Software has a shelf-life and there’s no disputing that. As the technology industry marches on, older software solutions start to encounter compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities emerge and just getting stuff done becomes more difficult.
The major software companies are constantly working behind the scenes thinking up new and innovative ways to improve their solutions, and this is what we’ve seen with the evolution of NAV. At every stage, from Navision, to Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the software has steadily gotten better as Microsoft’s engineers have made it more intuitive to use and rolled out new functionality.
But that’s not, in itself, the reason to upgrade and, from the point of view of your business, newer software isn’t always better software.
Software vendors need to sell products – it’s what they’re here for – and, similarly, the middle men that deliver and support this software needs to sell products, so it’s in their interest to constantly move clients on to the latest and greatest iterations that the industry has to offer.
It’s like the Wild West out there! Commission benefits from Microsoft are only based on sales, which has led the industry into being too focused on converting leads and underbidding each other to secure a win, but under-delivering once the sale is complete. This means businesses are in a very difficult situation where they can be easily duped with quotes ranging wildly, and potential clients having little to no understanding of the differences between various implementations.
But there’s a fine line to tread and we believe that it’s all about balance when it comes to upgrading. You’ve got to weigh up the investments already made in software (in terms of licenses, maintenance costs and training personnel) with the functionality it still has to offer, against what you want to achieve and how upgrading will help you get there.
Additionally, in the rush to get new products and versions to market, many software developers are happy to accept the odd glitch here and there, so sometimes it’s best to let the newest versions settle first before taking the leap. It may be a case of sticking with what you’ve already got, as it will do just fine!
At Dynamics West, we’re not interested in selling you products and upgrades that you don’t want or need. We’re interested in developing deep and long-lasting partnerships with all of our clients based on trust. We’re not focused solely on commission and we’re not driven by sales that don’t totally satisfy our customers.
We’re not comfortable over-selling to clients just to secure another deal, so you can believe us when we tell you it’s time to upgrade…we mean it!