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You're reading from Implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central On-Premise - Fourth Edition

Product typeBook

Published inDec 2018

Publisher

ISBN-139781789133936

Edition4th Edition

Tools

Dynamics NAV

Concepts

Enterprise Resource Planning

Authors (2):

Roberto Stefanetti

Alex Chow

View More author details

Chapter 13. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft Dynamic 365 Business Central is a cloud-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) delivered with the SaaS (short for, Software as a Service) model through Cloud Service Provider (CSP) partners. Currently, however, it is available in different ways: cloud, hybrid, and on-premises.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is born on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform and is integrated with several other Microsoft services. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft reinvents business productivity. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central connects business processes with the productivity tools in Microsoft Office 365 to help SMBs grow sales, manage finances, and streamline operations. It is designed as a true multitenant public cloud service (SaaS) running on Microsoft Azure and sold through the Microsoft CSP program. Customers can access the service on the web, or using apps for Windows, iOS, or Android devices.

The following...

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central specifics

Dynamics 365 Business Central brings the full power of Microsoft Dynamics NAV to the cloud. It is an all-in-one business management solution that helps you make smarter decisions and connect your business processes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is easily adaptable and you can extend business applications to other Microsoft cloud services, such as Power BI, PowerApps, or Office 365. Thus, you can upgrade from all your other business application to this single, comprehensive solution to manage operations, finances, sales, and customer service.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers functionalities in modules with a fixed price per month and with a per-user license model; the SaaS release is based on two license types: Essentials and Premium.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a modern digital business management solution that helps you streamline your processes and enable growth by offering the following:

Business...

Comparing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with Microsoft Dynamics NAV

The features and functions of both Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics NAV are almost the same. The most significant difference is the platform. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is built for on-premise deployment, while Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business central is built for cloud deployment. However, you can host Dynamics in the cloud too, but it doesn't offer the same seamless experience as cloud-based software. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has all the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, plus the cloud advantage. The functionalities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are divided into two packages: Essentials and Premium:

Considerations on Dynamics 365 Business Central

In this section, we will look at some interesting general considerations related to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Why I will choose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Both Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics NAV are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. While Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is targeted more at small, growing companies that can do with fewer customizations, Microsoft Dynamics NAV is suitable for organizations that have more complex needs, require more customizations, and want an on-premise solution.

Here are some considerations on why companies should switch to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS:

Latest technologies: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has access to the latest technology.
Fast starting: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central will be installed and configured by the user. The user has the advantage of provisioning the server, for instance, in...

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central – October's major updates

The October release for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (on-premise and SaaS) included a series of new features and improvements that make the product even more user-friendly; the changes are of various types, I'll cover the ones I consider more important.

Many features included in this release originated as requests from users through Microsoft's social channels, which listen to requests to meet the real needs of partners and customers.

Note

Here's some information about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central's October release: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/business-applications-release-notes/october18/dynamics365-business-central/.

The October release's best new features – technicals

Microsoft has published all the news related to the October release and the plan for the next releases on this page: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/business-applications-release-notes/October18/dynamics365-business-central/planned-features...

Microsoft AppSource

AppSource is Microsoft's marketplace for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offerings and there are several reasons why going to market with Microsoft AppSource is a great idea. For example, it allows you to promote your brand, expand your reach, accelerate the customer journey and upsell your solutions, and helps connect you with millions of Office 365 and Dynamics 365 business users. Whether you are adding a new solution to your existing cloud portfolio, or are taking your first steps in offering SaaS solutions, Microsoft recognizes that building a successful cloud practice around business-management solutions is a big investment and a strategic decision. It is not easy, but also that it is very achievable when the right commitment, investment, and guidance are combined.

AppSource for Dynamics 365 Business Central

AppSource is the launch pad for joint go-to-market activities with Microsoft and a flywheel for business growth. Using launch promotion, demand generation...

Get involved in communities and programs

Microsoft engagements programs and channels—Microsoft asks partners and end users to be active members using all channels available to improve the product, Microsoft listens to the requests arrived and if they are valid, implements them.

The following channels are currently available:

The "Ready-to-Go" program
Microsoft Ideas andInsider Ideas
Microsoft Collaboration
AL issues on GitHub

The "Ready-to-Go" program

The "Ready to go" program is designed to support you in the journey of bringing offerings to market. The program contains learning, coaching, and tooling.

You can find the The "Ready to Go" Online Learning Catalog here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/readiness/readiness-learning-catalog.

Note

For more details about the "Ready to Go" Program, check out https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/readiness/readiness-ready-to-go?tabs=learning.

Microsoft Collaborate

The...

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise

In this section, we'll look at how to install Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises. In this case, we'll be using the Business Central W1 Worldwide release.

Installing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise

This installation is not very different from the installation of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018. It takes place through the image of the DVD downloadable from PartnerSource. The cumulative updates for product can also be downloaded from the NAV team blog with a direct link.

Perform the following steps to install Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise:

Download from Microsoft PartnerSource and extract the files from package (.zip):

Launch the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central setup.exe file, and the installation will start:

Choose an installation option (for example, Developer):

Select a customized installation (this example—for developer):

And select a customized installation (example—for client):

Select the installation...

Business Central data migration tools (RapidStart packages, intelligent cloud and APIs, and data migration extension)

For data migration, you can use RapidStart Services (configuration packages), export data from the original system in Excel files, and import them into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise and SaaS.

The biggest problem is obviously rewriting code with the new extension model (which is mandatory if you want to go to the cloud, but not mandatory for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise).

You can use these tools for data migration:

RapidStart packages (configuration packages)
Intelligent cloud (you can replicate data from on-premise to SaaS)
APIs (you can use APIs to upload data)
Data migration extension (not available to date, but is in development by Microsoft, and is already available for other products)

Dynamics 365 Business Central – integrations

We can integrate Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central using different technologies, such as:

Microsoft PowerApps (you can make your Business Central data available on PowerApps)
Microsoft Azure Functions (Azure Function is a way for handling integrations and you need to create your own functions)
REST APIs (you can create Connect apps with third-party solutions using REST APIs)

Microsoft PowerApps

PowerApps is part of Office 365; it allows you to create apps (web and mobile) that connect to anything within the Microsoft ecosystem. We can considerate an application build platform for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central; it is a cloud-based and no-code solution.

PowerApps is a suite of apps, services, connectors, and data platforms that provides a rapid application-development environment to build custom apps for your business needs. The following screenshot shows the PowerApps—customer app connected to Dynamics 365 Business Central:

Note

Take...

Summary

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central was born on the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform and is integrated with several other Microsoft services. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft reinvents business productivity. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central connects business processes with the productivity tools in Microsoft Office 365 to help SMBs grow sales, manage finances, and streamline operations. It's designed as a true multi-tenant public cloud service (SaaS) running on Microsoft Azure and sold through the Microsoft CSP program. Customers can access the service on the Web, or using apps for Windows, iOS, or Android devices.

It is possible to integrate the product with the whole Microsoft Office 365 world using different tools, such as PowerApps, Azure Services, Microsoft Flow, and REST APIs. In practice, it is possible to do anything in the Cloud with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

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Authors (2)

Roberto Stefanetti

Roberto Stefanetti is a functional and technical consultant, who has worked on education and training for companies, partners, and clients. He currently works on Microsoft systems, especially ERP and related environments. He started working on Navision in 2004, both as a developer and as a functional consultant, and he is now more involved in consulting and managing projects than in development. He has been an MVP in business application since 2016 and a Microsoft Education Influencer since 2017. Roberto's blog is one of the most widely read in the world (with more than 1 million page visits). He has also published articles on many digital publications (such as MSDynamicsWorld, NAVUG Magazine, and others) and reviewed a number of books.
Read more about Roberto Stefanetti

Alex Chow

Alex Chow has been working with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, formerly Navision, since 1999. His customers range from $2 million a year small enterprises to $500 million a year multinational corporations. With a background in implementing all functions and modules inside and outside of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Alex has encountered and resolved the most practical through to the most complex requirements and business rules. He founded AP Commerce, Inc. in 2005, a full-service Dynamics NAV service center. Alex has also written the books Getting Started with Dynamics NAV 2013 Application Development and Implementing Dynamics NAV, Third Edition, both by Packt. He lives in southern California with his wife and two lovely daughters.
Read more about Alex Chow

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Topics	Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS	Microsoft Dynamics NAV\Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premise
Accessing	Web client, Universal App for Mobile, Outlook client	Windows client, Web client, Universal App for mobile, Outlook client
Hosting	Cloud in...