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Making changes to Dynamics GP while prepping for a future move: HR tools
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Time to read: 5 min
Imagine that, as a growing organization running Dynamics GP, you have steadily added employees over the years and are having growing pains with the Human Resources management process. What once felt manageable now feels strained in a system from a different time. HR staff struggles to track employee records, payroll, new leave requirements, and benefits inside GP, while leadership faces increasing compliance pressure and W-2 timings. The company now needs to track employee licensure, certifications, and credentials, and support remote employees who want access to their own information.
At the same time, Microsoft has announced that Dynamics GP product support and updates will end December 31, 2029. The need to modernize is now a driver for efficiency, and you might be considering a move to a cloud-based ERP system like Microsoft’s Business Central. The organization also realizes that waiting for an ERP migration to address HR and payroll limitations increases risk and complexity. This creates a natural opportunity to begin change now starting with HR and payroll systems that more easily integrate with both GP and Business Central.
Our ongoing blog series will help your organization prepare for GP’s end-of-service, not only as you prepare for a move to a new ERP but to make the most of your current system investment.
What we cover:
Why adjust/change your HR processes now
Let’s say it plainly: many HR and payroll providers integrate with both Dynamics GP and Business Central. You don’t need to migrate to Business Central or another ERP at the same time, so these changes are ideal stepping stones toward that move, on your terms. Solutions such as Insperity online for full-service HR or GP-friendly platforms like Integrity Data for HR and Payroll (HRP), or Greenshades Payroll integration allow organizations to add HR/payroll functionality now while setting you up for a future move to cloud-based solutions like Business Central.
Addressing HR and payroll challenges before an ERP implementation allows your organization to reduce complexity of a future move and avoid multiple changes at once. Teams have time to stabilize these important processes, train users, and ensure data accuracy before a Business Central project begins, so you can focus more attention on the HR changes when those changes happen and, when those are squared away, focus more dedicatedly on the actual ERP migration.
This phased approach reduces some of the business risk of a software migration by breaking the complexity and scale of one large project into two, which is going to improve adoption and give each the attention they deserve.
Plus, your whole organization gets to reap the benefits of a new modernized HR or payroll solution—with all the perks of easier work for your HR and payroll team and the self-service portals for all your employees—earlier than later.
HR and Payroll management beyond GP
Dynamics GP HR features haven’t been updated in years and will not receive more updates. Along with this obvious potential issue, it struggles to handle large numbers of employees and complex organizational structures, so an HR team working in GP will find themselves using spreadsheets or manual workarounds for these system limitations.
GP Payroll users face a similar but perhaps more urgent need to find a new solution, given the frequent changes to payroll regulations. Given Microsoft’s stated end-of-support date, there will also be few to no innovations and updates in GP Payroll, either.
But modern HR/payroll systems (ex. Integrity Data and Greenshades) are designed to scale with your growth and include things like centralized employee records, large-scale updates, and better reporting without delays and data inconsistencies. Mass updates, change tracking, and payroll delivery won’t need to happen manually or via spreadsheets.
Track licensure credentials and compliance
There’s also the question of new regulatory and industry requirements, like employee licensure certifications and ongoing credential tracking. Dynamics GP was not designed for detailed compliance tracking, so your HR team must rely on spreadsheets or manual reminders that increase discrepancies when credentials expire or these standards are audited. As you may have expected, there will be no additions of this functionality to GP.
Modern HR solutions provide structured credential management, automated alerts, and centralized records that significantly reduce compliance exposure and administrative effort. They help you monitor expiration dates, maintain documentation, and generate reports without manual intervention.
If you’ve been dealing with these compliance requirements manually, you have a technology gap that you’re organization would benefit from solving immediately. But, as always, there are solutions that will work with both GP and Business Central, so you don’t invest in a short-term solution you can’t take with you when you move.
Add Employee self-service portals
Today, employees expect easy access to their benefits and payroll information, without the limitation of HR personnel triaging requests for pay stubs, benefit details, tax documents, and personal data updates. There’s limited convenience in GP’s updateless functionality.
Modern HR platforms address this gap by giving employees direct access to their information through secure self-service portals, giving employees access to payroll info, benefit enrollment, time-off request, and personal data, reducing administrative workload for the HR team and improving overall employee satisfaction with their HR-related needs. Some even provide additional benefits programs that offer incentives and rewards (like classes and discounts from large retailers). Insperity is one example of this sort of platform with self-service portals and an additional benefits program, Insperity Perks Plus.
Introducing these capabilities before an ERP migration immediately improves engagement and establishes a modernized employee experience that doesn’t change when you transition from GP to Business Central
To integrate or not to integrate?
In this scenario where HR and payroll functions have stalled due to GP’s sunset, you have an important question to consider: is it best to integrate HR with your ERP or fully decouple by adopting a comprehensive HR and payroll solution? Decoupling your HR/payroll processes means they can evolve independently of financial systems and remain modern, regardless any future ERP decisions, while simultaneously reducing ERP complexity. Overall, this approach can simplify the eventual move to Business Central while providing immediate operational and employee experience improvements.
Whether you stay integrated or choose to decouple, there are benefits and drawbacks. The point we want to make here is this: an ERP migration is an ideal time to interrogate your current practices and consider does this still work for us?
Modernizing HR and payroll before moving from Dynamics GP to Business Central is a strategic decision that reduces risk, improves operations, and spreads change over time. By addressing employee growth compliance requirements, self-service expectations, and payroll limitations, organizations can now create stability and confidence ahead of ERP migration.
Leveraging HR solutions that integrate with both GP and Business Central ensures today’s investments support future goals while avoiding the disruption of changing everything at once. This proactive approach positions your business for a smoother transition and stronger long-term outcomes as GP reaches its end of life.
If you need to improve your HR and Payroll capabilities in Dynamics GP, be sure to discuss with your Partner to understand the costs, benefits, and implications of making changes to GP while preparing for a move to Business Central.
Syvantis can help you learn more about leveraging your investment in GP and preparing for a migration to Business Central. Whether you’re looking for demos, quotes, or ready to start planning your migration, we’re here to help.
