Chicago Microsoft Gold Certified Advisor

Dynamics GP, originally branded Great Plains, has a longer heritage than almost any other enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform made for Windows. Microsoft Dynamics GP is a proven, full-featured product and is one of the most widely used ERP platforms for small and mid-size businesses, with about 50,000 active installations worldwide. Many businesses who have depended on Dynamics GP for years or decades have been able to postpone upgrades and maintenance long enough that they are now using legacy software and outmoded IT infrastructure. This can be risky. Meanwhile, a recurring complaint we hear from new clients is that they have trouble locating veteran Microsoft Dynamics GP experts who can provide guidance on how to upgrade their Dynamics GP system affordably and derive the maximum benefit from the application.

The longer a business attempts to make do with outdated versions of Dynamics GP, the more challenging the upgrade process tends to be. When physical host servers or storage systems break down, there could be no suitable hardware available to replace them. When editions of Microsoft Windows Server that run Dynamics GP arrive at end-of-support status, vital security patches stop being distributed. Current releases of SQL Server might not be compatible with your special GP customizations. Innovative products like Power BI may not run. Organizations investigating an upgrade of their Microsoft Dynamics GP environment are often intimidated by the number of components there are to the project. And the price tag quoted for an upgrade may be astronomical.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Upgrade and Customization Services Available from Progent
Progent has offered support for Microsoft Dynamics GP and Great Plains for over two decades, and Progent's seasoned experts have provided advanced and affordable online integration consulting for Windows-based networks to organizations in every state across the U.S. By combining deep familiarity with all versions of Dynamics GP as well as top-tier network integration talent, Progent is ideally suited to help your Chicago, Illinois business get the most out of GP.

We become partners with our customers and start by understanding their needs. After gaining familiarity with the environment and the areas for improvement we make our suggestions. Recommendations may involve an upgrade to a newer and fully supported release of Dynamics GP, simple user education, full system and individual module implementation including 3rd-party modules from a broad range of suppliers that have written add-ons to Microsoft Dynamics GP, integration with other key business software within your organization, custom report creation, and solution evaluations to determine whether GP is being used to its fullest. Our goal with each Dynamics GP engagement of whatever size is to maximize business value and manage cost.

Progent's consultants can assist your Chicago, Illinois company in each phase of your Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrade or enhancement project including:

• Deployment Review
  Take a look at what features of Dynamics GP you are now using and propose other features of GP that might be suitable for your organization.

• Migration Planning and Scheduling
  Develop a complete migration plan and schedule that minimizes business disruption. Schedule pilot testing, production upgrade, and education. Specify custom development and add-on modules. Anticipate and resolve compatibility issues.

• Pilot Testing
  Design and configure a pilot environment for validating the upgrade process.

• System Upgrades
  Back up databases and dictionaries, eConnect automation, and GP Integration Manager database. eMigrate Dynamics GP to the latest release to ensure ongoing support services from Microsoft and to make all current features available to your organization. Update SQL Server and compatibility levels for all associated databases. Implement services from the Professional Services Tools Library (pstl). Condition data and execute scripts to resolve documented issues.

• Management Reporting
  Create reports and or custom dashboards for internal and external use. Deploy SQL Server Reporting Services and combine Dynamics GP with Microsoft Power BI for self-service reporting and for combining data from diverse local and remote repositories.

• Training
  Deliver one-on-one or group training for existing and first-time users of Dynamics GP.

• Support
  Act as a single point of contact for expertise to ensure dependable and cost-effective handling of problems made possible by familiarity with your particular environment.

• Recommendations
  Recommend the deployment of software modules that come with the core GP platform but are not currently being used. In addition, recommend third-party products designed specifically for Dynamics GP to provide capabilities that GP doesn't offer.

• Integrations
  Create custom integrations between Microsoft Dynamics GP and other strategic platforms to avoid redundant data entry and increase consistency.

• Customizations
  Build big and simple customizations that work with Microsoft Dynamics GP to perform various functions not addressed by standard GP modules or third-party modules.

• Needs assessment and IT asset inventory
• Network architecture design and implementation (local, private or public cloud, or hybrid)
• Setting up firewalls and VPN connections and creating security policies
• Integrating Apple iOS, Google Android, and Windows smartphones and tablets
• Developing high-availability solutions
• Integration with public cloud services including Microsoft 365
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• Performance tuning

Progent also has extensive experience delivering support from seasoned Cisco CCIE-certified network consultants, Hyper-V planning and integration experts, and VMware virtual machine consultants. This experience with core IT platforms saves time and costs when helping organizations through every aspect of upgrading their older Microsoft Dynamics GP environment. Progent also offers the support of advanced cybersecurity and compliance experts, business continuity planning experts, application developers, hybrid cloud integration experts, and database administrators who can help you to design, implement, and manage a well-tuned Microsoft Dynamics GP ecosystem.

Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Dynamics GP/Great Plains ERP Solutions
To find out more about Progent's remote and onsite consulting services in Chicago, Illinois for Microsoft Dynamics GP/Great Plains ERP software, refer to:

• Microsoft Dynamics GP Support Expertise
  

• Dynamics GP 2015 Consulting Services
  

• MS Dynamics GP/Great Plains Program Features
  

• Microsoft Dynamics GP/Great Plains Features and Benefits
  

• Expertise with Microsoft Dynamics GP Reporting
  

• Microsoft Dynamics GP Custom Software Development
  

Contact Progent for MS Dynamics GP/Great Plains Migration Services
If your Chicago, IL business is looking for a Microsoft Dynamics GP/Great Plains integration expert or application programmer, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.