Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains Software) has come to the end of its product lifecycle so if you are using this solution, you’ll need to know what solutions would be the natural replacement but also provide added functionality and are flexible enough to grow with the business. In this blog, we explore why a move from a legacy system such as Microsoft Dynamics GP to the more modern, cloud-based Business Central makes good business sense.

Ten reasons why you should consider an upgrade to Business Central

  1. Business Central is a modern, cloud-based ERP solution
    A key difference between BC and GP is that Business Central is a cloud-based ERP solution that makes use of the most up-to-date, cloud-enabled functionalities to meet its users’ evolving business management needs. Meanwhile, GP is a legacy on-premise system that can feel bogged down in maintenance, upgrades and integrations.

  2. BC has an enhanced role-tailored user interface
    One of the first things you will notice when you log on to Business Central for the first time is how clean and modern its web-enabled user interface is. Then once you start using it, you will also realise that Business Central is also an incredibly intuitive system. Users have the ability to move easily around the system and drill down into the detail of individual transactions, accounts, reports and graphs with the click of a button. It is also possible to personalise the user experience through its easy-to-use Role Centre functionality.

  3. Business Central is a fully online data processing solution
    Another key difference between GP and BC is that GP is a batch processing system while BC is a fully online data processing solution. This means that in BC transactions will integrate automatically to the GL and there will be no need for series posting. It also means that, if you upgrade to Business Central, you will no longer have any issues with interrupted posting or hung-up batches and the need to run Check Links and Reconciles will be a thing of the past.

  4. Dimensions!
    Moving to Business Central also means a move to utilise the power of Dimensions. Unlike Great Plains, with its account segmentation and therefore large chart of accounts, Microsoft Business Central’s chart of accounts is only the main segment.  This means that when you apply Dimensions to your transactions, you will be able to filter your chart of accounts however you analyse and report on your business. With no limit to the number of dimensions you can have, you can slice and dice your financial statements in many ways and saves a lot of time when it comes to month-end reporting.

  5. No more needing to edit Master Records
    When correcting a mistake such as an incorrect customer name or ID in GP, you need to run a utility to correct the master record. In BC, making corrections is much easier. All you need to do is update the record on the customer card and your mistake is corrected.

  6. Edit in Excel
    Business Central’s ‘Edit in Excel’ functionality is an incredibly powerful reason why an upgrade to Business Central is a great idea. With GP, mass record updates require the assistance of your IT department. By using the ‘Edit in Excel’ functionality in BC, you have the ability to export mass record lists to Excel, update the records and then publish them back to BC. All without the need to log an issue with your IT department.

  7. Integration with Microsoft Office 365
    BC is actually an App situated within Office 365 and therefore is fully integrated with the rest of the Office 365 product stack. For example, recent updates to BC allow for enhanced email both within BC and through its integration with Outlook. By recognising email addresses, users can look at their client’s account information all within Outlook.  The integration with Word allows for mail-merge functionality and the creation of more personalised POs, invoices, etc, all from within the BC solution.

  8. Can be used on the go
    As a cloud-based ERP solution, BC is not only available to users on their desktop (through their browser or on the Windows App*) but also as a mobile and tablet App. The App is available on the Windows store, Apple Store, and Google Play and works for most devices running up-to-date operating systems.

  9. Pricing is per user per month
    Moving from an on-premise system such as GP to a cloud-based ‘software-as-a-service’ (SaaS) such as Business Central also means a change in how your ERP is priced and paid for. With both GP and Business Central, there will be an initial implementation cost. However, once BC is implemented, ongoing licencing costs are on a per user per month basis. This means that you can easily add or remove users as needed.

  10.  Discounted Business Central subscription fees offer for GP BREP clients
    If your company is up to date on their BREP (Microsoft enhancement fees), you are eligible for a 40% discount on your Business Central SaaS Subscription fees if you upgrade from Dynamic GP to Business Central.

How to migrate from GP to BC

There are two ways that you can upgrade to Business Central from Dynamics GP:

  1. Implement Business Central from scratch – With this option, you only import your master record and open transaction using import tools.
  2. Update Master Records in GP and then migrate to Business Central – With this option, which is generally the preferred one, you use Microsoft Cloud’s Migration Tool to bring your master records, open transactions and historical data into Business Central.

How can TVision help you upgrade to Business Central?

If you are currently using a legacy system such as Microsoft Dynamics GP, now is the time to consider moving to a cloud-based ERP solution such as Business Central. TVision is one of the largest and most experienced providers of Business Central and NAV in the UK. Our team takes real pleasure in working with our clients to develop, implement and support the best possible ERP implementation for their needs, and it’s this enthusiasm for our work which sees us keep our relationships with clients long after the initial implementation is complete. 

If you want to know more about Microsoft Business Central and how TVision could help you upgrade, please feel free to contact us to arrange a demo to see how moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Business Central could be the right business move for you.

* Please note that if your business isn’t ready to make the leap to cloud-based SaaS yet, Microsoft Business Central is still available on-premise. GP clients can use the previous investment they made for GP licences in order to transition their licences to Business Central on-premise.