Is Your Dynamics NAV Partner / Dynamics GP Partner Failing You? A Guide to Switching and Securing Your ERP’s Future

If you’re reading this, you are likely in a challenging position. Your long-term Microsoft Dynamics NAV partner or Dynamics GP partner – the one you’ve trusted to understand your business intricacies – may have been sold, retired, or has simply informed you they can no longer provide adequate support. You are facing uncertainty about the future of your mission-critical ERP system and may be unclear on the path to a modern solution like Dynamics 365 Business Central. This situation is unsettling, but it is not unique to your business.

This guide provides a clear, reassuring roadmap for navigating this change. Our goal is to replace fear with confidence by empowering you to find a new, highly capable Microsoft Dynamics partner. By the end of this article, you will understand the forces reshaping the partner landscape, the risks of inaction, and exactly how to execute a Dynamics GP partner change or a Dynamics NAV partner switch to secure both your current system and your company’s future operations with a new Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central partner.

5 Key Takeaways: Securing Your Dynamics NAV/Dynamics GP Future

1. Partner Instability is Widespread and Risky: The Dynamics GP Partner change and Dynamics NAV Partner switch trend is driven by Microsoft’s strategic shift, partner sales, and the approaching 2028/2029 end-of-support deadlines. Inaction leaves your ERP exposed to severe security vulnerabilities and compliance issues.
2. Switching Partners is a Standard Process: The fear of changing partners is often greater than the reality. Switching your Microsoft Dynamics Partner is a Microsoft-sanctioned, administrative process. Successful transition relies on documenting your current setup and identifying a strategic transition point.
3. Vetting is Critical for Success: A shocking 70% of implementations fail due to the wrong partner. You must choose a new partner with Verified Microsoft Credentials (Solutions Partner for Business Applications), a Proven Migration Track Record (5-10 verifiable Business Central migrations), and Deep Industry Expertise.
4. Demand Business Central Migration Expertise: When seeking a new Business Central partner, ensure they can strategically manage complex issues like handling customizations (using the modern AL development language) and articulating a clear cloud architecture and security strategy. A partner who defaults to on-premise is inadequate for the future.
5. Proactive Assessment is the Safest Path: Given the looming deadlines, the strategic move is to stop delaying and start vetting a new partner immediately. Secure a complimentary New Partner Assessment to stabilize your current NAV/GP system and create a reliable bridge to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

1. The Uncomfortable Truth: Why the Microsoft Dynamics Partner Ecosystem Is in Chaos

The instability you are experiencing is not an isolated incident. It is a widespread trend, a direct result of Microsoft’s strategic shift away from on-premises solutions like NAV (Navision) and GP (Great Plains). This has created what can only be described as chaos in the Dynamics partner ecosystem, leaving many long-standing customers feeling abandoned.

The “partner exodus” is happening for several distinct reasons, forcing businesses like yours to find immediate solutions:

• Partner Practice Sales & Retirements: Many customers are actively searching for new Dynamics support because their trusted Microsoft partner has “sold their practice” or the principals have “retired,” leaving a void in service and expertise.
• Discontinuation of Legacy Support: Some partners are making a clean break, explicitly informing customers they are “discontinuing NAV/GP support” to focus their resources elsewhere, leaving clients with no choice but to find an alternative.
• Lack of Business Central Competence: Perhaps most concerning are the partners who remain but are unprepared for the future. Many either lack the specific skills required for a complex Business Central migration or upgrade or are “claiming Business Central expertise they don’t actually possess.”

This partner instability is colliding with hard, non-negotiable deadlines set by Microsoft for the end of life of legacy product support.

• Expired (As of April 2025): End-of-life for older versions like Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015, Dynamics GP 2015, and Dynamics GP 2015 R2.
• 2028: All extended support for Dynamics NAV completely ends.
• 2029: Mainstream support for Dynamics GP ends.

These converging factors – Dynamics partner unreliability and official end-of-support dates – create significant risks for any business that delays taking decisive action.

2. The High Stakes of Inaction: Is Your Microsoft Dynamics ERP at Risk?

Your ERP is the central nervous system of your organization. When expert support for this mission-critical system disappears, the business is exposed to tangible and escalating risks that go far beyond simple inconvenience. Running an unsupported Dynamics GP or Dynamics NAV system in today’s environment is a strategic gamble.

The consequences of inaction can be severe, impacting security, compliance, and operational effectiveness:

1. Heightened Security Vulnerabilities: Unsupported legacy systems operate on “aging security frameworks susceptible to sophisticated cyberattacks.” They lack modern protections, making them prime targets. The catastrophic cost of a single data breach—in regulatory fines, lost customer trust, and operational downtime—can dwarf the cost of a proactive system upgrade.
2. Mounting Compliance Challenges: Legacy ERPs struggle to adapt to constantly evolving regulatory requirements. As industry and government mandates change, an outdated system can quickly fall out of compliance, exposing your business to significant penalties and legal expenses.
3. Operational Inefficiency: Older systems present “significant integration challenges” with modern business tools. This creates disconnected data silos, leading to poor forecasting, missed sales opportunities, and wasted labor hours on manual data reconciliation. It also prevents you from leveraging the power of a connected Microsoft ecosystem, including tools like Copilot, Power BI and Teams.

Beyond the risks of an unsupported system, a partner acquisition introduces a different set of fears. Many businesses worry about becoming “just another client” to a larger firm, losing the personalized support they once valued. This concern is valid. A new, larger partner may lack the specific industry expertise essential to your operations or fail to provide adequate post-go-live support, offering no defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to guarantee timely help when you need it most.

While these risks are significant, the process of switching to a new, qualified Microsoft Dynamics partner is more straightforward and manageable than you might fear.

3. Relief is Possible: How to Switch Your Dynamics Partner with Confidence

The thought of changing your ERP partner can feel daunting, sparking fears of a complex, disruptive, and costly undertaking. However, this perception is often far from reality. Switching your Microsoft Dynamics NAV or Dynamics GP partner is a well-defined and common administrative process that, with proper preparation, can be executed smoothly and with minimal disruption to your business.

To ensure a successful transition, a few preparatory steps are essential:

1. Document Your Current Setup: Before engaging with potential new partners, take the time to catalog your existing system. Document all customizations, third-party integrations, and the critical business processes that rely on your ERP. This documentation is invaluable, as it allows prospective partners to provide a truly accurate assessment of your needs and the scope of work required.
2. Identify a Strategic Transition Point: Timing is key to minimizing disruption. Plan the partner switch to coincide with a “natural break point” in your business cycle. The end of a fiscal year, a contract renewal period, or a seasonally slower operational period are all ideal times to make the change.
3. Understand the Formal Process: Many users ask, “How to change Dynamics GP or Dynamics NAV Partner of Record?” The answer is that Microsoft has a formal, administrative procedure to facilitate this exact change. This is not a rogue undertaking; it is a standardized, Microsoft-sanctioned process that makes the switch a safe and manageable task.

Once you have prepared for the switch, the next critical step is to rigorously vet potential new partners. Using a clear set of criteria is the key to finding a partner who can not only support you today but guide you into the future.

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Secure Your Future: Start Your New Partner Assessment

Don’t let partner instability or past failures risk your business.

Is your current Dynamics NAV or Dynamics GP Partner unreliable, sold off their practice, or unable to move you to Business Central? The fear of switching is real, but the risk of staying put is greater.

Stop Worrying. Start Acting.

We understand you need a partner who delivers on promises, knows your system, and acts with integrity.

Take the first step with the Complimentary New Microsoft Dynamics Partner Assessment from 360 Visibility.

This assessment is designed specifically for businesses facing these challenges. It’s an action, not a commitment, focused on building a relationship based on transparency and guaranteed results.

🚀 What You Gain:

• Honest Evaluation: Directly address past failures and current support gaps.
• Clear Roadmap: Get a professional plan to secure your Dynamics system or move confidently to Business Central.
• Guaranteed Expertise: Work with Experts—Not Salespeople—with a commitment to No hidden fees or surprises.

Stop waiting for a crisis. Secure reliable, expert support today.

👉 Click Here to Start Your New Microsoft Partner Assessment (Free & Confidential!)

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4. Your Partner Vetting Checklist: 5 Must-Have Qualifications

Choosing a new Dynamics NAV Partner or Dynamics GP Partner is the single most important strategic decision you will make to ensure business continuity. This is not merely a vendor selection exercise. According to industry statistics, a shocking 70% of implementations fail due to working with the wrong partner. This checklist provides the definitive criteria for separating genuinely qualified Microsoft partners from those who merely claim expertise, ensuring you make the right choice.

1. Verified Microsoft Credentials A legitimate partner must hold the Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications designation, which replaced the older Gold competencies and verifies they meet Microsoft’s strict quality and performance standards. Furthermore, their team members must possess individual certifications, including the MB-800 (Business Central Functional Consultant) and MB-820 (Business Central Developer). Any partner claiming expertise without these official credentials is “gambling with your business.”
2. A Proven Migration Track Record Experience with basic implementations “doesn’t count.” A true upgrade from NAV or migration of GP to Business Central requires a completely different and more complex skill set. Demand case studies and verifiable references from at least 5–10 completed Business Central migration projects for businesses in an industry similar to yours. As part of your due diligence, contact at least three recent clients and ask them directly about the partner’s responsiveness, problem-solving abilities, and whether deadlines were met.
3. A Structured Migration Methodology A professional partner doesn’t just jump into technical work. They follow a formal, structured approach, such as 360 Visibility’s Business Impact Assessment. Their process should always begin with in-depth discovery sessions and business process reviews to understand your unique needs, identify risks, and map out a clear path to success.
4. Deep Industry-Specific Expertise Generic ERP experience is not enough. Your business has unique operational challenges, workflows, and compliance requirements. A qualified partner must demonstrate a deep understanding of your specific sector, whether it’s light manufacturing, financial services, wholesale and distribution, or nonprofit. They need to speak your industry’s language.
5. Transparent and Comprehensive Support A credible partner provides detailed proposals with fully itemized costs, avoiding hidden fees and ambiguity. They will offer realistic project timelines, which are typically 3-9 months for standard Business Central implementations. Crucially, they must also offer clearly defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs), guaranteeing response times for critical issues within 24–48 hours.

While these criteria are essential for vetting any support partner, an additional layer of scrutiny is required to assess their capability to lead a successful migration to Business Central.

5. Beyond Dynamics GP / Dynamics NAV: Finding a Dynamics 365 Partner for a Smooth Business Central Implementation

Selecting an implementation partner that will guide you and support your Dynamics GP migration or Dynamics NAV upgrade is about choosing a strategic advisor who will guide you through a significant business transformation. A strategic advisor will answer the following questions with an eye toward your long-term business goals, whereas a mere technician will focus only on the technical task.

To determine if a potential partner has the necessary strategic and technical depth, ask them these critical questions:

• “How will you handle our existing customizations?” A qualified partner will describe their methodology for evaluating each customization to determine if it can be transferred using automated tools, replaced by standard Business Central functionality, or must be rebuilt as a modern extension. They must demonstrate deep familiarity with the AL development language that replaces NAV’s C/AL, as a lack of this knowledge will create unnecessary costs and delays.
• “What is your approach to cloud architecture and security?” A strong partner will clearly articulate the advanced security and compliance advantages of a true cloud ERP. A partner who recommends on-premise installations by default is not just showing a preference; they are demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of Business Central’s architecture. This “cloud knowledge gap” is a major disqualifier, indicating they are ill-equipped to manage a modern, secure, and scalable cloud deployment.
• “Can you detail your data migration process?” The integrity of your business data is paramount. The partner must demonstrate proven expertise in managing complex data transfers, outlining their process for cleaning, mapping, and validating data to prevent loss or inconsistency during the move to Business Central.
• “What does your change management and user training program look like?” Technical success is only half the battle; user adoption determines the true ROI of the project. A top-tier partner will offer a robust change management and training program focused on helping your team understand new business processes and workflows, not just how to click buttons in a new system.

Finding a partner who can answer these questions with confidence, detail, and proven examples is the final step before you can secure the future of your ERP system.

The Path Forward: Secure Your Support and Future-Proof Your ERP

The risks of inaction are high, but a clear, proactive path exists to protect your business. The current chaos in the Dynamics partner ecosystem, combined with looming support deadlines, makes waiting for a crisis an untenable strategy. Switching to a new Dynamics 365 partner with verified Microsoft credentials, a proven migration track record, and deep industry knowledge is a strategic business decision, not just an IT problem.

With the 2028 NAV and 2029 GP deadlines approaching, the time to act is now. Securing a qualified partner ensures your current system remains stable while building a reliable bridge to a modern, future-proof ERP platform.

Don’t wait for a crisis. Schedule a complimentary, confidential Dynamics 365 Partner Assessment to review your support needs and future options.