2015

Information Technology &

SMEs Challenges in Jordan Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Nermeen Asfour

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Contents Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................... 3

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 4

Rationale of the Research ............................................................................................................... 5

Research Questions ......................................................................................................................... 6

Research Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 6

Research Theory .............................................................................................................................. 6

Research Methodology ................................................................................................................... 6

Data Collection Methods ............................................................................................................. 7

Results Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 8

Demographics .............................................................................................................................. 8

SMEs Challenges & Needs ......................................................................................................... 10

The Gap Description ...................................................................................................................... 14

Bridging the Gap ............................................................................................................................ 15

Available Solutions: Microsoft Dynamic NAV ................................................................................ 16

General Description ................................................................................................................... 16

Features and Advantages .......................................................................................................... 18

Local servers or on the cloud................................................................................................. 18

Packaged Functionality .......................................................................................................... 19

Maximum Availability and Accessibility of Information ........................................................ 19

Effective and Simple Reporting ............................................................................................. 19

Users ID & Passwords ............................................................................................................ 20

Full integration with Office 365 ............................................................................................. 20

Workflow Processing ............................................................................................................. 20

CRM Package ......................................................................................................................... 20

Financial Management .......................................................................................................... 21

Project Management ............................................................................................................. 21

References ..................................................................................................................................... 22

Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 22

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Table of Figures Figure 1 - Companies by size ........................................................................................................... 8

Figure 2 - Companies by sector ....................................................................................................... 9

Figure 3 - Companies by distinct departments ............................................................................... 9

Figure 4 - Companies awareness vs. companies use of IS solutions ............................................. 10

Figure 5 - Difficult to Manage Departments from the perspective of Companies using and not

using any IS .................................................................................................................................... 11

Figure 6 - Causes of Difficulty found in management from the perspective of Companies using

and not using IS solutions .............................................................................................................. 12

Figure 7 - Companies Perspective about IS Effectiveness ............................................................. 13

Figure 8 - Barriers for Adopting IS based Solutions ....................................................................... 14

Figure 9 -Microsoft Dynamics NAV Roadmap ............................................................................... 17

Figure 10 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV used on servers or on the cloud ......................................... 18

Figure 11 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Business Insights Dashboard ..................................... 19

Figure 12 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Universal App ............................................................ 19

Figure 13 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Workflow and Notification Scheme .......................... 20

Figure 14- Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM 2016 ............................................................................ 20

Figure 15 - Financial Management from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 ..................................... 21

Figure 16 - Project Management from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 ........................................ 21

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Executive Summary Information technology is one of the revolutionary solutions that resulted from the digital world

of today, the features that this technology has put out for the world has changed the way that

contemporary businesses are performed and hence had a remarkable impact on managing

businesses’ daily activities, enhance effectiveness and efficiency, drive people’s performance,

minimize risks through empowering decision making which has all contributed in enhancing

companies’ profitability and competitiveness in a time of intensified competition.

In Jordan, businesses are considered a primary source of GDP and contribute significantly in

supporting the national economy. Yet, the modern globalization trends has also introduced

some significant challenges especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which comprise

about 94% of the total companies in Jordan. Hence, increasing the competitiveness of such

enterprises is essential to enhance Jordan competitiveness as well.

Information Technologies (IT) are providing diversified solutions that can address some of the

major challenges that Jordanian SMEs are suffering of, such as the efficient utilization of

resources, the adequate flow of information among departments, customers relationship

management, strategic planning and decision making.

This research has been undertaken to shed more light on these operational challenges and

discuss the solutions that information technologies provides to overcome it them both

effectively and efficiently.

A good sum of SMEs has been surveyed to identify some of their most pressing needs and the

results analysis has shown that SMEs in Jordan are aware of the IS based solutions and believe in

the effectiveness of such solutions, However, some barriers stands in the way of the efficient

utilization of such technologies basically related to the available budget and the complexity of

such systems. Furthermore, the research has tackled the business difficulties suffered from by

Jordanian SMEs in running their crucial functions majorly relying in the sales and marketing,

operations/production and Finance and accounting.

The analysis performed has revealed the gap between the SMEs perspective and activities and

the commercially available IS based solutions and have attempted to bridge the gap by

introducing Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016, an effective IS solution addressing the challenges of

Jordanian SMEs affordably.

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Rationale of the Research Jordan has been one of the pioneer countries in the region to realize the importance of the

information technology in enhancing the country overall competitiveness and thus it has been

one of the first countries to invest heavily in adopting information technologies since late sixties.

However, Jordan has always suffered from issues in providing sufficient resources to grow the

information and communication technologies (ICT) sector, and thus, major parts of the ICT

development has relied on the private sector to grow.

The ICT sector has drastically grown during 2000s and have been an essential contribute in the

national total exports’ revenue (about 23.68% of the total exports revenues)1 yet, the declining

growth in the IT domestic revenues has put one severe issue into the spot light by indicating

either an inability to absorb or to pay for new knowledge integration and/or innovation by ICT

companies into their products and services. The addition of new knowledge and/or innovation

assists in improving the efficiencies of company/corporate processes (manufacturing,

marketing, etc.) or developing new products and services to meet unmet needs or adding

additional features to existing products. Adding value to existing products and services and/or

creating new products and services based on new knowledge enables higher prices to be

charged (improved profitability) or helps in displacing competing products or services from the

market (local and export).2

According to a project paper owned by the World Bank in which it explains the rationale for

financing Jordan’s micro, small and medium enterprises MSMEs development, there are around

150,000 registered enterprises in Jordan and of which 94% are MSMEs employing around 71%

of the private sector’s employees and are a leading source of exports income in Jordan, and

produce about 40% of the national GDP.3

Jordan has a large opportunity that relies in the development of the ICT sector that can

significantly impact its economy. Yet, the SMEs are practically shaping the way businesses are

performed in Jordan being the largest category among registered companies in Jordan and

playing essential role in national GDP and job creations. Having said so, a person might instantly

think that growing the ICT sector requires growing SMEs which in turn shall drive the wheel of

ICT development; however, this might not be necessarily true.

Jordan National Agenda (2006-2015) has identified the non-competitive ICT end-use access

costs for SMEs which is limiting productivity gains as one of the challenges that needs to be

1 Jordan National ICT Strategy (2013-2017) pg.9

2 Jordan National ICT Strategy (2013-2017) pg.10

3 Project Paper: Micro, small and medium enterprise development for inclusive growth project, report no.:

PAD1364, pg. 2

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addressed similar to the administrative hurdles, the access to finance and the unfavorable

taxation structure.4

This discussion brings in a dilemma. If SMEs are considered a prime source for growing the ICT

sector in Jordan up to its hoped level, and at the same time, ICT solutions are considered

essential to enhance SMEs’ performance and productivity, what would be the optimal approach

of achieving both targets?

This research shall focus its efforts on finding out how does ICT solutions can enhance the

performance of SMEs in Jordan in hopes for this to be enough to turn the wheel for the ICT

sector’s development in the future.

Research Questions 1- What are the major managerial issues which SMEs in Jordan are suffering from?

2- What are the information systems (IS) that are most likely solve these issues?

3- What are the challenges of implementing those IS solutions?

4- What systems commercially available that address the SMEs issues?

Research Objectives 1- Highlight some of the most pressing challenges of which Jordanian SMEs are suffering

from.

2- Match the SMEs challenges with solutions provided by the contemporary IS to bridge

the gap.

3- Provide a complete description of Microsoft Dynamics NAV and highlight its most

beneficial features to represent a commercially available solution for SMEs

4- Discuss How Microsoft Dynamics NAV can be used to solve the SMEs most pressing

needs.

Research Theory Contemporary information systems (IS) can offer affordable solutions to enhance the

competitiveness of SMEs in Jordan and support their daily business activities

Research Methodology This research is build to explore how would IS business solutions can enhance the activities of

the SMEs sector in Jordan and hence is adopted a deductive approach in which a quantitative

data collected via an online survey to test the research theory assuming that the contemporary

IS solutions offers an affordable solution that can enhance the sector’s competitiveness.

4 Jordan National Agenda (2006 – 2015), pg 6

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Data Collection Methods The research has used a mixed method approach to collect the data required to reflect the

current state of the IS and SMEs in Jordan, the data collection methods included the following:

1- Secondary data:

Secondary data were searched online and sought physically from governmental sources

such as the Jordanian ministry of industry and trade. Those data have been utilized to

shape the general frame of the research and to reflect demographic information

reflecting the importance of enhancing the SMEs sector in Jordan being a major

contributor of turning the economy wheel in Jordan.5

2- Questionnaire6:

A questionnaire has been designed and published using Google Forms with an objective

to highlight the operational challenges which SMEs are facing which might be prime

obstacles for their growth and prosperity.

The questionnaire has also sought to get more insights about the local market’s

perspective of IS and the obstacles of adopting such business solutions.

The questionnaire designed has been divided into two sections based on a filter

question basically classifying companies to companies with Implemented IS and

companies without implemented IS companies.

Companies with Implemented IS has been asked for their perspective of the

implemented solutions and their experience and the benefits obtained, while on the

other hand, questions addressing companies without an implemented IS have focused

on the challenges they face in their daily activities and the reasons they believe are

causing those challenges and if IS can help in overcoming such difficulties. Yet and most

importantly, those companies were asked about the reason preventing them from

investing in IS.

The questionnaire consisted of three parts:

1- Demographics: this section included five questions designed to determine the

companies ‘demographics and answered by both companies with or without

implemented IS.

2- Companies with Implemented IS: this section includes seven questions designed for

companies with IS implemented

3- Companies without Implemented IS: this section includes five questions and

designed for companies without implemented IS.

Estimated time required to complete the questionnaire is 3 minutes.

The distribution of the questionnaire has been performed through two methods:

5 You can refer to the full list of references in the references section.

6 Questionnaire can be found in Appendix A for reference

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32%

31%

31%

6%

Company's Size

1-9 Employees

10-49 employees

50-249 Employees

More than 250 Employees

1- Free link published to professional social network such as Linkedin; A professional

post through Linkedin with a link directly taking to the questionnaire

2- Direct mailing: the questionnaire’s link has been sent through a private email to a

random sample taken from Jordan Business Directory 2013 – a database of Jordan

businesses obtained ministry of industry and trade including about 10,490

registered companies working in different sectors such as trade, services and

manufacturing.

The random list of companies selected for this stage has been selected by the online

portal (Research Randomizer www.randomizer.org) a tool which provides the

researcher with a randomly selected numbers out of a predefined number of cases

and required number sets.

The randomly selected sample included 149 companies of different sectors and

sizes. 7

Results Discussion The total response rate to the distributed questionnaire was about 12% and since the

questionnaire was distributed through Google forms, the responses where anonymously

reviewed as Google Forms only creates a time stamp for each completed case which has helped

in eliminating any privacy concerns for the responding parties.

The questionnaire has been appropriately coded into 49 variables and analyzed for meaningful

information Using IBM SPSS statistics 20.

Demographics A simple percentage analysis to the

responses received has revealed a

mix that is very close to the real mix

as reported by the statistics about

the SMEs working in Jordan.

Figure 1 shows that about 94% of

companies responded are micro,

small or a medium enterprise with

employees’ number doesn’t exceed

250 employees, which enhance the

chances for this sample to reflect the

actual opinions and orientations of

7 A full list of contacted companies is in Appendix C. The full database is provided as a softcopy for

reference only in Appendix B

Figure 1 - Companies by size

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6%

19%

0%

13%

6%

56%

Company's By Sector

Trade

Manufacturing

Healthcare

Hospitality

Banking and Financing

Services

7

5

9

11

2

4

7

11

5

4

12

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Procurement

Logistics

Sales & Marketing

Operations/ Production

Public Relations

Customers' Service

Human Resources

Finance & Accounting

IT Department

Inventory Management

General Administration

Distinct Departments

the SMEs in Jordan.

Furthermore, an analysis of the

industries mix has shown that

56% of companies’ works in the

services sector directly followed

by manufacturing sector (18.8%),

the hospitality sector, trade and

banking and financing sectors

while no companies working in

the healthcare sector responded

to this questionnaire.

The questionnaire had looked

deeper into the details of the

companies operation and hence

has asked for the distinct

departments working in each

company to better understand

the nature of the challenges they

face in their everyday activities.

The lack of resources usually force SMEs to combine functionalities together into a few number

of departments which add more challenges in terms of managing those functionalities efficiently

and effectively. Figure 3 sheds light on the most essential departments that usually exists

distinctly in Jordanian SMEs. The figure shows ‘General Administration’ is the distinct

Figure 2 - Companies by sector

Figure 3 - Companies by distinct departments

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Aware81%

Unaware19%

Awareness of IS

Using69%

Not Using31%

Use of IS

department that is usually available in the SMEs structure directly followed by the ‘Finance &

Accounting’ and the ‘Operations/Production’ followed in the third place comes the ‘Sales &

Marketing’, this might stand as a clear evidence that those four functions are crucial to SMEs

businesses while other functionalities such as human resources, customers’ service,

procurements, …etc can be included in the activities of those four departments.

This analysis wanted to shed more light on the SMEs perception of Information Systems (IS) and

hence had differentiated between the companies that are aware of IS and it applications and

companies who moved from only being aware towards investing into implementing IS in their

activities.

Figure 4 clearly shows that despite the fact the IS solutions are known to a grand majority

reaching to 81% of the surveyed companies, this percentage drops to about 69% when asked if

IS solutions is actually implemented in their activities.

SMEs Challenges & Needs The second and third sections of the questionnaire has deliberately been divided to discriminate

between the opinions of the SMEs that are using IS solutions from SMEs who aren’t.

The first contrast between the perspectives of those two clusters of companies is in terms of the

departments/ functionalities that are considered most challenging to manage.

Figure 4 - Companies awareness vs. companies use of IS solutions

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Figure 5 - Difficult to Manage Departments from the perspective of Companies using and not using any IS

Figure 5 can clearly highlight the difference in perspectives between companies that are using IS

in their activities and those that are not.

As companies that uses IS considers the ‘Operation/Production’ department as the most

challenging department to run, closely followed by the ‘Sales & Marketing” department,

companies that are not utilizing IS considers the ‘Sales & Marketing” department to be the most

challenging followed by the “Finance & Accounting”.

Despite the conflict, the companies have indeed highlighted the most demanding and crucial

departments upon which the SMEs competitiveness highly depends on:

1- Sales & Marketing

2- Operations/ Production

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Procurement

Logistics

Sales & Marketing

Operations/ Production

Public Relations

Customers' Service

Human Resources

Finance & Accounting

IT Department

Inventory Management

General Administration

Difficult to Manage Departments

Companies Not Using IS Companies Using IS

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Lack of resources (cash/people)

Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

Lack of structured systems & procedures to govern activities

Lack of responsibility and/or accountability

Difficulties in collecting external and/or internal data/ information

Lack of proper communication among involved employees

Lack of monitoring & evaluation methods

Uncertainty slows down decision making

Causes of Difficult Operations

Companies Not Using IS Companies Using IS

3- Finance & Accounting

Digging Deeper into this aspect, both types of companies have been asked about the reasons

they think are behind the difficulties found in managing these departments

The reasons nominated for this purpose were as follows, in an attempt to address the most

common challenges faced in the working environment:

1- Lack of Resources (Cash/people)

2- Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

3- Lack of structured systems & procedures to govern activities

4- Lack of responsibility and/or accountability

5- Difficulties in collecting external and/or internal data/ information

6- Lack of proper communication among involved employees

7- Lack of monitoring & evaluation methods

8- Uncertainty slows down decision making

Figure 6 - Causes of Difficulty found in management from the perspective of Companies using and not using IS solutions

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81.80%

18.20%

66.70% 33.30%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Companies Believe IS are effective tools

Companies Believe IS might be effective tools

Companies perspective about IS effectiveness

Companies Not Using IS

Companies using IS

According to figure 6 above, companies using IS solutions refers the difficulty in managing their

most challenging departments to three main factors:

1- Difficulties in collecting external and/or internal data/ information

2- Lack of structured systems & procedures to govern activities

3- Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

Directly followed by lack of resources such as people and cash

While on the other hand, companies with no IS solutions utilized refers those difficulties to three

main reasons:

1- Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

2- Lack of responsibility and/or accountability

3- Lack of proper communication among involved employees

Directly followed by:

1- Lack of resources (cash/people)

2- Lack of monitoring & evaluation methods

Now companies from both groups have been asked if IS based solutions are effective methods

to overcome the challenges they are facing in running their businesses, and the answers have

been around ‘Yes, they are’ and ‘they might be’. However, the percentages might be more

indicative considering the state of each group.

81.8% of companies using IS based solutions were certain that IS are indeed an effective tools

that can support their activities while the remaining balance were a bit doubtful saying that IS

might be an effective tools. While on the other hand, only 66.7% of companies were as certain

of the IS based solutions while the remaining balance also more doubtful by stating that IS

‘might be effective’.

Figure 7 - Companies Perspective about IS Effectiveness

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Budget

Awareness

Lack of solutions providers

Bad support services from solutions providers

Complexity of systems and poor training capabilities

Barriers for adopting IS Based Solutions

Companies Using IS

Companies Not Using IS

This might lead the discussions towards exploring the reasons which are standing as barriers for

utilizing IS based solutions despite the fact that the majority do believe in the effectiveness of

such solutions, and hence, companies of both groups have been asked to pin point those

barriers from the list below:

1- Budget

2- Awareness

3- Lack of solutions providers

4- Bad support services from solutions providers

5- Complexity of systems and poor training capabilities

Figure 8 summarizes the companies’ responses to this question:

While the systems complexity stands as the main barrier from the perspective of companies

already utilizing the IS based solutions, the budget comes as the main barrier for utilizing IS

based solutions from the perspective of companies that are not using such solutions.

The Gap Description The analysis above has pinpointed some of the major issues that SMEs in Jordan suffers from

which can be summarized as follows:

1- SMEs in Jordan believe in the solutions offered by the contemporary IS based solutions

and have sufficient awareness of the value of utilizing such solutions

Figure 8 - Barriers for Adopting IS based Solutions

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2- SMEs utilization of IS based solutions are associated to two main barriers; the systems

complexity and the budget associated with adopting such solutions.

3- IS based solutions would best support SMEs by enhancing the activities in the following

departments:

a. Sales & Marketing

b. Operation/ Production

c. Finance & Accounting

4- IS solutions sought by SMEs in Jordan are required to overcome the following

challenges:

a. Difficulties in collecting external and/or internal data/ information

b. Lack of structured systems & procedures to govern activities

c. Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

d. Lack of responsibility and/or accountability

e. Lack of proper communication among involved employees

Bridging the Gap Since SMEs in Jordan do believe that IS based solutions can be effective tools to manage their

businesses, then bridging the gap would start by finding the IS based solution that best works

out for SMEs and address their concerns.

Table 1 - Gap Bridging features of IS solutions

SMEs Gap IS solution ‘Gap Bridging’ features

SMEs are usually short in cash and hence Budget are common barrier

Economical IS solution that works on the capital and operational costs

Systems Complexity is a major barrier since SMEs lack the time needed to decode the complexity and the cash required to train people

Simple and straight forward solution backed with ready resources supporting the operation

SMEs Operational Challenges are as follows: Difficulties in collecting external and/or internal data/ information

1- Capturing events 2- Data analysis 3- Reporting 4- Ease of access 5- Simplicity of data logging

Lack of structured systems & procedures to govern activities

1- Takes into consideration the appropriate flow of information and activities

2- Connect each event with the appropriate documentation

3- Graduate with the appropriate approvals at each stage of the process

Lack of responsibility and/or accountability

1- Multiple users with credential for each user

2- Maintain a track record of changes performed by each users

3- Definition of authorities and responsibilities

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SMEs Gap IS solution ‘Gap Bridging’ features Lack of proper communication among involved employees

1- Connecting to users to deliver reports and alerts

2- Communicating through most convenient and easy to use means

Lack of related skills and/or knowledge

1- Effective reporting tools highlighting areas of weaknesses.

2- Managing employees growth and motivating striving

3- Knowledge management SMEs Crucial Functions:

Sales & Marketing 1- Managing sales leads 2- Managing Customers profiles 3- Enriching sales planning 4- Real-time stats reports 5- Managing sales teams 6- Tracking sales cycle 7- facilitate relationship maintaining with

customers Operation/ Production 1- Project Management

2- Resource planning 3- Supply chain/ Inventory management 4- Progress reporting 5- Simple and easy-to-use dashboards

Finance & Accounting 1- Real-time financial reporting 2- Enriching Budgeting 3- Simple and easy entries 4- Invoicing 5- Transactions 6- Accounts management

Available Solutions: Microsoft Dynamic NAV

General Description Microsoft Dynamic NAV is one of the most known information

systems in the world, hosted by Microsoft and offers business

solutions designed specifically for small and mid size

enterprises through multiple modules each designed to

address different areas and functionalities within the

enterprises such as sales and marketing, financing and

accounting, project management, and resource planning.

Navision originated at PC&C A/S (Personal Computing and Consulting), a company founded in

Denmark in 1983. PC&C released its first accounting package, PCPlus, in 1984 a single-user

application with basic accounting functionality. There followed in 1987 the first version of

Navision, a client/server based accounting application that allowed multiple users to access the

system simultaneously. Navision’s success prompted PC&C to rename the company Navision

Software A/S.

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Navision was sold primarily in Scandinavia up until 1990 and then began branching out to other

European countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom. The success of Navision

throughout Europe prompted Navision Software A/S to release its first version of Navision based

on Microsoft Windows 95.

In the year 2000, Navision Software A/S merged with fellow Danish firm Damgaard A/S to form

Navision Damgard A/S. In 2001 the company changed its name to Navision A/S.

On July 11, 2002 Microsoft bought Navision A/S to go with its previous acquisitions of Great

Plains. Together with Microsoft CRM a new division in Microsoft was formed called Microsoft

Business Solutions.

In 2003 Microsoft announced plans to develop an entirely new ERP system which caused rumors

to begin that Navision was coming to an end. However, Microsoft ultimately decided to

continue development on Navision and launched the system with the same new role-based

user-interface, SQL based reporting and analysis, SharePoint based portal, Pocket PC based

mobile clients and integration with Microsoft Office.

In September 2005 Microsoft re-branded the Navision and re-released it as Microsoft Dynamics

NAV and in December 2008 Microsoft released Dynamics NAV 2009, which contains both the

original “classic” client, as well as the new three-tier GUI called the Role Tailored Client (RTC),

effectively making NAV 2009 the only hybrid version.

Figure 9 -Microsoft Dynamics NAV Roadmap

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The RTC allows tailoring the NAV experience by individual users, based on their job

responsibilities. RTC can only be set up by an individual user, not company roles and multiple

setups per user are not supported.

In October 2012, Microsoft released NAV 2013, which discontinued support for the Classic Client

and renamed the Role Tailor Client to the Windows Client. Additionally, a built-in Web Client

and SharePoint client were added. The report-building and database access that had been

previously available with the Classic Client is still available and used as a development tool to

modify the system by customers and by a reseller (consultant).

In October of 2015 Microsoft released their most powerful version to date of NAV—Microsoft

Dynamics NAV 2016. This version of NAV included Power BI, the ability to download exchange

rates, OCR Service (Lexmark), integration with CRM, improved web client, universal app, and

workflow.8

Features and Advantages The new Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 offers small and midsize enterprises a unique package of

solutions that guarantee efficient operations in a very affordable price through the following set

of features:

Local servers or on the cloud

Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers enterprises the convenience of two options:

1- To use the software on their local servers

2- Using the software through perpetual licenses and on the cloud

This might be an interesting features for SMEs in Jordan as the cloud based model usually

provide a cost effective experience and hence saving on the software capital and at the same

time save on the operational expenditure due to the minimized investments put into managing

the network, storage, and maintenance of the system.

8 Presentation published by Solution Systems, inc. http://goo.gl/aDLsO9

Figure 10 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV used on servers or on the cloud

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Packaged Functionality

Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers enterprises a package of their concerning functionalities for one

price:

Basic Financials Management (General Ledger & Fixed Assets)

Basic Supply Chain Management (Including Purchasing & Inventory)

Basic Sales management

Project Management

Wide range of tools for customization purposes

Business Insights and reporting

Integration opportunities through web services9

Maximum Availability and Accessibility of Information

Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers its clients the ultimate availability and accessibility through a

universal application designed to operate on all the different users’ devices starting from

computers to tablets and all the way to mobile phones.

Users will not miss the chance of obtaining the needed information whenever and wherever.

Effective and Simple Reporting

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 offers

a customizable easy-to-use business

dashboards that transform all

business insights into simple to read

graphs reflecting the business

performance on real-time.

The dashboards summarizes all

information required to empower

managers and facilitate the decision

making process.

9 Product Overview and Capability Guide Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 by Microsoft

Figure 12 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Universal App

Figure 11 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Business Insights Dashboard

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Users ID & Passwords

The system offers the flexibility of customizing the authorities for each users and hence

enhancing the system security, maintain structured amendments and changes to the systems

performed when needed and by authorized personnel only tracked by time and user.

Full integration with Office 365

The integration with Microsoft office 365 open the way for even more flexibility through

importing and exporting data/reports to office formats widely used and eliminate the

duplication in sending or receiving emails or booking a certain appointment to two calendars.

Workflow Processing

Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers a

structure and well managed

workflow through an algorithm

build routine automating the

notification and approvals schemes

to make sure the routine

procedures are being completed in

a timely manner, utilizing minimal

resources and are not standing in

the way of more crucial processes.

CRM Package

Microsoft Dynamics NAV also introduces

powerful CRM packages that efficiently and

effectively manage the sales and marketing

activities such as managing the sales pipeline,

following out marketing campaigns or even

integrate social media content.

The CRM package also offer enterprises mean

for knowledge management by creating a single

source of knowledge open to the whole

enterprise.

The CRM package is also integrated to Microsoft outlook and Microsoft excels for maximum

flexibility.10

10

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, Release Preview Guide, Releases: September 2015, Revised: December 2015

Figure 13 - Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 Workflow and Notification Scheme

Figure 14- Microsoft Dynamics NAV CRM 2016

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Financial Management

The Financial Management from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 offers users comprehensive

features that reflect directly to the everyday operations of the SMEs finance and accounting

department performance.

The system include advances

financial reporting and

analyzing, automatic

scheduling of accounts,

allocate general ledger

entries, maintain a track of

cash flow and provide

complete cash flow

predictions, managing

budgets, maintain logs of all

users changes, multiple

currencies, bank accounts

management, and bank

accounts reconciliation

Project Management

The project management from Microsoft

Dynamics NAV 2016 provides users with an

easy to use resource management and

allocation tool. The systems also introduce

an analysis of resources profitability and

utilization rates. Keep track of job progress,

clients invoicing, and time registration.

Managing multiple costs related to work in

progress such as the alternative costs for

resources, fixed costs and additional

percentages or fixed charges.

Figure 15 - Financial Management from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016

Figure 16 - Project Management from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016

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References Jordan National Information & Communications Technology Strategy (2013-2017),

http://goo.gl/Q4MEVr

Project Paper: Micro, small and medium enterprise development for inclusive growth

project, report no.: PAD1364

Jordan National Agenda (2006 – 2015), http://goo.gl/3HtS1M

Presentation published by Solution Systems, inc. http://goo.gl/aDLsO9

Product Overview and Capability Guide Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 by Microsoft

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, Release Preview Guide, Releases: September 2015,

Revised: December 2015

Appendices Appendix A: Small and Medium Enterprises Challenges and IS solutions – Survey

Appendix B: Jordan Businesses Directory 2013 – Database (Softcopy)

Appendix C: Random Samples of SMEs

Appendix D: Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 – Product overview and capability guide