QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP, Why the Leap is Essential for a Growing Business

Is it time to move from QuickBooks to a full ERP system like Microsoft Dynamics GP?   It’s a question that many companies have to ask at some point when growth and increasing complexity push the limits of QuickBooks functionality and capabilities to meet their needs.  Price is obviously a factor in this decision, but you also need to consider the advantages of a system that enables future growth and provides invaluable information to decision-makers to assist them in guiding that growth.

In my 15 years of consulting experience, I have encountered many companies that had long-since outgrown QuickBooks, but many were hesitant to make the move to a more robust ERP system due to price and fear of the unknown.   It is very rewarding to work with these companies and be part of their evolution to a more mature accounting and ERP system.

Here are some of the key advantages I have personally seen with companies moving from QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP:

• Security and GAAP compliance – Microsoft Dynamics GP is at its core an excellent accounting system that allows for the definition of true segregation of duties and provides auditability and data integrity that is so important in today’s business environment.
• Reporting and Business Intelligence – The capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics GP to provide critical business information to managers and executives is virtually unlimited.  There are literally hundreds of standard reports available, but that only scratches the surface of the reporting and analytical power of Microsoft Dynamics GP.  You also have at your disposal tools such as Excel Reports, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), and Analysis Cubes.  All of these tools come with a large set of built-in reports and key performance indicators (KPIs) and, of course, allow you to create unlimited reports on your own.
• Complexity – As companies grow they typically add divisions or possibly acquire other companies and they need to produce consolidated financial statements and other analytical reports for these entities.  Microsoft Dynamics GP provides the functionality to handle these scenarios with ease, offering a very flexible general ledger account structure and strong expense allocation functionality, as well as unlimited databases.  Using a financial reporting tool such as Management Reporter, these divisions and separate companies can be analyzed individually and on a consolidated basis with great flexibility.
• Customization and Integration – One of the most valuable and satisfying services that The Resource Group provides is the ability to customize Microsoft Dynamics GP and to integrate Microsoft Dynamics GP with other systems to better meet specific needs of a company.  We truly leverage the power of technology to create an ERP system that is tailored to your company.

In addition, Microsoft Dynamics GP supports a much larger user count and transaction volume than QuickBooks without sacrificing performance.  For some companies the move becomes academic when they physically outgrow the performance limits of QuickBooks.  But there are so many other exciting advantages and opportunities involved with a decision to make the move from Quickbooks to a full ERP system like Microsoft Dynamics GP!

By Tim Tobias, The Resource Group – Seattle, Washington Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner