When it comes to moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central, your data cleanup strategy can make or break the project. Not just the time, but the budget.
In this episode of One Fail, One Fix, Amber Bell from shares a true story of a manufacturing company that faced a daunting challenge: a General Ledger bloated with 70,000 accounts accumulated over 20 years of using Dynamics GP.
Through systematic analysis and automated cleanup processes, Amber managed to reduce this to just 1,500 essential accounts.
But the story goes beyond just numbers - it's about empowering teams to take control of their data before migration, ensuring a smooth transition to Business Central, and building better processes along the way.
Whether you're planning to move to BC soon or just starting to think about it, this episode offers practical insights on how to avoid carrying decades of messy data into your new system.
One Fail, One Fix with Amber Bell from Training Dynamo
Anya Ciecierski, ERP Software Blog:
This is One Fail, One Fix with Amber Bell from Training Dynamo.
Today we're talking about a manufacturing company that had been using Microsoft Dynamics GP for more than 20 years. Over time, their General Ledger structure had become a tangled mess.
They had multiple segments for accounts like location and department, and they created every possible combination, resulting in thousands of unnecessary accounts.
When it came time to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, this mess became a major roadblock.
Amber Bell from Training Dynamo, tell us a little bit more about this fail.
Amber Bell, Training Dynamo:
When I was brought in, not only was this causing issues for what they were looking to do in Business Central, but it had already been causing them so many issues in GP. They were just frustrated.
New people would pick the wrong account. Trying to keep track of everything was very difficult for them.
Basically, when the General Ledger was set up, they thought they had to give every single combination in every single company of every single different location.
So, companies without that department still had that department. Companies without that main account still had that main account. Each company ended up with tens of thousands of accounts they never used and never were going to use.
As their Partner was looking at this, they had to determine, especially if there were mistakes, which accounts to keep, which ones to merge, which segments were critical, and which segments would be converted into Dimensions in BC. It was very confusing and very chaotic.
Anya Ciecierski, ERP Software Blog:
Amazing. And you told me it ended up with over 70,000 accounts, but at the end of the day, they only needed about 1,500 of them. That's crazy.
So, what was the fix for this fail?
Amber Bell, Training Dynamo:
Basically, we needed to analyze the data instead of just getting rid of it when they switched over. We wanted to clean up unnecessary combinations so that their chart of accounts would already be simplified and mapped correctly when transitioning to BC.
The first thing I did was create a really good SQL view that I’m now sharing with customers. I’ve started a new program and outreach to companies, letting them know I can help them with this process.
The SQL view looks at all the accounts and determines when they were last actually used, not just closed with a balance. It allowed them to see which accounts were never used or were only used 15 years ago.
We then automated the cleanup, inactivating or, in many cases, deleting them.
But we found it wasn’t just the General Ledger. When a company has an issue like this or is looking to move, you don’t want to wait until the last minute. You want to fix it as soon as possible, even if you're not ready to go into BC yet.
Cleaning up and inactivating vendors you’re not using, cleaning up and inactivating items, and merging or removing old purchase orders make it so much easier to determine exactly what you need in BC.
We went through and found old customer balances, determining if they needed to be written off, if there were credit memos that never got applied, and if bank reconciliations had been missed.
I've done this with so many customers lately. People are realizing that taking ownership of this cleanup instead of leaving it for a rushed weekend between GP and BC gives them more control. It also ensures that they don’t carry bad data into their new system.
I think that’s what happened with this customer. They changed from another accounting system, and someone did their best to figure out what was needed but got it wrong. Then, everyone built on that bad foundation. You don’t want to do that again.
Take the time now to fix it.
That’s really my whole job, training people and making them feel empowered, like superheroes in their own company. That’s what I’ve been doing for over 20 years now. Actually, this month is my nine-year anniversary of working for myself.
Anya Ciecierski, ERP Software Blog:
Congratulations!
So, for this specific company, what were the benefits once all the data was cleaned up?
Amber Bell, Training Dynamo:
Once the data was cleaned up, I gave them tools to help keep it clean.
As they planned their move to BC, they weren’t dependent on me every time they needed to clean up data. I empowered them to manage it themselves.
We also mapped out how they were using the system and how they would use it in BC. This helped their BC Partner determine what add-ons or custom setups were needed, which saved them money.
And most importantly, it made everyone in the company feel like they were part of the project instead of having the project forced onto them.
They got excited because, as they cleaned things up, their day-to-day life in GP became easier. The planning came together, and they could see they were building a better system.
They now have better financial reporting and are on track for a really clean BC implementation because they know what they’re doing. They’ve been given the time and training to keep up with it.
Anya Ciecierski, ERP Software Blog:
That sounds like a big win for this company.
You touched on this already, but what other advice would you give to companies looking to move from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 BC?
Amber Bell, Training Dynamo:
Don’t wait until you’re ready to switch to BC.
And honestly, you might even end up picking another software. Of course, I focus on helping people move to BC, but regardless of what system you choose, cleaning up your data now is going to make everything easier.
It will make things easier for your team in the short term and the long term because they’ll know what they’re looking at instead of wading through a mess.
I’ve also helped a lot of companies clean up their bank reconciliations in GP. The fewer unresolved issues you leave in GP, the easier it will be in BC.
Make sure everything balances. Your month-end process should be solid.
I have a workbook I use for month-end close. I literally used it yesterday to close a bunch of companies for a client. I provide so that when they’re ready to flip the switch, they aren’t scrambling at the last minute.
Also, understand how BC handles customers, vendors, and items differently than GP, especially with account assignments and groups. Even if you’re not using BC yet, there are ways to implement similar structures in GP now to make the transition smoother.
Document your processes. Print out reports, list third-party applications, and identify any manual workarounds. Find that super-secret post-it note someone uses to do their job every month.
Getting all of this information into a binder or secure folder now will make the transition much easier.
And this is why I’m so passionate about training.
I know you interview a lot of people with amazing add-on products, and those are great. I’ve even reached out to some people I’ve seen in your series.
But at the end of the day, the most valuable asset at any company is its employees.
If you can help them understand changes, why they’re happening, and even let them contribute ideas to make things better, your implementation will be much smoother.
Anya Ciecierski, ERP Software Blog:
That’s a great story!
The key takeaways here:
- Clean up your data before moving systems.
- Document your processes so there are no surprises.
- Invest in your team now to save money and avoid headaches later.
- And of course, call Amber Bell at Training Dynamo!
Amber Bell, Training Dynamo:
Yes, I’d love to help you!
And by the way, I’m not a Partner. My job is focused on training, reporting, and making things better for you.
If you’re a Partner and have a client who just needs a helping hand, they can reach out to me as well.
at Training Dynamo.
By ERP Software Blog Writer, www.erpsoftwareblog.com