Enabling Technology
Challenge
DOW has been using NAV since 2014, when it implemented NAV 2009. NAV was the right choice for the business because of its unparalleled customizability, ease of use, and competitive pricing.
In the early days, the partner DOW had was meeting their needs, but after it was acquired and experienced several key staff transitions, its responsiveness to DOW’s needs declined.
Over time, support requests accumulated. DOW had upgraded to NAV 2017 but was experiencing challenges getting the modifications its team wanted implemented in a timely manner. The delays cut into DOW’s ability to adapt to its market niche, so it was time to seek out a new partner.
DOW was looking for a partner that would:
- Respond in a timely manner to support requests. The team knew that sometimes a problem was complex and took time, but they needed to at least hear back from their partner on the status of all deliverables.
- Go into overdrive to catch up with all pending support requests so the team could fully utilize its investment in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017.
- Introduce and confidently recommend ISV solutions that met the company’s needs without the need for additional custom code.
- Help DOW move beyond its support requests to its wish list of new features. The team had exciting ideas for how it could serve its customers better. NAV was the right system to do them in, they just needed the right support.
DOW’s team interviewed Innovia Consulting for the job because they knew several of the consultants and developers on-staff. This interview evolved into a deep conversation about how DOW could grow and what resources Innovia could bring to the table. Innovia’s approach was refreshing, and DOW decided to give the firm a shot.
Solution
Innovia’s team came in and dove right into the support ticket backlog. Tim recalls how within a matter of weeks, 80% of the outstanding issues the company had with NAV 2017 were solved. The Innovia support team aggressively pursued the backlog and cut it down … fast!
Within the next six months, the remaining 20% of backlogged tickets were closed, and DOW was already working with Innovia support lead Holly Kutil to get bigger projects moving. The wish list was on, and Tim could not have been more excited about what was coming!
Two large projects already show a lot of promise for DOW. The first is a solution for faster and more flexible instant rebates. Retailers handle manufacturer rebates differently, and so DOW needed a solution that could adapt and keep track of how they should be handled for each customer. This system is highly specific to the needs of a consumer electronics distributor, and so Tim is excited to see it in action once the testing phase is complete.
The other major project also in progress is a customer loyalty program. Much like loyalty programs you may be part of, this system will award points to DOW’s customers based on what they buy. After they accumulate enough points, they will be able to redeem them for special rewards. Innovia’s developers are building this system fully within NAV.
Results Achieved
With the support ticket backlog emptied and new projects on the horizon, DOW is getting the most out of its NAV 2017 system. Not only that, with Innovia on its side, the company is confident of its future with the system. Why? It all comes back to responsiveness, Tim says.
The amount of resources Innovia throws at us whenever we have an issue is a breath of fresh air! You just do not get that kind of customer service most places!
He recalls one instance when Valerie Ingersoll from Innovia was helping implement an EDI modification. She had put the update out at 9 pm (to avoid changes during peak hours), but an unexpected issue came up that morning that stopped orders from processing.
Within 15 minutes of Tim reporting the problem, they were back online. That day Valerie discovered the problem, corrected it, and then re-applied the change that night. There were no further problems. Tim says that this kind of support is “paramount” because “anything that stops us from processing orders is a big problem.”
When a Partner Cares as Much as You Do
Tim cannot reiterate enough how important Innovia’s responsiveness has been to DOW’s ability to keep up with business. In about five years, its e-commerce platform has grown from nothing to constituting a third of its overall business, so keeping it running and having a reliable support system when something happens are critical.
Today, Tim feels confident that he has the right partner in Innovia. He says that because of the way Innovia operates he feels that “they care as much as we do” about the business. It all comes back to communication, trust, and expertise. Tim is happy to have a partner he can rely on to keep his NAV system running and continually improving.
