Can Microsoft Dynamics GP Really Be An Enterprise Application?

Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly known as Great Plains software) has been helping SMBs improve their financial and operational management since 1981.  In truth, it was built to meet the needs of these small to midsized businesses.  However, that doesn’t mean that Dynamics GP (and other mid-market software solutions) doesn’t have a place in enterprise organizations. 

While some large companies find that Microsoft Dynamics GP meets all of their needs, the number of companies using Dynamics GP as part of a two-tier or multi-tier ERP strategy is rising.  According to a recent Software Insider survey, the number of organizations considering a two-tier solution strategy has increased 10% since Q3 2009. 

Survey respondents site the key drivers behind considering a two-tier strategy to be:

• Desire for an industry specific or purpose built system
• Costly maintenance and expensive upgrades of existing systems
• A need for innovation that outpaces the solutions on the market
• Regulatory compliance issues
• Geographic requirements
• Existing systems are too rigid

According to analyst and blogger R. Ray Wang, there are three scenarios in which a two-tier ERP solution makes the most sense:

1. Organizations that have different lines of business or business models sometimes find it beneficial to use separate ERP systems for each line of business
2. Companies with international subsidiaries can often save on operating costs with country specific deployments
3.  Organizations that choose a phased approach to modernization, updating one system at a time rather than all systems at once

 To find out if Microsoft Dynamics GP would be a good fit for your enterprise business either as a stand-alone solution or as part of a two-tier ERP strategy, request a complimentary business strategy assessment.

By Socius, a Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner in Ohio, Kansas City, and San Jose

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