Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central: Why should you upgrade?

Microsoft suggests migrating all on-premises and legacy Dynamics NAV clients to Business Central. What are the benefits? Let’s find out!

What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a quick-to-implement and easy-to-use enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
• The product is a part of the Microsoft Dynamics family and is the successor to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
• It is available through both on-premise and on-cloud deployment options.

Who should upgrade?

• If you have been paying an annual maintenance fee to Microsoft, you are paying for all new feature enhancements and versions, and are entitled to receive the upgrades, whenever they are available.
• Microsoft’s policy states that they will support only the current version and the last two released versions. Therefore, users of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 (and lower versions) would need to consider moving to Business Central (BC) immediately and users of NAV 2018 will also need to migrate eventually. Thus, it’s safe to say that the upgrade to Business Central is inevitable for all NAV users.
• Any organization looking for a new, cost-effective, all-in-one ERP solution or looking to migrate from an old system.

Why should you upgrade?

Here are the six main advantages that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has over the previous versions:

1. On-cloud or on-premise: Business Central is now available in both the deployment options. Cloud deployment was not possible in the earlier versions. Compared to on-premises implementation, hosting an on-cloud version requires significantly lesser time and cost, making the need for hardware obsolete, and the setup more agile. The cloud is a great way how organizations can reduce IT infrastructure costs, and provide security and stability on Azure.

2. Accessible everywhere: The SaaS model allows you to access your ERP data from anywhere at any time or from any device. You can access the ERP from any Internet browser or from the native apps for mobiles and tablets.

3. License policy: Business Central has moved from a concurrent to a subscription-based model called user licensing, which provides better flexibility and is more cost-effective. It gives you a clear understanding of your monthly costs, thereby helping in efficient planning.

4. New features & apps: Many new functionalities and the next level of Microsoft 365 integration is available in Business Central, enhancing user experience and work efficiency. Forecasts, image detection, intelligent insights are only some of these new functionalities. New apps and add-ons are being added to AppSource regularly, expanding the functionality of Business Central even further.

5. Business insights: With Business Central, you can take advantage of the integrated Microsoft Power Platform that comprises Power Apps, Power BI, and Flow. Additionally, you can use modern technologies built on the cloud, such as machine learning and AI, IoT, and mixed reality. This unified platform will help provide timely and accurate data, for better decision-making and adaptation to market dynamics.

6. Future upgrades: While upgrading NAV to Business Central, the entire code of add-ons and customizations will be moved to extensions, which will be portable to future versions without any issues. Once upgraded to Business Central, all subsequent version upgrades will be much quicker, with significantly less or no cost.

How can Nagarro help?

Nagarro has a team of experts for upgrading the Microsoft Dynamics NAV implementations to the latest versions. Right from consulting to going live, we have a proven methodology to deliver the upgrade projects. We also work as an extended arm of our onsite partner companies by helping in C/AL to AL migration projects.

The first step to getting an upgrade plan ready is to know how much you need to budget. Let our experts help you successfully migrate from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central – get in touch and receive your upgrade quote!