If you’re a GP user, the thought of losing a reliable system is undoubtedly nerve-wracking, and that’s before you begin to question “what’s next?”. But you are not alone. Last month, as part of a wider movement to the Cloud, Microsoft announced that their legacy on-prem system, Dynamics GP, will no longer be supported as from September 2029. Not to fear, with great change comes great opportunity (and great partners to support you on your journey). Let’s look at the timeline of impact and how Microsoft’s reliable Business Central may be the best fit for your Dynamics GP replacement.
What is the lifecycle policy for Microsoft Dynamics GP?
- September 2029: End of product support for Dynamics GP. This means that there will be no more product enhancements or regulatory updates.
- April 2031: Dynamics GP will no longer be updated with any security updates
Here’s a nifty view, courtesy of Microsoft:
Source: Microsoft
So, GP is phasing out. What are your options for replacing Dynamics GP?
- Continue on GP for as long as possible – If, due to timing or budget, now is not the right time to move from GP, you can continue with it until security updates end in 2031. This is, however, the option that’s perhaps the riskiest to take. Continuing to use an older, outdated system exposes your business to security breaches and potential performance issues. We’d recommend a more pro-active approach.
- Implement Business Central from scratch – With this option, your business needs only imports your master record and open transactions using import tools, with the help of a partner. (Why Business Central? We’ve got 8 reasons in the following section)
- Update Master Records in GP and then migrate to Business Central – This option, although requiring some data governance to begin with, is your safest and smoothest path to a Dynamics GP replacement. With the help of a partner, you’ll use Microsoft Cloud’s Migration Tool to bring your master records, open transactions and historical data straight into Business Central, knowing it’s accurate right at go-live.
- Implement an entirely new ERP – Of course, it’s always possible to consider a completely foreign solution. But, top tip: if you’re a Microsoft house, and you’ve been happy with your GP solution, we recommend seriously thinking about sticking with Microsoft. Business Central, although a different solution, is still Microsoft and will be easier to train your users on than something entirely foreign.
Want to understand the migration process to Business Central in more detail? Check out Microsoft Learn.
Now, the good stuff. Here’s eight reasons moving to Business Central is the best choice for GP users
As an experienced provider of Business Central, we know how great a solution it is for businesses, especially those who’ve previously used GP. Here’s why it’s the obvious Dynamics GP replacement:
1. Business Central (BC) is a modern, cloud-based ERP
Business Central, unlike GP, is a cloud-based ERP solution. This means that it is regularly updated with security updates and system improvements so that your business immediately benefits from the latest in Microsoft’s innovations, continuously and for no extra cost. There are continuous service and product updates every April and October.
2. Seamless integration with the Microsoft stack
A key benefit of moving to Business Central is its seamless integration with the rest of the Microsoft stack. This means that Business Central can be integrated with a range of products and technologies like Windows Server, SQL Server, and Azure as well as with productivity apps such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics and the Power Platform. Which gives you a fantastic place to continue to build your stack from, with ease, as your business grows or evolves.
3. AI capabilities
As part of the Dynamics 365 suite of apps, Business Central utilises Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, Copilot. .With Copilot in Business Central, users are being empowered with an ever-growing set of capabilities, including AI generated marketing text suggestions and the recent introduction of autonomous sales order agents that research leads and guide customer outreach with personalised emails and responses. It’s rumoured that this is Microsoft’s most successful use of Copilot across the whole Dynamics stack. These mind-blowing new capabilities will build capacity across all your operational teams and empower you for future business growth.
4. Role-tailored user-interface
A real strength of Business Central is its modern, user-friendly interface. Businesses can personalise the user experience through BC’s easy-to-use Role Centre functionality which provides relevant data, reports and analytics so that your specific users are being served exactly what they need, and only what they need, to do their best work every single day.
5. Dimensions!
Moving to Business Central also means a move to the power of Dimensions. Unlike GP, 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 can slice and dice financial statements in many ways and significantly speed up month-end reporting, freeing your team up to focus on other tasks.
6. No need to edit Master Records
Correcting mistakes in BC is much easier than doing so in GP. There is no need to correct the master record. All users need to do is update the record on the customer card and the mistake is corrected.
7. Flexible licensing model
Moving from an on-premise system to a cloud-based SaaS system also means a change in how your ERP is priced and paid for. Business Central has a monthly subscription model which is more cost-effective and flexible; meaning you’re getting a better deal and only ever paying for what you need, able to increase or decrease seats or add-ons in a responsive way.
8. Scalability
Feeling ambitious? Growth planning? Business Central’s scalable and flexible subscription-based licensing also means that you get a system that grows as your business does.
Interested in making the move to Business Central? We can help you.
If you’re using Microsoft GP, and beginning to plan how you respond to its retirement, now is the time to consider moving to a cloud-based ERP solution such as Business Central. As one of the largest and most experienced providers of Business Central and NAV in the UK, we’re passionate about helping businesses succeed by adopting Business Central. We’d love to help plan the replacement of your Dynamics GP software with a move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and are offering FREE demos to bring those eight benefits to life.
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 we can help you and your business in any way, please contact us today.
