Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Upgrade or reimplement?

A good many Microsoft Dynamics NAV customers are keenly aware that they are on older versions. But often there seemed no urgency to upgrade. Those older versions have worked fine for years, and support is available from either Microsoft (with up to 10 years including extended support) or a partner.

In time they will feel that urgency - perhaps servers are nearing their end of life and the organization wants to go hosted. Or perhaps they are keen to use an ISV solution that was written for NAV 2015 or later.

At Acora we see about a 50/50 split between upgrades and reimplementation. Sometimes the choice is obvious: for those on Dynamics NAV 2015 migrating to 2016, 2017, that will be an upgrade. If they're only one or two versions behind, an upgrade can be more effective, especially since NAV 2013 came out and the upgrades are that much quicker. The use of PowerShell scripts makes it very compelling.

It's really the older versions that are going to drive that dialogue around reimplementation. Those who skipped NAV 2013, 2015, 2016 can usually see where reimplementation makes more sense than an upgrade - but not all. Some feel "married to" their elegant customizations, or, are fearful that letting go of an old database means letting go of the data.

"We must upgrade," they tell us, but that is no mean feat. Recall that NAV 2009 moved from the classic client to the role-tailored client, which makes an upgrade a potentially very complex and expensive process. Yes, there are tools to help the process, but experience tells us there is still a great deal of work. If you're on NAV 2009, your business is undoubtedly different than it was seven years ago. It's an ideal opportunity to step back and say "If we were doing ...