Why upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains 2016

 1.      Microsoft support has ended for Dynamics GP 2010 and Dynamics GP 10.0, each are nearing obsolescence

Although Endeavour will continue to provide clients with support on older versions of Dynamics GP, Microsoft’s mainstream support for GP 2010 SP1, SP2 and SP3 expired on October 13, 2015.   Microsoft’s mainstream support for GP 10.0 ended a few years back. The following link will take you to the official Microsoft Support Lifecycle page.   Unsupported applications carry an increased risk that bugs or errors discovered within these products will not be fixed by Microsoft.  For some companies having an unsupported ERP poses a non-compliance within their Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery and/or ISO plans and certifications.

The upgrade process from Dynamics Great Plains 10.0 or Great Plains 2010 to Dynamics GP 2016 or GP 2016R2 will require a 2-step upgrade with an upgrade to GP 2013, then to GP 2016.  Our team at Endeavour is well versed in each of these upgrade approaches.  We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you consider embracing many of the new workflow, reporting and business automation functions as part of your upgrade.  Such considerations may require additional configurations and business process re-design.

2.      The new Dynamics GP 2016 (R1 and R2) is full of solid enhancements

Our Dynamics GP consultants in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia are thrilled with the added functions and stability of Dynamics GP 2016.  As you may have heard, FRx has been replaced with MR (Management Reporter) for handling your reporting needs via the Microsoft SSRS or Power BI report presentation tools. The enhanced workflow functions are especially exciting and provide a great platform for further automating business processes, improving back-office efficiencies and enforcing financial controls as part of an upgrade of your investment in Microsoft Dynamics GP.  Of course we can’t forget all the “small” improvements in the Dynamics GP 2016, like the having Debits before Credits in all your lists and reports or having the option to automatically update your check book and bank rec when doing a cash receipt.  For many GP 2016 is a significant upgrade from older versions such as GP 10.0 and GP 2010.  Endeavour recommends budgeting for additional change management and training to help users adapt to the new screens, new and enhanced workflows and new reporting methods.

3.      Change Management / User Adoption plans have a greater impact in the New Year

Endeavour Solutions has been providing accounting and ERP consulting for Microsoft Dynamics GP customers for over 20 years.  Over this time, we have enjoyed a low turn-over of consultants and a high retention of satisfied clients.  Experience has shown that when it comes to business readiness, change management and training plans, users are more open to change and adoption of new processes after returning from vacation. The top two times of the year for the greatest mass-return of employees from vacation is at the end of the summer and after the New Year.

Psychologically speaking employees are typically a little more relaxed and more open to new ideas (process changes), while at the same time are motivated by messages from popular media around “Back to school” and a “New year”.  It is at these times of the year where we see increased user adoption of newly enhanced systems and their attainment of new goals, KPIs and other performance metrics.

4.      Internal resource discussions are often smoother near the holidays

Business decisions these days are rarely made in isolation; choosing when and how to upgrade your current Dynamics GP ERP is no exception.  We’ve found that key executive stakeholders are often swamped with a variety of projects throughout the year, but typically slow down just before the holidays.  Although, winter vacations themselves can create havoc on coordinating calendars.  When key stakeholders are able to meet, they are typically less distracted with other projects.  It may seem counter intuitive, but December can actually be the most productive time to reach a common understanding and commitment around resource allocations.

Our team at Endeavour can assist and even mediate your internal review of upgrade approaches, hosting/licensing options, and training plans.  We can also assist with your internal review and evaluation of different approaches to defining new job roles, performing custom calculations, unifying your chart of accounts, working with multiple reporting entities, configuring workflow approval hierarchies, adjusting approval thresholds and a variety of other accounting and business controls that impact business autonomy, team collaboration, reporting visibility and even the calculation of bonus / compensation payouts.

5.      Fewer competing priorities in January 2017 – Start your plans now

As discussed, the holiday season often presents a time when fewer corporate projects are running.  Now is a good time to take advantage of the potential lull in activity and insert an upgrade assessment and business proposal review before other projects are slated to begin.

We’ve found that the majority of top companies operate within defined budgets.  ‘Carpe diem’, if you want to seize the opportunity to improve your performance, streamline your business operations and lay the foundation for future growth, you will need to reallocate the funds from other budgets to pay for your January 2017 upgrade.

Thus the time is now, to consider your Microsoft Dynamics 2016 upgrade plans in preparation for business process improvements and an upgrade to Dynamics GP 2016 this winter.

Call or e-mail Steve Ewing at Endeavour Solutions to set up a meeting to talk about your current Dynamics ERP system and to discuss the various options and approaches available for upgrading to Dynamics GP 2016.

Enjoy your holiday’s, we look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Endeavour Solutions

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