If you are a loyal Dynamics GP user, you've probably been using GP as your ERP for a long time—back before the name changed from Great Plains. And you'd probably like to stay with GP rather than migrate to a new ERP.
That's understandable. GP is a very robust ERP, is easy to use, and has a large user base and strong partner support.
So why would you change?
The problem is that Microsoft is no longer investing significantly in Dynamics GP in favor of investments in Dynamics 365 products like Finance, SCM, and Business Central.
Is Microsoft Great Plains going away?
Perhaps you've heard rumors of Microsoft GP end of life and are worried about Dynamics GP's future.
As far as we know, Microsoft has committed supporting GP at least through 2028 with three releases every year. So, in the foreseeable future, GP will NOT be going away.
The future of Dynamics GP support
Microsoft plans three annual GP releases, usually in June, October, and December. Their latest product roadmap shows GP will be supported through 2028 and beyond (see Figure 1).
It should be noted, however, that future releases are governed by Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle policy, which will consist primarily of bug fixes, regulatory changes, and the latest tax updates. Updates might also include features that address issues resulting from customer requests. Mainstream support for the latest GP release ended in 2023.
Most notably, new features, technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and integrations are not the primary focus of future GP releases. For those, users will have to consider a modern ERP like Dynamics 365.
Figure 1 – GP product roadmap
(See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-gp/terms/lifecycle)
What is Microsoft replacing Great Plains with?
The problem is that although GP can be hosted in the cloud, its architecture does not support a true-cloud ERP. This means that GP users will not be able to enjoy the benefits provided by true-cloud ERP products like Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance.
In fact, in a LinkedIn post by Mike Morton, Vice President of Dynamics 365 Business Central at Microsoft, commenting on the future of Dynamics GP, wrote, "We do not expect significant new capabilities in Dynamics GP, such as new modules. Microsoft's major investments and innovations will be in other Dynamics 365 offerings."
So, while GP isn't going away anytime soon, GP customers might want to start looking to migrate to a modern ERP solution.
For small to mid-sized businesses, GP customers might consider Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive ERP that can be hosted on premises or in the cloud. Business Central offers strong financial capabilities, plus support for manufacturing and distribution. Business Central is easy to modify and enjoys a large developer community.
Microsoft offers Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (SCM) for larger or more complex businesses. Finance handles the accounting and financial functions, while SCM is designed to manage the operational aspects of the company. Dynamics 365 Finance and SCM provide deeper functionality in each area than Business Central.
Microsoft also offers additional Dynamics 365 products for Field Services, Marketing, Sales (CRM), Field Service, and more. All Dynamics 365 products integrate with Microsoft's Power Platform and Office 365 applications.
Contact Western Computer to learn more about your options for migrating from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central or Dynamics 365 Finance and SCM.
