International platforms offer resource flexibility

 

Introduction

Development is moving fast in IT. Smaller companies may have problems following developments. One company that has tried to think creatively is Dynamics Property.

The company has a sharp focus on developing systems for Property Management. The real focus is all the processes that surround the property.  Property Management

By using an international ERP system – Microsoft Business Central – it is possible to recruit skilled software developers from India, Latvia and yes from many places.

Of course, the developers do not have an understanding of Danish property management but are very sharp on the platform.

Modern development techniques with test-driven development help to support the above-mentioned outsourcing of tasks.

However, it is a challenge nevertheless to find a resource that can deliver code in such a quality that others can maintain it. Therefore, it is also important to use reputable subcontractors and yes well-known developers whose quality level there is good experience with.

There is money to save in the cloud

Business Central can be used in 2 ways. Either in the cloud or as an on-premises deployment. If it is chosen to install Business Central in the cloud, the license cost also covers the operation of the solution, i.e., you save the expense of a hosting company.

Not all development is outsourced

However, Dynamics Property has chosen to solve the core system itself, so all code appears consistent. However, the approach means that the company does not have bottlenecks on the development side.

The system is built inside Business Central, which will be software from Microsoft.  Thus, the property management part automatically becomes part of the Dynamics 365 platform.

Outsourcing a "no-go" on the consulting side

On the consultancy side, however, the company has a different approach, namely that dialogue is essential. So, at Dynamics Property it will always be a consultant with an understanding of the administration industry you get in the tube, or correspond with per. mail. 

Business Central - Responsibility

However, one thing has shifted and that is the platform that has moved fast in the cloud. Microsoft is responsible for the operation of Business Central, while Dynamics Property, for example, takes care that the add-on solution always works.

However, keeping the real estate solution running on AppSource is a core activity where the testing responsibility cannot be outsourced to a subcontractor.

Freedom to define processes around the property

Navision's old strength was that the company could adjust optimize its own business processes. The downside was that the company remained locked in an old version, as it was complex (implied "expensive"), to make corrections. Business Central remedied this by keeping customizations separate from the base system.

Best practice, however, is to make automated tests for its own processes, so that the company can be sure that the "logic" works as intended as updates arrive.

In such situations, it is a mix of services that makes the most sense. A consultant with deep insight into the business area and possibly a developer who has a sharp technical competence that is the optimal mix.

Conclusion

In any case, there is a need to think creatively to avoid bottlenecks in the Danish labor market. Dynamics Property probably hasn't gotten the only solution to the problem. However, it helps to be on a Microsoft-based platform where there are competencies to draw on.