Enabling Technology
Challenge
Single Source has been a Microsoft Dynamics NAV customer with Innovia since 2007; however, when it came time to think about replacing its servers around 2017, a big decision had to be made: should the company move its systems to the cloud or should it remain on-premises?
This choice would not only affect Single Source’s Dynamics NAV system but likely every piece of technology it used. The key benefit of such a move was obvious to CIO Rob Newhart: no need to buy expensive new servers, pay for the electricity to cool them, and maintain the facilities. But this was not a move to be done lightly. Luckily, Rob knew that Innovia Consulting, Single Source’s NAV partner, had the expertise and experience to help them make their digital transformation.
During the account planning process with his Innovia customer engagement specialist Tom Doran, Rob laid out his goals for a move to the cloud. He was looking for:
- High reliability. To do its business effectively, Single Source needed to ensure that its system would be extremely reliable, with any disruptions being quickly resolved.
- Accessible from anywhere. This factor was one of the key reasons to switch to Azure. Single Source’s team needed access to data anywhere.
- Scalability. Single Source needed the ability to adjust its server size and costs to reflect current business realities.
When asked why he chose Innovia for this move, Rob pointed to the long partnership between the two companies and how Innovia’s team understood--perhaps as much as a third-party vendor possibly could--Single Source’s business and what it needed out of technology. He was confident Innovia would help his company move to the cloud successfully.
The Move to Azure
With a good understanding of where Rob wanted the company to go, Innovia’s team set to work moving Single Source’s systems to Azure, but it was not just a straight transfer. This transition was an ideal time to reevaluate server processes and allocate them more efficiently. As a result, Single Source went from over 20 virtual machines on-premises to 7 in Azure. Not only did this clean up the infrastructure, but it also meant the company could pay a lower subscription cost.
At the same time, the on-premise Exchange server was eliminated, and Single Source moved to Office 365 (now known as Microsoft 365) so its core email and productivity technologies were also accessible in the cloud.
While these changes certainly seemed like a good idea at the time, speaking in 2020, Rob noted that he truly sees the value of this digital transformation today. With the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the country needed to shift to remote work almost overnight. For Single Source, the choice to move essential systems to Azure meant this process was much more straightforward. Not having to worry about staffing a server room on-premises meant his team could simply transition to remote work and keep going about their daily tasks.
Upgrading to NAV 2017
Around the same time as the Azure migration, Single Source knew it needed to upgrade its Dynamics NAV system. At the time, it was running NAV 2009 and had many customizations and automations to help accomplish its goals. Rob said that “he trusted Innovia” and knew that its team knew the system enough to make the transition work.
And it did! There were only minor setbacks, and the launch was on-time. Better yet, Rob was pleased with how well his users took to the new version. They enjoyed the fact that they could declutter their interface in the updated UI. This helpful change and numerous other upgrades helped Single Source use NAV even more effectively than ever before.
Paired with its NAV system, Innovia has also helped Single Source introduce the Lanham Advanced Forecasting and Procurement, Lanham EDI, DocumentPath, and MergeTool Easy Security. These solutions add critical components to keep business moving and, in the case of Easy Security, to keep users where they should be.
Moving Forward with Confidence
The most critical aspect of Single Source and Innovia’s partnership is trust. Both parties truly want to see the other succeed and invest a lot of time, talent, and resources into making that happen. Speaking of this long-term partnership, Rob says,
I don’t think we could be where we are today without the partnership with Innovia since 2007. They’ve really taken the time to know our business and know what I expect to happen. It would terrify me to start with someone else and have to explain all that again. Innovia cares about the end result and customer satisfaction.
Today, Single Source continues to move forward. Rob spoke optimistically about the possibility of upgrading NAV again in the future, and he is confident that the digital transformation Single Source has undergone with Azure will make these future moves even easier.
