About This Course
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a comprehensive, cloud-based ERP solution designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, offering integrated capabilities across finance, supply chain, sales, project management, and operations. As organisations across Africa and the Middle East accelerate their digital transformation journeys, the demand for IT professionals who can implement, customise, and maintain Business Central environments has grown significantly.
This ten-day programme is designed specifically for IT professionals — system administrators, ERP consultants, developers, and technical architects — who need deep, hands-on fluency with the Business Central platform. The course moves beyond end-user training to address the technical layers that underpin a successful deployment: licensing models, environment setup, data migration, integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure services, AL development, and ongoing system governance.
Participants will work through realistic implementation scenarios, configure core functional areas, write and debug AL extensions, and build integration workflows using Power Automate and APIs. By the end of the programme, delegates will have the technical confidence to lead or support Business Central projects from initial scoping through to post-go-live support, positioning themselves and their organisations for measurable ERP success.
Who Should Attend
- ERP Consultants and Implementation Specialists
- IT Administrators and System Engineers responsible for Business Central environments
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Developers and Technical Architects
- IT Project Managers overseeing ERP implementations
- Business Intelligence and Integration Specialists
- Solutions Architects designing Microsoft-based enterprise systems
- IT Support Engineers providing first- and second-line Business Central support
Learning Objectives
- Describe the Business Central architecture, deployment models, and licensing structure
- Set up and configure Business Central environments in both cloud (SaaS) and on-premises deployments
- Perform system administration tasks including user management, permissions, and security roles
- Migrate data from legacy systems using the built-in data migration tools and RapidStart Services
- Develop and deploy AL extensions using Visual Studio Code and the AL Language extension
- Build and customise reports and dashboards using Report Designer and Power BI integration
- Configure and manage integrations with Microsoft 365, Azure, and third-party APIs
- Design and automate workflows using Power Automate and Business Central's built-in approval framework
- Monitor system performance, troubleshoot common errors, and apply updates and hotfixes
- Apply governance, compliance, and backup best practices to maintain a stable production environment
- Prepare for and execute go-live activities including cutover planning and post-implementation support
Course Modules
Module 1: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Overview and Architecture
- Business Central product positioning within the Dynamics 365 family
- Deployment models: SaaS, on-premises, and hybrid options
- Licensing tiers — Essentials vs. Premium and assigned vs. concurrent users
- Core system architecture: application server, database layer, and web client
- Navigation of the Business Central web client: role centres, action bars, and the Tell Me search function
- Tenant architecture in the SaaS model: how Microsoft manages infrastructure, updates, and multi-tenancy isolation
Module 2: Environment Setup and Administration
- Provisioning environments in the Business Central Admin Center
- Managing sandbox, production, and pre-production environments
- Configuring companies, fiscal periods, and number series
- Applying updates, hotfixes, and extension upgrades in the Admin Center
- Configuring notification settings, scheduled maintenance windows, and update policies in the Admin Center
- Copying and restoring environments: use cases for environment cloning and point-in-time restore initiation
Module 3: User Management, Security, and Permissions
- Creating and managing user accounts via Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
- Permission sets and permission set extensions — design and assignment
- Security filters and row-level data access control
- Audit trails, change logs, and compliance logging configuration
- User group strategies and delegation of administrative roles within Business Central
- Licence-to-permission mapping: ensuring assigned Entra ID licences align with permission set scope to prevent access errors
Module 4: Data Migration and RapidStart Services
- Planning a data migration strategy: scope, sequence, and data cleansing
- Using RapidStart Services configuration packages and worksheets
- Building and validating Excel-based data import templates
- Handling migration errors and reconciling opening balances
- Migrating legacy master data: customers, vendors, items, and chart of accounts mapping considerations
- Post-migration data validation techniques: reconciliation reports, trial balance checks, and stakeholder sign-off procedures
Module 5: Core Functional Configuration for IT Professionals
- Configuring the General Ledger, chart of accounts, and posting groups
- Setting up inventory, warehousing, and item tracking parameters
- Configuring sales and purchase order workflows and document posting
- Understanding the functional interdependencies that affect technical configuration decisions
- Configuring dimensions and default dimension rules for financial reporting and cost centre analysis
- Managing payment terms, currency exchange rates, and bank account setup for multi-entity and multi-currency deployments
Module 6: AL Language Development and Visual Studio Code
- Setting up the AL development environment and connecting to a sandbox
- AL syntax fundamentals: tables, pages, codeunits, and reports
- Event-driven development: subscribing to and publishing events
- Debugging AL extensions using the VS Code debugger and snapshot debugging
- Working with interfaces, enumerations, and the object access modifiers introduced in recent AL versions
- Using the AL Explorer and IntelliSense-driven symbol navigation to traverse base application objects during development
Module 7: Extension Development, Deployment, and Lifecycle Management
- Building table extensions and page extensions without modifying base application objects
- Packaging and publishing extensions via the Extension Management page and AppSource pipeline
- Versioning, dependency management, and handling breaking changes
- Uninstalling, upgrading, and managing extensions across environments
- Writing and running automated tests with the AL Test Runner framework to validate extension behaviour before deployment
- Managing app.json manifest settings: defining dependencies, propagation rules, and target platform versions for multi-environment pipelines
Module 8: Reporting, Analytics, and Power BI Integration
- Designing and modifying RDLC and Word layout reports in Report Designer
- Using the Report Dataset Designer and AL report objects
- Connecting Business Central to Power BI using the built-in connector and OData feeds
- Building role-centre KPI dashboards and embedding Power BI reports in Business Central pages
- Publishing and managing report layouts per company: assigning custom layouts and controlling default layout selection
- Using Analysis Views and the built-in financial reporting feature to deliver self-service reporting without external tools
Module 9: Integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, and External APIs
- Configuring the Business Central connector for Microsoft Teams and Outlook
- Using OData and REST APIs to expose and consume Business Central data
- Building integration flows with Power Automate and Azure Logic Apps
- Authentication patterns: OAuth 2.0, service-to-service, and API keys for third-party integrations
- Registering and configuring custom API pages in AL to extend the Business Central API surface for external consumers
- Monitoring and throttling integration traffic: understanding API rate limits, retry strategies, and error handling best practices
Module 10: Workflow Automation and Approval Framework
- Configuring Business Central's native workflow engine for document approvals
- Building multi-step approval hierarchies and delegation rules
- Integrating Power Automate flows with Business Central workflow events
- Testing and monitoring workflow execution and resolving stuck approvals
- Importing and customising workflow templates: adapting Microsoft-supplied templates to meet organisation-specific approval policies
- Configuring approval notification methods, response deadlines, and automatic escalation rules to ensure timely processing
Module 11: Performance Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Troubleshooting
- Reading and interpreting Business Central telemetry in Azure Application Insights with KQL queries
- Identifying performance bottlenecks using the Performance Profiler and query analysis
- Common error patterns: permission issues, posting errors, and integration timeouts
- Using the Support Diagnostic Tool and raising effective Microsoft support cases
- Analysing long-running AL operations with the AL Profiler snapshot to isolate inefficient extension code
- Configuring custom telemetry signals in AL extensions to surface application-specific diagnostic data in Application Insights
Module 12: Governance, Backup, Compliance, and Disaster Recovery
- Database backup policies in SaaS vs. on-premises and point-in-time restore procedures
- Configuring data retention policies and GDPR-related features
- Change management governance: controlling who deploys extensions to production
- Disaster recovery planning and environment restoration procedures
- Implementing audit controls for administrative actions: tracking environment configuration changes and Admin Center activity logs
- Designing a environment promotion pipeline that enforces testing gates before changes reach the production environment
Module 13: Go-Live Planning, Cutover, and Post-Implementation Support
- Structuring a go-live readiness checklist and technical cutover plan
- Managing final data loads, system freeze periods, and parallel run strategies
- Establishing a post-go-live support model: hypercare, SLAs, and escalation paths
- Capstone project presentations: participants demonstrate their configured Business Central solution
- Coordinating smoke-testing scripts for critical business processes immediately after cutover to validate system integrity
- Documenting the as-built configuration and handover artefacts to ensure the internal IT team can sustain and extend the solution independently
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a working knowledge of IT systems administration and enterprise software concepts. Familiarity with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem — including Azure Active Directory and SharePoint — is recommended. Prior exposure to any ERP platform or relational database concepts is helpful but formal ERP certification is not required.
Training Methodology
- Guided environment setup labs where participants provision and configure their own Business Central sandbox tenants
- Step-by-step AL development workshops using Visual Studio Code with real extension build-and-deploy cycles
- Data migration simulations using RapidStart Services and Excel-based data packages drawn from realistic business scenarios
- Integration configuration exercises connecting Business Central to Power Automate, Power BI, and Azure Logic Apps
- Troubleshooting drills based on common production issues such as permission errors, integration failures, and performance bottlenecks
- Peer code review sessions where participants critique and improve each other's AL extensions
- Case studies drawn from actual Business Central deployments in manufacturing, retail, and NGO sectors
- System governance workshops covering backup scheduling, update management, and compliance configuration
- Role-play scenarios simulating client discovery conversations to practise requirements gathering for ERP projects
- End-of-course capstone project requiring each participant to design, configure, and demonstrate a functional Business Central solution for a defined business case
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced dependency on external consultants through in-house Business Central technical expertise
- Faster and more reliable ERP implementations driven by properly trained IT teams
- Lower risk of data loss or system downtime through sound administration and governance practices
- Improved integration between Business Central and the wider Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystem
- Greater agility to customise and extend the ERP system as business needs evolve
- Enhanced system security and compliance through properly configured roles and audit trails
- Stronger ROI on the Business Central licence investment through optimised configuration and adoption
- IT professionals who can act as internal champions and trainers for end-user departments
Where Is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for IT Professionals Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Nairobi, Kampala, Nakuru, Abuja, Dar es Salaam, Dubai, Riyadh, Johannesburg, Lagos, Mombasa, Cape Town, Naivasha, Kigali, Addis Ababa, Pretoria, Accra, Arusha, Kisumu, Zanzibar, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,600 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,600 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 9,000 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 4,800 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
+236 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior Business Central experience to attend this course?
Formal Business Central experience is not required, but participants should have a solid IT background and familiarity with enterprise software environments. Basic knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory will help you get the most out of the programme.
Will participants receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. TrainingComplex issues a Certificate of Completion to every delegate who attends and completes the full programme. The course content and hands-on labs also serve as excellent preparation for the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate exam.
Is this course suitable for developers, administrators, or both?
It is designed to serve both. The programme covers system administration, environment management, and governance for IT administrators, while also dedicating substantial time to AL development, extension deployment, and API integration for developers and technical consultants.
What tools and software will participants need?
Participants will need a laptop with Visual Studio Code installed, along with the AL Language extension from the VS Code marketplace. A Microsoft 365 trial or developer account with a Business Central sandbox will be provisioned as part of the lab setup on Day 1 — TrainingComplex will provide guidance in advance.
Is the course delivered online or in person?
The standard format is in-person, allowing for hands-on lab work and peer collaboration. A Live Virtual option is also available for delegates who cannot travel, delivered over Microsoft Teams with the same labs, materials, and instructor support.
