Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central
Following Microsoft's announcement that there will be no new customer sales of Dynamics GP from April 2026, we explore why Business Central could be the best next step for your business.
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Microsoft GP, formerly Great Plains, is an ERP and accounting solution for small to medium-sized businesses. The solution is one of Microsoft’s most popular on-premise solutions. Recently Microsoft made the announcement that new customer sales of Microsoft Dynamics GP will cease in April 2026. While this doesn’t signal any immediate changes for current Microsoft Dynamics GP users with Microsoft committing to providing a support life cycle past 2028, it does mean that Microsoft Dynamics GP is reaching end-of-life in terms of new innovation for the solution. This gives Dynamics GP users a great opportunity to start thinking about future plans and evaluating the different options for when the business is transitioning to a new software.
For organisations wondering which solution is the natural next step, Microsoft’s Business Central can help future-proof your finance function. Business Central is Microsoft’s cloud-based ERP solution that has been helping organisations across the globe modernise their finance functions. With many businesses migrating critical business systems to the cloud and many solution providers now primarily investing in the development of cloud-based business solutions, moving to the cloud is a question of when and not if for businesses. Part of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution suite, Business Central unifies your finance, operations, sales, supply chain and much more which makes it a good next step for Dynamics GP users. Below we have compiled some of the key benefits for organisations who decide to migrate to Business Central.
Reduced Costs
Migrating to Business Central can help organisations reduce the overall cost of ownership for their ERP system. With a cloud-based solution, organisations can eliminate the cost of maintaining onsite servers and hardware. Organisations will also require less highly skilled staff to maintain a complex on-premise ERP system, which will not only deliver cost savings but give the organisation access to a wider pool of talent when they are not limited to the specific expertise needed for an on-premise system. Business Central is priced on a monthly subscription model meaning organisations only pay for what they need as they need it.
Automatic Updates
Another key benefit of migrating to cloud-based Business Central is the fact that it is an evergreen technology. Businesses are always using the most up-to-date version with upgrades and feature updates deployed automatically. With organisations no longer having to manage upgrades manually, it frees up valuable time for more important tasks.
Improved Reporting
Acting as a central space to consolidate all company data, Business Central provides real-time data at a glance. Business Central also provides out-of-the-box dashboards that can be customised based on different business requirements, making it easier to track your data. The process of pulling reports is streamlined, freeing up valuable time for staff. Data visualisation dashboards allow all members of staff to make sense of data trends and insights easily.
Seamless Integrations
Business Central has native integration with a number of Microsoft business applications that organisations may already be using from Microsoft 365 apps to the different components of Power Platform. As part of the Dynamics 365 family, Business Central can also be integrated with CRM data from Dynamics 365 Sales. This seamless integration helps data flow smoothly and facilitates users to create helpful automations across the apps. Business Central also facilitates a number of third-party integrations.
Enhanced Security
Moving to Business Central and Microsoft’s cloud, organisations can have peace of mind that data is secure and protected by Microsoft’s best-in-class enterprise security protocols in Microsoft Azure. Microsoft’s experts continually work to ensure the cloud is secure to ensure users don’t have to worry about unexpected data breaches or downtimes.
Scalability
Another key benefit of using a cloud-based ERP system such as Business Central is the scalability it offers. Organisations have the flexibility to scale their solution in line with changing business needs or business growth. This ensures that the solution can grow with the business and it can help support the business to move quickly when new business opportunities arise.
Despite the benefits the process of migrating from Dynamics 365 to Business Central may feel overwhelming, but organisations should know that there are many trusted technology partners that can guide them through the process. If you would like to learn more about migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central, read our case study with CCS Cleaning who recently made this transition.
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