If you’re searching for information about “CRM Navision,” you’re likely looking to understand how the former Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) platform handles Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It’s crucial to understand that Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) is now known as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. This article will clarify the evolution of the product, explain the CRM capabilities within Business Central, and discuss how Business Central integrates with Microsoft’s dedicated CRM solution, Dynamics 365 Sales, for more robust CRM functionality.
Navision was a popular Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, originally developed in Denmark. Microsoft acquired Navision in 2002, and it became part of the Microsoft Dynamics family of business applications. Over the years, it underwent several name changes and significant enhancements:
- Navision: The original name.
- Microsoft Dynamics NAV: The name after Microsoft’s acquisition.
- Dynamics 365 Business Central: The current name (as of 2018).
Dynamics 365 Business Central is the successor to Navision. It’s a cloud-based (although on-premise deployments are still possible) comprehensive business management solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It includes functionality for:
- Financial Management: Accounting, budgeting, cash flow management.
- Supply Chain Management: Inventory management, purchasing, sales order processing.
- Sales and Service: Basic CRM functionality (more on this below).
- Project Management: Managing projects, resources, and budgets.
- Manufacturing: Production planning, scheduling, and control (in the Premium edition).
- Reporting and Analytics: Business intelligence and reporting tools.
CRM Functionality Within Dynamics 365 Business Central
While Business Central is primarily an ERP system, it does include built-in, basic CRM functionality, primarily focused on sales and service. This functionality is often referred to as “Basic CRM” or “Relationship Management” within Business Central. Key features include:
- Contact Management: Storing and managing information about contacts (individuals) and companies (accounts). This includes:
- Contact details (name, address, phone number, email).
- Company affiliation.
- Communication history (emails, notes).
- Custom fields.
- Opportunity Management: Tracking potential sales opportunities (deals). This includes:
- Creating and managing opportunities.
- Tracking deal stages (pipeline management).
- Assigning probabilities of closing.
- Associating opportunities with contacts and companies.
- Sales Quotes: Creating and managing sales quotes.
- Interaction Logging: Recording interactions with contacts (emails, phone calls, meetings).
- Task Management: Creating and assigning tasks related to contacts, opportunities, or other activities.
- Basic Reporting: Generating reports on sales opportunities, activities, and contact information.
- Service Management:
- Service orders.
- Service Item.
Limitations of Business Central’s Built-in CRM:
It’s important to understand that the CRM functionality within Business Central is limited compared to a dedicated CRM system like Dynamics 365 Sales. It lacks:
- Advanced Lead Management: Features like lead scoring, lead routing, and lead nurturing automation are generally not available in Business Central’s basic CRM.
- Marketing Automation: Business Central does not include built-in marketing automation features (e.g., email campaigns, landing pages, social media management).
- Comprehensive Sales Force Automation: While it covers basic sales processes, it lacks the advanced features of a dedicated sales CRM (e.g., territory management, advanced forecasting).
- Extensive Reporting and Analytics: The reporting capabilities are less robust than those found in dedicated CRM systems.
- Customization Options: While Business Central is customizable to some extent, it offers less flexibility than a dedicated CRM like Dynamics 365 Sales.
Integrating Dynamics 365 Business Central with Dynamics 365 Sales
For businesses that need more robust CRM capabilities than those offered by Business Central’s built-in functionality, the recommended solution is to integrate Dynamics 365 Business Central (ERP) with Dynamics 365 Sales (CRM). This provides the best of both worlds:
- Comprehensive ERP Functionality: From Business Central.
- Advanced CRM Functionality: From Dynamics 365 Sales.
- Seamless Data Integration: Data flows seamlessly between the two systems, eliminating data silos and providing a unified view of the customer and the business.
Benefits of Integration:
- Unified Customer View: Sales teams (using Dynamics 365 Sales) have access to financial and operational data from Business Central (e.g., order history, inventory levels, payment status). This provides a complete picture of the customer, enabling more informed sales interactions.
- Streamlined Order Management: Sales reps can create sales orders in Dynamics 365 Sales, and those orders are automatically synchronized with Business Central for fulfillment and inventory management.
- Improved Financial Visibility: Finance teams (using Business Central) have access to sales data from Dynamics 365 Sales, providing better insights into revenue and profitability.
- Reduced Data Duplication: Data is entered once and shared between the two systems, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Sales and finance teams can collaborate more effectively, with a shared understanding of customer data and business processes.
- Better Reporting: Combine data for better reporting.
How the Integration Works:
Microsoft offers a native integration between Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Sales. This integration is relatively straightforward to set up and configure. Key features of the integration include:
- Data Synchronization: Data is synchronized between the two systems, either in real-time or on a scheduled basis. You can choose which data to synchronize (e.g., contacts, accounts, opportunities, orders).
- Field Mapping: You can map fields between the two systems to ensure that data is transferred correctly.
- Connection Setup: Use assisted setup in Business Central to setup the connection.
Alternative Integration Options
- Third party connector: Use third party connector to integrate Business Central with other CRM.
- Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs): Business Central is designed for SMBs that need a comprehensive business management solution.
- Businesses that Need Strong ERP Functionality: If your primary need is for ERP (finance, supply chain, manufacturing), and your CRM needs are relatively basic, Business Central’s built-in CRM may be sufficient.
- Businesses that Want a Unified Microsoft Solution: If you’re already using other Microsoft products (Office 365, Power BI), Business Central integrates seamlessly.
- Businesses that May Need More Robust CRM Later: If you anticipate needing more advanced CRM features in the future, starting with Business Central and then integrating with Dynamics 365 Sales provides a clear growth path.
Conclusion
“CRM Navision” effectively refers to the CRM capabilities offered within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the successor to the older Navision platform. While Business Central provides basic CRM functionality, businesses with more demanding CRM needs should consider integrating it with Dynamics 365 Sales. This combination offers a powerful, unified platform for managing both customer relationships and core business operations. The tight integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, combined with the scalability of the Dynamics 365 platform, makes this a compelling solution for many businesses.