Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is no longer just an option — it’s a strategic move for businesses aiming to stay competitive, scalable, and compliant with modern digital standards. As Microsoft phases out support for older NAV versions, companies that delay this upgrade risk security vulnerabilities, lack of new features, poor integration capabilities, and increased maintenance costs.

However, a poorly planned migration can result in data loss, broken customizations, integration issues, and business downtime — all of which can severely impact operations and customer service.

To ensure a successful transition, it’s essential to follow a structured, step-by-step migration process that prioritizes data integrity, business continuity, and user adoption.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Migrate from NAV to Dynamics 365

1. Assess and Strategize

Before any technical work begins, a detailed assessment is critical:

• Evaluate your current NAV system — including customizations, third-party integrations, and business workflows.
• Define migration scope — determine which historical data, configurations, and custom reports need to be moved.
• Create a migration roadmap with realistic timelines, key milestones, and clear deliverables.
• Involve stakeholders across departments to align migration with business needs.

💡 Planning is key. Skipping this phase can lead to missed dependencies and post-migration chaos.

2. Prepare for Migration

This phase sets the foundation for a smooth migration:

• Create a sandbox/test environment using a copy of your NAV database.
• Upgrade to Business Central on-premise (e.g., BC14) — often required before transitioning to cloud/SaaS.
• Convert legacy C/AL customizations into AL-based extensions, the modern standard in Business Central.
• Clean your data — remove duplicates, correct inconsistencies, and archive outdated records.

Back up everything using Microsoft’s official tools like the Upgrade Toolkit for Business Central.

3. Migrate Data to Business Central

Once you’re prepped, it’s time to move the data:

• Extract data from NAV using reliable migration tools.
• Transform the data to match the schema of Business Central.
• Load the data into Business Central, ensuring format consistency.
• Validate it by comparing source vs. target systems to ensure no data is lost or corrupted.

✅ Proper use of the upgrade matrix ensures you follow the correct path across versions (especially for a NAV 2018 to BC14 upgrade).

4. Post-Migration Activities

• Going live is not the end — it’s the beginning of adoption:
• Train your users to work confidently in the new interface.
• Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to identify any gaps or bugs.
• Go-live with a pased or full rollout, dependingon your business needs.

Monitor performance and offer support to handle any teething issues post-deployment.

Key Considerations for a Successful NAV to Business Central Migration

• Data Integrity: Any mismatch or corruption can disrupt business continuity. Every data point must be accounted for and validated.
• Customization Compatibility: Customizations not converted to extensions may not carry over — plan and rebuild them properly in AL.
• Integration Mapping: Ensure all external systems (CRMs, payment gateways, logistics platforms) integrate smoothly with Business Central.
• Localization Requirements: Country-specific requirements, such as GST, VAT, or e-invoicing (e.g., ZATCA in Saudi Arabia), must be handled precisely.
• Risk of Data Loss: If customizations are written directly in NAV tables and not mapped properly during migration, data linked to them may be lost.

Why Choose Samadhan for Your NAV to Business Central Migration?

With 35+ years of ERP implementation experience and a Microsoft Gold Partnership, Samadhan has successfully migrated numerous businesses from Navision to Business Central — without downtime, data loss, or functional disruption.

We specialize in:

• NAV 2018 to BC14 upgrade
• Business Central cloud migration
• Microsoft Dynamics upgrade paths
• On-premise to SaaS transitions
• End-to-end data validation & extension conversion

Whether you’re a manufacturer, distributor, or service-based enterprise, our domain experts ensure your migration is fast, secure, and fully aligned with your business goals.

FAQs

🔹How do I migrate data to Dynamics 365?
By extracting from NAV, transforming with the Upgrade Toolkit, and importing into Business Central — followed by thorough data verification.

🔹How do I migrate from NAV to Business Central?
The typical path involves upgrading NAV to BC14 (on-prem), converting customizations, cleaning data, and then migrating to Business Central SaaS.

🔹Is Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Navision the same?
Not exactly. Navision (NAV) is an older ERP version, while Dynamics 365 Business Central is its modern, cloud-based successor with far greater capabilities.

Take the Next Step – Migrate with Confidence from NAV to Business Central

Avoid costly delays and operational risks. Let Samadhan’s proven migration strategy take your ERP from NAV to Business Central — with zero compromise on data, performance, or customization. Schedule your free upgrade consultation now.

Let’s build your roadmap to a faster, smarter, cloud-ready ERP.