8 Cool Things You Can Do in Business Central You Couldn’t Do in Dynamics NAV
In January 2023, Microsoft moved Dynamics NAV 2018 out of mainstream support. As the last version of Dynamics NAV produced by Microsoft, NAV 2018 users will no longer receive new features, only security updates. Dynamics NAV users are encouraged to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the next generation of NAV.
Business Central (BC) has many of the same capabilities as NAV, including Financials, Manufacturing, Distribution, and Project Management, but it also comes with amazing benefits over NAV.
Even though NAV can still do everything that made it so popular in the past, BC can do so much more. Moreover, BC has more features, is more customizable, can run on-premises or in the cloud, and is easier to upgrade than NAV.
In this blog post, I will explain eight cool things you can do in BC that you couldn’t do in NAV.
- Export data to Excel. Users can export any Business Central report to Excel. This was limited to certain reports in Dynamics NAV. In fact, users can export list data to Excel, modify it in Excel, and then import it back into BC. This is also a convenient way to back up your data if you cancel your Business Central subscription. See Export Your Business Data to Excel.
- Copy Item function. The Copy Item function uses an existing item as a template. Users can then copy this item to a new item and determine which fields it copies with many of the same attributes. See a demonstration: Copy Existing Items to Create New Items.
- Merge duplicate customers/vendors. Users don’t always check before adding new customers, vendors, and contacts. Over time, some of these records represent duplicate entries. The Merge Duplicate Records function lets you merge records by showing duplicated fields and letting you select which values you want to keep or remove. See Merge Duplicate Records.
- Correct dimensions on your G/L. Business Central lets you correct G/L entries. You can now add, remove, and change dimension values in your general ledger entries. NAV requires an add-on for the same functionality. See Dimension corrections (for G/L Entries).
- Integration with Teams. Business Central can connect with Microsoft Teams so you can look up contacts, respond to inquiries, and share information with other team members. This functionality is not available in NAV. See Business Central and Microsoft Teams Integration.
- Master Data Management. This feature lets users synchronize data across companies in the same environment. This functionality is not available in NAV. See Set up and sync master data across companies.
- Analysis mode directly in List pages. This feature is like having Excel built into Business Central. The data analysis mode lets you perform analysis just like Excel, including Pivot tables, without having to leave the application. See Analyze list page and query data using data analysis mode.
- Retention policies. Business Central lets administrators establish retention policies for historical data, such as how long to keep the data and automatically cleanse the data. This feature is a substantial improvement on the purge features in NAV. See Define Retention Policies.
If you want to upgrade from Dynamics NAV to Business Central but don’t know where to begin, download our free eBook, Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: Everything You Always Wanted to Know…but Didn’t Know to Ask. Even if you’re not ready to upgrade now, this eBook will help you understand what you need to know so you are prepared when you do decide to move.