How to Choose the Best AX Support Partner and Plan Your AX to Dynamics 365 Migration

Most ERP managers do not decide to move away from Dynamics AX; they simply grow tired of not migrating. Support becomes harder to find, workarounds accumulate, and compliance is trickier every year. And somewhere between the third integration failure and the consultant who charges double because they are one of six people left who know AX, the math changes. If you are at that point, or close to it, here is what truly matters when choosing a Dynamics AX support partner or planning your move to Dynamics 365.

LevelShift is built for organizations that need both immediate AX support and a credible migration roadmap. We help you stabilize what you have today while building a migration path that is technically sound, cost-controlled, and built to last.

Dynamics AX 2009 and 2012 End of Support (What it means for you)

Thousands of mid-sized and enterprise companies built their operations on Dynamics AX 2009 and 2012. These are solid systems that can be deeply customized, tightly integrated, and woven into daily workflows. Ripping them out overnight isn’t realistic. But Microsoft has moved on. Mainstream support for AX 2012 ended years ago. Security patches are limited. Finding experienced AX consultants is harder than it used to be. And as compliance requirements evolve, running an unsupported ERP becomes a real liability. The question is not whether to migrate; it is when and with whom.

What to look for in a Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365 migration partner

Not every Microsoft partner has the right skills. AX-era expertise is rare, and Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain is a fundamentally different architecture. Here is what sets the right partner apart from the rest.

1. Deep AX 2009 and 2012 experience

Your partner needs real hands-on experience with AX 2009 and 2012. That means they can diagnose performance issues, handle customizations, and maintain system stability while you plan your next move. LevelShift’s Dynamics AX support services cover both versions, keeping your environment healthy throughout every stage of the transition.

2. Proven track record on D365 Finance & SCM migrations

Migrating from Dynamics AX to Dynamics 365 is not a simple upgrade. It is a reimplementation with legacy considerations. Ask specifically about completed migrations, not just D365 implementations starting from scratch.

3. Ability to support both systems during transition

The migration process can take months. You need a partner who can keep AX running reliably while simultaneously building out your D365 environment. Two systems, one team, no dropped balls.

4. Assessment and roadmap capability

Before any migration starts, you need clarity: What customizations can be replaced by standard D365 features? Which integrations need rebuilding? What is the realistic timeline and cost? LevelShift’s experts start with a structured assessment rather than a proposal built on assumptions. We help you surface risks, identify quick wins, and build a migration roadmap grounded in your environment.

5. Data migration and integration planning

Data is often where migrations become complicated. Your partner should have a defined approach for cleansing, mapping, and validating data before it moves, plus a clear plan for connecting D365 to your other systems (warehouse, CRM, payroll, etc.).

6. Testing strategy and cutover planning

Go-live failures almost always trace back to insufficient testing or a rushed cutover. Seek partners who have structured UAT processes, regression testing frameworks, and a cutover playbook that protects business continuity.

7. Security and compliance readiness

If you are in a regulated industry, such as manufacturing, distribution, or financial services, your migration must consider audit trails, access controls, and data sovereignty from day one. This is not optional, and it is often undervalued.

8. Change management, training, and post-go-live support

The technology is only half the project. If your team is not trained and supported, adoption suffers. A strong AX support partner stays long after go-live through hypercare, optimization, and long-term system health.

If you want a partner who understands both the legacy complexity of AX and the real-world demands of Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM, LevelShift is built for that exact gap. We support you end-to-end, from stabilizing your current AX environment to executing a structured migration that does not compromise business continuity.

Related: All You Need to Know About the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 to Dynamics 365 Upgrade

Costly AX to Dynamics 365 migration mistakes most companies make

Even well-managed companies make avoidable errors. The most common is choosing a partner solely based on price. A low bid usually means shortcuts on methodology or staffing, and the choosing the wrong partner costs far more in rework than the initial savings.

Data cleanup is often underestimated. Years of duplicate records and inconsistent coding do not clean themselves up. Migrating faulty data into Dynamics 365 only duplicated the same problem in a newer system.

Change management is where migrations often fail quietly. If users do not understand the new system, they create workarounds, and those workarounds become the new normal. A smooth go-live means nothing if adoption fails.

Cutover planning is another gap. Every migration has a go-live window, and failing to plan for rollback scenarios and business continuity can lead to unplanned shutdowns.

A Dynamics 365 migration affects every aspect of your business. If finance and operations are not involved from the beginning, you will go live on time and still get it wrong.

Questions to ask before you choose a partner

• How many AX 2009/2012 environments are you actively supporting right now?
• How many AX-to-D365 Finance migrations have you completed in the last three years?
• Can you show me a sample migration roadmap or assessment deliverable?
• How do you handle customizations that don’t have a D365 equivalent?
• What does your data migration methodology look like, specifically for master data and historical transactions?
• Who will be on our account, and what is their individual AX/D365 experience?
• What does your cutover planning process include?
• What post-go-live support do you offer, and for how long?
• Have you worked with companies in our industry or of our size before?
• What risks do you see in our specific situation, and how would you address them?

LevelShift’s AX to Dynamics 365 F&O migration roadmap:

A real-world AX to Dynamics 365 migration success story

A native American-owned pallet management company serving Fortune 500 clients across North America faced siloed systems, manual errors, and an underutilized Dynamics 365 F&O environment. Experts at LevelShift stepped in and addressed it end-to-end. We automated vendor invoicing, enabled multi-company transactions, integrated Blackline to ensure financial accuracy, and built Power BI reports that actually made sense to the people who used them. On-time delivery improved by 20%. Workflows became faster, adoption increased, and the business finally gained the operational visibility it was missing.

Get started with your AX Migration

When you are on AX and unsure about your next move, the smartest first step is a straightforward conversation, not another PowerPoint. If you want clarity on support or migration, begin with a migration assessment or a discovery call with an experienced AX support and Dynamics 365 upgrade partner who understands your challenges. LevelShift helps you move off AX without disruption, delays, or expensive rework. Even if you are 12 to 18 months away from a decision, we help you plan a controlled, low-risk transition from day one.

The best time to plan your migration was last year. The second-best time is now.