Driving efficiency: How Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM outpaces AX and GP 

For years, Microsoft Dynamics AX and GP have been the trusted engines driving business operations: powerful, steady, and built for endurance. They’ve kept businesses moving forward with strength and reliability. But the road ahead has changed.  

Today’s business moves at highway speed, and those older, on-premises systems can’t always keep pace. Between maintaining servers, scheduling upgrades, and juggling integrations, organizations are spending more time tuning up than racing toward new opportunities.  

That’s why so many enterprises are moving to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. It combines everything businesses loved about AX and GP, like the familiar tools and deep functionality, with the capabilities of a modern, cloud-powered platform with AI built-in. The result is a system that’s always learning, always improving, and always ready for what’s next. 

Below, we’re sharing why migrating to Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management is about more than just trading in your old ride for a newer model. Keep reading to learn the benefits of adopting this self-optimizing, high-performance machine built for the future of business. 

Cost savings that compound over time 

Upgrading to Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (F&SCM) is a strategic investment that delivers measurable savings year after year. 

For many enterprises, maintaining on-premises systems like AX or GP has meant absorbing hidden costs: aging servers that need replacement, expensive hardware refresh cycles, and the energy bills tied to keeping data centers up and running. 

Moving to the cloud eliminates those costs. There’s no more server room to maintain, no more surprise hardware failures to budget for, and no more scramble to source replacement parts. 

And the savings extend well beyond hardware. IT teams that once spent hours troubleshooting servers, coordinating downtime for upgrades, and managing integrations can now focus on higher-value initiatives. With Dynamics 365 F&SCM, updates happen automatically, patches are deployed seamlessly, and new features roll out with little disruption. 

Even better, the financial model shifts in your favor. Instead of unpredictable capital expenses tied to upgrades or infrastructure maintenance, Dynamics 365 F&SCM offers a consistent, subscription-based cost structure. This shift to operating expenses gives organizations better visibility into long-term budgets, simplifies forecasting, and reduces financial risk. 

Over time, these efficiencies compound. The money once spent on upkeep and unplanned repairs can now be redirected into growth initiatives, whether that’s expanding product lines, entering new markets, or investing in your workforce. 

Integration that works for you, not against you 

An organization’s efficiency depends in part on how easily its systems talk to each other, and that’s where Dynamics 365 F&SCM shines.  

Built on the same cloud foundation as Microsoft 365, it offers native connections across your entire ecosystem, from Finance and Supply Chain to Sales and Customer Service. The result is a unified experience without the patchwork of one-off integrations that can define AX and GP environments. 

Organizations can also take advantage of a vast marketplace of certified independent software vendor (ISV) solutions, allowing them to expand capabilities with trusted, prebuilt add-ons. These extensions install cleanly, without the long, complex custom development cycles that used to drain time and resources.  

For GP users, this means unifying accounting, inventory, sales, and reporting within one platform. No more juggling multiple tools or reconciling data across disparate systems. For AX users, it’s the opportunity to streamline cross-department workflows, eliminating the technical debt that came with years of custom code and manual integrations. 

Productivity gains through better workflows 

Beyond cost savings and integrations, Dynamics 365 F&SCM empowers teams to work smarter and faster. Its modern, user-friendly interface reduces unnecessary clicks and shortens training time, making it easier for GP’s finance-focused teams and AX’s operations-heavy users to get up to speed quickly. 

Embedded AI and analytics deliver actionable insights directly within the workflows you use every day. With insights delivered where you work, there’s no need to export data to spreadsheets or wait for delayed reports, enabling faster, more accurate, and more strategic decisions. 

And with mobile access, your workforce can stay productive no matter where they are. Field teams, remote staff, and distributed operations can review data, approve processes, and take action from any device, ensuring business continuity and responsiveness. 

Key productivity features include: 

• Intuitive interface that reduces clicks and accelerates onboarding 
• Embedded AI and analytics that deliver insights where you work 
• Mobile access for approvals, reviews, and actions on the go 

By combining these capabilities, Dynamics 365 F&SCM transforms daily operations into a more efficient, data-driven, and agile experience. 

Continuous updates without disruption 

One of the biggest challenges with on-premise systems like AX and GP has been the disruption caused by upgrades. Lengthy, multi-month projects often brought operations to a standstill, consuming IT resources and creating stress across departments.  

Dynamics 365 F&SCM eliminates that with continuous updates delivered in the background. Your ERP automatically stays current with the latest features, security patches, and compliance requirements, without the need for downtime, extended testing cycles, or labor-intensive upgrade planning.  

IT staff, freed from the heavy lifting of traditional upgrades, can now focus on high-value initiatives, such as driving innovation, improving processes, integrating new tools, and supporting growth strategies. Departments across the organization benefit as well, with uninterrupted access to workflows, reporting, and analytics that are always current. 

Accelerate your business with Dynamics 365 F&SCM 

When you move from AX or GP to Dynamics 365 F&SCM, you leave behind the limitations of legacy systems and gain a cloud-powered platform built for agility, speed, and real-time insights, all while still retaining the functionality and reliability you’ve depended on.  

With cost savings that add up over time, seamless integration across Microsoft tools, embedded analytics, mobile access, and continuous updates without disruption, Dynamics 365 F&SCM enables your teams to work smarter and focus on growth instead of maintenance. 

Ready to see what Dynamics 365 F&SCM can do for your business? Get in touch with a Sikich technology expert to ask questions, schedule a demo, or explore how your organization can maximize productivity and cost savings with a modern, connected ERP solution.