Mallee District Aboriginal Services – Success Story
Seamless Transition: MDAS Upgrades from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central with EBS
Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) is Northwest Victoria’s leading service provider for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. MDAS delivers support services across the local government areas of Mildura Rural City Council, Swan Hill Rural City Council and Gannawarra Shire, covering health, wellbeing, support for children, youth, families and elders.
The Need for an Upgrade
MDAS had been using Microsoft Dynamics NAV and in 2016 the decision was made to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Amy Thompson, Management Accountant at MDAS recalled the team’s initial reluctance to upgrade, “I think for a lot of us it was learning something new, and how long is it going to take? What’s the process involved? Are we going to lose anything? Is there going to be any delays?”
Ms Thompson joined MDAS in November 2023 and only a few weeks into the role she had been handed the upgrade assignment. MDAS and EBS worked together to set an implementation date with the transition for go-live scheduled in mid-February, allowing ample time for testing.
“EBS were able to ease any concerns that we had with the upgrade. They were accessible and provided a solid user acceptance testing process for us to follow. It was really robust. They gave us plenty of time to test out the system and run any processes. The training was also very thorough. I had no issues whatsoever. They were brilliant. I’m not going to fault them.”
If people are still using NAV, then they need to upgrade, because the process was easy. We haven’t had any issues.
Amy Thompson,
Management Accountant
MDAS
Benefits of Business Central
The benefits of moving to Business Central by the team at MDAS are evident by the responsiveness of the system and the productivity improvements, “It flows better – Business Central is more responsive,” said Ms Thompson.
“We’ve found it better, simply for the quickness and responsiveness of everything. In NAV it was slower. Our AP officer is finding payment batches are quicker to be processed. We seem to be able to do more things and because it’s cloud-based and you can access it anywhere.”
EBS focus on User Experience
One surprising benefit Ms Thompson found from working with EBS as a partner is its bi-annual User Groups.
“EBS holds regular user groups and that’s something I’m not used. With other vendors I’ve worked with in the past, the software you get is out of the box, or you do that first initial customisation for your business and then it’s kind of left as is. If your business changes, you’ve got to try and make that work.
“With EBS it’s great knowing what’s coming up in the system [updates], it gives you something to look forward to and the ability to give feedback. We can come to the User Group, and if other clients are also having the same challenges, it might be rolled out as a standard feature.
“EBS are listening to the people that are using the software and making changes based on their suggestions. For me it feels quite different to be involved in something like that.”
Upgrading with Confidence
The upgrade to Business Central at MDAS highlights the importance of choosing a system that aligns with organisational needs and provides flexibility for future growth. The collaboration with EBS ensured a smooth transition, addressing concerns and enhancing operational efficiency – underscoring the value of thorough planning, effective communication, and responsive support in system upgrades.
When asked what she would say to businesses still using NAV and considering upgrading, Ms Thompson said, “If people are still using NAV, then they need to upgrade, because the process was easy. We haven’t had any issues.”
We’ve found Business Central better, simply for the quickness and responsiveness of everything. In NAV it was slower. Our AP officer is finding payment batches are quicker to be processed. We seem to be able to do more things and because it’s cloud-based and you can access it anywhere.
Amy Thompson
Management Accountant
MDAS
Office Location
3/47 Burgundy St
Heidelberg VIC 3084
Postal Address
PO Box 1115
Camberwell VIC 3124
Phone
1300 303 973