You’ve Decided to Move Away from Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains: What Next?

Moving away from Microsoft Dynamics GP is a significant step for your organisation. Whether you’re seeking more advanced features, better integration capabilities, or a more modern cloud-based solution, the transition can be exciting and daunting.

Here’s a guide to help you navigate the next steps and ensure a smooth transition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Assess Your Needs and Goals: Identify essential features and improvements required in a new ERP system.
Explore Your Options: Dynamics 365 Business Central is the most common upgrade from Dynamics GP.
Plan Your Migration Strategy: Consider data migration, customizations, and user training.
Cost Considerations: Understand licensing, implementation, training, and maintenance costs.
Post-Transition Benefits: Gain scalability, automation, real-time data access, and cost savings.
Choose the Right Partner: Work with a trusted Dynamics 365 implementation partner for a smooth transition.
Test and Optimize: Ensure the new ERP system functions properly before full deployment.
Go Live and Monitor: Address any issues early to maximize efficiency.

Estimated Reading Time: 5-7 minutes

Assess Your Needs and Goals

Choose a partner who understands your industry. Industry-specific knowledge ensures that the partner can tailor the migration process to meet your unique business requirements. They should be familiar with the regulatory and compliance issues relevant to your sector.

Explore Your Dynamics 365 Options

There are numerous ERP solutions available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The most popular migration from Microsoft Dynamics GP is to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Business Central is a comprehensive, cloud-based solution that offers robust functionality and seamless integration with other Microsoft products. It’s a leader in the mid-market for Cloud ERP solutions, and has over 40,000 customers globally.

Plan Your ERP Migration Strategy

A well-thought-out migration strategy is key to minimising disruption and ensuring a successful transition. Here are some steps to consider:

Data Migration: Plan what data you will transfer from Dynamics GP to Business Central. Will you want to move all your Great Plains data, or are you thinking about the legal requirement for 7 years, or is it just the last 2 years for comparatives. We have a solution for each of these.

Customisation and Integration: Identify all customisations that make your Great Plains Dynamics system work in a particular way; and (update or) document all integrations needed when you move to Business Central to meet your specific requirements. Will Business Central handle your customisations out of the box, or will these need to be recreated?

Training and Support: Provide adequate training for your team to ensure they are comfortable and proficient with the new system. This is one of the key drivers of project success, and one we’ll focus on both at UAT testing and at go live.

“Having used Dynamics GP for over nearly three decades, we were deeply familiar with its capabilities and intricacies. The thought of migrating to a new system was daunting. However, City Dynamics made the transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central seamless and stress-free. Their expertise and support ensured that our operations continued smoothly without any disruption. We are now enjoying the enhanced features and flexibility of Business Central, thanks to the meticulous planning and execution by the City Dynamics team."

Hansa Patel

Finance Manager – SMP Group

Post-Transition Benefits

The new system provided enhanced scalability, real-time data access, and improved operational efficiency. As a result, SMP Group experienced several specific benefits:

Simpler Design Parameters: The GL+Dimensions structure is easier to work with than the old GP chart of account; resulting in a smaller number of GL codes, and more reporting power via Dimensions. Dimensions are more pervasive in the system compared to either Analytical Accounting or MDA in Great Plains.

Increased Productivity: Automation and OCR around Accounts Payable saves hours every week in coding up invoices, workflows for approvals led to significant time savings and increased productivity.

Better Decision-Making: Real-time data access and advanced reporting capabilities using Power BI around the GL and Dimensions enabled more informed and timely decision-making.

Cost Savings: Business Central’s OCR capability improved operational efficiency and reduced manual processes resulted in cost savings across the Group, combined with faster reporting and data visibility.

Enhanced Customer Service: The ability to quickly access and analyse customer’s data allowed SMP Group to provide more personalized and responsive service.

Powerful Project Reporting: Using a Dimension to capture costs by each of our projects allows powerful project P+L reporting in real time.

Engage with a Trusted Dynamics 365 Partner

Partnering with an experienced Dynamic s365 implementation partner can make a significant difference in the success of your transition. City Dynamics provided the full project service across the lifecycle, and continued with ongoing support post live.

Test and Optimise Your New ERP System

Before fully deploying the new system, conduct thorough testing to identify and address any issues. This phase is crucial for ensuring that the new system meets your expectations and operates smoothly.

Go Live and Monitor Your ERP System

Once everything is in place, it’s time to go live with your new ERP system. Monitor the system closely during the initial phase to address any teething problems and make necessary adjustments.

Conclusion

Transitioning from Microsoft Dynamics GP to a new ERP system is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right support, it can lead to substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth and successful transition that positions your organization for future growth.

Next Steps

As well as the benefits of a modern cloud system, we think you can save money by migrating away from GP sooner. Learn about these cost savings at our webinar. Register for our GP Migration Workshops learn about how Business Central handles data from a GP user’s perspective. See how the migration process works for you. If you would like to participate in these workshops, please register here.

For more information, contact us today!

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