Planning for your Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrade has never been easier

Upgrades have traditionally been time-consuming and costly, which is why most companies space them out over a few years instead of keeping up with the latest version. Unfortunately, this leads to a bit of a vicious cycle because upgrades are usually the most work when a company is a few versions behind. In the majority of cases, you need to upgrade through each version first to get to the latest. In other words, instead of jumping from Dynamics GP 2011 to Dynamics GP 2016, you have to go through Dynamics GP 2012, 2013, and 2015 before you can look at Dynamics GP 2016.

The other barrier to upgrading are bugs. In the past, when Microsoft was on a less frequent release schedule, there were a lot of kinks that needed to be ironed out in the new releases. This disruption has led to an upgrade stigma: all upgrades are expensive and tedious projects that cause more issues than good.

Which is an interesting concept because when you think about it, with the rise of cloud adoption and technology consumption, the consumer landscape does not reflect that belief. As consumers, we all expect up-to-date software on all of our devices. You expect it on your mobile phone and your computer – so why not your business systems?

Thankfully, the upgrade playing field has changed. With Microsoft now releasing updates to Microsoft Dynamics GP every 6 months, you can wave goodbye to all of those worries. A regular release cadence ensures that Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrades will become easier to do and veer away from the long, dragged out projects that we are used to. Upgrades will soon become a part of your continuous improvement and maintenance routines.

The really exciting part of this is that Microsoft no longer needs to wait until the “big release” to hold back major features. With a regular release cycle, you will start to see really valuable improvements to the system as we have seen in the latest 2016 release.

And if this isn’t enough to push you over the edge, then maybe these 6 reasons will show you why the time to upgrade is now.

The new HTML5 interface means that users can access GP from any device, anywhere. By not upgrading, you are limiting your remote workers or sales staff to work within the confines of laptops.

Access more information in a single screen with business intelligence dashboards available right on the homepage and all-in-one-viewers, which are handy for viewing transactions across multiple entities.

Integrated search functionality means your staff doesn’t need to search every folder and application to find what they need. One quick search across the system and they’ve saved 10 minutes.

It goes without saying, the latest version will have the most up-to-date security standards. To stay supported and keep your financial data secure, it’s definitely in your best interest to keep your application current.

The new architecture launched in GP 2015 creates stronger links to Microsoft Office and other integrations. This presents a lot of opportunity within the platform for the best and brightest!

The more current you are, the lower the cost to update to the latest version. You don’t have to worry about the complications of skipping multiple versions and re-training your staff. You can stay on the regular upgrade path and reap all the rewards.

So, now for the big question: when is the best time to upgrade? This year has proven to be a big one for Dynamics GP users, full of exciting new features and developments. This November, Microsoft will be releasing Dynamics GP 2016 R2, which will include a home page refresh, new Web Client functionality, and more business intelligence enhancements. And from here on out, every 6-month cycle, there will be another update. Which really means the best time to upgrade is now!

The first step is to talk to one of our Dynamics GP experts at Rand Group to understand what your upgrade path will look like. Our unique blend of accounting, business process, and technology expertise will give you insight into your current system and after a thorough assessment, we will recommend the best route to get you on the road to easy upgrades.