Four Things to Know When Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central
Posted on: October 1, 2020 | By: Guy Logan | Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central
As industry needs shift with changing demands, businesses may be looking to migrate from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central. Some clients believe it is just a simple upgrade, while others it to be a completely new implementation that is too big a task to tackle. In this article, we will help address this discrepancy by outlining four important things to know about the switch from GP to Business Central.
1. Business Central is not an upgraded Dynamics GP.
The move from Dynamics GP to Business Central is not a simple click of a button. That being said, Microsoft has introduced data migration tools that allow for a simplified switch from GP to Business Central. However, because GP and Business Central are completely different products, they utilize different terminology and provide different functionalities. Therefore, users need to determine how their business processes will be handled in Business Central.
2. Business Central’s new chart of accounts structure.
Dynamics GP forces the entire chart of account string into one field. While users may have separate segments (Natural Account, Divisions, Department), each combination requires a unique account. Meanwhile, Business Central offers a natural account that requires users to create and add dimensions when entering a transaction. While this feature opens up reporting opportunities and greatly reduces the size of one’s chart of accounts, it does require some planning.
3. Business Central’s superior functionality.
Business Central provides a variety of functionality enhancements. For example, Business Central users can export lines on a sales order into Excel, update them in Excel (with validation to data in Business Central), and reimport the data (Check out our blog post to learn more about using Excel with Business Central). Before implementing Business Central, it is important to properly plan for these functionality improvements. After all, if you are going to make a change, you should reap the benefits!
4. Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central is not an impossible task!
When considering the switch, businesses may have to consider chart of account changes, third-party solutions (many GP solutions are compatible with Business Central), and new functionality, but migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central is not an overly complicated task.
Next steps
Logan Consulting is a trusted Microsoft Partner that has helped many companies transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central. If you want to understand what it might mean for your organization to move from Dynamics GP to Business Central, please contact us.