One of the bennies of being a site admin is the ability to abuse it for personal gain. In this case, professional, and there’s money involved.
Here’s the deal: at my day job, we use NAV for our ERP. We need to develop a database system which will integrate with NAV to store our product ingredient lists, where we can dynamically change the quantities to reflect changes in raw materials. Right now, that’s done through a half-assed Excel system, with NAV having nominal formulas to pull from inventory. We want to improve that process by having NAV be able to pull from the database.
The project was thrown at me, but since my boss realizes that I only have a vague idea of what a database is or how to use NAV (hey, I’m a scientist, not a computer geek), he told me I can contract the work out. So, since I have an audience with some very smart IT people in it, I wanted to toss out the opportunity here to make a few shekels by making me look good. If this looks like it’s in your wheelhouse, please raise your hand and I’ll contact you offline so we can scope out the project and get it quoted.
I’m assuming this gibberish is some sort of metaphorical language, so “Darmok and Jalad at Tangara”?
Shaka when the walls fell.
Dude, it’s all swahili to me, too- I know about molecules, not Access.
Swiss, his face black, his eyes narrowed.
*narrows gaze…and applauds…slowly.*
“NAV for our ERP!”
“Captain, I don’t understand what he means?!”
Is the NAV hosted or a local installation?
If I understand correctly, hosted.
Hmmmm…..
A quick googling indicates that NAV integrates everything as a webservice. Roughly translated, that means it’s going to a pain in the ass. And Microsoft is generally going to be of no help unless you’re integrating to another one of their products.
I would expect that there are some utilities that would allow you to talk to a MSSQL Server since it uses that as a backend, but you would be better served by speaking to someone who knows NAV inside and out. That’s not me.
This website has the best knowledge exchange on Microsoft ERP products, and you can probably find a consultant/developer there as well.
Thanks for the pointer- there is literally not one thing on that page I understand. But at least there’s a directory to people who actually work.
Not sure whether this is a trap to lure an unsuspecting Libertarian into a van…
You’re waaaaaay too old.
I’m safe. I have no clue what anything other than ‘shekels’ means.
The lack of serious responses must be because all the real IT people are, you know, working.
I’m not allowed to hire you, unfortunately. Then again, if I did, you might kill a few of my co-workers, so perhaps the anti-nepotism rule is wise.
Oh, it’d be way more than “a few.” I have a list.
Does one rhyme with “chug soon”?
Ooooh. Good reminder to get to the day drinking since I have given up on all my serious work for the day.
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found
SP’s got a little list – SP’s got a little list
Of IT offenders who might well be underground
And who never would be missed – who never would be missed!
There’s the pestilential nuisances who ask for ISO audits
All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs
All co-workers who are up in grills, and floor you with ’em flat
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that
And all third persons who on spoiling tête-à-têtes insist
They’d none of ’em be missed – they’d none of ’em be missed!
Even if you were a co-worker of OMWC, you wouldn’t be on my list with valuable anthem writing skills like this!
*sigh* too easy.
You know who else had a list?
Well, I do.
Doesn’t everyone?
Angie?
Best answer.
Santa?
Checked twice, so I hear…
Obama’s drone pilots?
Craig?
(trying this again)
Daryl Hall?
Everyone leaves out poor John Oates…
Danny McGrath
The lack of serious responses means you are in the right place.
He thinks any of us work. HaHaHa.
False, there just doing what they do best.
procrastinating.
also, seeing if they have a contact in India that they could sub it to before they commit.
^^THIS^^
“ORPHANS, LISTEN UP!”
“Do any of you have VBA or SQL experience?”
That, and this is asking for specific knowledge. I’ve done work with web services and SQL databases, but my Microsoft experience is pretty limited (I’ve written some C# but I’m much more familiar with other languages). I could probably do it… with no fixed schedule.
It’s all ball bearings these days.
+1 Fetzer valve
Quick Google: Microsoft ERP? *runs away*
Yeah, I was unfamiliar with NAV, and googled.
**shudder**
I wonder if NAV integrates with Postgres?
Prostrate? yeah that is where most people tell you to go with it.
One might expect that it only speaks with SQL server. So I suspect that he needs some code to maintain a custom MS SQL table.
I would create the table the way NAV wants it, and then magic the data into and out of the SQL DB to your other process.
I’m not familiar with NAV. Does it act as a simple GUI so non IT people can feed data to the table?
If the web services are structured anything like the Dynamics CRM, not at all. Touching the tables directly is…asking for trouble.
Does NAV Integrate with Postgres?
Yeah, but you still have to buy or build the connection. There’s lots of choices and lots of pitfalls.
Tempting, so tempting. Unfortunately, my experience with hosted MS solutions is only with their Dynamics CRM product. If I had any familiarity with NAV, I’d be waving my hand Horshack-style about now, ‘cuz I could use some side gig money.
If I knew anything about NAV…
Some money you’d have?
I don’t know your industry, but have you looked at an off-the-shelf system?
We’re stuck with NAV by corporate directives.
One element is going to be just how integrated you want these systems to be.
NAV’s webcentric API means that sure, you can read and write from it, but you’re not going to be able to do much in real-time, and in a practical sense, probably not much better than batching. That’s really the rule, rather than the exception when dealing with these architectures.
I haven’t touched NAV in any serious way in about 8-10 years, but at least you have a solid general ledger there. Don’t skimp on the contractor’s credentials, try and make sure you have one with a really solid grasp of both ends of the interface.
Well, here’s yer problem, you got yer grommets installed wrong. You have to dehumidify them. Also, you need to install some jocund rebecs.
I think a fair price would be a couple million dollars and your whatsis should be as good as new.
I’m very successful – once I’ve done a job on someone, they never need to hire me again. At least I never get new job offers from them.
For a pound of your flesh I might consider working your project.