Microsoft Dynamics GP is a solid financial management solution, well-liked by mid-sized organizations for nearly 20 years. It is a comprehensive solution – and very popular because of its advanced functionality that comes out-of-the-box. It’s also easy to configure.
Arctic IT has been an advocate, implementer, and supporter of Microsoft Dynamics GP since the beginning, and our product experts are some of GP’s biggest fans. With deep respect for GP clients everywhere, we thought it would be helpful to share more about the future of Dynamics.
Microsoft Dynamics GP Roadmap
It’s no surprise that Microsoft has added only small enhancements to GP in recent years. The company has been progressively shifting the focus to other products. Emphasis is now on the further development of the more modern and flexible ERP platforms of Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) and Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (F&O) – accessible anywhere, any time, on any device.
What are Dynamics 365 Business Central and Finance and Operations?
Dynamics 365 BC is the small to mid-sized offering, while F&O is designed for global enterprise-level finance and operations – allowing you to optimize workflow by integrating the disparate systems in your organization. Manage your budget, finances, and operations and monitor progress with real-time data across all departments. The functionality is fully featured with the power of consolidation across entire enterprises. Task prioritization and intelligent automation are a couple of the must-see advanced features.
Here’s a look at the top 5 reasons organizations are migrating from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365:
1. D365 is built within the Microsoft Azure Cloud
- What is Microsoft Azure?
- Azure combines ERP, business intelligence, infrastructure, and database services in a secure and safe environment
- Azure is the only cloud with hybrid consistency across the data platform. It has more regions than other providers, delivers exceptional developer productivity, and meets complex compliance regulations set by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Cloud Services provides greater return on investment
- Cloud services allow you to receive automatic updates at the time they are released preventing any surprises with the cost for upgrades and new versions.
- Maintenance cost is reduced significantly because Microsoft is managing the infrastructure.
- No server licensing, no server hardware
- Consistent monthly subscription costs result in easier budget planning
- Always up-to-date and the most secure
2. Full integration with the suite of Microsoft Products
- Unified processes with one platform to manage finance and operations preventing duplicate entry, manual processes, and less risk of errors
- Automated tasks and workflows that are usable throughout the Microsoft Dynamics suite
- Interact from within Outlook to process purchase orders, purchase requisitions, sales orders, and approvals
- Fully integrated with Microsoft Office apps (SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, Power BI, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
- Seamless integration with Excel to access accurate financials in real-time
- Applications available to manage all your operational needs (Sales & Service, Financials, Talent, Marketing, Enterprise Retail)
3. Power BI user interface (Self Service Customization)
- Get an end-to-end view of your business, with built-in intelligence and world-recognized graphic analytics
- Browser viewing screens with access to the full capabilities of the applications on mobile devices with personalized dashboard to drill into exactly what you need at the time you need it
- Modern, intelligent digital transformation for deep visual charts and graphs
- Dashboards are easy to build and view in real-time with user-defined criteria
4. Flexible chart of accounts
- Dynamics 365 has the flexibility of dimensional reporting on transactions. The set up could be by a particular type such as department, project, etc.
- Simplified account structure where you define rules which later determine how accounts are used throughout the system
- It is adaptable for financial requirements that are often changing
- The account number is not restricted to any configuration for how it is segmented avoiding that never-ending account string
5. Seamless transition from GP to D365
- Familiar look and feel of the user interface and the full integration with Office products
- Microsoft offers a built-in migration tool with a Data Migration Wizard within Dynamics 365
- With an integrated cloud platform, you merge the Microsoft solutions you are accustomed to using and break down data silos, increasing productivity and making the transition to D365 a quick learning curve.
Thinking of upgrading to Dynamics 365? Arctic IT is Microsoft Gold Partner, and we have the experience and expertise you can trust to get the job done right.
Check out our pre-recorded webinar: The Dynamics GP Roadmap, where we provide an in depth look at your options with your current solution. Connect with us today to learn more.