Category: Business CentralRead time: 5 MinsPublished on: 29 Nov 2024

Dynamics NAV to Business Central Upgrade – A Comprehensive Guide

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Business Central is an advanced ERP solution that expands on the functionality of NAV with modern tools, cloud capabilities, and improved integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. Upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central has become necessary to meet modern business requirements. You can choose between cloud-based and on-premises deployment options based on your requirements. Upgrading Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central, particularly to the cloud version, opens opportunities for enhanced growth, flexibility, and scalability.

Benefits of Upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central

Microsoft asked Forrester to study the potential benefits of switching from Dynamics NAV to Business Central. Forrester created a composite organization with 150 employees and $15 million in annual revenue to represent the experiences of interviewees’ and survey respondents. Forrester concluded that Business Central offers you benefits of $729k over three years at 265% ROI. Source: Forrester. However, delaying Microsoft Dynamics NAV to BC upgrade can increase the overall Dynamics 365 implementation cost by 15% because Microsoft releases updates twice a year.

1. Why upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is essential?

Enhanced Capabilities

  • Advanced Tools

    From cutting-edge cloud computing, seamless integration with other solutions, advanced security features, and real-time data access, Business Central offers a suite of advanced tools and capabilities that surpasses Dynamics Navision, offering a limitless potential for business operations.

  • Flexibility and Scalability

    Business Central is flexible and scalable, unlike the more complex Dynamics NAV. It helps you grow your business or streamline operations without hassle. Whether you are expanding or simplifying, Business Central has you covered.

End of Support for NAV

  • Microsoft Support Lifecycle

    As of early 2023, Microsoft had stopped mainstream support for Dynamics NAV 2018. While extended support may offer you security updates, Dynamics NAV will be outdated due to the lack of feature updates, impacting performance, competitiveness & overall business growth.

  • Compliance with Legal Regulations

    Complying with regulations is essential for smooth business functioning. Outdated software might not be in with changing legal guidelines. Dynamics NAV Upgrade helps you to stay compliant, securing your business from legal risks.

  • Cost Considerations

    With the end of support for Dynamics NAV & its outdated technology, the cost of maintaining your old system grows steadily. While migrating to Business Central needs an investment upfront, the long-term system efficiency through lower maintenance costs & better performance gives you better savings.

  • Data Security Concerns

    Business Central secures your data with advanced features when compared to Dynamics NAV. With cloud-based Business Central, you can leverage Microsoft’s high-end security protocols and regular updates to address potential threats.

Modern Business Requirements

  • Interoperability

    Old NAV systems often struggle to integrate with new technologies. Business Central resolves this by offering seamless integration capabilities by connecting with tools such as Microsoft 365, Power BI, and the Power Platform.

  • Enhanced System Capabilities

    Business Central facilitates remote and mobile work, offering users access to the system from anywhere. Built-in automation tools streamline workflows and boost productivity, making business operations smoother and more efficient.

2. Key Benefits of upgrading from NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Employee Empowerment

    Business Central allows you to work from anywhere, as you can access it from any mobile device. With an intuitive, user-friendly UI, Business Central helps in remote work and encourages data-driven decisions, improving efficiency.

  • Delight Customers

    Business Central supports personalized interaction with customers through real-time insights and advanced reporting. It enhances customer satisfaction through more accurate order processing, delivering better customer service.

  • Competitive Advantage

    Business Central helps modern businesses with better scalability, advanced integrations, high security and compliance measures, and significant cost reductions. Through workflow automation & connectivity, you get a competitive advantage.

  • Accessibility

    Business Central is one of the most advanced platforms, allowing users to access its system across multiple devices & systems, adapting to modern business operations without compatibility constraints.

  • Regular Automated Updates

    With Microsoft’s automated updates, you get the latest features & functionalities without interruptions or delay, ensuring the system is always atop and protected. This automated process removes the burden of manual updates and avoids potential disruption, enhancing reliability.

  • Ease of Maintaining Customizations

    Using the extension-based model for customizations, you can ensure the customized changes do not alter the core system features. It helps to improve your system maintenance & during version upgrades.

  • Cost Savings and ROI

    When you opt for the Business Central cloud, you can save on maintaining IT infrastructure costs & energy consumption. Additionally, since dedicated servers are not required, it can help you save money in the long term.

  • Multiple Deployment Options

    You can deploy Business Central using a cloud, on-premise, or hybrid deployment model according to your business needs.

  • Advanced Integrations

    Business Central connects seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Power Platform, SharePoint, and other third-party apps, becoming an interconnected work environment that boosts productivity and improves collaboration.

  • Enhanced Security and Compliance

    With its robust security features, Business Central ensures your data and business information are stored securely. It also complies with evolving legal regulations to reduce risk & enhance trust.

3. Challenges in upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central

  • Data Migration Complexities

    While handling large volumes of legacy data, we manage your inaccurate, duplicate, or outdated information before migration by data cleansing, archiving, and mapping. Also, data integrity needs to be maintained to prevent loss or data corruption. Proper data preparation and validation are crucial for a smooth transition.

  • Customization and Compatibility Issues

    Customizations in NAV are more complex. Custom code might be integrated with NAV, making it hard to isolate and migrate. Evaluating and updating customizations to extensions is essential to align with Business Central.

  • Training and Change management

    Business Central and NAV vary based on functionalities, processes, and features, making it difficult to transition. Proper gap analysis is required to identify disparities and provide training with change management methods for effective transition.

  • Integration Issues

    NAV might be in a complex integration with other tools, including CRM, payment platforms, or other third-party software, and adapting these to work in Business Central will be complex. API check on other tool compatibility with Business Central before migration.

  • Cost Considerations

    Account for training, support, resources, and budget required for the transition. Estimating costs with project management and IT teams and allocating a contingency budget is an ideal approach to mitigate this challenge.

4. How to prepare for Dynamics NAV to Business Central upgrade

  • Backup: Secure your data with backups to avoid any disaster.
  • Remove Unneeded Extensions: Simplify the upgrading process by eliminating unused extensions.
  • Ensure Object Integrity: Compile data to check for any integrity issues.
  • Upload BC License: Prepare by uploading the Business Central license.
  • Stop the Old Instance: Cease the previous instance for a smooth transition.
  • Clean Server Instances: Remove old server instances and clear breakpoint tables.
  • Disconnect Connections: Ensure all user connections are disconnected.

5. Dynamics NAV to Business Central upgrade process

01

Existing NAV System Assessment

We assess your current NAV setup and identify existing workflows, data, and integrations, outlining the scope of the migration.

02

Planning and Strategy

We devise an upgrade plan with defined goals, timelines, and resources, setting the foundation for a smooth transition.

03

Choose Between the Best Migration Approach

We help decide whether a technical upgrade or a full implementation is ideal based on your business needs and the customizations required.

04

Data Preparation

We ensure your obsolete data is removed and checked for accuracy and organize that current data to facilitate a streamlined migration.

05

Testing and Validation

We conduct comprehensive testing to identify and address any issues before going live. This step includes end-to-end and user acceptance testing (UAT) involving key stakeholders.

06

Go-Live and Post-Migration Support

Migrate data, configure settings and deploy the new system. Monitor system performance closely, identify issues and optimize continuously with ongoing support.

6. How We Upgrade to Business Central - Our Approaches

The full implementation approach is ideal for businesses looking for a fresh start with Business Central while maintaining essential historical data. This strategy ensures moving the master records, general ledger balances, and A/R and A/P entries accurately while redefining processes for optimization.

The technical upgrade path focuses on maintaining your existing NAV customizations and data while modernizing the ERP experience through Business Central. While this option preserves continuity, it requires careful recreation of customizations and may miss the optimization potential of a full implementation.

Full Implementation Technical Upgrade
  • Direct migration of critical data into Business Central.
  • Comprehensive evaluation of current business processes to align with new capabilities.
  • Historical data can be accessed through Azure Data Lake, enhancing reporting and analysis.

Steps Involved:

  1. Analyze existing business processes and identify technical gaps.
  2. Start with a new data migration, design, and implementation phase.
  3. Integrate essential add-ons to support unique business functions.
  4. Validate through extensive testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and training.
  5. Finalize deployment to ensure a seamless transition.
  • Migration of NAV data using development tools ensures data integrity.
  • Create customizations as extensions.
  • Retain complete historical data in Azure Data Lake.

Steps Involved:

  1. Create a backup of the existing NAV environment on a test server.
  2. Install necessary migration tools and upgrade code/objects to Business Central.
  3. Recreate existing customizations as extensions within Business Central modern architecture.
  4. Validate system functionality, conduct UAT, and provide comprehensive training.
  5. Deploy the upgraded system for full operational use.

7. Top reasons to choose Business Central Online

  • Regular Updates: Business Central online receives regular updates (twice a year) and multiple cumulative updates, ensuring continuous improvement at no extra cost.
  • User-Based Licensing: Compared to traditional licensing methods, Business Central Online offers flexible, subscription-based licensing.
  • Integration Capabilities: Seamless connections within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem for better productivity.
  • Easy Extension Management: Add or remove extensions without data loss.
  • Built-in Security: Advanced disaster recovery, database protection, and compliance measures.
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduces ownership costs by 50%.
  • Special Upgrade Discounts: Microsoft provides up to a 40% discount for NAV users with active enhancement plans upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.

8. How Congruent can help with upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central

Are you looking to get more out of Dynamics Navision, or are you looking to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Business Central? Congruent, a certified Microsoft Dynamics partner can assist you in both cases. We’ve practiced Microsoft Dynamics since 2001 and have strong technical expertise in leveraging Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 Business Central. Backed by helping multiple organizations with MS Dynamics, we ensure your transition takes place seamlessly. Our services include training your team, managing change, and recommending the best migration approach based on your needs. With our experts, you can get maximum benefits out of Business Central.