Introduction to

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015

Prepared by: Shahbaz Saadat

Consultant | Solutions

BDO Canada LLP

ssaadat@bdo.ca | www.bdosolutions.com/ca/

P a g e | i

Version Record

Date Author Version Change reference

P a g e | ii

Table of Contents

1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 4

2 LAUNCHING THE APPLICATION ................................................................................................................... 4

3 THE ROLE CENTER ...................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1 The Role Center Home Page ............................................................................................................................ 5

3.1.1 Navigation Pane ................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1.2 The Application Menu ......................................................................................................................... 6

3.1.3 The Ribbon ........................................................................................................................................... 6

3.1.4 Travel Buttons, Address Bar & Search Box .......................................................................................... 7

3.1.5 Cues ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

3.1.6 List Parts .............................................................................................................................................. 7

3.1.7 Notifications ........................................................................................................................................ 7

3.1.8 Status Bar ............................................................................................................................................. 8

4 PAGES ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

4.1 Navigation Page ............................................................................................................................................... 8

4.1.1 List ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

4.1.2 FactBoxes ............................................................................................................................................. 9

4.2 Task Page ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.2.1 FastTabs ............................................................................................................................................... 9

5 NAVIGATION QUICK TIPS ......................................................................................................................... 10

5.1 Switching Companies ..................................................................................................................................... 10

5.1.1 Using the Status Bar .......................................................................................................................... 10

5.1.2 Using the Application Menu .............................................................................................................. 10

5.2 Change Work Date ......................................................................................................................................... 10

5.2.1 Using the Status Bar .......................................................................................................................... 10

5.2.2 Using the Application Menu .............................................................................................................. 11

5.3 Adjusting Column Width and Header Height ................................................................................................ 11

P a g e | iii

5.4 Additional Information about a Page ............................................................................................................ 11

5.5 The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 Help....................................................................................................... 12

5.6 Navigation and Date Shortcuts ...................................................................................................................... 12

5.6.1 Keyboard Shortcuts ........................................................................................................................... 12

5.6.2 Date Shortcuts ................................................................................................................................... 13

5.7 Notes and Notifications ................................................................................................................................. 13

5.8 Filtering Lists .................................................................................................................................................. 13

5.8.1 The Quick Filter .................................................................................................................................. 13

5.8.2 The Advanced Filters ......................................................................................................................... 14

5.8.3 Filtering Criterion ............................................................................................................................... 14

P a g e | 4

1 OVERVIEW

Microsoft Dynamics NAV is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software product from Microsoft. The product is part of the Microsoft Dynamics family, and is intended to assist with finance, manufacturing, customer relationship management, supply chains, analytics and electronic commerce for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. This ERP started its life as NAVISION, developed by a Danish company in 1983. Microsoft acquired

the software in 2002 and developed it to become a more robust and comprehensive ERP solution. The latest version of the software is Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015.

In this training we will cover the basics of working with this software. This will include understanding the layout of the menus and how to navigate through them.

2 LAUNCHING THE APPLICATION

To launch the application click the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 icon in your start menu or taskbar.

The first time you start the application you will be asked to enter the server information. Enter the NAV Server Address provided to you and press ‘Enter’.

This will bring up a list of ‘Companies’ set up on that server. Choose the company you want to open and click ‘OK’.

P a g e | 5

3 THE ROLE CENTER

As an end user you will be working within the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 “Role-Tailored Client” or RTC. It is designed to help users focus on their tasks by customizing the application experience to their individual needs. The custom menus and views are saved within your User Profile. Some default profiles are included in the demo database of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015. These include roles like “Order Processor”, “Accounting Manager”, “Dispatcher”, etc.

The Role Center is the main page of the Role-Tailored client. This is where the application starts when launched. Described below are the different parts that make up Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 Role Center as shown in figure 2.

3.1 The Role Center Home Page

3.1.1 Navigation Pane

The Navigation Pane consists of the Buttons and the Lists. You can add, remove or rename buttons except the ‘Home’ and the ‘Departments’ buttons. When you click on a button its associated List opens up, and from there you can choose which area of the system you want to navigate to. The Home button will bring you back to the main list and the Departments buttons opens a full list of all areas available in the software. To customize the

Navigation Pane open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2),

P a g e | 6

choose Customize and then choose Customize Navigation Pane. Here you can add, remove, rearrange or rename the buttons and lists.

3.1.2 The Application Menu

The Application Menu contains system related commands that are used to

modify system settings. You can open the Application Menu by clicking the

Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane ( ).

3.1.3 The Ribbon

The Ribbon is organized into Tabs and Groups and contains actions that are related to the data being displayed. The ribbon is available in most pages and is visible by default. You can collapse the ribbon to create more workspace using Ctrl+F1.

The Ribbon also displays the name of the company you are currently working in,

and a quick link to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 Help in the upper right

corner.

To customize the Ribbon open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Customize and then choose Customize Ribbon. Here you can add, remove, rearrange or rename actions and sort them into groups and tabs.

P a g e | 7

3.1.4 Travel Buttons, Address Bar & Search Box

The Travel Buttons are used to move forward and back through the menus. The dropdown button next to the back button opens a short list of areas recently opened.

The Address Bar details the location of the current page within the navigational hierarchy of the application. The information updates as you navigate to a different area and you can click a part in the address displayed to navigate to that particular area. Click the Refresh button to refresh the page.

The Search Box can be used to locate areas in the system withouth navigating through the menus. Just type in what you are looking for and all matching options will appear.

3.1.5 Cues

Cues are links to documents that require attention from the user based on their User Profile. You can click any of the buttons to see the documents that need processing in that cue.

To add or remove the Cues open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Customize and then choose Customize This Page. Select the Activities part from the Role Center layout shown and then choose Customize Part from the buttons on the right.

3.1.6 List Parts

List Parts are customizable lists of data that may be useful to the user. The lists can be changed using the actions available on each list part.

3.1.7 Notifications

The Notifications section displays notes added by other users within the system. Double clicking the notification will take open the page where the note was entered.

P a g e | 8

3.1.8 Status Bar

Status Bar is located on the bottom of the page and displays information about the current state of the client session. This includes the name of the Company, the Work Date, and the User ID.

4 PAGES IN NAV 2015

There are two major types of pages in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015; a Navigation Page and a Task Page.

4.1 Navigation Page

The Navigation Page is the main window where users find information they need to work with. The Role Center, Departments and Lists are examples of this type of page. The figure below shows a ‘Vendor List’ which is an example of a Navigation Page.

Figure 4-1 - Vendor List

4.1.1 List

The list displays data from the table associated with that page. The list can be customized by adding and

removing columns. To customize the columns displayed in the List open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Customize and then select Choose Columns.

P a g e | 9

4.1.2 FactBoxes

FactBoxes display information pertaining to the record selected in the list. You can view details of the information shown in the factbox, by clicking the amount displayed in blue, once the line appears under it. To customize the factboxes and the information displayed

in them, open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Customize and then select Choose FactBoxes. Here you can add, remove, or rearrange the available factboxes. Select a factbox from the list and click Customize Part from the buttons on the right to customize the information included in the factbox.

4.2 Task Page

The Task Page opens as a separate window when a user selects an action from a Navigation Page or another Task Page. The figure below shows a ‘Vendor Record’ which is an example of a Task Page.

4.2.1 FastTabs

Information on Task Pages is contained in fields grouped into FastTabs. The header on the FastTab displays the name of the group and information contained in fields that have been promoted. A FastTab can be expanded or collapsed by clicking the dropdown arrow on the right.

To the FastTabs and change the fields contained in the group open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Customize and then select Customize This Page. On the next page choose FastTabs from the list on the left. Select a fasttab from the list and click Customize Part from the buttons on the right to customize the fields included in the fasttab.

P a g e | 10

5 NAVIGATION QUICK TIPS

The following functions and how to use them will help with your ability to navigate through the system on a day to day basis:

5.1 Switching Companies

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 can be configured for multiple Companies in the same database. Switching between these companies can be done in two ways:

5.1.1 Using the Status Bar

Click the Company Name in the Status Bar, this will open a list of available companies in the current database. Choose the company you want to open from the dropdown and click OK.

5.1.2 Using the Application Menu

Open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Select Company, this will open a list of available companies in the current database. Choose the company you want to open from the dropdown and click OK.

5.2 Change Work Date

The Work Date of the application can be changed in two ways:

5.2.1 Using the Status Bar

Click the Date in the Status Bar, this will open a set date dialogue box. Choose the date you want to switch to from the dropdown and click OK.

P a g e | 11

5.2.2 Using the Application Menu

Open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec. 3.1.2), choose Set Work Date, this will open a set date dialogue box. Choose the date you want to switch to from the dropdown and click OK.

5.3 Adjusting Column Width and Header Height

When working on a page that contains a table or list, it is important to know

how to change the header so that the contents can be easily read. To change

the width of a column, hover your mouse over the column border until the

double arrow pointer appears. Click and hold the left button on your mouse

and drag left or right to

change the width of the

column.

To change the height of the column, right click on the

Column Header, go to Choose Header Height and choose

how many lines do you want the header height to be.

5.4 Additional Information about a Page

When viewing a page if you want review values in any fields that are not visible, you can do so by using the About

This Page option. Open the Application Menu ( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane; sec.

3.1.2), choose Help, and then choose About This Page. This will open the About This Page window that has

fasttabs containing details about the Page being views and it Fields.

P a g e | 12

5.5 The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 Help

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 has an extensive library with

help associated with pages, fields and functions of the

system. To get to this resource open the Application Menu

( - Dropdown button just above the Navigation Pane;

sec. 3.1.2), choose Help, and then choose Microsoft

Dynamics NAV Help. Internet access is required to get to

the help resource.

5.6 Navigation and Date Shortcuts

To make navigating and entering data into the system more efficient it is good to familiarize yourself with some

of the shortcuts available in the system.

5.6.1 Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are used to avoid navigation using the mouse. Given below are a few of the more commonly

used Keyboard Shortcuts, to view a complete list of Keyboard Shortcuts visit the link:

(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh179479(v=nav.71).aspx)

Input Result

Right Arrow Move to the next field or character Left Arrow Move to the previous field or character Up Arrow Move to the field above in the same column Down Arrow Move to the field below in the same column Delete Clear selected text Esc Close the window or undo the data entry Enter Move to the next editable field F1 Open Help F2 Edit F5 Refresh the active window F7 Display statistics F8 Copy the field above F9 Post Shift+F9 Post and print Ctrl+F1 Collapse or expand the ribbon Ctrl+C Copy Ctrl+X Cut Ctrl+V Paste Ctrl+E Export to Microsoft Office Excel Ctrl+W Export to Microsoft Office Word Ctrl+P Print Ctrl+Z Undo Ctrl+Shift+A Clear all filters Ctrl+Shift+C Copy Rows Ctrl+Shift+V Paste rows

P a g e | 13

5.6.2 Date Shortcuts

When entering dates into date fields you can use the following shortcuts to get the right date:

Input Result

w Current Work Date

T Today’s Date C Closing Date # Number of Day in the Current Work Month MM-DD-YYYY Month-Day-Year WD-WK-YYYY Weekday-Week Number -Year

5.7 Notes and Notifications

To add Notes to a particular page record you can use the

Notes FastTab. Enter the note and click Save.

You can also choose to notify another user about the note by

choosing their User ID in the To: field and checking the

Notify checkbox. This will also provide the notified user with

a link to the record where the note was added. The note and

link will appear in the Notifications section of the users Role

Center (sec. 3.1.6).

5.8 Filtering Lists

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 gives you two types of filters that can be used for this function:

5.8.1 The Quick Filter

The Quick Filter allows you to filter on values in any of the columns that are visible in the current view of the list.

As you add or remove columns from your view the Quick Filter options change. You can only have one Quick

Filter applied to a list at any time.

To apply, enter the filtering criteria, hit Enter or click the arrow on the right of the column name.

Once a filter has been applied you can remove it by clicking the Delete Filter button.

P a g e | 14

5.8.2 The Advanced Filters

Advanced Filters allow filtering on any field available in the table. Even is that field is not visible in the list of

available columns. You can apply multiple Advanced Filters to a list. Advanced Filters can be accessed by clicking

the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Filter fields:

To apply select the field that you need to filter on by

clicking the drop-down next to the column name; select

from the Visible Columns list or open a list of All

columns in the table when you hover over the ‘All’

button.

Enter the filter criteria and hit Enter.

Add

more filters by clicking the ‘Add Filter’ button.

Once a filter has been applied you can remove it by clicking the Delete Filter button.

5.8.3 Filtering Criterion

In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 you can use various symbols to add logic to your filtering criteria. Here is a table

that covers the available options.

Symbol Meaning Sample Result

= Equal To =111 All results with value equal to 111 =08012014 All result with date equal to Aug 01, 2014 =0801 All results with date equal to Aug 01 of the current year

P a g e | 15

.. Interval 111..222 All results with values between 111 and 222 01012014..08012014 All results within the date range Jan 01, 2014 to Aug

01,2014 ..08012014 All results from the beginning of time up until Aug 01,

2014 08012014.. All results from Aug 01, 2014 till the end of time | Either/or 111|222 All results with either 111 or 222 & And <222&>111 All results with values less than 222 and greater than 111 <> Not Equal To <>0 All results with values not equal to 0 > Greater Than >111 All results with values greater than 111 >= Greater Than or Equal

To >=111 All results with values greater than or equal to 111

< Less Than <222 All results with values less than 222 <= Less Than or Equal To <=222 All results with values less than or equal to 222 * An Indefinite Number

of Unknown Characters *co* All results with “co” in the test

*co All results ending with “co” co* All results starting with “co” ? One Unknown

Character Hans?n All combinations such as Hanson or Hansen

( ) Calculate before Rest 30|(>10&<20) All results with the value of 30 or a value between 10 and 20

@ Ignore Case (Uppercase or Lowercase)

@location All results such as LOCATION, location or Location

Filter criteria can also be combined to get the desired result: 5999|8100..8490 All results that with values equal to 5999 and 8100 through 8490 ..1299|1400 All results with values up to 1299 and 1400 *c*&*d* All results with text containing “c” and “d” @*co?* All results containing “co” followed by at least one character but can have an indefinite number

of characters before and after, and the case is not important