Dynamics GP - RIP

I don’t like getting emails from Terry Heley , they make me nervous.??

While I was on vacation last week – I saw the first line of an email from her that read “...All good things must come to an end.”? Microsoft had finally put a line in the sand, a nail in the coffin, waived the white flag, the awesome run of Dynamics GP was coming to an end.??

As most of you know, I have been quick to point out flaws in Microsoft’s strategy over the last 25 years. In this article, I will look at the good, the bad, and the future.??

The Facts?

• Microsoft has announced that the end of life for Dynamics GP updates and support will be in 2029.??

• Microsoft will release security updates to Dynamics GP, as necessary, for an additional 2 years through to 2031.??

• There is no need to panic. If fact, right now there is no need to do anything. There is a clear 5- and 7-year window in which to plan the next step in your ERP Journey.???

• eOne is here to help.??

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A Good Run?

Fact: The average life of an ERP implementation is 8-10 years.??

We have all had a good run with Dynamics GP. It is, and has been, a really solid ERP and the backbone of 100,000+ companies for over more than 3 decades. It has been a fully featured, mostly bug-free solution that has been the daily focus of finance teams all over the world. We are one of those companies. eOne has been using Dynamics GP internally for 21 years, and we continue to use it every day. (more on our plans in another article to come). ???

As an ISV developer, we have had a good run (and trust me, it is not over).? One of the first products we developed for Dynamics GP was a Dexterity-based CRM.? With only a few beta customers underway, we learned that Microsoft was launching their own CRM (now called #d365CE) and so we pivoted. That CRM product became what you know today as Extender. Things changed and we pivoted.? That is what we have had to do every step of our journey in business – and pivot is what we all need to do now.??

In 2005, I sat in a crowded hall where Microsoft announced Project Green. Dynamics GP, Dynamics NAV, Dynamics SL and Dynamics AX were all being merged into one single product. There was a panic back then that Dynamics GP was going away.? Twenty years later, and we are still using Dynamics GP.? When eOne terminated our OEM agreement for SmartList Builder with Microsoft around 2013, we were told that this was, in part, because Dynamics GP had a limited future (partly with the failure of the web client).? Here we are 12 years later.??

A Summit or two ago, Microsoft announced the end of Dynamics GP, to which you all stood up and said, ‘Hell No’ and so they doubled back backed down on that message.??

Microsoft has never really understood why their customers love Dynamics GP so much.? The answer is simple. Dynamics GP works every single day and there is an amazing partner channel supporting it. It is just like that first car you fall in love with. It starts every morning, never breaks down, you know all its quirks, and you have best mechanic when needed.???

It has been a great run. Dynamics GP has run your business. Dynamics GP was center of many ISV businesses. Dynamics GP was the cornerstone of so many ERP consultancy companies. We need to be thankful that Dynamics GP has endured so long and has been such an important part of our business, our daily routine, and our livelihood.??

Now is the time to pivot.??

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Microsoft Has Made Some Right Moves.??

Microsoft’s agenda is different than yours. They are focused on innovation, the cloud, platform, enterprise, databases, security, collaboration, the power stack, and Xbox! Mid-market ERP is important to them, but on the grand scale, Dynamics GP has not been part of their ongoing strategy for roughly a decade. Microsoft has debated pulling the plug on Dynamics GP many times, in a way that makes everyone move to Dynamics 365 Business Central. They could have killed Dynamics GP a long time ago, and there is an argument that this would have aligned perfectly with their goals. Fortunately for all of us, they never did pull the rug, and have continued to support Dynamics GP (albeit in a limited manner).???

We have had many warnings. We have seen it coming for a long time and this is not a surprise. Now that the end-of-life announcement has finally come, Microsoft has given us another 5-7 years to think about it and to plan.? That seems very fair.??

Microsoft has provided a path to the future for all their customers.? Dynamics 365 Business Central is the replacement for Dynamics GP, and it has taken a decade of the development, feedback, improvement loop - to become the product it is today. Dynamics 365 Business Central is a good product, and it will continue to get better over the next 5 years. Microsoft offers favorable licensing, and there is a transition path for their GP customers. (Granted, eOne is a critical piece to making that transition smooth). ?

Microsoft have built some great solutions that surround their ERP offerings. Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Virtual Agents and all sorts of AI concepts. These are all good things that may be just what your business needs.??

Rather than complaining and kicking up a fuss next week at Community Summit North America, we should thank Microsoft. Thank them for a good run with Dynamics GP. Thank them for giving us another 5-7 years to plan the transition to our next ERP.??(inwardly can still be angry, grumpy and furious if it makes you feel better).

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What You Need To Do.?

Nothing. Put your feet up and relax for a bit.???

There is no new urgency today that we did not know about yesterday. There is nothing wrong with Dynamics GP. It works and will still work in 5 years. ? ?

But, the life of Dynamics GP is finite, with a known end-of-life.? You can keep using Dynamics GP after the deadline has passed for sure, it will not turn itself off.? That said, when Microsoft tells you that Dynamics GP has reached the end of its life, you probably should take note. If anything goes wrong after 2029, they are not going to fix it. If there are new GAAP rules, tax rules, or compliance changes required by business, Microsoft is not going to lift a finger to deal with it.???

Therefore, when you have a moment, begin to acknowledge that Dynamics GP (like most of us) has gotten old and has fallen behind technologically.? Note that your competitors may have already moved to a more modern ERP that might be giving them a competitive advantage. An advantage in areas like?

• A true cloud-built infrastructure??

• BI reporting?

• Document management?

• Customer and vendor portals?

• Integration?

• Connectivity with any cloud apps you use?

• And now most importantly, artificial intelligence.???

Sadly, Dynamics GP is just not the future.????

I won’t lie, changing ERPs is a really difficult task. It’s hard. This is likely why you have used Dynamics GP for 20 years. You stuck with GP because it works. Because your team knows it. Because you don’t fix what ain’t broke. Because your Financial Controller refused to change.???

You are now forced to make a decision, and I would wager that Dynamics GP will NOT be the best ERP available to support your business in 2025, and definitely not in 2035.??

This week at #SummitNA and over the next 24 months, start sniffing around the market for a replacement to Dynamics GP. Again, no rush, but start taking a look. Before you get serious about the search for a new ERP, I strongly recommend you review your business’s 5-year plan and review your business’s needs and processes to determine what you need from an ERP in 2025 and beyond.??

• How is your business changing????

• What other business apps have you deployed???

• How do you integrate those apps into your new ERP????

• Where is your team located now???

• How many are working remote???

• Where do the hot topics of eCommerce, Subscription Revenue, Customer Experience, GDPR, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, 3PL, Customer Success and AI fit into your growth strategy??

Once you determine what your business needs going forward take a look at Dynamics 365 Business Central, as it is a good platform. But, if you feel like you really need a break from Microsoft, you have plenty of other choices.??

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What Are Your Options??

Option 1: Stick with Dynamics GP: This is valid and may fit the needs of your organization. It is a perfectly good short-term solution.? This is in fact eOne's short term solution.

However, for most of the companies I deal with, I would advise against GP being your long-term solution.? I wish I could advise you to stay with Dynamics GP no matter what, as that would be self-serving and best for my business, but it is time for change and for us all to pivot.?????

If you do plan to stick with Dynamics GP for the next 3, 5, even 10 years, I urge you to take this opportunity to make Dynamics GP (and your business) as modern as possible.? Do not stop investing in your business systems. Continue to search out the best cloud apps for running parts of your business and add them into your environment – while still using Dynamics GP for core accounting activity. Upgrade your CRM, select a new project management tool, roll out Shopify, deploy Zendesk and your customer portal.? By making the things around Dynamics GP as modern and integrated as possible, you are not falling as far behind your competitors as you would if you stayed stagnant.???

If you are staying with GP - then take a good look at your hosted GP options with companies like NJevity

Option 2: Move to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance: You partner will offer you Dynamics 365 Business Central as a solid replacement. Listen to them. It is a good product with good pricing incentives for Dynamics GP customers to transition. Explore it, get some demo’s, learn about all the features you can leverage if you were to move to D365 Business Central.??

Microsoft also has the big brother to D365 Business Central called Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (aka D365 F&O).? This is also a great product, but generally only suitable for the largest and most complex of Dynamics GP customers.??

Move to Other Mid-Market ERP Options: As a mid-market company, the key ERP players that will be clambering for your business (outside of Microsoft) will be Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica and Sage Intacct. These are all solid mid-market ERP solutions, each with their own strengths and quirks.? Take a look at these options and compare functionality and pricing.?

Move to a Niche, Industry-specific ERP Option: The 4th Options is to look at Niche ERP players in your specific industry. These ERP’s can be very good – but the thing to watch is how they grow and get better over the next 10 years. The most popular ERP solutions are investing heavily in making their tools better every quarter, and it is hard for the niche players to keep up.???????

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eOne is prepared: How eOne will help you??

We have been preparing, on your behalf, for nearly decade.? We have spent the last 10 years preparing to be ready to help our customers when that end-of-life announcement came. We want you to still be an eOne customer 20 years from now – so we have built solutions to support you no matter what ERP you choose.? ? ?

1. eOne’s 10-year Dynamics GP Guarantee: Despite the tone of this article and my message that it is time to pivot, we will never leave a customer behind. We have declared that eOne will guarantee support and updates for our products for 10 years, minimum. If you stay current on your AEP and subscription plans, we will support you long after Microsoft gives up.??

2. Vision for SmartList and SmartList Builder: SmartList and SmartList Builder were Microsoft’s best-selling ISV product of all time. We know our customers love the functionality and would hate for them move to a new ERP and not have Smartlists.??

Seven years ago, we put our heads down and built a new SmartList solution for you called Popdock. It is a way cooler version of SmartList for the cloud, but it is not limited to Dynamics GP.? The new SmartList (aka Popdock) not only works with Dynamics GP, but also works for D365 Business Central, Oracle NetSuite, Dynamics 365 Finance, Sage Intacct or Acumatica.? eOne has you covered.??

3. ERP Modernization | eOne Solutions One of the coolest things about Popdock is Virtual Integration.? With Virtual Integration, you can embed data from one application inside of any other application.? A very cool way to use this is to access Dynamics GP data when you move to a new ERP.? If you move to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Popdock gives you SmartLists inside D365 Business Central – and lets you access all your old Dynamics GP data.??

4. Integration with SmartConnect:? All of the integrations you currently have with Dynamics GP will translate to a new ERP with SmartConnect. SmartConnect will work with D365 Business Central, D365 Finance, Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica, and (very soon) Sage Intaact.? There is no need to change integration solutions when you move to a new ERP.? If you decide to stick with Dynamics GP – you have our 10-year guarantee.? You can integrate Dynamics GP with all of your favorite business applications like Salesforce, Shopify, SAP Concur, SQL, Microsoft Excel, Stripe, Bullhorn, ADP, or whatever you need.??

The one thing we know is that 100% of our customers are going to have to make a decision about their ERP in the next 5 years. They are being forced to decide either to:??

1. Make the most out of Dynamics GP and stick with it until it breaks.
2. Begin to explore replacement ERP solutions.???

No matter your decision, eOne will be here to help you on your journey. If you have any questions, please reach out to our sales team. We are happy to discuss your scenario, and help determine the best course of action for your business.?