Microsoft Dynamics Upgrades

Upgrading your Dynamics software can make your business more efficient and secure. But the process can be complicated, and there are many different options.

Encore assists our clients with all Dynamics upgrades or transitions, including advising each client as to which approach is best for them.

For detailed info, click on the name of the product you want to upgrade or transition from.

From
Upgrades/Transitions to
Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations
May also need to upgrade to Dynamics AX (more recent version)
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Dynamics GP (more recent version)
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Multiple Dynamics Solutions: Most commonly Sales, Customer Service, and Field Service.
No upgrades needed. However, there are frequent, important updates to D365.

 

Benefits and Issues to Consider for Dynamics Upgrades/Transitions

Upgrading your Dynamics solution can have several benefits, but there are also critical things you need to consider so you can have a successful upgrade.

Benefits

  • Improves your security & stability
  • Gives you new, time-saving functionality
  • Improves compatibility with the rest of the Microsoft business stack
  • Continued Microsoft support

Issues to Consider

  • Customizations may need to be reworked
  • Data may need to be mapped to new fields
  • Users will need training & change management

 
A skilled Dynamics partner can help you get the most out of the upgraded solution, while minimizing costs and business disruptions.

At Encore, we provide custom development work and consulting, data migration assistance, training, and change management. We also offer ongoing support to our over 800 current customers.

From Dynamics AX

Many companies on AX are now considering upgrading to Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations has the same codebase as AX, and serves the same needs of enterprise companies. Dynamics 365 is a cloud based solution, and has some important differences, such as:

  • Faster & easier reporting
  • Web-based access
  • Greatly enhanced cybersecurity and disaster recovery

In some situations, we advise companies on older versions of AX to upgrade to newer versions of AX. This can be a preliminary step in the process of upgrading to Dynamics 365.

Resources:

From Dynamics GP

Many companies on Dynamics GP are considering a transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud.

GP and Business Central have similar functionality, but there are some feature improvements in Business Central, such as the dimensional chart of accounts, search capabilities, financial reporting capabilities, and Microsoft 365 integration. There are also many benefits that come with Dynamics 365 Business Central’s Software as a Service (SaaS) model and hosting in the cloud.

In some cases, we advise companies on older versions of GP to upgrade to newer versions of GP. This doesn’t prevent later transitioning to Dynamics 365.

Resources:

Many Dynamics NAV on-premise users are considering an upgrade to Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud.

Dynamics 365 Business Central is essentially the next version of NAV, with much of the same functionality, but translated to a new codebase. With Dynamics 365 Business Central hosted in the cloud, users will see many benefits and continuous feature enhancements.

Resources:

From Dynamics CRM

Customers using Dynamics CRM (online or on-premise) may be considering an upgrade to Dynamics 365 CRM solutions. Microsoft has built out several Dynamics 365 CRM solutions in this area, most prominently Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Customer Service. To determine which specific solutions are best for your business, reach out to a partner.

Resources:

What about Upgrades “From” Dynamics 365?

Once you are on Dynamics 365 in the cloud, you never have to perform another upgrade. Instead, your solution receives regular updates to address new security concerns and roll out new functionality.

A partner can help advise you on timing of updates and new features & functions from a training perspective.

It is important to perform testing after each update, especially with respect to any customizations or integrations. If you are experiencing difficulties with a Dynamics 365 update, or you’d like advice from an experienced partner, please contact us.

It’s also important to review what new features and functionality has been released so you can take advantage of the relevant parts for your business.

Contact Us

To get assistance and advise with your Dynamics upgrade or transition, contact us by phone, email, or the form on this page.