From a Broken Business Central Migration to a System Darrah Could Trust Again
After a difficult NAV-to-Business Central migration left critical workflows incomplete—and eventually disrupted shipping—Knowtion stepped in to stabilize the platform, train users, simplify the environment and reconnect Business Central to the way Darrah Electric actually operates.
A manufacturer and semiconductor distributor whose ERP had to work like the business works.
Darrah Electric is a semiconductor distributor and manufacturer of high-quality DC power supplies and power-conversion solutions. Its operations depend on purchasing, inventory, assembly, shipping, financial workflows and technical product information moving together reliably.
The migration was technically complete. The business workflows were not.
Darrah had worked with the same technology vendor for nearly a decade. That vendor migrated the company from NAV 2018 to Business Central and spent substantial time onsite, but critical operating steps were still missed.
Shipping was disrupted
Near the end of the year, Darrah reached the point where orders could not be shipped reliably, creating downtime in a process that directly affects customers and revenue.
Workflow steps were missing
The new ERP did not fully reflect how purchasing, inventory, assembly, shipping and related activities actually moved through the business.
Users had not been educated
Darrah’s team had a new system without enough practical education on how to use it, creating frustration and making workarounds harder to eliminate.
Attachments were a version-control problem
SharePoint-based attachment handling created confusion around document versions, while remote users had to enter Remote Desktop before they could access the system and related files.
Darrah did not need another technical vendor. It needed business experts who knew Business Central.
Knowtion was brought in to understand how Darrah needed to operate first, then make Business Central support that operating model. The engagement started with workflow, user behavior and business impact—not with a list of technical changes.
Understand how the work moves through the company.
Platform second.
Configure, simplify or extend Business Central around the real requirement.
Ownership always.
Educate users and leave the business with a system it can trust.
Stabilize first. Simplify next. Then modernize the workflows that mattered.
Stabilized Business Central
Knowtion learned Darrah’s actual operating workflow, corrected configuration and process gaps, and put the system back on a dependable footing.
Restored shipping reliability
The team addressed the workflow breakdowns that had prevented orders from moving through shipping normally.
Educated the users
Instead of treating training as an afterthought, Knowtion worked with users so they understood the system and could operate it with confidence.
Removed unnecessary extensions
Unused or unnecessary extensions were removed, reducing complexity and making the environment easier to support.
Replaced expensive customizations
Simple upgrades replaced custom reporting, attachment and shipping extensions that had been costing roughly $10,000 per year.
Optimized Microsoft licensing
A licensing review identified more than $50,000 in recurring annual Microsoft licensing savings separate from extension savings.
Fix attachments and version control without forcing remote users through Remote Desktop.
Knowtion created an Azure-based file integration with Business Central so documents could be managed with proper version control while remaining accessible to users working remotely.
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Connect the financial workflow instead of leaving it outside the ERP.
Knowtion integrated Darrah’s banking infrastructure with Business Central, creating a more connected path for real-time financial information and payment processing.
- Banking integrated into the operating environment
- More current financial visibility
- Payment-processing workflows connected
- Less reliance on disconnected manual processes
Lower recurring cost. Better workflows. More confidence in Business Central.
The financial savings mattered, but the larger outcome was restoring Business Central as an operating system Darrah could rely on instead of work around.
“We had months of frustration with another provider. Knowtion came in and made me trust and love this system again.”
Diana DarrahCo-President · Darrah Electric Company
The development project ended. The relationship did not.
Knowtion began working with Darrah in April 2025. After the primary stabilization and development work was completed, Darrah retained Knowtion for ongoing Business Central support—giving the company continuity as needs evolve.
Questions manufacturers ask when Business Central is not working the way the business needs.
Can Knowtion take over Business Central from another Microsoft partner?
Yes. Knowtion can assess an inherited Business Central environment, understand the business workflows, review extensions and integrations, stabilize high-risk issues and create a practical improvement roadmap without assuming the environment must be rebuilt.
Can a Business Central implementation be rescued without starting over?
Often, yes. Darrah Electric is an example of an environment that needed stabilization, workflow correction, simplification, user education and targeted integrations rather than a complete reimplementation.
What causes Business Central migrations to fail for manufacturers?
Common failure points include incomplete process discovery, missed purchasing or inventory steps, weak manufacturing and shipping workflows, unnecessary customizations, poor user education, fragmented attachments and integrations, and unclear ownership after go-live.
Does Knowtion support manufacturers using Business Central?
Yes. Knowtion works with manufacturing and distribution environments where purchasing, inventory, assembly, production, shipping, finance, reporting and surrounding systems must work together.
Can Knowtion reduce Business Central licensing costs?
Knowtion can review Microsoft licensing, user requirements and partner structure for optimization opportunities. In Darrah Electric’s environment, this work identified more than $50,000 in annual Microsoft licensing savings.
Can you replace expensive Business Central extensions?
When the business requirement can be met more simply, yes. For Darrah, Knowtion replaced unnecessary custom reporting, attachment and shipping extensions with simpler improvements that saved roughly $10,000 per year.
Can Business Central attachments be stored outside SharePoint?
Architecture depends on the requirement, but Knowtion can design Microsoft cloud file integrations around Business Central. For Darrah, an Azure-based file integration improved attachment access and version control while eliminating the need for remote users to enter Remote Desktop first.
Can Business Central integrate with banking and payment processing?
Yes. Banking and payment workflows can often be integrated with Business Central to improve financial visibility and reduce disconnected manual processes. Knowtion implemented this type of integration for Darrah Electric.
Does Knowtion train users after fixing Business Central?
Yes. User education is part of creating a sustainable operating environment. A technically correct system still fails if users do not understand how to execute their daily workflows confidently.
What happens after a Business Central rescue project?
Some clients transition to internal ownership while others retain Knowtion for ongoing support, optimization and new requirements. Darrah continued with Knowtion after the main development work was completed.
You may not need to start over.
Bring us the workflow that is broken, the customization no one understands, the reporting users do not trust or the migration that never quite finished. We will start with how the business needs to operate.