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Microsoft Dynamics GP to Business Central Migration

Planned migration from Dynamics GP to Business Central online, with data reconciled and finance sign-off at each stage

Moving From Dynamics GP to Business Central Online With a Planned, Validated Migration

A Microsoft GP to Business Central migration changes how finance closes the books, not only where the data lives. Calance plans and delivers the move from Dynamics GP to Business Central online, covering readiness assessment, chart of accounts redesign, data cleansing, cloud migration, replacement of customizations and third-party products, reporting, integrations, training, and support through the first month-end close. Microsoft ends GP product and tax updates on December 31, 2029, and security updates on April 30, 2031, which leaves time to schedule cutover around fiscal year-end and payroll cycles. Related work is covered by our Business Central implementation and NAV to Business Central upgrade services.

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What Our GP to Business Central Migration Services Include

Each engagement covers the eight areas below, scoped to the GP modules, companies, and third-party products in use today.

1

GP Environment and Readiness Assessment

  • The GP version, modules, companies, data volume, customizations, and third-party products are inventoried and run through Microsoft's migration assessment tool. Findings confirm scope, flag blockers such as versions earlier than GP 2015, and set a realistic timeline.
2

Chart of Accounts and Dimension Redesign

  • GP account segments are mapped to Business Central general ledger accounts and dimensions, so department, location, and project reporting works without a long account string. Finance approves the mapping before any data moves.
3

Data Cleansing and Migration Scope

  • Inactive customers, vendors, and items are identified, duplicates are merged, and open transactions are reconciled in GP before migration. Cleansing in the source system keeps errors out of Business Central and shortens replication and validation time.
4

Cloud Migration Setup and Data Replication

  • The Business Central cloud migration tool is configured with a self-hosted integration runtime and Azure Data Factory pipelines. Data is replicated to a sandbox first, upgraded, and validated table by table before any production run.
5

Customizations and Third-Party Product Replacement

  • Dexterity, VBA, and Modifier customizations and third-party GP products do not migrate. Each is reviewed and replaced with a standard Business Central feature, an AppSource app, or an AL extension built by our application development team.
6

Reporting and Financial Statements

  • SmartLists and Management Reporter statements are reviewed for current use, then rebuilt in Business Central Financial Reporting or Power BI through our Power BI consulting practice. Reports no longer in use are retired rather than recreated.
7

Integrations and Payroll Planning

  • Integrations built on eConnect or Integration Manager are rebuilt on Business Central APIs or Power Automate by our integration solutions team. Business Central has no native US payroll, so a payroll application or provider is selected before cutover.
8

User Training, Go-Live, and Post-Migration Support

  • Users are set up with Business Central permission sets and Microsoft Entra ID sign-in, then trained by role. Support continues through the first month-end close, with ongoing help available through our application support services.

How Each Part of Dynamics GP Is Handled in the Migration

Microsoft's cloud migration tool moves core financial data. Other parts of a GP environment need a decision, and each is agreed during design.

GP Area
How It Is Handled
Decision Required
Setup and master data
Migrated by the cloud migration tool
Which inactive customers, vendors, and items to exclude
Open transactions and balances
Migrated by the cloud migration tool
Cutover date relative to period close
Historical transactions
Historical snapshot, detailed history, or summarized balances
How many years of detail to bring forward
Account segments
Mapped to general ledger accounts and dimensions
Segment-to-dimension design
Dexterity, VBA, and Modifier customizations
Not migrated; replaced with standard features or AL extensions
Rebuild, replace, or retire each one
SmartLists and Management Reporter
Not migrated; rebuilt in Financial Reporting or Power BI
Which reports are still in use
eConnect and Integration Manager
Rebuilt on Business Central APIs or Power Automate
Connected systems and data flows
US Payroll
Not available natively; third-party application or provider
Payroll platform and year-end timing
Users and security
Recreated as permission sets with Entra ID sign-in
Role design and approval limits

History Migration Options We Offer

The amount of GP history moved into Business Central affects migration time, validation effort, and storage. Three options are offered, and many clients combine them.
Opening balances, open receivables and payables, and open orders are migrated, and GP stays available in read-only mode for history lookups. The approach is the fastest to migrate and the simplest to reconcile.
Posted transactions for a defined period, usually the current and prior fiscal years, are migrated as full detail, so comparative reporting runs inside Business Central. Older periods are carried as summarized monthly balances.
GP historical transactions are moved into snapshot tables that users can view in Business Central without affecting live ledgers, or the GP database is retained as a read-only archive for audit and inquiry.

Migration Phases and the Sign-Off Required at Each Stage

Each phase ends with a sign-off from your finance or project lead, so the migration moves forward only on confirmed results.

PHASE SEGMENT I • ASSESSMENT & PREPARATION
Document Search PHASE 1 • SCOPE &ARCHITECTURE

1. Assess

GP versions, modules, companies, customizations, third-party products, and data volumes are reviewed with the migration assessment tool and your finance team.

Sign-off:approved migration scope, history option, and target timeline.

Target Architecture PHASE 2 • TARGETARCHITECTURE

2. Design

Chart of accounts, dimensions, posting setup, approval workflows, and replacements for customizations and third-party products are designed and documented in Business Central terms.

Sign-off:Design document approved byfinance and IT.

Validated Database PHASE 3 • DATAPREPARATION

3. Prepare and Cleanse

Data is cleansed in GP, prerequisites areconfirmed, and the integration runtime andcloud migration connection are configuredagainst a Business Central sandbox.

Sign-off:Cleansed data set and confirmedmigration configuration.

PHASE SEGMENT II • EXECUTION & OPERATIONAL CONTINUITY
Flask Check PHASE 4 • VALIDATION &RECONCILIATION

4. Test Migration in Sandbox

Data is replicated, upgraded, and validated inthe sandbox, then trial balances, receivablesand payables aging, and inventory valuation arereconciled against GP. Test runs repeat untildifferences are resolved.

Sign-off:Reconciliation accepted byfinance.

Rocket Launch PHASE 5 • GO-LIVEEXECUTION

5. Production Cutover

Final replication is timed to a period close, GP isset to read-only, and data upgrade andvalidation run in production against a writtencutover plan.

Sign-off:Go-live decision recorded by theproject lead.

Support Headset PHASE 6 • ADOPTION &CONTINUITY

6. Stabilize Through FirstMonth-End Close

Users are supported through daily processingand the first month-end close in BusinessCentral, and open issues are resolved or loggedwith owners.

Sign-off:First close accepted and supporthanded over.

Discuss Your Requirements

Schedule an initial roadmap review with our senior Microsoft Dynamics specialists.

Why Organizations Choose Calance for GP to Business Central Migration

The points below describe how the work is organized and the evidence behind each.

Microsoft Platform Experience Across Finance and Infrastructure

With more than 20 years of experience working with Microsoft platforms, we bring Business Central, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure, Microsoft 365, and Power BI together through a unified Microsoft cloud consulting practice instead of relying on separate vendors for each platform.

Finance Sign-Off Built Into Every Phase

Trial balances, aging reports, and inventory valuations are reconciled and approved by your finance team before cutover. Decisions regarding historical data, customizations, and reports are documented to ensure auditors can trace how data was migrated from Dynamics GP to Business Central.

Integration Experience With Line-of-Business Systems

Our teams have integrated ERP and finance platforms with Procore, CMiC, Sage, PeopleSoft, and Quickbase, including engagements with Bulley & Andrews and WM Blanchard. This experience ensures that integrations surrounding Business Central are planned and executed with the same attention to detail as the financial ledger.

Onshore Leadership, Offshore Capacity, Long-Term Support

U.S.-based leads oversee solution design and finance approvals, while offshore engineers manage data preparation and testing cycles overnight. Our 90% client retention rate reflects our commitment to ongoing support beyond go-live and the long-term relationships we build with our clients.

ERP and Business Application Case Studies

Records of delivered ERP integration and business application work, including the Procore and CMiC integration that supported Bulley & Andrews through 250% growth over five years and the Procore and Quickbase work for WM Blanchard.

Request a Dynamics GP Migration Assessment

Whether GP is approaching a hardware refresh, a third-party product has reached end of support, or finance wants to plan the move around fiscal year-end, an assessment is a practical first step. Our team reviews the GP environment and sets out scope, history options, timeline, and cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a GP to Business Central migration take?

Most single-company migrations take three to six months from assessment to first month-end close. Duration depends on data volume, history option, customizations, third-party products, integrations, the number of GP companies, and how quickly reconciliations are signed off.

Which versions of Dynamics GP can be migrated?

Microsoft's cloud migration tool supports GP 2015 and later. Earlier versions are upgraded first or migrated through data export and import. The assessment confirms the version, SQL Server configuration, and any other prerequisites before planning begins.

What happens to our GP customizations and third-party products?

Customizations and third-party products do not migrate. Each is reviewed during design and replaced with a standard Business Central feature, an AppSource app, or an AL extension. Customizations no longer needed are retired, which often reduces long-term maintenance effort.

Does Business Central support US payroll?

Business Central does not include US payroll. Organizations using GP Payroll move to a third-party payroll application or outsourced provider, selected during design and usually timed to start at a calendar year-end to simplify tax reporting.

Can we keep using GP during the migration?

Yes. GP remains the operational system until production cutover, and Business Central stays in a restricted state while data is replicated. After go-live, GP is set to read-only so history remains available for inquiry and audit.

When does Microsoft support for Dynamics GP end?

Microsoft stopped new perpetual GP license sales on April 1, 2025, and new subscriptions on April 1, 2026. Product enhancements, tax updates, and technical support end December 31, 2029, and security updates end April 30, 2031.

How Is a GP to Business Central Migration Priced?

Pricing reflects the number of GP companies, modules, data volume, history option, customizations and third-party products to replace, integrations, and reports. Calance confirms a fixed or phased estimate after the assessment, so the proposal reflects your actual GP environment.

What Does Our Organization Need to Provide?

Clients provide GP and SQL Server access, a finance lead to approve mappings and reconciliations, owners for each integration and report, and user availability for testing and training. Calance supplies the migration team, tooling, documentation, and support.

What Support Does Calance Provide After Go-Live?

Support continues through the first month-end close as part of the migration. Afterward, Calance can provide ongoing Business Central support, enhancements, and administration through application support services, or hand over fully to your internal team with documentation.

Can Calance Migrate Multiple GP Companies Together?

Yes. The cloud migration tool supports multiple GP companies in one environment, and companies can move together or in planned waves. Calance recommends sequencing based on intercompany transactions, consolidation reporting, and each company's period-close and fiscal calendar.