Dynamics GP to Business Central: What the Cloud Migration Process Looks Like
Moving from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central is a big decision.
Your organization has likely spent years building workflows around GP, so the thought of moving your ERP to the cloud can feel overwhelming. While that may be true, it is also a huge opportunity to improve and future-proof your business.
While the new tools – like Copilot and AI – get a lot of the buzz when it comes to Cloud upgrades, migrating from GP to Business Central also gives you a detailed look at how your business operates today. With a bird’s-eye view, you can identify what’s working, what’s not working, clean up years of data, reconsider your third-party integrations, and take advantage of the broader Microsoft ecosystem more effectively.
In this blog, we’ll give you an overview of why it’s time to start thinking about moving away from Dynamics GP and give you specific insights into what a typical migration process will look like. If your organization is thinking about moving to cloud-based Dynamics 365 Business Central, please get a free Dynamics GP Migration Assessment from the Stoneridge Experts today.
The On-Premises Reality: GP is Becoming More Costly
On-premises solutions often need complex architectures to run smoothly. Your GP environment may depend on SQL servers, file servers, VPNs, Active Directory, network shares, local printers, custom applications, integrations, backups, and other infrastructure. While each piece plays a key role in keeping your ERP running, they also introduce a web of dependencies your team must maintain.
Staying on premises comes with more than just the cost of Dynamics GP. Your team is also dealing with:
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Hardware considerations like server failures
- Time-consuming, manual data backups
- Remove access issues
- Weaker security compared to the cloud
On top of all of that, you are also dealing with the stress that comes with keeping all of those systems aligned and working together effectively.
Moving to Business Central changes that equation. Instead of maintaining the infrastructure surrounding an on-premises ERP, you’re moving into a cloud-based environment that effectively connects your system with the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem.
End of Dynamics GP Support
There’s an important reason to start thinking about that transition now: Microsoft has established a timeline for the eventual retirement of GP support and updates. Microsoft’s current roadmap calls for the end of product support and updates on December 31, 2029, with security updates ending April 30, 2031.
While you may read that and think you have a lot of time before switching to Business Central, ERP migrations are more successful when you aren’t rushing to meet an imposing deadline. The more time you give your team to evaluate options, clean up data, plan processes, and prepare users for the transition, the better the outcome will be.
Bridge to Cloud: A Microsoft Licensing Opportunity
If licensing is one of the things making you hesitate about a GP-to-Business Central migration, Microsoft currently has an incentive designed specifically to make the transition easier.
The Bridge to Cloud 3 promotion allows eligible Dynamics GP customers to maintain dual licensing for GP and Business Central during the transition, giving you an opportunity to move to the cloud without having to make the switch overnight.
The current promotion is available through December 31, 2027, giving eligible GP customers additional time to plan and execute their migration. Note: You must be current on your GP enhancement plan to be eligible for the Promotion.
Once you get into Business Central licensing, you’ll generally choose between three different tiers:
- Essentials: Provides you with core financial and operational functionality ($80/user/month)
- Premium: Everything in Essentials plus added capabilities in manufacturing and service management ($110/user/month)
- Team Member: Limited access to users who need read only visibility. ($8/user/month)
You can read our blog on the subject to learn more about the licensing considerations of cloud migration, the limited-time Promotion, and the Stoneridge Software free licensing assessment that can help you get started.
What Does the Migration Process Actually Look Like?
The overarching question organizations ask when deciding to make the move is: “What will a cloud migration to Business Central look like?”
The answer depends heavily on your organization. There’s no universal GP to Business Central migration checklist that works the same way for every company. Your system size, business processes, customizations, integrations, data quality, reporting requirements, third-party applications, and available resources all affect the project.
In general, however, we recommend that clients who are making the transition strongly consider some of the core phases they will go through on their cloud journey.
1. Think Beyond the ERP: The Microsoft Cloud Ecosystem
One of the biggest changes when you move from GP to Business Central is that you aren’t simply replacing one ERP with another.
You’re moving into a broader Microsoft cloud ecosystem that is designed to work alongside tools you may already use every day, including:
- Microsoft Outlook
- Excel
- Microsoft Teams
- Power BI
- Power Platform
- AI capabilities
- Other Dynamics 365 applications
- Industry-specific applications and ISV solutions
Underneath that ecosystem is Microsoft Azure, which provides the cloud infrastructure supporting Business Central. Power Platform can extend your environment with reporting, automation, workflows, and low-code applications, while Microsoft 365 tools integrate directly into everyday business processes.
Additionally, you can expand your access to and use of Microsoft Copilot, including the ability to use it directly in Business Central to streamline workflows and find information using natural language prompts. There are also Business Central-specific AI agents you can use for certain processes.
This opens new possibilities that aren’t there in your current GP environment. Instead of asking, “How you can make Business Central work exactly like GP?” ask, “What could our business do with faster processes and a more cohesive system?” This shift in mindset can make a huge difference in a successful migration.
2. Rethink Your Business Needs
The cloud migration isn’t just about taking what you’re currently using and simply putting it on the cloud. It’s about making processes and workflows better. While you and your team might be used to the way GP works, your business has inevitably changed. Processes that made sense a decade ago may not make as much sense today. Some customizations may have been created because GP couldn’t easily do something another way. Other processes may exist simply because that’s how you’ve always done it.
Migrating to the cloud allows you to start asking the important questions:
- What is working well today?
- What is frustrating our users?
- Where are we relying on manual data entry?
- Which processes take more time than they should?
- What information do we wish we had access to?
- Where are we currently limited by GP?
- What functionality would we like to have in Business Central?
Users within your organization are the best people to answer these questions. Getting the team’s feedback from every team within your business early and often is huge. Because migrations are not one-size-fits-all. The priorities for your finance team will be different from your operations, sales, or any other team. Identifying decision-makers, process owners, and subject matter experts – and getting their input – is extremely valuable in determining what should change and what should stay the same.
It’s also important to document your processes. If someone in your organization has been doing a particular job for 10-15 years, they might know the process front to back and not realize how important that is. Documenting key processes gives your team – and implementation partner – a much clearer picture of what your Business Central environment needs to look like.
3. Get Serious About Data, Integrations, and Third-Party Solutions
If you are using GP, you probably have integrations, third-party applications, or years of customizations in addition to your core ERP data. Having a firm grasp on all of these gives you a significant head start in the migration planning process.
You should make a list, and for every integration, customization, or third-party solution, ask yourself these questions:
- Do we need this?
- Can Business Central do this natively?
- If it can’t, what is the best solution going forward?
You may discover that something you’ve been paying for as an add-on is now functionality available within Business Central. Or you may find that you need a new ISV solution that better fits your current business requirements.
The same thinking applies to customizations. Don’t automatically recreate every GP customization in Business Central. Analyze why it exists and whether it still provides meaningful business value. Business Central has a large ecosystem of applications and can also be extended when additional functionality is genuinely required.
Historical Data Considerations
You also need to decide what information needs to move to Business Central. Whether you want outstanding transactions and summary balances in the new system while retaining historical data separately or want to move all your historical data at once, it’s essential to have a plan for it.
There isn’t one right answer, but it’s important to make the decision with intent, rather than assume every piece of data needs to migrate.
Additionally, it is very important to start cleaning your data early. Duplicate records, outdated information, unnecessary data, undocumented processes, and years of accumulated GP customizations can significantly derail an implementation if they are not dealt with. The earlier you address those issues, the easier they will be to overcome when it comes time to move.
4. Plan Around Your Timeline and Microsoft’s
A common question we see with clients moving from Dynamics GP to Business Central is: “How long will this take?” While everyone prefers definitive answers, the truth is that no migration is the exact same, so it depends.
Generally, a Business Central implementation can take roughly five to six months, depending on complexity. Integrations, customizations, organizational complexity, data quality, and the amount of time your team can dedicate to the project can all affect the timeline.
Note: If you are a small business with no complexity (i.e. no integrations, multiple companies, etc.) you might be able to use a more streamlined approach that can take as little as three months. Check with Stoneridge (or your partner) to get a realistic timeline that fits you.
If trying to accomplish it all at once is overwhelming, there is also the phased approach. Organizations often start with core functionalities to get their team comfortable with Business Central before introducing more. Phasing can help you control risk, manage costs, and avoid overwhelming your users. It can also allow you to establish a stable foundation before adding more functionality.
At the end of the day, you need to take an approach that makes sense for your organization and your team. This phase gives you time to plan, which you should be starting now.
Note: While you don’t need to panic about Microsoft’s GP timeline discussed above, you shouldn’t ignore it either. If you rely on GP payroll, you’ll also want to factor the applicable payroll considerations into your planning.
5. Plan for Your Team, Not Just Your Technology
The people within your organization are vital, and they will impact your implementation timeline as much – if not more – than the software.
Your project will likely involve executive sponsors, project managers, business process owners, subject matter experts, decision-makers, and end users. The level of involvement will change throughout the project, but you’ll need the right people available when their expertise is required.
That means you should consider your team’s availability before choosing a go-live date.
Ask yourself:
- When can your key employees dedicate time to the project?
- Are there busy seasons you need to avoid?
- Who understands your critical business processes?
- Who will make important decisions?
- Who will test the new system?
- Who will help train and support users?
Most importantly, remember that no two GP-to-Business Central projects are exactly alike. Your system, your people, your data, and your business processes all influence the timeline and cost. The earlier you understand those variables, the easier it becomes to create a realistic project plan and budget.
Ready to Start Your GP-to-Business Central Journey?
Moving from Dynamics GP to Business Central can be daunting. However, navigating it with the right partner can make all the difference.
From licensing and discovery to data, integrations, process planning, implementation, and beyond, the Stoneridge Software team can help you make informed decisions and build a migration plan around your business.
Reach out to our team today to learn more!
This blog is co-authored by Jodi Buchholz
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