Implementation

The first question we always get asked is "how long will it take to go live?" Typically, you will be able to go live in 3 months with the financial modules from the time we start the project, including accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, sales, fixed assets and cash management.  Take a look at the phases outlined below to gain a better understanding of how we approach an implementation. We have been doing this for over 20 years and over that time we have managed to fine tune our project methodology along with Microsoft's RapidStart implementation methodology 

This introductory call marks the beginning of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central journey. In a brief 30-minute conversation, we’ll explore your business requirements and walk through the core functionality we believe aligns with your needs. From there, we can offer a tailored demo followed by a detailed quote. There’s no obligation—just a straightforward conversation to determine whether Business Central is the right fit for your organization.

Once you've selected Minerva as your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation partner, we begin with a focused 3–5 day design workshop. This is the most important step in the overall success of the implementation. During this phase, we collaborate closely with your team to capture detailed business requirements and map out how Business Central will be configured to support your operations.

Together, we’ll review your chart of accounts, reporting needs, and identify key dimensions that will unlock powerful analytical capabilities—allowing you to slice and analyze data with precision. At the conclusion of the workshop, we deliver a comprehensive design document that serves as the blueprint for the next phase: building and configuring your Business Central environment

Once the design workshop is complete, we move into the build phase—where your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environment begins to take shape. During this stage, Minerva sets up your company or companies, imports foundational data such as your chart of accounts, vendors, customers, fixed assets, and dimension codes, and configures the system based on your design specifications.

While your team may be involved, this phase is primarily led by Minerva. We use preconfigured data packages to streamline setup and minimize manual entry—accelerating deployment and reducing risk. We also create your core financial statements, including the Balance Sheet and Income Statement, along with any custom reports your business requires. Business Central includes hundreds of standard reports, and we ensure the ones most relevant to you are ready to go.

Additionally, we will configure payment methods such as electronic funds transfers (EFT) and checks. If you're implementing our Power BI financial statements, we’ll integrate and deploy those during this phase as well—giving you powerful, real-time financial visibility from day one.

This phase starts before the training phase so that we can import some data from your legacy system to use in the training. However it extends through to the end of the project and concludes when we import your legacy data up to the point where you go live.

After we have built the system, we will schedule training for your team. We typically prefer to do this in person but can also do it remotely. We have found it is better received by the users in person as we can see your reactions and cues as to whether or not we are on the same page. The training is usually broken out into 4 or 8-hour sessions over the course of a couple of weeks, depending on how much training you require and how many modules are being implemented.

Following the training phase, we move into User Acceptance Testing (UAT)—a critical step in ensuring your system is ready for go-live. This phase begins immediately after training and continues through to deployment. During UAT, your team will test Business Central using real scenarios and sample data, reinforcing what was learned during training and validating that the system performs as expected.

Full participation and formal sign-off are essential. Skipping or rushing this phase can lead to post-launch issues and unnecessary stress for your team. With your cooperation, we’ll ensure the system is configured correctly, workflows are functioning smoothly, and your users are confident and prepared for a successful go-live

This is the day when you stop using your legacy system and start using Business Central. We can go live at the end of any month, but usually this is done at the end of a quarter or the end of your fiscal year 

After go-live, it's normal to need extra support as your team adjusts to the new system—especially during the first few days, weeks, and your initial month-end close. Minerva provides dedicated post-launch assistance to ensure a smooth transition and reinforce the success of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation.

Once your team is confidently using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in the live environment, we transition to ongoing support. From this point forward, if you need assistance—whether it's a quick question, a configuration change, or additional training—just reach out. We're here to help, and we’ll make sure it gets done efficiently and effectively.