Over the course of the last few months, we’ve had a number of questions posed to us from our customers as well as potential customers about Business Central and Dynamics GP.
In our latest blog article, we will set you straight on 9 myths around Business Central.
Myth 1: Microsoft will no longer be supporting Dynamics GP
We hear this misinformation a lot and Microsoft doesn’t really help themselves when it comes to this. The limited information around the support lifecycle and roadmap has set the perfect scene for Microsoft’s competitors to take advantage.
So, what’s the truth?
Microsoft announced a roadmap that demonstrates that it will continue to support GP and ongoing development through 2028 and beyond. We wrote an article about this which you can see here: https://www.advantage.co.uk/intelligence-hub/check-the-tech/microsoft-extends-the-roadmap-for-microsoft-dynamics-gp-to-2028
Myth 2: Business Central can be implemented without a Microsoft Gold implementation partner
Again, Microsoft is a little behind when it comes to marketing to QuickBooks users in particular as the technology isn't quite ready to meet this demand. As it stands, QuickBooks users are able to install the product themselves.
So, what’s the truth?
Despite the fact that the onboarding process has been ramped up by Microsoft, Business Central is still quite tricky for companies to implement by themselves. Along with this, there are hundreds of setup & security options available in Business Central itself. The best thing to do is to get in touch with a Microsoft Gold partner like ourselves, who can not only reduce the implementation time but also help your business to improve efficiency.
Myth 3: Business Central is so easy to use that no training is required
This message is sometimes mentioned by Microsoft or specific partners.
So, what's the truth?
Unfortunately, Business Central is just as hard to learn as Dynamic GP. Therefore it is so important to get full training included within any Business Central implementation that you choose as it will benefit you in the long term.
Myth 4: Business Central is the new version or the latest upgrade for Dynamics GP
This can be potentially confusing as Microsoft’s messaging can sometimes flag up issues or lack of clarity.
So, what’s the truth?
Business Central is a completely different product to Dynamics GP and as such will need to be implemented as a new solution. With this, users will need to be trained, a gap analysis completed as well as any third-party products used in GP will need to be checked to see whether they are compatible within Business Central.
Myth 5: Business Central is the best choice for users on Dynamics GP looking to migrate to the Cloud
It goes without saying but Microsoft has indicated that Business Central is its premier ERP solution going forwards which will replace Dynamics GP in the future.
So, what’s the truth?
It is important to understand that Business Central won’t suit all businesses even those currently on Dynamics GP as like anything there will be some functionality or performance limitations that make it much more tricky to move from GP to Business Central. The good thing is that some of the limitations in functionality can be overcome using some third-party providers or further customisations.
Myth 6: Business Central can be installed for almost any company in less than 6 weeks
It goes without saying that Microsoft has showcased Business Central as its premier ERP solution with its pricing. This has come with a low price for the licenses themselves whereby Microsoft have developed an implementation “methodology” focused on repeatability and speed.
So, what's the truth?
It isn’t straight forward to implement any ERP system as it can take time and cause some problems internally. Nothing in Business Central has changed this. In order to meet shorter implementation timeframes some partners cut corners in both the planning and training which takes up most of the time during an ERP implementation.
Myth 7: All of your data in GP can be moved to Business Central automatically using Microsoft’s migration tool
This has been used to help convince GP users that want to safeguard their data during a data migration process.
So, what's the truth?
It goes without saying that during the cleanup and review, some of your data will make the transition from GP to Business Central through Microsoft’s tool. However, in certain cases some data can't be moved to Business Central through the migration tool and will therefore need more queries to be written in SQL server and configuration packages to be created in Business Central. In rare cases, some of your data might not make the journey at all.
Myth 8: In Business Central, upgrades are automatic and don’t need the client or partner to be involved
This is quite appealing to GP clients given that Microsoft needs just one upgrade per year to keep clients on supported versions.
So, what’s the truth?
Despite the fact that upgrades are completed automatically, it still needs to planned and tested, third party compatibility needs to be checked and it needs to be determined whether or not any customisations or reports need to be updated. You will usually be told when an update is coming and you can delay this if necessary. Granted, Microsoft runs the updates automatically, however anything else that comes out regarding the upgrade needs to be addressed by both the customer and partner.
Myth 9: Business Central will be quicker and easily scalable than any existing Dynamics GP implementation
It is often expected by customers that when technology is upgraded both the performance and scalability will be improved.
So, what’s the truth?
As many of you know, an on-premise GP solution is heavily reliant on both server hardware and network speed. However, the performance of a Business Central solution is determined based on Azure’s infrastructure as well as by internet speed.
Next Steps?
If you are a business that has read the above article and are keen to make the move from Dynamics GP to Business Central or are looking to move your GP solution to the Cloud through Azure then please give our team of Microsoft Dynamics experts a call today to discuss your specific requirements.
Looking to get the latest news and views from Microsoft? This can be achieved if you are a member of our mailing list.
