When people think about Business Central, they often focus on features, automation, integrations, and reporting.
Yet during our recent Business Central User Community session, one of the most practical and valuable discussions had nothing to do with new functionality.
Instead, the conversation focused on something much simpler: testing.
Several experienced Business Central users shared their approach to managing Microsoft updates, customisations, and system changes. While the technology and business requirements varied, the advice was remarkably consistent.
Test before you update. Test thoroughly. And involve your users.
It may not be the most exciting topic in the world of ERP systems, but the organisations that have successfully navigated multiple Business Central releases have learned that effective testing is one of the easiest ways to reduce risk and protect business continuity.
Modern cloud systems never stand still
One of the strengths of Business Central is that it continues to evolve.
Microsoft regularly delivers new functionality, enhancements, performance improvements, and security updates. Third-party applications also continue to release updates and new capabilities. Organisations using custom extensions will often introduce their own enhancements over time as well.
This creates a platform that is continuously improving.
However, it also means organisations need to be prepared for change.
Unlike traditional on-premises environments where updates could sometimes be delayed indefinitely, cloud platforms operate on a regular update cycle. At some point, new features and updates will be introduced into production environments.
The good news is that organisations have the opportunity to prepare.
The key is making use of that opportunity.
Why testing matters
It is easy to assume that if a system works today, it will continue working tomorrow.
Most of the time, that assumption is correct.
However, many Business Central environments contain more than standard Microsoft functionality. Organisations often use third-party solutions, custom workflows, integrations, extensions, reporting tools, and automation processes that have been tailored to their business requirements.
A platform update may not affect any of these areas.
But if it does, you want to know before the update reaches production.
That was the experience shared by several Community members. Testing was viewed not as an IT activity, but as a business activity. It was an opportunity to confirm that critical processes continue to operate exactly as expected.
The sandbox is there for a reason
One of the strongest recommendations from the Community discussion was to make full use of sandbox environments.
A sandbox provides a safe place to experiment, validate processes, and identify potential issues before production systems are updated. Community members highlighted that testing environments allow users to trial integrations, workflow changes, automations, and upgrades without risk to live business operations.
In many ways, a sandbox is one of the most underutilised assets within a Business Central environment.
Some organisations only enter their sandbox during update cycles.
The more mature organisations often use it continuously.
They test ideas. They trial process improvements. They evaluate new functionality. They investigate integrations and automations. Most importantly, they learn what works before introducing changes into production.
As one Community member observed, if something is going to break, it is far better to discover that in a test environment than during a month-end close or an audit cycle.
Business users should be part of testing
Another valuable lesson shared during the session was that successful testing should involve more than system administrators or IT teams.
The people who perform the day-to-day work often know best whether a process is behaving correctly.
Several organisations described a simple but effective approach.
Accounts payable teams test invoice processing.
Accounts receivable teams validate customer transactions.
Finance teams review journals, reconciliations, and reporting processes.
Approvers check workflow functionality.
Users perform the activities they carry out every day and confirm that everything continues to work as expected after an update.
This approach delivers two important benefits.
First, it confirms that the system is performing correctly.
Second, it increases user confidence when the production update eventually occurs.
Focus on critical processes first
When preparing for an update, it can be tempting to test everything.
In reality, most organisations achieve better outcomes by focusing on the processes that matter most.
Questions worth considering include:
- Can invoices still be processed correctly?
- Do approval workflows behave as expected?
- Are integrations still functioning?
- Can month-end journals be posted successfully?
- Are reporting outputs unchanged?
- Do custom extensions continue to operate correctly?
- Can users access the areas they need?
By concentrating on the activities that directly impact business operations, organisations can quickly identify whether an update introduces any unexpected behaviour.
Build testing into your business rhythm
One of the most powerful messages from the discussion was that testing should not be viewed as an inconvenience.
It should be viewed as part of operating a modern cloud platform.
Just as organisations plan for audits, budgeting processes, and month-end activities, testing should become part of the normal operational rhythm.
The organisations that appear most comfortable with Business Central updates are often those that have made testing routine.
They understand that updates are not exceptional events.
They are an expected part of using a continuously improving platform.
As a result, testing becomes proactive rather than reactive.
The best time to find a problem is before it exists
One of the simplest principles in system management is also one of the most effective.
The best time to discover an issue is before it reaches production.
The Business Central clients who shared their experiences during our Community session were not advocating complex testing programmes or lengthy project plans. Their advice was practical, straightforward, and based on real-world experience.
Use your sandbox.
Test your critical business processes.
Involve your users.
Validate your integrations and customisations.
And make testing part of your regular update process.
As Business Central continues to evolve, organisations that embrace this discipline will not only reduce risk but will also be better positioned to take advantage of new capabilities with confidence.
Because sometimes the best advice is also the simplest:
Test before you update.