Why Migrate from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 BC?

Well, the biggest reason is that Microsoft has announced Dynamic GP's "End of Life". After 2029, GP will no longer be supported. That said, there are other compelling reasons to look at Dynamics BC as a replacement for your GP solutions.

Despite advanced features and granular reporting tools, Microsoft GP is held back by its infrastructure. Microsoft Dynamics GP is a specialized accounting suite—not a complete ERP solution like Dynamics 365 Business Central. As such, many GP users end up relying on a patchwork system, which creates this separation between finance & accounting and the rest of the company.

Here, we’ll explain the process of migrating from your on-prem GP solution to Dynamics 365 Business Central.

The Benefits of Migrating from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central in the Cloud?

Upgrading your legacy system to Dynamics 365 unlocks all kinds of game-changing benefits. Think–automatic upgrades, anywhere access, the ability to operationalize valuable data and optimize processes.

Dynamics 365 unifies accounting and finance with the rest of the business. This eliminates many of the challenges and risks that come from using a fragmented ERP solution–and it helps teams avoid costs associated with managing third-party solutions.

It also integrates with familiar Microsoft tools like Excel, Teams, and Outlook and syncs data between all connected modules and apps.

That means users can perform daily tasks in one place rather than switching between windows and tabs. And, at the same time, steer clear of data entry errors and regulatory non-compliance that puts the company–and its customers–at risk. Users also spend less time tracking down files and compiling reports and more time on strategic tasks like analyzing data—in context.

Business Central comes embedded with Power BI, which allows you to build customizable dashboards for monitoring key financial data and create interactive visual reports. The platform’s baked-in intelligence improves sales, cash flow, & inventory forecasting and provides end-to-end visibility into company performance.

Essentially, it becomes much easier to make decisions based on where they stand to have the most impact.

And because D365 is built on the low-code Power Platform, it’s easy for “citizen developers” to create automations, pull custom reports, and build custom solutions.

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What Does a Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Migration Actually Entail?

GP only represents a small piece of the ERP–accounting and finance–not sales, service, marketing, HR, and the rest. So, the migration doesn’t just involve moving GP to the cloud–you’re also consolidating all business tools, data, and processes into a single ERP.

In some cases, that might mean merging GP data and processes into a cloud-based system you’re already using. Or, you might be performing multiple migrations at the same time.

Either way, here’s a look at what you’ll need to do to prepare:

Before you start the migration process, you’ll need to get real clear on the game plan.

• Perform an audit. Because you’re starting from a fragmented system, plan on allocating more time and resources to the audit process. Here, your goal is to evaluate the system from a zoomed-out perspective so you can create a map of all the interconnected pieces.
• Analyze business processes. Map & analyze business processes, data flows, and apps. What tools/processes does each team use? What’s working? What’s not working
• Determine business requirements. Work with individual teams to understand how they work, what challenges they face, and what they’d like to see improve post-migration.
• Look for improvement opportunities. Consider how new capabilities can be used to solve problems or capture new opportunities. How might integrating financial data into other business areas (and vice versa) benefit your business?
• Evaluate partners & external solutions. Seek out a certified partner with a background in GP migrations and expertise in your industry. The right partner can also help you identify ISV solutions and external applications that further enhance the value of your D365 investment.

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Using the Data Migration Wizard

This tool simplifies the process of bringing GP data into the new system. It’s designed for a one-time move away from your on-prem system for companies ready to start using BC as their primary solution.

The cloud migration tool brings the following GP data into the cloud:

• Chart of Accounts master records
• Customer records & outstanding transactions from the Receivables module
• Vendor master records & outstanding transactions from the Payables module
• Inventory items
• Checkbook master data
• Historical data from Inventory, Payables, Receivables, PO processing, and Sales Order processing

Do note that this tool doesn’t migrate everything from your on-prem system.

For example, the wizard doesn’t migrate data related to closed transactions, POP, SOP, & Manufacturing transactions. It also doesn’t migrate the breakdowns of the accounts. In that case, totals are recorded in the account number. So, if you want to distribute them across different segments, you’ll need to create journal entries.

Migrating the Rest of Your Data to Business Central

Here’s a look at some of the other ways you can move critical financial data to the cloud:

Migrate with RapidStart. The RapidStart service allows you to import transactional data not covered by the wizard. Users can create Configuration Packages in Excel to migrate transactions, batch create journal entries, and create quick-start templates to help you set up the new system faster.

Move the GP database to Azure Data Lake. When you upgrade from GP to the cloud, you’ll need to make a decision about what happens with your historical data. Moving your database to Azure Data Lake allows you to securely store data in the cloud for later review/use. You don’t necessarily have to use a data lake, but it allows you to access historical data that wasn’t migrated with the wizard.

​​You can then set up Azure Data Factory to rehost data in the cloud and use Azure’s pre-built connectors to automate the process of integrating data from ISV solutions with Dynamics 365.

Replicate GP data with the intelligent cloud. The replication process allows you to store GP data in the BC tenant in the cloud. This allows you to access GP data from Business Central, but you’ll still need to perform data entry in the on-prem system and update the system manually or by scheduling them in advance. It’s better to look at this solution as temporary–it allows you to start using financial data in the cloud as you finish up the migration process/figure out what you want to do with your historical data.

Finally, it’s worth noting that you can still keep GP data on-prem to maintain historical records.

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Step 1: Get an Assessment

Using Microsoft's assessment tool, you can easily see if your GP environment will upgrade easily, or if you need to do some work to get it there. The Assessment tool looks at your version of GP, SQL, and the modules you have implemented, and determines whether your solution can be easily migrated, or if you require additional work to safely move your data into BC.

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Step 2: Test Migration

Once your environment has been cleared for the Migration tool, the next step is to bring data into BC from your GP environment. Once you have your data pushed into your BC tenant, you can process transactions, design workflows, and test the reporting that BC provides. Often times, we will perform Power User training in the Test Migration to allow your team to learn the system using the data they are familiar with. You can rerun the migration as many times as you would like to make sure your team is working with the latest GP data.

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Step 3: Final Migration

Once you've identified the workflows, created your reports, and trained the staff, it is time to pull the trigger on the migration. The sync process will be run for the final time and your data will be migrated!

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