When your ERP platform supports hundreds of companies, around 650 users and operations spanning more than 50 countries, there is no such thing as a routine upgrade.
For many businesses, moving from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central is a natural next step. Legacy technology reaches the end of its lifecycle, cloud-based ERP unlocks new opportunities, and the business wants to take advantage of the latest capabilities Microsoft has to offer.
For NES Fircroft, this wasn't a reimplementation. It was a large-scale upgrade of an existing environment that had evolved over many years. By the time the project began, the business was operating a highly customised Dynamics NAV environment supporting hundreds of companies and around 650 users across a global operation. The scale alone made it one of the most complex projects the team had undertaken.
Like many long-standing Dynamics NAV customers, NES Fircroft had invested heavily in adapting the platform to meet its specific requirements. Years of development work had resulted in extensive customisations, multiple integrations and bespoke functionality designed to support a global business. In fact, the volume of custom code was unlike anything the project team had encountered before.
As Katie Whitfield, Project Manager at Node4, explains:
They had done a lot of development over many, many years. Their code was really custom. There were a lot of integrations, a lot of custom code. The most custom code I have ever seen.
The challenge was taking years of business-critical functionality and making it compliant with the modern Business Central environment. Some elements could be adapted, while others required significant redevelopment and testing to ensure they continued working in exactly the way the business expected.
With a project of this size, nobody expected the migration to be easy. Before end users even began testing, Node4 and NES Fircroft worked through extensive internal testing phases to identify issues as early as possible. The customer's own technical team also carried out significant testing before releasing the system to key business users.
That approach helped uncover and resolve hundreds of issues before the project reached go-live. For a system containing this level of customisation, that wasn't unusual. As Katie explains, when significant amounts of code have been changed, issues are expected to emerge. The important thing is identifying them early and putting the right processes in place to resolve them quickly.
Testing was followed by dry runs, upgrade simulations and detailed planning sessions designed to reduce risk and minimise downtime. And downtime was a major consideration.
Because of the size of the database and the complexity of the environment, initial estimates suggested the upgrade could result in several days of business downtime. The team spent considerable time exploring different approaches, refining the process and testing alternative methods to reduce the impact as much as possible.
Every project has a moment where planning gives way to reality. For NES Fircroft, that moment arrived in May when the go-live process began.
A dedicated war room was established, bringing together key stakeholders from both organisations. Teams were spread across multiple countries and time zones, with everyone focused on the same objective: successfully migrating the platform without jeopardising critical business operations.
Initially, everything was progressing well, but during an upgrade process, a key stage failed.
The issue had never appeared during testing. The team investigated multiple options, attempted to secure external support and ultimately made the decision to restart part of the upgrade process to keep the project moving forward.
Projects of this scale inevitably encounter challenges. What matters is how teams respond when those challenges arise.
Rather than becoming frustrated or assigning blame, the NES Fircroft team remained focused on finding a solution.
As Katie recalls:
They were so reasonable. They were like, ‘Katie, you don't need to explain yourself. We know you're doing everything to get there. Just go and get what you need done. We understand. Just give us an update.
That level of trust made a huge difference. While plans were being recalculated and timelines adjusted, both teams continued working together, communicating openly and adapting as required to keep progress moving forward.
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the project was the relationship between the two teams. Throughout the upgrade, conversations were direct, honest and focused on outcomes. Difficult decisions were discussed openly. Scope was carefully managed. Priorities were reviewed regularly. When additional resources were required to keep the project on track, decisions were made quickly and collaboratively.
This wasn't a situation where one side simply handed requirements to the other. Both organisations were fully invested in achieving a successful result.
Whether discussing timelines, testing requirements, resource planning or go-live activities, the project benefited from a shared commitment to doing what was right for the business rather than simply following a predefined plan.
That collaborative approach became particularly important during go-live, when team members were operating across different countries and frequently working across time zones to keep momentum going.
Successfully going live was only part of the story. Because NES Fircroft operates globally, the organisation required support that aligned with the reality of its business. Teams were working across multiple regions, with activity taking place far beyond standard UK business hours.
To support users during the transition, Node4 implemented an extensive hypercare programme that provided enhanced support coverage across key operational periods.
Issues were logged, prioritised and resolved quickly. Multiple specialists remained involved to ensure critical business processes continued to function as expected while users adapted to the new environment.
Despite the scale of the project and the number of issues raised throughout hypercare, the overall process remained controlled and manageable thanks to strong collaboration, clear prioritisation and ongoing communication between teams.
Technology projects are often measured by deadlines, milestones and budgets. For NES Fircroft, success was measured differently.
That is ultimately what makes this project such a powerful example of successful ERP transformation.
Despite the complexity. Despite the volume of custom code. Despite the challenges encountered during go-live. The business continued to operate.
And today, NES Fircroft has a modern Dynamics 365 Business Central platform that provides a foundation for future innovation, automation and growth.
For businesses considering their own move from Dynamics NAV to Business Central, the key takeaway is clear: success isn't simply about upgrading technology. It's about combining expertise, preparation and partnership to ensure the business can keep moving forward every step of the way.
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