Dynamics NAV has served many UK logistics businesses well. The question now is timing. Every version of NAV is out of mainstream support, and extended support is ending version by version on fixed dates.
NAV 2015 and NAV 2016 have already passed their extended support end dates. If you are running NAV 2016 or earlier, you are no longer receiving security updates and migration is overdue.
Dynamics 365 Business Central is Microsoft's intended path for NAV customers, and the most common route for UK logistics businesses. This guide covers the migration process, how far ahead to plan and how to avoid disrupting operations.
The Dynamics NAV Support Timeline
Dynamics NAV follows Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy: five years of mainstream support followed by five years of extended support, each with a fixed end date.
| NAV version | Mainstream support ended | Extended support ends | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAV 2015 | January 2020 | 14 January 2025 | Unsupported |
| NAV 2016 | April 2021 | 14 April 2026 | Unsupported |
| NAV 2017 | January 2022 | 11 January 2027 | Ending soon |
| NAV 2018 | January 2023 | 11 January 2028 | Extended support |
Versions older than NAV 2015 are already unsupported. Dates are based on Microsoft's published lifecycle policy as of October 2026.
Once extended support ends, your core business data sits on software that receives no security fixes, no bug fixes and no technical support from Microsoft. Logistics businesses carry extra risk, because carrier, EDI and warehouse integrations all depend on that core system.
- NAV 2016 or earlier: treat migration as an immediate priority.
- NAV 2017: support ends in January 2027, which is tighter than it sounds once project and procurement time is counted.
- NAV 2018: you have the longest runway, but the end date is the latest point to be live on Business Central, not the date to start planning.
Why Logistics Businesses Move from Dynamics NAV to Business Central
Beyond the support deadline, four operational limitations usually drive the decision.
Real-time reporting
NAV is usually run on-premise or in a hosted environment, with older reporting tools that struggle to give current stock, order and financial data. Business Central updates stock and orders as each transaction is posted, and Power BI dashboards connected to it refresh throughout the day.
Integration capability
Connecting NAV to e-commerce, carrier or 3PL platforms usually needs costly middleware, which gets harder to maintain as NAV ages. Business Central's open APIs make integrations quicker, cheaper and more reliable.
Cloud infrastructure and scalability
NAV's infrastructure overhead grows as the version ages. Adding a warehouse, more users or remote working often means IT work on hardware and software that is out of support.
Business Central is cloud-native. It scales without infrastructure changes and can be used from a browser or the Business Central mobile apps.
Microsoft ecosystem and AI capability
Business Central is part of the Microsoft ecosystem, working closely with Microsoft 365 tools such as Teams, Outlook and SharePoint, and with Copilot. Its AI features, including demand forecasting, late payment prediction and Copilot-assisted data entry, are not available in NAV.
What the Migration Involves
A NAV to Business Central migration has five main phases.
Discovery and scoping
Discovery assesses your NAV configuration, customisations, integrations and data. NAV systems in logistics are often heavily customised, so this phase matters even more than usual.
Customisations written in NAV's older C/AL code cannot move across as they are. Each one is either rebuilt as a Business Central extension, replaced by standard functionality or replaced by an app from Microsoft AppSource. Discovery decides which.
It also defines the scope, surfaces data issues and produces the go-live plan and timeline. Skipping or squeezing Discovery is the most common cause of overruns, and with a fixed support end date, the risk of a late surprise is higher still.
Data cleansing and preparation
NAV databases often hold years of inactive records, duplicates, inconsistent categories and history nobody needs. Migrate them as they are and the problems move into Business Central, so cleansing comes first.
The stock master, customer and supplier records and the chart of accounts need the most attention. Old stock data in particular creates noise in Business Central's planning and reporting.
Business Central configuration
Business Central is configured to match your warehouses, stock categories, carriers, pricing, approvals and reporting dimensions, building on the process decisions made in Discovery.
It is a chance to improve your processes rather than recreate how NAV worked, including customisations that no longer earn their keep.
Data migration and testing
Data is extracted from NAV, mapped to Business Central's structure and taken through test migrations before the final run. Testing confirms the data is accurate, the processes work as designed and carrier and e-commerce integrations behave correctly.
Go-live and stabilisation
Go-live is when you start running the business from Business Central. Many logistics businesses use a weekend cutover: the final migration runs on Friday and the system is live for Monday's orders. Hypercare support then resolves any operational issues quickly.
The Role of QuickStart Solutions
Advantage's QuickStart Solutions offer a defined scope, a fixed cost and an accelerated path to go-live on Dynamics 365 Business Central. They suit businesses with well-defined requirements that need a fast, low-risk migration against a fixed support date.
Talk to Our Migration Team
Advantage has moved logistics and distribution businesses to Business Central from NAV, Sage, Dynamics GP and bespoke systems. If you are on NAV 2016 or earlier, make migration an immediate priority. If you are on NAV 2017 or 2018, start with a structured conversation about your timeline and requirements.
Contact Advantage today or call 020 3004 4600.
Related Resources
- Modernising Your Logistics ERP: The Complete Guide 2026
- Data Migration and Legacy Modernisation
- QuickStart Solutions
- Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Advantage Transformation Sprint™
Frequently Asked Questions
When does support for Dynamics NAV end?
It depends on the version. NAV 2015 and NAV 2016 are already out of support. Extended support for NAV 2017 ends on 11 January 2027, and for NAV 2018 on 11 January 2028.
Why do logistics businesses migrate from Dynamics NAV to Business Central?
The support deadline is the trigger for many. Beyond that, the main reasons are current reporting, cheaper and more reliable integrations, freedom from on-premise infrastructure and access to Copilot and Microsoft's AI features.
What data can be migrated from Dynamics NAV to Business Central?
Master data such as customers, suppliers, items and the chart of accounts, open transactions and an agreed period of history. Custom tables and fields are assessed during Discovery, because NAV customisations have to be rebuilt or replaced in Business Central.
How long does a Dynamics NAV to Business Central migration take?
A straightforward migration typically takes three to four months. Complex projects, with heavy customisation, several sites or significant integration work, usually take five to eight months. Start planning well before your version's support end date.
Will we lose our Dynamics NAV historical data after migrating?
No. An agreed period of history moves to Business Central. Older data can usually be kept in NAV as a read-only archive for a time, depending on your licensing, but bear in mind that an archive running on unsupported software carries its own risk.
