One significant advantage of using a cloud software-as-a-service application is you are always on the latest version. This means new features and software fixes are always available.
Microsoft will do two major releases each year, in April and October, as well as minor releases between these times, and all these updates are compulsory. A release updates you to the latest ‘version’. Major releases include new functionality, improvements to existing functionality and fixes, and minor releases include fixes.
Microsoft’s releases upgrade the out-of-the-box Business Central, and third party, certified applications will also follow the same release cycle as Microsoft. If you have customisations, or custom Extensions, these sit outside the core Business Central solution and do not get updated by the Microsoft update.
These releases are very different in nature to the upgrades you would be used to on your on-premises applications. They don’t require the traditional ‘big’ upgrade projects that require significant investment in time, money, and change management. The Business Central updates are small and are marketed as happening automatically in the background. Which they do, and there are all sorts of advantages to this.
Whilst there are significant advantages to this form of updates, they are still updating the production environment of a business-critical system and deserve some attention. This is more relevant if you have integrations and custom extensions. As each major release also comes with new features, it is best practice to be up to date on what these are, and if they could benefit you.
At PA, we schedule the release dates.
We create a sandbox environment to test existing solutions including extensions.
From this we can identify any errors or concerns with compatibility or code, and resolve them.
We review this all with the client.
The live or production update is scheduled.
The update happens, and we manage any issues that may arise.
Successful rollout of production environment is confirmed.
We assist with minor release when required.
All PA clients enjoy the Release Management service as part of our overall Client Care Program. This is a structured approach to the two major releases per year. PA will take the lead for you on managing each release so that you can concentrate on your business as usual.
Schedule time with us to discuss your organisation's unique business requirements. We'll make our recommendations based on industry knowledge and years of experience implementing solutions across various businesses.
