Dynamics GP data migrated to Business Central online
This article provides an overview of the Dynamics GP data that can be migrated to Business Central online by cloud migration tools. You configure the actual data to migrate either globally or per company as part of the cloud migration setup using the GP Company Migration Configuration page.
Fiscal periods
The fiscal periods setup in Dynamics GP is migrated to Business Central as accounting periods. Any years marked as historical in Dynamics GP come over to Business Central as open and must be closed in Business Central. If any adjustments need to be made to historical years after migrating, those adjustments can be done before closing the year.
Chart of Accounts master records
The account number in Business Central is mapped from the main account segment from Dynamics GP. Remaining account segments are then defined as dimensions in Business Central. The GP Company Migration Configuration asks you to enter a segment for Global Dimension 1 and Global Dimension 2. If your chart of accounts in Dynamics GP has more than two segments outside of the main segment, the other segments are automatically set up as shortcut dimensions (3-8). You can verify the setup in the General Ledger Setup page in Business Central.
Let us look at an example of an account from Dynamics GP, using the year 2022 as an example:
| Account in Dynamics GP | Year | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000-1100-00 Cash | Yes 2022 | ||
| Period 1 | 250.00 | ||
| Period 2 | 117.00 | ||
| Period 3 | 340.00 | ||
| 000-1100-01 Cash | Yes 2022 | ||
| Period 1 | 240.00 | ||
| Period 2 | 102.00 | ||
| Period 3 | 501.00 | ||
| 000-4000-00 Sales | Yes 2022 | ||
| Period 1 | 490.00 | ||
| Period 2 | 219.00 | ||
| Period 3 | 841.00 |
The migration creates two accounts in Business Central, number 1100 and number 4000. New dimensions are also added with the names 000, 00, and 01. General journal transactions are created as follows:
| Transaction date | Account No. | Amount | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/31/2022 | 1100 | 250.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
| 1/31/2022 | 1100 | 240.00 | Dimension 000, 01 |
| 1/31/2022 | 4000 | 490.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
| 2/28/2022 | 1100 | 117.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
| 2/28/2022 | 1100 | 102.00 | Dimension 000, 01 |
| 2/28/2022 | 4000 | 219.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
| 3/31/2022 | 1100 | 340.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
| 3/31/2022 | 1100 | 501.00 | Dimension 000, 01 |
| 3/31/2022 | 4000 | 841.00 | Dimension 000, 00 |
The data migration generates dimensions on that account based on the different segments. Users see a Department dimension with the values 000, 100, and 200, respectively. A second dimension, Division, shows the values 00, 01, and 02, respectively.
General ledger (GL) account summary transactions are generated and posted for open and history years that were set up in Dynamics GP. The summary amounts are created based on the fiscal periods set up in Dynamics GP. In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can select the oldest historical year you want migrated to Business Central. For example, if 2019, 2020, and 2021 are historical years in Dynamics GP, you could select that the oldest historical year you want migrated is 2020. Summary transactions for 2019 wouldn't be migrated to Business Central.
Customer master records and outstanding transactions from the Receivables module
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can choose to migrate all customers from Dynamics GP or only active customers. This action allows you to not migrate over customers marked as inactive. All addresses from the customer are also brought over into Business Central. The addresses on the customer are set up as shipping addresses in Business Central. Doing so allows the end user to choose the address needed when entering transactions after the migration.
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can also choose to migration posting accounts on customer classes. If you choose this option, posting accounts defined on customer classes in Dynamics GP are migrated to Business Central as customer posting groups. If a customer is assigned to a customer class in Dynamics GP, the customer will be assigned to the corresponding customer posting group after migrating.
We also bring over outstanding receivables transactions. These transactions are brought in with the amount remaining in Dynamics GP. For example, if an invoice for $1000 was entered into Dynamics GP, and it has been partially paid and has a remaining balance of $400, the new invoice created in Business Central is for $600 because that's the amount remaining to be paid. We bring over all transaction types from Receivables Management.
Vendor master records and outstanding transactions from the Payables module
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can choose to migrate all vendors from Dynamics GP or only active vendors. This action allows you not to migrate over vendors marked as inactive. All addresses from the vendor are brought over into Business Central. All vendor addresses from the vendor are migrated to Business Central. The vendor's Remit To Address is set to the main address for the vendor. All other vendor addresses are set up as Order addresses in Business Central, which allows the end user to choose the address needed when entering transactions after the migration.
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can also choose to migrate posting accounts on vendor classes. If you choose this option, posting accounts defined on vendor classes in Dynamics GP are migrated to Business Central as vendor posting groups. If a vendor is assigned to a vendor class in Dynamics GP, the vendor is assigned to the corresponding vendor posting group after migrating.
Vendor EFT Bank information is migrated to Business Central as Vendor Bank Accounts. If a Vendor's Remit to address contains EFT Bank information in Dynamics GP, it's migrated over as the Preferred Bank Account Code on a vendor in Business Central.
We also bring over outstanding Payables transactions. These transactions are brought in with the amount remaining in Dynamics GP. For example, if an invoice for $1000 was entered into Dynamics GP, and it has been partially paid and has a remaining balance of $400, the new invoice created in Business Central is for $600 because that's the amount remaining to be paid. We bring over all transaction types from Payables Management.
1099 vendor information and amounts can be migrated to Business Central. The GP Company Migration Configuration page has the option where you can select if you want to migrate 1099 information. The tax type, Federal ID number, and 1099 box number from the vendor record are migrated. In addition, the 1099 box amounts are migrated for each 1099 vendor. If you select to migration 1099 information, you must also indicate the calendar year for which you want to migrate 1099 amounts. The first supported year for migrating 1099 information is 2024.
You can also bring over Open Purchase Orders. When we migrate purchase orders, we're looking at the items and the quantities remaining on those items to determine what we bring over as an open purchase order. If an item is fully received and invoiced that item isn't migrated. By bringing over open purchase orders, you don't have to enter outstanding transactions from the purchase order aspect.
Inventory items
Inventory is imported with the cost valuation method that is set in GP at the time the migration is run. Location information and the quantity on hand for each time is migrated. If serial or lot information is tracked on an item, that information is also migrated.
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can choose to migrate posting accounts on item classes. If you choose this option, posting accounts that are defined on item classes in Dynamics GP are migrated to Business Central as inventory posting groups. If an item is assigned to an item class in Dynamics GP, the item will be assigned to the corresponding inventory posting group after migrating. If you only want to migrate active items, you can choose to exclude inactive items in the GP Company Migration Configuration page. Also, you can choose if you don't want to migrate discontinued items.
Checkbook transaction and master data
You can choose to migrate all checkbooks from Dynamics GP or only active checkbooks. Unreconciled bank transactions will be migrated to Business Central so that you can reconcile your checkbooks after migrating. Any posted cash receipt should also be deposited in GP before migrating, because undeposited receipts aren't migrated.
GP Historical Snapshot
In the GP Company Migration Configuration page, you can select if you want to migrate historical information from GP into Business Central. This migrated data is then visible in list pages found under the corresponding entities and navigating to GP Detail Snapshot. You can indicate if you want to migrate GL detail, Receivables, Payables, Sales Order Processing, Purchase Order Receipts, and Inventory transactions. The data is stored in extension tables in Business Central. Data stored in those tables can be used in Power BI reports, Power Apps, or other non-Microsoft reporting tools. The tables containing the GP Historical Snapshot data are as follows:
- Hist. G/L Account
- Hist. Gen. Journal Line
- Hist. Payables Document
- Hist. Receivables Document
- Hist. Sales Trx. Header
- Hist. Sales Trx. Line
- Hist. Purchase Recv. Header
- Hist. Purchase Recv. Line
- Hist. Inventory Trx. Header
- Hist. Inventory Trx. Line
You can limit the about of data migrated in the snapshot by entering the latest year in GP that you want brought over. Enter this year in the Oldest Snapshot Year field in the GP Company Migration Configuration page.
The GP Historical Snapshot will run as a background process after the migration is complete. The status of the GP Historical Snapshot data can be viewed in Fact boxes in the Cloud Migration Management page.
Next steps
- Prepare and plan for cloud migration
- Run cloud migration setup
- Run data migration
- Run data upgrade
- Complete cloud migration
See also
Dynamics GP migration to Business Central online: End-to-end overview
Compare Work in Dynamics GP to Business Central
FAQ about Migrating to Business Central Online from on-premises Solutions