Dynamics GP 2018, 18.2, 18.3, or 18.4 to GP 18.6.xx Upgrade
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018 R2, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4, 18.5 to 18.7 upgrade. Trust the professionals.
Our team at GP Support North has been supporting Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) for over 30 years. Over that time we have performed over 1,000 upgrades and implementations of ERP, CRM and Cloud applications.
What you need to know:
Microsoft Dynamics GP 18.2 is now 5+ years old and was released October 2019, it is almost considered too old, as there are added improvements and support for updated Office 365 security settings in GP 18.6 that clients will need. Trust in the GP Support North team at Endeavour to perform your Dynamics GP 18.6 '2024' upgrade.
- Many GP client (but not all) can do an in-place upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics 18.4 to 18.6 depending on the complexity and number of ISV add-on products. These upgrades can be done in a 'few days' at a reduced cost and scope compared to a full upgrade within a test environment.
- Dynamics GP 18.5 no longer supports SQL Server 2014, thus you may need to upgrade your Microsoft SQL Server database.
- The gaps between 18.2, 18.3, 18.4, 18.5, 18.6, and 18.7 are quite small and on the surface may be a shorter, faster, and less costly upgrade. However, we always recommend doing a test update to ensure everything went smooth and can be tested prior to a live production upgrade of GP to Dynamics GP 18.6.xx.
- Many clients have additional upgrade requirements that add complexity, time, and cost to their upgrade. Examples include testing compliance with 3rd party ISV add-ons, as well as upgrading multiple individual rich GP clients used on end-user computers vs all users using a single cloned instance on Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
- Also worth noting is the current operating system: Windows Server 2019 no longer supports VBA, which was popular at the time of your original implementation of Dynamics GP (Great Plains). These would most likely have been addressed with your past upgrade to GP 18.2 or GP 18.3
- Odds are you are using Management Reporter for corporate reporting. This toolset is still being supported with CU (Cumulative updates) from Microsoft. We can also recommend some Power BI analytics to complement your continued investment in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
- Our team recommends that you upgrade to the latest Microsoft Dynamics GP 18.6.xx or at least to GP 18.4 which still supports SQL Server 2014.
- Dynamics GP 18.5 supports 2FA and the TLS 1.2 security protocol required by Office 365 for sending emails directly from Dynamics GP through Office 365 - see previous client notice.
With GP Support North you can Expect your GP upgrade to include:
- A proper assessment of your needs
- A scope and project plan to meet your objectives
- A technical upgrade including pre-production and live production upgrade
- Advisory Services to review opportunities for improvement including configuration, training and adoption of new functions.
Additional considerations for your Microsoft Dynamics GP 18.2 or 18.3 to GP 18.6.xx
Given the recent upgrade that your performed in the last 18 to 24months, there may have been some added functions that were deferred at that time. We recommend a focus on increased productivity as well as end-user training should be top of mind. Additional strategic plans for the adoption of new features, functions and add-on applications is highly recommended:
- Approvals workflow via email for Purchase Requisitions, and Payables
- GP Security enhancements
- Integration with Office 365 for sending emails, invoices, credit notes and other documents
- Enhanced BI, reporting, and budgeting processes
- Improved billing and revenue recognition
- Expense management
- AP automation
- PO automation
- eCommerce and vendor portals
- Cloud integrations
- Private Cloud Hosting (includes SQL Server, Windows Server and Remote Desktop access)
Learn more about Endeavour's Dynamics GP Training services.
Dynamics GP Training