Should I Upgrade Microsoft Dynamics GP?

Should you upgrade your Microsoft Dynamics GP? Is it time? Is it necessary? What will be best for your business?

The logical upgrade from Dynamics GP seems to be Dynamics 365 Business Central. But before you jump on the bandwagon, there are a few things to consider.

Is it time to upgrade from Dynamics GP to Dynamics BC?

You've been using Dynamics GP for a while and are mostly satisfied with it. Now you're getting all these messages about upgrading. Some would have you believe that Microsoft Dynamics GP  to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central will be the easiest path. But you should first realize that even in a GP to BC scenario, it's not a simple upgrade; you'd have to do a re-implementation.

Moving to another ERP solution, even one from the same company, involves a journey. All upgrade journeys follow the same three steps:

1. Ensuring that upgrading is best for your company
2. A software evaluation period
3. An implementation project

In this post, we'll examine the first step. Let's see if upgrading is the best choice for your company. In our next post, we'll address the other two stages of the journey.

Is Dynamics GP still right for your company?

The first question you should ask is why you are considering upgrading. Some reasons could be:

• You've outgrown Dynamics GP, and it's holding back business growth
• You want a cloud-based ERP solution
• You are following Microsoft's or your GP partner's messaging.

If your GP is working fine, you don't necessarily have to upgrade, regardless of what Microsoft and maybe even your partner is saying.

Unless Business Central provides a dramatic increase in functionality that you will use, a new implementation may be hard to justify. Most Dynamics GP users have customized their systems with multiple third-party solutions. They've got things working just the way they want them to.

Have you truly outgrown Dynamics GP?

At Pelorus, we've developed a simple test to determine if you have genuinely outgrown Microsoft Dynamics GP. We call it the Rule of Multis.

The more "multis" you check off, the higher the probability you may need a more sophisticated ERP platform.

Here's the list:

• Multi-company
• Multi-LOB (line of business)
• Multi-Location
• Multi-Currency
• Multi-Country
• Multi-Language

So, have you truly outgrown Microsoft Dynamics GP, or do you just need cloud benefits? The answer to that question has enormous implications.

Let's explore cloud options.

If you're happy with the business functionality of your Dynamics GP, then there are better options for moving to the Cloud than implementing an entirely new ERP solution. Consider the following options:

1. If your hardware is old, you can rent servers in the Cloud, install your GP software on those hosted servers and access it remotely.
2. If your hardware is newer, you can locate your existing servers in a co-location company with ideal environments to secure, monitor, and manage your hardware.
3. If you don't want the headaches of maintaining servers, an excellent option is moving your GP into a hosted environment run by a company that specializes in running GP applications in the Cloud.

Any of these solutions may be acceptable long-term strategies or short-term moves to buy you time to investigate moving to a new ERP system. Microsoft has committed to providing ongoing support. So if Dynamics GP works for you, you don't have to worry about being left in the lurch.

So, ask the hard questions: Do I need a new  ERP implementation, or is Dynamics GP performing our business tasks satisfactorily? How many "Multis" did I check off? How do I feel about the cloud options presented?

What's next?

In our next post, we'll consider stages 2 and 3 of our implementation journey: software selection and Implementation.

We know your struggle. Microsoft GP has delivered a reliable ERP and accounting solution for decades, but it may not be enough to keep up with the demands of your growing business. Even with endless customizations, you could be torturing GP and creating friction for your business operations instead of capitalizing on automation, optimization, and digital transformation. Our years of experience with GP help to put together an enterprise solution that accelerates your business forward.

Contact our Microsoft Dynamics GP experts at Pelorus Technology, and let's talk about the best next steps for your business technology.

Download the Ultimate GP Upgrade Guide. 

By Pelorus Technology, www.pelorustechnology.com