June Newsletter - News, Tutorials, and Prizes

ABC Computers eNewsletter June 2015

800-834-7700 www.ABC-Computers.com

In This Issue

ABC Computers
Services & Solutions

External vs. Embedded EDI

Has your company gotten settled into NAV yet?

Why is my Transaction Log File so Large?

Industry Showcase - Getting Results with NAV : "Managing Molds and Dies"

Running the Boston Marathon

Shiny New Gadget
of the Month:

DC Q-Pop Figures

Each of these Q-Pop figures comes with a talk bubble and a little whiteboard marker so you can make them say clever things. Choose Batman, Catwoman, or Superman.

Learn more about it here

June Quick Quiz

Enter our Quick Quiz drawing for your chance to win this month's Shiny New Gadget.

Question:

When did the first Boston Marathon take place?

a. 1897

b. 1902

c. 1976

d. 1987

Submit your answer to info@abc-computers.com

A winner will be drawn from the correct responses.

July Webinars

Can You Really Afford One More Conference? Why You Must Attend NAVUG Summit.

Thu, Jul 9, 2015 10 AM - 11 AM CT

Power BI with Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015

Wed, Jul 15, 2015 10 AM - 11 AM CT

EDI Decisions Made Easy

Thu, Jul 16, 2015 10 AM - 11 AM CT

Greetings!

In our April newsletter I shared the "Sprint" concept that our management team is using to focus differently when it comes to working "in" the business (tactical) versus "on" the business (strategic). Scott Ross with PackSmart (one of our customers) shared that his company has been using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) since 2009 and it has been very helpful. Scott said their leadership team spends about 10% of their time working "on" the business. I mentioned 25% in my article and, as an update, we have settled in on closer to 15% now. I shared with Scott they we might have a higher number because we are trying to work on everything! Either that, or we need to develop more efficiencies.

I am aware of EOS - Gino Wickman has several books on this, the main one being Traction - I would recommend taking a look at this. A few of our team have read this and we are looking to take a deeper dive at some point.

Thank you again to Scott for sharing this information, and I plan to give more updates on the evolution of management sprinting here at ABC - have a great summer!

Best,

NewMicrosoftCompetencyLogo

Mark Christie

CEO

ABC Computers, Inc.

External vs. Embedded EDI

By Jim Augenstein, Lanham Associates

For many companies using Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the question of EDI adoption is not 'if' but 'when and how'. Retailers of all sizes as well as aviation, automotive, healthcare, manufacturers, and many other types of businesses all dictate EDI compliance as a fundamental requirement to engaging in trade with them. It's important, it's virtually mandatory, and there's a lot to consider when making decisions about which EDI solution is best for your company.

By Kerry Rosvold

If you ever feel your company got moved into NAV but never got all the boxes unpacked and put away, you're not alone! Many companies expend so much energy just getting to their go live date, by the time they get there, they are just ready to move on to other areas of their business. Unfortunately, this oftentimes means they are probably not taking advantages of many areas of NAV that gain them more flexibility, efficiency, and productivity - reasons why they decided to choose NAV in the first place!

By Bradley Franz

As a NAV Developer, I frequently find myself working in the role "involuntary DBA" on behalf of customers wanting to know, "Why is my transaction log so large and is this really necessary?" NAV database log files often consume nearly as much or more space on disk than the volume of data in the database itself! In this post, I'll try to provide an overview of how SQL Server works (in terms of physical files) and explain why transaction log files are probably properly sized even when your gut is telling you they're much too large.

By John Grant

The Manufacturing process involves extensive use of Molds/Dies. New Molds/Dies are built in-house, as well as repair and maintenance of existing Molds/Dies. Capturing labor and material costs for each Mold/Die is critical to cost analysis and profitability. Managing the entire life cycle of the Mold/Die in NAV will extend the life of the tool, avoid unnecessary down time during production runs, and allow for Mold/Die replacement planning.

Running the Boston Marathon

By Valerie Ingersoll

I had the opportunity and privilage of running the famed Boston Marathon a few weeks ago on April 20. This is the world's oldest annual marathon. The first Boston Marathon was on April 19, 1897 with only 15 participants and 10 finishers. This year there were around 30,000 runners.

About ABC Computers

ABC Computers has been providing a unique blend of business software solutions and computer support services to businesses - small and large - since 1984. Over the last 25+ years, we have earned a reputation for exceeding clients' expectations and developing lasting relationships by first listening - learning about your business - and only then suggesting solutions to help you achieve your objectives.

With 3 locations in Wisconsin (WI), 1 location in South Bend, IN, and staff throughout the upper Midwest, ABC offers business consulting and IT services through two distinctly related teams.

Our business management systems group specializes in financial management and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision).

ABC's computer support services team specializes in troubleshooting IT problems that disrupt business operations and transforming technology from a burden into an asset.

Donavan Lane, as well as each team member of ABC, is dedicated to your complete satisfaction. Thus our commitment to implementing "Business Solutions...Your Way."