How to switch Business Central partners mid-project
Changing implementation partners partway through a project feels risky, and most companies put it off longer than they should. Done deliberately, it's a manageable transition. Here's how to do it without losing your data, your momentum or your sanity.
First: is it the partner, or the project?
Before you switch, be honest about the cause. Some projects struggle because of the partner: missed commitments, inexperienced staff, poor communication. Others struggle because of internal issues: unclear ownership, unavailable subject-matter experts, or decisions that never get made. A new partner fixes the first kind of problem, not the second.
An independent assessment helps separate the two. It also gives you a factual baseline, so the conversation with your current partner is about evidence, not frustration.
Know what you own
Your Business Central environment, your data and your licenses belong to your company. Partners work in your tenant with access that you grant. That said, check your contract on two points:
- Custom code. Who owns the source code for per-tenant extensions written for you? You'll want the full source, not just the installed app.
- Third-party add-ons. Are ISV apps licensed to you directly, or through the partner? Some may need to be re-contracted.
Collect everything before you announce the change
Request these as routine project deliverables. You're entitled to them regardless of what happens next:
- Source code for all custom extensions, ideally from the partner's source control
- Design documents, functional specifications and configuration decisions
- Data migration scripts, mapping files and reconciliation results
- Integration documentation: endpoints, credentials ownership, schedules and error handling
- The open issues list, test results and any outstanding change orders
- A list of every user and service account the partner has created
Handle access and licensing deliberately
Your new partner will need admin access to your Business Central and Microsoft 365 environment, which you grant through Microsoft's partner relationship process. Plan the timing so there's no gap, and remove the previous partner's access once the handover is complete.
If you buy Business Central licenses through your partner as a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, those subscriptions can be moved to a new provider. Line the move up with your renewal date to keep it simple.
Keep it professional. A cooperative handover is faster and cheaper for everyone. Most partners would rather part on good terms than dispute a transition, and you may still need their knowledge for a few weeks.
Expect a short reset, not a restart
A good incoming partner won't throw everything away. Expect a focused review of setup, code, data and integrations; a clear list of what to keep, fix and remove; and a re-baselined plan. Most struggling projects have a sound core, and the goal is to build on it.
Daily operations come first. If you're already live, the priority is stabilizing what's hurting the business, such as month-end close, order processing and integrations, before tackling longer-term improvements.
Questions to ask a new partner
- Who exactly will work on our project, and how senior are they?
- Have you taken over projects from other partners before? What did you find?
- How will you assess the current state before committing to a plan?
- How will you keep us informed, and who is accountable for the outcome?