Do we need to migrate all Sage history?

Not necessarily. Many businesses move the clean master data, open transactions and opening balances needed for day-to-day operations, while retaining Sage or an archive for older history.

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Orca ERP Migration Guide

Sage 50 & Sage 200 to Business Central Migration

Q: What data can be migrated from Sage to Business Central?

Common migration scope includes customers, suppliers, items, chart of accounts, opening balances, stock, open sales and purchase orders and selected pricing or dimensions. Historical data requirements should be agreed during scoping.

Q: How long does a Sage to Business Central migration take?

For a straightforward, well-scoped Sage migration, Orca can often complete the move in around a couple of weeks. More complex projects can take longer depending on data quality, users, companies, integrations, customisations, testing and training.

What to consider when moving from Sage 50 or Sage 200 to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, including the key differences, what data can move and how to prepare for a smooth migration.

Explore ERP Migration Services

Understand the differenceSee how moving from Sage 50 differs from moving from Sage 200.

Prepare your dataDecide what needs to move and what should stay in your archive.

Plan the transitionMap, test and validate the new Business Central environment before go-live.

For UK wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers•6 minute read

What this guide covers

check_circleWhy businesses move from Sage to Business Central
check_circleSage 50 vs Sage 200 migration differences
check_circleWhat Sage data can be migrated
check_circleThe migration process and requirements
check_circleTypical migration timescales
check_circleHow Business Central can connect wider operations

Why Move from Sage to Business Central?

Sage 50 and Sage 200 can work well for many businesses, but growing operations often reach a point where finance, stock, sales and warehouse processes need to work together more closely.

edit_noteToo much manual work

Orders, stock updates, reporting or reconciliations depend on spreadsheets, rekeying or workarounds outside Sage.

sync_problemDisconnected systems

Warehouse, eCommerce, POS, finance and sales tools hold different versions of the same information.

bar_chartReporting takes too long

Useful management information requires exports or manual consolidation before it can be trusted.

trending_upThe business has grown

More products, locations, users or sales channels create complexity that the current setup was not designed for.

Sage 50 vs Sage 200: What Changes During Migration?

Moving from Sage 50

Sage 50 migrations are often more straightforward, particularly where Sage is mainly used for finance, customers, suppliers and basic stock.

check_circleReview spreadsheets and manual processes outside Sage
check_circleClean customer, supplier and item records
check_circleAgree opening balances and live transactions
check_circleDesign how stock, purchasing and sales should work in Business Central

Moving from Sage 200

Sage 200 environments are usually more integrated, so the migration needs to look beyond the database itself.

check_circleReview add-ons, integrations and custom reports
check_circleMap workflows, approvals and dimensions
check_circleIdentify connected warehouse, eCommerce and reporting systems
check_circleDecide what should be replaced, retained or integrated

Sage to Business Central: Key Differences to Plan For

Area	Typical Sage setup	Business Central approach	Migration consideration
Finance	Accounting and nominal-led structure	Finance connected with wider operational activity	Map chart of accounts, dimensions, VAT, posting groups and opening balances.
Customers & suppliers	Account records and transaction history	Customer/vendor records connected to pricing, orders, credit and workflows	Clean duplicates and standardise codes, terms and addresses before import.
Inventory	Varies from basic stock to more developed Sage 200 processes	Items, locations, bins, availability and transaction-led inventory	Validate units, item references, stock quantities and location design.
Reporting	Standard reports plus Excel or bespoke reporting	Role centres, analysis, Excel and Power BI ecosystem	Identify which existing reports are genuinely needed and redesign where appropriate.
Integrations	Third-party add-ons, imports/exports or APIs	Microsoft ecosystem, APIs, Power Platform and extensions	Create an integration inventory before migration and test every critical interface.
Warehouse	Often separate or partner-added functionality	Business Central inventory/warehouse processes plus specialist WMS options	Map physical goods-in, picking, packing, transfers and stock counts.

What Data Can Be Migrated from Sage to Business Central?

The exact Sage data migration scope should be agreed before the project starts. Most businesses focus on the information required to continue trading accurately from day one.

contactsMaster data

Customers and contacts
Suppliers / vendors
Products / items
Units of measure
Chart of accounts
Payment terms and tax setup

inventory_2Live operational data

Opening stock
Open sales orders
Open purchase orders
Customer balances
Supplier balances
General ledger opening balances

historyHistorical information

Selected transaction history
Prior-period balances
Archived reports
Legacy documents
Audit reference data
Read-only Sage access where appropriate

You do not always need to migrate every historical transaction.

For many businesses, the cleaner approach is to move the data needed for live operations and financial continuity, while keeping the old Sage environment or an archive available for historical reference.

How Does a Sage to Business Central Migration Work?

A structured migration keeps the project focused and makes it easier to validate the new system before users rely on it.

Discovery

Review how Sage is used today, current pain points and what sits outside the system.

Solution design

Agree how finance, sales, purchasing, inventory and connected processes should work.

Data preparation

Extract and clean the agreed Sage data before mapping it to Business Central.

Trial migration

Import test data, identify mapping issues and correct them before final cutover.

Testing

Validate balances, stock, orders and real end-to-end business scenarios.

Training & go-live

Train users, migrate final live data and move to Business Central through a controlled go-live.

What Are the Main Migration Requirements?

databaseClean source data

Remove duplicates, inactive records and inconsistent codes before migration.

account_treeAgreed account structure

Decide whether to keep, simplify or redesign your chart of accounts and reporting dimensions.

hubIntegration inventory

List eCommerce, EDI, banking, CRM, payroll, warehouse, POS and reporting systems connected to Sage.

groupsProcess owners

Finance, sales, purchasing and warehouse users should validate the new workflows before go-live.

How Long Does a Sage to Business Central Migration Take?

For a straightforward, well-scoped Sage migration, Orca can often complete the move in around a couple of weeks. The exact timescale depends on the project.

Data & complexityData quality, number of companies and process complexity

Integrations & customisationConnected systems, bespoke workflows and reporting requirements

Testing & trainingUser availability, validation and readiness for go-live

Scoping comes first.

We review the current Sage setup and migration requirements before confirming a realistic plan and go-live date. Smaller projects can move quickly; more complex multi-site or highly integrated environments may need longer.

What Should You Do Before Leaving Sage?

check_circleReview and clean customer, supplier and item records
check_circleConfirm opening stock and financial balances
check_circleList every system currently connected to Sage
check_circleDecide how much historical data you really need
check_circleIdentify the people who will test each business process
check_circlePlan training and the final cutover around operations

Connecting Business Central to Your Wider Operation

For wholesalers and distributors, the ERP is only one part of the operation. Business Central can also connect warehouse, B2B eCommerce and trade counter processes so teams are working from the same core data.

warehouse

Orca Warehouse

Improve stock accuracy and warehouse efficiency with mobile barcode scanning, picking, packing and real-time visibility.

storefront

Orca Commerce

Connect your ERP to your online store, synchronise products, customers and orders and streamline fulfilment.

point_of_sale

Orca POS

Enable fast checkout and mobile selling with POS software fully integrated into Business Central.

How Orca Supports Sage to Business Central Migration

Orca Business Solutions helps UK businesses plan, configure and carry out the move from Sage to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, with a focus on keeping the system practical for the way the business actually operates.

verifiedBusiness Central specialists

We work with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and can configure it around finance, sales, purchasing, stock and operational requirements.

hubConnected operational solutions

Our Warehouse, Commerce and POS solutions can extend Business Central across the wider wholesale and distribution operation.

Frequently asked questions

Considering a move from Sage to Business Central?

We can review your current Sage setup, discuss what needs to move and help you plan a practical migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.