Your NAV upgrade to Business Central: custom code, data and reports converted
A NAV to Business Central upgrade moves a Dynamics NAV system, with its C/AL customizations, to the product NAV became. Custom C/AL code is rewritten as AL extensions, NAV data is converted or rebuilt, and reports and integrations move to new methods. We assess your NAV database and advise an upgrade or a fresh start. If you already run an older Business Central version, our Business Central upgrade page covers that move instead.
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What changes when NAV becomes Business Central
Business Central is the product Dynamics NAV became, and NAV was called Navision before that. Tables such as customers, items and ledger entries carry on, so a NAV user knows the logic at once. What changes is everything around the core: a browser client, a cloud service and a new way to customize.
In NAV, partners changed the base objects directly in C/AL. In Business Central, changes ship as extensions written in AL. They sit beside Microsoft's code and listen for its events. That split is why online tenants can update twice a year. No partner has to merge code each time.
Tell us about your NAV →
- ✓Browser client replaces Windows client
- ✓AL replaces C/AL
- ✓Extensions replace base changes
- ✓Cloud service available
- ✓Release waves twice yearly
Two routes for a NAV to Business Central upgrade
The first route is a technical upgrade. The database goes through Microsoft's supported upgrade path. For older NAV versions, that means steps through middle versions. All your transaction history comes along. Custom code is converted to extensions on the way. This suits companies that need deep history and have a moderate amount of custom code.
The second route is a fresh setup. We configure a clean Business Central environment. Then we load master data and open balances. History stays readable in the old system or a reporting database. This suits heavily changed or very old systems. Carrying every past choice forward would cost more than starting tidy.
Plan your upgrade route →- ✓Age of NAV version
- ✓Volume of custom code
- ✓Need for full history
- ✓Data quality today
- ✓Process changes wanted
What happens to your customizations
In a NAV to Business Central upgrade, we compare your NAV objects against the standard version they came from. That gives a precise list of every change. We sort each item into one of four outcomes. It is now standard in Business Central. An AppSource app may replace it. Otherwise, we rewrite it as an AL extension. Or we drop it, because nobody uses it.
In fact, that last group is usually larger than expected. Also, changes made long ago for a process or a person who has gone can stay behind. We rewrite the rest with events and table extensions. We rebuild classic and RDLC reports with Word, Excel or RDLC layouts. Old integration methods move to APIs.
Ask about your customizations →- ✓Covered by standard features
- ✓Replaced by an app
- ✓Rewritten in AL
- ✓Retired as unused
- ✓Reports rebuilt in new layouts
How we carry out the NAV to Business Central upgrade
After the assessment, we run a trial conversion on a copy of your database. It exposes data problems, such as records that break newer rules. It also gives a real measure of how long the live conversion takes. So we can plan the cutover window.
Next, your key users test the converted system. They use scripts drawn from their own daily work. For example, order to invoice, purchase to payment, production and month-end. If the goal is Business Central online, the last step uses Microsoft's cloud migration tool. It moves the upgraded data into your tenant.
See a trial conversion →- ✓Object comparison and assessment
- ✓Trial conversion on a copy
- ✓Key user test scripts
- ✓Repeat until clean
- ✓Cutover and cloud move
NAV upgrade pitfalls and what you get at the end
The Windows client is gone, and some habits go with it. Users need time with the browser client. So we schedule training before go-live, not after. Integrations that read the database directly also need rework. Online tenants do not allow SQL access.
At the end, you have a supported Business Central system on a current version. You get the source code for every extension. You get test scripts you can reuse for future updates. Our consultants stay on hand during US business hours while the team settles in.
Talk about your NAV version →- ✓Supported current version
- ✓Extension source code
- ✓Reusable test scripts
- ✓Trained browser client users
- ✓Reworked integrations
NAV to Business Central upgrade questions
Can any NAV version be upgraded to Business Central?
Microsoft documents the supported upgrade paths. Older NAV versions must pass through one or more middle versions before they reach current Business Central. Very old systems can still move. Even so, a fresh setup with data migration is often the more sensible route for them. We help you weigh both routes, and we explain the trade-offs in plain words.
Will a NAV to Business Central upgrade lose our transaction history?
Not with a technical upgrade. It carries all ledger entries and posted documents forward. With a fresh setup, we load open items and balances. Older history stays available for lookup in the previous system or a reporting copy. We help you weigh the two. Your auditors then know where every old entry lives.
Do we have to move to the cloud?
No. You can install Business Central on your own servers, and an upgrade can finish there. However, many NAV customers take the chance to go online. Then Microsoft handles the servers and the updates. We can also upgrade on premises first and move online at a later stage. The choice is yours, and we plan for either.
What is the difference between C/AL and AL?
C/AL was the language used to change NAV objects directly. AL is its successor. You write it in Visual Studio Code, and it compiles into extensions. These add to the base application without altering it. The syntax is related. Even so, designs built on direct changes must be reshaped around events. We handle that conversion for you.
Can our NAV add-ons come with us?
That depends on each vendor. Many established NAV add-on makers now publish their products as Business Central apps. Where a product was dropped, we find a replacement app. Or we build the needed function as an extension. We check each add-on at the start of a NAV to Business Central upgrade, so no surprise appears late.
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Let's talk through your move to Business Central.
A focused call with a senior consultant. We learn how your business runs today, give you an honest view on whether Business Central fits, and outline scope and next steps before you commit to anything.
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