When a Dynamics GP invoice for your support renewal lands either in your inbox with a “ping” or on your doormat with a thud, do you ever open it and wonder what am I paying for?
I’ve been working within Microsoft Dynamics GP industry for 20 years and I still talk to prospects who ask me the same questions:
“…what does it cover?”,
“…is it mandatory?”
and my personal favourite, “…that’s a lot of money, do I get anything else?”.
A support fee is a calculation (as a rule of thumb) based on a percentage of your Dynamics GP licence value. This calculation is based on the number of users you have using the solution and the modules you have on top of that.
The fee will cover your access to a new version of Dynamics GP, the ability to have problems escalated to Microsoft (only if you have a release of Dynamics GP that is on mainstream support) and access to your Partner’s Helpdesk.
Top tip: It’s always worth reviewing what is in your Licence. If you reduce the modules that come with your Licence or the number of users using the solution this will then reduce the Licence Value which, can bring your Support fee down. But a word of caution, if you remove a module the only way to re-instate it is to purchase it again at full list price so think carefully.
You should be able to see what your Licence is made up via your Customer Source login. If you don’t have a login, talk to your Account Manager. If you don’t have an Account Manager, change your Partner.
My advice? Look for the value add in your Partnership.
Many customers will renew their support contracts every year with the same partner because they feel they have too. That’s not the case. You can change your partner whenever you like, it costs you nothing and it may even save you money. Switching is easy and you can check out our website for more details https://m-hance.com/dynamics-gp-support-switch
I’m not saying change for changing’s sake but ask yourself one thing…
“Am I getting a good service and where is the added value for you in this relationship?”
You should be able to work with your Partner to create a Partnership that adds value.
- An important start is you should know who your Account Manager is, and they should be in contact with you regularly.
- Your Partner should be providing you with regular updates on new product features and the futures either through events, webinars or mailshots. If you’re not staying up to date, neither is your product.
- Continuously review what you’re doing and look to implement an improvement plan with your Partner. The implementation of this improvement plan isn’t a big bang, do little changes often. Keep your costs down but small wins will encourage confidence in the product, making you realise the benefit and drive change.
- My last piece of advice would be to review how, why and what you’re doing. The motto “we have always done it that way” isn’t good enough. Improved efficiency and reduced costs will help you realise the value-added.
I’d love to hear your feedback on all things Dynamics GP Support related. If you would like a conversation, then get in touch now at matt.fleming@m-hance.com