April 2025 Live Office Hours Q&A Recap: Moving from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central – PART 1

Considering moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC)? You’re not alone—and we know it comes with a lot of questions. That’s why Sikich launched a monthly Live Office Hours Q&A series. Each month, we bring in experts to answer client-submitted questions on topics like Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Microsoft Copilot. 

Our April 2025 session focused on the transition from GP to BC. Clients submitted their questions in advance and during the live event, and the conversation covered everything from migration concerns to platform differences and best practices. 

If you missed the session, you can watch the full recording below or here. We’ve also recapped some of the top questions and answers from the discussion to help guide your journey. Read Part 2 to see answers to some of the questions we didn’t have time to answer. 

Q&A Highlights from the Session 

Q1: We’ve customized our GP system—will that be a problem when moving to Business Central? 

Not necessarily. Many customizations in GP can either be replicated, replaced with native BC functionality, or handled via third-party apps. During implementation, Sikich evaluates each customization to determine whether it’s still necessary. 

Q2: Should we be concerned that BC might sunset like GP? 

Not at all. Business Central is Microsoft’s flagship cloud ERP platform and continues to receive major investment. It now has over 45,000 users and growing. 

Q3: What are the biggest differences between GP and BC? 

• Chart of Accounts: GP uses segmented accounts; BC uses a natural account with dimensions, offering more flexibility and simplicity. 
• Interface & Usability: BC offers a more modern, user-friendly interface with personalization options. 
• Data Access: Unlike GP, BC doesn’t allow direct SQL access—but with fewer backend issues, that’s largely a benefit. 
• Security & Permissions: BC has a more complex but more granular permission system. 

Q4: Is Business Central the only logical upgrade path? 

While Business Central is often the natural next step for Microsoft Dynamics GP users—especially those already leveraging tools like Office 365, Power Apps, and Copilot—it’s not the only option. Sikich also works closely with NetSuite and can help evaluate which ERP best aligns with your business needs, technology stack, and long-term goals.

Q5: What happens to the integrations we currently use with GP? 

BC supports modern API-based integrations, and tools like SmartConnect still work. We also evaluate existing integrations and look for modernization opportunities using Azure and Power Platform tools. 

Q6: What are the most common disappointments after switching to BC? 

“Disappointment” is rare, but here are some adjustments: 

• The user interface and processes are different and require training. 
• Permissions and security can be more complex than GP. 
• Reporting works differently; GP users need time to adapt. 

Q7: What are the reporting options in BC? 

BC does not use Management Reporter. Instead, it includes: 

• Out-of-the-box financial reports 
• Excel-based templates (new in April release) 
• Power BI dashboards with pre-built templates 
• Third-party tools for more complex reporting 

Q8: What implementation options are available with Sikich? 

• Head Start: A faster, lower-cost migration that mirrors GP functionality. 
• Full Implementation: Starts with a business process alignment phase to modernize and redesign processes for long-term success. 

Q9: What does the GP to BC migration tool bring over? 

It can bring in your chart of accounts (mapped to dimensions), master records, open transactions, and some historical data. But it’s not one-click—it’s a guided process tailored to your business needs. Sikich has an assessment tool to run against your GP environment, which will tell us exactly what the tool will be able to bring over. Sign up to use our free GP migration assessment tool.

What’s Next? 

We received even more questions than we could answer during the live session, so we’ve compiled a part 2 blog post (read it here) to address the rest.  

Also, don’t miss our May 2025 Live Office Hours Q&A session, which will focus on Microsoft Copilot and how it can empower your team with AI-driven productivity tools. Join us on Thursday, May 29, from 12:30 – 1 pm CT and get your questions answered by our Dynamics, D365, M365, and Copilot experts. Save your spot now! 

Want to be invited to all our upcoming Live Office Hours Q&A sessions? Drop us a note to subscribe to our Microsoft client updates. 

Looking to make the move from GP to BC? Let’s talk about your next step. Contact us for a personalized assessment or to request access to our GP to BC trial environment.