Unfortunately, when it comes to ERP sunsets, they are not as beautiful as the sunsets you might see over a lake at the cottage like the one above. The big sunset story comes from Microsoft that announced in September 2024 that it will end support for Dynamics Great Plains (Dynamics GP) on September 30, 2029. Security patches will be available until April 30, 2031.
It’s not time to panic if you have Dynamics GP, but it is time to consider your options. The truth is that sooner or later you will need to move to another solution. Those of us who have lived long enough to remember DOS, know that any system that did not switch to Windows is gone. The same will be true for any system that does not move to the cloud and a web interface, will also be gone.
Options for Dynamics GP Users
So you can:
- Hang on to Dynamics GP as long as possible.
- Migrate to Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft offers a migration program to help with the transition.
- Consider other ERP systems including Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Why evaluate all ERP options?
Organizations will have circumstances that will influence the decision, but generally speaking it makes sense to consider all your options. This is admittedly somewhat self-serving advice, as 180 Systems help clients with ERP software selection. But we also help clients with upgrading/migrating ERP systems. The reason for considering other ERP systems is that decisions should be informed ones, where you have collected relevant data and evaluated available options.
Good luck to anyone facing an unwelcome sunset.
Written by Michael Burns
Michael Burns is both founder and president of 180 Systems. Michael has provided consulting services to a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, construction, financial, distribution, retail, third-party logistics, professional services, real estate and not-for-profit organizations. Michael is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and is certified as a PMP (Project Manager Professional) and as a Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).
Michael has written extensively for a number of professional magazines and spoken at IT conferences. He was also a part-time professor at University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson). Michael’s experience also includes software development, project management and accounting.