As we approach the end of 2024, businesses running Microsoft Dynamics GP are facing a significant decision: How to manage the future of their ERP system. Microsoft has announced the end-of-life for Dynamics GP, with updates and support concluding in 2029 and minimal, critical only, security patches wrapping up by 2031. While the deadlines may seem distant, now is the critical time to start budgeting and planning for your ERP migration in 2025, 2026, or 2027.
At Velosio, we understand that Dynamics GP holds a special place for many businesses—it’s familiar, reliable, and woven into the fabric of day-to-day operations. That’s why we’ve created our ClearPath Consultation, designed to help businesses like yours navigate this transition on your terms. Whether you’re planning to remain on GP for the short term or exploring options like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, our team can guide you through budgeting, planning, and migration.
Why You Should Start Budgeting for 2025 Now
As we enter the budgeting season, it’s essential to consider the impact of ERP migration on your financial planning. Waiting until the last minute can lead to rushed decisions and increased costs. Starting your planning now allows you to:
- Take advantage of funding opportunities: There are often limited time offers and funding from Microsoft that can significantly reduce migration costs. For example, you could save up to $50,000 through special programs.
- Prepare for cost overruns: Gartner predicts that by 2024, 60% of businesses will encounter cloud migration cost overruns that will negatively affect their budgets. Starting early gives you the chance to account for potential risks and budget accordingly.
- Ensure a smooth transition: A well-thought-out budget and migration plan can help avoid disruptions to your business operations during the transition. The earlier you begin, the more time you have to assess your needs, map out dependencies, and evaluate cloud solutions.
Avoid Common Mistakes in Your Migration Budget
Cloud migrations can be complex, and without careful planning, businesses can easily fall into common pitfalls that lead to cost overruns. Here are a few mistakes to avoid as you plan your Dynamics GP migration:
- Choosing the wrong partner: Selecting an experienced migration partner is critical to your success. Some companies make the mistake of opting for low-cost providers or internal teams that lack the expertise, which can lead to mistakes and rework.
- Rushing the process: Under pressure to move quickly, businesses sometimes adopt a “quick shift” approach—moving workloads to the cloud without optimizing them for the new environment. This can lead to higher long-term costs.
- Skipping a thorough assessment: The application assessment phase is one of the most important steps in any migration. Failing to fully assess workloads can result in scope creep and hidden costs.
- Poor landing zone design: A cloud migration requires proper setup of your cloud environment, including account structures, security configurations, and monitoring systems. Failing to design this properly can increase costs and compliance risks.
- Overlooking dependencies: Migrating one application may impact others. If you don’t map out dependencies in advance, you could run into network issues or cascading delays that extend the project timeline and drive-up costs.
- Ignoring indirect costs: Often, businesses forget to budget for indirect costs such as reskilling teams, adopting new operating procedures, or maintaining duplicate systems during the migration cutover period. These hidden costs can add up quickly if not accounted for in your budget.
How Velosio’s Free ClearPath Consultation Can Help
Our ClearPath Consultation is designed to guide you through these challenges, offering a roadmap tailored to your specific needs. We’ll help you avoid costly mistakes and create a migration plan that aligns with your budget and business goals. Here’s how we can help:
- Personalized Budget Planning: We’ll assess your current system, business requirements, and future needs to provide a clear cost estimate for migrating to the cloud. This includes accounting for potential hidden costs and ensuring you have the resources in place to execute the migration smoothly.
- Evaluating Your Options: Whether you’re looking to stay on Dynamics GP for the short term or move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each option, helping you make an informed decision.
- Unlock Funding Opportunities: We’ll help you navigate Microsoft’s funding programs, which could save you up to $50,000 on your migration. By planning early, you can maximize these savings and ensure your migration is cost-effective.
- Risk Mitigation: With our experienced team, you’ll avoid common pitfalls like poor application assessments, dependency bottlenecks, and incomplete landing zone designs. Our goal is to help you plan for every scenario, reducing the risk of unexpected costs.
Start Planning for Your Future Now
As Microsoft Dynamics GP reaches its end-of-life, it’s essential to start planning your migration strategy sooner rather than later. By leveraging Velosio’s ClearPath Consultation, you’ll be able to budget effectively, avoid common migration mistakes, and take advantage of significant savings opportunities.
Ready to get started? Schedule your free ClearPath Consultation today and let us help you plan for a smooth and cost-efficient migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central—or whichever solution best fits your needs.
Book Your Free Consultation Now
By taking action now, you can ensure your business is prepared for the future, whether you plan to migrate in 2025, 2026, or beyond. Let Velosio be your trusted partner as you navigate the transition.
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