Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Business Central Consulting & Development
Disconnected systems and outdated enterprise resource planning platforms drain revenue and create costly data silos. IDC research shows businesses lose 20 to 30 percent of annual revenue to inefficiencies tied to poor data integration and manual processes. eSoftware Associates delivers Dynamics 365 Business Central consulting and development that closes those gaps.
Our Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Services
ERP Implementation and Configuration
A successful ERP implementation begins with understanding your unique challenges and how your organization actually operates. ESW takes a holistic approach, configuring the platform across finance, supply chain, inventory, and manufacturing to align with your business processes, then manages the rollout from scope definition through go-live.
- Business process analysis and requirements gathering
- Full ERP configuration across finance, inventory, and operations
- Multi-company and multi-currency environment setup
- Cloud migration and environment provisioning
- Implementation strategy and project management
Custom AL Extension Development
When standard Business Central functionality does not cover your workflows, ESW builds customized solutions through custom AL extensions that extend the platform natively while keeping your upgrade path intact through Microsoft’s biannual release cycle.
Our team also develops and publishes apps through Microsoft AppSource to address unique business needs.
- Custom AL extension development and deployment
- AppSource app development
- Custom page layouts, fields, and workflow logic
- Role-tailored document templates and report layouts
- API endpoint development for external system connectivity
Integrations and Third-Party Connectivity
Connecting Business Central to your broader technology stack eliminates data silos and is where a significant share of ERP value gets realized. Forrester research shows organizations with tightly integrated ERP systems achieve 25% greater operational efficiency than those running siloed tools.
ESW manages the full integration lifecycle across the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond, ensuring a seamless transition to connected operations.
- Microsoft Power Automate workflow integration
- SharePoint and Microsoft 365 connectivity
- eCommerce platform integration, including Shopify and Magento
- CRM integration with Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service
- REST and OData API development for third-party system connections
Data Migration from Legacy ERP Systems
Moving off NAV, QuickBooks, or other legacy systems is one of the highest-risk steps in any Business Central project. Gartner reports data quality issues affect over 60% of ERP implementations. ESW’s proven methodology covers extraction, cleansing, transformation, and validation, ensuring a smooth transition to your new system while maintaining a zero-data-loss record across more than 200 completed migrations.
- Data extraction and cleansing from legacy systems, including NAV and QuickBooks
- Data mapping and transformation to Business Central schema
- Historical transaction and master data migration
- Cutover planning and parallel-run support
- Post-migration validation and reconciliation
Reporting, Dashboards, and Power Platform Automation
ESW builds custom reports natively in Business Central and extends real-time visibility through Power BI dashboards that consolidate data across your Microsoft 365 environment. The result is real-time insights that support data-driven decisions, while Power Automate workflows eliminate manual tasks and boost productivity across your organization.
- Custom reports and document layout development in Business Central
- Power BI dashboards integrated with Business Central and M365 data
- Power Automate workflow automation for approvals and notifications
- KPI tracking and management summary dashboards
- Scheduled reporting and threshold-based alert configurations
Upgrades, Support, and Ongoing Maintenance
Microsoft updates Business Central twice a year. ESW handles upgrade assessments, extension compatibility reviews, and post-upgrade validation to keep your organization’s environment current without disrupting daily operations.
Ongoing support covers configuration changes, new development, and performance troubleshooting as your business grows.
- Business Central version upgrades and compatibility assessments
- AL extension review and updates for new release cycles
- Ongoing configuration support and change requests
- Bug resolution and performance troubleshooting
- User training and post-go-live enablement programs
How ESW Delivers Business Central Projects
Every Business Central engagement at ESW follows a proven methodology built to reduce risk, set clear expectations, and drive growth over time. Whether you are implementing for the first time or transitioning from a legacy ERP, our proven expertise guides the process through three consistent phases.
Phase 1: Discover and Plan
ESW works closely with your team to review existing systems, workflows, and business requirements. This phase produces a detailed project plan covering scope, timeline, resource allocation, data migration strategy, and integration dependencies, all mapped to your unique business needs. Nothing moves to build until your team has reviewed and agreed on the plan.
Phase 2: Build and Configure
With a validated plan in place, ESW handles configuration, custom AL development, data migration, and integrations in parallel workstreams. Progress is tracked against milestones and communicated regularly, with testing conducted in a sandbox environment to ensure a smooth transition before anything reaches your production instance.
User acceptance testing is a required gate before go-live approval.
Phase 3: Launch and Support
ESW manages go-live cutover, coordinates user training, and stays engaged during the stabilization period immediately after launch. Ongoing support is handled by the same team that built the solution, giving your staff direct access to people who understand your environment and can help your organization realize the full potential of its Business Central investment.
Why Clients Trust Us SharePoint Consulting Services
100% US-Based, No Offshore Handoffs
Every consultant and developer on your project is a US-based certified consultant. ESW does not offshore work or subcontract to third parties, so you receive consulting services backed by consistent expertise and direct communication from the same team throughout the engagement.
A Retention Rate That Reflects Results
92% of ESW clients return for additional projects. With over 1,500 companies served, including Fortune 500 firms such as Hewlett-Packard, our track record reflects the proven expertise that makes ESW a long-term partner rather than a one-time vendor.
Deep Microsoft Ecosystem Expertise
Founded in 2006, ESW has delivered thousands of custom solutions as recognized Microsoft partners. Our in-house team covers Business Central, Power Platform, SharePoint, Azure, and Microsoft 365, giving you a single partner across the full Microsoft ecosystem to support your organization’s growth and innovation.
Industries We Support
Business Central is built to handle a wide range of operational models, and ESW has configured and extended the platform across many of them. Our business central consultants bring deep industry expertise to each engagement, delivering tailored solutions that address unique challenges while shortening the time required to map requirements and reducing configuration errors.
Distribution and Wholesale
ESW configures Business Central for multi-warehouse inventory management, purchase order automation, vendor pricing, and demand forecasting, giving distributors real-time visibility across their entire supply chain.
Manufacturing
Production orders, bills of materials, capacity planning, and shop floor reporting are areas where Business Central adds significant operational control. ESW builds out manufacturing modules and integrates them with inventory and finance, providing the performance data companies need to drive growth.
Professional Services
Project-based businesses benefit from Business Central’s jobs and resource management functionality. ESW configures time tracking, project budgeting, billing, and profitability reporting for consulting firms, agencies, and service providers, enabling data-driven decisions at every stage of project delivery.
Retail and eCommerce
ESW connects Business Central to Shopify, Magento, and other storefronts, synchronizing inventory, orders, and customer relationship management data so retail and eCommerce operators maintain accurate records across channels without manual reconciliation.
Nonprofit and Public Sector
Grant tracking, fund accounting, and restricted revenue management require customized solutions that go beyond standard finance setups. ESW adapts Business Central to meet the reporting and compliance requirements specific to nonprofit and public sector organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Business Central is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning solution built for small and mid-sized businesses. It manages financials, supply chains, inventory, and operations in one platform, with native integration into Microsoft 365 tools including Teams, Outlook, Power BI, and SharePoint.
How long does a Business Central implementation take?
Most mid-market ERP implementations run 3 to 6 months. More complex business central projects involving multi-company setups or significant customization can take longer. ESW provides a detailed timeline estimate during the discovery phase before work begins.
What is AL development?
AL is the programming language used to build Business Central extensions. Extensions add custom functionality that can boost productivity without modifying the core application, keeping customizations compatible with Microsoft’s biannual update releases and protecting your upgrade path.
Can Business Central integrate with e-commerce platforms?
Yes. Business Central includes a built-in Shopify connector, and ESW builds custom integrations for Magento, WooCommerce, and other platforms. These connections synchronize orders, inventory, customer relationship management data, and financials in real time.
How does ESW handle data migration from QuickBooks or NAV?
ESW follows a proven methodology covering extraction, cleansing, transformation mapping, and validation before any cutover. Gartner reports data quality issues contribute to failure in over 60% of ERP projects. ESW maintains a zero-data-loss record across 200-plus migrations from legacy systems.
Does ESW provide Business Central training?
Yes. ESW delivers role-specific user training aligned to your workflows and any custom processes built during the implementation. Training can be delivered at go-live or as ongoing sessions after launch.
What ongoing support is available after go-live?
ESW’s post-launch support covers configuration changes, new development, upgrade assessments, bug resolution, and user training. The same US-based team that built the business central solution handles support, eliminating knowledge-transfer gaps common with third-party arrangements.
How is Business Central different from Dynamics 365 Finance?
Business Central is designed for companies that need broad ERP coverage without enterprise-level complexity. Dynamics 365 Finance targets larger organizations with advanced requirements around global compliance, multi-entity consolidation, and high-volume manufacturing. ESW can help you assess the right solution during an initial consultation.