Almost 70 percent of users around the world are still running old versions of Dynamics NAV, according to Microsoft, missing their opportunity to innovate and benefit from the latest and best NAV experience.
The reasons for doing so may differ for each business and customer – or do they? Here are a few general myths concerning NAV upgrades, and why your enterprise should do the necessary update sooner or later.
Myth 1: There is no time or budget for a NAV upgrade
We have heard it many times, but it all comes down to your business priorities, and the service level you want to offer your customers.
A software upgrade will ultimately help strengthen customer loyalty and make your employees’ tasks much easier and productive, as upgrades make use of newer technologies aimed at increasing productivity and team collaboration.
Put it this way; you get better results long-term with a newer version rather than using outdated software. But an upgrade does take time and focus on installation and testing – both automated and scenario-based according to your business requirements.
It is why it is important to benefit from the support of a specialised partner to assist and complete the NAV upgrade based on the specifics you need.
You can also avoid unnecessary delays and technical problems, and reduce costs by making sure your upgrade the necessary functionalities for your business.
Myth 2: Upgrading to newer NAV versions is complicated (read: not worth the effort)
Upgrading to the latest NAV version is certainly not easy, but it becomes a necessity. The main reason is that each new version has add-ons and features that allow more customisation and better integrations with other platforms and services. Bear in mind that customisation does not upgrade easily either.
Another reason is the security risks resulted from not upgrading your outdated software. Upgrading often ensures that the NAV installation has the latest security measures in place to minimise risk. This reason alone is worth the effort to upgrade.
Furthermore, occasional updates will take longer than regular updates. Moving critical data from an older platform to a new one, skipping intermediate upgrades, will also prove costly. Installing the latest version might be the only cost-effective and sensible thing to do.
Myth 3: Upgrading custom functionality requires massive core changes
Some of the biggest fears of any business is upgrading their systems, particularly if these are past their prime date, and managing the difficult changes that need to be implemented.
Newer versions come with extensive new features and functionality, and various headache-inducing extensions. These may need a massive overhaul of core system functions and existing architecture.
Luckily, the latest NAV annual version releases have no impact on the underlying infrastructure and do not require massive system overhaul.
Moreover, cumulative upgrades performed regularly include important security and system upgrades – which is why updating regularly avoid serious changes to your Dynamics NAV setup and comes highly recommended.
