Microsoft Dynamics GP is ending (here’s what to do)

On November 29, 2023, BILL (formerly bill.com) announced that effective December 1, 2023, it would no longer support direct sync with Microsoft Great Plains (Dynamics GP). BILL said it made the decision based on Microsoft’s April 2023 announcement to discontinue GP sales. 

As of December 1, Microsoft GP customers can only integrate using BILL’s file-based data integration functionality. That leaves them with three options: 

• Keep using BILL with a less functional GP integration. 
• Continue to use BILL and migrate to a new ERP. 
• Switch to an AP solution that supports GP or provides easy migration to a new ERP.

If you’re a Dynamics GP customer currently using BILL, you have some tough decisions. However, even if you’re a GP customer who does not use BILL, you’ll need an end-of-life strategy to ensure a smooth transition to a new ERP. And if you’re with an AP automation provider who plans to discontinue support for Dynamics GP, you’ll need to build that strategy soon.

In this article, we’ll show you how to develop an operational and migration strategy for Dynamics GP to ensure business continuity. We’ll help you understand how Microsoft plans to support GP, what you need to do to continue using GP, and how you can migrate to a new ERP or AP automation solution if needed.

Let’s dive in.

What is happening with Dynamics GP?

In April 2023, Microsoft announced it was phasing out sales of Dynamics GP licenses over the next three years. Here are the details:

• Starting April 1, 2025, new sales of GP perpetual licenses end. New customers can still purchase subscription licenses.
• Starting April 1, 2026, new customer sales of GP end. Existing customers may still purchase licenses and modules. 
• Microsoft will continue to provide regulatory updates, security updates, and hotfixes.
• Stampli’s AP automation software integration currently supports and will continue to support GP. Learn more. 

Although Microsoft is phasing out the sale of new licenses, they have promised that Dynamics GP will be supported under the Microsoft Modern Lifecycle policy until at least 2028. Microsoft has also promised to invest in programs to help Dynamics GP Partners and customers migrate to Dynamics Business Central or other apps.

How does this impact current Dynamics GP customers?

In the short run, Microsoft’s announcement may not have a major impact on existing GP customers. There will still be bug fixes and tax and security updates so that the platform will be functional. However, in the long run, there are some implications you should consider.

No new product development

In its announcement, Microsoft said it is focusing most of its resources on other products and moving customers from legacy products to cloud-based ones like 365 Business Central. That likely means minimal product development for on-premise solutions like Dynamics GP.

ERP and AP automation technology is evolving rapidly. As time passes, these platforms will add more features and functionality, while GP will gradually fall behind. As you evaluate your current GP system, consider your company’s future accounting needs – especially if your business is growing and will need a powerful, scalable, and flexible AP solution.

GP product support is ending

Although Microsoft announced they will continue to support Dynamics GP, support for the system will eventually end.

Pre-2019 versions of GP are on Microsoft’s Fixed Lifecycle policy, which means there is an end date for mainstream support and extended support. Customers using these older versions should update to the current version of GP or migrate to another ERP before support expires.  

The Post-2019 version is on Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle policy. Under this policy, Microsoft provides continuous support. They release three updates a year consisting of hotfixes, tax updates, and regulatory updates. Microsoft has stated they will support this version until at least 2028 to allow customers time to migrate to another system.

Third-party software providers may end GP support

As Dynamics GP ages, other third-party integration providers may follow BILL’s lead and end support for the platform, potentially leaving your business scrambling to replace lost functionality. Confirm with your third-party software providers (like Stampli) that they will continue to offer and support native GP integration. 

How should your business move forward with Dynamics GP?

As Dynamics GPs approaches its end of life, you’ve got a couple of options moving forward. You can stay on GP for now and migrate to a different platform when your business is ready to make the transition. Alternatively, you can migrate to a new ERP or AP automation platform if your business is ready to make the transition now.

Let’s explore each option.

Stay on Dynamics GP

Many companies may opt to stay with GP in the medium or long term. GP is a solid ERP that has served well for decades. Many businesses will want to stay on it as long as possible or may want to move to a new ERP system but aren’t ready to make the transition. 

If you choose to stay on GP, there are a few things you can do to ensure GP performs optimally and minimize risks to your business.

Upgrade to the latest version

Upgrade Dynamics GP to the most recent version if you’re on GP 2018/2018 R2 or earlier. Upgrading ensures you’ll receive continued support and software updates under Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle policy.

Host GP in the cloud

If you are using an on-premise GP solution, consider hosting it in the cloud. Microsoft gives GP users the ability to deploy GP in Azure as a hosted system. Hosting GP in Azure brings several advantages, such as:

• Scalability: Add capacity without buying new physical servers.
• Lower IT costs: No need to maintain physical IT infrastructure.
• Risk management: Store data in the Azure cloud rather than managing it onsite.
• Business continuity: Azure Backup automatically backs up and recovers your system data.
• Greater security: Automatic security measures ensure your business is protected.
• Remote access: Users can securely access GP from remote desktops.

Confirm that third-party solutions support GP

As mentioned earlier, other third-party accounting solution providers may follow the same path as BILL and stop supporting Dynamics GP integrations. If you plan to continue using GP for the medium or long term and rely on third-party integrations, confirm they will continue supporting GP. 

If they plan to end support or are unwilling to answer, consider migrating to a provider like Stampli that will continue supporting GP integrations. As the only AP automation solution provider that builds its own ERP integrations from scratch, Stampli supports the full native functionality of Dynamics GP. We’ll continue developing our GP integration and supporting customers who remain on GP as long as the platform exists.

Migrate to a new ERP

If you’re concerned about how GP’s end of life will impact your business or if GP no longer meets your needs, you may consider migrating to a new ERP system. Moving to a new ERP allows you to take advantage of new features like real-time data visibility, better scalability, improved collaboration, and secure remote access. It also ensures continued support, product improvements, and access to new features and capabilities.

Here are some tips to help you decide when and how to migrate from GP.

Evaluate your current needs

The decision to choose an ERP to replace Dynamics GP must be based on user requirements, company size, and growth trajectory. Identify and evaluate factors such as:

• Processes you are currently automating with GP and what can be improved.
• Processes you aren’t automating with GP but could be automated.
• Processes you are automating with integrated 3rd party software.
• Business growth forecasts and what processes need to be scaled/modified to support that growth.
• What works and doesn’t work with the current GP system —  i.e., user interface, data visibility, and internal controls.

Record your findings and use them to guide your decision-making when you evaluate alternative ERPs. 

Set a migration schedule

When do you plan to move away from GP? The good news is that Microsoft will support GP until at least 2028. However, you may want to migrate from the platform before then. Your decision will depend on several factors. For example, you may also have concerns about continued support for current and planned software integrations with GP and want to move off the platform in the near future. Alternatively, your budget may not support the migration to a new ERP immediately so you may want to plan the migration in the medium term.

When you decide on a migration schedule, keep an eye on these factors so you aren’t caught off-guard if something changes, like an integration provider withdrawing GP support.

Consider third-party integrations for core accounting functions

When evaluating your current business needs, you may want to consider automating complex accounting operations such as accounts payable, employee expenses, and accounts receivable. While most ERP solutions provide functionality for these functions, third-party automation solutions offer additional advantages and don’t tie you to a particular ERP.

At the same time, ensure that any third-party solutions you consider can support more than one ERP, so you have the flexibility to choose the ERP system you want.

Work with a migration partner for third-party integrations

After you choose a new ERP and decide on a migration schedule, begin migrating your data and integrations from Dynamics GP to your new ERP. This is a crucial step because a single mistake could interrupt your business operations and affect your company’s financial stability. 

Before migrating to the new ERP, ensure that your existing third-party integrations can be migrated without impacting your business. If they can’t, you may need to halt the migration until you find a way to migrate the integrations without disrupting financial operations. Or, replace the third-party solution provider with one that can manage ERP migrations.

When the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA), a Stampli customer, needed to move from its existing ERP to Dynamics Business Central, they were concerned about how the migration would impact their financial stability. As the fund manager for over $14 billion in assets, they couldn’t afford a single mistake. They needed to migrate to Business Central without disrupting their existing accounts payable processes.

SBCERA worked with Stampli to migrate their master lists (vendors, GLs, entities, and everything else). Over the next five months, they successfully migrated their ERP to Business Central. All historical invoices, activity, audit trails, conversations, documents, and other objects processed through Stampli under the previous ERP remained and were accessible. The conversion maintained full continuity for both the AP workflow and access to historical invoices.

Stampli turns ERP migration into a science. When a customer decides to migrate from one ERP to a new one, the process is carefully orchestrated to ensure a smooth transition — including migrating vendor data, matching new data sets, and maintaining business continuity.

Stampli: The leader in AP to ERP migration

Ranked # 1 by AP users for implementation and relationship in the G2 Grid for AP Automation, Stampli is the recognized leader in effortless ERP integration. AP teams can easily configure the Stampli platform to accommodate specific AP processes and provide seamless data sharing – and give you one less thing to worry about when choosing to stay on Dynamics GP or migrate to a new ERP.

Check out Stampli’s industry-leading integration features:

Launch in weeks, not months

You can complete most Stampli integrations in days. Read how Beyer Mechanical got up and running with Stampli in 48 hours.

No change to your Accounts Payable processes

Implement Stampli and integrate it with Dynamics GP or a new ERP without changing your existing AP workflows.

No need for IT support

Integrate Stampli with GP or a new ERP and begin automating your AP processes without the need for IT support.

Support for multiple ERPs, locations, subsidiaries, and currencies

Stampli offers complete flexibility to accommodate your organizational structure, no matter where you do business.

Flexible cloud-based platform

Implement Stampli and integrate it with GP or any other ERP without additional hardware, and access your AP workflows and data from any device, anywhere, anytime.If you’re an existing Dynamics GP customer, and you’d like to discuss your options for integrating accounts payable automation with GP or migrating from GP to a new ERP, we can help. Contact Stampli today to talk to one of our experts.