Most companies running Microsoft Dynamics NAV/AX/GP in multiple countries or on multiple sites follow a Common Object Runtime Environment (CORE) strategy (also commonly called Kernel in some countries). In a CORE strategy, an add-on solution is built with company-specific requirements in mind, to then be localised and deployed in the local country.
The CORE strategy can be difficult in the long run for companies with multiple locations or subsidiaries. This is because, oftentimes, different countries or regions will have different statutory requirements that software needs to comply with.
Companies may also operate using unique processes and workflows. A CORE strategy can, therefore, become expensive to maintain, requiring add-ons for specific locations and complex needs of the business
The modern consumer is opting to maintain consistent master data across sites. Often, companies establish an internal group function that safeguards the master data, including dimensions definitions, Item creation, financial accounts, joint customers, etc. The CORE strategy makes it incredibly difficult to maintain consistent data with separate add-ons. This way of operating puts the company at risk for data errors and inconsistencies.
There are simpler ways of integrating multisite Microsoft Dynamics NAV/AX/GP installations with improved quality and easier maintenance.
Here are two examples of how multisite Dynamics NAV/AX/GP installs can be simplified, quality improved, and made much easier to maintain.
Unified master data across databases for Microsoft Dynamics Nav integration
An optimal way of improving your Microsoft Dynamics Nav integration is to automate the synchronisation of any master data in your system and streamline how to automatically distribute new or updated master data. This can be done through data replication across multiple locations within a cloud-based data integration or data replication tool like Rapidi.
Your master data can be manageed without changing or adding a single line of code in the system. Everything can be set up in the cloud which will connect and synchronise your systems according to the rules you set up. This method allows you to: It’s actually nothing new – the systems has existed since 1992 (in a cloud version since 2007/2008) and is already utilised by hundreds of companies worldwide.
- Set up one company as the master and synchronise the data to other databases or companies.
- Add the possibility for all or some companies to update the master data and synchronise back to the others.
- Set it up so that anyone who needs to can create and update master data, which is then synchronised to the others.
The possibilities for customising data integration setups are endless. Rapidi can ensure that they will be effective between different software versions and various systems within Microsoft Dynamics Nav/AX/GP.
Read also: The best way to build your data integration architecture
With the synchronisation of master data, your different companies will, for example, benefit from having the same posting groups, dimension settings, items and pricing.
You can even add other entities like customers to the setup to manage group customers and share customer data across your organisation (though, for practical reasons and if possible, I would consolidate customer information in the CRM system instead, but the possibility is there).
Isolate local statutory requirements from your CORE solution
Let’s take an example with Microsoft Dynamics NAV which is the product with the most distributed CORE-driven installations. You could make the CORE solution on the W1 version, a virgin Microsoft Dynamics NAV version without localisations. This can be deployed and maintained as is with no additional changes.
You can then set up a localised NAV Finance with the Rapidi system to receive the master data for local compliant statutory postings in a separate system, which can be used for statutory reporting, while the CORE system provides support for any operational requirements.
It will reduce the maintenance costs dramatically, and you will have a setup where you can deploy the solution much faster and utilise all the aspects of Microsoft Dynamics without jeopardising your upgrade path.
Benefits of this approach:
- Reduced maintenance costs: Eliminating location-specific customisations in the CORE system simplifies and potentially reduces maintenance costs.
- Faster deployment: Deploying a virgin CORE system is typically faster than setting up a customised one.
- Another way to increase the value of a multisite installation is to enable intercompany transactions between the companies: a sales order in one generates a purchase order, which generates a sales order in the other company etc.
In many cases, the biggest challenge of multisite systems is communication between the distributed databases.
However, with a code-free data integration platform like Rapidi or our Rapidi Replicator, communication is built into the system's foundation, thus providing a solution to many common challenges in multisite installations.
