Are You Still Using Microsoft Dynamics GP? Is it time to step up to Cloud ERP? Microsoft Dynamics GP was originally released in 1993. The release numbers went up to 10 before they changed to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, and now Microsoft Dynamics GP 2106. But in all of those releases, the underlying architecture was never changed—it was originally written in a program called Dexterity and it has never been converted to a newer program to leverage the latest technology. And while Dynamics GP can be put on a Cloud server, it was not built to leverage Cloud technology. If you are using Dynamics GP, especially if you are using it on-premises, you may be missing out on some of the biggest benefits of being on the Cloud—greater accessibility, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), stronger security, better integration of key financial and operational systems, the ability to scale as needed, and a single version of the truth.
Greater Accessibility
The Cloud’s biggest benefit, as you probably already know, is anywhere, anytime access by anyone who has permission. This gives users answers to their questions when they need it. It also allows them to work from any location—a home office, the office in Malaysia, or that conference in Orlando—so work doesn’t come to a standstill simply because someone is out of the office. Microsoft Dynamics GP does not yet include a fully functioning web client and Microsoft Silverlight is needed in order to make all functionality viewable via a browser. Further, Microsoft does not provide hosting for Dynamics GP; if you want GP in the Cloud, you need to find a hosting partner.
Lower TCO
Comparing the TCO of Microsoft Dynamics GP to a Cloud ERP will likely show that Cloud ERP costs less. With a Cloud solution, you won’t need to go out and buy dedicated servers or other hardware. If you have an on-premises system, you have to put enough hardware into the mix to serve your user population and that frequently means you have to buy much more than your exact requirements. This is because purchasing hardware is a “step function”—you can’t buy additional hardware for just 1 or even 10 people, you have to buy another server and all that goes with it. Additionally, when you license a solution like Acumatica Cloud ERP hosted by the vendor, you no longer need to deal with product maintenance, major upgrades, and security. You may even be able to reassign some of your ERP dedicated resources to other projects, reducing the need to hire. And for those staff who are required, Acumatica was created based on the latest tools, such as .Net and c-sharp, skills easily found in today’s human resources marketplace.
Stronger Security
Your Cloud provider generally has more resources to put into security than a mid-size firm and they generally have more expertise. Most Cloud providers contractually guarantee a certain percentage of “uptime.” They have very strict backup routines and, in the event of a breach or hack, there is a high probability that they have more hardware than your company that they can juggle while correcting the problem. Plus, if there is a breach, they are the ones responsible for getting things back on line and cleaning up any problems that result. If you’ve ever been hacked or involved in a breach, you know this alone is a huge benefit.
Better Integration
Microsoft Dynamics GP claims integration with a number of other applications, but when you dig down into that, you see that these are multiple products, all with separate licensing, separate implementation, and separate maintenance and support. The Cloud facilitates integration between different systems, but more significantly, products like Acumatica Cloud ERP seamlessly integrates many applications and functions into a single platform. Acumatica integrates financials, financial operations like accounts payable and accounts receivable, purchasing, inventory, distribution, CRM, workflow management, document management, project management, and more. This provides greater accessibility of the information to everyone who needs it, through a uniform interface, reducing the need for training and reducing the need for IT intervention in what should be routine tasks and queries. And you can finally stop pulling everything into Excel and massaging it in order to pull it into another system. This may be particularly helpful for Microsoft Dynamics GP users working with multiple companies, especially if they are in multiple countries using multiple currencies. Oftentimes in this situation, Dynamics GP users rely on “spreadsheet-based accounting” for consolidation and analysis—that becomes a thing of the past with Acumatica in the Cloud.
Acumatica also provides for integration with many third-party products, creating nearly unlimited extensions through low maintenance APIs. There are add-ons that increase functionality, add industry specific capabilities, and provide flexible and easy to use reporting.
Ability to Scale
With Microsoft Dynamics GP, you have to license for the maximum amount of concurrent users you will have. If your company is growing, or shrinking, or seasonally growing and shrinking, you may have to provide for more users than you actually have at a given time. This means more license fees, more hardware, and more resources. Cloud ERP allows you to purchase just what you need and change it whenever necessary, enabling your company to be more agile and more efficient. Acumatica is priced for unlimited users—you won’t need to deny your staff access to work directly with Acumatica to save on license fees.
Single Version of the Truth
With your financial and operational applications on a single platform, they all access the same data. No more silos of information. No more reconciling the numbers in the general ledger to the inventory numbers to the accounts payable numbers just before heading into a meeting and then spending the whole meeting explaining how you came up with your numbers. The entire enterprise will be using common terminology and common formulas. When everyone is using the same numbers across the enterprise, the numbers become a “given” and you can concentrate on the business at hand.
Modern business solutions provide benefits that older solutions cannot. Cost-effective, Cloud ERP solutions like Acumatica can help your company be better informed, more competitive, and more agile. NexVue (now Net at Work) is an Acumatica Cloud ERP reseller with over 25 years of experience implementing, customizing, and supporting ERP solutions. Call us today to see if now is the time for your organization to step up to Acumatica Cloud ERP.
By Sandi Richards Forman, sforman@nexvue.com
NexVue (now Net at Work) Information Systems, www.nexvue.com
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