Where can I learn more about account schedules?

If you’re reading this, you are probably looking for answers now, as in “my implementation goes live in a month and I don’t have my financial statements figured out yet”.  This is by far the most common question I get from people looking for answers about account schedules.

Assuming you are already a Microsoft Dynamics NAV customer, and you’re current on your BREP (Business Ready Enhancement Plan), you need to go to CustomerSource to get access to e-learning modules and training manuals that are just waiting for you to find them.

If you want to search on your own, here is the place to start.  On the left hand navigation bar, choose Documentation=>User Guides and then look for one of these two:

• Overview of Training Manuals and Hands-On Labs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009
• Overview of Training Manuals for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0

Once you get to these pages, you can search through a number of menus to get to exactly the topics you need without using the clunky CustomerSource user guide drop down choices, which are difficult to use at best.

Another good source are the Learning Plans for each version.  On the left hand navigation bar, choose Training and Certification, then choose Learning Plans for Microsoft Dynamics from the main page. Choose your product and version, and you’ll have what you need.  The Learning Plan for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 is particularly good, providing links from the page directly to what you need. You will find sources for E-Learning, Instructor Led Training, and Training Materials.  The link to the Learning Plan for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 actually points to a PDF version of the NAV 2009 Learning Plan; it looks like the 5.0 plan has been removed.

If, because you’ve taken a look at the Learning Plans and you know the Course Number for the training materials you want to find; here’s another quick way to get at them.  At the top of the left hand navigation bar, there is a search box.  Simply type in the course number, for example, 80050, and you’ll be taken directly to those training materials which you can immediately download.

If you simply don’t have time to look through the Learning Plans and expansive Overview pages, take my word for it and look up the following courses using the search box to get to more information now:

If you are brand new customer, using NAV2009 with the RTC (Role Tailored client), here’s your best bet:  Course 80050 Business Intelligence for Information Workers.  You may also try Course 80258 Trade in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 to expand into the topics of analysis reports and analysis by dimensions.

If you are an existing customer, using NAV 5.0 or below with the Classic client, these resources will be more right for you, since they are shown using the Classic client.  If you’re not yet using the RTC, you don’t need to struggle through documentation shown in an interface that you’re not using yet.  I’ll maintain that the basic functionality of account schedules is the same (so far), and the major difference between the Classic client and the RTC is navigation, as well as look and feel, of the new matrix.  Look for Course 8875 Business Intelligence for Information Workers in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0, Course 8939 Trade in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0, and Course 8713 What’s New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Part I (chapter 8 talks about some of the improvements that were made to account schedules between version 4.0 and 5.0).

Find the link to this wealth of information here or under the Blogroll as Microsoft Dynamics CustomerSource.