Replacing an ERP system is one of the biggest changes a growing business can make. Done well, Dynamics 365 Business Central can be live in weeks. Done badly, projects drag on for months. Here is the checklist we use.
Before the project
- Define what "done" means. Agree the processes in scope for go-live and park the nice-to-haves for phase two.
- Name a business owner. ERP is a finance and operations project, not an IT project.
- Decide on history. Most clients migrate open transactions and opening balances, and keep historic detail in a read-only archive.
During design
- Challenge customisations. Every customisation carried over from the old system adds cost and slows future upgrades.
- Map integrations early. Banks, e-commerce, payroll and CRM connections often drive the timeline.
- Plan local compliance. Confirm VAT and e-invoicing requirements for each country you operate in.
Data migration
- Cleanse master data — customers, vendors and items — before migration, not after.
- Run at least two trial migrations with reconciliation reports signed off by finance.
Go-live and beyond
- Train by role, using your own data in a sandbox.
- Schedule cutover around month-end and keep a rollback plan.
- Budget for four weeks of hypercare after go-live.
Want a second opinion on your ERP plan? Book a free assessment with our ERP team.