On 19 September 2012, Dave Love wrote a blog post outlining the benefits of remaining on the software maintenance plan. One of the benefits he discusses in his article is that you have access all new Dynamics NAV releases and hotfixes. Microsoft issues a new minor release every 9-12 months and a new major release every 2-3 years.
In order to keep your ERP solution working at peak efficiency and providing the business advantages you’re paying for, you need to have a maintenance plan or you risk having your ERP system become outdated. While being current on your maintenance plan is crucial, there is another aspect that must be considered. Even though your system might be operating well day to day, it will still need to be upgraded to take advantage of the latest releases. Last week, Thibault Gindre, wrote blog post, titled “Careful Preparation Pays Off” where he discusses this process.
Recently, Fenwick Software upgraded Marathon Foods from NAV 2009 R2 to NAV 2013 R2. One of the main driving forces behind this upgrade was that Marathon Foods want to implement warehousing and manufacturing. We suggested that a system upgrade is the best place to start, as this will provide the best platform for the new project.
Because of their past experiences with ERP systems, this idea was well received by Marathon. In 2010 when we implemented NAV 2009, their incumbent system was ten years old and no longer supported by the software vendor. It was at breaking point due to its age, use of old technology, and lack of maintenance. Extracting data became a challenge on its own, as we could not rely on the software vendor for assistance because Marathon was not on a current version or a maintenance plan.
Without a maintenance plan, the efficiency of your system will decline and its lifespan will be shortened. So keeping up to date with your maintenance plan and upgrades is a sound investment.
