It doesn't have to be all smoke and mirrors!
Navision became Dynamics NAV; Dynamics NAV became the solution we know and love today: Dynamics 365 Business Central. Previous versions of this brilliant Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, from Navision 1.0 all the way to Dynamics NAV 2018, can be upgraded through various routes to bring your platform into the modern world. You can read about the history of ERP here. We, The NAV | 365 People (TNP), can assist you on your journey to a new and state-of-the-art platform. It's the application you know and love, wrapped up in an amazing new technology.
Upgrading the Dynamics NAV platform gives you more of the Dynamics 365 Business Central functionality you’ve always wanted, access to the modern clients on phone, tablet, web and Outlook, as well as easy to apply, bi-annual upgrades. You’re also given the flexibility to make the solution your own with Dynamics 365 Business Central extensions technology. Because these only hook into your system rather than affecting core code, as with previous versions, you can remove, add and take them to new versions with ease.
Microsoft’s investment in the solution, and the technology surrounding it, has been nothing short of revolutionary. Where processes in your business may have become stagnant and modified so heavily that performance and business efficiency has suffered, upgrading Dynamics NAV to a Business Central solution could provide you with a method of re-evaluating how your day to day operations work. You would be able to take a step back, review the way your business works from ‘Purchase to Pay’ to ‘Sales to Cash’ and prepare your new solution to be the most efficient and user friendly it can be. For more information on Dynamics 365 Business Central features and functionality, click here. We've also picked out our top 15 features of Dynamics 365 Business Central, which you can read as part of our blog.
The technological benefits are also vast. The world of Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI) begins to open up to you with the added OData technology, which can bring efficiency and automation to your business at a low cost. Not to mention the integrations to Office 365 products like Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, access to new apps and extensions via AppSource and partner add-ons like warehouse management solutions and mobile tools for salespeople.
Firstly, consider if you should be upgrading at all. If your Dynamics NAV system is working well, you should only consider upgrading if the new version offers sufficient benefit over the stability offered by your existing solution. If you're happy with your current version rest assured we look after many old NAV solutions and are happy to look after yours until you're ready to move forward; you can also read our blog post about how to get more out of an older Dynamics NAV solution. It would be difficult to imagine a situation where the brand-new Business Central solution did not benefit your business in any way, especially when your system ages and the gulf between old and new becomes that much greater. The older your system, the more benefits will flow simply from the technology of the product; when you add the functionality and usability features, it could revolutionise how you see and use your business system.
Once you have made the choice to upgrade Dynamics NAV to Business Central, ‘when’ is a very important question. The decision relies upon value exceeding effort. The effort to upgrade from any version of Navision or Dynamics NAV to Business Central remains steady but the value to your business increases more and more over time.
As well as the many platform and functional advantages, many companies currently use a version of Dynamics NAV that is over a decade old (these include early RTC versions 2013, 2013R2 and 2015). They then find that it’s out of Microsoft support, meaning Microsoft can't guarantee the client will continue to run on newer versions of Windows. It also means the loss of security patches – a potential critical threat in this digital age. A large number of businesses are required by industry standards or by corporate governance to be on "supported software" across all areas of their business and therefore moving to Business Central may be a requirement rather than a choice. You can explore the functionality changes throughout all versions of Navision, Dynamics NAV and Business Central here.
Depending on which version you’re upgrading from, there are three different routes you could potentially take to get to Business Central: a technical upgrade, Start from Standard or Start from Modified. As you can see from the table, there are various reasons why each of the options would be more or less suitable for your business. You’ll also notice that there is a fourth option: a Functional Bridge. This methodology, designed by TNP, gives you the option for an incremental upgrade i.e. a phased upgrade path. If you are concerned about upgrading your entire system in one go, the Functional Bridge could be the best way to get some Business Central in your life.
When a full upgrade isn’t possible in one go, why not consider bridging the gap to Business Central? Make gains towards your ideal Business Central upgrade in smaller, more manageable chunks. A common example is with the Finance department, where the Finance team would begin using and benefitting from Business Central and the brand-new functionality whilst the rest of the business continues as normal. The Functional Bridge works by synchronising pertinent data between the two systems e.g. customer data, sales prices, customer specific catalogues, item availability and order data.
Business Central BridgeWe’ve collated a bunch of free resources on upgrading to help you consider all of the options. Have a look through the resources below and click through to peruse them - if there is anything else that you might need that isn't covered here, please do contact us. We also have a resource hub dedicated to all things Dynamics NAV and Business Central if you need help understanding a certain topic. There are:
Videos, Blogs and Guides
Version comparison table: See what's changed over the years in terms of functionality and visualise how you and your business will benefit if you choose to upgrade your Dynamics NAV system to the latest version of Business Central.
Our Ultimate Guide to Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV: Crammed full of informative articles, discussions, visuals and technical know-how, we just love to publish our yearly magazine on everything there is to know about Dynamics NAV and Business Central.
Dynamics NAV shortcuts and Business Central shortcuts: Speed up the way you work, bring efficiency to data entry and whizz around the system like a professional! We have keyboard shortcuts for Dynamics NAV and Business Central, so make sure to check out both!
'Upgrading to Dynamics 365 Business Central' blog post: Read our blog post for information on accessing the new clients with Business Central, OData 4 benefits, user features and extensibility. We've also created animations describing each of the upgrading routes in more detail, so you can see exactly how an upgrade would work for you.
'Top 15 Features of Dynamics 365 Business Central 2019 Wave 2' blog post: This blog piece highlights the features we are so excited to welcome into Business Central. With two 'waves' of sizeable updates every year from Microsoft, we are looking forward to seeing what benefits each release brings.
Case studies from customers
Hear from customers of ours who have been through an upgrade - their experiences could answer your burning questions or help to shape the way you approach an upgrade project.
Van Hage's eCommerce sales blossom with The NAV | 365 People's Functional Bridge
The NAV | 365 People help Harding Retail's online sales set sail
Dynamics NAV Upgrading Frequently Asked Questions
For questions that come up time and time again, our Dynamics NAV upgrade FAQ has answers to them all! And if it doesn’t, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.
The routes you can take to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Business Central very much depend on your starting point – if you are on a 2013 or later system there is a bit more flexibility around getting you to Business Central. If you'd like to speak to an upgrading specialist just click the link below and we'll get in touch to arrange a date and time that works for you.
Get a free upgrading consultation