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17th December 2024
Microsoft has recently announced the end-of-life for Dynamics GP. Microsoft has committed to supporting the latest GP product (2019+) until 2029, but any GP products older than this will lose support entirely sooner. Businesses using this ERP system will lose the ability to add new functionalities to their system and Dynamics GP will no longer have any updates, inhibiting integrations with modern systems or harnessing AI features.
Instead, Microsoft will focus on its modern ERP system, Business Central. But what does this mean for GP users?
What does the GP End-of-Life mean?
Microsoft have committed to supporting GP until at least 2029, but that doesn’t mean you should stick with the system until then. The GP end-of-life will allow competitors using other systems to pass you. You’ll be stuck with an outdated system! Let us explain…
When the system goes end-of-life, although there will be some official support available, the development teams will stop on any further platform progression, halting any new functionality or integrations. The focus will simply be to maintain what exists today with bug fixes. If you begin using any other modern platforms or systems, the likelihood is that you will not be able to integrate them with your GP instance as it won’t have continued upgrades and new integrations added. You’ll also be stuck with an on-premises system and won’t have the chance to be cloud-based if you stay with GP, and furthermore you won’t be able to harness any of the AI-powered features and functionality that are available with newer ERP systems.
What does this means for your business?
- No new features
- No new functionality
- No integration with new systems
- Existing integrations expiring
- Increased cyber threat vulnerability
- Continued maintenance costs
The experts at Enhanced agree with Microsoft that the best path forward is a migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central.
We understand many GP customers will know of Business Central and have reservations about this switch. The common misconception is that Microsoft ERP migrations take a long time. They don’t anymore though! With Business Central being cloudbased and off-the-shelf, a migration can be as fast as 4 month. If the reservation you have is the time it takes to migrate, you don’t need to worry about that with Business Central – especially if you were to choose a trusted partner to sail that ERP ocean with you, and who would manage the configuration, migration and onboarding.
What’s the difference between Dynamics GP and Dynamics Business Central?
Modern Cloud-Based Architecture
Business Central is built specifically for the cloud, providing a more modern and flexible architecture compared to the on-premises GP.
This cloud-based approach offers:
- Automatic updates and easier maintenance
- Improved accessibility from anywhere with an internet connection
- Better scalability to accommodate business growth
Improved Reporting and Analytics
Business Central offers advanced reporting capabilities:
- Financial Reporting tool (formerly Account Schedules) for
customisable financial statements - Ability to drill down into transaction details
- Better use of dimensions for more flexible and detailed reporting
Future-Proof Solution
With Microsoft phasing out Dynamics GP, moving to Business
Central ensures:
- A stable future with a defined product roadmap
- Continued support and updates from Microsoft
- Access to the latest features and improvements in ERP technology
| Product/Feature | Dynamics GP | Dynamics 365 Business Central |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | On-premise or IaaS (not included). | Cloud (included). There is also an onpremise option. |
| Licensing Price | Perpetual licensing starts from £3,750 for 3 users. Subscription licensing starts from £50 /user/month. |
Licensing starts at £55 /user/month. |
| Upgrades/Updates | GP 2019 October release and later — free service pack updates | Earlier GP versions — manual upgrades. |
Free and automated updates. |
| Add-on Options | Large pool of add-ons. | Large and rapidly growing pool of apps. |
| Power BI Integration | YES – some effort. | YES – little effort. |
| Budgeting | Setup and import Excel-based budgets. Advanced capabilities through ISVs. |
Create multiple budgets for financials, revisions, analysis, and dimensional reporting. |
| Dynamics 365 Sales/CRM Integration | YES — significant effort. | YES — little effort. |
| Financial Reporting | Management Reporter and Jet Reports. | Leverages account schedules and analysis views. Can also use Jet Reports. |
| GL Account Structure | Multiple segments for structure. | Dimensional chart of accounts. |
| Purchase Orders | Requisitions, PO creation, separate inventory receipt, and 3-way PO invoice matching. |
PO creation, separate inventory receipt, and 3-way PO invoice matching. Does not have requisitions. |
| AI Capability | No AI capability. | Built-in generative AI with Copilot, as well as other AI-powered self-optimising and productivity features. |
Why Choose Business Central?
- Cloud-powered: Your team can assess the system and work from anywhere, while automatic updates keep your systems updated without needing a large IT team.
- Familiar setup: You’ll find the intuitive system that you’re used to has been boosted with AI capabilities and robust customisation options.
- AI capabilities: Meet Copilot, your AI-powered assistant. Helping to automate mundane tasks and provide predictive insights to assist in excelling your business.
- Future proof: Regular feature updates and sustained integrations keep you ahead of the competition, while the scalable nature of the platform means your ERP can grow with business.
Ready to take the next steps to a new ERP system?
In the range of Microsoft partners, Enhanced offers 30 years of experience in creating custom ERP systems that suit every business need. We provide comprehensive support through every stage of migrating and are committed to being a trusted partner for your business.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss migration to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central today and get:
- Evaluation of your business requirements, existing obstacles, and challenges.
- Examination of business operations, workflows, and goals.
- Development of a customised solution plan aligned with your business objectives.
- Overview of the main insights, recommendations, and the optimal path forward.