Insight eNews

A Monthly Newsletter from AVF Consulting, Inc.

Microsoft Navision Solution Center &

 Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

May 2006

In this edition:

Feature Article: Getting a Grip on Expense Management

AVF User Group Session: Navision Database Administration, June 6, 2006

Maintenance Plan Renewal Calls: Why is Microsoft Calling me?

AVF News:  AVF Office Closing, Microsoft Service Plan Renewal Offer, Serenic Customer Conference and Microsoft Offers Savings on User Sessions!

Feature Article by Fawn Fitter

Getting a Grip:  Expense management is the top financial planning  priority at many midsize companies

What is the biggest financial challenge facing midsize companies? Managing expenses, says the CFO of a fast-growing telecommunications company. The director of accounting at a health care IT firm agrees. So does the CFO of a busy educational nonprofit. And while the manager of a gourmet-meals-by-mail business says putting money into marketing is most important, he ranks controlling costs a close second.

Very different companies have very similar concerns, all echoed by a recent American Express survey. In its fourth annual survey of senior financial executives at midsize firms in the U.S., American Express found that more than half (53 percent) plan to focus in the next year on improving their management of indirect expenses, from business travel to office supplies.

Given all the fixed costs of running a business, “expense management ultimately ends up as the more variable piece of the pie, and where the goals established during the financial planning or budgeting process become key,” says Elizabeth Price, director of accounting at Solucient LLC, an Evanston, Illinois company that creates specialized IT products for the health care industry. Setting aggressive expense goals for managers has forced the company to pay more attention to spending, she says, and ultimately has improved Solucient’s bottom line.

The Weakest Link
Notably, 64 percent of respondents to the American Express survey said the biggest barrier to managing their expenses is difficulty “gathering, analyzing and using” data about them. That’s a major problem, says Indra Guertler, professor of finance in the School of Management at Boston’s Simmons College. “Your accountant needs to be able to communicate this information to you in a way you can understand and act on,” she says.

The first obvious step, Guertler suggests, is to deploy enterprise resource planning (ERP) software—like Microsoft Dynamics™ financial management solutions—that can collect, categorize, analyze and report on various aspects of the budget. Doing so allows a company to track every aspect of financial operations, which in turn provides the foundation for strategic decision making.

That’s why “providing a consistent framework and the analytical support to help line managers make more rapid decisions” is a top priority for Bob Komin, CFO of Tellme Networks in Redwood City, California, a leading provider of voice-operated phone services. “We [link] our strategic and operating objectives to specific measurable financial and non financial milestones to make sure we stay on track or know as soon as possible when to make course corrections.”

To read the complete article click here!
Feature Article found on Microsoft's Customer Source website, written by Fawn Fitter. 

User Group Session

AVF User Group Session

Join AVF for a User Group Session on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 beginning 9:00 a.m. at the AVF Baltimore Office. The User Group Session will be lead by Terry Williams, Manager, Customer service, and will cover Microsoft Navision Database Administration. 

User Group Agenda:

• 9:00 a.m.- Welcome: Coffee and Bagels served

• 9:30 a.m. - User Group Session: Navision Database Administration

                            - Back-Up Options

                            - Setting up Shortcuts

                            - ZUP Files

                            - Database Optimization

• 10:30 a.m. - Question and Answer

IT professionals and Navision Super Users will most benefit from this User Group; however anyone is welcome to attend.  The meeting is FREE for all CCP members and $99 for any non-members.  Seating is limited so don't hesitate, register today!

For more information, and to register visit http://www.avfconsulting.com/news_events.asp.

Microsoft Navision Maintenance Plan Renewal

Who is my Contact for Software Maintenance Renewal,
AVF or Microsoft?

As an AVF customer and Microsoft Navision user, you are also a Microsoft customer.  That is why, from time to time, Microsoft will contact you with important information such as reminders that your Maintenance Plan (a.k.a. Service Plan) is coming to an end.

Every customer of Microsoft Navision can purchase an annual Maintenance Plan that provides all product updates, transformational assurance, and access to CustomerSource. Microsoft is contacting customers up to 90 days prior to the expiration of their maintenance plan reminding them to renew.  However, AVF is still your primary contact regarding software maintenance renewal and any other Navision related issues.  AVF values all of our customers and we do all we can to ensure that you are current on your maintenance.  AVF will always send you a bill 30 days prior to your maintenance plan expiration date.  So if you are contacted by Microsoft, just consider it an early reminder. 

If there are any questions regarding maintenance plan renewals, or any thing else, customers can always contact AVF at 410-296-5100.  We are here to serve you!  For details about the various types of software maintenance plans available click here!

AVF News & Events

AVF Office Closing: The AVF offices will be closed Monday, May 29th for Memorial Day.  In order to have access to the Emergency After-Hours Services that AVF provides, you must sign up. Signing up is free! You are only billed when you use the service or request Emergency After-Hours work. Let us know if you are interested by contacting support@avfconsulting.com or 410-296-5100.

Microsoft Offers Multi-Year Service (Maintenance) Plan Renewal Promotion – Renewing customers can save up to 12.5% and simplify their budget by enrolling in a 3-year multi-year service plan agreement.  This offer ends on June 16th, so you must hurry.  To see a breakdown of the offer click here or contact Jeremy Fass at 410-296-5100 or jfass@avfconsulting.com for more information. 

Non-Profits using the Serenic Add-On can Receive Additional Savings – Serenic is offering to match the Microsoft Multi-Year Service (Maintenance) Plan Renewal Promotion (see above).  All Serenic customers can receive additional savings on their service plan renewal before June 16th.  For more information contact Jeremy Fass at 410-296-5100 or jfass@avfconsulting.com.

Navision Clients Can Receive FREE User Sessions:  Buy 2 users at the regular price, get the 3rd at half price* or Buy 4 users at regular price, get the 5th for FREE*.  This offer only applies to purchases made between February 15, 2006 and June 16, 2006.  Don’t wait until the last minute to take advantage of this offer. Contact Jeremy Fass at jfass@avfconsulting.com or 443-279-1019 to order. *Discount applies only to Microsoft Navision license fees and is not applicable toward the Serenic Navigator or the LS Retail portion of any license fees.

Attention Non-Profits: Serenic's Customer Conference, Explorations '06, will he held October 3rd through the 6th in Charlotte, NC.  The conference offers four different tracks for attendees to explore.  Serenic has planed activities to facilitate community networking and allow customers to have input with the Serenic team and their partners.  In addition, Serenic has planed a NASCAR event to incorporate local flavor.  There will be an AVF representative present at the conference to address any of your specific questions.  For more information and to register, log onto http://www.serenic.com/SerenicCorp/events/explorations.html.