The world of Microsoft Dynamics moves quickly. For 2015, there are a range of changes, updates and brand new releases that are set to shake up the market. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 was recently released as a flagship update to the NAV ERP product, and has been constructed from the ground up to be a mobile-first, and cloud-first product.
The changes reflect the current tech zeitgeist that Microsoft is very much a champion of. It does mean, however, that Dynamics professionals looking to keep up to date will need to be prepared with a range of new skills to ensure they remain competitive in the employability market.
A new CEO, a new Microsoft
It’s fair to say that Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s new CEO, has made some serious changes to the operations and focus of Microsoft. Who would have imagined – even 5 years ago – the extent to which the corporation would be pushing its mobile-first, cloud-first mantra.
Microsoft teams used to operate territorially, focused on their specific hardware and applications. Now, Microsoft offers productivity tools that work regardless of platform, enabled by Microsoft Azure and the Internet of Things:
"Microsoft has a unique ability to harmonize the world's devices, apps, docs, data and social networks in digital work and life experiences so that people are at the center and are empowered to do more and achieve more with what is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity - time!"
NAV 2015: Tablet optimised from day one
Dynamics NAV 2015 is commonly cited as the largest single update to the NAV platform in years. One of the most prominent changes is the client’s optimisation for the tablet market.
NAV 2015 is targeted at manufacturing, retail, distribution and professional services. Therefore, the target end-user of the NAV client might be executives, salespeople, service technicians, or warehouse workers. NAV is specifically aimed at these professionals, and as such, it is probably the most flexible, adaptable version of the ERP available.
Each end-user has different needs – all the way from the smallest start-up to the largest multi-national, and NAV 2015 is capable of scaling across the full range.
The tablet client is also completely in sync with the other versions of the client. According to the NAV team, content that is displayed in the tablet client “consists of application pages coming from your Dynamics NAV 2015 server.” It’s evident that Dynamics NAV 2015 is well equipped to work with the changing tide in computing technology that Microsoft is so heavily invested in.
Equipping yourself with the right skills
It’s clear that Dynamics NAV 2015 is built for the mobile-first, cloud-first world. Dynamics professionals looking for Dynamics NAV roles will need to have the skills to develop in this sort of environment, and meet client expectations.
The ability to place the user at the centre of the experience is a crucial skill. NAV is purpose-built to be used by a whole range of professionals for a variety of purposes, and this means the NAV client needs to be manipulated by the Dynamics developer to function across the spectrum.
Compared with a decade ago, then, the most employable Dynamics professionals are going to be flexible, adaptable, and have excellent inter-personal skills – in addition to their regular programming and technical skills.
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