Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains: Concepts, Features & Alternatives Explained

Microsoft Great Plains Software is a financial accounting or ERP system specially designed for small to medium-sized businesses. Growing companies in the educational and healthcare institutes, eCommerce, retail business, wholesale business, construction business, and other manufacturing domains prefer Microsoft Dynamics GP.

In this blog, you will be introduced to Microsoft Great Plains Accounting Software and its features. You will also learn if this suits your enterprise and how it can transform your business.

The pricing of Microsoft Great Plains is discussed in brief, and other alternatives of Microsoft Great Plains Software are also discussed.

What is Great Plains Software?

Microsoft Dynamics GP, also known as Great Plains Software, is a Microsoft Accounting Software specially designed for small to medium-sized businesses.

Microsoft Dynamics Accounting provides different applications for financial management, human resources management, manufacturing planning, supply chain management, field service, business intelligence, collaboration, compliance, and IT management.

Microsoft Dynamics GP can also be seamlessly integrated with hundreds of third-party applications from independent software vendors. This Microsoft Great Plains Software works well with Microsoft Windows and .NET frameworks. It is compatible both on-site and on a monthly hosting basis. Microsoft Great Plains Software also provides online training and support.

What are the Features of Great Plains Software?

• The integrated communication tool in Great Plains Software helps people collaborate instantly.
• Microsoft Great Plains Software has automated features in workflows. You can use the built-in decision trees and notifications. Great Plains software also has batch approval for general ledger, receivables, or payables, vendor approval workflows, and even for HR functions like employee training and skills management.
• Great Plains Software has invoice consolidation for pulling together multiple bills into one integrated communication.
• With Great Plains Software, you can run a status report on assets. These reports will have a netbook value and accumulated depreciation values.
• The document attaches feature of Great Plains Software allows transactional context by adding relevant files to bills or business correspondence.

What are the Great Plains Software Functions?

1. Project Management

• Third-party accounting software and apps can be integrated seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics GP’s project management. You can also integrate these third-party apps with inventory management, financial management, and accounting management.
• With all these additional integrations, you can manage and track all your business projects. With Microsoft GP’s project management, you can use timesheets and analytical tools for planning, reviewing, and approving your business projects. 

2. Accounting Management

• Microsoft Great Plains Software provides access to a General Ledger account in accounting management. General Ledger account is an analytical tool that will make your entire analytical process easy with its excellent features and modules.
• This General Ledger also helps in managing your workloads efficiently with its productivity systems. Microsoft Dynamics Accounting can also track budgets and financial data collected across your entire enterprise. All these data can be combined to form centralized accounting management.
• These data can be used to improve your business by identifying the regions of improvement and the profit zones.
• Using Microsoft Excel, you can update and maintain budgets for your projects. You can easily share your data across other platforms with the export and import options in Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Great Plains Software also has a forecasting tool for assisting in managing your financial inflows and outflows.
• In Dynamics Accounting you can automate some of your accounting processes like automating payrolls and etc.

3. Human Resource Management

• You can manage your human resource efficiently with Microsoft Great Plains Software. You can view all your metrics and benefits online. With the help of a filter, the monthly or yearly data can be filtered and verified. By this, you can avoid the manual paperwork in analyzing your company’s performance.
• Federak Magnetic Media files, used in maintaining compliance with your government can be created in Accounting Microsoft Software’s Human Resource Management.
• Using this tool you can report all your requirement details easily. You can perform multiple tasks effortlessly in this Microsoft Dynamics Accounting with its customizable tools.
• In Human Resource Management, you can schedule activities and tasks, hire employees, record and analyze business performance.
• This can be entirely customizable to meet your requirement. You can also carry our small tasks and save time. Microsoft Great Plains Software increases your productivity by automating a lot of processes like complex vacation, sick time policies, and payrolls to employees and staff members.
• The health and safety of your employees can also be ensured in Human resource management. This improves the overall working environment of the employees.

4. Bank Management

• With Microsoft Great Plains Software, unlimited checkbooks can be attached to your bank account. There is also an option for integrating your checkbooks with your bank account electronically using a mobile phone or PC. With these checkbooks, you can withdraw or make payments more efficiently. 
• All your transactions and reconciliations of your bank account management can be automated. This makes your bank account be managed productively and securely.

5. Supply Chain Management

• You can monitor all your inventory stock levels and costs with Accounting Microsoft Software. A report will be generated frequently in Microsoft Dynamics Accounting which holds all the details about your products and stocks in your inventory. This report will be mailed to you for keeping a track of it.
• From Microsoft Great Plains Software, you can set prices for your products and stock in the inventory. This pricing can be set on a customer basis to ensure your customers get their products at the best price.
• The manual pricing can be automated by modifying and aligning your products according to their prices. The price automation process is also customizable by creating flexible price options and specific rules for customers. 

6. Manufacturing Management

• Microsoft Great Plains Software’s manufacturing management leverages your Manufacturing Suite for planning and operating sales forecasts.
• You can also track the entire cycle of processing while your product is manufactured. By this, you can manage raw materials and other components of the product more profitably.
• Microsoft Dynamics Accounting also helps in automating the creation of specific products per sale.

Which companies can use Great Plains Software?

Microsoft Dynamics GP is specifically designed for small to medium-sized enterprises and businesses. Growing companies in the educational and healthcare institutes, eCommerce, retail business, wholesale business, construction business, and other manufacturing domains prefer Microsoft GP.

Smaller businesses and companies can get started with the Microsoft Dynamics GP Starter Pack since it’s affordable than the complete ERP system.

This Starter Pack of Microsoft GP comes with features that can be used by a limited number of users. But still, the effectiveness of these features is equivalent to the full ERP system’s features. This can leverage your business to the next level.

How can Great Plains Software transform your Business?

To have a successful business, you need to maintain an up-to-date ERP software solution. This can be possible with Microsoft Great Plains Software. The ERP software solution of Microsoft Accounting Software can transform your business using its excellent features and modules. You can leverage your business to the next level using Microsoft GP irrespective of your business size.

1. Data Security and Protection

You can transform and modernize your business with the Accounting Microsoft Software Dynamics GP. This provides end-to-end security and protects from cyber hackers. Today, cracking through codes and into important business files has become common.

Microsoft Great Plains Software saves your work as and when it gets done. By this, you can ensure that all your works and progress are protected from any virus or malfunction. 

2. Efficient Financial Management

You can manage all your finances in one place and avoid any missteps. The high-end features. The toughest task of your business enterprises and companies can be efficiently tackled with Microsoft Great Plains Software.

You can use powerful applications and software that are driven by artificial intelligence technology to handle your business needs. 

3. Mobile Application

Microsoft GP comes with a mobile app with access to all the features. With this, you can use the ERP software solution on your mobile phone from any location. With this, you can monitor your business from any place and time.

Great Plains Software Pricing

• Starter Pack: $5,000 for THREE concurrent users (required)
• Additional Full Users: $3,000 each
• Additional Limited Users: $600 each (read-only access)
• Self Serve Users: $60 each

Optional (prices below are a one-time fee, covers all users):

• Extended Pack: $10,000
• Customization Pack: $6,000
• Extended Human Resources & Payroll Pack: $7,000

The Shift from Great Plains to Dynamics GP

The transformation from Great Plains to Dynamics GP signified more than a mere rebranding exercise; it was a profound evolution that embraced the power of cutting-edge technology to deliver a formidable and efficient Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

This transition marked a pivotal moment in which the software transcended its humble beginnings, ascending to new heights of sophistication and capability.

Dynamics GP represented a paradigm shift, a quantum leap forward in the realm of ERP solutions. It empowered businesses to seamlessly integrate their core operations, fostering unprecedented levels of collaboration, data transparency, and decision-making agility.

This potent platform unlocked a wealth of opportunities, enabling organizations to optimize their resources, reduce operational complexities, and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Planning for the Future: Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains Software

With Microsoft announcing the gradual phase-out of Dynamics Great Plains (GP), businesses using the software must prepare for its end of sales by 2026 and support by 2028. While GP remains functional and reliable for now, its lack of new features and eventual discontinuation present challenges. Here’s a brief overview to help you decide your next steps:

1. Staying on Dynamics GP
   • Upgrade to the latest version to ensure continued support under Microsoft’s lifecycle policy.
   • Identify critical modules and third-party integrations to assess risks.
   • Consider hosting GP on the cloud for scalability and enhanced security.
2. Migrating to Another ERP
   • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or Finance & Operations offers modern, cloud-based alternatives with ongoing updates.
   • Evaluate other ERP platforms if they better meet your business needs.
3. Combination Approach
   • Keep GP for core operations while transitioning specific processes, such as payroll or accounts payable, to newer solutions.

By evaluating your current setup, future needs, and available options, you can create a continuity plan that supports growth and minimizes disruption.

What are the Alternatives to Great Plains Software?

1. NetSuite

NetSuite is an all-in-one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Evan Goldberg first presented it in 1998 under the name “Netledger”.

NetSuite assists businesses in achieving company growth and success via the effective optimization of business operations. It also aids in the automation of corporate operations and activities in a cloud platform with superior features.

NetSuite gives you a full set of Analytic tools to fit your company needs, allowing you to get real-time business insight. The software is known for giving users a 360-degree perspective of their client interactions or end-to-end company operations.

As a result, it caters to all types of businesses. Over 27,000 clients use NetSuite throughout the world, with industries ranging from manufacturing, distribution, and retail to professional services, software development, and nonprofits.

2. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is a cloud-based accounting and financial management software. Sage Intacct accelerates your success by delivering profound accounting opportunities like tax filings, payroll, inventory tracking tools across multiple industries.

Sage Intacct provides an open ecosystem for greater connectivity and impact. This cloud-based accounting software provides true cloud flexibility and accessibility. Sage Intacct keeps your organization agile with a configurable, open cloud accounting solution.

This allows you to share data and connect multiple solutions with your financial foundations at ease. The Sage Intacct is said to handle over 100 million application requests per day and over 50 billion financial records.

Sage Intacct automates all your day-to-day business activities to provide valuable insights. These insights will allow you to make convinced long-term decisions and make changes when required.

3. SAP

SAP (Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing) is a popular software tool that offers ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) services. It is one of the most widely used ERP software and has integrations with 100+ modules that cater to almost every requirement of your business management process.

This tool can create a centralized system for your business that allows each department to interact and share their data seamlessly. Moreover, SAP automates workflows and simplifies complex processes.

Today effective communication among various departments is necessary to form a robust working environment.

SAP plays a major role in enhancing this inter-departmental exchange of data. SAP also provides Reports and dashboard that allow you to view all important data pointers in an easy to understand format in real-time.

Benefits and Use Cases of Microsoft Great Plains Software

Benefits of Microsoft Great Plains Software

1. Comprehensive Financial Management: Offers robust tools for managing general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll, ensuring accurate financial reporting.
2. Customizable and Scalable: Flexible enough to adapt to your business needs as it grows, with options for customization to suit unique processes.
3. Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products like Office 365, improving collaboration and productivity.
4. User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design makes it easy for users to navigate, reducing training time and enhancing efficiency.
5. Stability and Reliability: A proven ERP solution trusted by businesses for decades, offering dependable performance.

Use Cases of Microsoft Great Plains Software

1. Small to Mid-Sized Businesses: Ideal for companies looking for a cost-effective ERP solution with extensive features.
2. Financial Process Automation: Automates repetitive accounting tasks, saving time and reducing errors.
3. Manufacturing and Distribution: Helps manage inventory, track orders, and streamline supply chain operations.
4. Nonprofit Organizations: Supports grant tracking, fund accounting, and compliance reporting.
5. Retail and E-commerce: Assists with inventory management, sales tracking, and financial reconciliation.

Microsoft Great Plains continues to be a valuable tool for businesses needing reliable ERP capabilities, even as organizations evaluate transitioning to modern solutions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Microsoft Great Plains Software, now known as Microsoft Dynamics GP, offers a robust and comprehensive suite of tools to help businesses manage their finances, human resources, inventory, supply chain, and more. Its integration capabilities, automation features, and mobile accessibility make it a powerful ERP solution for small to medium-sized enterprises across various industries. Whether you’re looking to streamline operations or ensure data security, Microsoft GP provides the tools necessary to take your business to the next level.

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