Microsoft Certified: MB-800 Functional Consultant Prep Guide

The demand for skilled professionals who can implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is growing rapidly, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises undergoing digital transformation. The MB-800 certification is specifically designed for functional consultants responsible for configuring core business applications within this powerful ERP platform.

This part focuses on building a solid understanding of what the MB-800 certification entails, who it is intended for, and how Business Central fits into the broader Microsoft ecosystem. For those beginning their certification journey, this overview establishes essential context and structure.

The Role of a Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant

A certified Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant collaborates with businesses to design and implement application setups tailored to their unique operational needs. These consultants help organizations streamline financial management, sales, purchasing, inventory, and data migration processes.

Their work doesn’t stop at initial setup. They continuously optimize user roles, interface customization, and integrate Business Central with other Microsoft tools to enhance business productivity. The job requires both technical understanding and a strategic perspective on how digital solutions align with business goals.

Consultants frequently engage with stakeholders to identify requirements, design processes, and configure modules to ensure usability, compliance, and performance. Their ability to bridge functional knowledge with platform capabilities is what makes them indispensable during ERP implementations.

What the MB-800 Certification Covers

This certification validates a candidate’s ability to configure and implement core Business Central features. It spans multiple domains and expects professionals to apply real-world problem-solving approaches to practical scenarios.

Key areas of focus include:

Setting up the core functionality, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bank reconciliation
Implementing sales and purchasing workflows, including order processing and vendor management
Managing inventory and supply chain activities
Performing data migration from legacy systems to Business Central
Customizing role centers and dashboards to meet user-specific needs
Connecting Business Central with Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook and Excel
Integrating Power Platform tools such as Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps
Understanding security roles and permission structures

Each of these components plays a critical role in helping businesses transition to more efficient, digital-first operations.

A Platform Built for Modern Business Needs

Business Central is not just a financial tool. It is a comprehensive cloud ERP system built on Microsoft’s robust Azure infrastructure. It brings together the financial, operational, and customer-facing functions into one cohesive experience.

Its real-time data access, scalable architecture, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 create a unique value proposition. Organizations benefit from simplified user experiences, faster onboarding, and reduced costs by consolidating their business systems.

A consultant working with Business Central must understand this platform’s flexibility. From out-of-the-box configurations to complex workflows and custom extensions, the system supports a wide range of business models and industries.

Understanding Core Modules and Configuration

The MB-800 certification exam expects candidates to be hands-on with Business Central’s modules. Setting up core finance functionalities includes managing the chart of accounts, posting groups, dimensions, and accounting periods.

In sales and purchasing, consultants need to know how to configure customers, vendors, pricing rules, discounts, and order processing. Inventory management involves setting up item cards, defining locations, and managing warehouse entries.

Configuring workflows is another key component. Business Central allows for approval workflows in financial postings, purchase orders, and sales invoices. Consultants must understand how to build these workflows while aligning them with company policies.

The exam will also test how well candidates understand the impact of posting setups and how these affect the flow of transactions through ledgers.

Customization Without Code

One of the major strengths of Business Central is its ability to be tailored without the need for heavy development. Consultants can customize role centers, dashboards, and reports to reflect the specific needs of different users in the organization.

This level of flexibility helps increase user adoption and improve the clarity of data presented to decision-makers. Configuring cues, action tiles, and charts ensures that users focus on what matters most to them, without clutter or confusion.

Customizations may include changes to page layouts, the addition of fields, or the application of filters. These enhancements make Business Central a truly user-friendly ERP system for both technical and non-technical staff.

Integrating with the Microsoft Ecosystem

A key aspect of MB-800 is understanding how Business Central connects with other Microsoft tools. Integration with Microsoft 365 allows users to create sales quotes directly from Outlook, export data to Excel, and manage tasks using Microsoft Teams.

Business Central also connects with Power Platform, which allows functional consultants to build custom apps with Power Apps, automate approvals with Power Automate, and deliver insights through Power BI dashboards.

Consultants who can master these integrations bring more value to implementations, as they’re not just configuring ERP—they are enabling business intelligence, automation, and collaboration across the organization.

Data Migration: Starting Fresh with Confidence

One of the earliest tasks in an ERP implementation is migrating data from old systems. Business Central supports this process through configuration packages and assisted setup guides. Consultants must be able to import customers, vendors, items, and historical data into the system without compromising data integrity.

Understanding field mappings, data validation, and error troubleshooting is a vital part of a successful data migration strategy. The MB-800 certification ensures that candidates can perform these activities confidently and accurately.

It also emphasizes familiarity with the tools available in Business Central for uploading, modifying, and cleaning up data as the project progresses.

Real-World Scenarios and Exam Expectations

The MB-800 exam doesn’t just ask questions about where to click or what to configure. It presents real-world business challenges and expects candidates to provide effective solutions.

You may be asked how to adapt the sales process for a company that sells both services and physical products. Or you might encounter scenarios where departments have conflicting requirements, and you need to recommend the best configuration to meet compliance and performance goals.

To prepare effectively, focus on practical application. Practice labs, simulated environments, and scenario-based exercises are the best way to build real confidence.

Preparing for the Certification

There are several high-quality learning resources available for MB-800 preparation. Microsoft Learn provides an in-depth, structured curriculum that covers each exam objective. Other platforms offer self-paced and instructor-led training sessions.

Interactive quizzes and daily question forums help reinforce your understanding. Practical exposure through sandbox environments is highly recommended. This allows you to experiment with setups, workflows, and configurations in a risk-free environment.

In addition to studying, it’s important to apply your learning to business scenarios. Try to relate each feature of Business Central to a problem it can solve. This approach will not only help in passing the exam but also in developing skills needed in real-world consulting roles.

In the article, we’ll dive deeper into the implementation lifecycle. We’ll explore how consultants analyze requirements, map business processes, and deploy Business Central configurations tailored to different industries and departments.

We’ll also cover testing, training, go-live strategies, and post-deployment optimization. The goal is to provide a full view of what it means to execute a Business Central project from beginning to end.

Implementing Dynamics 365 Business Central – From Requirements to Go-Live

Once you understand the foundational features and role-based responsibilities tied to Dynamics 365 Business Central, the next step in preparing for the MB-800 certification is understanding how to execute a successful implementation. Business Central deployments involve more than just configuration—they require planning, collaboration, and a structured approach to ensure that the solution aligns with the organization’s operations.

This part walks through the end-to-end implementation process from business analysis and requirement gathering to deployment, go-live, and post-launch support. It emphasizes real-world scenarios and consulting practices that candidates must understand to pass the exam and succeed in professional engagements.

Understanding the Implementation Lifecycle

The Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation process typically follows a defined lifecycle that ensures all functional and technical requirements are addressed systematically. The stages include:

Discovery and analysis
Solution design
Configuration and development
Data migration
Testing and validation
Training and documentation
Go-live and support

Each phase involves stakeholders from business users to IT teams. As a functional consultant, you serve as a bridge between these groups, ensuring that business goals are reflected in the application configuration.

Gathering Business Requirements

The implementation process starts with discovery sessions where the consultant meets with business leaders, department heads, and key users to gather detailed requirements. The goal is to understand the organization’s pain points, workflows, and desired outcomes.

Consultants use process mapping to document the current state of operations. This documentation is later used to create a future state design that reflects how Business Central will be used post-implementation.

During these sessions, consultants identify:

Core business processes and workflows
Key metrics and reporting needs
Integration points with other systems
Compliance and audit requirements
Customization or extension needs

An important aspect of requirement gathering is to manage the scope. The functional consultant must help stakeholders prioritize features, minimize customization, and focus on business value.

Mapping Requirements to Business Central

After requirements are gathered, the next step is to translate them into Business Central capabilities. The consultant aligns each business process with a specific module or feature in the application.

For example, a company that offers project-based services may require job management and resource planning. Business Central includes project accounting tools that allow consultants to configure job tasks, budget tracking, and resource assignments.

A retail distributor may focus heavily on inventory tracking, requiring lot number or serial number management and reordering policies. Consultants configure these inventory features and ensure warehouse operations are optimized.

Every industry has unique needs, and part of the consultant’s job is to ensure that Business Central can support those needs using standard features or extensions when necessary.

Configuring the Solution

Once the solution is mapped out, configuration begins. Business Central’s assisted setup wizards and manual configuration screens are used to establish foundational settings. This includes defining:

Currencies, languages, and localizations
Fiscal calendars and accounting periods
Posting groups and dimensions
Numbering series for documents and transactions
Customer, vendor, and item master data
Approval workflows and user roles

A best practice during configuration is to build the system incrementally, validating each component before moving on to the next. Consultants often use sandbox environments to test configurations and get user feedback.

Configuration also includes tailoring role centers for each user type. Sales teams might need quick access to opportunities, quotes, and orders, while accountants might prioritize journal entries, bank reconciliation, and financial reports.

Migrating Data to Business Central

Data migration is a critical part of every implementation. Organizations need to bring in customer lists, vendor accounts, product catalogs, historical transactions, and opening balances from their legacy systems.

Consultants use Business Central’s configuration packages and Excel-based templates to import data. During this process, they map legacy fields to Business Central fields, validate imported records, and troubleshoot errors.

Migration often occurs in stages. First, static data like customers and vendors is imported. Then, dynamic data like open sales orders, unpaid invoices, and inventory balances is brought in just before go-live.

Testing the accuracy of migrated data is essential. Consultants must reconcile ledgers, check totals, and validate inventory quantities to ensure data integrity.

Integrating with Other Systems

Business Central rarely operates in isolation. Most businesses require some level of integration with other tools such as:

Microsoft 365 for productivity and collaboration
Power BI for advanced reporting and analytics
Power Automate for workflow automation
Third-party payroll, ecommerce, or CRM systems

Consultants are responsible for designing the integration architecture. This includes identifying data sources, determining synchronization frequency, and working with technical teams to develop APIs or middleware.

Understanding standard connectors and REST APIs helps consultants recommend cost-effective integration strategies. A well-planned integration ensures that data flows seamlessly across the organization’s digital ecosystem.

Training and User Adoption

Even the most powerful system can fail if users don’t know how to use it. Consultants are responsible for planning and delivering training that prepares users for their roles in the new environment.

Training should be role-based and scenario-driven. Instead of generic overviews, sessions should simulate real tasks users will perform daily. For example:

Sales reps learn how to create quotes, convert them into orders, and track delivery
Accountants practice recording invoices, reconciling bank accounts, and generating financial reports.
Warehouse staff are trained on inventory adjustments and order fulfillment

Consultants also create user guides, quick reference sheets, and video tutorials. Documentation reduces reliance on support teams and empowers users to resolve minor issues on their own.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Testing ensures that configurations, workflows, and integrations work as expected. Functional consultants lead testing efforts by defining test cases, overseeing user acceptance testing (UAT), and recording outcomes.

The goal of testing is to identify configuration errors, missing features, or performance issues before the system goes live. Consultants facilitate feedback sessions and prioritize fixes based on business impact.

Common testing types include:

Unit testing of individual features
Integration testing across multiple modules
UAT is conducted by end-users in a sandbox environment
Regression testing after changes or updates

Consultants track issues in a log, assign resolution ownership, and confirm fixes with users before proceeding.

Go-Live Planning and Execution

Go-live is the transition point from the legacy system to Business Central. It involves careful planning to minimize downtime and disruption. Consultants create a cutover plan that details:

Data migration schedule
User Readiness Checklist
Go-live weekend tasks
Backup and rollback procedures
Communication plan across departments

Go-live support includes real-time troubleshooting, monitoring system performance, and answering user queries. Consultants remain on standby during the first few days to resolve issues quickly.

The success of go-live often depends on how well consultants prepare users and how thoroughly the system has been tested. Clear documentation, confident users, and stable configurations are the keys to a smooth transition.

Post-Implementation Support

After go-live, the focus shifts to stabilization and optimization. Consultants continue to support users, refine workflows, and monitor performance. Feedback gathered during this period informs future updates or training sessions.

Some organizations choose to perform a post-implementation review after 30 or 60 days. This helps identify what’s working well, where users are struggling, and what enhancements may be needed.

Functional consultants often remain involved in periodic audits, upgrades, or expansion projects. Their knowledge of the client’s operations and system configuration positions them as long-term advisors.

The MB-800 Exam Perspective

Many of the topics covered in this series are directly represented in the MB-800 exam. You may be asked to evaluate business requirements, recommend configuration changes, or identify data migration steps.

Scenario-based questions often ask what to configure to meet a specific outcome. For example, “A company wants all purchase orders over $10,000 to be approved by a department head. What should you do?” Questions like this test both platform knowledge and problem-solving ability.

To prepare, practice each implementation step in a sandbox environment. Recreate business scenarios, walk through the full cycle from data setup to go-live, and evaluate each configuration’s impact.

Deep Dive into Core Modules of Dynamics 365 Business Central

As organizations continue to adopt Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to centralize and automate their operations, functional consultants play a pivotal role in ensuring the solution fits the business’s operational requirements. The MB-800 certification tests candidates on their ability to configure and manage key modules, including finance, sales, purchasing, and inventory.

This part of the series explores these core functional areas in detail, describing how they work, how they are configured, and how consultants align them with various business needs. A clear understanding of these modules is essential for any professional aiming to deliver successful ERP implementations and pass the MB-800 exam.

Financial Management: Building the Accounting Foundation

The financial management module is at the heart of Business Central. It handles the general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank account management, fixed assets, and cash flow.

To start, consultants must configure the chart of accounts, which serves as the backbone of the financial reporting structure. Each account is assigned a number, category, and posting group. Posting groups define how transactions flow into ledger entries, and setting these up correctly ensures accurate financial records.

Dimensions are another key feature. They allow businesses to analyze financial data beyond just account numbers. Common dimensions include department, project, or cost center. These are set up and assigned to transactions to provide deeper insights in reports.

Bank reconciliation is performed using imported bank statements or manual entries. Consultants must configure bank accounts, reconciliation tolerances, and posting journals.

Other configurations in the finance module include:

Defining VAT or sales tax groups
Setting up payment terms and methods
Creating recurring journal templates
Managing exchange rates for multi-currency operations

Business Central also provides financial reporting tools like account schedules, analysis views, and trial balances. Consultants ensure these tools are tailored to the CFO’s and controller’s needs.

Sales Management: Enabling Customer Transactions

The sales module manages customer interactions, from quotations to invoicing. Consultants begin by setting up customer cards, defining details like payment terms, credit limits, contact info, and currency preferences.

Sales price and discount configurations allow consultants to apply special rates for specific customers, items, or timeframes. Line and invoice discounts are handled separately, giving granular control over pricing strategies.

The typical sales process includes:

Creating a sales quote
Converting the quote to an order
Shipping items or delivering services
Posting the invoice
Collecting payment

Sales returns are also managed in this module. Consultants configure return order processes, restocking fees, and refund methods.

In Business Central, documents such as orders and invoices are customizable. Consultants can configure layouts using Word templates or leverage extensions for electronic document delivery.

A consultant might also set up approval workflows for sales orders exceeding a specific amount or configure user permissions so that only designated users can post invoices.

Integrating the sales module with email tools enables users to send quotes and orders directly from the system. Consultants configure SMTP or use Microsoft 365 email integration to streamline this.

Purchasing: Managing Supplier Relationships

The purchasing module mirrors the sales module in many ways but focuses on vendor relationships. Consultants begin by configuring vendor cards, which include bank details, invoicing preferences, and payment methods.

Purchase prices and discounts can be negotiated and defined per vendor or vendor group. These help ensure the organization takes advantage of contract pricing.

The core purchasing workflow includes:

Creating a purchase quote or requisition
Converting the quote into an order
Receiving goods or services
Posting the invoice
Issuing payment

For many organizations, the approval of purchase orders is a compliance requirement. Consultants use workflow templates to automate approval hierarchies, define conditions, and send notifications to approvers.

Three-way matching—comparing the purchase order, receipt, and invoice—is another control feature available in Business Central. Consultants ensure this process is properly implemented to avoid overpayments or duplicate invoices.

Vendor returns are handled using return order documents, similar to the sales return process.

Consultants also help configure vendor ledger entries, payment journals, and aging reports. These tools assist the finance team in managing liabilities and forecasting cash flow needs.

Inventory Management: Balancing Supply and Demand

The inventory module allows businesses to manage stock levels, item availability, costing, and replenishment. Consultants configure item cards for all products the organization purchases, sells, or uses in production.

Each item can be configured with the following properties:

Item type (Inventory, Service, Non-Inventory)
Costing method (FIFO, LIFO, Average, Standard)
Unit of measure and conversion
Reordering policies
Stockkeeping locations and bins

Business Central supports multi-location inventory. Consultants set up locations, define transfers between them, and configure stock visibility rules.

Stock replenishment can be automated using planning worksheets. Based on sales demand, safety stock levels, and lead times, the system recommends purchase or transfer orders. Consultants help configure these parameters and validate the planning logic.

Serial number and lot tracking provide traceability for regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or electronics. Consultants activate tracking on the item card and define whether it’s required at purchase, sale, or transfer.

Inventory valuation reports and item availability screens help decision-makers understand current stock positions and make purchasing or production decisions.

For advanced warehouse operations, Business Central supports pick and put-away processes. Consultants configure warehouse zones, bins, and documents to streamline warehouse tasks.

Cross-Module Integrations

One of Business Central’s strengths is the seamless integration between its core modules. For example:

A sales order affects inventory by reducing availability
A posted purchase invoice updates accounts payable and increases the item inventory.
A posted sales invoice updates accounts receivable and decreases stock

Functional consultants must understand these interdependencies and test configurations accordingly. Misconfigurations can result in incorrect financial reports, stock levels, or customer balances.

Business Central uses posting groups to control how transactions flow between modules and into the general ledger. Consultants define general, customer, vendor, and item posting groups and map them to appropriate accounts.

It is also crucial to set up a document number series to maintain transaction integrity. Each document type—quotes, orders, invoices—must have its unique numbering logic.

Workflow Automation

Business Central offers built-in workflows that automate tasks like approvals, notifications, and status changes. Consultants can configure workflows for sales, purchasing, finance, and inventory processes.

For example, a workflow can require managerial approval for purchase orders over a certain amount or notify the warehouse team when a sales order is released for shipment.

The workflow configuration includes conditions, approvers, escalation rules, and email templates. Consultants must understand how to balance automation with user control and maintain audit trails for compliance.

Workflows are not limited to approvals. They can be used to automate status updates, trigger reports, or launch external processes using Power Automate.

Reporting and Analysis

Reporting is central to decision-making in any organization. Business Central provides built-in reports as well as customizable tools for deeper analysis.

Consultants configure account schedules for financial statements such as balance sheets and income statements. These schedules support dimension filtering and can be exported to Excel for presentation.

Analysis views allow slicing data across dimensions like department, region, or product category. This helps management understand performance trends and cost structures.

Power BI can be connected to Business Central for advanced reporting. Consultants help clients publish datasets, design dashboards, and secure data access for different roles.

User-specific dashboards, KPI tiles, and cue setups can be configured in role centers to surface critical information. These visual tools improve user experience and drive faster action.

Audit, Security, and Compliance

Consultants must ensure that the system is compliant with internal policies and external regulations. Business Central includes a range of tools for access control and auditing.

Permission sets define what users can view or modify. These are assigned based on role, and consultants can create custom permission sets if needed.

Change logs can be enabled to track edits to sensitive records like vendors, customers, and financial transactions. These logs support audit requirements and internal controls.

Business Central also supports segregation of duties, limiting users from performing conflicting tasks, such as creating and approving the same transaction.

Data retention and backup strategies are defined in collaboration with IT and compliance officers. Consultants ensure these policies are documented and implemented.

Best Practices for Module Configuration

Throughout the configuration of these modules, consultants follow best practices:

Use assisted setup guides where available
Validate each configuration in a sandbox before applying it to production.
Maintain configuration documentation for future support.
Train end-users on the impact of each setting
Avoid unnecessary customizations that increase complexity.
Focus on scalable and maintainable design.s

Testing each module’s configuration thoroughly ensures that end-to-end processes work smoothly. Consultants perform unit and integration tests before handover to business users for user acceptance testing.

Extending Dynamics 365 Business Central and Preparing for the MB-800 Exam

In earlier parts of this series, we explored foundational concepts, implementation best practices, and detailed module configurations for Dynamics 365 Business Central. Now, in the final part, we focus on extending Business Central using modern Microsoft technologies and preparing effectively for the MB-800 certification exam.

Today’s functional consultants are expected not only to configure Business Central but also to adapt it to evolving business needs. This means leveraging the Microsoft Power Platform, integrating third-party solutions, and understanding how to support extensibility without compromising system performance or security.

We’ll also walk through key preparation strategies for the MB-800 exam—what topics to prioritize, how to study effectively, and what types of questions to expect.

Extending Business Central: When Out-of-the-Box Isn’t Enough

Every implementation of Business Central starts with the out-of-the-box capabilities. However, businesses often need features beyond what the standard application provides. Whether it’s automating a manual workflow, customizing a report, or integrating with an external system, extensions enable organizations to tailor the solution without affecting core functionality.

The extensibility approach in Business Central is based on AL extensions, which are deployed as apps via the Extension Management module. These can be developed in Visual Studio Code using AL language and are layered on top of the standard application.

Functional consultants don’t always build these apps themselves, but they play a critical role in defining requirements, testing the solutions, and managing deployments. Understanding how extensions work is essential to supporting long-term scalability and maintainability.

Using AppSource for Business Add-ons

Microsoft AppSource is the marketplace for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform extensions. It contains prebuilt solutions for industry-specific requirements, integrations, and utility tools.

Consultants help clients evaluate and install extensions from AppSource. These may include:

Localization packs for tax and regulatory compliance
Vertical solutions for retail, manufacturing, or services
Productivity enhancements like advanced invoice formats or payment integrations
E-commerce connectors to platforms like Shopify or Magento

Installing an extension from AppSource is straightforward, but consultants must validate compatibility with the client’s configuration and test it in a sandbox before deploying to production.

Power Platform Integration: Low-Code/No-Code Extensibility

Business Central integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft Power Platform, allowing consultants to build powerful extensions without writing extensive code.

Power Apps

Power Apps lets users create custom apps for mobile or desktop that interact with Business Central data. For example, a consultant could build a simple mobile app that allows warehouse staff to view item availability or submit stock adjustments from the floor.

Business Central provides connectors for Power Apps, enabling read and write access to most tables and fields. Consultants define what data should be exposed, create custom entities if needed, and build apps that are secure, responsive, and task-specific.

Power Automate

Power Automate is a workflow engine that helps automate repetitive processes. Consultants use it to trigger flows based on Business Central events, such as:

Sending email alerts when a sales quote is approved
Notifying finance when a payment is received
Automatically generating tasks for overdue invoices.

Business Central’s connector in Power Automate supports both actions and triggers. Consultants can design flows with minimal effort, ensuring that users receive timely updates and that processes are followed consistently.

Power BI

Power BI offers advanced data visualization and analysis capabilities. Business Central includes built-in integration, making it easy to publish datasets and create dashboards.

Consultants configure the data source connection, build custom visuals, and embed dashboards directly into Business Central role centers. This provides real-time business insights across sales, purchasing, finance, and inventory.

Power BI dashboards can also be shared across departments or presented in management review meetings. Consultants ensure that data permissions are enforced and that reports are aligned with decision-making requirements.

Embedding Microsoft 365 Capabilities

Business Central is part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This means consultants can enhance productivity by configuring integrations with familiar tools like Outlook, Excel, and Teams.

In Outlook, users can view customer and vendor information, create invoices, or send quotes without leaving their inbox.
In Excel, consultants enable editing of journal entries or item lists, which can be published back to Business Central directly.
Microsoft Teams integration allows for collaboration by embedding Business Central pages or records within chats or channels.

These integrations reduce context switching and empower users to perform ERP-related tasks within their daily workflow tools.

Common Extension Scenarios

Consultants regularly encounter scenarios where customization or integration is required. Some common examples include:

Creating a custom report for compliance that isn’t available in standard reporting
Building a workflow that spans both Business Central and an external CRM
Implementing a barcode scanning app for warehouse transactions
Integrating Business Central with payment gateways or POS systems

In these cases, consultants gather requirements, design the process, and collaborate with developers or third-party vendors to deliver the solution.

Supporting System Upgrades and Change Management

One of the advantages of using extensions rather than custom code changes is that they are upgrade-safe. This aligns with Microsoft’s evergreen approach—continuous updates with minimal disruption.

Consultants play a key role in preparing clients for updates:

Reviewing release notes for upcoming changes
Testing customizations and extensions in preview environments
Communicating new features and changes to users
Updating documentation and training materials

Change management is part of every implementation and ongoing support engagement. Consultants guide organizations through transitions by minimizing resistance and maximizing user adoption.

MB-800 Certification Preparation: What to Expect

The MB-800 exam tests a candidate’s ability to configure and implement Business Central solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. It focuses on both theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Key Topics to Cover

Set up Business Central
- Company setup, number series, user roles, permission sets, workflow configuration
Configure financials
- Chart of accounts, dimensions, journals, posting groups, tax setup, bank reconciliation
Configure sales and purchasing
- Customer/vendor setup, sales/purchase process, pricing, returns, discounts
Configure inventory
- Items, locations, inventory valuation, reordering policies, transfers
Implement integration and automation.
- Power Platform integration, approval workflows, data migration, templates

Study Techniques That Work

Use Microsoft Learn for free, role-based training modules aligned to the exam syllabus.s
Practice configurations in a free Business Central sandbox environment
Go through scenario-based examples—many exam questions describe a situation and ask you to choose the best configuration.
Join community forums or study groups to exchange insights with other learners.
Watch instructor-led videos for visual demonstrations of tasks like setting up posting groups or creating workflows.s

Types of Questions on the Exam

Multiple choice: Choose one correct answer
Multiple select: Select all that apply
Drag and drop: Match items or arrange steps in order.
Case study: Analyze a business scenario and answer multiple questions based on it

The exam tests both product knowledge and business reasoning. You may be asked, for example, how to enforce that all purchase orders over a certain value require managerial approval, or how to ensure accurate tax calculation for a customer in a specific country.

Practical Tips for the Exam

Time management is crucial—don’t spend too long on a single question.
Read questions carefully; some scenarios use tricky wording.g
Eliminate wrong answers before choosing.
Use the review feature to revisit marked questions before submitting.g
Stay calm and confident—you can revisit areas you struggled with after the test and still pass.

Life After Certification

Becoming a Microsoft Certified Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate opens doors to career opportunities in consulting, implementation, support, and pre-sales roles. It also demonstrates your ability to contribute effectively to ERP projects and support digital transformation in small to mid-size businesses.

Certified consultants are often trusted with:

Leading implementation projects
Training client teams
Advising on best practices and regulatory compliance
Supporting continuous improvement initiatives
Collaborating with developers to deliver technical solutions

You can continue growing by pursuing other certifications in the Microsoft Dynamics or Power Platform ecosystem, including PL-200, MB-910, or advanced specialization in Business Central development.

Final Thoughts

The journey to becoming a proficient Business Central functional consultant involves learning configuration skills, applying business logic, collaborating across teams, and adapting to technological changes. Through this article series, we’ve explored:

The consultant’s role and application overview
The end-to-end implementation process
In-depth module configuration and process automation
Platform extensibility and exam preparation

The MB-800 certification validates your ability to support digital transformation for businesses using Business Central. More importantly, it prepares you for real-world consulting engagements that require both technical skill and business acumen.

By investing time in hands-on practice, engaging with learning communities, and staying updated with Microsoft’s evolving ecosystem, you’ll be well-positioned not only to pass the exam but to thrive in your role as a trusted advisor.