Last week we highlighted why you should consider upgrading your ERP from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central. On part two of this series, we shed light on how the upgrade process will look like to better inform your decision.

Before the upgrade:

There are two important decisions that need to be made for the business before the big move:

1. Deciding whether the system will be hosted on-premises or on cloud. 

Overall, your total cost of ownership is lower when hosted on cloud than on-premises since you’ll require to invest in hardware and IT resources to routinely upgrade and maintain the hosting server. These services are carried out for free by Microsoft and its partners.

Additionally, the cloud option is also more scalable because you’ll only need to upgrade the subscription model and extend the capabilities through integrations and add-ons.

Notwithstanding, the on-premises option gives you greater control and ownership of your business data and more room for customization to fit your exact business processes.

2. Deciding whether you’ll have a clean start with cut-over data or will migrate all historical data from the legacy system.

Ultimately, this decision will be made based on how important the data is to the business. In scenarios where such data is used to discover patterns and cycles that influence decision making, it’s best to move with the entire data during the upgrade. Else, your business will need to decide on a cut-off date with which to migrate to the new system.

During the upgrade

This is when the real migration from the legacy system to the new Dynamics 365 Business Central takes place. Microsoft Partners such as Panache Technohub come in to carry out technical activities which include;

1. Upgrading the application code.

This takes a variety of activities which in simpler terms  include installing the necessary tools and prerequisites, preparing the objects, merging versions all the way to publishing the updated application.

2. Upgrading the data

This is another technical activity that involves converting the data into the current database format and importing it to the new system.

3. Testing and Pilot Run

After the upgrade is complete and the data is imported to the new system, the client now comes in to test the new version by running a variety of real-life transactions, a process that will be guided by the implementing team, Panache Technohub for that matter.

Once the test has passed, the process will follow the necessary project management steps towards a pilot run and go-live.

After the Upgrade

Panache Technohub usually gives a free 1-month handholding to assist users in the transition to the new system.

With our expert knowledge and resources, we always assure our clients of a seamless upgrade and support for their businesses. Reach out to us today to further discuss how we can automate your business processes.

Author: Kate Malusi

Technical Program Manager