The end of the year is often filled with looking back on the past year’s accomplishments and planning for the new year. If you are a Microsoft Dynamics GP user, you are most likely thinking about next year’s upgrade. There are a few things to consider when you are looking at a GP Upgrade in 2019:
- Upgrading to Dynamics GP 2018 R2
- Upgrading to Dynamics GP 2019
- Migrating Dynamics 365 Business Central
If you are planning to upgrade GP you should also be considering migrating to Jet Reports from Management Reporter, if you haven’t done so already. MR has sunsetted and Jet is the new tool in its place. An upgrade is always a good time to introduce a new piece of technology, since users will already be seeing changes in their user interface and general system functionality.
Upgrading to Dynamics GP 2018 R2
Dynamics GP 2018 R2 has been out for a few months and offers several enhancements to GP. This is a stable version of Dynamics PG that is currently available. This is a good solution to get on the most current version of GP.
Some of the new features in GP 2018 R2 include:
- Comprehensive Doc Attach
- Doc Attach was added to GL TRX entry, AR TRX Entry, Inquiry Windows
- Drill back capabilities
- Workflows
- Lots of functionality was added here including copying workflows steps, GL Account Approval, PO invoices, Projects Accounting, Receiving, etc.
- Power BI Integration
- Payroll and HR Updates
- Enhanced User Experience
- Logins remembered in System Manager
- Unique passwords for SmartList favorites
- Links to customer, vendor, and project notes added to certain inquiry windows
Upgrading to Dynamics GP 2019
Dynamics GP 2019 is set to be released in the first half of 2019. If you are in need of an upgrade, but not on a terribly old version of Dynamics GP (like 2016 or higher) waiting for the 2019 release could be a good plan. Microsoft hasn’t yet released the new features that will be available. However, you can bet they will be features that lead people towards the digital transformation.
Migrating to Business Central
This is the million-dollar question on everyone’s mind. Should you migrate to Business Central? This is not a yes or no answer unfortunately. Business Central is a cloud-based ERP that is completely separate from GP. There is a misconception that Business Central is the new version of Dynamics GP. This is absolutely not the case. You cannot “upgrade” to Business Central. This is an independent product and you would have to migrate all data, rebuild reports and go through all the steps of a new ERP implementation. However, if you have evaluated Business Central and you think it’s something for you, there is an interim step you can take. It is called the Intelligent Edge.
The Intelligent Edge is a solution to connect your Dynamics GP data to the Business Central cloud. You can connect existing data and use the data visualization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence capabilities of Business Central. Users will also get access to PowerApps and Flow for no code app building and workflows.
There are a few things to be aware of with the Intelligent Edge:
- This is a one-way connection. There is no ability to enter any data or transactions in Business Central and have them appear in Dynamics GP.
- Not all data can be replicated up to the cloud. As of right now, you are limited to:
- GL Accounts and Current Balances
- Customers and Open Receivables Transactions
- Vendor and Open Payables Transactions
- Items and Quantity on Hand
If you are looking for more technical information, check out this great blog by Terry Heley!
Why would you do this?
This is a question we get often. What is the benefit of the Intelligent Edge. I encourage customers to look at this solution as a baby step in to the cloud. A lot of on-premise customers, using solutions like GP or NAV, are simply not ready to move to a cloud-based ERP. The interface and is a huge change for how end users would do their day to day jobs. This gives you the opportunity to “test out” the cloud experience and see how your data interacting the with intelligent tools that are available in Microsoft’s cloud environment. Think of the Intelligent Edge as your first step in to the Digital Transformation.
There are few choices to you have to make as a Dynamics GP customer, looking to update. Some may find this overwhelming, but it’s actually great! The power of choice is huge and Microsoft is among one of the only ERP companies that affords this to its customers, both on-premise and cloud. Struggling to choose? Feel free to get in touch with us! We can guide you through the process.
