so you can easily start evaluating how well it fits your needs. Dynamics NAV is available for free test, if you like it you can buy a perpetual licence for as little as £2,959 or rent a subscription licence for £65 per named user. The relative inexpensiveness of the software again reflects the trend towards tech that is easy to acquire.
It all fits with Satya Nadella’s mission: “At our core, Microsoft is the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.” Dynamics NAV with Power BI is a little slice of how this all happens.
