Small businesses need dependable ERP solutions. While changes made to popular systems often promise improved performance, any alteration to proven business software may seem risky to organizations that rely on existing solutions.

Wired magazine reported Microsoft users got a little nervous in 2014 when the company changed hands, but the software developer has since proved skeptics wrong. While some argued Microsoft was falling behind on recent trends, a new commitment to software and cloud technologies has skyrocketed the company’s stock past what experts predicted.

One reason for the success is ERP solutions like Microsoft Dynamics NAV cloud. The most recent version of the product was met with great enthusiasm. Small businesses should put their apprehension about change aside and see what new solutions can offer their existing organization.

Microsoft’s recent success
Appointed as Microsoft’s CEO in 2014, Satya Nadella focused his company on the cloud, and this investment has paid off. CloudPro reported Microsoft’s 2016 Q2 commercial cloud run rate was more than $9.4 billion. The number of the company’s cloud customers has doubled since 2015.

There are many reasons given for Microsoft’s profits, including the popularity of Office 365 and Outlook. One major factor, however, is Microsoft Dynamics business software products. Dynamics NAV, CRM and just recently GP released new versions of their programs and the response has been great. Both the ERP and CRM solutions prioritize cloud performance, giving professional users the scalability, flexibility and agility needed to get the most out of their investments. Dynamics grew 11 percent between Q2 2015 and 2016.

Why businesses embrace Dynamics NAV
Microsoft released Dynamics NAV 2016 in Oct. 2015, according to Redmond Channel. When the product was announced, companies of various sizes were promised automatic integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Office 365. Business owners also looked forward to an option with new mobile capabilities and convenient BI features, everything that cloud-deployed solutions are famous for.

Since introduction to the market, many organizations have found the benefits of a proper Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 implementation can far outweigh the costs. The latest software solutions not only scale to the company’s needs, allowing them to adopt the features they need by a go-live date, they’re available on most modern computing assets. Sales agents on the road, inventory workers in the warehouse and office employees at their desk all have access to the same data and software features.

The goERPcloud blog highlighted a few mobile features especially helpful for business users on the go. Documents can be shared between laptops and smartphones through automatic workflows and drag-and-drop functionality. It’s simple for employees to convert ERP data to documents in popular programs like Office 365. The Cost Control feature provides users with financial oversight in real time, and Business Reporting allows workers to instantly check-in with decision-makers before moving forward on tasks. All of these processes can generate data, managers can then run through business intelligence programs to gain specific insight into current projects.

Updates to cloud performance
One major advantage to cloud-deployed business software solutions is the support provided by offsite hosting. The Tech Advisory blog described how cloud providers ensure their clients take full advantage of updates and protect data with the latest information strategies. Microsoft Dynamics NAV cloud users should expect to reap the benefits of new features as soon as they become available.

Working with an ERP consultant can help a company plan, purchase and implement changes to current business practices. While existing strategies might work fine, it’s always possible that the latest software solution will offer performance an organization needs to outpace competition and appeal to modern consumers. Keeping track of innovation allows businesses to recognize when fine is no longer good enough.

Microsoft profited from changing its business practices to focus on the Cloud. Other organizations might want to follow Microsoft’s example and take advantage of the company’s new ideas.