Dynamics GP Consultant - Pittsburgh, PA

Let’s be clear: Dynamics GP is not going away, but the reasons to keep using GP are becoming less and less compelling.

As experienced Microsoft Dynamics GP consultants, Schneider Downs understands the value organizations have placed on their investment in Microsoft Dynamics GP. We recognize that many businesses are struggling to find the right way to incorporate Microsoft Dynamics GP into their cloud strategy and are questioning whether Dynamics GP has reached end of life. The Schneider Downs Technology Advisors can help address these concerns, and more importantly, guide you through the complex migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

3 Key Reasons to Migrate to Dynamics 365 Business Central 

1. Increased ROI and cost-effectiveness as Dynamic GP Costs continue to increase.

Businesses using Business Central saw a 162% ROI over three years. A variety of cost savings using Business Central include:

• Avoidance of one full-time equivalent and one part-time equivalent finance/operations hires.
• 44k elimination of 3rd party reporting spend over 3 years.
• Avoidance of more than 40k in costs pertaining to the previous solution (server hosting, server support & maintenance, IT support).
• Automatic annual updates in Business Central cut down on costs.

Source: TEI_of_Microsoft_Business Central_FINAL.pdf (schneiderdowns.com)

Meanwhile, Microsoft has significantly reduced its investment in the Dynamics GP and SL platforms while increasing annual enhancement fees two years in a row. Effective October 1, 2023, your enhancement fees will increase by 1%. Infrastructure fees and the salaries of IT resources are going up, meaning the cost of hosting GP is going up.  If you plan to keep GP, you will need to plan to make a significant investment in security.

2. Your ERP should be built into your tech stack; your tech stack shouldn’t be built around your ERP.

Microsoft continues to invest in the interoperability of the Dynamics 365 Business Central app with other platforms.
“By adopting Business Central, you can leverage the power of a comprehensive cloud-based ERP solution that adapts to your unique business needs, ensuring your ERP is an integrated part of your tech stack, not a limiting factor.” Recently, Microsoft announced read-only access for Office 365 users with no additional licensing required.

In contrast, the technology behind Dynamics GP remains the same while many of the things around GP are evolving. While each update is tested for compatibility, that does not mean the features you are using will not go away or become “buggy”.  Recently, a few notable things have happened to negatively interfere with business: Modern Authentication rollout required many updates not to lose email, and some features (like the web client) still broke, VBA Customizations now require a workaround to use, AV software has been known to interfere with stability, and Office updates have broken functionality.

3. Take advantage of cloud technology for scalability, flexibility, and security.

79% of businesses like yours are either planning or in the process of migrating to the cloud. 

The level of self-service reporting available in Microsoft Business Central is staggering compared to Dynamics GP. Nearly every page within the system can be exported into Excel or pulled into a Power BI Report.

In their 2021 annual report, Microsoft committed to investing over $20 billion in security over a 5-year period. The platform is compliant with multiple data protection standards and regulatory requirements, meaning much of the liability associated with maintaining compliance is shifted to Microsoft. These benefits include:

• 99.9% uptime guarantee.
• The concept of a “stuck batch” does not exist in Microsoft Business Central.
• Point in time restore for up to 28 days.
• Designed with disaster recovery in mind.
• Automatic updates.
• Behind-the-scenes resource scaling.
• Anytime/anywhere access from nearly any device.

Ready to take the next step but not sure which direction to follow? Let us help you review your options. Use the form above to schedule a readiness call with a Schneider Downs Technology Advisor today.