Are you a small to medium-sized business? If so, you’ve probably heard about Microsoft’s next-generation business management solution— (BC). Business Central was built from the ground up in the cloud, meaning Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central allows you to manage your business at any time from anywhere.
Are you considering migrating from to Dynamics 365 Business Central? Before you do, it’s wise to figure out how much the move will cost you.
In this post, we give a straight answer to the question that’s on everyone’s mind. How much does it really cost to migrate from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 BC?
3 Factors That Affect Cost
When migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central from Dynamics GP there are several factors that affect project cost. Notice three key factors that will affect the cost of your upgrade:
- Data Migration
Have you considered how much history you will want to bring when migrating from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 BC? The answer can significantly impact how much you will end up spending.
The most cost-effective option is to bring over a summary general ledger for a few years. But if you want to bring a transactional history, this will be more difficult and more costly.
So at the end of the day, keep in mind that your total cost of migrating from your current Dynamics GP system to Business Central can be greatly affected by how much data and history you decide to bring over.
- Process Changes
The complexity of your commercial processes will make a difference when it comes to migration costs. Before upgrading, ask yourself: Are my processes mostly standard? Or are they quite unique?
Be realistic about how unique your processes are. The fact is, if you have complex processes that require customizations you can be sure you will have to shell out a little more in the end.
Most small businesses coming from Dynamics GP will be able to adapt very easily to the new way of doing things in Business Central. However, if your business is a vertical that requires specialized processes, then there will be more work or additional costs involved.
- Training and Support
Training is necessary for any system upgrade and should be expected. But this variable is sure to take some time and money. What can you do to see how much this will affect your final cost?
The first step is to determine how many users you will have throughout your company. More users generally equal more training. So if you want an accurate gauge of your overall end cost, factoring in how much time will be invested in training will take you one step closer.
Bonus Pro Tip: Adapt to the System
As a force of habit, some companies will try to force Dynamics 365 BC to run exactly the same way as Dynamics GP through unnecessary customizations. This is a costly mistake.
To save you money, we highly recommend that you make an effort to simply absorb the new functionality of Business Central. It’s a different system, so don’t expect it to run exactly like your current Dynamics GP. Embrace the new system and adapt to it as much as possible. Your wallet will thank you later for it.
The Bottom Line
If your company uses core financials with mostly standard processes, the costs to migrate from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central could be around 15 to 25 grand, all things considered. If you are a large company using customized processes and applications, or vertical industry solutions, your path will be more expensive and can run over 100 grand or more.
Ask the Experts
Navigating a system migration can be tricky. But you’re not in this alone. The team here at ICON knows what you’re up against and is ready to help you tackle this project as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
With 30+ years working with Microsoft Dynamics services, we at ICON are happy to offer our knowledge and experience to help your company succeed. To find out more on how our expertise can help your company, visit us at or contact us at info@iconsa.net
By Thomas Garcia, ICON
