Challenges Faced by Dynamics GP Users and Why Dynamics 365 Business Central is the Best Solution

Microsoft Dynamics GP was once a cutting-edge ERP solution that small to medium-sized businesses relied on. However, as technology and business demands evolved, GP failed to keep up with the pace. Organizations using Dynamics GP face issues with scalability, maintenance and efficiency. With competitors evolving with agility, real-time insights and seamless integration, GP users have been falling behind for quite some time.

Now with the End of Support announcement, Microsoft is urging GP users to move to a more robust and comprehensive ERP solution – Dynamics 365 Business Central. Business Central is an intuitive, cloud-based platform that addresses all the current challenges and offers flexibility to scale for any future needs of GP users. In this blog let's discuss the common challenges faced by Dynamics GP users and understand why migrating to Business Central is the optimal solution.

Outdated Technology of GP 

While Dynamics GP was an advanced ERP option when it came to the market, it has not evolved with today’s technology. GP is built on a legacy framework that lacks the modern capabilities that are required for today’s business operations. Dynamics GP lacks advanced tools like AI, Machine Learning and automation that modern-day businesses rely on. This in return hampers productivity, and decision-making and makes the business lag in comparison to its competitors.

Business Central, on the other hand, is designed on Microsoft’s latest and most advanced cloud infrastructure. Microsoft has invested ample resources in building the most comprehensive ERP solution that embraces modern technologies, offers seamless integration with other everyday tools and improves overall business efficiency. Business Central is powered by AI Copilot, offers data-driven insights, automates workflows and enhances operations. The continuous updates and support from Microsoft help users have a competitive advantage while working with cutting-edge technology.

Limited Scalability

As businesses grow, operations are bound to become more complex. Dynamics GP users often struggle to handle the growth. Their ERP solution is no longer able to handle large datasets, multi-entity management and international operations thus limiting their ability to scale efficiently.

On the other hand, Business Central is built to scale with your business. It is designed to handle the growing needs of the organization, handle multi-entity operations, integrate new departments or even expand into global markets. This helps businesses scale up or down quickly while keeping the costs in check, thus making Business Central the perfect ERP solution for growing organizations.

For instance, for a manufacturing company expanding operations to three new countries, it is difficult to adapt GP’s features to manage international tax regulations, currencies, and compliance requirements. With Business Central they can simplify global operations by offering multi-currency support, localized tax compliance, and seamless consolidation of financial data across regions. Its cloud-based infrastructure ensures real-time accessibility and scalability, enabling businesses to expand internationally without operational hurdles.

Higher Maintenance Costs

Dynamics GP is an on-premise ERP solution. This means significant investments in physical servers, regular software upgrades and dedicated IT staff. The software also needs costly customization, updates and extended support agreements, which drives the overall cost of ownership.

With Business Central, which is built on the cloud, you can eliminate the expense of on-premises infrastructure and significantly reduce IT overheads. You can also choose modules, customize your ERP easily and pay for only what you need. Microsoft provides automatic software updates and offers users the latest features without interruption or any additional charge. This reduces operational costs and improves resource allocation.

Data Security Risks

Dynamics GP operates on an outdated security framework which means users are susceptible to cyberattacks and data breaches. In times of technological advancement and cyber scams, businesses need a more robust safety system to protect financial and operational data. Moreover, with the End of Support, Microsoft has also announced the end of security updates of GP. This increases the potential risks and puts your confidential data unsecured.

Business Central is backed by Microsoft’s enterprise-grade cloud security. This offers users advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication and built-in threat protection. Microsoft also offers continuous security updates to tackle any potential threats and secure business data.

Lack of Real-time insights

In today’s fast-paced and changing business environment, real-time data and data-driven decision-making are crucial to keep your organization running profitably. Dynamics GP has limited reporting and analytics capabilities and users do not get access to real-time data.

This solution requires heavy manual data processing, resulting in a delay in decision-making. Due to manual data entry, there is also a huge scope for errors. 

As Business Central operates on the cloud, all users can get real-time data and insights. With native integration with Power BI, you can make intuitive dashboards and get your hands on updated analytics. The AI on Business Central - Copilot can create instant reports, offer insights into the data sets and more. Decision-makers also get actionable insights from Business Central to develop strategies based on real-time data. This comes in handy to predict seasonal fluctuations and plan for unforeseen conditions.

For instance, a distributor needs to track inventory levels in real time to avoid stockouts but relies on manually compiled GP reports that are a day or two old. However, Business Central can provide real-time inventory tracking with automated updates, help distributors avoid stock outs and optimize stock levels. Its integrated dashboards and analytics eliminate reliance on outdated, manually compiled reports, enabling faster, data-driven decisions.

Missed Integration Opportunities

Dynamics GP struggles to integrate easily with everyday applications and third-party tools that most businesses use. This breaks workflows, creating data silos and inefficiency, deviating from the sole purpose of a comprehensive ERP solution. With different applications in place, it is common for businesses to deal with duplicate data, manual data entry, and errors.

Business Central is deeply weaved in Microsoft’s ecosystem allowing businesses to integrate Microsoft 365, Teams and Power BI apps into their ERP solution. This enables streamlined processes and unified workflows. Its open APIs also enable easy connectivity with third-party solutions to promote a cohesive digital environment that boosts productivity.

Lack of mobility and accessibility

The on-premises dependency of Dynamics GP restricts remote access. In today’s mobile-first and remote work environment, this can be a significant drawback to many businesses. This impacts employee productivity and business continuity.

As Business Central is built on the cloud, you can access your data anytime from anywhere. Its mobile app lets the team work effectively in the office, on-site and remotely. This level of accessibility supports modern work environments and global collaboration.

End of Support and Compliance Issues

As Microsoft phases out mainstream support for the older Dynamics GP version, businesses risk falling behind on compliance and losing access to essential updates. Unsupported systems can also create operational vulnerabilities and security threats.

Business Central, on the other hand, is an evolving ERP solution that helps businesses stay compliant with regulatory standards through continuous updates and comprehensive support. With cloud infrastructure, it provides users access to the latest features, and security enhancements, and future-proofs their operations against evolving compliance and market requirements.

Why do you need a GP for BC Assessment?

Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central is not a simple process. It is a total transformation of the most important part of your business operation. Hence, it is important to conduct a thorough GP to Business Central assessment. This assessment lets your migrating partner understand your requirements, align the ERP to your business goals and offer a seamless migration.

The assessment helps analyze current processes, gaps and areas where Business Central can add value. This ensures that migration not only elevates your ERP solution but adds value as well. The assessment is an essential step in your migration process as it lets your partner plan the move in such a way as to minimize disruptions. It helps them evaluate customization and third-party integrations that have to be retained or re-engineered.

Proper planning ensures that all your data is migrated properly with no loss or corruption to important business information. A good migration plan will strategically maximize ROI and minimize risks.

Why choose Dynamics Square as your GP to Business Central Migration Partner?

Selecting the right migration partner is crucial. Dynamics Square, a renowned Microsoft Partner, has over 150-man years of experience in ERP solutions. Our experts bring in best-in-class services and knowledge, making us the ideal choice for this transition.

At Dynamics Square, we recognize that every business is unique. Hence, our migration strategies are customized to align with your specific goals, needs and timelines. We also offer unwavering support from the initial assessment to post-migration to ensure a seamless transition.

If you wish to know more about our approach to migration, get in touch with our experts for a free consultation call. If not, you can also read our case study on how we helped Kaishan Compressors migrate from GP to Business Central. We have discussed the pain points addressed, our approach, the results and more in detail.

Conclusion

Dynamics GP has served businesses well for years, but its limitations in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven environment are undeniable. Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a robust, scalable, and innovative platform to overcome these challenges and drive growth. With a strategic GP to Business Central assessment and a trusted partner like Dynamics Square, businesses can unlock the full potential of Business Central, ensuring a seamless migration and sustained success.

The future is here, and the time to transition is now. Let Dynamics Square guide your journey to a modern, cloud-powered ERP solution with Dynamics 365 Business Central.