Outgrown Dynamics GP? 8 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade (and What to Do Next)
- Kwixand Team
- Jan 22
- 8 min read
If your company is currently using Dynamics GP, you may have outgrown its capabilities. Discover the top signs and learn why companies are moving to Dynamics 365 Business Central.
There’s no doubt that Microsoft Dynamics GP has been a solid mid‑market ERP solution for decades, and many organizations have relied on it as the backbone of their financial and operational processes.
However, as your organization grows in size and complexity, your customers expect faster and better service; the software that once served you well may be standing in your way. Not to mention that the business environment today looks nothing like it did when most GP systems were implemented. Companies are scaling faster, operating across more locations, and facing rising expectations around automation, analytics, and customer experience. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s innovation efforts have shifted decisively toward cloud‑based solutions like Dynamics 365 Business Central.
If your organization is still running Dynamics GP, you may be noticing signs that the system is no longer keeping pace with your needs. While GP remains supported until 2029, it is not evolving in ways that help modern businesses stay competitive. The result is often a growing gap between what your company needs and what your ERP solution can deliver.
We'll explore the clearest indicators that your organization has outgrown Dynamics GP and what you can do next.
In this article, we’ll cover:
8 Signs Your Company Has Outgrown Dynamics GP
1️⃣ You have more than 20 users or plan to scale further
Dynamics GP was originally designed for small to mid‑sized teams with relatively straightforward processes. As your organization grows, the limitations of GP’s architecture become more noticeable. Performance can slow down, reporting becomes more cumbersome, and managing user permissions or workflows often requires manual workarounds or custom development.
Nowadays, companies expect their ERP to scale effortlessly as they add new departments, expand into new markets, or onboard new teams. Cloud‑based systems like Business Central are built for this kind of growth, offering flexible licensing, elastic performance, and the ability to support hundreds of users without infrastructure strain. If your GP environment feels increasingly stretched, it’s a strong sign that you’ve outgrown the system.
2️⃣ You operate across multiple countries, currencies, or entities
Global operations introduce complexity that GP was never fully designed to handle. Multi‑currency transactions, intercompany eliminations, consolidated reporting, and compliance with international accounting standards often require manual processes or third‑party add‑ons in GP.
In contrast, modern cloud ERPs offer built‑in capabilities for multi‑entity and multi‑currency management, enabling real‑time visibility across all locations. Business Central, for example, provides automated currency updates, consolidated financials, and standardized processes across entities, all without the need for heavy customization. If your team spends too much time reconciling data across subsidiaries or managing spreadsheets to close the books, GP may be holding you back.
3️⃣ Your business processes have become highly complex
As organizations grow, their processes naturally evolve. What once worked smoothly in GP may now require multiple manual steps, custom integrations, or offline workarounds. Whether it’s managing complex inventory, handling advanced manufacturing workflows, or coordinating multi‑stage approval processes, GP’s aging architecture can make it difficult to adapt.
Modern ERPs like Business Central offer built‑in automation, AI‑driven features, and configurable workflows that streamline operations without custom code. Business Central’s native workflow engine, combined with Power Automate, enables organizations to automate repetitive tasks, enforce controls, and reduce errors. If your team is spending too much time on manual processes or struggling to adapt GP to new business requirements, it’s a clear sign that the system is no longer aligned with your needs.
4️⃣ You need advanced reporting and analytics (such as multi-dimensional reporting)
Today’s finance and operations teams expect real‑time insights, predictive analytics, and intuitive dashboards. But GP’s reporting tools, while functional, were built for a different era. Generating reports often requires exporting data to Excel, relying on SQL queries, or using third‑party tools. This slows down decision‑making and increases the risk of errors.
Business Central, on the other hand, integrates seamlessly with Power BI, enabling interactive dashboards, drill‑down analysis, and AI‑powered insights. With Copilot capabilities now embedded across Microsoft’s ecosystem, users can ask natural‑language questions and receive instant, data‑driven answers. If your leadership team is asking for more timely or sophisticated reporting than GP can provide, it’s a strong indicator that you’ve outgrown the platform.
5️⃣ You require industry‑specific capabilities
Many industries, including manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and retail, require specialized functionality that GP does not natively support. While third‑party add‑ons can fill some gaps, they often introduce complexity, compatibility issues, and additional costs.
Microsoft Appsource has expanded dramatically in recent years, offering thousands of industry‑specific extensions that integrate seamlessly with Business Central. Whether you need demand forecasting, subscription billing, job costing, or advanced warehouse management, you're able to extend the capabilities of your solution without too much effort or cost. If your team is relying on spreadsheets or custom tools to manage critical processes, it may be time to consider a more flexible ERP.
6️⃣ You want to migrate to the cloud to leverage cloud ERP benefits
Cloud ERP has become the standard for organizations of all sizes. The benefits — including scalability, mobility, security, and automatic updates — are now essential for staying competitive. GP’s on‑premise architecture makes it difficult to achieve these advantages without significant investment in servers, maintenance, and IT resources.
Business Central eliminates these challenges by providing a fully cloud‑based environment with built‑in redundancy, enterprise‑grade security, and continuous updates. Teams can access the system from anywhere, collaborate more effectively, and rely on Microsoft to handle infrastructure and security. If your organization is embracing remote work, digital transformation, or cloud‑first strategies, GP may no longer be the right fit.
7️⃣ You need seamless integration with third-party software
A modern ERP solution should integrate effortlessly with the tools you use every day, from Microsoft 365 and Power Platform to CRM systems, and more. While GP can integrate with some of these tools, the process often requires custom development, middleware, or manual data transfers.
Business Central, by contrast, is designed for a connected ecosystem. It integrates natively with Microsoft 365, enabling users to create quotes in Outlook, update records from Teams, and analyze data in Excel or Power BI. Copilot capabilities extend this even further, offering AI‑powered assistance across finance, operations, and reporting. If your team is struggling to connect GP with modern applications, it’s a sign that the system is limiting your digital strategy.
8️⃣ You want automatic, continuous updates
One of the biggest advantages of cloud ERP is the ability to receive new features, security enhancements, and performance improvements automatically. Business Central delivers monthly updates with zero downtime, ensuring your system is always current.
GP, on the other hand, requires manual upgrades that can be time‑consuming and costly. These upgrade cycles often delay access to new features and increase the burden on IT teams. If your organization wants to stay ahead of the curve without managing complex upgrade projects, moving to a cloud‑based ERP is the logical next step.
Why Staying on GP Could Hold Your Company Back
Continuing to rely on a system that no longer meets your operational needs can create a ripple effect across the entire organization. Manual processes slow down productivity, outdated reporting limits visibility, and integration challenges make it harder to adopt new technologies. Over time, these issues compound, leading to inefficiencies that directly impact profitability and customer satisfaction.
There’s also the hidden cost of maintaining aging infrastructure. On‑premise systems like GP require ongoing server maintenance, security patching, and periodic upgrades - all of which consume IT resources that could be better spent on strategic initiatives. As Microsoft continues to invest heavily in cloud innovation, GP’s development pace has slowed, meaning the gap between what GP offers and what modern businesses require will only widen.
In a competitive environment where agility, automation, and data‑driven decision‑making are essential, staying on GP can limit your ability to innovate and scale. Organizations that delay modernization often find themselves spending more time and money maintaining outdated systems than they would investing in a modern cloud ERP.
Your Path to the Cloud: Moving from GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central
With the end-of-life announcement by Microsoft, more companies are evaluating the transition from GP to Business Central. Dynamics 365 Business Central has become the go‑to cloud ERP for organizations looking to modernize their operations without sacrificing the familiarity of the Microsoft ecosystem. As a true cloud solution, Business Central offers capabilities that simply aren’t possible in GP’s on‑premise architecture.
Business Central provides built‑in AI and Copilot features that streamline financial close, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver predictive insights. Its native integration with Microsoft 365 allows users to work directly from Outlook, Teams, and Excel, while Power BI brings real‑time analytics to every department. The platform also supports multi‑entity operations, advanced inventory management, and industry‑specific extensions, all without the need for heavy customization.
Perhaps most importantly, Business Central evolves continuously. Monthly updates deliver new features, performance improvements, and security enhancements automatically, ensuring your ERP remains modern without disruptive upgrade projects. For organizations seeking scalability, flexibility, and long‑term value, Business Central offers a future‑proof foundation.
How GP to Business Central Migration Works in 2026
Although the transition from GP to Business Central is often referred to as a “migration”, it’s more accurate to think of it as a modernization journey. The goal isn’t just to move data from one system to another; it’s to redesign processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and take full advantage of cloud capabilities.
Organizations can typically choose between two primary approaches:
⚙️ Re-Implementation
A re-implementation or an implementation from scratch is ideal for companies that want to rethink their processes rather than replicate legacy workflows. This approach involves configuring Business Central from the ground up, importing master data and open transactions, and redesigning processes to leverage automation, AI, and modern best practices.
This option gives organizations the cleanest start and often results in a more streamlined, future‑ready system. It’s especially beneficial for companies that have heavily customized GP or rely on manual workarounds that no longer serve them.
⚙️ Migration Using Microsoft’s Cloud Migration Tools
Microsoft has significantly improved its cloud migration tools in recent years, making it easier to bring GP data into Business Central. These tools can migrate master records, open transactions, and historical data, reducing the time and effort required to transition.
This approach is ideal for organizations that want continuity with their existing data or have well‑structured GP environments. It accelerates the migration process while still allowing teams to adopt modern capabilities in Business Central.
Regardless of the approach, successful migrations require thoughtful planning, stakeholder alignment, and a clear understanding of how Business Central’s capabilities differ from GP. Working with an experienced partner ensures that your migration is smooth, strategic, and aligned with your long‑term goals.
Choosing the Right Path Forward With Kwixand Solutions
Modernizing your ERP is a significant decision, but it’s also one of the most impactful investments you can make in your organization’s future. The key is to approach the transition strategically. Start by assessing your current pain points, identifying the capabilities you need to support future growth, and evaluating how your processes could benefit from automation and AI.
As an experienced Dynamics 365 Business Central partner, the team at Kwixand Solutions can guide you through this process, helping you determine whether you’ve truly outgrown GP, which migration approach is best for your organization, and how to design a system that supports your long‑term vision. With the right guidance, the move to Business Central becomes an opportunity to modernize, streamline, and future‑proof your operations. Get started with a free ERP Needs Assessment today.
Companies that embrace cloud ERP are better positioned to adapt quickly, serve customers more effectively, and make smarter, data‑driven decisions. If Dynamics GP is starting to feel like a barrier rather than a foundation, now is the time to explore what a modern ERP can do for your business.
