Why upgrade Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Upgrades have always been the way up towards betterment. With every upgrade Microsoft ensures boost in business productivity and operational efficiency.

Ignoring the slowly increasing software configuration and implementation requirements in the business solutions can cause increased complexities. It is important for stakeholders to understand their business needs and upgrade options. This helps them to zero down on the right partner & solution that aligns with their organizational goals.

What is Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Formerly known as Dynamics NAV or Navision and a part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 range of business applications, Business Central is an all-in-one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. An extremely flexible and customizable solution, Dynamics 365 Business Central connects various aspects of business like, finance, sales, manufacturing and so on to a single solution. It empowers businesses to operate without silos and introduces automations and customizations in their workflow.

Why upgrade from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central?

On looking at it from a technical point of view, the shift from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is known as upgrade. Microsoft has already stopped support on some of the older versions of its business solutions and is in plans to do the same with some other older versions. Prominently, those businesses that are currently using Dynamics NAV are upgrading to Dynamics 365 Business Central as Microsoft will not be introducing future updates for NAV.

If your business workflows are currently being carried out in any of the older versions, where support has stopped, or your analysis reveals you require an upgrade, then well it’s a VERDICT!

Stakeholders must also know that Microsoft continues to bring regular updates and developments in Dynamics 365 Business Central enabling users to remain up to date always. Dynamics 365 Business Central is updated automatically by Microsoft twice a year. Your organization is always operating on the latest secure version.

Now you must be wondering what are the reasons that lead to a decision for upgrade.

• Using older version – Those businesses that are currently operating on older versions of Microsoft ERP solution should look for upgrade options. This is because, as aforementioned, Microsoft has stopped support on the older versions.
• Expand business globally– Dynamics 365 Business Central helps businesses boost inter-departmental connectivity and makes them globally compliant. So, businesses looking to expand globally must opt for an upgrade to Business Central.
• Operational Efficiency – Business aiming to drive operational efficiency among their workforce must opt for Dynamics 365 Business Central as it connects the dots between various dimension of business including finance, sales, manufacturing and so on.

Common Concerns when Upgrading to Dynamics 365 Business Central

Businesses have a lot to consider and think on when upgrading to Dynamics 365 Business Central. Some common concerns have been mentioned below.

• Cost - Business owners worry about the cost of upgrade process and whether their budget will align with the same. While they might need to incur cost initially to carry out the upgrade but the long-term cost of ownership of Business Central is lower than that of Navision.
• Training – Ensuring that all teams within an organization have been trained well is a common concern among stakeholders. However, due to easy and familiar interface, users are able to arrive at productive usage faster with Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• Data Migration – This is another major concern as business owners have to determine the authenticity and redundancy of their data, its formats and so on for migration. Important data, however, can be easily carried from NAV to Business Central.
• Transferring Customizations – Most businesses follow some customization specific to their processes. Relevant customizations & integrations can be taken to Business Central.
• Future Upgrades – Although essential, upgrades are a time and effort consuming work. Business owners do not want to be indulged in the vicious cycle of upgrades. Good news! Business Central gets timely and automatic updates.

5 Benefits of upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics Business Central

The upgrade from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central enables users with a lot of additional features to boost productivity and efficiency. Since Business Central provides similar features as Dynamics NAV, with enhanced flexibility and scope of customizations, understanding the benefits becomes imperative.

Business Insights

Leveraging the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) helps reduce manual and redundant tasks. This in turn provides scope for productivity and time to explore more areas for expansion. With AL and ML algorithms, stakeholders can gain greater visibility and critical business insights for informed decision making. With advanced mobile access end users can avail the benefits anywhere anytime.

Scalability

The major purpose behind the origin of Dynamics 365 Business Central is enhancing operational efficiency and boosting productivity in businesses. With smart reporting and analytics, it becomes easier for users to manage and complete projects and tasks undertaken. With Business Central, users can streamline their data and makes it available at your disposal, which increases scopes of scalability.

Cloud Advantage

Readers must be aware that Dynamics 365 Business Central is a cloud-based ERP solution for small and mid-sized businesses. The fact that it is cloud-based makes the solution more secure and ensures seamless data distribution across teams. The biggest cloud advantage that can be associated with Dynamics 365 Business Central is that it leverages data and information and builds inter-departmental connectivity.

Cost-Efficient

Entire Dynamics 365 Business Central is deployed on a SaaS infrastructure requiring simple sign up to the browser for access. Business owners can opt for subscription-based plan as per their requirements, as this will make it easier for them to upgrade from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Technical Support

Microsoft provides direct and adequate support services for all its products and business solutions. Microsoft’s technical support for Dynamics 365 Business Central enables stakeholders to cater to actual business needs, specific business practices, and determined goals. Moreover, there is a huge ecosystem of Microsoft partners that can be utilized for adequate and timely support.

Food For Thought!

The readers are advised to analyze their current business solution, its loopholes and look for the best upgrade partner for Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is essential for the stakeholders to keep teams informed about the developments taking place in their ERP upgrade process. They must also ensure that the end-users are trained for the same.

Microsoft Gold Partner, Dynamics Square is providing implementation, upgrade, audit, support, etc. services for Microsoft solutions. We have a team of trained, experienced, and skilled technicians who are adept in dealing with all sorts of complexities involved in upgrading Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Have queries about upgrading to Dynamics 365 Business Central? Get in Touch.