5 Steps to Migrate from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365
Are you ready to adapt to market demands, drive business growth, and transform digitally? If yes, then it's time to upgrade! Explore the next steps for upgrading from AX to Dynamics 365, which we have curated for you.
Step 1: Outline the scope
The first step for a successful upgrade is to outline the project's scope. It is easy to embrace all the amazing features Dynamics 365 offers, but following a rational approach toward the whole migration process is the key to success. So, as you define the goals and vision of the migration, asking these questions will help:
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- What problems are you facing in your existing system?
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- What features would you like to implement from the new solution?
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- How much data are you planning to migrate?
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- How would you plan to move your current modules into the cloud?
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- How will you ensure the continuity of operations while migrating?
The answer to these questions will prepare your team for the next implementation steps. You can book a free assessment from a trusted partner to decide between an upgrade or re-implementation. An assessment can help you evaluate your existing business structure, identify loopholes, create a roadmap, and offer insights into the licensing incentives provided by Microsoft.
Step 2: Choose your technology partner
Irrespective of the organization's size, Dynamics AX upgrade requires you to consider many factors, such as organizational structure, legacy equipment, business model, and level of customization. To mitigate the chances of failure and ensure seamless data migration from AX 2012 to Dynamics 365. It is always wise to engage a certified Microsoft partner from day one.
A qualified partner can bring in the necessary experience and expertise needed to achieve success with the upgrade. Technology partners like Confiz will help assess your current Dynamics AX environment and create a detailed migration plan. This plan will include feasibility, roadmap, timelines, resources, and the budget required for the migration.
Step 3: Build a high-performing team
Migrating from a legacy ERP to an advanced one requires a complete understanding of all aspects of the upgrade, and one person or a single entity cannot do it.
The migration requires effective cooperation between your organization and technology partner. Identify core members from within your organization to cooperate with your technology partner to identify the process gaps and mitigate quality control issues. Make sure your partner develops a good understanding of your industry, business model, and goals. Furthermore, the partner must bring in the right expertise and use a proven approach for low-risk, problem-free deployment.
Step 4: Prepare the data
To smoothly migrate, preparing the data in your Dynamics AX system for migration is important. Enterprises that have been in operation for a long time have likely accumulated millions of terabytes of data, much of which may be outdated, unnecessary, or redundant. This may include duplicate customer information, incorrect pricing, blank forms, obsolete product documentation, etc.
It is not practical to migrate all transaction history to the new system. Why?
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- The process of replicating each transaction in the right sequence and balancing out each transaction is complex
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- The number of years of data history increases the complexity of the migration
To ensure that the data used for business decision-making is relevant, it is important to cleanse it before upgrading. You can use the Upgrade Analyzer tool in Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle services to scan your AX 2012 environment and ID the tasks required to ensure a successful upgrade. This tool will help you flag redundant data that is safe to remove and explain the impact of the cleanup. Of course, it is completely up to you whether or not to follow these recommendations. However, remember that a smaller database is faster to upgrade. Preparing the data in your Dynamics AX system for migration is important to smoothly migrate
Step 5: Perform a functional test
Conduct comprehensive functional testing of all financial and operational business processes, including previous processes from AX 2012 and recently implemented new features.
The test pass should cover all aspects of the business processes, including input validation, data processing, and output generation. It is important to ensure that all processes function correctly and without errors or bugs. The test pass should also include a review of the user interface to ensure it is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Any issues or bugs identified during the test pass should be documented and reported to the appropriate team for further investigation and resolution.
