As someone who absolutely loves coffee, our Upgrade Engagement Manager, Cara Hay, gained much of her knowledge and appreciation for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, specifically NAV 2016, while working as a Production Inventory Manager for a popular high-street coffee shop's roastery. During lockdown, she treated herself to a bean-to-cup machine for her home. She still has connections who can ensure she always has a fresh supply of beans, so her coffee obsession can continue!
What's your favourite thing about Dynamics NAV and Business Central?
- I appreciate the fact that the standard, out-of-the-box product caters for a wide range of businesses with varying shapes and sizes. This means many companies can utilise the standard functions to meet their requirements without resorting to third-party solutions or development.
What's your favourite thing about working here?
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I’ve read a few of these Spotlights over time, and it seems that everyone is of the same opinion - and that’s because it's true! What I love most about the company are the people. Every day, I find myself either laughing, admiring their intelligence, or receiving support from one of the teams to tackle a new challenge.
What was your dream job when you were in primary school?
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As a child, my parents, like many others, told me that the ice cream van only plays music when they've run out of ice cream. I found this silly and wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to have my own ice cream van that played music when it had lots of ice cream, so people could hear the music and know that I had plenty of it!
How long have you been working with our much-loved product?
- I’ve been working with Dynamics NAV (and now Dynamics 365 Business Central) since 2016, with the first five years were as an end-user in a manufacturing environment.
How would you explain a typical day for you?
- I don’t necessarily have a 'typical day', which is what keeps things interesting for me. I may be seeing a customer in person to walk through their day in the life, or it could be discussing when the right time might be to upgrade, collaborating across the business on designing solutions and creating an estimate, showcasing some of the Business Central product.
What do you like to do in your own time?
- When I moved to a new area last year, I decided to start playing netball again in order to meet new people. I now play netball 2-4 times a week and have met some amazing women.
Tell us something interesting you've learnt recently and are happy to share.
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In the Business Central 2023 wave 2 released in October, they have introduced consolidation and intercompany across databases with the use of APIs. For those companies that operate globally across different localised databases, this could be a game changer for their finance teams.
What excites you about the Node4 Group and the capabilities we can offer?
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Prior to joining the Node4 Group, if a customer discussed a challenge regarding a service which we did not provide, I would suggest a few potential companies they could contact without knowing whether they could solve the issue or not. However, now that we offer a wide range of IT-related services, we are essentially a one-stop-shop for all their needs. So, when a customer comes to me with a problem, I can confidently tell them that "X can help you with that" and connect them to the appropriate service provider.
Name one of your greatest achievements in life?
- Last year, after ten years of saving, I finally managed to buy a property!
Have you recently taken up a new hobby or learnt a new skill?
- I'm a bit of a serial crafter and always looking to try making something new; I have recently been trying to teach myself how to do digital art and have spent hours following YouTube videos to learn different styles. One of my former crafting endeavours was designing dog coats. I even managed to create a coat for my sausage dog, Bowie.
Do you have a book or TV show you'd recommend?
- I recently re-read 'The Moment of Lift' by Melinda Gates. I love how she uses data to highlight issues that need our attention across the globe, from child marriage to gender equality in the workplace.
Do you have a fun fact you're happy to share?
- When I was a kid, I once performed in a James Bond production on the West End. I played a significant role as a mountain, and I must say, I portrayed the best mountain you have ever seen 😉
Want to read more about our incredible people? See what makes us tick and why we consider ourselves the best Dynamics NAV Partner in the UK and Ireland.