Dynamics NAV to Business Central migration.
A NAV to Business Central migration is the move from Microsoft Dynamics NAV, formerly Navision, to its direct successor. NAVAX has been a Navision partner since 1998 and offers three paths.
What does migrating from Navision to Business Central mean?
Navision is now called Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Business Central is the direct successor to Dynamics NAV, formerly Navision, and NAV 2018 was the last NAV version. In the migration, you move to this system and decide which data and customizations come along. Once extended support for NAV 2017 and NAV 2018 ends, these versions no longer receive security updates from Microsoft.
- What
- Moving from Dynamics NAV to Business Central, in the cloud or on your own servers.
- When
- Extended support ends for NAV 2017 in January 2027 and for NAV 2018 in January 2028; for NAV 2016 it ended in April 2026.
- Who it's for
- Companies that work with Navision or Dynamics NAV today.
- Paths
- Easy Starter (fresh start), data migration or 1:1 migration.
- Why NAVAX
- Navision partner since 1998, Microsoft partner since 2003, Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications, more than 600 business customers.
What Navision customers are dealing with and what Business Central changes.
Three questions that come up with an older NAV system.
A customer in the middle of migrating from Navision.
In the webinar “Countdown Navision”, AV Stumpfl reports from its ongoing move to Business Central (in German).
- Webinar with a customerAV Stumpfl
- Starting point
At the time of the webinar, AV Stumpfl was in the middle of moving from Navision to Business Central.
- In the webinar
The company talks about the time involved, the challenges in the project and how the team embraced the change.
- What you take away
In 60 minutes, NAVAX experts show what the end of support means for your NAV version and the phases a migration goes through.
Is moving to Business Central your next step?
An honest assessment up front. If the right-hand column applies more, we will tell you so in the conversation.
Tap the statements that apply to you.
A good fit if …
Another route is better if …
Select the statements above that apply to you. This is where you will see whether a conversation is worth it.
Three paths from Navision to Business Central.
The paths differ in what comes along from your NAV system and how much you renew your processes along the way.
Four questions before you choose your path.
Our recommendation before you decide on one of the three paths. The migration is the best opportunity to simplify processes.
- 1
Check data quality and duplicates
Look at how cleanly customers, vendors and items are maintained in Navision. Whatever is messy today should not move into the new system.
What you have afterwardsYou know which data needs to be cleaned up before the migration.
- 2
Clarify how much history you need
Which transaction data do you really need in Business Central, and which is enough to look up in the old system?
What you have afterwardsThe answer decides between a fresh start and data migration.
- 3
Question customizations critically
Go through your Navision customizations one by one. Today's standard Business Central already covers a lot of them.
What you have afterwardsA list of the customizations that will be rebuilt as extensions, and of those that go away.
- 4
Assess process improvements
Check which processes can be simplified during the migration instead of being rebuilt unchanged.
What you have afterwardsThe basis for your choice: Easy Starter, data migration or 1:1 migration.
Frequently asked questions about Navision and Business Central.
What Navision customers most often want to know before migrating.
Is Business Central the successor to Navision?
Yes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the direct successor to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, formerly Navision, and builds on the same functional foundation. NAV 2018 was the last NAV version; since then, Microsoft has only continued to develop Business Central.
What is Navision, and what is it called today?
Navision is ERP software for small and midsize businesses that originally came from the Danish company Navision. Microsoft acquired the company in 2002 and later continued the software as Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Today the product is called Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
When does support for Navision end?
Microsoft's extended support for Dynamics NAV 2017 ends in January 2027, and for NAV 2018 in January 2028. For NAV 2016, it expired in April 2026, and older versions have not received updates for some time. Microsoft publishes the exact dates on its lifecycle pages.
What happens if I keep using NAV after the end of support?
The system keeps running, but Microsoft no longer delivers security updates or bug fixes. Security vulnerabilities that become known afterwards are no longer fixed by Microsoft for that version.
Do I have to start over when upgrading from NAV to Business Central?
No. You choose one of three paths: with Easy Starter, you rebuild master data; with data migration, you take over master and transaction data; with a 1:1 migration, your customizations come along too. Which path fits depends on your data, your history and your customizations.
Can I take my Navision customizations with me?
Yes, with a 1:1 migration they are taken over. With Easy Starter and data migration, NAVAX reassesses them. In Business Central, customizations are built as extensions instead of in the program code. What today's standard covers does not need to come along.
What changes for my team?
Your team knows many processes and terms from Navision. What is new is that Business Central runs in the browser and as an app, receives two major updates a year and comes with Copilot. How much day-to-day work changes depends on the path you choose: least with a 1:1 migration, most with a fresh start.
Do I have to move to the cloud with Business Central?
No, Business Central is also available for running on your own servers. However, Microsoft develops the product cloud-first, and Copilot and many new features are only available online. With the cloud version, your own servers, backups and upgrade projects go away.
How long does a NAV to Business Central migration take?
It depends on the path, the number of customizations and the data that is migrated. For a fresh start with the NAVAX ERP EasyStarter, the guideline is 8 to 12 weeks until you are working productively. For data migration and 1:1 migration, you receive a timeline as soon as it is clear what comes along.
How much does the migration cost?
The cost consists of the Business Central licenses, billed per user and month, and the one-time effort for the migration. How high that is depends on the path, the number of users and the scope of the customizations. You receive a concrete quote after the initial call.
You might also be interested in.
Where the migration leads, the path to the cloud and the fresh start as a fixed package.
- SolutionMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralThe ERP you are moving to: features, licenses and how it differs from Dynamics 365.View page
- SolutionCloud ERPWhy an ERP without your own servers, and what the path with Business Central online looks like.View page
- SolutionBusiness Central implementationThe fresh start with the NAVAX ERP EasyStarter: fixed scope, 8 to 12 weeks as a guideline.View page
- SolutionMicrosoft ERP overviewWhich Microsoft ERP fits which company.View page
