Your guide to knowing when it’s time to leave an outdated system behind and embrace a new, modern platform.
Organizations around the world have spent years relying on Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains (GP) software to manage their accounting processes. However, as organizations have grown and technology has evolved, Great Plains can no longer support business’ financial needs. More importantly, Microsoft has announced that it will no longer support the software.
Essentially, this leaves organizations with two options:
Start planning for a migration now
Put it on the back burner
The problem with option two is that you might be left scrambling once Dynamics GP reaches the end of its life.
Rather than risk disruptions to your business processes, start planning your move off the platform now. One of the best replacements for Dynamics GP is Dynamics 365 Business Central — a robust and scalable platform that provides all the functionalities organizations need to effectively manage financial processes.
In addition to getting ahead, here are five more signs it’s time to migrate from Dynamics GP to Business Central. But first, a quick overview of both Dynamics GP and Business Central.
What is Dynamics GP?
As mentioned above, Dynamics GP has long been used as an accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software platform. The solution is used to help organizations effectively manage their financials, supply chain, and human resources in a more comprehensive, integrated manner. Dynamics GP also features general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, inventory management, and payroll features. The platform’s reliability and user-friendly interface has made it a go-to choice for organizations looking for a customizable ERP solution.
What is Business Central?
Business Central is a cloud-based ERP solution that provides organizations with a more agile, scalable platform. The platform seamlessly integrates with financials, supply chain, sales, and customer service data, providing organizations with a unified view of their operations and performance as well as how to improve it. Additionally, the solution is designed to adapt to the evolving needs of businesses, offering organizations with the flexibility and scalability needed to accommodate growth.
5 Signs it’s Time to Migrate Platforms
1. Legacy Technology Constraints
Legacy technology systems often hinder scalability and adaptability. If your organization has experienced lags in performance or are struggling with roadblocks, it’s time to consider Business Central. Rather than dealing with outdated features, poor functionality, and no ability to scale, switch to Business Central. The cloud-native architecture features all the latest updates, ensuring you’re working with modern tools without the hassle of manual upgrades.
2. Growing Pains
As businesses grow, so do their accounting needs. Business Central is designed to grow with your organization, offering seamless scalability. Whether your business is dealing with higher transaction volumes or looking to expand into new markets, Business Central has the flexibility required to accommodate growth.
3. Integration Challenges
If your current instance of Dynamics GP is struggling to integrate with other business applications, it’s likely causing inefficiencies and data silos throughout your business. Moving to Business Central facilitates effortless integration with not only Microsoft 365 applications, but other solutions as well. This enables you to create a cohesive ecosystem that ensures smooth data flow.
4. Limited Accessibility
With your employees working from anywhere, accessibility is incredibly important. Dynamics GP has limited accessibility, preventing your remote workers from accessing much-needed information. Because Business Central is cloud-based, it ensures that financial data is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This promotes more collaboration between remote teams and provides real-time insights.
5. Outdated User Experience
Today’s accounting platforms should provide an intuitive, user-friendly experience. Because Dynamics GP is a legacy solution, it does not provide a great user experience. Business Central does. It features a sleek, user-centric interface that simplifies complex financial processes, reduces the learning curve for new users, and increases overall efficiency.
Why Migrate to Business Central?
Ultimately, the decision to move from Dynamics GP to Business Central is entirely up to you — but the benefits you can get from doing so are endless. For example, Business Central offers:
Cloud accessibility
Scalability
Seamless integration
Real-time insights
User-friendly interface
And that’s just the beginning.
Said Deb Gaeth, Senior ERP Architect at JourneyTEAM: “As your business grows and your needs change, it is important to align yourself with a scalable ERP system that can handle all the facets of your business — from finance to production. Dynamics 365 Business Central can be your answer. User-friendly with plenty of power to address your growing business, the platform allows you to easily analyze your business to make the best decisions possible.”
Ready to get started?
JourneyTEAM will provide as much support as you need to ensure a smooth migration process and that your new Business Central platform meets your specific needs.
Read here to learn more about making the move to D365 Business Central.