Should you migrate from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central? Here are some essential benefits you could leverage if you decide to make the move.
Microsoft officially announced its end-of-life plan for Dynamics GP. While they have committed to support Dynamics GP till 2029, it’s no secret that they encourage current customers to explore their cloud solutions, like Dynamics 365 Business Central. Although existing customers can still stay on GP beyond that date, not switching to the cloud may leave your company behind.
GP was primarily an on-premises solution and despite its robust financial capabilities, it has become dated as companies continue to migrate to modern cloud-based solutions to harness the power of cloud ERP. While GP can now be hosted in the cloud and accessed through a web server, it is not really designed for the cloud.
What makes the cloud a top choice for businesses across industries? What are the benefits your business could harness by making the switch? If you’re evaluating a cloud migration, and looking to learn more about Business Central cloud, this article highlights the top benefits and key advantages your company can leverage by migrating to Business Central.
What is Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Dynamics 365 Business Central is a comprehensive business management and cloud ERP solution for small and mid-sized businesses. Offering a more modern user experience than GP, Business Central lets you manage your entire business operations from one application. This robust software will connect data from all departments, such as Finances, Inventory, Sales and Operations and store it in a single database.
Designed as a true cloud solution, Business Central is typically hosted on Microsoft Azure, and end-users can access the solution securely via a web browser from any device. If you want more control, you can also host Business Central in a private cloud with the hosting provider of your choice. With two licensing options to choose from, essentials and premium, Business Central delivers flexible and customizable functionality to meet the needs of your business, whatever your industry.
More Insights into Business Central:
Migrating from GP: The Cloud ERP Benefits
By moving to the cloud-based Business Central from on-premises GP, you'll be able to future-proof your business and reap the many benefits of cloud ERP. These include:
✅ Easy Automatic Updates
When you deploy to the cloud, automatic upgrades are included in your subscription cost. This means your system is always up the date, and you'll have access to all the latest features with minimal time and effort on your part. You’ll always have the most up-to-date version of the software.
✅ Lower Costs
Costs are significantly lower with cloud ERP as you don't have to invest in any hardware and infrastructure. You save money by not having to run and maintain servers. Deployment times are reduced. Plus, it's easier and cost-effective to scale your operations up (or down) as your business needs change.
✅ Increased Security and Privacy
Cloud-based ERP solutions like Dynamics 365 Business Central have built-in security protections to safeguard your data, and you share the responsibility of data protection and cybersecurity with Microsoft. You get enterprise-grade security and compliance tools. With on-premises solutions, your organization must manage data security and disaster planning on its own.
✅ More Collaboration and Accessibility
You can access Business Central and all its features from wherever you are, on any device, if you have an internet connection. This increased accessibility lets your employees work from home and on the go. Remote or mobile employees can easily make critical decisions to respond to any changes in operations. This is also applicable if you have multiple business locations in different geographic regions.
Migrating from GP: The Dynamics 365 Business Central Benefits
Here are some product-specific advantages Dynamics 365 Business Central can offer your organization if you choose to migrate from GP:
✅ More Features Out-Of-The-Box, Including an Integrated CRM
There are more out-of-the-box features in Business Central to leverage compared to GP. For instance, you'll get standard budgeting capabilities, financial reporting options, automated reconciliations and cash flow projections, Microsoft 365 integration, and more right out of the box. Dynamics 365 Business Central also has an in-built CRM with relationship management features to help you manage and support your sales efforts. If you are in the manufacturing and distribution space, the manufacturing and supply chain modules offer complex functions, including production orders, bill of materials, supply and capacity planning, inventory management and forecasting, lot and serial tracking, and lots more.
✅ Innovative AI-Enhanced Capabilities
Business Central allows you to innovate with new technologies, including AI-enhanced capabilities and machine learning. Integrated with the AI-powered assistant, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot makes it easy to automate tasks, improve workflows, and increase productivity. In Business Central, you also have AI-powered features such as cash flow forecasting, sales and inventory forecasting, and late payment predictions, to name a few.
✅ Flexibility and Ease of Customization
Business Central makes it easy to customize your software without needing coding experience, as it has a drag-and-drop interface. You can also easily extend the capability of your solution through custom apps available in Microsoft AppSource or through extensions.
✅ Advanced and Seamless Integrations
The cloud-based Business Central lets you easily tailor the software to your needs by making it simple to integrate with the Microsoft Power Platform. You can uncover actionable insights with Power BI, make low-code custom applications with Power Apps, and create automated workflows for repetitive tasks with Power Automate. It also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and its other suite of Dynamics 365 applications.
✅ Easier to Conduct Analysis
Business Central has dimension accounting which makes analyzing your records much easier. Dimensions allow you to define analysis categories and 'tag' your data so you can quickly find what you're looking for and review data across several different departments.
✅ Out-Of-The-Box Dashboards
Business Central has preconfigured dashboards that are available right out of the box. These can be modified and customized by users so they can track the data they need with ease.
✅ Easier Migration Path Compared to Other ERP Solutions
Another benefit to consider with Dynamics 365 Business Central is that Microsoft has developed new tools and paths to make it easier to migrate your Dynamics GP data to Business Central. Besides migration, Microsoft also makes it easier for GP users to adapt to Business Central quickly, through a range of explainer videos comparing work processes within both systems and training resources.
More GP Migration Insights:
Unsure If Business Central Is the Right Fit? Schedule a Free Business Central Assessment
Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Business Central is a true cloud-based ERP and offers numerous benefits for your small or mid-sized business, and enables you to transform your business with the cloud. It offers distinct advantages over Dynamics GP and allows you to make the most out of its advanced features, modern user experience, integration, and AI capabilities.
If you're trying to figure out whether a migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central from GP makes sense for your organization, sign up for our free, no-obligation Business Central assessment that will give you a deeper understanding of Business Central and the process of migration, along with the costs and timeline.
