Microsoft has announced it is sunsetting its Great Plains accounting software after decades in the market.
With few peers in terms of longevity, we decided to look into why so many nonprofits stuck with Great Plains so long, and what they will do between now and 2029, when support ends for what is now called Dynamics GP.
Nonprofit Accounting is Idiosyncratic, and So Are its Tools
Anyone who has ever served time in nonprofit operations can tell you that the accounting requirements are seriously convoluted compared with other sectors. Not only do nonprofits have additional regulatory requirements as a group but they also tend to run differently from each other.
Nonprofit accounting and operations teams develop idiosyncratic ways to run their finance departments, and that often means customizing their financial tools and workflows. Customization builds on customization and the next thing you know, migrating to a new-generation cloud platform looks much hairier than staying with the on-prem devil you know.
But time is an arrow and nonprofits on Dynamics GP should be building a plan to move to a modern ERP system long before Microsoft pulls product support in a few years.
A Wake for the Great Plains ERP
Please raise your drink of choice and join us as we toast the strange friend we knew as Great Plains.
🍸Here’s to only having one fiscal year open at a time.
🍸Here’s to spending 20 minutes trying to find the report you were looking for, only to realize it would only have taken you 10 minutes to build it in Excel.
🍸Here’s to one of the longest-running platform relationships we have ever had. We will miss you!
What’s New in Nonprofit ERPs?
The ERP market has exploded in the past ten years, and many have cloud solutions for nonprofits out of the box. Some major players our clients use include NetSuite Cloud ERP, QuickBooks, and Blackbaud’s Financial Edge NXT.
Microsoft has been heavily investing in its Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, including its AI-powered tools. Business Central is simpler and faster to implement than other more complex systems and a number of popular third-party tools are built on this platform, including SparkRock, Sylogist, and Tangicloud.
Support Your ERP Transition with Our Experts
Heller Consulting has helped scores of nonprofits with ERP transitions and accounting technology roadmaps. Our experts can support you, whether you want to lift and shift or burn it all down.
Get in touch today to find out how to leverage our combined 425 years of experience (that’s even older than Great Plains!).
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Principal Microsoft Strategist and Architect
Catherine has served the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, defining and guiding the strategic pathway for technology, digital transformation, marketing, and fundraising at the Canadian Cancer Society and others. She is skilled at understanding and addressing the human concerns that arise during a project as well as the technical challenges that any system transition will bring.
A certified change expert, Catherine is committed to bringing the latest change management techniques to nonprofit projects. She is a member of the events committee for the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) and is a frequent speaker at nonprofit conferences and a guest on nonprofit-specific podcasts. Outside of her professional life, Catherine is passionate about STEM education for children and enjoys the privilege of mentoring other women and young professionals.
When not supporting Heller clients to get the most from their technology, Catherine is likely spending time with her nephews and godchildren; or planning her next travel adventure.
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