Business Central Pre-Migration Review with Discovery X-ray
From our hands-on experience, cloud migration projects tend to run over budget or fail in the middle for several reasons. Poor preparation and the lack of a proper migration plan are the most common.
Discovery X-ray, the NAV/BC on-premise pre-migration review, is the missing puzzle in a migration strategy that really works.
Here is how analyzing the current ERP system’s customizations with the Discovery X-ray tool helps organizations shift to the Business Central cloud prudently: paying only for what they really need in the cloud and moving only the BC functionality that works for them, not the other way around.
Examine your current ERP system for a smarter cloud migration: save time and budget
Losing track of the changes made to NAV/BC systems over time and using outdated, often heavily customized ERP versions nearing Dynamics NAV end of support means losing organizational solution memory.
When the time comes to migrate to Business Central online, businesses struggle to define what to migrate from an old system, reimplement, replace with the available cloud extensions, or leave behind. Such uncertainty makes it harder to kick off a needed cloud migration project.
That’s why a professional BC/NAV pre-migration code check is a smart starting point to know what exactly a business is dealing with before moving their NAV or Business Central on-prem to cloud.
Efficient Business Central migration planning starts with examining the current solution.
We recommend Discovery X-ray as a detailed NAV/Business Central pre-migration check.
Why a pre-migration review is critical for your Business Central implementation
Hidden costs during migration.
Setting a cloud migration budget usually happens before anyone looks closely at the current system. The estimated vs. actual scope then becomes a costly surprise, unless the gap is closed upfront through a detailed review.
Risks of legacy NAV/BC customizations.
Discovering that a heavily customized on-premise server environment has years of undocumented modifications halfway through a cloud migration is more costly than finding out before it starts. That is when budgets break, and timelines collapse.
Delayed decisions = delayed go-lives.
Usually, it’s not the technology that fails but the decisions not made early enough: what needs to be moved to the cloud, replaced with Microsoft extensions, or what needs custom development if standard ERP solutions are no longer enough. A pre-migration review forces such decisions at the right moment.
One pre-migration review instead of costly corrections.
Emergency BC development, unplanned system fixes, or a failed first go-live all come with a price that exceeds the cost of a structured pre-migration review. The Discovery X-ray package is a one-time, fixed cost. Emergency corrections are not.
Discovery X-ray: a NAV/BC pre-migration review
A detailed NAV/BC code analysis, Discovery X-ray helps identify critical and non-essential customizations in the current BC system for the right technical and strategic decisions before transitioning to Business Central cloud.
This is an actionable overview based on in-depth technical analysis. It highlights critical issues in the current solution’s code, making it easier to plan a predictable transition to Business Central cloud: with no middlemen, but direct practical advice from those who have built Business Central solutions for over 13 years.
What businesses get with the Discovery X-ray pre-migration analysis
1
Deep NAV/BC pre-migration analysis with the list of modifications
The analysis provides a detailed BC/NAV customizations review: all that may impact the move to the cloud. We generate a list of modifications to see how they may influence the complexity and duration of a cloud migration project. When the migration starts, no guesswork endangers the process.
2
Secure pre-migration analysis
We only run the NAV/BC code analysis for the assessment, we never work with customer data. The objects with code are risk-free to submit for review.
3
Tailored, insight-driven cloud migration strategy
Customers can use the analysis results to choose a 1-to-1 upgrade or reimplementation, depending on what works best for their business processes and budget.
4
Recommendations from BC experts
Based on the findings, our software engineers recommend practical, future-proof alternatives and BC extensions to maintain the necessary functionality in the cloud.
5
Initial indicators for a NAV cloud compatibility check
The Discovery X-ray results can later be used to assess how well the current NAV/Business Central installation aligns with the target version. So, customers are aware of any compatibility gaps and risks before planning the cloud migration.
6
Time-efficient approach
We value our partners’ and customers’ time. They receive the analysis results in 2 days for timely decisions regarding cloud migration.
7
Freedom to choose a custom migration journey
No obligations from customers’ side. Discovery X-ray is a stand-alone package. The customers/partners are free to use the results to migrate as they wish: with us or any migration provider they trust.
Over 40 pre-migration reviews were already conducted for customers across different industries and setups
Why choosing the right partner before migration matters
Partner continuity is vital.
The partner who runs your pre-migration review already knows your system inside and out before the migration starts. The customizations, the risks, the decisions from day one.
With Global Mediator, the Discovery X-ray findings feed naturally into the next steps: Stairway to Cloud, our structured cloud migration strategy, including data migration services and Business Central cloud maintenance once you are live.
You don’t need re-onboarding or re-explaining. The team already knows where you are starting from.
What customers say about Discovery X-ray
Henrik Hegelund, Solution Architect at С2IT, considers the Discovery X-ray review the exact tool to highlight modifications in a customer's ERP and initiate a conversation about how to migrate to the latest version of Business Central.
Carsten Pedersen, Onboarding Manager at ERPgruppen, sees Discovery X-ray as a fantastic, informative tool for guiding their customers through upgrades while focusing on the modifications they want to keep in the Business Central cloud.
Frank Neeckx, Independent Consultant at Astena, is impressed with the report's clear vision into system modifications and how it becomes a strong starting point in discussions with customers about reimplementing solutions.
When businesses need the Discovery X-ray pre-migration review
How our Business Central migration services start: simplicity and clarity
◼️ We keep things simple and transparent. As part of our Business Central migration services, our customers communicate directly with our Business Central experts without middlemen or micromanagement.
◼️ Our software engineers evaluate NAV system before cloud migration to provide a clear breakdown of what exactly the current on-prem setup has under the hood, what could be reused in the cloud, and what needs rethinking.
◼️ Our semi-automated NAV/BC analysis for cloud migration is not some cliché, conveyor approach. It is a human-led, insight-driven technical evaluation based on our hands-on experience and multiple successful migrations.
Benefits of pre-migration preparation for Dynamics 365 Business Central
1
Budget predictability: before starting a migration project, you know exactly how many custom objects need to be reviewed, refactored, or replaced. Estimates based on facts.
2
Faster go-live: teams that complete a pre-migration review decide what to move, rebuild, or retire before the migration starts. That keeps go-live dates realistic.
3
Cleaner cloud environment: a heavily customized NAV system built in 2014 does not need to go to the cloud as is. Customizations this old rarely fit with modern cloud implementation. The Discovery X-ray package helps to see which modifications are still relevant or no longer needed.
4
Informed decisions on integrations: the Discovery X-ray report helps dive deeper into the investigation of cloud compatibility if your team relies on third-party connectors. Say, you use a Jira Connector for BC integration. Running the pre-migration review means knowing if it should be revised before go-live.
5
Reduced risk for end-of-support systems: migrating from a NAV version that is nearing the end of support or is no longer supported at all makes complex projects even more challenging. A pre-migration review maps exactly what you are working with before your team makes rushed decisions and faces unplanned costs.
Business Central pre-migration costs: what to expect
A poor plan of cloud migration is eventually more expensive than the preparation that prevents it. Emergency development, correcting scope halfway through, or delayed go-lives are more costly than a structured pre-migration review. They are also harder to recover from on a fixed timeline.
The Discovery X-ray one-time fee is a fixed, predictable cost at the start of the project that beats multiple surprises.
Related services
Stairway to Cloud
BC development
Quality Assurance
Data migration
Why Global Mediator? Detailed pre-migration scan from experts
- We believe in a no-nonsense way to assess the current NAV/BC system for a clear cloud migration.
- We practice direct conversations with people who do the work.
- We foster freedom to challenge assumptions and suggest better alternatives.
- Transparent communication with no upsells or middlemen.
- We respect freedom of choice. There is no pressure to start cloud migration with us.