Upgrade Dynamics GP
to Business Central
We help you plan the move on your timeline, protect your data, and land on a platform designed for how your business works today.
A Deadline You Can Plan Around
Dynamics GP has served businesses well for decades. But it was built for on-premises environments, and Microsoft's investment has moved to the cloud. While regulatory and tax updates, technical support for GP end on 31 December 2029, Microsoft will not deliver new functionalities moving forward.
Organisations that start planning now have time to migrate properly, with thorough discovery, careful configuration, rigorous testing and a period of parallel running. Those who wait will be moving under pressure, with less room to make the right choices.
There is also a financial case. Staying on GP means ongoing costs for servers, IT support and hardware upgrades. That money goes into maintaining the status quo, not improving how the business runs. Moving to Business Central turns that spend into an investment in a modern cloud platform that is updated continuously and ready to grow with you.
What Stays Familiar, What Changes
Business Central shares the same financial logic as GP, so your team will recognise the core structure. The differences are in how the system is built, extended and used.
What Stays Familiar
Chart of accounts. The main GP account segment becomes the G/L account; other segments become dimensions through Microsoft's GP migration tooling.
Receivables and payables. Customer and vendor records, ageing, receipts and payments remain core capabilities, but screens, setup and posting processes differ.
Bank reconciliation. You still reconcile bank statements against bank ledger entries, with automatic matching available and differences reviewed before posting.
Fixed assets. Asset records and depreciation books remain familiar concepts; depreciation methods and posting setup must be configured in Business Central.
Sales and purchase orders. Quotes, orders, shipments, receipts and invoices remain core document types, but processing steps and posting setup differ from GP.
Inventory and items. Item records, locations, units of measure and costing remain core concepts; GP unit-of-measure schedules have no direct equivalent.
Multi-company and history. Multiple companies remain supported; selected detailed GP history can be retained in snapshot tables rather than recreated as native transactions.
What Changes
Customisations. GP customisations must be reassessed; required functionality is recreated using Business Central configuration, AL extensions or suitable apps.
Reports. GP Report Writer designs need replacement; Business Central report layouts can use Word, Excel or RDLC, depending on the report.
SmartList. SmartList-style enquiries are recreated using Business Central lists and analysis mode, with Excel or Power BI for further analysis.
Analytical Accounting. Analytical Accounting requirements are redesigned using dimensions; eight shortcut dimensions include the two global dimensions, with additional dimensions available.
User interface. Business Central online uses a browser-based interface, with mobile apps for supported scenarios, rather than the GP desktop client.
Integrations. GP integrations need reassessment and adaptation or replacement; Business Central provides APIs and a Power Automate connector for connected workflows.
Updates and hosting. Microsoft hosts Business Central online, with two major releases yearly, minor updates between them, and ongoing compatibility testing required.
What You Gain with Business Central
Business Central is not just a like-for-like replacement for GP. It is a platform upgrade: cloud-native, AI-enabled, and deeply connected to the Microsoft 365 tools your team already uses.
Cloud-native
Runs on Microsoft Azure with automatic twice-yearly updates, removing costly upgrade projects and on-premises servers.
Continuous innovation
New capabilities arrive regularly, including AI and automation, so the platform keeps evolving without version upgrades.
Microsoft 365 integration
Native connections to Teams, Outlook, Power BI and Power Automate connect your ERP with the tools people already use.
AI and Copilot
Copilot helps with bank reconciliation, cash-flow analysis, sales order processing and more, reducing repetitive work.
Real-time insight
Embedded Power BI and list views give leaders visibility across the business and the detail behind the numbers.
Security and compliance
Microsoft-managed security, encryption and access controls reduce the burden of patches, backups and infrastructure.
A Structured Migration Approach
A good migration is planned, not rushed. We work through defined phases so data, integrations, reporting and people are all ready before go-live.
Assess and plan
Evaluate current solution, customisations, integrations, reporting, and business requirements.
Prepare the environment
Identify upgrade paths, determine how customisations will be handled, and what date you need to migrate.
Implement
Configure Business Central to support how you operate today, including customisation and integration.
Move and validate data
Migrate core business data, validate accuracy, and test business processes.
Enable adoption
Train your team to ensure they are onboard with the new way of working and ready to operate from day one.
Go live with confidence
Transition to Business Central and establish a foundation for ongoing innovation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every GP environment is different.
Talk to us about your setup, your customisations and your timeline, and we will help you map out a practical path to Business Central.
Microsoft will end product enhancements, regulatory and tax updates, and technical support for Dynamics GP on 31 December 2029. Security updates and patches, if needed, remain available until 30 April 2031. These dates give GP users time to plan, but starting a migration project now means you can move on your own timeline rather than under pressure.
Not at all. A well-planned migration moves across only what the business actually needs. We will help you to assess what data to migrate, to translate them into Business Central format, and to import them into your new solution. This approach will also give you the flexibility to design your solution for how you operate now.
Customisations built in Dexterity or Modifier do not migrate directly. Each one is assessed and then either rebuilt as a Business Central extension, replaced by a standard Business Central feature, or sourced from AppSource. We help you decide which customisations still add value and which can be retired in favour of newer out-of-the-box capability.
Business Central uses a browser-based interface, which is a change from the GP desktop client. We provide role-based training for each user group, and support your team through go-live and hypercare so people build confidence on the new system.
A typical migration runs across three to four months from discovery to go-live, depending on the number of modules, customisations, integrations and the volume of historical data. We confirm a realistic timeline after discovery so you can plan around it.
Microsoft may offer Business Central licensing promotions for eligible Dynamics GP customers, but discounts are not guaranteed. Availability, eligibility and terms must be confirmed when planning your migration.
Plan Your Move
Before 2029
Book a free discovery call to talk through your Dynamics GP environment and what a migration to Business Central would look like.
No pressure, just practical advice on scope, timeline and the right next step for your business.