Upgrade Dynamics NAV
to Business Central
Keep what works. Improve what comes next.
We help you move from Dynamics NAV to Business Central through a technical upgrade or a new implementation. Choose a path that fits your existing system, protects the data you need and supports how your business works today.
A Familiar Foundation. A New Opportunity.
Dynamics NAV has served your business well. But over time, older technology, customisations and workarounds can make it harder to adapt and improve.
Business Central is the next step for NAV. You can upgrade your existing solution or start fresh with a new setup and bring across the data you need. The right choice depends on how well your current system supports your business.
Whichever path you choose, it is a chance to simplify. Keep the customisations that add value and replace others with standard features or supported apps.
Planning early gives you time to compare your options, prepare your data and test thoroughly, with a go-live date that fits your business calendar.
Technical Upgrade or New Implementation?
The right approach depends on how well your current NAV setup serves the business, not simply how old it is.
Technical Upgrade
Build on Your Existing NAV Environment
A technical upgrade carries your existing application and database through the supported upgrade stages, adapting required customisations for Business Central. It prioritises continuity while addressing technical compatibility.
- Core processes and configuration still meet business needs.
- Retaining existing transaction history is important.
- Customisations remain useful and worth adapting.
- The priority is moving forward without a wider redesign.
- Assess the application code, database, customisations and dependencies
- Prepare the target environment
- Upgrade customisations and reports
- Upgrade third-party solutions
- Upgrade the application and data
New Implementation
Start Fresh with Business Central
A new implementation creates a fresh Business Central environment around your current requirements. Rather than carrying forward the whole NAV setup, you configure the new solution and migrate an agreed selection of data.
- Processes have changed significantly since NAV was implemented.
- Years of modifications have made the system difficult to maintain.
- Financial structures or data quality need attention.
- The business wants to simplify and standardise how it works.
- Review Requirements and Configure Business Central
- Select and Migrate Essential Data
- Set Up Apps and Customisations
- Retain Access to NAV History
Unsure Which Path Fits?
We compare both options during discovery, including the implications for data, customisations, delivery effort and business change. The aim is to preserve what adds value, not carry forward complexity simply because it already exists.
Familiar Concepts. A Different Way of Working.
Business Central builds on NAV's foundations. Your team will recognise many financial and operational concepts, but the interface, customisation model and online maintenance approach have evolved.
What Stays Familiar
Financial management. General ledger, dimensions, receivables and payables remain core capabilities, but configuration and workflows must be validated against your requirements.
Sales and purchasing. Quotes, orders, receipts, shipments and invoices remain core document types, with processing steps and posting setup validated in Business Central.
Inventory. Items, locations, units of measure and costing remain familiar concepts that carry across to the new environment.
Projects. Jobs, tasks, resources and project posting remain familiar concepts that carry across to the new environment.
Manufacturing. Production orders, routing, work centres and machine centres remain familiar concepts that carry across to the new environment.
Business controls. Approvals, posting rules and reconciliation requirements remain part of the solution and are configured for how the business works today.
What Needs Review
Customisations. Required legacy C/AL modifications must become AL extensions for Business Central online. Others may be replaced or retired.
Reports and Documents. Existing reports and layouts need assessment. We identify what can be adapted, what needs replacement and what the business no longer uses.
Integrations and Add-ons. Connections to other systems need compatibility checks. Third-party solutions may require updated versions, replacements or changes to their integration approach.
Data and History. The selected path determines how existing data is handled. A technical upgrade can retain history through the upgrade process; a new implementation uses a deliberately selected migration scope.
Updates and Hosting. Microsoft hosts Business Central online and delivers regular updates, including two major releases each year. Extensions, integrations and critical processes still need ongoing compatibility testing.
A Structured Approach, Whichever Path You Choose
We plan the system changes, data migration and user preparation together, so the business is ready, not just the software.
Assess and Plan
Review your NAV version, configuration, customisations, integrations and reporting. Compare the two paths and agree on scope, responsibilities and priorities.
Design the Target Solution
For a technical upgrade, confirm the upgrade stages and required adaptations. For a new implementation, define the processes, configuration and data that will form the new environment.
Build and Configure
Prepare Business Central, adapt or replace required functionality, and establish the integrations and reports your team needs.
Move and Validate Data
Run trial upgrades or migrations. Reconcile financial information and test operational scenarios, including custom data and connected systems.
Prepare Your People
Provide role-based training and user acceptance testing. Give users time to practise everyday work and critical activities such as period-end processing.
Go Live and Stabilise
Complete the agreed cutover, validate the production environment and support users through the transition. Establish stable operations before introducing further improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every NAV environment is different.
Talk to us about your version, your customisations and your timeline, and we will help you map out a practical path to Business Central.
Not through a direct NAV database migration. The technical upgrade route requires intermediate Business Central on-premises stages before cloud migration. A new implementation instead starts with a fresh environment and migrates selected data.
A technical upgrade can carry existing history forward, subject to the supported path and how custom and add-on data are handled. With a new implementation, we agree what data moves and how the remaining NAV history will stay accessible.
We assess each one. Useful functionality may be rebuilt as an AL extension, replaced with standard features or supported apps, or retired if no longer needed. Legacy C/AL modifications cannot run unchanged in Business Central online.
The timeline depends on your NAV version, customisations, data volumes, integrations and chosen path. Discovery establishes a realistic estimate, including the time your team needs for decisions, testing and training.
Yes. Familiarity with NAV is valuable, but users still need to understand the new interface and any changed processes. Training should focus on their roles and the work they perform.
A technical upgrade suits a sound existing setup where continuity matters. A new implementation suits a business that needs to simplify or redesign. We assess both before recommending a direction.
Plan Your Next Step
Tell us about your NAV version, customisations and business priorities. We will help you choose a practical path to Business Central, with clear expectations for your data, your people and your investment.