Factors to Consider When Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central

Are you considering a transition to a new business system like Dynamics 365 Business Central? This decision may stem from your business outgrowing its current tools or necessitating a change for various reasons. If you currently use Dynamics GP, you may be contemplating the ideal time to strategize and budget for a transition – the great news is that you have the flexibility to do so at your own pace.

No one solution is one size fits all. And neither is Centre Technologies offering a one size fits all solution. However, when it comes to your business's needs because of or to cause growth, you need to consider a few things before you take the leap to another ERP system altogether. But how do you narrow that long list down? Consider the following when making your decision. 

Questions to Consider Before Moving to Business Central

What are you currently using in Dynamics GP today?

Begin by taking a step back to evaluate the current processes in place. It's essential to conduct a thorough and honest review, as just because you're accustomed to these processes doesn't mean they are optimal for your business. Engage with the individual employees who use Dynamics GP daily to understand their favorite features and what enhancements they wish for to enhance their workflow. Compile these insights into a list and compare them against potential alternatives for the future. By aligning with user requirements and gaining their support from the outset, you can proactively address any potential challenges down the line.

What do you want to use in your new Business Central ERP in the future?

If your business lacks a strategic roadmap for the next five years, now is the perfect opportunity to create one. Consider when you last invested in an ERP system – was it 5-10 years ago? Chances are, you'll be relying on your next system for a similar duration. It's crucial that your new ERP solution caters to the evolving needs of your business and offers the adaptability to grow alongside you. Strive for enhanced automation, robust reporting capabilities, heightened security measures, and ultimately, a boost in productivity from your new system.

Business Central serves as a dynamic cloud solution that seamlessly connects sales, service, finance, and operations teams, empowering them to swiftly adapt and achieve impactful results. With seamless integration to productivity tools such as Office 365 apps and Microsoft Teams, this versatile platform offers comprehensive functionalities across desktop, tablet, or mobile devices, whether on-premises or in the cloud, spanning Windows, Android, and iOS operating systems.

What will change in Business Central vs. Dynamics GP?

When transitioning from GP to Business Central, it's important to understand that this isn't just a simple upgrade – these are two entirely different systems. With their distinct terminology and functionalities, it's crucial to evaluate how your business processes will adapt to Business Central. Involving key stakeholders who will be using the new system is vital to ensuring a successful implementation and maximizing the use of its built-in features.

Business Central also includes built-in business intelligence with Power BI when and where you need it, with real-time dashboards and KPIs for each user role. These powerful features allow you to improve outcomes and productivity with real-time system suggestions, based on historical data, to help make better-informed business decisions.

Similar to Dynamics GP, Dynamics 365 Business Central undergoes regular major updates. However, Business Central offers a sandbox environment, allowing you to safely test, train, or troubleshoot without disrupting your company's operations or data integrity.

With a pricing structure tailored to your specific needs, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can propel your business towards smarter, technology-driven growth. This enables you to embrace new business models swiftly, leveraging the reliability, security, and adaptability that your business requires.

While you may be accustomed to the features provided by your current Dynamics GP setup, Business Central's base functionality may already cover these needs or can be further enhanced through customizable extensions. It's essential that businesses transitioning from Dynamics GP to Business Central assess the compatibility of your existing processes and systems with the new platform.

How will data and integrations be migrated to Business Central?

If you have experience with system transitions, you understand that moving from one platform to another is not always as straightforward as it seems. Even though you may be transitioning between Microsoft products, the shift between Dynamics GP and Business Central involves navigating two distinct platforms. Therefore, transferring your data may not be as simple as a click of a button, and the process could prove to be more complex than anticipated.

Which Microsoft Partners can migrate the data to Business Central and provide ongoing user support?

When choosing a partner for your Business Central implementation, the options are vast. Given the complexity and depth of the BC ecosystem, it's essential to select a partner with a proven track record in migrating from GP to BC, implementing BC effectively, and providing ongoing support tailored to your needs.

At Centre Technologies, our all-inclusive pricing approach eliminates upfront fees and covers not only hardware but also backups, data security, emergency services, and product upgrades. Plus, our unlimited support ensures that any questions or concerns you have are just a phone call away. Learn more about our comprehensive All-in-One pricing package today.

Make the right decision for your business

At the end of the day, your business growth is one of the most important factors when considering migrating from GP to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. If you're still pondering some of these questions or maybe you have a few more, contact us today and we can make sure you get the answers you need. You won't be disappointed.