Start with the installed release.
Record the NAV version and cumulative update, database and operating system, installed add-ons and the person who maintains custom objects. An interface or support date for another release is not evidence about your environment.
Microsoft lists NAV 2018 mainstream support ending on 10 January 2023 and extended support ending on 11 January 2028. Other NAV versions have their own lifecycle records. Distinguish Microsoft support, your implementation partner’s services and the support available for the surrounding infrastructure.
- Record the installed NAV release and update level.
- Identify operating system, database and add-on versions.
- Check vendor dates and the actual support agreements.
- Name the application owner and the people who can authorize access.
Follow one important workflow.
Choose an operation with a clear owner: commerce orders arriving in NAV, inventory reaching a store, or invoices reaching finance. Trace the input, validations, custom objects, output and exception handling.
Measure the existing process before proposing an improvement. Record how often work fails, who intervenes and what must be checked afterward. Do not invent a savings estimate from a generic productivity percentage.
- Name the source and destination records.
- List mappings and business rules that must be preserved.
- Identify available interfaces on this NAV release.
- Record failure behavior, retry handling and reconciliation.
- Agree an observable acceptance criterion with the process owner.
Compare the options against the same constraints.
There is no universal answer to “stay on NAV or move?” Compare the cost, dependencies, operational consequences and ability to maintain each option. Staying in place still requires a supportability assessment.
| Option | When it may fit | What to establish first |
|---|---|---|
| Stabilize in place | A bounded application or integration issue is causing immediate disruption. | Release and infrastructure risk, restoration capability, available expertise and what remains unsupported. |
| Upgrade within the current estate | A supported version or dependency change resolves a specific limitation. | Custom-object compatibility, add-on support, license requirements and regression tests. |
| Replace one component | A surrounding integration or reporting process is the main source of difficulty. | Stable interfaces, data ownership, reconciliation and the responsibilities at the boundary. |
| Move to Business Central or another ERP | Current constraints materially prevent the business from operating or changing as needed. | Functional fit, custom-rule migration, historical data, integrations, user acceptance and cutover. |
Do not assume NAV has modern Business Central APIs.
NAV and Business Central are related products, but the available API surface depends on the deployed release. Review enabled web services, custom objects and authentication in the actual environment.
An integration must account for application validation, partial failures and retries. A direct database change that bypasses business rules is not an equivalent substitute for a supported application operation.
Reference: Microsoft: compare REST, OData and SOAP web services
Ask a prospective support provider for specifics.
A useful proposal defines what will be supported, how changes are tested and who handles issues outside the provider’s scope. Request an example of the documentation you will receive, rather than relying only on broad claims of experience.
- Which releases and components can the assigned team maintain?
- Who handles custom objects, licensing and vendor-only defects?
- What working hours, response targets and escalation apply?
- How are test environments, approvals and rollback handled?
- Who owns repositories, configuration and runbooks?
- How will a future upgrade change this agreement?
Prepare a one-page assessment brief.
Use the worksheet below as an internal brief. “Unknown” is a useful answer: it identifies discovery work. Share access through an agreed secure process, not a public enquiry form.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Environment | NAV release, hosting, SQL/OS versions and known add-ons. |
| Workflow | Input, output, process owner and the current difficulty. |
| Dependencies | Custom objects, external systems, interfaces and existing providers. |
| Evidence | Error examples without confidential data, frequency and operational effect. |
| Constraints | Change windows, access restrictions and the next business deadline. |
| Decision needed | Support scope, integration repair, upgrade readiness or migration options. |
Put the plan into practice.
Bring one workflow and the systems involved. We can help define the support, implementation or integration scope.