Back in 2002, Microsoft bought Navision from the company that produced it – Navision Software. From then until 2018, Navision went through a lot of changes and updates – among other things, it changed its name to Dynamics NAV. In 2018, NAV was rebranded to Business Central and the latter was released to the market. Can we then conclude from this that it is Business Central just a new name for Dynamics NAV? Yes and no. Microsoft Business Central is built on the foundations and experience of NAV, which is why the programs are similar, but they are no longer the same products. With Business Central, Microsoft introduced significant innovations and modernized the well-known ERP in various aspects. If you are using NAV, you may not want to switch to Business Central: you feel that it would bring you additional costs, your employees would need time to learn to use the new interface, and NAV has served you quite well so far. That is understandable. But there are really good reasons why you should switch to Business Central now. In this article we will present them to you.
1. New AL programming language
Dynamics NAV uses the C/AL programming language, which means that all changes are written in that language and are an integral part of the code. This makes updates in NAV extremely complicated, as it is necessary to go through the entire system, review each part of the code and make changes as needed. Furthermore, such a procedure is time-consuming and there is a possibility of a mistake, for example changing the wrong part of the code, which can have unpleasant consequences for the business. Business Central, on the other hand, uses the AL programming language instead of the old C/AL language. All system customizations are available as upgrades, rather than as changes to the ERP core itself. This makes installing updates faster and easier, with less chance of errors in the process.
2. Cloud hosting
Business Central offers a new option – you can have hosting in the Microsoft Public Cloud. This means that your ERP is located in the shared cloud within the Azure portal. Of course, your data is still completely private and other users do not have access to it. If you decide to use Business Central in the cloud, then it is billed as SAAS (Software as a Service), i.e. you pay a monthly amount depending on the number of users. However, if you prefer, Business Central also offers other hosting options: it can be located within your company's premises (on-premise), in your private cloud on the Azure portal (Private Cloud) or you can choose a service provider (dedicated hosting). In that case, you will, of course, miss the integration with top Dynamics and Azure services. However, if you decide to keep Business Central on-premise, you can purchase a perpetual license, instead of a monthly payment, plus an annual enhancement plan.
3. Updates
As we mentioned before, due to the change of programming language to AL, all updates are separated from the code. This means that their installation process is quick and easy. It is enough to invest in Business Central once and after that, on a two-year basis, you get all the necessary innovations. If your Business Central is in the cloud, updates will be installed automatically with the option to delay for 90 days. If Business Central is located on-premises or in a private cloud, you can decide when to install updates yourself. Also, all updates are completely free and you have the option to install them first in the security box (sandbox) so that you can test new versions of the program. Unlike NAV, there are no multiple versions of the program, and updates are always compatible with the program.
4. Security and support
By installing the new Business Central, you are investing in security. Before users log in to Business Central, they must be checked and confirmed as valid users in the system. After confirmation, users can access only certain areas and documents, depending on the level of authorization granted. Finally, you can monitor everything that users do - which parts of the program they entered, which documents they opened and changed. You can also encrypt selected data. Furthermore, if you switch to Business Central you will have access to quality support. As your version of NAV gets older, it will be more difficult to find experts who know how to work in it. If you do find them, they will be expensive, because there simply won't be enough of them anymore. For the same reasons, the longer you delay switching, the more expensive it will be in the end, and you risk not being able to find a professional who knows your specific version of NAV.
5. Named beneficiaries
In the Dynamics NAV system, the license was based on concurrent users. Business Central has changed that, and named users are used here. The good news is that although you will need to switch to named users when moving from NAV to Business Central, for every licensed parallel user in NAV you will get 3 named users in Business Central.
6. ISV (Independent Software Vendor) plugins
Due to the new AL programming language mentioned above, the integration of external applications and extensions has reached a new level. Now you have an unlimited choice of applications that are easy and quick to install. You can adapt the applications to your needs, in order to get the maximum benefit, flexibility and efficiency from them. Namely, when you decide on a specific tool to help your business, it is important to connect that tool to your ERP. Microsoft now encourages deep integration: there are no more compatibility issues and problems working with other systems, as there were with NAV. Also, many application providers will eventually turn to Business Central and the AL programming language. In some cases, their apps will no longer be compatible with your NAV and you will no longer be able to use them. Certain applications are already written in the AL language, and as time goes on, fewer and fewer applications will be designed for or adapted to Dynamics NAV.
Conclusion:
Moving from Dynamics NAV to Business Central is slowly becoming a necessity. However, this does not mean that you are forced to do something that will endanger your company. On the contrary, Business Central brings a lot of new features that will surely speed up and simplify your business. Of course, the procedure itself and the duration of the transition will depend on your unique situation: how old is your version of NAV, how complex and numerous are your customizations, add-ons, processes, and the like. This does not mean that the transition will be impossible or too expensive - the secret is in choosing a good partner for the job, and Nav Biz is such a partner. As a top partner Nav Biz will, thanks to his experience, know how to best approach your case. We will get to know your version of NAV in detail, and we will also get to know your specific business and processes. During the entire procedure, we will follow the best practice and Microsoft's methodology thereby ensuring that the introduction of Business Central is quick and painless. Get in touch us today!
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