How to Choose a Business Central Partner
The software is proven. The partner is the risk.
Choose a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central partner on four things: proven Business Central delivery, a clear implementation method, a price based on how your business actually works, and the same senior people supporting you after go-live. This guide covers the questions to ask, the red flags to avoid and what good looks like.
The short answer: pick the partner who asks about your processes before quoting a price, shows you their method, is honest about what your team must do, and puts the people who deliver your project on your support. If they won’t fix the price, they won’t own the outcome.
No sales deck. No juniors. A straight answer on your shortlist, a proposal or your current partner.
40 years in business. Business Central specialists since 1997. We fix what others can’t.
On this page What to look for Questions to ask Red flags Why ERP Werx FAQs
Why the partner matters more than the software
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is proven ERP software. When a project fails, the cause is rarely the product. It’s how it was implemented: rushed discovery, unclear responsibilities, thin training, untested data and a team that moves on after go-live.
Introducing an ERP is daunting, even for experienced leaders. The partner you choose decides whether the automation and savings you’re paying for actually arrive, or whether your investment is put at risk.
Already live and it isn’t working? Go straight to Business Central Rescue.
What to look for in a Business Central partner
Six things separate a partner who delivers from one who just sells licences.
Proven Business Central experience
Ask how many Business Central and Dynamics NAV projects they’ve delivered for businesses like yours, and who on the team actually did the work.
A clear, repeatable method
They should walk you through every phase, the tasks on both sides and how decisions get made. Experienced partners have a method they’ve used many times.
Discovery before a price
A credible price follows a proper look at your processes. A quote given before anyone asks how your business works is a guess.
Honesty about your role
Good partners tell you up front what your team must do: decisions, data, testing time and sign-offs. That honesty should continue right through the project.
Training people can apply
Look for role-based training, delivered by someone who knows the system and your processes, with time for staff to practise before go-live.
Support from the people who built it
The person who knows your business best should support you after go-live, especially in the first three to four months.
Questions to ask a Business Central partner before you sign
Ask these at every stage. The answers will tell you more than any demo.
Research: how do you implement?
Ask them to show you, not just tell you.
- Can you walk us through your method, phase by phase?
- Which tasks are yours, and which are ours?
- Who will run our project day to day?
Scope and price: what are we paying for?
If a price arrives before anyone has discussed your processes, treat it as a red flag.
- Is the price fixed, or an estimate billed by the hour?
- What’s included, and what’s excluded?
- How are changes quoted?
Planning: what does the timeline look like?
The partner should start the plan and tell you what your staff need to do, and when.
- What are the milestones to go-live?
- What will you need from our team each week?
Training: how will our people learn it?
Under-delivered training is one of the most common reasons users struggle after go-live.
- Is training role-based and hands-on?
- Who delivers it, and how much time is allowed?
Testing: how will we know we’re ready?
Testing finds problems early, and it’s also when staff get familiar with the system before go-live.
- What tools and test scripts do you provide?
- What has to pass before we go live?
Support: who helps us after go-live?
Availability often drops once a partner moves its team to the next project.
- Will the person who implemented us support us for the first three to four months?
- How fast do you respond, and who answers?
Red flags, and what good looks like
Be careful if a partner:
- Quotes a price before asking how your business works.
- Gives vague answers about method, phases or who does what.
- Brings senior people to the sale and juniors to the project.
- Squeezes training into the last week before go-live.
- Has no clear plan for testing or go-live readiness.
- Moves the team on as soon as you go live.
What a good partner looks like
- Discovery before a price.
- A written scope with clear acceptance criteria.
- Visible milestones and honest responsibilities on both sides.
- Role-based training before go-live.
- Structured testing with agreed go-live criteria.
- The same people supporting you after go-live.
Our rule: If they won’t fix the price, they won’t own the outcome.
Why businesses choose ERP Werx as their Business Central partner
40 years in business, so we fix what others can’t.
Exclusive focus on Business Central
No distractions, just expertise. If a partner needs to juggle products, you become the experiment.
Fixed-price implementations
Agreed scope, clear milestones and a price you know before you start. See how fixed price works.
Most experienced partner
Founded in 1986, we became the first certified NAV partner in Asia-Pacific in 1997. We were doing this while others were still selling accounting software.
Local senior team
Based in Melbourne and Sydney. Our entire team, including senior management, is technically experienced in Business Central.
Microsoft ECIF-certified
We help reduce the financial barriers to adopting Business Central through Microsoft End Customer Investment Funds.
Project rescue specialists
Already burned by a partner? We regularly take over projects that are late, over budget or quietly broken.
Already on Business Central — but it’s not working?
You don’t need another partner promising improvement. You need specialists who take responsibility for the result.
Explore Business Central RescueChoose the next step that fits
We’ll tell you which path fits — including when the answer isn’t us.
Choosing a Business Central partner: FAQs
How do I choose a Business Central partner?
Choose on four things: proven Business Central delivery experience, a clear implementation method, a price based on how your business actually works, and the same senior people supporting you after go-live. Before you sign, ask to see their method, who will run your project, and how they handle training, testing and support.
What questions should I ask a Business Central implementation partner?
Ask how they implement, phase by phase; which tasks are yours and which are theirs; who will run your project day to day; whether the price is fixed or billed by the hour; how training and testing will work; and who will support you in the first three to four months after go-live.
What are the red flags when choosing an ERP implementer?
Watch for a price before anyone has asked how your business works, vague answers about method or responsibilities, senior people in the sale but juniors on the project, training squeezed into the last week, no plan for testing, and a team that moves on as soon as you go live.
Should we choose a fixed-price or time-and-materials partner?
A fixed price gives you cost certainty and makes the partner own the outcome, provided the scope and acceptance criteria are written down. Time and materials can suit open-ended work, but the risk of overruns sits with you. ERP Werx delivers fixed-price Business Central implementations for small and mid-sized businesses.
How much does a Business Central implementation cost in Australia?
It depends on your users, processes, data migration, integrations and training, so be wary of any partner who prices it before understanding your business. ERP Werx confirms fit and scope first, then fixes the price, so you know the cost before you start. Licences are priced separately per user, per month — see current pricing on our Business Central page.
Can we change Business Central partners mid-project?
Yes. Changing partners doesn’t have to mean starting again. ERP Werx regularly takes over Business Central projects that are late, over budget or quietly broken, stabilises what’s already there and recovers it, usually without re-implementing. See Business Central Rescue & Recovery.
Does it matter if our Business Central partner is based in Australia?
A local senior team works in your time zone, understands Australian requirements such as GST, and can be on site when it matters. ERP Werx is an Australian Business Central partner with a team in Melbourne and Sydney.
Why is training so important in a Business Central implementation?
Because your people run the processes, not the software. When training is rushed, or delivered by someone without deep system knowledge, staff struggle, errors creep in and customers feel it. Ask how training will be delivered, who will deliver it and how much time is allowed before go-live.