Your Independent Freelancer Consultant & Programmer for Navision & Business Central

Nav123: Navision, Showare, OrderApp

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Fair consulting as an independent BC/Navision freelancer (freelancer) programmer


Is your Navision supposed to be too old? Can your slow Navision allegedly only be accelerated if you buy a new version or an even more expensive server? Do you allegedly have to change over urgently, because otherwise your Navision will soon no longer run? Can a webshop connection, an APP solution via Android or Apple iOS only be done if you change your Navision? Does your permanent Navision Financials Attain / Microsoft Business Central 365 developer / programmer tell you that only new hardware can solve a massive existing performance / speed problem?

All this is usually not. You will find e.g. a bank interface also for Navision down to 2.10,a shopware interface for technical Navision from 4.03 and 2009r2 and various other tips, die aus Ihrem -angeblich veraltetem- Ackergaul Navision wieder ein modernes Rennpferd machen. Das gilt quer durch die Versionen! OK, ein Navision 3.56 würde sogar ich als „alt“ bezeichnen… bei weitem aber nicht veraltet! Die geniale und für mich „für immer“ ausreichende 2009R2 Version… Und auch wieder die Navision 2018/BC14 Version. „Soll“ und „Haben“ und „Lagerbestand“ und „offene Forderungen“ ändern sich nicht gerade im wöchentlichen Abstand. Eine Warenwirtschaft ist kein Druckertreiber oder Actiongame, welches manchmal stündlich Updates bekommen sollte. Man bezahlt sehr viel Geld dafür eine hoffentlich nahezu fehlerfreie Start-Version zu erhalten… und die sollte bzw. müsste dann auch 10 oder 20 Jahre arbeiten können. Warum denn nicht? Tja… Weil nun Microsoft dahinter steht. Und die machen halt seit den 90er Jahren Bananen-Software – Reift beim Kunden.

With slow systems and/or long response times, it is often enough to correct a few flowfields & database keys to get your system up and running again. And you can work quickly again without coffee breaks 🙂 This does not even require high-level programming skills, but a deep understanding of how a (SQL) database works. What unfortunately very very many programmers and freelancers on the market not have. This may have something to do with the past of these freelance or salaried Navision programmers: Hardly anyone knows Navision from scratch. I think more than 80% of them are career changers who came to Navision Financials Attain/ Microsoft Business Central 365 as freelancers in the course of their professional career as programmers. Of course, there is a lack of basic understanding of flowfields, SQL queries, sometimes even a lack of understanding of physical hard disks, RAID configurations (I guess, again 80% of all SQL server RAID configurations and hard disk partitioning in the industry are wrong!) and a lack of understanding of the actual Navision logic, e.g. differences between the two Navision server variants in the booking procedure, table locking etc.

Navision and/or Business Central licenses

You can also activate licenses (users, objects, functions) via my partner. However, it is not necessary that you leave or change your system house / Navision or Business Central partner! You can also use my consulting and programming services independent of a Navision system house change..

Not satisfied with your Navision and Business Central?

Are you not satisfied with your Navision? Is your Navision Financials Attain/ Microsoft Business Central 365 complicated or slow? Does it run slowly? Is it slow to respond? Does it produce erroneous results? It's not Navision or Business Central then! It is a screwed up installation. If it has become too bad, I can also support you in court as a certified expert . Or as a programmer I can quickly conjure up a solution in Navision / SQL-Server. Navision Financials / Business Central is made to be customized to your individual needs. But you should know how to do this.

Refactoring, replacement of old systems (legacy system)

But don't worry: Navision is THE system for internal Navision refactoring as well (resolving old design flaws, replacing old technical debt).
In general, Navision & Business Central is also the the extension development to replace old systems (legacy systems)! Especially the strictly procedural development environment with its straightforward focus on commercial processes is ideally suited to replace all forms of legacy systems with little programming work! If you want to port a comprehensive RPG (installment programming belief) solution from an AS/400; If you want to replace a Siemens Nixdorf Quattro Pro (8870) with Comet in Business Basic; If you have an old Cobol system; Or even if you have to deal with a failed ERP implementation:
With Business Central and Navision, an experienced programmer / freelancer can focus on exactly one thing: Solving the task!

Focus on the solution

Modern GUI, simple reporting, optimal database connection, state of the art REST-Api data access or Web.frontends? In Navision Financials Attain/ Microsoft Business Central all this is already anchored in the development environment! As a programmer (no matter if you are an independent developer (freelancer) or a consultant) you don't have to deal with classes, inheritance, garbage collection or ever changing framework hype. Simple and high-performance database queries, integrated query optimizations such as lazy read, transaction management controlled by the system: Everything that makes you lose sleep under modern universal programming languages such as Java, C++, C#, Python, Pearl and also old languages such as Visual Basic and Delphi with object orientation, side-effect, race-conditions and exceptions, Navision takes away from the developer! So the programmer can concentrate on the essentials: Developing your solution . Of course, this was faster with the older versions of Navision, but even with AL and RDLC there is still -from my point of view- no better system than Business Central.
Note: Navision was still much better suited for this than Microsoft Business Central 365 , but that no longer exists.

Process of replacing legacy systems

This is what a classic legacy system replacement looks like:

  • Viewing of documents and evaluations (Result First or Bottom Up)
  • Viewing the data sources/tables in the original system, e.g. by creating interfaces from the old system to the new system at an early stage and testing them over and over again during the project. This saves sleepless nights on the day of the changeover!
  • Watch some users doing regular work (order entry, purchase order transactions, warehouse processing & logistics) and learn from it
  • Sleeves up and reprogramming. In most cases, re-implementation does NOT require access to the original code! With a little analytical mind and a pocket calculator, the old business logics can usually be easily reprogrammed, if you only divide them into small sub-steps. If the source code from e.g. RPG (AS/400), Cobol, Business Basic (e.g. Comet) is still available, it can usually be transferred very easily to Business Central or Navision by using similar variable types, program sequences (procedural language). Of course, many years of experience in the replacement of old commercial solutions and a comprehensive qualification also help here..
  • Do projects so that you don't fail?

Areas of operation as a Business Central/Navision freelancer / reviewer:

I program & train & consult Navision in Kassel (Hesse) and Germany-wide since 1993. Since 2021 also on-site in Germany (on request), or from anywhere in the world. And in all these years I have come to the conclusion: "Can't do" does not exist in Navision. And I have remained true to this credo as a self-employed (freelancer) Navision consultant - until the current RDLC and AL programming under Business Central. Since my main residence is in the Philippines, of course even more international. Not only in Kassel/Hesse and the bordering states like Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia, but also in all German and English speaking countries. Projects in Austria and Switzerland are also welcome. Attention! If you are interested, please keep in mind when planning that I am usually booked up several weeks, usually even months in advance. But better planned for the future than suffer forever!

My strategic advantages as a Business Central/Navision freelancer:

Everything from a single freelancer hand consulting and programming!

  • Trained industrial manager
  • Enthusiastic Navision programmer
  • Dedicated database designer
  • Experienced in bookkeeping & asset accounting
  • Experienced logistics specialist
  • Formerly a central location in Germany (North Hesse, Kassel). In the meantime even more willing to travel for the whole of Europe, Germany, Austria, and gladly also in English-speaking countries (England, America, Australia, Philippines, Singapore...).
  • Experienced in refactoring old legacy solutions
  • Experienced in reading and writing procedural languages, therefore also capable in reading and translating old Cobol / RPG / Turbopascal / Business Basic (Comet) programs
  • Experienced in analyzing calculation paths in order to map classic commercial business logic anew in Navision / Business Central even without access to source codes.

So I can communicate directly with any of your department heads or employees: We speak one language. So I can talk to

  • Your accountant about his debit / credit problems...
  • Your warehouse manager about his supply issues....
  • Your warehouse operator about his MDE or BDE difficulties...
  • Your buyer about his order proposal deviation....
  • Your salesperson about the complicated order entry...
  • Your CEO about its missing or slow or faulty analyses....

There is no need to spend time and money on an additional consultant or translator . With me the user talks directly with the programmer. And if I find errors in database design, data backup, performance, I can fix them myself. Without waiting for "a colleague".

Foto von René Thöne. Seit 1993 Navision-Entwickler von Dynamics bis Business Central, von C/Side bis AL und RDLC, seit 2008 als nebenberuflicher Freelancer, seit 2013 als Vollzeit-Freelancer unterwegs.
René Thöne. Since 1993 Navision developer from Dynamics to Business Central, from C/Side to AL and RDLC, since 2008 as part-time freelancer, since 2013 as full-time freelancer.

With several fast & thus redundant internet connections, I can solve your problems quickly and experienced, although working from the other side of world. Not cheap, but qualified. Especially for a freelancer, not only a BC/Navision freelancer, very important! Especially in times of and after Corona an essential advantage. But on-site assignments are also feasible. Whether I travel from the Philippines to you in Hamburg, London or New York makes practically no difference. Even existing customers from quite far away can be served by me from here like "on site".

Exclusive products

Bank interface for old Navision? A cool Business Central & Navision integrated ordering app for your sales force and end customers? A genuine REST api based Shopware interface? Automation of your invoice receipt with a GetMyInvoices interfaceYou can get numerous products for Navision exclusively from me - without gag contracts!

Contact

Risk-free initial contact with your Navision & Business Central Freelancer Consultant and Programmer for Worldwide, Germany, Austria and Switzerland:
You can contact me right away, initial consultations are usually free of charge. Attention! If you are interested, please note in your planning that I am usually booked several weeks, usually even months in advance. Better planned for the future than suffer forever!

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes