Karen Hippen brings 20 years of experience to NAV consulting team
Boyer & Associates is pleased to announce the addition of a new consultant to our Dynamics NAV team. Karen Hippen of Prior Lake has 20 years of experience in the computer software industry and has been working with Microsoft’s Dynamics NAV software since 2009.
“I find (NAV) easy to use. It seems like users can get around fairly easily,” Hippen said. “It’s easy to make configuration changes that don’t cause a lot of headaches with upgrades.” She’s noticed in the last few years as the platform has stabilized that there are fewer technical changes between versions so upgrades are a much smoother process.
In her previous job as applications manager at Mid-States Distributing, Hippen focused on developing and configuring NAV software to help each of the members and suppliers served by the company.
“Basically I was doing a lot of project management on the internal side, anything that has to do with NAV,” she said.
Hippen got her start in the industry as a data entry person at SPS Companies, a plumbing distribution company where she worked for 12 years, eventually working her way up to I.T. manager. She also spent five years as co-owner of a technical recruiting firm in Savage, Minn.
Hippen believes her background in a variety of technical positions will benefit Boyer clients.
“I have a broad background of business knowledge, and I have a lot of software knowledge. I can see how things have worked in different environments,” she said.
Hippen already has some ideas on how to improve work processes, such as creating demo databases where consultants can try out solutions in their own temporary environment before testing them in a client’s database. She’s eager to get started making business better for her new clients.
“When you can solve something for them, it makes you feel good,” she said.
Hippen said she chose Boyer because she liked the employees and the TEAM culture she felt when she walked in the door.
“It just seemed like a good fit and it was more based upon culture than anything else,” she said.
She’s already worked with Boyer’s other new employee, Brett Barabash, whom she referred to as “a very talented man.”
When she’s not working, Hippen enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren (all 10 and under) and tending to her garden, particularly her roses. She and her husband also spend nearly every weekend at their lake cabin near Alexandria.
If you’d like to introduce yourself to Hippen, call her at 763-412-4333 or email khippen@boyerassoc.com