Overview
Navigator is not a standard accounting package. It is a dealer management system with fully integrated accounts designed for the motor trade.
If you are moving from software such as QuickFile, Sage, Xero, or similar, your reports and nominal structure will look different.
This guide explains why.
Why This Matters
Understanding these differences will help you:
avoid reconciliation issues during go live
explain reporting changes to your accountant
interpret your profit and loss correctly
understand why parallel running is not recommended
If you expect Navigator to mirror your old system exactly, you will spend time trying to match structures that are intentionally different.
Integrated Dealer Accounting vs General Accounting Software
Traditional Accounting Software
Most standard accounting platforms:
record invoices and payments
post totals to general ledger accounts
require manual journal adjustments for stock
treat departments as optional analysis
They are built to handle broad business types.
Navigator
Navigator is built specifically for motor trade operations.
It:
links vehicle stock directly to accounting entries
updates cost of sales automatically when vehicles are sold
separates departments such as sales, workshop, parts
automates control account postings
provides deeper analysis across revenue streams
This means transactions are posted in a structured and automated way.
Different Nominal Structures
Your old system may show simple categories such as:
workshop sales
parts sales
vehicle sales
Navigator may break these down further, for example:
labour sales
labour discount
parts sales
oil sales
subcontract sales
department level analysis
This creates more detailed reporting.
The bottom line profit may match, but the breakdown across nominal codes will look different.
Control Accounts and Automation
Navigator automatically updates control accounts such as:
vehicle stock
debtors
creditors
VAT
cost of sales
In traditional systems, some of these movements are manual or journal based.
Because Navigator posts these automatically through operational activity, the transaction flow is different behind the scenes.
This is one reason parallel running is difficult.
Stock and Cost of Sales Handling
In many accounting systems, stock is:
adjusted at month end
updated using journals
manually calculated
Navigator links stock directly to vehicle records.
When a vehicle is:
purchased
prepped
sold
Navigator automatically updates the relevant balance sheet and cost of sales accounts.
If you try to mirror this in another system, you may need manual adjustments to achieve the same result.
Why Trial Balances May Not Match Line by Line
You may compare:
Trial Balance from your old system
Trial Balance from Navigator
The overall profit figure might be correct.
However:
income may be split across more categories
discounts may be separated instead of netted
department codes may differ
control account movements may be structured differently
Trying to match each line exactly is often not productive.
Focus on:
total debtors
total creditors
VAT balance
stock value
retained profit
These should reconcile at a high level.
Why Parallel Running Is Not Recommended
Running Navigator and your old system at the same time creates risks:
duplicate invoices
duplicate payments
mismatched nominal structures
control account differences
unnecessary reconciliation workload
Because the systems account differently, you cannot assume one report will directly import into the other.
The cleaner approach is:
agree a cut off date
import opening balances
stop posting in the old system
use Navigator as the single source of truth going forward
How to Work With Your Accountant
When moving to Navigator:
explain that it is a dealer integrated accounting system
provide opening balances as at the agreed cut off date
retain access to your previous system for historical reference
confirm where audit trail and invoices are stored
Your accountant does not need the systems to look identical. They need:
accurate opening balances
consistent reporting going forward
clear documentation of the transition date
Key Takeaways
Navigator is structured differently by design.
It automates postings that may have been manual before.
It provides deeper departmental analysis.
It should replace your old accounting system, not run alongside it.
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article