How to Prepare for a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Upgrade

Upgrades for Business Central work a bit differently than they do for other Microsoft products. If you’re a current Microsoft customer using on-premise or cloud-hosted software, you’re used to scheduling your upgrade, undergoing a data conversion, perhaps installing new hardware, and working around downtime.

Because Business Central is a cloud product, your upgrade won’t involve hardware purchases or installation, data conversions, or downtime. And there is no cost associated with the upgrade—the service is included as part of your Business Central subscription.

Business Central upgrades roll out automatically to all customers on the release date. Alternatively, Microsoft lets users schedule upgrades for a predetermined date. Because Microsoft doesn’t not have an opt-out for upgrades, Business Central customers are always on the latest version of the software.

While you don’t have to prepare for a Business Central upgrade the same way you do for the upgrade of an on-premise solution, here are some things you can do to make the upgrade process go as smoothly as possible.

Read the Release Notes

Set aside some time to review the details of what’s coming in the new release. Plenty of customers miss out on great features because they don’t know they exist. Reading the release notes will help you understand what’s coming and which features may be most useful to you. They will also help you determine which areas of the software need your attention during the testing stage. You’ll find Microsoft’s full release notes for Dynamics 365, including Business Central, here.

Test

Take advantage of the preview, which became available February 1, to test the new release and make sure it doesn’t have any negative impacts on your instance of Business Central. Have your power users take it for a spin to try out the new features and ensure everything is behaving as expected. You can also use the preview to test any extensions, integrations, or customizations you may have for the software.

Attend the Virtual Launch

Microsoft hosts annual virtual launches, where you can see the final product unveiled for the first time. Be sure to attend and get a first look at the exciting new features coming your way!

Prepare Your Team

After you’ve done your homework by reading the release notes and thoroughly testing the new release, it’s time to fill in your team about everything you’ve learned. Make sure each person is aware that an update is coming and knows about the features that will be most impactful for their roles.