Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: Moving Data
We love Microsoft Dynamics NAV here at ArcherPoint, but we also love what we’re seeing in Business Central and strongly urge our customers to plan for an upgrade as soon as your schedule and budget permit. But there are so many questions and frankly, a lot of misinformation out there about moving from NAV to Business Central, and we have already had significant experience with these upgrades, so we created a blog series and an eBook to help you navigate through the noise. We answer the most frequently asked questions we hear from our customers so you can be confident in your decisions regarding when, why, and how you should upgrade.
Read the first three blogs in this series:
- Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What Will It Look Like?
- Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What are Events and Extensions?
- Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What About My Add-Ons?
Question #4: What About My Data? Is It Going to Be a Painful Process to Move It?
This is definitely a legitimate concern. Your data is your gold, and you don’t want to lose it or be put into a position where it’s difficult to get to it. The short answer is, all data and history can move forward; you do not have to worry about losing it. However, your partner does not have to move everything over if you don’t need it…that’s up to you.
What about the data stored in add-ons? As discussed in the previous section, not all ISVs are ready with their add-ons, including a data migration tool. As of the writing of this blog, Microsoft is allowing the modification of base objects for now for that reason, but this will not be the case forever. Talk to your upgrade partner about the best path.
This is a good question. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. The time it takes depends on many things, including company size, database size, and customizations. In general, however, this is what you can expect:
- 1-2 months for your partner to convert your database and create/deliver a test database
- 2 months minimum for testing
- 2 days (usually over a weekend) for go-live
Keep in mind that this does not include what’s going on at your end, like upgrading hardware and getting other infrastructure in place. Your partner should work with you on your “to-do” list to help keep you on track, but they can only give you guidance; you need to commit the time and resources to execute on your end.
IMPORTANT NOTE: With the introduction of Eventing and Extensions, Microsoft has radically changed how upgrades will look after your initial move to BC—on premises or SaaS. Testing and turnaround will be significantly faster and less disruptive. We like to say this: “Once you are 100% Evented, future upgrades will be a ‘non-event.’”
We strongly encourage you to look to your Dynamics upgrade partner for help with deciding on your path to upgrading from NAV to BC. There are many considerations, but if you have a partner who understands the upgrade process and work closely with them on where you are now and where you want to be, the upgrade does not have to be painful. Also, talk to us about upgrade subscription from ArcherPoint. This takes the burden off your shoulders and puts it into the hands of the experts.
In the next blog in this series, we’ll discuss how long you should expect your upgrade to take.
To learn more answers to your upgrade questions, download this free eBook, Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: Everything You Always Wanted to Know…but Didn’t Know to Ask.