Navigating Your NAV to Business Central: A Step-by-Step Upgrade Guide

Upgrading from NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is essential to save costs, improve efficiency with anytime, anywhere access to data, and make your business future-ready with new functionality added in the cloud regularly. The path to upgrade will depend on the version of the software you are using. If you’re already on the latest version, you can follow a direct upgrade process; however, others may need to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Business Central v14 first. For users on older versions of NAV, upgrading to a more recent version is necessary, as detailed below.

Let’s begin understand the process of upgradation.

The transition from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is essential to guaranteeing your company’s access to cloud-based capabilities that are ready for the future. There are two benefits to this shift: lower costs and higher productivity. Depending on your software version and customization needs, the upgrading procedure typically comprises three main stages.

Stage 1: Assessing Your Starting Point

Determine your current NAV version (2015, 2016, 2017, or 2018).
Direct upgrade is possible for NAV versions 2015 onwards, while older versions require incremental upgrades.
For NAV 2013/R2, upgrade to NAV 2018 first, then migrate to Business Central.
NAV 2009 SP1/R2 users must upgrade to NAV 2013, then NAV 2015, NAV 2018, and finally Business Central.

Stage 2: Customization Conversion

Convert customizations to apps and pre-tenant extensions.
Ensure compatibility with Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Stage 3: Cloud Migration

Utilize the cloud migration tool provided by Microsoft.
Seamlessly transition data and functionalities to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Pre-Upgrade Preparation:

Convert V1 extensions to V2 extensions, aligning with the AL Language extension for Visual Studio Code.
Replace codeunit 1 Application Management with System codeunits.

Perform necessary steps before the technical upgrade:

a. Take a full backup of the database.

b. Uninstall extensions, considering single-tenant or multi-tenant mode.

c. Compile and unlock all objects, ensuring table synchronization.

d. Upload the Dynamics 365 Business Central partner license to the SQL server.

e. Stop the old Dynamics NAV instance.

f. Clear server instance and breakpoint tables in the old database.

g. Close all database connections.

Technical Upgrade Steps:

Install Dynamics 365 Business Central using the Business Central Setup.
Connect to the application database, using the Azure SQL database format.
Connect the development environment to the server instance.
Import codeunit 1 replacement provided by Microsoft.
Compile all objects, addressing any compilation errors.
Repair published V2 extensions, using Repair-NAVApp cmdlet for multitenant mode.
Synchronize the tenant database with the application database.

Post-Upgrade Tasks:

Upgrade Javascript-based control add-ins to the latest versions.
Install V2 extensions, ensuring proper functionality with Install-NAVApp cmdlet.
Transition custom code to management codeunits.
Configure pages and reports for searchability in the Web client.
Upload the customer license to finalize the upgrade process.

By following this comprehensive upgrade guide, businesses can smoothly transition from NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central, unlocking the full potential of Microsoft’s advanced ERP solution.

Summary

Transitioning from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central marks a significant stride towards scalable growth for your business. In this guide, I’ve outlined the essential steps required for a meticulous and secure migration of your NAV data. However, if uncertainties persist, don’t hesitate to reach out to PSSPL experts.

They can arrange a friendly meeting to understand your concerns and offer tailored, business-centric solutions to empower your journey. With their expertise in Dynamics 365 Finance and Business Central, you can confidently navigate the transition and unlock new opportunities for success.