Business Central. Finance first, then one area at a time.
A finance-first MVP goes live first, as early as scope and data readiness allow. We start with financial management and core procurement, then add further areas in stages.
Why Business Central with Cloudmaven
Cloudmaven in Figures
16+
Locations worldwide (Europe, EMEA, America, Asia)
30+
Countries in which we operate
120+
consultants and engineers
350+
satisfied customers
600+
projects
Companies that work with us
Business Central, thought through from a finance perspective
Features
From growing company to multi-entity group. As a cloud ERP, Business Central takes on new modules, locations and subsidiaries without new servers, so the system grows in the same steps as the company.
The four core areas of Business Central
License guidance for Essentials and Premium
License
Team Member
Covers
Read access, approvals, basic time/expense entry
Typical use
Management, warehouse staff, departments without daily bookkeeping work
License
Essentials
Covers
Finance, sales, purchasing, warehouse, project management
Typical use
Core users in accounting, sales and purchasing, covers most users
License
Premium
Covers
Everything in Essentials plus service and manufacturing management
Typical use
Companies with production or an active service/maintenance business
We connect Business Central to the systems around it
We connect Business Central in both directions to Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform, DATEV, payment providers and banks, CRM systems such as HubSpot or Dynamics 365 Sales, EDI and webshops, through eUnify, our own integration platform, or through other platforms.
Switching from an existing system
Source system
Dynamics NAV / Navision
Typical migration effort
low to medium
What matters most
Similar data model, custom modifications need to be assessed and migrated
Source system
Sage 50 / 100 / spreadsheet-based setups
Typical migration effort
medium
What matters most
Master data cleanup, chart-of-accounts cleanup, interfaces to the tax advisor.
Source system
Other ERP systems (e.g. SAP Business One)
Typical migration effort
medium to high
What matters most
An individual upfront assessment is required before any effort estimate
Cloudmaven and Business Central
We start the Business Central conversation with your finance processes, and we write them down before anyone configures the system. We have done more than 100 NetSuite implementations, and we implement Business Central for companies that are at home in the Microsoft ecosystem or want a leaner entry-level ERP.
Because we advise on both NetSuite and Business Central, you get an independent assessment of which platform fits your company size and structure.
As an authorised Microsoft partner, we support you across the entire selection and implementation process, from license strategy to setup to ongoing support.
Our services
Licensing and contract strategy We tailor the mix of Essentials, Premium and Team Member licenses to how each user actually works in the system.
Change management We bring each team onto Business Central step by step, train key users first and only add the next module when people work confidently with the last.
Implementation and rollout We start with a finance-first go-live and then add modules one at a time with our Stairway approach, as your organization is ready for more.
Localisation and compliance We set up the German chart of accounts (SKR03 or SKR04), OSS reporting, e-invoicing and GoBD-compliant processes, with DATEV connected from day one.
Support As an authorized Microsoft partner we stay with you after go-live, answer questions from daily use and adjust licenses and setup as the company grows. Once the first month-end close in the new system is signed off, our Customer Success Team takes over under a support contract.
Our approach
Our approach is built on the Cloudmaven ERP Methodology and its Target Operating Model (TOM) Framework, the same approach we use on large customer projects.
Finance first, then step by step with the Stairway approach
We do not roll out Business Central all at once. Instead, we follow a staged approach, the Stairway, that gets you to a working, finance-led system fast, then expands the system in deliberate steps as your organisation is ready for more. This reduces project risk and lets you see value early instead of waiting for one large go-live.
one large go-live
the Stairway
Finance is live and stable
Sales order management
warehouse and supply chain capabilities
Service management
Multi-entity
Stage 1, Establish (MVP)
Financial management first, general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, bank reconciliation, fixed assets, plus core procurement. This is deliberately the smallest footprint that gives you a complete, compliant finance backbone. How soon this first stage goes live depends on scope and data readiness.
Stage 1.5, Elevate
Sales order management, basic inventory, and light project accounting are added once Finance is live and stable.
Stage 2, Expand
Full warehouse and supply chain capabilities (multi-location, lot/serial tracking, demand planning), deeper purchasing workflows, and BI/Power BI dashboards.
Stage 3, Accelerate
Service management and light manufacturing, plus more advanced budgeting and planning.
Stage 4, Expand internationally
Multi-entity and international rollout across additional legal entities.
FAQs
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Business Central is Microsoft’s cloud-based ERP solution for small and mid-sized companies. It covers financial accounting, sales, purchasing, warehousing and project management in one system and is natively integrated into Microsoft 365.
Who is Business Central a good fit for?
Growing, mid-sized companies, typically between around 10 and 500 employees, that are already working in the Microsoft ecosystem or are looking for a leaner entry point than an enterprise ERP.
What does Business Central cost?
Licensing is user-based across three tiers, Team Member, Essentials and Premium, plus implementation effort. Because Microsoft’s price list changes regularly, we share current figures in a personal conversation.
What is the difference between Business Central and NetSuite?
Both are cloud ERP systems, but they differ in scope. Business Central is particularly strong when a company is deeply anchored in the Microsoft ecosystem and wants a leaner, faster-to-implement solution. NetSuite is stronger for more complex, internationally distributed structures that need very deep scalability. We advise on both platforms and recommend whichever fits your company size and structure.
How do I migrate from Dynamics NAV/Navision to Business Central?
Because both systems share a similar data model, the switch is generally well plannable. Custom modifications from the legacy system still need to be reviewed and migrated, we clarify this upfront in a short assessment.
What role does Microsoft Copilot play in Business Central?
Copilot is included in the Essentials and Premium licenses at no extra cost and helps with tasks such as bank reconciliation, drafting sales text, and natural-language data analysis.
Do you also implement Business Central on-premises or as a hybrid setup?
No. Cloudmaven implements Business Central exclusively as a cloud solution. For the large majority of our clients, the cloud edition is the right choice because of automatic updates, predictable cost and easier scaling. If your organisation has a specific requirement that genuinely needs on-premises or hybrid, we are happy to point you to a suitable partner. It is not something we deliver ourselves.
How fast can we realistically go live?
With a Finance-first, Stairway-based rollout, finance goes live first, as the smallest step. How soon depends on scope and how ready your data is. Additional modules are then added in further stages rather than all at once, see “Our approach” above.
What else we implement
If your company outgrows what Business Central can offer, for example through more complex international structures or multi-level consolidation, we also support you in moving to NetSuite. For planning, budgeting and consolidation we offer Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), for travel and expense management the Perk platform, and with AI process automation we further reduce manual effort in your finance processes.
Are you choosing Business Central or extending it beyond finance?
Because we advise on both NetSuite and Business Central, you get an independent assessment of which platform fits your company size and structure.