Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (Navision) and EDI
For many companies, the ERP system is where the important business data lives. Customer orders are created there. Products, prices, units of measure, inventory, shipping information, and invoices are managed there. When a company exchanges EDI documents with customers and suppliers, much of the information in those documents ultimately comes from the ERP.
This is where Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the successor to Microsoft Dynamics NAV (often still called Navision), can become an important part of the EDI process.
Business Central includes a Data Exchange Framework that can be used to exchange business documents and other data with external systems. Microsoft describes it as a framework for defining how data in Business Central is converted to and from external files or streams.
Where Business Central Fits in the EDI Flow
A simple example is a retail order. A customer sends an EDI 850 Purchase Order. The EDI integration layer receives and translates the document, then the relevant information is brought into Business Central. The ERP can then create or update the corresponding sales order.
Later, information from Business Central can be used to generate documents going back to the customer, such as an 856 Advance Ship Notice or 810 Invoice, depending on the trading partner’s requirements.
The basic flow can look like this:
Trading Partner → EDI Platform → Business Central → EDI Platform → Trading Partner
The exact architecture varies. Some companies use an external EDI provider or integration platform between Business Central and their trading partners. Others use Business Central’s own data exchange and e-document capabilities for specific formats and workflows.
The important point is that Business Central is usually not the EDI network itself. It is the business system that provides, receives, and processes much of the data used in EDI transactions.
Why Mapping Matters
This is where EDI mapping becomes particularly important. Business Central has its own fields, tables, codes, and business rules. A trading partner has its own EDI requirements. The integration has to connect the two correctly. For example, an external document may contain a product identifier, quantity, location, or unit of measure that needs to be mapped to the appropriate Business Central field.
Microsoft’s documentation specifically describes data exchange definitions as a way to map columns or XML elements in an external file to fields in Business Central. A mapping can therefore be technically correct while still creating a business problem if the wrong product code, unit of measure, location, price, or quantity is used.
EDI Is More Than Sending Invoices
It is easy to associate ERP-to-EDI integration primarily with invoices. In practice, EDI can connect many stages of the order-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes.
Depending on the business and trading partner, the integration may involve:
- Purchase Orders and order acknowledgments
- Advance Ship Notices
- Invoices and credit memos
- Inventory and product information
- Shipment and delivery information
- Functional acknowledgments
- Payment and remittance information
Business Central also provides APIs for exchanging data with external systems, giving companies another integration option alongside its data exchange and e-document functionality.
What EDI Teams Should Watch
The ERP integration itself is only one part of the project. Teams also need to consider master data, trading partner specifications, units of measure, item identifiers, locations, business rules, error handling, and testing. A change in Business Central can affect an EDI workflow. The reverse is also true: a new trading partner requirement can require changes to mapping or ERP configuration.
That is why EDI, IT, ERP, warehouse, logistics, and finance teams often need to work together rather than treating the integration as an isolated technical project.
Takeaway for EDI teams
For teams working with Business Central or legacy Navision environments, understanding how ERP data connects to EDI documents can help prevent problems that otherwise appear downstream as order errors, shipment mismatches, invoice rejections, or manual work. At EDI Academy, we help professionals understand the details behind EDI transactions and how they connect with the business systems and processes that support the supply chain.